看到一篇深入分析的外電 有興趣的人就看看囉... Analysis On Knicks, Showmanship Takes a Seat Buzz Permalink By HOWARD BECK Published: December 8, 2009 Barton Silverman/The New York Times Nate Robinson is the Knick often found on billboards and posters, the familiar face of a franchise grasping for an identity. Lately, he is also the Knick most likely to be found on the bench. Nate Robinson has been on the bench as the Knicks, who are focusing on fundamentals over flash, have won their last three games. The Knicks are a team in transition — caught between eras, muddling, rebuilding and struggling to redefine themselves. Robinson, more than anyone else, embodies the confusion. In an otherwise-forgettable era, he has been the Knicks’ most entertaining player, a 5-foot-9 ball of energy with a swagger twice his size. Last season, his image filled a massive billboard outside Madison Square Garden — a space usually reserved for LeBron James or Vince Carter. But in the season before the Summer of LeBron, the Knicks are focusing on fundamentals over flash: defense, passing, smart shots, winning. Robinson and his showmanship are being left behind. The Knicks have won three straight games, all with Robinson on the bench. They are 0-9 when he plays at least 19 minutes and 7-6 when he plays 12 or fewer. The team’s success without him, and Coach Mike D’Antoni’s comments, suggest that Robinson’s status will not change anytime soon. It will surely come as a disappointment to some fans, especially younger ones, who have enjoyed watching Robinson dunk, shimmy and block shots of players a foot taller. There was a reason for the raucous, if ill-timed, “We want Nate” chants during the Knicks’ victory over the Nets on Sunday. But winning trumps everything. There were no audible chants Monday night, when the Knicks soundly defeated the Portland Trail Blazers — the third winning team they have knocked off in the last week. For the first time since early last season, the Knicks are showing signs of respectability and, not coincidentally, stability. Benching Robinson, whose immaturity and self-glorification grated on the team, was only one step. The winning trend began when D’Antoni shortened his rotation, downshifted his offense and empowered his most seasoned veterans. For the last three games, D’Antoni has used a tight, eight-man rotation and given the bulk of minutes to seven players. He is no longer trying to develop the rookie Jordan Hill on the fly or resurrect the career of Darko Milicic. After shuffling his starting lineup, D’Antoni has gone back to the group that opened the season: Chris Duhon and Wilson Chandler in the backcourt, with David Lee, Al Harrington and Jared Jeffries up front. D’Antoni started tinkering after the Knicks lost their first three games en route to a 1-9 start. He tried to find stability with the veteran Larry Hughes and tried to spark a development movement by starting Danilo Gallinari and Toney Douglas. “I was searching,” D’Antoni said. Now Hughes, who was once out of the rotation, is the primary backup at point guard. Gallinari plays off the bench, but is getting starter’s minutes. Douglas is the marginal eighth man in the rotation. Milicic, Hill and Robinson are out. At times, the coaching staff felt that Harrington and Hughes — the Knicks’ two most accomplished scorers — were poor fits in D’Antoni’s up-tempo offense. Both dominate the ball at times, while D’Antoni prefers constant movement. Yet lately Hughes and Harrington have been the Knicks’ most indispensable players, which should not be surprising given their long résumés. D’Antoni also slowed down the offense and re-emphasized the Duhon-Lee pick-and-roll, which was so successful early last season. In their last five games, the Knicks shot .483 from the field, ranking them eighth in the N.B.A. during that period. They were also first in 3-point shooting (.446) and fifth in scoring average (108.6). Defense was still a problem, with opponents shooting .486 over the five games, but the Knicks are making timely stands. Jeffries has been blocking shots, crowding driving lanes and generally making himself a pest in the paint. His play can be ungainly and almost reckless, but it disrupts opposing offenses. D’Antoni has also been thrilled with the defensive focus of Douglas, which is a major reason Douglas is playing instead of Robinson. The Knicks have gone 6-6 since their 1-9 start and are, improbably, just two games out of the playoff field. Historically, D’Antoni has kept a short and rigid rotation. Barring injuries or another prolonged losing streak, he will be hesitant to alter it again. One adjustment will be necessary, with Eddy Curry returning this week from a knee injury. The Knicks remain intrigued by Curry’s low-post talents and need him to play to boost his trade value. But Robinson is another matter. He is on a one-year, $4 million contract, which the Knicks can simply let expire next July. Unlike Stephon Marbury, who was benched and then banished last year, Robinson is not a corrosive influence in the locker room. There is little risk to keeping him around as an insurance policy. The Knicks are open to trading Robinson, but as a player on a one-year deal, he would have veto rights. It might also be tough to find a trade partner; no team offered Robinson a contract over the summer, when he was a restricted free agent. D’Antoni cringed when fans chanted for Robinson on Sunday. He joked about it on Monday when asked if Robinson would play that night. “Depends,” D’Antoni said, “if people want him to or not.” -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 聽說現在流行跪主機板??? 果然是科技時代 算盤不值錢囉^o^ --

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