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14th May, 2008 - 6:44 pm
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| Current Features |
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SCOOP DU JOUR: Camby, Yao, Pudge, Wright, And Favre!
Marcus Camby feels blindsided, Yao Ming returns, the Marlins like Pudge Rodriguez, David Wright almost pitched in the All-Star Game, and the latest on Brett Favre.
STANDING 10: Top 10 Careers Of Players Picked 6th
You might wonder if Danilo Gallinari will qualify for this list in the future, but most New York fans would probably laugh at such an idea.
MOCK DRAFT: 2008 NBA Mock Draft, Version 13.0 (Draft Day Edition)
Weeks and months of waiting has finally come to an end, and Draft day is officially here.
PLAYER RANKINGS: Ranking The Best Players Of The 2008 Playoffs
Which players have played the best through the Conference Finals?
TEAM RANKINGS: The RealGM.com Final NBA Team Rankings For 2007-08
Which teams were statistically the best in 2007-08? Which teams improved the most from 2006-07? Some of the answers may surprise you.
CLASSICS: Hakeem Vs. Ewing: Who Was The Better Center?
Born within six months of each other in opposite corners of the world, two seven footers who are finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame this fall are two of the best ever to play the center position.
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By Graham Flashner
Get ready, Knicks' fans – Coach Mike D’Antoni is ready to whip the team’s moribund offense into high gear. Following a press conference at Madison Square Garden, D’Antoni confidently unveiled his plans for a dramatically revamped Knicks' team that, he promises, will shoot in 24 seconds or less.
“There is no reason this team can’t get off a shot in 24 seconds,” D’Antoni said, to the wild cheers of Knicks' supporters.
After a disastrous 23-59 season, the news was welcome relief for players, who, under Coach Isiah Thomas, had numerous shot clock violations and often seemed hard-pressed to get off a good look.
One player, speaking anonymously, said that Isiah’s offensive philosophy was, “to be patient, wait for our shot. Well, maybe we got too patient.”
D’Antoni, whose up-tempo coaching style was famously profiled in the book, Seven Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns , was derided by many who didn’t think his philosophy meshed with the Knicks’ plodding style. But D’Antoni insisted the Knicks had the personnel to adapt.
“It shouldn’t be asking too much of a professional basketball player to get off a shot in 24 seconds,” D’Antoni said. “Those who can’t keep up may find themselves elsewhere next season.”
Among players, reaction was mixed. “Whatever,” said Stephon Marbury. “If I’m still here, I’ll do whatever they want me to do. 2 seconds, 22 seconds, it don’t matter.”
“I’m definitely excited,” said Jamal Crawford, one of the players expected to benefit from D’Antoni’s fast-paced style. “We’re going to catch a lot of teams by surprise next year.”
On the Suns, players like Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, and Leandro Barbosa wasted no time flying down the court and launching three-pointers in the time it took to say, ‘trade Marbury.’ D’Antoni says he doesn’t expect that kind of play from these Knicks. “All I ask is that they get off a reasonable two-point shot, preferably facing the basket, preferably from within 20 feet. If they can get a layup, my hat is off to them."
D’Antoni is already dividing up the Knicks' roster into those who will be able to adapt to his style – like Crawford, Nate Robinson, David Lee, and Quentin Richardson - and those - like Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, and Jerome James – who may have a problem.
Curry, for one, seemed amused. “24 seconds, is that what he said?” said Curry. “Time to get my butt in shape.”
Other players warned of overly high expectations. “It sounds good on paper,” said James. “But against good defensive teams like the Celtics, 24 seconds goes by real quick.”
The preceding article is a piece of satirical fiction |
