As many Knicks fans were, I was absolutely pissed when they decided to let Jeremy Lin sign with the Houston Rockets this off-season. After the 'Linsanity' craze swept New York and revitalized Knick fans, restoring faith in a franchise long mired in ineptitude, I was convinced that anything less than bringing Lin back was not to be considered. Once the Knicks didn't match Houston's offer sheet to Lin, opting to bring back Raymond Felton as a replacement after trading him in the Carmelo Anthony deal two years ago, the front office's next series of moves baffled me. They signed an already aged group of veterans that included former Knick players Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby, point guard Jason Kidd and (what??!!!!) Rasheed Wallace. All of these players are knocking on the door of 40 years old, with their best playing days ways behind them (with an allowance for the brilliance that Jason Kidd can still conjure up). At the time, comparing these gray bearded vets with the young and craze inducing Lin, I felt like the Knicks had once again wasted a golden opportunity to become relevant again. I mean, it seemed like they had the golden egg and the goose with him.
Fast forward to this season and the Knicks are a surprising 8-2 and share the best record in the league. Carmelo is playing the best basketball we've seen from him in a Knicks uniform, Raymond Felton is playing like he did during his first stint as a Knick and Rasheed Wallace? Well, anything 'Sheed would have been able to contribute would have been more than anyone could've expected, and he has contributed well past those expectations. So the Knicks seem to be doing fine without Lin and, despite his early struggles in Houston and his recent comments that things could've worked out with him and his former teammates (namely 'Melo), Lin seems to be doing okay without the Knicks. The question of whether or not the Knicks are better off seems to have an obvious, resounding answer: A throwback, Marv Albert style "YES!"
Many will argue the fact that Lin's talents fit better in former Knicks and current Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni's system; the same system that Anthony and other team mates not named Jeremy Lin had trouble buying in to (or refused to buy in to, take your pick). Until 'Linsanity' came along, the Knicks didn't have a point guard who could effectively run that "7 seconds or less" type offense. With Lin's ability to have that system run through him and be an effective ball handler and scorer, Carmelo didn't have enough iso plays ran for him, thus somewhat rendering his skill set ineffective. He was no longer the main cog of the offense and he needed to be to have a positive impact on the team. When Carmelo went out with an injury and the Knicks continued on towards a 7 game winning streak, everyone saw problems on the horizon. "How would things work out when 'Melo gets back?" was the question everyone was asking. Would Anthony be able to share the load with Lin, letting the offense run through him? Nope! When Carmelo came back he sulked, management peeped that, the Knicks went on to lose 6 straight and D'Antoni resigned. Assistant coach Mike Woodson stepped in and catered to Anthony, reducing Lin's role in the offense and craftined an 18-6 record for the remainder of the season. Facing Miami in the playoffs without an injured Lin, the Knicks would win just one game in that series (their first after 13 straight playoff game losses). Right after the playoffs, the #1 question on everyone's mind wasn't if the Knicks would bring Lin back because everyone kept saying they were going to. Mike Woodson said the Knicks were "absolutely" bringing him back, even though none of the Knicks brass would confirm nor deny it. The number #1 question was 'WWMD (What Will 'Melo Do?)?' Would he be willing to give it another go with Lin?
Then, the strangest thing happened. The Knicks front office didn't offer Jeremy Lin a contract right away. Most teams in the league thought it was a forgone conclusion that the Knicks would re-sign Lin quickly. When they didn't the Houston Rockets, who had plenty of offseason moves on tap, made Lin an offer they knew he wouldn't refuse and probably knew the Knicks wouldn't match, due to luxury tax concerns. The Rockets has passed on Lin early in the season and released him. After seeing what he accomplished in just a short period of time in NY, they went after him again. When questioned during the Olympics about Jeremy Lin's offer sheet from Houston, he called the contract 'ridiculous', saying: "It's up to the (Knicks) organization to say they want to match that ridiculous contract that's out there." Tongue in cheek, he also said: "I would love to have him back." To me, that said a lot about how 'Melo really felt about the whole 'Linsanity' thing. He was basically saying: This is my team, but if they want to hand the reins over to this kid, see what happens. I'm sure Knicks management saw that their superstar was unhappy and decided 'for basketball reasons', decided to let Lin go to Houston.
So what we are seeing is a happy Carmelo Anthony, who after his Olympic experience stated that he learned a lot during that time, being the player Knicks fans thought they were getting but didn't really get the last season and a half. The signing of all those graybeards seemed to be an attempt to pump some maturity into a young Knicks locker room, and it's working; J.R. Smith, a guy many thought was a huge risk for the Knicks chemistry, has proven to be a valuable commodity. The Knicks are playing unselfishly on offense, largely in part to Jason Kidd's youthful vigor and veteran leadership on the floor, and disciplined defense (a trait we saw in flashes when Woodson first took over). It seems everyone has a defined role on this team, none more defined that Anthony's. He's the guy, their guy. And honestly, better off because of it. Now if only they can figure out what to do with Amar'e Stoudemire when he returns from injury...
No comments:
Post a Comment