Coach of the Year

In case you haven't been paying attention, the NY Knicks are playing tough, gritty, inspired basketball of late. News flash: they have kept 11 teams in a row under 100 points. And, with a win in NJ tonight, they will have their first winning month of the regular season since 2003. While they certainly aren't the Pat Riley Knicks of the 90's, they are getting close to being watchable and have a real crack at losing to the Celts or Cavs in the first round of the playoffs.

This is resurgence is a total credit to the coaching job being done by Mike D'Antoni. Too often coaches try to fit talent into their system versus building a system to suit their talent. D'Antoni was guilty of this offense last season by force-feeding his "7 seconds or less" approach on a group of players ill equipped to run that system. It looked as though he would continue down the wrong path as the Knicks looked awful offensively and even worse defensively the first month of this season. Since that time, D'Antoni has slowed it down, employs a pick and roll offense and benched anyone who can't play a lick of defense (see Nate Robinson and Eddy Curry - "The DNP Brothers"). The results speak for themselves. It was easy to win with all that talent in Phoenix. Now, D'Antoni is doing the best coaching job of his career. Let the campaign begin - D'Antoni for coach of the year!

(Doesn't hurt that he's a fellow Paesan)

Short Memories

Watch out world, here come the Yankee fans again. 5 wins in a row and sole possession of first place in the AL East has Yankee Universe telling anyone who will listen about the "new yankees" - small ball and bullpen. Ha! While Met Nation has gone into an early hibernation for the winter, Yankee Universe couldn't be feeling better. But how easily blinded we become after a few wins against sub-par teams (ok, Detroit was playing well but let's be honest, they're the worst of the 3 teams competing for the Central). Here are the facts: (i) there's still a huge hole in the 3-5 slots in the rotation (don't let 1 good start from Joba and AP make you forget about their struggles), (ii) they boast the worst defensive outfield in all of baseball, and I guarantee that it will cost them important games down the stretch and (iii) the Yankees historically beat up on bad teams (see the Twins and Orioles records against the bombers over the past 5 years). Oh, and did we forget already that the Yanks were swept by the Angels - WITHOUT HUNTER, GUERRERO AND JUAN RIVERA!!? So pipe down Yankee fans, and let's see the bombers beat the Red Sox before we start throwing parades for Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves. And is anything more akward than A-Rod's celebrations after walk-off wins?

Have No Fear NY Sports Fan...Help Is On The Way

I know it looks grim for NY sports fans right now - the Yankees can't beat a good team (and have HUGE holes in the 3rd-5th spots in the rotation); the Met fans have all but mailed it in after the entire roster was put on the DL; the Knicks can't even overpay an over-the-hill veteran to come to NY (bad omen heading into 2010?) and Jet Nation is mourning the loss of Calvin Pace for the first 4 games of the season (3 of which happen to be against offensive juggernauts). But don't fret, New York sports fans, because Eddy Curry showed up to the Vegas Summer League 30 pounds lighter than last year. Things are looking up at MSG! (Note: in order to appreciate this you will have to try to put aside the fact that Curry, a former #1 pick and the centerpiece of Zeke's plan for the Knicks, is now playing in the summer league with rookies and sophomores who are trying to make a roster).
-This blog comes from the "Sad but True" department at Sibling Rivalry Spors

"ANOTHER CHANCE TO GET IT RIGHT" -Chris D

Today not only marks the start of the Western Conference Finals, but it kicks of the NBA "draft season" with tonight's lottery selection. Despite the odds, if the Knicks can get into the top 3 picks, it can change the future of the franchise for the next decade, regardless of whether or not the King comes to MSG in 2010. Ricky Rubio, the stud Spanish point guard, would impact this franchise much the same way Chris Paul has done for the Hornets. He would also add a youthful, international and flashy aspect to the product that D'Antoni leads on the floor every night.
Don't believe me that a draft pick can change a franchise? Just look at the impact Patrick Ewing had on the Knicks. While he didn’t deliver the ultimate prize (a Championship), he turned a loser into a winner and led the Knicks to the finals in the greatest year of my sports life: the Summer of '94. So root on those ping pong balls tonight, because they represent a brighter future for us Knick fans. Hopefully Allan Houston can deliver for us once and for all!

THE KNICKS WIN NUMBER 30!!! CHRIS GOES BALD!!!

A few months back, Chris and I made an over/under bet whether the NY Knicks would win more than 29 games this season. Chris took the under and I took the over (big bro always knows best) - loser must shave his head. We agreed it would be more of a 1 on your garden variety hair clippers versus a fully shaved head.

THE KNICKS NOTCHED THEIR 30TH VICTORY LAST NIGHT - Chris must shave his head!!!! Stay tuned for video footage of the shaving....

~Rob

WEEKLY RECAP by Chris D

In what would otherwise be a boring sports week, Alex Rodriguez, Stephon Marbury and NFL Free Agency gave us lots to chew on. We learned that you shouldn't keep the guy that injects you with steroids on your payroll, that the NFL is recession proof and that no matter who is sitting in the chair the Knicks GM is a moron. So Boli-Rod was told to keep his cousin Yuri (pronounced Judy) Sucart away from the team, NFL free agents made hundreds of millions of dollars (despite the league laying off 20% of its staff not too long ago) and the Knicks bought out Marbury just in time so that he can go to the hated Celtics and win a championship. Can anyone explain why the Knicks would wait all season and then release Marbury so he can become a Celtic? Was it for the 1M they are saving? Did Donnie Walsh forget that Cablevision owns the Knicks, and 1M doesn't even make a dent? Did he forget about Steph's performance at last summer's sexual harassment case? Did he forget that Steph is the worst person on earth. Somebody please explain that one to me.
Other Thoughts from the Week:
-Good riddens Laverneus Coles, a big-mouthed, under-sized and overrated player;
-Have you heard the Rex Ryan recruiting story? On the 1st morning of free agency he went to Bart Scott's house with the coaching staff, stood in the driveway until Scott came out and told him he wouldn't leave until Scott signed with the Jets. CHAMPIONSHIP!
-Does anyone actually believe the Knicks can win 40 games this year (including D'antoni)?
-Does anyone else love that Clyde Frazier still refers to the players as the fan's "heroes"?

REDEMPTION SONG

-Chris D
I already had a chance to give my opinion on the Boli-Rod press conference on this week’s radio show (click on the player above). And while I think it was a poor performance and I can’t believe that he paid a crisis management team for that performance, I can’t help but think about Jose Canseco. For as bad as A Rod looked on Tuesday, Canseco came out of it looking that good. Has anyone been validated like Canseco has in this A-Rod scandal? Ok, maybe Chad Pennington, who my co-host claims had a better year than anyone in the world (Barack Obama included). Chad P returned to the office where he was fired, knocked his old team out of the playoffs, won a playoff berth for his new team and got his old coach fired. Certainly a strong case, but Jose Canseco has gone from MLB cast off – and butt of every media joke - to the oracle of the steroid era. If he is still broke and forced to smuggle “male-enhancement” drugs across the border from Mexico to make a living, we should all get together and give money to the only honest athlete in the Steroid Era. We shall give to the Jose and Ozzie Canseco Fund. That’s right – I’m throwing his twin brother Ozzie in there too because as many of you know the Canseco brothers are my all-time favorite sibling tandem in sports.
I have to go now and find out if Honest Abe (uh, I mean Jose) is dropping any gems on Twitter (and don’t forget to visit SiblingRivals on Twitter while you’re there)!