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After a horrific 0-5 start, the NY Knicks look like they have turned a corner and seem to be settling in a little bit as a team. When the season started about a month ago, the Knicks were still stuck in training camp mode. Just a week before, General Manager Isiah Thomas shipped away two starters in exchange for 6'11'' center Eddy Curry . The Knicks had no identity. Coach Larry Brown had no idea what lineups to use. Instead of having anything set, he sent players in and out every few minutes in a rotation that resembled a revolving door.
Brown loves pass first point guards. Unfortunately, the only actual point guard on the Knicks roster is Stephon Marbury . When it comes to playmakers, he is on the complete opposite spectrum from a pass-first point guard. Brown forced Marbury to play within his structured offense and look to dish instead of his own shot. The result was a completely punchless offense. Right now the Knicks rank 24th in the league at 91.8 points per game.
In the past few games, the Knicks have gotten a shot in the arm from an unexpected place. It has become known throughout the league that Larry Brown does not like to play rookies. Two Knick youngsters are forcing him to change his position. The 7th pick in the draft, Channing Frye has been spectacular over the past few games. Over his last five, Frye is averaging 17.2 points and nearly seven boards a game. He moved into the starting lineup when Curry went down with a calf injury and it seems as if he is there to stay. When Curry returns, Antonio Davis will likely move to the bench.
The second youngster to step up has been the diminutive Nate Robinson . Early in the season, Nate the Great took a lot of heat from Brown for not being a true point guard. He took the criticism and has since played better. In his last three games, he has averaged 15.7 points per contest, while turning the ball over just four times. The highlight came last Saturday, when he hit a three pointer at the buzzer against the Sixers to give the Knicks a win in overtime. In a game against the Bulls on Wednesday, Robinson got his first start and played 35 turnover-free minutes while leading the Knicks to a come from behind 109-101 victory.
On paper, the Knicks roster looks like a decent team. With players such as Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson , Trevor Ariza and Nate Robinson , one would expect them to be a run and gun team. That would probably work for a while, but the team would never be much more than a first round playoff loser. Larry Brown is trying to teach these talented, but undisciplined players how to "play the right way". He has said many times that he expects things to get worse before they get better. This season looks to be a definite rebuilding year for the Knicks. They are playing, harder, tougher and smarter than they have in the past five years, but they are still a long way from seriously competing. Marbury's numbers have been consistently fantastic throughout his career, but he has never been a winner. His numbers are down this season for the first time in his career, but he is clearly playing a more controlled, unselfish style of basketball. Knick fans everywhere are hoping that he is just getting worse so that he can get better and finally turn the Knicks into a winner.
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