D'antoni out, Melo back?

            When I last weighed in on the plight of the New York Knicks, they stood between what was then the low point of their season and the dawn of Linsanity. In the past few weeks, the Knicks have done a complete 360. First, they turned their season around through the emergence of a no-name point guard from Harvard who would commit some turnovers, but was an endless supply of positive plays. After those few games, he regressed and became a guy who would make a few plays, but is an endless supply of turnovers. Now that coach Mike D’antoni has essentially been fired, immediate speculation has ensued regarding the next steps that will be taken by the Knicks and whether or not coaching was really the problem.

            The Knicks faced problems on both sides of the ball, from both a coaches and players perspective. D’antoni abandoned defense and left the responsibility of changing the team’s defensive culture to Tyson Chandler. Chandler has been excellent this season, but turning an entire team around is up to the coach and superstars of the team. The Miami Heat’s supporting cast did not know a thing about defense until Lebron and Wade made the concentrated effort to lead by example. The fate of our defense lies behind the willingness of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire as leaders. They have the talent and athleticism to become lockdown defenders, which becomes contagious as playing defense becomes both fun and a source of offense at the other end of the floor. I believe that the lack of effort thus far originates from the poor relationship between Melo and former Coach D’antoni, whose system did not suit the ill-fitting superstar from day one. I do insist, however, that acquiring Carmelo was the best thing to happen to this franchise in some time, which is not currently the popular opinion. People attribute the fall of Jeremy Lin to Melo’s return, but I see a different story. Linsanity had a life expectancy and reached it. Melo’s return had terrible timing and he showed up just as the party was ending. Once Lin’s play ceased to amaze fans, they blamed the easy target. I never saw Lin as the point guard of the future but I acknowledge that he has been a pleasant surprise and can be a useful role player in the Knicks’ future. His skill set resembles that of an ideal sixth man and spark plug off the bench, but he is not the championship point guard we have been looking for.

            I stand by Carmelo as the essential piece that can make this team work and I believe that D’antoni’s exit will finally give him his time to shine. Now that the slate is wiped clean, he can show Knicks fans how he intends to play the game and how he plans to make his role on the Knicks beneficial for both himself and the team around him. Linsanity was an exciting week of games that consisted of the Knicks playing energized and uncharacteristic defense against a few bad teams. Once the unstable nucleus itself, Jeremy Lin, stopped functioning at that high level, the wheels fell off of the entire operation and everyone else’s performance plummeted as well. D’antoni got so caught up in this sequence of events because he saw flashes of Steve Nash and had no adjustment ready for when he found out that Jeremy Lin, believe it or not, is not Steve Nash. That is why he is unemployed today, because of his reluctance to reevaluate his system based on the talent that he was given. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has no idea what he is doing, but even he was smart enough to recognize the strengths of his two star players and installed what he referred to as an “Oregon football” style offense. The NBA is the only league that involves coaches making adjustments to the style of their players, which is sad but true. This is not the NFL, and if Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler somehow all make their way onto your team, you better figure out how to make that combination work or else the team will hire someone who can.

I last spoke of the lack of depth on the Knicks but that problem has disappeared and we arguably have the deepest team in the NBA with a legitimate nine or ten man rotation. It is amazing how such a convoluted situation could come down to the two remaining problems that we all knew about during the lockout. We still do not play any team defense and we still do not have a legitimate point guard. If Baron Davis elevates his play he can be that guy, but the easier fix is the defensive issue because the pieces are already there. Tyson Chandler is outstanding and is surrounded by capable athletes. In my opinion, defense is a much greater indication of a coach’s ability because defense is the simple combination of athleticism and coaching. When Lebron was in Cleveland he provided the athleticism and Mike Brown was an excellent defensive coach. Offensively, Phil Jackson could not go out there and shoot the ball for Kobe. The most coaches can do on offense is put their guys in the right positions. Defensively, doing that much and establishing those rotations essentially finishes the job. Speaking of Phil Jackson, we are going to go there. Anyone who does not expect the Knicks to at least make a legitimate attempt in his direction is fooling themselves. The number one priority for a Knicks coach is player relations and ego management. I think the guy who kept Jordan on a leash makes a perfect candidate. I refuse to believe the Melo-Amare combination cannot work if we somehow get Jackson because as I kid I saw the most volatile personalities win multiple championships together under his supervision. If Shaq and Kobe were compatible enough to make it work, so are these Knicks.

The players are far from perfect, but in this case the head coach did deserve the lion’s share of the blame. Before Mike D’antoni, defensive indifference was just a baseball term. I insist that Carmelo Anthony is still the right man for this job, but now is his time to prove it. Having a coach that does not accommodate you well is no excuse for the year that he is having, but either way that reasoning is gone now. In the few weeks that remain this season, Melo will be put to the test to determine whether or not firing D’antoni was the best decision for the Knicks present and future. While I believe it was the right move, it is now Melo’s turn to validate my opinion. To be honest, I am sick of hearing from both peers and the talking heads on ESPN that Carmelo Anthony is actually the problem that is preventing the Knicks from reaching their potential. We would not be better off without him, and his time to prove that starts tonight against Portland. I understand that point of view does put a lot of pressure on the struggling superstar, and that the move to fire D’antoni shifts all the attention to whether or not his play now improves. But if there is one thing we know about our main man, it is that he performs the best under that pressure and that if there is a time to shine for Melo, this will be it.

Peyton's Decision

As the dust settles on the most important decision the Indianapolis Colts have made since drafting Peyton Manning, their legendary quarterback is faced with the most important audible of his career. Before taking a look at a few of his suitors, what should first be debated is whether or not the Colts even made the right decision by letting go of the best thing that ever happened to their franchise. Accepting that the franchise has entered a rebuilding era is a harsh reality to face, but in this case I believe it was a necessary evil. Manning would be owed $28 million if the Colts decided to keep him and honor his contract, which is a huge risk to take as a team that has many holes to fill. While I am sure he is still a great quarterback, the risk associated with his recent neck surgeries and the promising career of likely draft pick Andrew Luck provide the a good opportunity, if there is such a thing, to part ways with Peyton. This move was a necessary evil that will ultimately give the Colts some salary cap space to move on and, ideally, rebuild the franchise to championship form with a guy who has been touted as the next John Elway. The next destination for Peyton is an unsure one, but there are plenty of teams interested that provide different degrees of potential success. Counting down through the presumed final four candidates, and acknowledging some honorable mentions, we may not find where Manning will go, but we will see where he should go.

4. Washington Redskins: The Redskins always seem to be in the race for the biggest names, many of which end up being washed up and ineffective. If Peyton end up in Washington I would immediately fear that Manning has seen the last of his MVP days. I have them as the least desirable destination solely because the organization is a notoriously weak one. The talent is not terrible, but it is not good enough to make up for the mess that typically takes place in D.C. on a weekly basis. The defense is resilient and they have a few decent weapons on offense, but the mediocre talent level combined with head coach Mike Shanahan’s tendency to butt heads with some of his players is enough to discourage just about any prominent free agent. I have to imagine that, of the four highly rumored teams, this is a distant fourth to the remaining three.

3. New York Jets: This move would solve what seems to be the Jets’ biggest weakness right now. Mark Sanchez has continued to defy expectations, and not in a good way. After early success in his career, it has become clear that his resume is much greater than what he actually brings to the table. A few recent articles suggest that this move would actually hurt the Jets’ future. There is a slight degree of truth to this statement considering Sanchez will not likely stick around if they acquire Manning and the Jets will only have a few years of Peyton at the most. In a worst case scenario, he may become another Brett Favre and tank the Jets season after eleven games because of injury related problems. Despite the risk, I think that the Jets should do everything in their power to make this move because I argue that the Jets have no promising “future” without Manning. Outside of Revis, Harris and Keller, the Jets have no players that will definitely be good in five years or so. Their offensive line boasts the league’s best center and an elite blindside tackle but continues to allow more pressure as the season progresses. They are composed of skilled veterans like Bart Scott and underachieving young players like Shonn Greene, which suggests that their best bet is to win now. The team seems to be regressing with this roster, yet people worry about their future if they sell out for Manning. From Peyton’s perspective, however, this move makes less sense. It is a more talented roster than a few other options, but an unstable locker room and a boisterous, defensive minded head coach is not a winning combination for a guy like Peyton, who would rather stability an offensive system that is worthy of his presence. I cannot deny the awesomeness of a Manning vs. Manning, New York vs. New York Super Bowl in the Meadowlands in 2014, but I am not convinced that the Jets locker room and coaching staff is capable of making that happen, even with Peyton Manning.

2. Miami Dolphins: It is a tough toss-up between the top two destinations for Manning, and either would be a great fit. Only a few minor differences keep the Dolphins from being an ideal home. Their roster is only a step behind the Jets and, unlike the Jets, seems to actually be heading in the right direction. Reggie Bush seems to finally understand what it takes to be a franchise running back and I believe that Brandon Marshall and company make up the most underrated receiving core in the league. Watch as no name guys like Hartline and Bess become reincarnations of what Garcon and Collie were to Peyton. Their defense plays hard and with a high draft pick they can add another key player. The only thing that keeps the Dolphins from the top spot in this countdown is the inexperience of new head coach Joe Philbin. If Manning wanted an unproven head coach, he would miss Jim Caldwell considerably more than I am sure he does. The Dolphins have all of the pieces around him and a pretty desperate need for a QB, but even the smallest speed bump would derail a team’s chances when competing with the ideal home for Peyton Manning.

1. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals have every good and attractive element that the Dolphins have, with some additional benefits. For one thing, Ken Whisenhunt is a proven head coach and offensive genius who has already taken an aging veteran quarterback to a Super Bowl with his new team. Kurt Warner ended the drought in Arizona, making the team relevant again. Peyton Manning has an opportunity to do the same and then some in a stadium with great weather and a retractable roof on the off chance that it rains, which Miami cannot provide. In addition to this, Larry Fitzgerald could reclaim his spot as one of the league’s best receivers, a title that Kevin Kolb has endangered. The Cardinals, if you ask me, can ride their late season momentum into next season, winning seven of their last nine game and defeated both the 49ers and Cowboys in tightly contested battles. The exclamation point of the Arizona appeal is the escape from excessive hype that pollutes both New York and Miami sports. While the Dolphins are a slight favorite for most analysts, Peyton does not strike me as one to take his talents to south beach.

Honorable mentions: If a team like the 49ers or Texans decide to sign Manning despite the fact that they both have good but not great quarterbacks, they basically guarantee a Super Bowl appearance. In my opinion, they are the two teams that can become the best teams in the league with the unnecessary but potentially monumental decision to add an elite quarterback. The Seahawks and Broncos can make some noise but I do not believe that either are talented enough to elevate themselves over some pretty tempting options. The fact that less than about 25 teams are seriously considering this move is just sad because Peyton Manning is one of the few players that immediately makes a bad team into a good team, a good team into a playoff team, and a playoff team into a champion.