[NY Times] Knicks Try to Survive the Texas Triangle

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Knicks Try to Survive the Texas Triangle
By HOWARD BECK

Published: November 15, 2004


Nov. 14 - The fates can be cruel to nascent rebuilding projects, and the people who chart out N.B.A. schedules can be even crueler.

Those are the harsh realities of November for the Knicks, who may find themselves in tatters long before they find an identity.

The Knicks landed here Sunday afternoon with a 2-3 record and with Jamal Crawford, their second-leading scorer, still rubbing a very sore neck.

Crawford is questionable for Tuesday night's game against the mighty San Antonio Spurs (5-1). The Knicks' prospects this week are even murkier.

They will be going through what is known as the Texas Triangle, a three-game set against the Spurs, the Houston Rockets (3-4) and the Dallas Mavericks (7-1).

Never has the trip through Texas appeared so difficult. Never have all three teams been this strong at the same time.

"I can't remember it," said Knicks Coach Lenny Wilkens, whose N.B.A. career as a player and coach spans four decades. "Usually, there's always two teams. Now all three are pretty darn good."

The Spurs won the N.B.A. championship in 1999 and 2003. The Mavericks have averaged more than 55 victories the past four seasons. The Rockets have the league's best young center, Yao Ming, and one of the top wing players, Tracy McGrady, who was traded from Orlando in the off-season.

"When I saw the whole schedule, I thought it was tough to start with," Wilkens said. "We've got a lot of new people, and you're trying to get these guys' feet under them, and that's damn tough to do. But we're working at it."

What's more worrisome for Wilkens is that the Texas teams are strongest at the power positions, which is where the Knicks are weakest.

The Knicks' big men are probably not big enough, or adept enough, to defend effectively against San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Houston's Yao or Dallas's Erick Dampier.

Nazr Mohammed is tall but foul-prone.

Kurt Thomas is skilled but undersized.

Mike Sweetney is foul-prone and undersized.

Vin Baker can hardly find his way off the bench.

The Knicks have come up against two All-Star big men so far this season and were pummeled each time. Kevin Garnett had 28 points, 20 rebounds and 7 assists in the season opener in Minnesota. Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal had 33 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocked shots on Saturday night.

Against the Pacers, the Knicks' entire starting frontcourt fouled out, and Sweetney was called for another five fouls.

"We were just playing bad defense, reaching too much instead of letting him make shots over us," Sweetney said of O'Neal.

That approach will not get them far this week. Duncan is the most efficient power forward in the league, once dubbed the Big Fundamental by Shaquille O'Neal.

Other than Shaquille O'Neal, Yao has the best combination of size and strength, and he is seven inches taller than the tallest Knick.

Dampier is simply a brute force. And to make matters worse for the Knicks' frontcourt, someone also has to chase the Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-footer who can score from anywhere on the court.

"Definitely a tough challenge for the big guys inside," Kurt Thomas said in his dispassionate tone. "Doesn't matter. I just love to play. I don't care who I'm going against. It doesn't matter to me."

 

Yao will kick Knicks's axs, 1st blow out of the season!!!

 

The best chance of avoiding a shutout will come in Houston. The Rockets (3-4) -- the weakest of the three Texas teams -- are without guard Tracy McGrady, who is sidelined with a hip injury. But McGrady's absence won't significantly increase the Knicks' chances of winning. They still must contend with 7-6 center Yao Ming, whose presence alone gives the Rockets a sizable edge over the Knicks.

http://www.nj.com/knicks/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1100498080272911.xml