Lin running D'Antoni's pick-and-roll nicely
As Jeremy Lin dribbles past midcourt, the defense knows what's coming.
Amar'e Stoudemire or Tyson Chandler runs to the top of the key or three-point arc and sets a pick, and everything flows from there. The picker rolls to the basket for a possible layup or dunk, Lin is free for a jumper or drive, or if the defense double-teams, a shooter could be open in the corner or on the wing.
If it doesn't work, the Knicks reset and try another variation of a pick-and-roll on the same possession.
Mike D'Antoni's vaunted offense is back to being the scheme the Knicks have run almost exclusively since Lin has taken the ball. It's led to seven wins in eight games and could have been all eight. But the Knicks' shots didn't drop Friday night against New Orleans and Lin committed eight first-half turnovers.
The Knicks won't change much when Carmelo Anthony returns from a groin injury, J.R. Smith joins the rotation and Baron Davis finally plays. D'Antoni already can foresee opponents getting frustrated trying to defend the Knicks at full strength and with Lin directing his offense.
"If everybody understands the importance of what we're doing and the whole team is interconnected, if they keep that philosophy, they shouldn't be able to guard us," D'Antoni said. "They shouldn't be able to. It should run smooth."
Stoudemire is a lethal player in this offense and Anthony and Smith should get open shots. The Knicks have so many combinations of players they can put on the court and so many different combinations of pick-and-rolls they can use, but Lin's ability to run the system is the key.
Lin has to get his turnovers down, but he's helped make non-offensive players Chandler and Jared Jeffries threats to score rolling to the basket. Steve Novak has become difficult to defend on pick-and-pops.
D'Antoni said it works with Lin because of his pace, balance and court vision. "I don't think you can teach it," he said. "You have to be born that way."
The Knicks tried running this offense earlier this season, but it wasn't working when Toney Douglas or Iman Shumpert had the ball. The spacing was poor, and they're not pure point guards like Lin.
The Knicks became a team that ran more isolation plays for Anthony and had the offense go through him. There was too much standing around and watching -- and plenty of talk about whether they should continue running D'Antoni's offense. "The players more or less as a whole chimed in and said do what we do. Stick with it," he said. "Some days it was tough to stick with it. It was bad. But this kid is running it well."
The comparisons already have been made between Lin and Steve Nash, although it's very early. Nash has been watching Lin and has been impressed. "He's a good pick-and-roll player," Nash said. "He reads situations well. I think he's a tremendous player.
"He fits the system. To fit the system, you have to be a great player. We've seen some guys really struggle in the system too. He is doing tremendous things and deserves a lot of credit."
Nash was a great player who became a two-time MVP under D'Antoni. Chris Duhon averaged 11.1 points and 7.2 assists, both career highs, in his first season as a Knick while playing D'Antoni's way. Raymond Felton averaged 17.1 points and 9.0 assists before being sent to Denver in the Anthony deal. Now it's Lin, who was cut by the Warriors and Rockets and has four stints in the D-League, who is shining in this offense.
A personnel scout has been impressed with Lin, but he said his teammates, coaches and management aren't getting enough credit. "He flourishes, but it's not just Jeremy Lin," the scout said. "When you're defending the Knicks, you have to decide what are you doing? Who is he in the pick-and-roll with? They have put him in a position to succeed. The kid has lit the world on fire, but it's who he's with that affects the whole dynamic.
"Without D'Antoni's system, Jeremy Lin is not flourishing. In someone else's system, Jeremy Lin didn't flourish as well. Mike's system fits him beautifully and he has handled this perfectly. Together they both have benefited."
