Mike Woodson
FIRE ALARM: Lebron James and the Heat’s seemingly imminent sweep of Mike Woodson and the Knicks may torpedo Woodson’s chances of returning to the Garden next season. (UPI; Getty Images (inset))
Tennyson, anyone? With apologies to Alfred Lord, “’Tis better to have made the playoffs and lost every game than to never have made the scene.”
That reworded quote figures to serve as the spin-dry James Dolan’s drones will put on the Knicks’ season, which figures to end with a whimper this afternoon in a league-record 14th consecutive playoff poop.
Accepting the fact there are no such thing as moral victories, Camp Cablevision’s play for much of the first three games has been downright immoral — outscored by an average of 20 points per pounding and out-distanced in every other category except paramedics in the locker room and the ever-popular turning “interim head coach” to “interred.”
As previously stated in this space, Mike Woodson needed the Knicks at least to be dimly competitive against the Heat in order to earn a promotion.
Unless he’s recovering from one affliction or another, it’s doubtful Dolan, even with Isiah Thomas whispering sweet nothings in his ear, can justify bringing back Woodson.
* Reggie Miller is sounding more and more like Cheryl Miller’s bizarre wardrobe.
In irrational TNT orations last week, the Mensa mentalist, who has as many championship rings as I do, torpedoed two-time Finalist LeBron James for consulting Hakeem Olajuwon, who helped him with his post game, Magic Johnson and, Thomas, ring bearers all … and not-so-mysteriously excused Carmelo Anthony for never attaining the Supreme Court.
“This is one of the most physically gifted guys in our league,” Miller began lucidly. “He left Cleveland, and he had every right to join one of the top five players in the league in Dwyane Wade along with Chris Bosh.
“Now he’s reaching out to Hall of Famers to see what it takes to win? Enough is enough. Go out and actually do it on your own. What do you need more help for?”
Surely pro basketball’s sideline “insighters” have posed dumber questions since the treasured job was created, but I’m at loss to remember one.
It’s weirdly worrisome Miller, genius that he is, fails to grasp the concept of a player, any player, even one so multi-dimensionally dazzling as LeBron, wanting to improve his game and way of thinking.
In 18 seasons, Miller racked up 25,279 points, which got him to The Finals once and into the Hall of Fame the second year he was eligible.
Had Miller sought help regarding how to play defense from, say, Dennis Johnson, Joe Dumars or Dennis Rodman, maybe he wouldn’t have given up more points than he scored and won a title.
So, out of one side of Miller’s mouth, he knocked LeBron for daring to admit he has a lot to learn from the “been there, done that” crowd … for wanting to win, in other words.
Miller’s Thursday night spiel out of the other side of his adaptable mouth was in defense of Anthony. You can’t blame Anthony for his teams in Denver and New York going nowhere worthwhile, he deduced, in essence, because the competition was stiff and he’s been surrounded by stiffs.
My initial response: If it’s too tough for Anthony at the NBA level, he should join Stephon Marbury in China, team up with his clone, if necessary, if that’s what it takes to get to the championship rung and perhaps win a title.
Upon reflection, I realized Miller wasn’t really making a case for Anthony. He was, in fact, refuting criticism concerning his own career. He was excusing himself.
* Congratulations to Charles Barkley, who figured out that winning an Emmy takes no effort (considering the competition and brain dead voters) to win a title, err, Emmy.
Shortly after Amar’e Stoudemire nearly severed his hand, a mildly annoyed Barkley lectured him about his stupid behavior, saying you can’t do something to hurt your team like that during the playoffs.
“This from a numbskull who was out partying and drinking heavily in the early morning of game days against the Rockets two straight years (1994-95) that cost the Suns both series!!!” emailed column contributor Jay Negron.
Naturally, two-time champion Kenny Smith, a direct beneficiary of Barkley’s habitual self-absorption, didn’t have the guts to point out his partner’s award-winning duplicity.
How stupid is Barkley? He makes Shaquille O’Neal seem smart.
I’ll get to Steve Kerr, Kevin Harlan and Chris Webber should I ever again run out of good things to say about people.
* The thought certainly comes to mind that the compaction of the season may be playing a role regarding these devastating injuries, the latest being Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.
As the saying goes, one shouldn’t confuse correlation with causation. Still, repetitive stress combined with a lack of rest may be an important factor, certainly an outcome never considered when the labor talks were completed.
Underscoring that notion was the outbreak of wholesale benching of starters at the end of the season by the Spurs and Celtics so players (and Coach of the Year recipient Gregg Popovich) would have some recovery time for the playoffs.
To uphold the NBA’s integrity — and to avoid a class action by season ticket holders — David Stern and the league’s Competition Committee must legislate against this scandalous practice and that of tanking to accumulate added lottery ping pong balls.
In many instances, end-of-season games were remindful of the college calamity in the early 1950s and 1960s. Not to remotely intimate the players representing both sides are trying to fix games or shave points, the gambling plan in those days, but it’s clear that winning isn’t loosely management’s priority.