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Nicked-up Knicks Injuries take toll on New York backcourt, post-up game
Updated: Wednesday November 29, 2000 11:16 PM
The Knicks' backcourt situation is about to get interesting. With Charlie Ward out six to eight weeks after surgery, Jeff Van Gundy is facing quite a dilemma. The New York head coach hasn't used new acquisition Erick Strickland much, and a lot of that has to do with the Knicks' unique system, their slowed-down game. Coming from a team like Dallas, which ran up and down a lot and depended on the fast break, Strickland has a big adjustment ahead. The Knicks are again experimenting with Latrell Sprewell's handling the ball, but that could be a problem. Sprewell is a good player but not a great ball-handler, and teams could pressure him easily. Trying to turn a player who's been a small forward into a point guard is a very difficult thing to do. It's all right to be a point-forward, when the opposing man is the same size, but if you put a smaller, quicker player against him, it makes it extremely difficult for him to get the ball up the floor. As for their shooting-guard situation, I've coached Glen Rice, and I know he wants to start. He needs a lot of shots in a game, and he needs plays run for him. He's not a one-on-one player.
Rice started on Monday and scored 23 points, but that wasn't a good test because the Knicks played Vancouver, which had played the night before. I'd be curious to see how he would fare if he started regularly. At the start of the season, I thought the Knicks might win the East. But without a post-up game, they can't create any double-teams in the post, and that makes it much more difficult on their perimeter players. Unless Rice can give them 18 to 20 points per night, I don't see them doing as well as they did last year.
Heat look to Ceballos for offensive boostMeanwhile, New York rival Miami has added Cedric Ceballos to give them an offensive boost, and it should work -- if he's in good condition. I saw Ceballos earlier in the year, and he wasn't in great shape. But he can score, and that team desperately needs scoring. The Heat offense has tremendous difficulty in a half-court game, and Ceballos is a quick shooter, so I think he's a good pickup. And while the 11-year veteran has never been known as a defensive specialist, Pat Riley will sacrifice a little defense to get scoring. The Heat play good team defense, and he should be able to fit in in that area. It will be interesting to see how it works out, but I think he'll do pretty well and give them a piece they need.
Cavs shed dead weight, get off to good startThe Cavs have really started well this season -- getting rid of Shawn Kemp was a huge plus for them. Plus, they picked up Chris Gatling, Clarence Weatherspoon and Matt Harpring, who can all play. As for the starters, Andre Miller is a real good point guard; he'll be around a long time. And Zydrunas Ilgauskas' health is a big plus. He could be one of the top three centers in the league right now. While Indiana, Miami and Orlando were definite playoff teams at the beginning of the season, it's now a total scramble. Cleveland is a very good team, so I think they'll be there at the end of the season. They're for real, if only because the East is so weak.
Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN/Sports Illustrated's This Week in the NBA.
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