Pleasant predicament
With Sprewell, Scott in mix, do Knicks have too much scoring?
Posted: Friday January 29, 1999 10:29 PM
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Outside-oriented: With the edition of Latrell Sprewell (8) and Scott, the bulk of the Knicks' scoring should come from the perimeter AP |
NEW YORK (CNN/SI) -- In his first game in a Knicks uniform, Latrell Sprewell was as advertised -- the type of diverse offensive weapon the Knicks have been sorely lacking since the days of Bernard King. It wasn't just his game-high 27 points against the Nets. It was the way he scored them.
"He's a slasher," said the Knicks' Patrick Ewing. "He comes with a lot of energy, plays hard, plays both ends of the court, offensively and defensively and he's only going to help the ballclub."
The explosive guard knows what his role is on this team.
"I think that's one of the reasons they traded for me," said Sprewell. "They know I'm a guy that likes to get to the basket and try to create for other people, so that's something that I'm here to do and I'm going to try to get it done."
For years the Knicks have been trying to find enough scoring to compliment franchise center Patrick Ewing. Now by adding Sprewell and three-point sharpshooter Dennis Scott to last season's leading playoff scorers Larry Johnson and Allan Houston, they may have too many people looking for points.
"The more scorers the better," said point guard Chris Childs. "Last year we couldn't put the ball in the basket for certain stretches of a game. I don't see us having that problem because we constantly are bringing guys at you that do different things on the court."
Sprewell added: "We're loaded and we definitely have a lot of great perimeter shooters. It is going to be really difficult for teams to double down on Patrick [Ewing] and LJ [Larry Johnson], especially in the post."
With the abundance of shooters New York could put on the floor at one time, some hope the old saying "tis better to give than receive isn't forgotten."
"It's not just looking for your shot, but looking for shots for everyone else also, creating shots for each other," said Houston. "That's what we're all doing."
Despite the additions of the slashing Sprewell and deep threat Scott, the teams emphasis will still be the same.
"The offense may be a little more wide open, but of course we're still going to go to big fella to mix it up," said Scott.
Dennis Scott (7) nailed 37 percent of his 3-point attempts last season Stephen Dunn/Allsport |
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Since being drafted No. 1 overall in 1985, Ewing has been New York's primary scoring option and the offense has flowed through him accordingly. But at 36 and coming off a severe wrist injury, Ewing may no longer be the first, or best choice.
Still, head coach Jeff Van Gundy scoffs at any notion that Ewing is too stubborn to change.
"It's the most often discussed misperceived issue that surrounds our team," said Van Gundy. "[The thought] that Patrick has to somehow totally change the way he's played. We need Patrick to play well for us to be very successful.
"People say that he needs to shoot less. Well, he does. Quietly, his shots have been reduced in the last two years, and the thing that sometimes I always say to him is, if he would just tell people how much he has changed, then people wouldn't have these misperceptions."
When Ewing missed 56 games last season, the Knicks offense didn't necessarily become more effective, but it did become more diverse by necessity. This year, it should happen by design.
"I think the way we played at the end of the season last year when Patrick was out is the way we are going to continue to play now," said Houston. "I think it is going to eventually help Patrick also because he won't have to work so hard to get the shots."
Ewing says fans should expect to see a little bit of everything when the Knicks on the floor this season.
"There's going to be some pick and rolls, there's going to be some run outs, were going to mix everything up, throw everything into the mix."
The addition of proven scores takes a lot of pressure off the man in the middle.
"We surrounded Patrick with the scoring punch that he needs from the outside so that when teams do double team him we don't have to sit up there and pray that were going to hit a jump shot," said Childs.
The Knicks should score more this season, but it will come at a price. They lost the physical presence and all-important rebounding of Charles Oakley plus the intensity and emotional fire of John Starks. Can that be countered by the newfound firepower? Only avoiding a fifth-straight second round playoff exit will answer that question.
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