To read more thoughts from Jason on the Knicks, continue to check here or on his site, http://www.malajas.com/knicks.
Dear Carmelo,
I recently watched game 4 of the first round series between your New
York Knicks and the Miami Heat. The Knicks won in a tightly contested
match and you played a superb game. Not only because you scored 41
points with 6 rebounds and 4 assists, but you were also the catalyst
whenever the Knicks were down, taunting LeBron on defense and making all
of the hustle plays. There is something to be said about a star who
ends up on the floor chasing after loose balls at least three times in a
game. We were amazed by your shot selection and your cuts to the
basket. You took 14 free throws, making 10. On top of all this, you
played with a smile on your face. Like the Knicks and the rest of the
New York fans, you knew you had nothing to lose at this point. You
forgot that you were down 3-0 and decided to play hard and have fun.
I want to stay on this last point for a little bit. Fun is the
reason we watch this sport and played it when we were young. The up
tempo style coupled with having four brothers battle with you on the
court. That is what we love about this game and is what we want to see
when we turn on the TV or pay for tickets and go to MSG. When my buddy Beau and I were discussing this season, we mentioned the
word "fun" at least three times in a two minute conversation. You have to
understand. When you were hurt and the Knicks amassed a seven game
winning streak with Lin at the helm, it was fun. You could see it on
the faces of the players and everyone that attended the games. There
was a sense that it was going to be a good time each and every time. As
your timetable to return got shorter and shorter, there were a lot of
people saying that the Knicks did not need you and that it was better if
you stayed away. Of course this was not true. We all forgot that the
seven game streak included teams that were well under .500. Deep down
we all know that you are arguably the number one offensive option in all
of the NBA and the Knicks are lucky to have you. We were just scared
that you were going to ruin the fun.
Looking back at this past season and a half, we all realized that
there was many flaws to this team. You came midway through last season
and the lockout shortened season of this season did not allow the team
to develop any cohesion. A lot of pressure was thrust upon you because
the team traded away a large part of their team for you and New York was
hungry for a championship. However, partnerships and teamwork can not
be manufactured, they have to developed through hard work and mutual
compromise. It was hard for you and Amar'e to play together. It was
even harder for D'Antoni to understand how all the pieces fit in such a
short time. The one glimpse of fun we had during the winning streak was
quickly diminshed when the harder schedule exposed all the flaws of the
currently constructed team. However, after D'Antoni left, fun seemed
to be on the menu again.
As the Knicks battled for the last playoff spot, you lead them to an
18-6 record, the best in the league in that span. You earned player of
the month honors for the month of April. In my eyes, you have a solid
chance of becoming the Most Valuable Player next year. I do not think
you have ever entered the MVP conversation in my memory, but I believe
that you can. This is not because of your offensive firepower, but you
have emerged as a leader, and this is what we are looking forward to.
We are waiting to see you make the transcendence into the player that we
all believe you can be.
The Knicks have a slim chance of winning this series. In fact, you
will most likely lose in game 5. I do not believe that LeBron and Wade
will allow this series to stretch out any further. Nor do I think that
the referees will call an even game. This will be a frustrating game
for New York players and fans alike. However, you have shown that you
can lead this team. Despite the injuries to Lin, Shumpert, and Baron
Davis, and with Amar'e and Jeffries playing hurt, the team played with a
lot of heart on Sunday and gutted out a game that could have easily
been lost. It gave us an indication of what we could hope for next
year. Now that was fun.
Sincerely,
A Knicks Fan
No comments:
Post a Comment