New York Knicks president Phil Jackson spoke with ESPN New York and gave them essentially a scouting report on each of the Knicks. There's some interesting stuff. We'll hit the highlights here, and start with Carmelo.
JACKSON ON: Carmelo Anthony, F
"Carmelo Anthony is obviously the team's only certified All-Star. It's also no secret that Melo has to keep the ball moving, but he's committed to doing this. Passing has never been a great strength of his, but in the triangle he'll be able to have check-off reads like a quarterback looking for his first-option receiver, then his second and then his third. There'll be plenty of iso opportunities for Melo, and in the triangle it'll be very difficult for defenses to double-team him. It won't be like last season where he had to take clutch shots with a gang of defenders in his face. Also look for Melo to get a bunch of post-up looks."
via NBA From Phil Jackson's point of view - ESPN.
How does one get All-Star certification? Is there a test? Do you pass an online course? Can you show up with your All-Star jersey and trade it in for a certificate? Who signs the certificate? Is it a mascot? It's a mascot, isn't it?
Check reads is a pretty great way of thinking about it, and an explanation for how Anthony could thrive... if he's willing to pass. As I've written about before, it's less about decision making and more about comfort zone for Melo.
"It won't be like last season where he had to take clutch shots with a gang of defenders in his face." OK, I'm just gonna favorite that one and put it over here in my "check back later" pile.
How about Andrea Bargnani?
"If Andrea Bargnani's initial season in New York was a disappointment, I believe he'll thrive in the triangle. The 3-point shot is a bit out of his range, but from 20 feet and in, Andrea is a deadly shooter. And those are the kinds of shots that the offense will generate for him. Still, there are two aspects of his offense that he has to work on. Because he only approaches the rim in straight lines, he needs to develop some kind of change-of-direction move with the ball -- perhaps a crossover dribble. Also, he's a finger-roller, not a dunker. Could he have small hands? Or does he just need to be more aggressive?
"Bargnani's defense likewise needs improvement. With his long arms, he can be an effective shot-blocker, but he's usually too reactive on defense. In the past, Andrea has been slow getting back in transition defense, and once there he's been unsure of what his rotation responsibilities have been. And like Amar'e (Stoudemire), Andrea has to see which of the frontcourt positions suits him best."
Here's Bargnani's shot chart from last year.
So he's kind of right, except for the whole "at the rim thing." We're on, what, five coaches that have tried to make it work with Andrea Bargnani? And none of them have been able to? Still, the high-low game with Amar'e could yield some results. We have to see it. Bargnani has been a scratch with injury issues already in preseason.
Also, a crossover?
I'd settle for him not shooting when the Knicks have the lead inside a possession.
Jackson also talked about J.R. Smith.
"The 2 position is our deepest, and J.R. Smith is easily the best athlete on the team. But J.R. has to learn the difference between a good shot and a bad shot. He has to trust that the triangle will create good shots and to avoid searching for his own shot. His defense also needs work because he tends to be a ball-watcher, and he's late in chasing his man around screens when he should be tailgating him. Defense is the key to any winning team, so Smith has to really work hard on his deficiencies in training camp."
So you can take everything before "His defense..." and just throw it out. That ship has sailed, and crossed the horizon and is gone, forever.
Jackson was predictably tough on the rookies and even sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. who may legitimately be the Knicks' second-best player at this point. Jackson's been around enough that rookies are going to get on his nerves, but he has done well in keeping a lot of young guys on the roster. He compared Jason Smith to Andrea Bargnani, which was a little weird considering Smith is like the T-800 from Terminator and Bargnani is like C-3PO but whatever.
It's an interesting look at what the Zenmaster thinks of this roster of his.
In closing, here's what he said about his two point guards, Jose Calderon and Pablo Prigioni.
The task for both of them is to be much better on-the-ball defenders."
You can say that again.
