Hello everyone, I’m here today to show you how I thought the each Knick player individually did throughout the season and throughout the playoffs because there were players that were different in the season than they were in the playoffs. I thought that some people did better in the season than they did in the playoffs. This is why I decided to make to separate grades, playoffs and regular season. We will start off with the reserves on the Knicks. Quentin Richardson and Earl Barron do not qualify.
James White-Regular Season-D, Playoffs- DNQ. What a disappointment! I thought this guy could play! It turns out that all he could do is dunk. I think he only had one highlight the whole season. What more can I say, Knicks, please get rid of this guy! He did absolutely nothing this season except get in the dunk contest and get one highlight! Kurt Thomas (When he was on the Knicks)-Regular Season-D+, Playoffs- DNQ. He did well for his role which was a bench warmer but if he had gotten more minutes, then this grade could have been judged more fairly. Rasheed Wallace (Before Retirement)-Regular Season-C-, Playoffs- DNQ. Rasheed had a good final year of his career this year with the Knicks for the time when he was not injured. He did well for his time, but he could not stay away from injury. So, Rasheed have a good life outside of basketball. Alright! Marcus Camby-Regular Season-C-, Playoffs- DNQ. Camby had some pretty solid work with the Knicks this year and I think that he gave it all he got. If we could get him next year, I would love to have him back! Those were my grades for the reserves, if you do not agree on something, come talk about it with me in the comments because I like to see what other people think about stuff. Anyway here are the role players and the sixth man of the year. Steve Novak-Regular Season-C-, Playoffs-DNQ. Novak was having a fine season for his role at the role player and I thought that we should stick to the same strategy throughout the playoffs. We did not. This guy played about 2 minutes in our whole NBA Playoffs when in a regular season game he had been playing a good 10-15 minutes. Why would Woodson change the strategy? If you are winning, keep doing what you are doing. Don’t fix what is not broken! Amare Stoudemire-Regular Season-C, Playoffs-DNQ. Stoudemire again had troubles with injuries for the second straight year and I think it is time to consider trading him. I gave him a C because he is still dunking out there with all the pain on him. I give him credit because after every injury he went through he toughened it out and came back out on the floor and for that I give him credit. Jason Kidd-Regular Season-C+, Playoffs-D-. Jason Kidd was one of those players that had a great regular season and lost it all in the NBA Playoffs, I cannot even remember if he scored in the playoffs against the Celtics or Pacers. Please write in the comments below if you remember this man making a shot in the Playoffs. In the regular season, however, the whole thing is a different story. He did very fine in the regular season and I thought he was a great addition to the team. Then, the playoffs arrived and all matters with Jason Kidd were downhill. Anyway, he did retire at 40 years of age and is now the Nets head coach and I wish him the best of luck with that. Chris Copeland-Regular Season-B-, Playoffs-B-, Was this guy a shock to us all or what? Nobody even thought he would be on a team this year and it turned out that he is actually a very fine player who hits shots when you need them. Copeland did show up in the playoffs and played the way he did in the regular season. He gave us a huge boost in the season and in the NBA Playoffs, he was phenomenal. Copeland, this is your team stay with us! Kenyon Martin-Regular Season-B, Playoffs-B+. Kenyon Martin was a solid player for the Knicks in both the regular season and the playoffs. He would dunk the ball and give the Knicks the momentum that they needed to win. Then, he would scream at the crowd when he blocked a shot or dunked it and the crowd would jump up and down and they would go crazy. I remember sitting at home watching this guy get me out of my seat going nuts. Point is, Martin thank you for helping us with a great season! JR Smith-Regular Season-A-, Playoffs-C+. Choke in the playoffs! I’m sorry JR but you did not help us after that elbow on Jason Terry in Game 3 of the 1st round. After that happened, JR could not do anything, he was missing shots that he would usually make all the time and he is one of the reasons why I think we got out by the Pacers in the playoffs. In the regular season, though, I could never stop applauding you. Making every shot, putting an incredible dunk in every single night. Awesomeness! If you had only shown up in the playoffs it would have been a totally different story. If it was my choice though I would still get JR back for next season because he did well in the regular season and the Knicks could use someone like that this year. These were my grades on the role players, do you think I was correct or do you think different comment about it below and I can see what you think. Now, the starters and the coach. Raymond Felton-Regular Season-B+, Playoffs: C-. In the playoffs this man was failure. Our starting point guard in one of the playoff games against Indiana scored 4 points! Are you kidding me? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of before. Felton is supposed to be the second scoring option behind Carmelo in the starting lineup and he is giving us 4 points in the whole game! Sorry, Felton but you deserve a C- for that performance in the playoffs. In the regular season he was better but still struggled. At least he did not have 4 points in a game on a consistent basis. Pablo Prigioni-Regular Season-B+, Playoffs-B+. Another shocker right here. Nobody thought that 35 year old Pablo Prigioni was going to be on an NBA roster for his first year in the NBA. He shocked the world, the steals, the threes, the veteran, he had everything. He helped the team so much this year and he was one of the reasons why we even got to the 2nd round and got to six games in that second round. He truly played his heart out and I cannot thank him enough for giving the Knicks another big boost. Thanks Pablo! Tyson Chandler-Regular Season-A-, Playoffs-C. Here is a player who did not show up for the 2nd round of the playoffs. Tyson Chandler got owned by Roy Hibbert in six straight games, oh wait that was the whole series against the Pacers, why would you betray us Tyson! Why? However, in the regular season he was a dominant force on the boards putting up two 20 rebound games and getting an alley-oop jam every single game. Good job by Tyson on the regular season, not so good in the playoffs. Iman Shumpert-Regular Season-A-, Playoffs-A-. Never let this guy go! Iman Shumpert tore his ACL in game 1 of the NBA 1st round against the Miami Heat, and it looked like it really hurt. He came back during this season and worked hard to get back to his normal strength. He played great in that elimination game in the playoffs with those 5 three-pointers and those clutch buckets. Also, how about that ferocious jam in game two of the Conference Semifinals, that was awesome. Shumpert has a lot of time to develop and can become a really solid basketball player when at full strength. Good season, Iman. Carmelo Anthony-Regular Season-A, Playoffs-A. Melo, you are going to win a championship one of these years, just keep working. Carmelo Anthony had one of the best regular seasons of his career averaging 28.7 points per game in the regular season and winning the scoring title, but if you think that is good enough. He averaged 28.8 points per game in the playoffs! Finally, a clutch performer! This is what a star has to do for his team, put up big numbers. Melo did some incredible things throughout the season including a 54 win season, a division title, home court advantage for the first two rounds, and the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Thank you so much Carmelo for everything you have done! Please do this next year and we will keep inching closer to that ring. Melo, next year is the one! Mike Woodson-Regular Season-A, Playoffs-D+. Big Difference! In the regular season, Woodson was up for Coach of the Year in the NBA and was almost able to coach the East All-Stars. He got the Knicks a division title, 54 wins, and the 2nd seed in the East. I give a lot of credit to Woodson for that and I applaud everything that he did in the regular season, but the playoffs were a whole different story. He was screwing up every game and that is why I gave him a D+ in the playoffs. If Iman Shumpert hits 4 straight three-pointers to end the 3rd quarter in an elimination game, would you take Shumpert out for the 4th quarter. Sounds stupid, right! Woodson thinks different, he subs him out in the 4th quarter and we lose the Knicks are now out of the playoffs. What do you think the main reason was? WOODSON!! Mike Woodson just needs to make smarter decisions and he will be fine. These were my predictions on each Knicks players grade, do you have a different opinion on what their grade should be? Tell me in the comments below. Please comment and thanks for reading!
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With the trade deadline fast approaching, rumors are all over the place. By now, you’ve probably heard the Knicks trade rumor of Shumpert on the trade block. I’ve been thinking about what the Knicks should do, and my answer may surprise you because in the past I’ve been desperate for the Knicks to take action. But this time, I don’t think they should do anything! Absolutely nothing! That’s right. The Knicks have shown a lot of heart this season. I think the squad they have now will keep winning and they just need to stay focused…and rested. I know what you’re thinking as you read this…the Knicks have been losing lately. But it’s really just a slump. This team is older and they are tired. Their older bodies need a rest and the all-star break came just in time. They will now be well rested and ready to start claiming victories again. In fact, I think the all-star break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Knicks. And speaking of the All-Star weekend, did you catch some or all of it? Thanks to my DVR, I was able to watch the entire weekend. Here are some highlights that I truly enjoyed: · Seeing two Knicks, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, both in the all-star game. The best part about it is that they both showed they were all-stars because Carmelo led the East in points and rebounds, getting 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Tyson Chandler did not shine as bright as Carmelo had a decent glow, putting up 7 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. · Watching the Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried nail 40 points and grab 10 rebounds as well as 10 dunks all in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge. He also won the MVP for that competition. · Rewinding the plays of Kyrie Irving of Cleveland, breaking the Piston’s Brandon Knight’s ankles two times in the Rising Stars Challenge. He crossed him over 3 times, and he fell twice. Once he did that, it became a 1-on-1 contest in Houston. It was so much fun to watch. Also, Kyrie Irving was in the 3-point shootout and got 23 out of 30 possible points. He won that competition with style and also competed in the All-Star game. · Enjoying the All-Star game. It especially was a pleasure to watch was CP3 in the all-star game. He lit up 20 points and dished out 15 assists leading the West to a victory against the East. Also, Chris Paul won MVP for his phenomenal performance in Houston, Texas. Anyway, thanks for reading my latest blog posting and I hope you liked reading it. Also, respond to me about what YOUR favorite highlights were from all-star weekend and post what you think the Knicks or any other team should do trade-wise. Thanks for reading! Please comment. The Knicks definitely surprised many people with their 11 wins and 4 losses start this season. They surprised me too. I love the fact that they are still undefeated at home, with all their losses being on the road. I think this is one of the best starts for the Knicks in franchise history, certainly in my lifetime anyway. The real surprise is that it shows the team is up for a championship run this year so far. The only other times they started seasons like this was back in the 1970 season when they won their first of two titles, and in 1994 when they went to the finals, but lost to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets.
The person that I am most impressed with is Carmelo Anthony. He leads the league in points per game in the first quarter with 10.5 points. Also, he is third in the NBA in points per game throughout the whole game, right behind Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. However, those are not the things I am most impressed with, what I am most impressed with is his passing of the ball. He is starting to drive in and bring the defenders in and then kick the ball out to the open man. That is called good basketball. Another player I am impressed with is Jason Kidd who has back spasms now. I did not even know he was third all time in three-pointers made. He is a very unselfish player and is clutch. Ronnie Brewer and J.R. Smith are also making their mark. Ronnie Brewer is starting to hit the three point shot. I thought that he was just a defensive player and was a good finisher in the lane but I was wrong, he is much more than that. He does everything from rebounds to assists to fantastical dunks, and I am just glad he is on the team. Also, J.R. Smith is probably having the best year of his career. Now, many people were saying that he is a big ball hog and he never passes, and they were right, in the beginning. Now, he is starting to pass more and is finding players like Steve Novak for three and finding Carmelo for the open jump shot. The countdown to the start of the NBA’s regular season is over and I think the Knicks season opener is going to be very exciting! Yet before we jump ahead, let’s take a look back and recap the preseason for the Knicks. In their first preseason game, the Knicks played the Wizards and won 108-101. The player that was best on the Knicks for that game had to have been Steve Novak. He was the leading scorer with 21 points and he also made all 7 three pointers that he took (impressive!). The next game was against the Boston Celtics, which the Knicks won in overtime 98-95. In my opinion, the main reason they won this one is because of backup forward Chris Copeland. He scored 21 points throughout the game and also got the game winning block. Carmelo also scored 23 points but that is to be expected from him at this point.
The third game, the Knicks faced the Toronto Raptors and lost 107-88. The Raptors were led by former Rockets point guard, Kyle Lowry. He had a phenomenal game with 17 points, 3 steals, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds. Carmelo and Amar’e combined for 42 points but it wasn’t enough. This game was followed by another game against the Celtics but the Knicks luck ran out this time. The Celtics claimed an 11 point victory, with the final score of 109-98. Chris Copeland had another phenomenal game for Boston, scoring 34 points. However, in my opinion, the reason why the Celtics won was due to the support of Jeff Green, who scored 25 points. In our second to last preseason game, the Knicks fell to Philadelphia, losing 98-90. The Sixers had the best preseason record in the league going into the game. Jason Richardson scored 23 points and Thaddeus Young scored 22 points. Finally, our last preseason game was the much anticipated game against the Brooklyn Nets. It was definitely the most fun game to watch for me in the preseason. Before I say who won, let me say that Tyson Chandler got injured in the beginning of the game. Gerald Wallace was trying to cut through the screen and he hit Tyson’s knee. Fortunately, it was only a bone bruise. As you probably know by now, the Knicks won against the Nets in overtime 97-95. MarShon Brooks went up for a layup at the end and missed. The Knicks then ran out the clock. The former Houston Rockets star, Hakeem Olajuwon, was helping the Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire by teaching him post moves in the paint, such as the “Dream Shake”. Now he is coming to New York to help out Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Marcus Camby improve their post game as well as helping Amar’e a little bit more.
With Hakeem training these four Knicks players, I think the Knicks will have a much better chance, better than expected for this season anyway. Hakeem can make the Knicks so much better because Olajuwon is absolutely one of the top 15 greatest players of all time. He was so good at making ball fakes and tricking his opponents by using lots of different post moves. I can’t wait to see how much more dominant the Knicks will be with Carmelo dominating the post with Stoudemire doing the same on the outside. I think he will make a difference in how this two players work together. I also think that Tyson Chandler will become a better offensive force with Olajuwon teaching him how to use his height to his advantage. He will, in my opinion, average around 15 points per game. Lastly, let’s talk about Marcus Camby. Camby may be old but I believe that with Olajuwon will be able to help him regain some of the dominance he used to show on the floor. When I talk about the ’92 Dream Team, I also think about the USA team today. Sometimes I even think about having the best players from ’92 and ’12 and putting them together to make an all-time USA Team. Today, that is what I will be talking about. Let’s get this started! Chris Mullin and Christian Laettener are out of there following with Tyson Chandler and James Harden. Scottie Pippen and Russell Westbrook are out as well. Jordan, Magic, Bird, LeBron, and Kobe are in that team. D-Will shouldn’t be in there at all. Kevin Love and Andre Igoudala are not in there. John Stockton and Charles Barkley are definitely in it. Cp3 and Carmelo are in. Anthony Davis is no way no how going to be in this team. I have to make a choice to eliminate someone and Ewing is a no go for me. Also, Kevin Durant is, as well. The Admiral, Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, and Karl Malone finish out the remaining spots.
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Mike V.
My name is Mike V. I am an enormous basketball fan. I also am a die-hard Knicks fan. After graduating 5th grade, I started writing this blog at the age of 10 in the summer of 2012. Archives
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