Art Rondeau on the Psyche of Shooting: Part Two

At the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Art Rondeau, a Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and Peak Performance Coach. Art has worked extensively with professional athletes in a number of different realms, and his role is part of what makes his perspective both diverse and unique. Art has compiled a number of works for Hickory High, operates his own blog (Game Time at the Garden of Good and Evil), and has comprehensive list of testimonials listed here. I was fascinated by Art's work and his approach, reached out to him for a few insights on possible misperceptions and issues with the game, and the NBA, and he kindly obliged. You can find more on Art at artrondeau.com, and follow him on Twitter @ArtRondeau. The following is part two of our two part exchange. To access part one, click here.

Angus Crawford: Dwight Howard, one of the league's elite big men, is shooting 54.8% from the charity stripe this season. Despite the ghastly appearance of that figure, it's actually a near six percent uptick from his 2012-13 conversion. Poor free-throw shooting has long plagued Howard's offensive arsenal. It has been reported that Howard frequently and confidently splashes a high percentage of his freebies on the practice court, although such success is yet to translate to any in-game environments. Why might this be, and, if you were working one-on-one with Dwight, how would you approach (and seek to amend) the issue?

Art Rondeau: Regarding why Dwight Howard -- or anyone, really -- might hit many more free throws in practice than in games: much of that has to do with the differences of shooting free throws in practice than in a game. (Clever answer, huh?). In games, players mostly take 1, 2, or 3 free throws at a time. But in practice, we often see a player go to the line and take twenty. And once he hits his first free throw, he is not going to move from his spot. Someone could pull the fire alarm or there could be an earthquake and that player's not going to move. Some bad free throw shooters don't get comfortable on their first free throw but do so on their second. But in practice, taking 20 in a row is like taking one 1st free throw and nineteen 2nd free throws.

In practice, nobody is behind the glass backboard waving foam fingers. The gym's not extremely loud or incredibly quiet. No one is trying to ice the shooter (calling timeout to force him to the sideline), no defensive players are switching sides and making comments, etc.

Game free throws are taken after a player is hit (unless you ask the guys who get called for the fouls -- they never touched him). Hit a muscle hard enough and it will tighten up and affect its ability to extend during the shot. Shooting twenty before or after practice doesn't usually include getting hit first. Also, the major reason that free throws are missed is because of what happens when balance is lost (spoken about in detail in this Hickory-High podcast). Tightened muscles and fatigue affect balance and game free throws are usually shot after a player has been exerting himself. If practice free throws are taken at the beginning of practice -- or at the end after some rest and water -- loss of balance from fatigue is less of or no longer an issue.

All of these things can contribute to higher practice free throw percentage and/or lower game free throw percentage. And this doesn't even get into the emotional differences experienced in the two settings. Players going to the line in practice probably feel much more relaxed than in a game (the exception here being if the team is going to run sprints if the player misses his practice free throws). A player in a game can be happy he's going to the line; angry because he got hit so hard; unfocused because he got into a scuffle after the foul; exasperated because he's been hit the same way the last three times down court but it's only been called this time; nervous because the game is on the line; etc. In a nutshell, different emotions have different corresponding blood chemistries and those differences can affect strength, muscle fluidity, energy, etc. So, emotional differences between practice and games can have a major impact on the player's body and that, of course, would affect his shooting.

As to how I would fix it, there are 3 things I would do first: 1) Get him to take practice free throws like he takes game free throws; 2) Set up an NLP anchor (emotional trigger) so he feels the same way every time he shoots a free throw (think Pavlov's dogs); and 3) Have him do some special exercises to fix the balance problems.

The balance exercises have the biggest impact. Everyone benefits from doing them. The same season that former Knicks center Chris Dudley had his career-best made streak, San Diego State's Matt Watts jumped from his career 50% to lead the WAC at 90% and both of them improved their free throw shooting so much because of the exercises. At the end of the next season ('99-'00), I showed Allan Houston the balance exercises because he was missing a lot of critical free throws at the end of games and others mistakenly thought that he was choking. From the beginning of his career through the end of that season, he shot an excellent 83.7% (1442 of 1723). For the next four seasons after learning the exercises, Allan shot 90.2% (1094 of 1213). During his injury-shortened final season, he dropped to his pre-exercise average of 83.7% (36-43).

There are other things to look at but, before I would do that, I'd see how much the player improved by doing the three things listed above. Often, significant improvements are seen by the next game. It has never taken me more than 10 days to get an elite basketball player (NBA or NCAA) to shoot well from the free throw line.

AC: When we were talking in person at Sloan a couple of weeks ago, you were drawing upon examples from your work to help to adequately portray the value of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. You briefly cited working with former New York Knicks guard Allan Houston, and how your NLP training helped him have his career-best season in many categories. Can you elaborate on this, and/or perhaps offer some of your history of providing Peak Performance Coaching (at any level of basketball) and where you've found tangible results?

AR: My peak performance program is based mostly on NLP (with a few tweaks) and certain other performance technologies. Shooting a basketball is a great way to quantify results but performance improvements can be seen in other areas that can be harder to quantify. For example, if someone believes he's a bad defender, that belief will affect his play and, in certain circumstances, slow him down a fraction of a second. At the NBA level, that fraction of a second can be the difference between making the stop or not. Changing the belief will help him improve his defense. That improvement is harder to quantify since all five players need to play good defense for 24 seconds to get a shot clock violation and if one of his teammates slips up, points will still be scored. Video analysis helps but that's a rear-view determination. Each shot, on the other hand, goes in or it doesn't and, while secondary analysis is very possible (and, lately, very probable) we also know the result of the shot right away.

In part 1 of our interview, I mentioned some details of Allan Houston's outstanding shooting during the '99-'00 season. The results were significant but the "results of the results," even more so. We set a goal to get Allan onto his first NBA All-Star team and, since a majority of the games we worked together were prior to the coaches voting for their All-Star selections, that's a goal that we met. And despite being off the program for over 50 regular-season games that year, his results in his games on the program allowed him to set his career-best FG% and 3Pt%.

What isn't realized is that had we not worked together for one game, Knicks history might be very different. As is mentioned in the NY Post article, Allan and I first worked together late in the lockout-shortened '98-'99 season. He was in an 8-game slump and scoring fewer than 14 points per game. The night after our session, Allan scored 30 points on 10-for-17 (58.8%) shooting and the Knicks beat the Charlotte Hornets by 5 points. Had Allan scored fewer than 25 points, the Knicks would have lost. As it turned out, this win was crucial. All else being equal, losing that game would have meant that the Knicks would have tied Charlotte for the 8th playoff position at the end of the regular season -- but Charlotte would have beaten the Knicks 2-out-of-3 that season and, thus, won the tie-breaker. The Hornets would have gone to the playoffs and the Knicks to the lottery. Instead, the Hornets went to the lottery and the Knicks made their odds-beating march to the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. How many things would be different now had the Knicks gone to the lottery instead?

One more example from that special '98-'99 Knicks season helps illustrate how quickly NLP can work: my first Knicks client that season was Chris Dudley and he had set his career-best made-free throw streak while being on my free throw program. That program is 90% physical and, in fact, I originally developed my NLP-based program to make up the 10% of the free throw program that's mental. All season long, I tried to work with Marcus Camby, as well. Marcus is a great guy and was always friendly towards me and I never convinced him to work with me during the regular season.

During the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks lost game 4 to the Pacers by 2 points. Marcus had played a great game but gone just 4-of-8 from the free throw line. After the game, I was waiting outside the Knicks locker room to speak with Chris and Marcus walked up to me and said, "What can you do to help me?" He was in a suit with his gym bag over his shoulder, and I asked him how much time we had. He said they were leaving in 10 minutes to go to the airport to fly to Indianapolis.

In the middle of the crowd and without a ball, I showed him the basic exercise that Chris also did during his career-best streak. Marcus did the exercise fine and I knew I could ask Chris to do the exercise with him on the road. But Marcus had shot just 57% from the free throw line all season and was shooting 57% from the line in the playoffs, too. I knew I needed to change his belief about his ability to make free throws; I knew that I couldn't change it too much or his brain would reject the new belief (trying to convince him he was a 90% free throw wouldn't have worked); and I knew I had to do it on the fly. So, when Marcus was distracted by his agent calling over to him, I used a quick technique to plant the suggestion that Marcus was a 70% free throw shooter. Then we shook hands and I wished him well in Game 5. The result? Marcus shot 69% from the free throw line for the rest of the playoffs and the entire next season. We only worked together that one time but I've been fortunate to learn some powerful tools, and they came in handy.

AC: Where do you see the future of research into NLP and the psychological side of shooting to be headed? Is it a well of information that is yet to be properly tapped, in your eyes? Much time and advanced analysis has been devoted to matters such as spacing, positioning, contested/uncontested shots, and per-minute data, for example, but is there any part (of shooting) left over where we still have more to discover?

AR: This is a great question. As advanced as we are, we are only beginning to tap into the possibilities of humans to perform at higher levels and most of the research has been into improving size, strength, and endurance. As important as those are, without the ability to perform his or her best when it matters, someone who could be the best at something might never achieve those heights. Earlier, you asked about higher free throw percentage in practice than in games and, although I pointed to a lot of physical reasons for that, for some players that would be strictly a mental issue (a limiting belief or not accessing the right emotional states during the game). That would be an easy fix for me but I'm one person and need to market my services better. Ideally, I'd train people to work with all 30 NBA teams. You're still going to have a winner and a loser in any game but imagine if both teams shot 50% or better, no matter which game you watched? If you're interested in basketball, that's more fun. If you're interested in marketing, teams with losing records who are playing well have often sold out games and sold more merchandise than teams who are losing and losing badly.

The increase of advanced analytics and video tracking have the potential for backlash, and mental performance programs are the way to counteract it. Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, in effect, states that when you measure something, you change what you're measuring. If you put a thermometer in a glass of water, you don't get the temperature of the water, you get the temperature of the water after the temperature of the thermometer has changed it. Advanced analytics and video tracking are "measuring," and there can be a corresponding change in performance. Media coverage is "measuring," as well. One of my clients was leading the Big East in 3PT% for six weeks and was then interviewed in detail about why he was shooting so well. The result? He immediately went into a six-week slump (as they said during his great shooting streak, he was "unconscious." Asking him questions made him conscious about his shot.)

What's going to happen when some reporter or coach looks at advanced analytics and tells the player "you can't make shots from the left sideline"? The player thought he was just having some temporary trouble but he may now believe he actually can't make the shot. That would need to be fixed and mental changes like that aren't ordinarily going to come from watching game film. Teams need someone with my skills as much as they need someone who is great with analytics. Analytics show patterns, they don't show why the pattern exists and they don't tell you how to change the pattern. We're really just scratching the surface in both advanced analytics and mental performance. But a team utilizing my program and a stats guru would have a powerful advantage over their opponents.

Art Rondeau on the Psyche of Shooting: Part One

At the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Art Rondeau, a Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and Peak Performance Coach. Art has worked extensively with professional athletes in a number of different realms, and his role is part of what makes his perspective both diverse and unique. Art has compiled a number of works for Hickory High, operates his own blog (Game Time at the Garden of Good and Evil), and has comprehensive list of testimonials listed here. I was fascinated by Art's work and his approach, reached out to him for a few insights on possible misperceptions and issues with the game, and the NBA, and he kindly obliged. You can find more on Art at artrondeau.com, and follow him on Twitter @ArtRondeau. The following is part one of our two part exchange.

Angus Crawford: Recently, you put together a guest post for Hickory High discussing the standard practices of free-throw shooting, and how certain aspects of it add unnecessary length to a game's duration, and clog the overall flow. Aesthetically, how much of a concern do you think the time it takes the average fan to watch/follow an individual game is for the NBA? Which elementary components of the game might need remodelling in order to better serve the league (and its product) as a whole?

Art Rondeau: There are parts of many games that are brutal to watch (“Hack-a-Shaq” and the numerous timeouts late in the 4th quarter to name two). Eliminating or improving these situations (and I'm working on articles suggesting fixes to both of them) would help a lot. When new NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was interviewed at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, he mentioned that studies show that the average time fans watch games on television has dropped from 50 minutes to 30 minutes. So, in addition to some over-the-top complaining by some NBA analysts who seem like they'd like the NBA to play a five game season and just 20 minutes per game, there is evidence that people are watching less for some reason(s). I think it's in everyone's best interest to find ways to make the game more watchable but to do so in ways that don't change the game too much. Dramatic changes probably aren't going to happen and if enough simple changes were made, dramatic changes would not even be necessary.

The guest post that you referred to suggests not allowing defenders to line up for free throws until the last one is ready to be taken (since it doesn't matter who rebounds a missed first free throw when the shooter's at the line for two). That would save between 30 seconds and a minute for each free throw, saving 10-20 minutes per game. The other suggestion was to wait to shoot technical free throws awarded during the first 3 quarters of games and shoot them right before the 4th quarter. In some games, there'd be no saving at all. In others, that might save 5-10 minutes. Eliminating “Hack-a-Shaq” would save twenty minutes in some instances and save no time in most. Changing how timeouts are handled late in the game would save time and make the games more exciting. Another area for improvement is inbounds plays; saving five minutes here and ten minutes there would benefit all concerned.

What must be avoided is changing the game so much that you can't compare players from different eras. There has been an idea floated to eliminate free throws all together (I'll pause here for "Airplane" fans to all say "eliminate free throws") and I've written an article to show why that would be a bad idea based on historical comparisons. One idea that has been floated is to cut the game from 48 minutes to 40 minutes. But if you reduce the game by almost 17%, you ensure that no one coming into the league will ever break onto the top ten all-time scoring list. As I mentioned in my "saving time" post, if you think player introductions take too long, the answer isn't having the teams play 2 on 2.

AC: One of the heavily-discussed research paper presentations at Sloan covered the idea of the "Hot Hand," and its validity. What have your studies and your work produced on the subject of the psychology behind players netting consecutive shots? Where do you stand on the so-called "Hot Hand" mindset?

AR: Contrary to most of the research, the Sloan paper suggests that a Hot Hand exists. I'm on board with that. In trying to disprove that the Hot Hand exists over the years, there are a number of flaws that were made in the studies due to lack of knowledge at the time of the study and some due to other errors. Without spending too much time on the flaws, it's important to list a few of them because shaking some of the belief in the "No Hot Hand Exists" studies is important in proving that the Hot Hand does actually exist. In what is probably the most well known study, Gilovich, Tversky, and Vallone looked at a year's worth of shooting data from the Philadelphia 76ers to determine if there was evidence that anything but random series of made shots existed. They also defined the Hot Hand as the likelihood that a player's next shot has a greater chance of going in if he hit his prior shot. They used free throws in the study and, as you see above, there are too many issues causing players to miss free throws to use them to prove or disprove anything like this. Finally, for here, they discount players' beliefs in Hot Hands.

All of this causes problems. It's very possible for a player to have a Hot Hand (what I'll define here as an out-of-the-ordinary game shooting well above his average for reasons other than blind chance) without hitting a lot of consecutive shots. If X is a make and O is a miss, we could see a normally 40% shooter have a game where he shoots X-X-O-X-O-X-X-O-X-X (70%) while only hitting consecutive shots 3 times. If he shoots something similar 3 games in a row (maybe missing his first shot in the 2nd game to break up the Xs), would we say he didn't have a Hot Hand because he didn't have many consecutive makes? Some would but I think most people would realise that something special was going on. A Hot Hand doesn't mean perfection, but holding it up as perfection helps when trying to prove that it doesn't exist.

Defining making a shot or missing a shot as a random act like flipping a fair coin is not accurate. Coins don't get tired. The defense doesn't double-team coins after a couple of heads in a row, making it harder for the coin to come up heads a 3rd time. The coach can order the player to shoot on a given play - whether the shooter wants to shoot or not. The coin doesn't care.

In looking back at the 76ers' data or at our example of X-X-O-X-O-X-X-O-X-X, why were the shots missed? How many times did the shooter miss a shot that he only took because the shot clock was about to expire and he chucked it up just to give his team a chance at the rebound? How many times did he take a shot that would have gone in but it got blocked (something that goes into the box score as a miss)? How many times did the player take a shot he knew probably wouldn't go in because he'd been fouled and wanted that foul to be in the act of shooting so he could go to the free throw line? We don't know and neither did the people who examined the 76ers' data. None of those three examples of why a player might miss is proof that the player didn't have a Hot Hand at the time that he missed the shot. They're only proof that the player missed. Without knowing why he missed, we can't legitimately disprove the Hot Hand.

Discounting beliefs is a mistake because a person's belief in his/her ability to achieve an outcome can have a significant impact on what the person actually achieves. Almost invariably, when I work with an elite athlete, one of the things that we'll do is to identify any negative beliefs about their ability to win and replace them with positive beliefs. There are studies that are helping to quantify the power of beliefs -- for example, identifying changes in blood chemistry when a belief changes -- but in my own work I have many examples of negative beliefs being the cause of an athlete's poor performance and installing a positive belief being part of the program that breaks the athlete out of a slump and/or helps him/her to excel during the next game.

In working with basketball players, I'm able to provide better examples of a relationship between the athlete doing a customised series of mental exercises and a superior shooting performance. In a very small sample, former Providence College player Maris Laksa shot 50% and, in the next game, 62.5% in his 2 games on my program after having been in a 6-week slump. In a larger sample, during the 1999-2000 NBA regular season, New York Knicks shooting guard Allan Houston shot 60% or better in just 5 of 52 games when he was off my program and shot 60% or better in 15 of 30 games when he was on it. Allan shot 50% or better in just 10 of 52 games when he was off my program and shot 50% or better in 27 of 30 games when he was on it. When an NBA player who is considered an excellent shooter can only shoot 50% or better in one out of every five games on his own but manages to shoot 50% or better in 9 of every 10 games after doing customised mental exercises, I think there's enough proof that how well a player shoots isn't random. More data is needed, but I'm off to a good start.

You can follow up on Art's work with Allan Houston here (inc. detailed statistics), and read this New York Post feature on Art teaming up with the former Knicks shooting guard.

It's time to kill some myths about the miserable Knicks

Woodson and Shumpert have shared a bumpy, tenuous relationship at times.

"If it bleeds, we can kill it."

A jarring notion brought to the pop culture lexicon by the inimitable Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1987 extra-terrestrial, sci-fi/action classic "Predator." Well, in the context of the New York Knicks' roster and 2014 season, there are certain ideals that have been gruesomely seeping blood for some time now -- and the time has come to kill them, once and for all.

Now, to clarify, these premises may not necessarily remain overwhelmed with support and adoration from the basketball community; it is simply the opinion of this writer that they (the misrepresentations detailed below) are best to be buried, post-haste. (Note: The expression "Earl Smith III" was consciously and deliberately omitted from the body of this piece, as there has been ample commentary and hearsay on the happenings of the very "Knicks-ian" enigma. If you are searching for 1500 words on why J.R. Smith is "confounding and astounding," look elsewhere.)

Tellingly, the perils of New York's strategising (or lack thereof) throughout the season have been underpinned by one particular, shamefully stubborn outlook on inter-conference play. Although much of the Knicks' offensive successes in their 2013 fifty-four win regular season emerged via unconventional, three-guard, undersized, perimeter-oriented lineups, this season has largely been defined by an utter refusal to acknowledge said sample size, and a vehement adherence to traditionalistic basketball. The following quotation, as reported by Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal, has come to sadistically hover over the season's play for Knick fans everywhere:

Asked Woody why Pablo doesnt start when he usually helps NYK get back 2 last yr's principles. "The East is big, man." Cites need to match up

— Chris Herring (@HerringWSJ) December 10, 2013

As much as anything else in 2013-14, it would be fair to suggest that head coach Mike Woodson's ill-derived logic, persistent opposition to tangible, comprehensive evidence, perplexing timing, and staunch unwillingness to remain open about his own decision-making have been predominant sources of frustration and bewilderment. The apparent vacuum of guard-heavy units and contingents featuring Carmelo Anthony at the four spot has only exacerbated Woodson's follies. Anthony flourished in new and unfamiliar territory in the role of "power forward," posting career-bests in PER (24.8), ORtg (112), and Win Shares (9.5), yet has appeared in such a position only fleetingly in 2014 -- and typically only when the coach's hands are tied. With the recent downfall of New York's brittle frontline rotation players Amar'e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin, Knickerbocker enthusiast and contributor to TrueHoop Network's Knickerblogger Robert Silverman rightfully condemned Woodson's quote and wondered aloud if the freshly barren roster would prompt the team to revert to what worked so well just a season ago. A fair question, one would think.

@HerringWSJ @gus_crawford It's such a damning line. Sums up all of Woodson's mistakes in a tidy package. You think he'll play Melo at the 4?

— Robert Silverman (@BobSaietta) January 17, 2014

Alas, it was not to be: Andrea Bargnani started in said role and occupied a spot on the floor for 36 minutes. Such an absence of coaching rationale prompts terrifyingly poetic imagery, doesn't it? Thirty-eight days removed from "The East is big, man." and it cryptically clouds all of the egregious coaching decisions that have arrived both before, and since, the words were uttered. You can almost picture Mike Woodson, deep in the bowels of a dusty Madison Square Garden weight room, his knuckles adorned with the words "EAST" on one hand and "BIG" on the other, rampantly completing pull-ups in Max Cady-esque fashion whilst incessantly murmuring "the East," and "size." Shocking, I know, but none more so than the act of continually palming out hefty minutes to Andrea Bargnani in the hope that the Italian's perceived unorthodox style of play will instigate all manner of defensive conundrums for the opponent. Which brings me to my first subject matter...

Myth #1 - Andrea Bargnani's "floor spacing" stretches opposing defenses

Perhaps it was merely worthless, obligatory praise from a coach to his former player, but in the lead-up to the Knicks' home-and-home series with Toronto in late-December, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey had this to say about Andrea Bargnani:

Nobody corrected Dwane Casey when he deemed Andrea Bargnani a "great three-point shooter." Hasn’t been the case for about 4 years now

— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) December 27, 2013

I understand that the quotation is -- at large -- meaningless and without consequence, yet I take issue with the idea of any person within the NBA's coaching fraternity expressing the sentiment that Bargnani is a "great three-point shooter." The concept that Bargnani's skills and stylistic tendencies are such that opposing bigs must uncomfortably adapt and lurk on the perimeter is, if nothing else, laughable. At this point in his career, the seven-footer's fan base is as limited as it's ever been, and his supporters are becoming fewer and fewer by the game. Since December 1, a 25 game window,Bargnani is netting a paltry 21.5% of his flings from beyond the arc, on an average of 2.5 attempts per-36 minutes. Moreover, his outside ineptitude is furthered by a conversion rate of 28.6% on threes in "catch-and-shoot" scenarios, a figure that is akin to second-worst in the NBA among eligible players. The only individual beneath him in the measurement is the Pistons' Josh Smith, a notoriously ill-directed "chucker" whose 3PAr (25.3%) is greatly disproportionate to his perimeter prowess. Among special company, no doubt.

The alleged "great three-point shooter"'s difficulties are not limited to shots of the stationary form, either. The numbers highlight that Andrea Bargnani is also among the league's least efficient in the "pull-up shot" department (of players sourcing at least 1ppg for their offense from this shot), too. He has connected on just 32.8% of his pull-ups over 39 games this season, completely removing the usefulness of the so-called versatile, modern offensive approach. It's true that the international veteran's penchant for putting the ball on the floor and firing off the dribble distinguishes him from the vast majority of the league's seven-footers, though it remains a misplaced subplot to his widely inefficient arsenal. For Bargnani, the principles of an idiosyncratic attack exist, yet more often than not, poor application and execution author an unwanted offensive disharmony.

Perimeter play has been far from the only facet of his game to plague the team's offensive efficiency. In addition to this, since the beginning of December, he has hit a lousy 29.4% of his shots from 8 to 16 feet, per NBA.com statistics. In a nutshell, he cannot be relied upon to convert jumpshots from a bevy of spaces on the floor, not simply when extending to the range of 24 feet and beyond. What's more, as was signalled by Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun in the above tweet, Bargnani has failed to exhibit three-point shooting nous in years. Since the 1999-2000 season, league-average conversion on three-point field goals has floated around the 35.0% mark. The last time Andrea Bargnani drilled long-range attempts at an above-league average rate was 2009-10, when he measured at 37.2% across 80 games. Roughly four years ago. It's time to entirely discard the idea that Bargnani possesses a markedly soft touch from the outside and can be deployed as some kind of specialist spacer and/or offensive weapon.

Myth #2 - Iman Shumpert belongs in the conversation of the league's "elite" perimeter defenders

Poor Iman Shumpert. It seems that his performance on the defensive end is much like the confidence of his teammates and his organisation: dwindling and trending in the wrong direction. Following his burgeoning foray into the Association over the past two seasons, Shumpert developed (and earned, for that matter) somewhat of a reputation as a ball-stopper in the wings for the Knicks. He registered a highly respectable individual defensive rating of 101 in his rookie campaign, and showcased the kind of intent, athleticism, and resourcefulness that had been lacking in New York's rotation. Barring a home outing against Indiana in mid-November in which he checked Paul George admirably (in spurts) and generated a DRtg of 92, this season, morsels of defensive positivity have been few and far between for the valued young guard.

Shumpert has upped his defensive rebounding percentage to 17.3% (a raise of nearly five percent), but improvement of this nature has been dwarfed by more worrisome trends. When placed among wing players of similar qualifications (averaging min. 25 minutes, 4.0 rebounds per game, 6"7 & under), the statistics highlight that Shumpert continues to foul at a concerning click. Personal foul rates can be influenced by an array of factors (being part of poorly executed schemes, having to provide excessive help, over-aggressiveness etc.), and granted, Shumpert is in part a victim of covering for the commonplace defensive lapses of teammates, however this figure -- courtesy of Basketball-Reference, and sorted according to personal fouls per-36 -- raises questions.

The third-year guard is a clear first for personal fouls per-36 minutes, and his break-down compares rather unfavourably to other players with established reputations on the defensive end -- Arron Afflalo, Lance Stephenson, and Avery Bradley, for example. Thabo Sefolosha, who failed to qualify for this particular table due to an average of 3.1 defensive rebounds per game, commits just 2.2 fouls per-36 minutes. It's noted that Shumpert is not privy to the luxury of being cushioned among one of the league's leading defenses as the aforementioned Sefolosha and Stephenson are, nonetheless, somewhere in the range between Afflalo's 1.6 and Bradley's 3.1 should be a more realistic, attainable objective for the Knicks' formerly flat-topped wing.

To compound his foul-happy festivities, his individual defensive efficiency standing has ballooned out to 107 on the season, comfortably the lowest such measure of his young career. Whether you wish to attribute his defensive decline to ongoing trade rumours, a revised role within the rotation, the diminishing chemistry within the framework of the team, or simply his own slip in consistency and ball-stopping acumen, the 2014 evidence indicates that including Shumpert in any advanced defensive category is basically unwarranted.

Myth #3 - Raymond Felton has to play 30+ minutes per game, the Knicks don't have any other alternative

Ah, to be a starting point guard in the Association. After chiseling (pun intended) out a notoriety as the most loathsome professional athlete in the Northwest of the United States, Raymond Felton appears to be making a pastime of wearing out his welcome in cities across the country. Believe it or not, there's a reason that for much of the season, the Knickshave been actively involved in trade conversations for veteran point guards from around the league (i.e. Kyle Lowry, Andre Miller). Lead guard play has been a steadily transitioning locomotive of a problem for New York since the franchise's decision to permit the exile of Jeremy Lin to Houston some eighteen months ago. There are reasons why this has been the case, and Felton is chief among them.

The Knicks' frustrations are not limited to Felton.

Affectionately known to some as Oswald Cobblepot, or "Penguin," Felton's lethargy on boths ends of the floor has reached a tipping point. This season, the advanced metrics have become particularly unkind to Felton; he holds a career-low TS% of 47.7%, a career-worst free throw rate of 13.8% (rapidly diminishing since 2010-11), and a career-low AST% of 26.5%. Allow that to sink in, for a moment. That is a trio of cavernous depths in rounded (pun intended) measures that are key to assessing the aptitude of a given point guard, let alone one whom is allocated nearly 33 minutes a night. The UNC alum is also 29.3% from downtown, and averaging career-worsts 12.3 points and 5.8 assists per-36 minutes.

To recap, that is five varying, distinct measurements by which Raymond Felton can be said to be having the lowest or worst of his (to date) eleven-year NBA career. Consider this table, too.

That illustrates players 6"5 and under, who have registered 700 minutes or more of court time over at least 20 games, with 3P% and AST% under 30.0. It is sorted according to DRtg, with the holder of the worst mark (Felton) at the top. Felton's defensive efficiency ranking is at 111 (as per above), and of the players listed with data comparable to him, none feature in a regular, starting point guard role (with the possible exception of Wroten, who has filled in over a certain stretch in Philadelphia.) Hence, quite clearly Felton's value, production, and efficiency have evaporated. Why is it, though, that he continues to hold an average of 32.7 minutes played when he does hit the hardwood? Pablo Prigioni -- the likely and deserving candidate to usurp the bulk of those minutes -- has been sidelined since December 17 with a hairline fracture of the big toe. Symbolic of Felton's own health queries, though, is that the pair have featured in nearly an identical number of games (despite Prigioni's month-long absence).

The Knicks ostensibly lack roster flexibility, are without Prigioni (in the intermediate), and are otherwise left with veteran Beno Udrih, and the untrusted Toure' Murry. It's an unenviable situation, albeit, but far from one without a solution. With the above in mind, there can be little to no credence to the idea that Felton is deserving of starter's minutes. Whilst handing the reins to Murry in the absence in Prigioni may carry it's own inherent risks, it offers a point of difference. At this point in his career, Raymond Felton is a known commodity -- this is what he is, and the Knicks (and their fans) must adjust accordingly. It's not likely, however, that best practice would dictate that "adjusting accordingly" to knowing Felton's current and long-term value involves persistently doling out charitable, burdensome court time.

If faith in the untried Murry is indeed the issue, then the available pool of D-League players (Pierre Jackson, Ben Uzoh, Seth Curry etc.) always exists, and there is the impending arrival of players whom are due to conclude their seasons abroad soon. The Knicks were rumoured to have expressed interest in point guard Bobby Brown over the summer, and that avenue remains open. Brown, who has spent this season in the Chinese Basketball Association, has averaged 31.4 points per outing on 50.0% 2pt field goal shooting.

At this uncomfortable stage, a three-way, 15-minute-apiece time share may prove a better formula for stabilised point guard performance for New York. Either way, he who discredits the Knicks' availability of options when attempting to address Felton and the issue is not devoting enough scrutiny to the matter.

These Knicks are a mismatched, imperfect, eclectic, fundamentally flawed roster. Nevertheless, there is no need to heighten this pre-determined disadvantaged by recklessly distributing blind faith to players whose performances are among the primary causes for concern.

Author's note: This piece was originally shared as a FanPost for SBNation's Posting and Toasting Knicks blog on January 18.

Knicks Chatter with Seth Rosenthal of PostingAndToasting.com

New York's Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Iman Shumpert.

After a severely underwhelming start to the 2013-14 season, the Knicks have picked up their play in January and "improved" their record to 14-22 -- placing them 10th in the ghastly Eastern Conference standings. New York hosts the surprising Phoenix Suns tonight, and will look to extend their four game winning streak.

I had some questions for Seth Rosenthal, editor of SBNation's "Posting and Toasting" Knicks blog, host of P&T's "Dog Playdate" podcast, and creator of the much-loved acronym "FARTDOG" (Friendly Alliance of Really Terrible Defenders of Opposing Guards), who was kind enough to take the time to answer them for me.

Angus Crawford: The Knicks have won five of their past six games, including impressive wins over Miami and San Antonio, with a net rating of +7.3 in that time. What’s been different over this stretch that’s changed the team’s fortunes? 

Seth Rosenthal: The short answer is I have no idea. Their defense has improved, but I couldn't tell you why. I'd like to say they're playing with more energy on that end, but I couldn't explain why that's the case. The fact that Toure' Murry and Kenyon Martin have been contributing more surely helps. I would say it's mostly the defense. Melo's been sharp and the shooting-- Iman Shumpert's production in particular-- has been much better, at least in spurts, but not being completely flaccid against opposing attacks seems like the biggest improvement in the New Year.

AC: Iman Shumpert exploded for 26 and 27pts (both career-highs) at the beginning of the Texas trip, and has been shooting 55.9% from the three-point line since the San Antonio win. Is it safe to say that his role with the team (and career with New York) has been resurrected, or would you prefer to consider this more of an isolated hot streak?

SR: I'm not ready to assume anything, no. He does appear a LOT more comfortable-- he was just playing poorly in 2013, he was playing without any apparent confidence. Perhaps that's a result of decreased pressure with the dissipation of trade rumors and whatnot. Something definitely changed, internally or externally. I hope it lasts. I don't know that it will.

AC: Speaking of Iman Shumpert, the team was rumoured to be heavily involved in trade discussions for Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry in early December, though nothing ever came to fruition. Whether a 2018 first-round pick, Shumpert, or Tim Hardaway Jr., the majority of these conversations centred on the Knicks giving up a valued, future asset. Do you think New York’s recent play has entirely quashed the possibility of a deal before the deadline, or should we not rule out the chance that the team will make another “future-for-present” style trade?

SR: No, you can't rule anything out. For one, this success might not last. For two, the Knicks are fickle and unpredictable anyway, and when they do make deals, they tend not to be the rumoured-for-weeks-ones. They tend to spring up out of the blue and just happen. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

AC: For much of the season, Mike Woodson’s strategising has been uh… “Questionable,” at best. His insistence upon playing Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Andrea Bargnani alongside one another (the trio have appeared together in 21 games and are -14.4 points per 100 possessions), his seemingly unbreakable trust in J.R. Smith (shooting 35.4% on the season), and a general reluctance to give minutes to younger, more inexperienced players (i.e. Toure Murry and Tim Hardaway Jr.). How much, in your opinion, of the Knicks’ 14-22 record is a reflection on their head coach’s decision-making?

SR: A lot of it. This is an imperfect roster, but it still offers the two-point-guards, Melo-with-three-shooters possibilities that last season's highly successful (even when Tyson Chandler was hurt) roster offered. I'm not certain those kinds of looks would work very well this season, but you figure they'd at least be a default. Instead, Woodson's avoided extra ballhandlers and extra shooters whenever possible. The starting lineup that went on a huge win streak while Chandler was out last season didn't play *a minute* (I think) during his broken-leg absence. East is big, man.

AC: J.R. Smith. Wait, I’m sorry that’s not actually a question. Perhaps try this: when the phrase “Earl Smith III’s 2013-14 NBA season” is uttered, what does Seth Rosenthal think?

SR: "SMH" and/or "JUST HIT SOME DAMN SHOTS YOU BUFFOON". 

Delightful. You can follow Seth on Twitter @seth_rosenthal, follow Posting and Toasting @ptknicksblog, read Seth over at SBNation.com, and listen to Seth and @netw3rk on the aforementioned Dog Playdate podcast here. 

In the Garden of Uncertainty

Fading away: Just like the hightop, gone is the Knicks brass' confidence in Iman Shumpert.

How much can one honestly say about the reeling, bizarre New York Knicks organisation? The traveling sideshow that is the Knicks took yet another wild spin into trademark insanity Wednesday, with the news that J.R. Smith will start in place of Pablo Prigioni in Atlanta, the swirling rumours of Mike Woodson and the front office's dissatisfaction with Iman Shumpert, and subsequent trade whispers. Firstly, Smith. The cartoon-esque saga that has been his last six months - whether it was his playoff meltdown and elbow to Jason Terry, his odd contract negotiations that changed in length and dollars (significantly), his not-so-subtly masked offseason knee surgery, his five game suspension for a violation of the league's anti-drugs policy, the unbalanced addition of his sibling (Chris Smith) to the roster, or his awful return game which saw him net 5pts on 1-9 shooting in a 31pt home loss - rolled on uninterrupted again today, as he steps in to start just his second game in 117 showings for the Knicks. Smith, ever the controversial figure, seemingly has the support of Mike Woodson, and will confirm what had apparently been brewing in the summer months by starting tonight's road game against the Hawks. Shumpert retains his position, for now, as it is the efficient Pablo Prigioni - who, by contrast, does not have the enduring adoration of Woodson - set to step aside. Of course, never mind the fact that across eight games in April of last season the Felton-Prigioni-Shumpert-Anthony four man unit managed a net rating of 18.8 and a true shooting percentage of 63.8%. Moreover, since being inserted as a regular starter on March 18, Prigioni assisted the Knicks on a 16-1 stretch over the month of March and April, including 13 straight victories. The decision to tinker the lineup prior to Wednesday's matchup represents the fourth experimented starting unit in only eight total games. In other words (even with Tyson Chandler's untimely injury), the word 'stability' has not been synonymous with the 2013-14 Knickerbockers thus far.

Timing and justification notwithstanding, J.R. Smith will seek to recapture the level of play that earned him the honour of being the NBA's premier bench performer, as the 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year. In his 'contract year', Smith registered 18.1 points per contest whilst connecting twice from downtown per game, frequently amassing starter-quantity minutes (33.5mpg). His 5.5 long range hoists per game, however, were second only to league-leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, who attempted six per outing. After a smoking opening to his team's first round series, Smith crumbled in the wake of his league-imposed suspension, only managing 33.1% field goal shooting and 16.1 points per 36mins. Clearly, the majority of Smith's NBA successes have surfaced in a role where he is asked to deliver sharp, immediate offensive spark and can be withdrawn with little consequence, rather than as a proverbial second banana. The reliability of J.R. Smith as a #2 offensive option remains in serious doubt, and if that is underlining the thinking of his placement in the starting five, then the Knicks' officials may be startled by the outcomes. Apparently, the re-emergence of Smith from injury and suspension, the drafting of the walking trebuchet Tim Hardaway Jr. in the first round, and the inking of wily guard Beno Udrih to complement the roster's guard depth have deemed perimeter defender and chief young asset Iman Shumpert expendable. 

Frank Isola of the NY Daily News reports that New York have put the feelers out and tested the waters in relation to Iman Shumpert's trade currency, engaging in preliminary discussions with Denver. The news is not altogether surprising, yet it stands as indicative of the organisation's hasty, remarkably shortsighted strategising. As a result of age, contractual status/salary cap hit, injury, and team roles, Shumpert is undoubtedly the sole asset of any substantial worth in the trade market that the Knicks can lay claim to. Isola notes that the front office, absorbing the blows of Chandler's extended absence, is attempting to conjure a solution to its barren front court situation. Shumpert, attached to a rookie-scale deal, comes at the very modest price of $1.7M for this season and $2.7M next, only serving to heighten his value in trade conversations. If the reports are even vaguely true, and New York is gauging the possibilities of a Shumpert-big man exchange - Isola mentions Denver's Kenneth Faried as a candidate - one ominous truth appears to be eluding the team's officials. In (hypothetically) disposing of Iman Shumpert, the Knicks will have a grand total of zero quality, NBA-capable wing defenders under the age of 34, leaving an already-dire defensive circumstance to be hammered by a weakened, shallow rotation. The unquestionably positive defensive influence of the third-year man was made clear for all to witness and appreciate in the 2013 Playoffs, with his on/off-court differentials a reminder of this. In twelve postseason matchups, the Knicks' net rating with Shumpert on the floor was 7.6, while when he headed to the bench, it was a mere -3.3. Realisitcally, New York will have great difficulty discovering that level of defensive efficiency in any bigs available in Shumpert-centred discussions, nor will they be able to plug in above-average, short-term replacements from the free agent pool in the aftermath of any possible trade. 

Amidst all of this chaos and disorganisation, one thing becomes clearer as each game passes - the Knicks are tightly lodged with a small-ball, floor-spacing, undersized roster, sewn to a coach who is, fundamentally, an advocate of slow-it-down, front court focused, post up play. Woodson, in the face of all forms of cheery outcomes for his 'Prigionian' (new word) lineups, will do anything to escape the unwanted condition of a guard-heavy roster, almost to the point of sheer stubbornness. Having said that, with Chandler sidelined, the Knicks' coach is inherently handicapped and will be left to continue to start Andrea Bargnani - owner of an underwhelming -16.6 on/off-court differential - at centre. 

The storylines of Smith, Shumpert, and Woodson himself, are not likely to dissipate any time soon. Frank Isola of the Daily News seems determined with his take that Shumpert will be discarded via trade, sooner or later, and if Chandler's stint in a suit and knee brace is extended in the slightest, expect the Knicks to reshuffle their collection of bigs. 

November Pain: Where to now for the languishing New York Knicks?

New York centre Tyson Chandler wincing after his collision injury.

Sitting uncomfortably at 1-3, with recent home losses to Minnesota and Charlotte, there is increasing reason for cautious concern about the trajectory of the 2013-14 season for the New York Knicks. The team's play has been well below par, exhibiting an unsettled rotation, an untidy offense, and an incredibly shabby defensive scheme. With Carmelo Anthony labouring to discover his offensive arsenal, currently shooting 37.1% from the field, and the supporting cast failing to manage anything even vaguely resembling transition defense, the Knicks have hopelessly dwindled to the despondence of a below-average start to the season. Harshly, the issues that have plagued New York's November performances were intensified on Wednesday morning, with reports that the team's defensive anchor, and best performer so far, Tyson Chandler, will be out for approximately 4-6 weeks. As mentioned in Wednesday's recap of the Knicks' home loss to Charlotte, Chandler collided with guard Kemba Walker, was helped off the floor and did not return at any stage of the game. Together with Iman Shumpert and Metta World Peace, Chandler has been one of very few Knickerbockers thus far to display honest consistency in his level of play.

Undoubtedly, this news is a crippling blow to a franchise already dealing with an untimely front office reshuffle, the ongoing suspension of guard J.R. Smith, the fading health and contributions of Amar'e Stoudemire (the $45M man), and the aforementioned losing start. Chandler essentially rescued the team in the lone victory (over Milwaukee) of the '13-14 campaign, as they almost disposed of a 25pt advantage, and has truly been the rock of an otherwise jittery, drama-ridden situation. Moreover, head coach Mike Woodson has battled to find a blend with the roster, not able to smoothly integrate new pieces Andrea Bargnani, Beno Udrih, and Tim Hardway Jr. with the desired effectiveness. It is extremely early in the NBA regular season marathon, to be sure, yet the numbers do not look favourably upon New York. Small sample size aside, the team presently sits in the bottom five in the league for points, rebounds, and assists per game, while the per minute breakdowns of defensive efficiency and player's on/off court differentials can make for scary reading. Recently, Woodson has steadfastly stuck with his 'big' lineup (featuring an Anthony-Bargnani-Chandler frontline), despite the questionable outcomes and murky ball-stopping efforts that have resulted. According to NBA.com stats (measuring per 48mins), when Andrea Bargnani is on the floor, the Knicks hold a +/- of -21.8, and when he heads to the bench, the team fares at +13.3. This is a negative discrepancy not even remotely matched by any of the Italian's teammates, and - to say the least - does not auger well for Woodson's suggestion that he will adjust to Chandler's extended absence by shifting Bargnani to the five spot.

Woodson, ever the opponent of 'small ball' philosophy, figures to (primarily due to pure depth issues, more than anything else) escalate Beno Udrih's role in the rotation by slotting him in undersized, three-guard lineups. Udrih, the crafty veteran point guard who joined the Knicks in the summer, has only played sporadic, mostly garbage time minutes to this point. Nevertheless, inserting Udrih and adding more creativity to the lineups will not be able to distract from Woodson's #1 issue - a paper-thin front court depth chart. Despite revealing a 'platoon' style rotation plan for the team's backup big men prior to the season, with the intention of alternating games for Kenyon Martin and Amar'e Stoudemire (both of whom are under minute limits), Tyson Chandler's injury and the genuine lack of options have dictated that Woodson throw that idea out the window, at least in the intermediate. Stoudemire, who looked sluggish at best on Tuesday, at this point of his drifting career is a walking injury risk and question mark, whilst Martin (who was averaging 24mpg toward the tail end of last season) has also been heavily hampered by an ailing body. Beyond the sidelined Chandler, the unreliable Bargnani, and the plight of the injury saddled duo, the roster outlook for New York's contracted big men is very, very grim. The Knicks wrapped up their training camp by cutting journeymen bigs Ike Diogu and Josh Powell, discarding the guaranteed contract of (recovering from injury) Jeremy Tyler and, in a shameless display of nepotism, elected to retain guard Chris Smith, who is conveniently related to offseason re-signing J.R. Smith. Only the Knicks could immerse themselves in such a ludicrous, absurd sequence of managerial decisions; it is a pattern that has been synonymous with the franchise for a decade. Indicative of the team's circus-like, scattergun, irrational, reactionary decision-making were reports that the man at the helm, owner James Dolan, boiled over to the extent that he wishes to banish the cheerleading ensemble (Knicks City Dancers) altogether.

Barring a surprise trade with the scarce available assets, or an impending stopgap signing to sure up the situation, New York will move forward with what it has - Bargnani, Martin, and Stoudemire - and almost certainly welcome former lottery pick Cole Aldrich, inactive until this point, into the rotation. Since being selected 11th overall in 2009 and traded immediately to Oklahoma City, Aldrich has bounced around the Association, ultimately unable to nestle into a permanent NBA home. To say it would be remiss to expect Aldrich's inclusion to resolve any of the problems created by Chandler's injury would be a gross understatement. As currently constructed, New York are assuring themselves of persisting difficulties on defense (particularly in terms of the low-post and without Chandler's hallmark weak side help), and in the rebounding department. Harvey Araton, of the New York Times, very recently raised the theoretical solution of signing veteran centre Jason Collins to provide some aid to the Knicks' abundance of roster balancing quandaries. Collins, 35, steadily earned a reputation for his ability to offer toughness, defensive post presence, rebounding in limited minutes, and developed a (somewhat exaggerated) folklore identity as one player capable of shutting down Dwight Howard. As Araton hints at, however, there are hovering concerns that New York would not neglect the chance to sign Jason Collins for his on-court prowess (or lack thereof), but rather due to the attention expected to be received for inking the NBA's first openly-gay, active player. In 38 appearances last season for the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards, Collins managed roughly 10 minutes per game and continued to consolidate his status as an unflashy, workman-like player. The Knicks' official position on the unsigned big man remains to be seen, and though it appears an unlikely scenario, it does not change their foreboding frontline reality.

Given the likelihood of increased minutes for the Anthony-Bargnani combination, it is worth considering the on-court products of the pairing in the limited outings to date. Neither player is known for his defensive capability, and this is explicitly evident in the details (assessed on a per 100 possessions basis) of their floor-sharing, with a -24.5 differential across the first four games. The ghastly defensive numbers could be somewhat ignored or covered up to an extent if the offensively-oriented combo were able to outgun opponents at the opposite end, only that they are shooting an unsustainable 43.0% from the field when playing alongside one another, also per NBA.com stats. Factoring in the inflexibility of the roster and the nature of the team in flux/panic mode, we can expect Anthony and Bargnani to feature in lineups with guard trios, and adjacent to fellow gunslinging forward, Metta World Peace. Assuredly, the Knicks' brass will anticipate a sizeable uptick in Carmelo Anthony's offensive efficiency and scoring volume, and hold out hope that a renewed role will allow the rangy Italian to cushion himself into a comfortable routine both offensively, and in the context of his place on the roster. Bargnani, officially listed at 7"0, has accumulated a mere eight total rebounds on the season, and found himself with an average of only 3 rebound opportunities (deemed to be within 3.5ft of the ball), according to publicly available SportsVU tracking data. Furthermore, he has found himself in a position to defend at the rim on 6 total occasions over four games, highlighting his penchant for floating aimlessly on the perimeter on both ends of the floor.

Of course, some of the unwanted trends through the Knicks' first handful of games will be addressed, and the team will look to iron out a lot of the kinks of their faulting offense, nonetheless, the long-term outlook is not especially flattering for the franchise. Burdened by injury, weighty salaries, and a dearth of true future assets and draft picks, New York - unless miraculously freed from the shackles of its own roster - seems destined to be lodged in the quagmire of the lower Eastern Conference playoff seeds. As Grantland's Zach Lowe reinforces, the Knicks have emphatically hitched their future and their basketball identity solely to the production of Anthony, a strategy that could well leave them in search of a restart button in seasons to come. There is still hope for the team to reach the postseason in 2013-14, notwithstanding Chandler's likely non-participation in 20 to 25 games, but just how far the face of the franchise can drag them is not yet certain.

In the immediate setting, however, Mike Woodson (with a warming seat of his own) will reshuffle the deck, experiment, and look to fill the chasmal void left behind by Tyson Chandler with bit-part contributions by role players and undersized, stretch four-men. Next on the schedule is a road game in Charlotte, and Woodson will have to comprise a working defensive strategy swiftly and with conviction, as the Knicks will host Tim Duncan's Spurs and Dwight Howard's Rockets in the next seven days.

If nothing else, the course and development of the remainder of New York's season is certain to provide an array of endless intrigue, and melodrama.

Knicks Night #2: Minnesota Can Score the Basketball

Kevin Love's wild, ridiculous fourth quarter bank shot. 

Having blitzed the Oklahoma City Thunder by 19pts (they led by 34 at one stage) on Friday, Minnesota arrived at the Mecca of Basketball with a 2-0 start in hand, and a scorching offense that had proved incredibly difficult to contain. Well, nothing much changed. Mike Woodson responded to the sheer size and girth of the Wolves' Love-Pekovic frontline tandem by sticking with Andrea Bargnani in the opening lineup, leaving the historically successful three-guard setup on the shelf, for now. Meanwhile, Amar'e Stoudemire did not feature and was rested by the Knicks, following an 11 minute spurt in Chicago on Thursday. 

For New York, the first period was riddled with turnovers and offensive ineptitude, as the Knicks handled the ball carelessly and opened up a flurry of transition opportunities for the Timberwolves. Minnesota's expensive summer signings, Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer, lapped up the chance to get out on the break, netting layups and dialling in from the outside. Martin, in particular, showcased his ability to persist as a prolific scorer, connecting on long-range flings (5-5 from 3pt range for the game) and steadily earning - and converting - free throws. The Knicks were the owners of an unorganised offense and a sloppy, sagging, scattered defensive effort, which freed Kevin Love in the paint for easy baskets. The frustrations of an unproductive offense seemed to shine through on the opposite end for the orange-clad 'Bockers, who fruitlessly leapt for up-fakes and pivots, and registered a handful of quick, costly fouls. Love was the primary source for this, as he scored four points the (very) unconventional way, being fouled on a perimeter shot, making three straight free throws, and bearing the responsibility of swishing a technical freebie. In a stark contrast to the dire play of New York, the Twolves wilfully swung the ball around the arc, which resulted in a glaringly open J.J. Barea corner three near the end of the term. Symbolic of his team's troubles and their outrageous six opening quarter turnovers, Mike Woodson burned a full timeout only 34 seconds before the first break, with the Knicks closing the phase with a remarkable 40-19 deficit.

The stagnant, lethargic play was a constant for New York in the first few minutes of the second period, and the problems were not solved with the untimely jawing of Metta World Peace, who picked up a technical for his efforts. Carmelo Anthony awoke the silent crowd with a baseline drive by Dante Cunningham, finishing with a strong two-handed slam. This trimmed the considerable margin to 14pts, and offense emerged from unlikely places from this point forward. Minnesota refused to allow their offense to fade, however, with Pekovic (11pts and 12 rebounds) and Love both regularly establishing post position, and the former able to deftly drop a hook in the basket over the length of Tyson Chandler. After managing 9pts in 25 minutes against the Bulls on Thursday, Andrea Bargnani (14pts on 6-10 field goal conversion) splashed two deep balls, as the beneficiary of some of Raymond Felton's 12 assists. It was Bargnani and Metta World Peace (17pts on 7-13 shooting in 20 minutes of play) who, surprisingly, stabilised the Knicks' offensive output in the second. Kevin Love leaked out on the break and broke through an attempted-swipe from Raymond Felton, finishing a finger roll and a traditional three point play. World Peace, however, erased this and ever so slightly brightened an otherwise gloomy first 24 minutes for New York, by nailing a corner three with 2 seconds remaining on the clock. The Love-led Wolves nonetheless fashioned a 64-49 halftime advantage. 

The bountiful transition game of Minnesota was orchestrated by Kevin Martin (30pts on 9-12 shooting) and Corey Brewer at the beginning of the second half, helping to pad the already-healthy gap for the road team. Mike Woodson turned to rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. for some semblance of offensive creativity and contribution, and he delivered. Hardaway Jr. scored inside, was found for an alley-oop by Felton, and soared to the basket by Love for a fast break jam. His showy confidence and exuberance led him astray, though, as he finished 3-12 from the floor and failed to hit on any of his seven outside launches in 25 minutes of court time. Although the Knicks were battling to chip away at the ugly margin, they were largely the authors of their own undoing late in the third, racking up regular fouls and entering the penalty early, permitting Love and Martin to set up camp at the free throw line. Combined, the duo ended the night 19-24 at the charity stripe. 

An 8-0 stretch over the end of the third and start of the fourth sturdied the Knickerbockers, even as Carmelo Anthony struggled to settle into an offensive rhythm. Anthony did, though, rebound extremely well throughout the night, attacking the glass and positioning himself to amass a total of 17 boards. Persistence on the rebounding front balanced Anthony's play, and left him well-placed to discover the offense that had evaded him in the first 36. Despite this, two plays from Kevin Love in the fourth quarter concreted the result and broke the will of both the rallying Knicks, and the home crowd. Love drained a cold-blooded three point shot to push the difference back out to eight points, and then on a later possession, stumbled, gathered and banked in (see above) an off-balance, circus shot. The stretch four-man led the charge for the Twolves, tallying 34 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists, adding to his stellar play from the team's two prior victories. Ultimately, the Knicks' laziness and inactivity in the first twelve minutes dug a hole too big to escape from for the rest of the contest. Minnesota will seek to lengthen their three-game winning streak tomorrow night in Cleveland, while the Knicks host the Charlotte Bobcats at MSG on Tuesday night.

Worth noting - the Knicks are now 0-2 while wearing their outlandish orange outfits this season.

FINAL - New York 100-109 Minnesota

New York 1-2, Minnesota 3-0

Knicks Night #1: New York Does Not Fear the Deer

Key contributor: Tyson Chandler in motion, finishing his clutch alley-oop slam.

New York opened their 2013-14 season Wednesday night, hosting an undermanned Milwaukee Bucks outfit before a lively Madison Square Garden crowd. As noted earlier today, Mike Woodson opted to go small with his starters - matching the Bucks' game plan - placing Pablo Prigioni in the backcourt and Iman Shumpert on the wing, to go with Felton, Anthony, and Chandler. The revamped Bucks squad, who were without reserve point guard Luke Ridnour, looked to run the floor with an undersized setup consisting of offseason acquisitions Brandon Knight, O.J. Mayo, Khris Middleton and Caron Butler, to go with defensive force Larry Sanders up front. Knicks' coach Mike Woodson faced the intriguing proposition of going head-to-head with his former understudy, and the man who replaced him in Atlanta, Larry Drew (whom the Bucks hired over the summer).

The signs were not good early for Milwaukee, as Brandon Knight staggered and stumbled near mid-court on his way to straining his left hamstring and ending his night early. New York unforgivingly exploited the downed man, leaking out on the fast break and easily establishing an uncontested slam for Tyson Chandler. The impending exit of Knight did not make the task altogether easier for the Bucks, either, as he was replaced by fresh-faced rookie Nate Wolters, who earned his maiden NBA minutes. Iman Shumpert inspired the Knicks' defensive effort, smothering the frazzled Milwaukee lineup, swatting the veteran Butler in-close, and displaying stereotypical hustle. Carmelo Anthony did his best to contain Butler, yet his busy hands resulted in him registering two quick, unnecessary fouls, and opened the door for Metta World Peace's MSG debut.

Mike Woodson referred to his depth early in the period, calling on the range of Andrea Bargnani and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr., both of whom were received warmly (at least to begin with, in the case of the Italian) by the home crowd. The bright lights appeared to shine a little too brightly for Milwaukee's motley crew, as the attacking, unrelenting attitude of Beno Udrih and the glass-eating services of Kenyon Martin helped the Knicks to blister the Bucks defensive setup, and create a comfortable 24 to 18 advantage at the end of one.

Andrea Bargnani searched for his offense early and often in the second quarter, to no avail. He sprinkled a handful of clanked jumpers through New York's repertoire, was hastily rejected in a packed paint, and called for a traveling violation - all as part of a zero of four start that drew that frustration of Knicks' onlookers. Nevertheless, Milwaukee continued to put forth a stagnant, stale, overwhelmingly fruitless offense, failing to adequately space the floor and/or find teammates in the painted area. The Bucks' array of offensive issues were confounded by the pressing Pablo Prigioni, whose prodding and pestering of the opposition ballcarriers created a number of chances on the break for New York. The Knicks also exerted a marked advantage at the centre position, where Chandler out-tussled Larry Sanders and allowed him to pick up three fouls early in the piece. Moreover, Chandler's handy work was not limited to the defensive side of the ball, as (much to the surprise of those in attendance) he showed flashes of his summer workouts, deftly netting an 18 foot jumpshot to pad his team's buffer.

Prigioni was seemingly everywhere (eloquently described by announcer Clyde Frazier as the "ubiquitous Prigioni creating havoc"), and all looked lost for Milwaukee when Caron Butler's hard, preventative contact on Iman Shumpert was adjudged to be a flagrant (level one) offence. A potpourri of a prevalent Prigioni, the solidarity of Shumpert, the fast-paced Felton, and the stale, woefully disorganised Milwaukee offense afforded the Knicks a roomy 56-31 lead at halftime.

The plight of the recently-extended Larry Sanders did not dissipate with the change in ends, as he endured a spell highlighted by a missed teardrop and an overly-eager offensive rebounding endeavour, which ended in his recording of a 5th foul in a meagre 12 minutes of court time. The misery was not to be shared, though, as Sanders' squad renewed their focus, established some semblance of an offense, and punished New York's ill-advised shot selection and sloppy ball management in the third period. Neat ball movement and sharp, heads-up passing found a wide-open Caron Butler in the corner, who drilled 3 of his 14pts for the game. Zaza Pachulia, ever the physical force, made his presence known with a heavy foul on Carmelo Anthony, whose verbalised displeasure earned him a technical foul from the officials. Emblematic of the Knicks' underwhelming third quarter, the team grappled with shooting concerns, yet it was Bargnani who was able to net from the elbow, and table his first points as a Knickerbocker. Milwaukee persistently chipped away at the scoreboard discrepancy, slicing the comfortable margin to a much narrower 10pt lead, on the back of a 33 point quarter.

The Bucks continued their emergent, unexpected rampage to begin the fourth, gladly reaping the rewards of errant, misguided passing by Mike Woodson's men, and sweetly transforming it to scoreboard damage - such as Gary Neal's (16pts off the bench) trademark splash from downtown. The sound steadfastness of Milwaukee deemed the unbalanced halftime ledger to be a distant memory, amidst an ugly phase where New York committed more turnovers (9) than they converted field goals (7). Prigioni (7pts, 5 assists, and 3 steals), so positively influential in the opening stanza, had been a primary culprit for the Knicks' blasé ball control, although he eventually fought to make amends by pick pocketing an inbounds pass and assisting Iman Shumpert in getting to the free throw line.

The MSG crowd exclaimed a collective groan in the fourth when the enforcer, Pachulia, eviscerated and annihilated an unsuspecting Felton on a (legal) blindside screen. It took the activity and timely tip-jams of Tyson Chandler - with a line of 10pts, six rebounds, five blocks, and three steals to boot - to spark the Knicks' effort and elicit the energy of the home fans. Chandler's agitation on defense limited the charge of the Deer, and cleared the path for Carmelo Anthony to softly tip home his first points of the period, and solidify his team's edge. Perhaps the possession most synonymous with the constitution of this game arose in the closing moments, when Milwaukee's rookie point guard Wolters looked like a deer in the headlights (pun intended) and had his scoop layup attempt emphatically dispatched by the powerful presence of Chandler.

Blessed by the fortunes of steady play of Felton, Shumpert and Chandler, the Knicks' escaped embarrassment and captured a win on opening night, 90-83. Carmelo Anthony concluded with 19pts and 10 rebounds, not able to discover his usual volume of scoring output, and Zaza Pachulia compensated for the foul-induced absence of Larry Sanders by contributing a valuable 13pts and 11 rebounds off the bench for the visitors. This will not go down on the list of timeless classics, but with both teams holding distinct playoff aspirations it will, at season's end, contribute to the final standings.

New York travels to Chicago for a clash with the Bulls tomorrow night, as the Bucks continue their road trip and venture to Boston for their next outing.

FINAL - New York 90-83 Milwaukee

New York 1-0, Milwaukee 0-1