Closing Cost

by, Greg Hutchins

Shortly after Mike D’Antoni declared 40 wins as the goal for this season, talk of a playoff run became a hot topic. D’Antoni’s Knicks have already eclipsed Isiah Thomas’ win total for last season, but the question remains: can this team close down the stretch? There’s certainly enough talent in place to make a run for the 8th seed, but Saturday night’s loss in Miami was far too telling. Despite dominating their rivals through three quarters, an inadvertent elbow sparked a 4th quarter collapse that may go down as one of the most crushing this year.

D’Antoni’s team has proven they can play with anyone on any night. Unfortunately, the team is now a season-high 11 games under .500 with 23 games to go. For a franchise looking to rebuild, it’s easy to see a 24-35 record as the glass being half-full. Should the Knicks get to 40 wins, D’Antoni would be a serious contender for NBA Coach of the Year, but 35 wins and another lottery visit seem more likely at this rate. What the Knicks lack most is a closer who can turn those last-minute defeats into inspiring victories. Nate Robinson has come closest to filling this role, but asking a 5-9 reserve to lead the team to victory every night is a tall order. David Lee has become the model of consistency, but he simply doesn’t have the offensive repertoire to become a go-to scorer in the clutch. There was some thought that Al Harrington could fill this void given his desire to be “the man” in Golden State, but the NJ product continues to prove he’s a complimentary scorer at best. As Wilson Chandler’s most ardent supporter, we certainly would love to see the second-year forward become the franchise player, but he hasn’t shown the killer instinct necessary to rise to the occasion on a nightly basis.

Some pundits who cover the team will tell you that plus/minus ratio is the defining statistic that grades a player’s impact. If that’s the case than Danilo Gallinari would be the best player on the floor while Chris Duhon would be the worst. When you consider Gallinari has yet to score more than 11 points in a game or grab more than 5 rebounds in a contest, it shows you how misleading that stat can be. Although Duhon appears to be running on fumes (38.5 mpg in 56 starts) his 12.1 ppg and 7.9 apg have far exceeded most expectations.

Donnie Walsh’s acquisition of Larry Hughes may prove to be his best trade thus far. After a brutal start to this Knicks career, Hughes is starting to carve a niche for himself. If D’Antoni is committed to keeping Hughes in the starting lineup, the move might pay huge dividends down the stretch. Hughes has always been effective on both ends and his playoff experience is key to a team learning how to win tight ballgames. Sure, Hughes has some baggage and is on his sixth team in 10 years, but the 6-5 veteran gives the Knicks size in the backcourt, scoring and strong perimeter defense. The former All-Defensive First Team member may have been torched by Dwyane Wade in Miami, but he’s quickly playing off the rust that accumulated from sitting in Chicago’s dog house for weeks.

Hughes is far from the type of closer that Walsh will be shopping for come July 2010, but he can certainly help this team in the interim.

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Stephon Marbury’s arrival in Boston was greeted with a standing ovation and the former Knick contributed 8 points to a win in his first game with the Celtics. Marbury - who will receive the full veteran’s minimum of $1.3MM from Boston along with his Knicks salary - figures to be a key player off Doc Rivers’ bench. Marbury’s exit from MSG was certainly an acrimonious one, but I prefer to remember his arrival which was full of excitement and a playoff run. Marbury may go down as one of the most hated players in New York sports history, but there’s no denying he was an amazing talent when focused. If the Marbury era taught Knicks supporters anything, it increased our appreciation for Charlie Ward.

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