Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:22:18 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Martin Johnson :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Martin+Johnson istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/knicks-may-get-even-worse-before-they-get-better/86599/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST It seems like one of the cruelest jokes that the basketball gods could play on Knicks fans. After making the local fanbase endure Isiah Thomas's four-and-a-half year reign of error as team president and coach, the Knicks appeared to have good reason for hope with the hiring of veteran NBA executive Donnie Walsh as president and hot shot Mike D'Antoni as coach. Yet, the 2008-09 Knicks might finish with a worse record than some of the recent, decrepit squads that have taken the floor at Madison... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/which-restricted-free-agents-may-move/81782/ Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST The first full week of the offseason has come and gone and left tremors, especially in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The Los Angeles Clippers gained guard Baron Davis and lost forward Elton Brand, who bolted for the 76ers after enough he said/he said drama to fill a season's worth of a daytime TV drama Those two — plus Gilbert Arenas, the Washington Wizards guard who re-signed with Washington — comprised the top tier of free agents. The rest of the pool of unrestricted free agents — players who... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/duhon-deal-shows-walsh-is-walking-the-walk/81318/ Mon, 7 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST Guard Chris Duhon is a better player than a quick glance at his numbers suggests, but it is the "how" more than the "who" that makes him an important addition to the Knicks. We're in an odd time in the NBA offseason — word about all signings is unofficial until the July 9 announcement of the salary cap and luxury tax ceilings — but Duhon's agent Kevin Bradford has told many press outlets that his client has agreed to a two-year deal for the full mid-level exception (about $5.8 million a season... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/with-draft-over-knicks-now-explore-options/80949/ Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The Knicks went into Thursday evening's draft with a ton of question marks. Their selection of Italian forward Danilo Gallinari only adds to them. Gallinari was selected sixth overall after the guards that Knicks team president Donnie Walsh coveted — Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, and Russell Westbrook — were taken during the first five picks. The choice of Gallinari is one of those "best available athlete" choices rather than a selection to fill a void on the team. Gallinari does fill a need for... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/for-knicks-draft-is-first-step-in-long-climb/80462/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST For everybody except Boston Celtics fans, the NBA Finals are drifting off into memory, and it's time to focus on the draft. Not much has changed for the Knicks since the late rounds of the playoffs took center stage: The team is still picking sixth in a draft that contains only four surefire talents who could make an immediate impact on this team. That means the new team president, Donnie Walsh, and new coach Mike D'Antoni have their hands full. They will need to sit tight until draft night to... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/historically-manuel-is-a-bad-choice/80380/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST For my money, the most unfortunate aspect of Willie Randolph's dismissal wasn't the time of day (or night) of the firing: It was the naming of Jerry Manuel as his replacement. Manuel's previous managerial experience was with the Chicago White Sox from 1998-2003. From my observations of his tenure in the Windy City, Manuel is essentially Willie Randolph Lite. I should point out that I say this not as a disgruntled Mets fan, but as a Chicago White Sox fan: I was born and bred on Chicago's South... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/rivalry-renewed/80219/ Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST While in New England among old friends last weekend, everybody kept talking about the Finals. This wouldn't be news — except that they were talking about the 2009 Finals. My pals figured that the 2008 Finals were in the bag, and I wasn't going to dispute them since no team — much less a storied franchise such as the Celtics — has coughed up a 3-1 lead in the Finals. But they were talking about next year's Finals already as if a rematch between the Celtics and the Lakers was preordained. Every... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/even-if-donaghy-is-lying-change-is-needed/79871/ Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST One of my favorite adages is "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you." A slight variation of that applies to the latest news involving disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy. It might go, "Just because you're a scoundrel and a criminal doesn't mean what you allege isn't true." Donaghy has pleaded guilty to two felony counts for giving bookies inside information and recommendations on games he officiated, and in papers submitted in U.S District Court on... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/new-coaches-face-different-but-dire-tasks/79712/ Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST It's unusual for teams with high expectations to hire untested head coaches. But it's now happened twice in recent days, as the Chicago Bulls have named Vinny Del Negro to their long-vacant coaching position, and the Detroit Pistons promoted assistant coach Michael Curry to the top job on their bench. Although both Curry and Del Negro had long careers as role players in the NBA, the situations that led to their hiring couldn't have been more different. Del Negro was hired after what seemed like... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/a-case-for-the-celtics-to-win-championship/79383/ Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST The Boston Celtics are about to make history. They enter tonight's Game 1 of the NBA Finals as the first underdog team to win 66 games and outscore their opponents by a margin of greater than 10 points. In fact, only one team in NBA history has had 60-plus wins and a double-digit point differential and not won a title. That team was the 1972 Milwaukee Bucks, who went 63-19 and outscored their opponents by 11.1 points per game. They lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, who that year fielded one of... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/celtics-lakers-rivalry-goes-back-further-than/79054/ Mon, 2 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST In the days leading up to the start of the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, we are likely to be inundated with stories about the two teams' storied rivalry. Expect dozens of quotes from Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, the stars of three thrilling championship series that the two teams played in the mid-1980s. Those three series, which took place in 1984, 1985, and 1987, left an indelible imprint on the game. They featured Johnson, Bird and several other future Hall of... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/nba-basketball/78875/ Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 EST The San Antonio Spurs head into Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers with a chip on their shoulder — and they have the right. The final play in Game 4 involved what should have been called a foul. Spurs' sharpshooter Brent Barry caught the ball outside the 3-point circle and made a routine head fake that launched his man, Lakers guard Derek Fisher, into the air. Barry then crept under Fisher, who landed on Barry as he let off a wild shot. Strangely, no foul was... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/memphis-holds-key-to-knicks-draft/78672/ Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Generally, when I think of Memphis, I think of music and barbecue. The city is the home of Sun Records and Stax Records, two classic labels that shaped popular music of the 1950s, '60s, and early '70s. The 'cue tradition is so strong in Memphis that even the airport smells like a smokehouse. (I had a pulled pork sandwich for breakfast once that was so good that I'm tempted to route all my air travel through Memphis International). For most Knicks fans, though, they will think of the upcoming... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/who-the-knicks-nets-can-target-in-draft/76887/ Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 EST When Donnie Walsh took over as the team president of the Knicks, everyone knew he would have to make bold and exciting moves to remake the team. His first move, hiring the former coach of the Phoenix Suns, Mike D'Antoni, was an impressive start. But he'll have to top that to make the most out of the Knicks' draft pick. Before the lottery on Tuesday night, most Knicks fans dreamed of moving up to a top two or three draft choice; their 23-59 record made them the odds-on favorite to finish with... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/hornets-win-will-signal-a-changing-of-guard/76608/ Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 EST The New Orleans Hornets and San Antonio Spurs meet in Game 7 on the Bayou tonight. The conventional wisdom is that you don't pick against the defending champion in a do-or-die game — but there are too many reasons not to choose New Orleans. These have been the home court playoffs, especially in the second round. Home teams have won 22 of the 24 conference semifinal games. Home court always has been a big advantage: The rims are friendlier (as was the case in Paul Pierce's clinching free throw... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/dantonis-style-could-work-with-weak-roster/76231/ Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EST When the team president of the Knicks, Donnie Walsh, took over a few weeks ago, his first major move — relieving Isiah Thomas of his duties as coach — was obvious and was met with universal joy by Knicks fans. His second major move — agreeing to sign coach Mike D'Antoni — is an even bigger splash. But it hasn't met with the level of acclaim you'd expect from such a coup. The D'Antoni hiring isn't completely official (the two sides are working out the details of the four-year, $24 million... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/as-coaching-carousel-spins-knicks-weigh-options/76074/ Thu, 8 May 2008 00:00:00 EST Earlier this week, a good friend dropped me a line about hoops: "The thought of the Knicks hiring [Mike] D'Antoni spreads through the gut like a good bourbon." For a second, I thought that my friend didn't like whiskey. Then I realized that he is a Knicks fan who has suffered through the three-year circus of Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas. The thought of rehiring Don Chaney might spread through the gut like a good bourbon, too. And that's just as well: Neither hiring is imminent by the Knicks... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/to-beat-spurs-scott-better-have-more-tricks-up/75818/ Mon, 5 May 2008 00:00:00 EST In theory, no NBA coach looks forward to meeting the San Antonio Spurs in a playoff series, and there's a familiar litany of reasons why: The defending champs have won four titles in nine years, they play fundamentally sound basketball, the Spurs' defense is rock-solid, and their versatile offense is led by three All-Stars. But New Orleans Hornets coach Byron Scott might be an exception to this theory about the Spurs. He probably wanted a shot at San Antonio — his last one was the kind of close... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/johnson-shown-to-door-after-postseason-failure/75650/ Thu, 1 May 2008 00:00:00 EST During his three full seasons as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, Avery Johnson compiled one of the most successful regular season records of any coach in basketball. But his dismissal today comes as absolutely no surprise. Johnson's tenure with the team was thought to be on shaky ground going into this season. The Mavericks had suffered two consecutive playoff disappointments. In 2006, they were minutes away from a stranglehold on their first NBA title, but they coughed up that game as part... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/sixers-force-saunders-to-tweak-pistons-scheme/75473/ Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST The first round of this season's NBA playoffs figured to provide a bevy of surprises and exciting action, but few expected that the biggest shocker would come out of the Philadelphia-Detroit series. It is the no. 2 team against the no. 7 team, which is usually a recipe for a four- or five-game snoozer. It's often so drab that the games are relegated to NBA TV. Not this time: Despite their 93-84 loss on Sunday night, the Sixers are still poised to pull off a big upset that compares nicely with... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/despite-deficit-hope-for-suns-on-horizon/75203/ Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST Most teams facing a 0-2 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series should feel their backs pressed firmly to the wall, and perhaps see their hopes and dreams start to fade. Hold on, though: The Phoenix Suns are down 0-2 to San Antonio in their opening-round series, but Suns fans should still feel full of hope. All that separates them from what could have been a commanding 2-0 lead is one fluke shot — Tim Duncan's three-pointer at the end of the first overtime in Game 1; and a bad frame — the... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/health-energy-trump-motivation-in-playoffs/75014/ Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST The two playoff series that resume tonight — Houston against Utah and Cleveland against Washington — are both rematches of hotly contested series, so some of the hype has built up around the revenge factor. But such hype is the standard poppycock that tries to reduce sports to drama rather than competitions that turn on strategic maneuvers or key personnel situations. Of course, drama is more likely to attract casual fans than X's and O's, but these two series are not just about motivations on... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/unexpected-candidates-for-coach-of-year/74857/ Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST The NBA Coach of the Year award doesn't often generate controversy, and for good reason. The choice is almost always a coach from a playoff team that has shown dramatic improvement. When there are several good choices, the man selected usually comes from the team with the fewest superstars, which was the case last season when Toronto's Sam Mitchell won the award. If you apply those criteria to this season, there are three rather obvious choices: Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics, Byron Scott of... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/knicks-can-learn-lessons-from-the-1980s/74603/ Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST Knicks fans, the long nightmare is almost over. This wasn't the worst season in team history — the Eddie Donovan-coached teams of the early 1960s will keep that distinction. But this had to be one of the most exasperating seasons in local sports history. From Isiah Thomas's sexual harassment lawsuit, to the drama of Stephon Marbury, to the 45-point shellacking in Boston — by Christmas, the Knicks had a season to forget, and it didn't get much better after that. Knicks fans in their mid-30s or... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/lebron-has-best-case-for-this-years-mvp/74524/ Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST With the season winding down — and with the Knicks making a mess of their lottery chances — let's look at another situation going awry: the Most Valuable Player debate. In my mind, the MVP debate is only close because people are confused as to what "most valuable player" really means. Some folks seem to believe that the award should go to a perennially great player who has never won the award before (such as Kobe Bryant). Others seem to believe that it should go to a future Hall of Famer most... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/knicks-can-score-big-on-the-trade-market/74357/ Tue, 8 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST Once the new team president of the Knicks, Donnie Walsh, clarifies the coaching situation, he will have to sit down and take a long look at what the trade prospects are for the members of the miserable roster that he inherits. It is somewhat counterintuitive, but two of the three players with the greatest trade value are those with the worst contracts, and the third is one of the Knicks' younger players. NBA teams want players for two reasons: to help them win games, or to help them manage... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/what-we-can-expect-of-walsh-era/74093/ Thu, 3 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST In a press conference yesterday at Madison Square Garden, Donnie Walsh was officially introduced as the next team president and director of basketball operations for the Knicks. While there were many questions about Walsh's future plans, he kept his intentions close to the vest. He repeatedly told reporters that he intends to sit down with coach and outgoing team president Isiah Thomas about a wide range of issues concerning the team's future and Thomas's role in it. Walsh did say that he sees... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/hopefully-all-these-knicks-losses-arent-in-vain/73855/ Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST What if all this losing by the Knicks is for naught? The Knicks are dropping games like it is a fashionable trend and they are impressionable teenagers. Pick your number with a random endpoint — they've lost 14 of their last 16 games — or just appreciate this debacle as a whole — they have 20 wins and 53 losses. The Knicks are en route to the worst season record in team history. For most teams, the carnage found night after night on the hardwood is accompanied by the hope that a top draft... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/first-five-things-walsh-should-do-with-knicks/73706/ Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST If Donnie Walsh wanted a big job to confirm his reputation as one of the best NBA executives of the last 25 years, then he might have one. Cleaning up the mess at Madison Square Garden is a monster-size task, but I suspect that Walsh will be up to it if he is hired as team president. He will have a long and arduous agenda: These are the first five items I would address. 1. Fire Isiah Thomas. Today. Right now, even. Walsh needs to raise the level of professionalism at the Garden, and the first... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/rookie-chandler-one-bright-spot-in-dismal-season/73508/ Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Finding good news during this latest run of horrid play from the Knicks may seem like finding a needle in a haystack (or its urban equivalent, finding a good, affordable restaurant in a non-residential area), but there is one encouraging sign from the Knicks on-court performance. Rookie weakside forward Wilson Chandler is beginning to look like a keeper. The Knicks took Chandler with the 23rd pick of the first round last spring, but for the first three quarters of the season, they treated him... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/isiah-can-improve-the-way-in-which-knicks-lose/73283/ Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST It is not a problem that the Knicks are losing these days: With the playoffs all but mathematically out of reach, the team is better served by losses than wins, and each loss puts them in a better position to secure a top draft pick this spring. But how the Knicks are losing is a problem. They should be prioritizing the development of their young players. Instead, they are merely playing them and not looking to give them the best opportunities to hone their skills. Burn is certainly helpful for... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/pacers-walsh-makes-sense-as-the-next-knicks-gm/73144/ Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Speculation has swirled for months about who might be the next general manager of the Knicks, and this weekend, it was Donnie Walsh's turn to be the flavor of the moment. I've generally disregarded the rumor mill: It seems more like a diversion to deflect attention from the horrid play of the Knicks than a harbinger of things to come. But the Walsh rumors were supported by evidence that James Dolan's private plane had made two visits to Indianapolis, where Walsh works as chief executive officer... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/smaller-deals-may-play-big-role-down-playoff/72857/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Plenty of familiar names have now changed teams or have come out of retirement to join playoff-bound clubs. Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown became Boston Celtics. Theo Ratliff signed with Detroit Pistons. Tyronn Lue and former Nets player Jamaal Magloire became Dallas Mavericks. For the most part, these are veterans at the tail end of their prime (and that's being very generous in Magloire's case). They are the last chapter of personnel movement this season. Typically, after the trade deadline... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/knicks-a-better-team-with-stars-on-the-bench/72631/ Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST Five years ago, during my rookie season as a columnist here, I wrote about the potential of the post-Scott Layden Knicks. Layden, Isiah Thomas's predecessor, had created a mediocre, old, capped-out team. The earliest signs of relief came in 2007, when some of the egregious contracts (most notably Allan Houston's 6-year, $100 million deal) came off the books. Until then, I had argued that the next general manager would have to shop the margins and use the draft for talent, and that he should... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/sixers-draw-a-blueprint-on-how-to-rebuild-a-team/72410/ Thu, 6 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST And now the cycle is complete: Since Isiah Thomas took over the Knicks' front office in December 2003, every other Atlantic Division team has rebuilt their nucleus and is moving up. Meanwhile, the Knicks look increasingly clueless. What completes the cycle is the rise of the Philadelphia 76ers. "Rise" may seem like rosy language for a team that is 28–33, but consider this: Their point differential is even, which suggests that they are better than their won-loss record indicates. The Sixers have... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/other-losers-could-take-picks-from-knicks/72193/ Mon, 3 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST As we near the three-quarter mark of the NBA season, it's become obvious to all but the most deluded of Knicks fans that the playoffs are out of reach this year. So we should turn our attention to the next great prize in the NBA: the lottery. A lower finish means more ping-pong balls in the annual drawing in May to determine draft order. Knicks fans who are dreaming of University of Memphis guard Derrick Rose running the point, or Kansas State University forward Michael Beasley ruling the... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/move-to-the-second-unit-could-ease-currys-woes/71835/ Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST There were a lot of statistical techniques I learned from reading Bill James's "Baseball Abstracts" in the 1980s, but one of his comments that resonated most deeply with me dealt with tactics: "Good teams don't ask their players to do things they can't do." Now, that might seem like just plain common sense. But after growing up watching a variety of inept Chicago teams, then moving to New York where there was no shortage of losers, that comment rang true to me. It came to mind this weekend... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/crawford-badly-miscast-as-knicks-point-guard/71594/ Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST After a tumultuous, injury-plagued season, many — if not most — Knicks fans would probably like to see Stephon Marbury sent on his way this summer with a buyout of the final year of his contract. Letting his deal age off the books, rather than using it to trade for another longer and bloated contract, just might bring the Knicks closer to a sane cap situation. But unless the Knicks plan on drafting a point guard with their lottery pick, fans may want to rethink their daydreams of Marbury's... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/by-losing-the-knicks-can-improve-their-future/71460/ Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST If there are any glass-half-full people left among the Knickerbocker faithful, then please consider the following: As the team starts the second part of the season tonight in Washington, their record stands at 15–37. The team doesn't figure to be particularly active at the trading deadline, because they have no significant contracts that expire after this season, and the other Knicks have bloated contracts. In addition, those players are either injury prone or have big holes in their games. The... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/jazz-rockets-find-success-without-blockbuster/71388/ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Shock waves rippled through most of the NBA in the wake of the recent blockbuster trades involving Pau Gasol, Shaquille O'Neal, and possibly Jason Kidd. But in Salt Lake City and Houston, fans may be giggling to themselves and channeling "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre": "Blockbuster trades? We don't need no stinkin' blockbuster trades!" Based on recent evidence, they might be right. The Jazz enter the All-Star break on a tear; Utah have won 18 of the last 21. Houston is almost as hot; the... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/robinson-can-provide-relief-for-a-tiring-crawford/71159/ Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST As the NBA trade deadline approaches, it's encouraging to see that the Knicks are looking for backcourt help to alleviate the load carried by Jamal Crawford. But the best solution may be in-house. Since Stephon Marbury left the lineup after the January 11 game against Toronto, Crawford has been the Knicks' point guard, and he's the only player that coach Isiah Thomas seems to trust with the responsibility. But Crawford's minutes have increased to levels that now may be affecting his play. The... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/shaq-deal-makes-no-sense-for-suns/70904/ Thu, 7 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST When it was confirmed that the Phoenix Suns had dealt All-Star caliber forward Shawn Marion and reserve guard Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat for aging center Shaquille O'Neal, my jaw hit the floor. This is one of the dumbest trades that I've ever witnessed — and remember, I write often about Isiah Thomas's various foibles with our Knicks. The deal guts the nucleus of the Suns, a team that has an average of 59 wins per season since assembling its current core. That core is on pace for... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/as-knicks-play-improves-coaching-must-reciprocate/70738/ Tue, 5 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST One evening five years ago, I was having dinner with a fellow basketball fan who likes to get on my nerves. His tone of voice changed in a manner that led me to brace myself for his latest insanity, and I wasn't disappointed. He said: "You know, I just don't think coaches are necessary in the NBA." I looked at him with my usual "who are you and what did you do with my friend?" expression, which he took as license to elaborate. "Jordan didn't need Jackson, Magic didn't need Riley, and it's... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/beyond-the-big-3-the-rest-of-the-spurs-struggle/70510/ Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST When the defending champion San Antonio Spurs sprinted out of the gate, winning 17 of their first 20 games, it seemed that they were on a holy mission to repeat as titlists. Back-to-back rings were about the only thing that the team had not accomplished during their run of four titles since 1999. But then the going got tough. Since that opening burst, they have descended to an un-Spur-like 11–13 and are now losers of three in a row, going into tonight's game at Phoenix, the third game of a... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/knicks-should-consider-starting-jeffries/70366/ Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST It's a telling point about Knicks management that just beyond the halfway point of the season the team is still trying to establish an effective rotation. The Knicks seem split into scorers and "energy" guys, and coach Isiah Thomas has failed to develop a personnel usage pattern that maximizes the skill sets of his players. At present, most of the scorers — guard Jamal Crawford, center Eddy Curry, forward Zach Randolph, and swingman Quentin Richardson — start, and the team then brings in the... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/heat-have-potential-to-win-come-2010/70085/ Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST It's hard for me to admit it, but I'm starting to feel sorry for the Miami Heat. Normally, I'm ready to guffaw at any fallen giant — especially any fallen giant coached by Pat Riley. I didn't like him when he was the coach of the "Showtime" Lakers in the 1980s, nor did I like the way he ducked out of his contract with the Knicks in the 1990s. I hated the way that Riley threw Stan Van Gundy under the bus in 2005, and I've always felt that the Heat got more than its share of the questionable... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/celtics-send-knicks-fans-crashing-back-to-reality/69932/ Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST The Boston Massacre — the Celtics' 104–59 drubbing of the Knicks back in November —told us a lot about the locals. It braced us for a first half of the season that was full of ugly, lethargic basketball, full of mystifying personnel usage, bizarre interpersonal drama, and several long losing streaks. Boston's 109–93 win at Madison Square Garden yesterday afternoon may be equally telling, but the harbingers are nowhere near as bad. They aren't especially positive either. The Knicks came into... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/cleveland-is-peaking-at-the-right-time/69667/ Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST At last, it looks like the real Cleveland Cavaliers have stood up. Although the Cavaliers' appearance in last season's NBA Finals looked like the first step in what would be a long run as an elite Eastern Conference team, you wouldn't have known it from the way they started this season. The Cavs were not the airtight defensive stoppers that won 50 games. Unless LeBron James was lighting it up, the Cavaliers' offense was particularly bad. How bad? They got blown out by the Knicks, and unlike... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/isiah-needs-to-keep-balkman-on-floor/69518/ Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Sunday evening, the Knicks and the Pistons were in timeout when the Giants made their final defensive stand against the Cowboys, so Madison Square Garden put the football game on the big screens. Fans got into the moment by chanting "defense!" for the Giants as the snap approached, and the Knicks fans cheered loudly as R.W. McQuarters's interception insured Big Blue's win and a spot in the NFC Championship game. Commentator Mike Breen said that those were the loudest cheers in weeks in the... MARTIN JOHNSON http://www.nysun.com/sports/for-once-theres-traffic-atop-the-west/69314/ Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST Take a quick glance at the Western Conference standings and it appears to be business as usual. The Phoenix Suns, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Dallas Mavericks — the troika that has ruled the conference for the last few seasons — are at the top of the heap. But look closer: There's literally no wiggle room for the top three. Going into last night's action, Dallas and the New Orleans Hornets are separated by mere tiebreakers for the no. 3 seed in the conference, and the Portland Trail Blazers...