As this season has passed it's mid-way point, I have come to pass out the coaching grade. Personally I think that no one else could truly coach this group. Dolan made Zeke the coach to prove the deals Zeke has made were actually worth it. So here are some of the grades and categories.....
1) Offensive execution. If Zeke can sit this team down and get them to focus on driving the ball to the hoop more he would get at least a B in this category. Turnovers due to not being in good sets and positioning. 99ppg with 18 turnovers is a PURE MIRACLE. Also we shoot way too many long jumpers. Grade C+
2) Defensive assignments. This aspect does not look to be a practice topic in the gym at all. No one on the roster can be looked at as a defensive minded player. Only one guy gets anything close to a steal a game and as much as Q is praised for defense it isn't him. BTW no blocked shots for anyone either. Grade F
3) Player development. Whether earned or not, David Lee is the only young player (years in the league-wise) to get serious action. I'd rather see these guys foul out trying to play rather than waste youth on the bench. Zeke has earned an F in this category, but since he does play Lee he gets a slightly higher grade. Grade D+
4)Starting Line-ups. Your starting line-up should dictate your offense and defense from the tip-off. I give Zeke credit for realizing very quick why Washington didn't match Jeffries offer sheet. I'm not rating him as a GM so I won't make the rest of that comment. Curry is our most reliable offensive weapon and I give Zeke credit for running the offense through him. The guys on the floor at tip-off play well together except one. Marbs and Crawford play well together and with Curry. Q fits in well also since he can get his own shot without plays and is very protective in the rebound category. Benching non-productive starters is what I give Zeke the most credit for. Francis doesn't play well unless he is the PG. So he's benched. Frye has no clue out there. If you can't get shots do the intangibles. He does neither so off to the bench you go. I also praise Zeke for not starting Lee. He isn't a quick defender and would rack up fouls then he would play tentative. If he did start our bench would be some pure garbage. Grade B. Why on earth is Jerome James starting? If I played on the Knicks I'd shoot myself if Zeke had more confidence in James over me. bad choice but when defense isn't on the bigs agenda I guess it don't matter.
5) Substitutions...Lee should be in the running for SMOY. No one is more effective off the bench than him on our team or arguably in the League. Francis is best backing up Marbs. Good choice there. Would like a Balkman and Collins sighting. Happy Nate gets little run to match his little B-ball IQ.
Grade B
Finals comments......The Knicks are a below average team. Due to alot of the above. If the Knicks peaked they would be .500, so therefore Zeke I would give a slight thumbs up. I couldn't see anyone else coaching this team any better. The roster is severely flawed. So the results coincide with the expectations and overall talent available on hand.
Overall Grade C-
If anyone believes this team would be better off with a different coach, say a name and state your reasons why. Don't do one without the other. This thread is meant for full conversation, not just partial blurting.
I think you hit a strong point when you talked about Isaih being forced to coach this team. I think he will get fired more for his GM blunders than for his coaching. I think its basically after three years of spending alot of Dolan's money and having embarassing losing seasons, Isaih has to prove that it was everyone elses fault and not his.
I don't think Isaih's coaching has been terrible this season but his reign here has been. Before Larry Brown there was the Lenny Wilkens hiring which did not really work and involved in that was the embarassing way that Isaih fired Don Cheaney(having him in his office preparing for the game that night and then telling him he was fired and escorting him out of the building).
Finding a new coach is going to be important, but I think almost just as important is the new GM that they hire, because Isaih was probably a worse GM than a coach. As of right now its a little too early to speculate, because we don't know who is really out in the market just yet. But bump this thread in about 2 months.
Last nite was a good example why. Not all the practice in the world or film watching seems to motivate this team. If that's the case, whose job is it on the court to remind the players what they should look out for from the other team? The coach.
Think of it this way. The Knicks have selective memory. The tend to forget that if a guy hits one three point shot he most definitely will try the same shot again. Last nite Okur burned them with a few threes and I didn't see a Knick any where near him to contest a shot. Zeke seemed like he didn't care about the game until the Knicks were once again down by a point in the last quarter. Then they went into overtime and you could just sense that their was going to be ANOTHER terrible defensive blunder by the Knicks. The coach seemed like he either didn't assess that defense was going to keep them in the game and win it or the players really don't care or pay attention in huddles. Either way Zeke has to keep this team on it's toes, epecially when the game is close or they have the lead.
I was too. Zeke is sleeping in the bed he made. He is like the kid who has to eat the beans for dinner and throws up on the dinner table. Then his dad beat his a$$. he gets what he asked for.
Last edited by knickscity : 02-11-2007 at 11:16 AM.
By the way, the coach to replace him I'd say should be a college coach. Because that's exactly the level that the Knicks are playing now. Like a bunch of kids. No men on that team. Man, I'll coach.
i won't. I would be too rough on them. I would challenge every player to register one block or a steal every game. Or sit your tail down. Right beside me so I could roast you the whole game.
I think you hit a strong point when you talked about Isaih being forced to coach this team. I think he will get fired more for his GM blunders than for his coaching. I think its basically after three years of spending alot of Dolan's money and having embarassing losing seasons, Isaih has to prove that it was everyone elses fault and not his.
I don't think Isaih's coaching has been terrible this season but his reign here has been. Before Larry Brown there was the Lenny Wilkens hiring which did not really work and involved in that was the embarassing way that Isaih fired Don Cheaney(having him in his office preparing for the game that night and then telling him he was fired and escorting him out of the building).
Finding a new coach is going to be important, but I think almost just as important is the new GM that they hire, because Isaih was probably a worse GM than a coach. As of right now its a little too early to speculate, because we don't know who is really out in the market just yet. But bump this thread in about 2 months.
OK all jokes aside. The way you are spelling "Isiah's" name is bothering me. Dude, his name is all over the board. It's not just a typo..you're just f'n up his name. Its not like his name is Rumpelstilzchen (rumpelstillskin in germen). Take ya time. Sheesh.
Anyways, I am getting off my grammatical high-horse. Knickscity. Dope post. Though, i dont agree with all of your grades, I respect them, because they were very well thought out. Thats peace.
I think for one, there has been a slight development in the players on the rosters. The obvious one are Lee and Curry (who is having the best season of his career). Let not forget the role of Jamal Crawford. Jamal Crawford, reminds me of another streaky shooter in the knicks past (John Starks). Although yall may not agree with me, and start singing the praises of one of histories most overrated players. Lets please keep in mind starks had Ewing for the days he played like ****. Crawford has........ummm yeah!
Anyways, back to zeke. I would give him a "C" in player development for Lee and Curry alone (who I think are our future). The verdict is still out on Frye, Collins, Nate Rob, and Balkman. I like the roles that Q and Crawford play for the team. What we are missing here though, is a Superstar or **** just a "star".....*hint, hint, hint*....This is where I segway into STARBURY . comon man, he's the most talented point gaurd we've had since mark jackson...**** show it.
Zeke is a terrible GM (except for Drafting. But lets not forget he's no worse than Scott Layden. I do consider that anyone short of Jesus Christ himself could clean up the mess Layden Laid out for the Knicks. Zeke just sprayed a lil airfreshner in a stink room...**** still stinks despite all the (talent). what really dropped zekes rating as a GM is the acquasition of steve francis. that was a horrible move from the jump. But this is all the past.
I think he's doing a better job than the Late Larry Brown. There just need some cohesiveness to develop. And this is not going to happen if people are coming back to a brand new team every year. Some core players must remain.
OK all jokes aside. The way you are spelling "Isiah's" name is bothering me. Dude, his name is all over the board. It's not just a typo..you're just f'n up his name. Its not like his name is Rumpelstilzchen (rumpelstillskin in germen). Take ya time. Sheesh.
Anyways, I am getting off my grammatical high-horse. Knickscity. Dope post.
Sorry my spelling is bothering you. His name is spelt several ways all over this board, so you must be driven crazy, I have even seen it spelt Isiaih.
Either way I will make an effort to spell it correctly as long as you make an effort to use complete sentences. "Dope post" and "Word" are not sentences. Lets try to keep it subject verb predicate around here or at least subject verb.
I don't care how his name is spelled. He sucks either way. As a GM or a coach. He's terrible in every sense as a leader. Get rid of this clown. Playing contracts or favorites will not win a championship.
I don't care how his name is spelled. He sucks either way. As a GM or a coach. He's terrible in every sense as a leader. Get rid of this clown. Playing contracts or favorites will not win a championship.
LOL. I will definitely agree with that. There was a good article from Peter Vescey last Friday in the Post about the leadership qualities, or lack there of, of Isiah going back to his Pacer days.(Admittedly Vescey is not a fan of Isiah, but it was an insightful article notheless)
Zeke as coach or Who?
