We’re not gonna agree on some things. All good, Darrel!

that’s what talking sports is all about.

If you think caring about what Josh Smith thinks is idiotic, which I do, then yes, the firing was ridiculous. There’s a reason Danny Ferry is the current GM and not Rick Sund.

The best player and the coach despising each other is not a winning environment

Not really. Widely reported that him and Smith didn’t get along. SOP within the NBA

I thought I heard it had more to do with Woodson and management than it did Woodson and Smith or any other player, and that Larry Drew stabbed him in the back. I’ve heard Smith give him nothing but love. I remember when the Knicks played the Hawks in Atlanta, and each of the starting 5 hugged Woodson before and after the game.

Not really. Widely reported that him and Smith didn’t get along. SOP within the NBA

If you think caring about what Josh Smith thinks is idiotic, which I do, then yes, the firing was ridiculous. There’s a reason Danny Ferry is the current GM and not Rick Sund.

I find it funny that you’re so enchanted by Woodson. He’s not exactly some awesome defensive mind. His Hawks teams were middle of the pack on defense. The simplistic switching defense he employs is ridiculously stupid. If they lose, that’s going to be a big reason why – smart teams are going to exploit that

so, the answer to my previous question is no, as I thought.

It’s still ridiculous that he was fired

Not really. Widely reported that him and Smith didn’t get along. SOP within the NBA

I find it funny that you’re so enchanted by Woodson. He’s not exactly some awesome defensive mind. His Hawks teams were middle of the pack on defense. The simplistic switching defense he employs is ridiculously stupid. If they lose, that’s going to be a big reason why – smart teams are going to exploit that.

I don’t think Mike Woodson is some all time great coach, but he took those Hawks teams as far as they would go. It’s still ridiculous that he was fired.

Whitlock is right. Kobe has turned into Favre. He is mostly immune from criticism by the scribes under his employ.

This is remarkably lazy and so incredibly wrong.

They’ll gladly pay that. People still come out to see Kobe shoot 10-32 and place blame on teammates.

And yet, this is even worse.

as I said, the Knicks brought in Mike Woodson as the defensive coach at the beginning of the year, after they lost out on Frank. Woodson took over as head coach less than 2 months into the season. The Knicks record and defense improved after he took over, especially in the stretch run. That was Woodson’s top 5 defense the entire year, and that’s a top 5 defense that had Baron Davis, Mike Bibby and Jeremy Lin at times during the season running the point. Call it narrative, fine. What part of that “narrative” do you wish to dispute?

I find it funny that you’re so enchanted by Woodson. He’s not exactly some awesome defensive mind. His Hawks teams were middle of the pack on defense. The simplistic switching defense he employs is ridiculously stupid. If they lose, that’s going to be a big reason why – smart teams are going to exploit that.

Darrell, do you feel the Knicks have been a top 5 defense this season?

Early on they were. They miss Rasheed Wallace coming off the bench defensively. Also, Kidd has expectedly regressed defensively from the number of minutes early on. They’ve also had to reintroduce STAT and Shumpert into the lineup, and they lost Felton for weeks. All of that volatility is going to create problems both offensively and defensively. I think they’re settling in. So my answer would be that they haven’t been a top 5 defense this year with an asterisk. But they have enough even now to get stops for key moments in a game, while they’re recovering.

do you feel the Knicks have been a top 5 defense this season?

Knicks defensive personnel is bad outside of Chandler. I maintain they need to trade for a SF who can defend and make threes. Ronnie “Elbow Out” Brewer is a liability

I watched Chuck Daly (and Isiah) transform a high offensive Pistons team to a championship level defensive squad in less than 5 years.

these guys certainly helped, I think.

like 31 for 32 from the field

I meant 13 for 32

See this is the problem with being affixed to narratives. You tend to ignore the actual results.

as I said, the Knicks brought in Mike Woodson as the defensive coach at the beginning of the year, after they lost out on Frank. Woodson took over as head coach less than 2 months into the season. The Knicks record and defense improved after he took over, especially in the stretch run. That was Woodson’s top 5 defense the entire year, and that’s a top 5 defense that had Baron Davis, Mike Bibby and Jeremy Lin at times during the season running the point. Call it narrative, fine. What part of that “narrative” do you wish to dispute?

That has more to do with how Durant is officiated than anything else.

Granted. I think LeBron is the toughest guy to officiate since Shaq’s prime. Both guys able to absorb a ridiculous amount of contact.

You go ahead, and make the argument that Mike D’Antoni was or is a good defensive coach

See this is the problem with being affixed to narratives. You tend to ignore the actual results.