New York Knicks Expected to Re-Sign J.R. Smith with a 4-Year Deal
Despite the early exit in the second round, sixth man of the year J.R. Smith has a reason to smile today. The spark off the bench for the New York Knicks is expected to opt out of the last year in his contract in order to re-sign with the New York Knicks for a long-term contract.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, J.R. Smith is expected to re-sign with the New York Knicks on a four-year deal starting at $5 million.
Five million is far less than most sixth men of the year command. However, with the Knicks severely over the luxury cap, Smith was willing to take a major pay-cut in order to remain in his beloved city of New York.
Smith recently told the New York Daily News,
I want to retire a Knick. I don’t want to go anywhere else. I love my teammates, I love my coaches. I was standing in the locker room looking at my jersey after the game and just knowing that I don’t want to be anywhere else except in the orange and blue. We’ll see.
You can critique J.R. Smith’s game all you want, especially after his abysmal shooting performance in the second round of the playoffs, but the one thing that you cannot critique is his love for the New York Knicks.
There is no question that J.R. Smith could have commanded more money from another team, but Smith chose to restructure his contract in order to help the only team he wants to ever play for—the New York Knicks.
Perhaps some of his overpaid teammates can learn from his example if they are truly serious about winning a championship in the Big Apple.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Carmelo Anthony and New York Knicks Isolated Themselves out of NBA Playoffs
Isolate. The dictionary defines this word as “to set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone.” Let’s key in on that word “alone.” How many times have you seen one player win a series of games on a continual basis, especially in the playoffs? It didn’t work for Michael Jordan when he would face the Detroit “Bad Boys” Pistons in the postseason.
MJ would win a game here or there, but he couldn’t shoulder the entire weight by himself to win a series against Detroit. He knew he needed to play as a team to get passed that looming obstacle that was in Detroit. Eventually, Jordan and his teammates worked together by using each player’s strength to win six NBA titles.
So if the best player in NBA history couldn’t do it “alone,” why did head coach Mike Woodson and the New York Knicks feel that this would work for them? The Knicks had a win now mentality since most of the team was looking to sign up for AARP benefits after the end of this season.
The team started out red hot in the months of November and December with a combined record of 21-9. Madison Square Garden was all abuzz with the notion that this could be the Knicks year to return back to the glory days.
Yet it didn’t happen that way. This past weekend New York got booted from the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers. The Knicks are the ones only to blame. They lived and died by the Carmelo isolation play. Yes, a select few other players did score and contribute. Even with Jason Kidd and Amar’e Stoudemire being nonexistent in the playoffs, there should have been a better game plan instead of just relying on Anthony.
Michael Marot from the Huffington Post caught up with Mike Woodson after Game 6 to get his feelings on why the Knicks are out of the postseason.
“It’s tough to go out this way,” coach Mike Woodson said. “I didn‘t make it happen for us and that’s what’s disappointing.”
Even in the series against Boston, the Knicks kept going back to the isolation play with Carmelo. Other Knicks players are running around, and he holds onto the ball and finally shoots a highly-contested shot.
Carmelo did his best, but one player does not a team make. It is like when you are playing XBOX and using the same play over and over again. It might work in the beginning, but once your opponent stops that play, you will lose. The Knicks failed to switch up the offense and made it easier for teams like the Pacers to defend them.
Iman Shumpert told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling that they need to be more productive on the offensive side.
“We need some more continuity as far as running something that everybody knows we’re in it — just something with more pace,” he said. “We have a lot of dead possessions where we don’t really have any cohesiveness. We’re just sort of out there and it becomes watching whoever has the ball.”
Shumpert has the potential to be a great player for New York. If the Knicks want to be Eastern Conference contenders, they will have to get younger legs on the court. Players like Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler could contribute for New York, but in a limited role. Certain changes need to be made if Carmelo looks to lead the Knicks to win a title.
The biggest change is that they need to have role players on the team to give Carmelo much needed support. New York has a few players that will become free agents, most notably J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin.
If the Knicks still feel they have a win now team, they must change up their offensive strategy or New York will be sitting at Spike Lee’s house watching the Eastern Conference Finals on TV.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Amar’e Stoudemire Continues to Be Huge Problem for New York Knicks
As would be expected after the Knicks’ Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night, many have been quick to lay out a doomsday scenario for the Knicks in the coming years.
The fact of the matter is that, barring one impenetrable, iceberg-sized problem that has been sinking this team for the past two years, they are not as far off as many seem to think.
Needless to say, the iceberg that has been sinking the Knicks goes by the name of Amar’e Stoudemire.
There are certainly many other aspects of the Knicks’ 2012-2013 season that can be dissected and criticized.
The Knicks lived and eventually died with the three-point shot, which is always a very risky strategy for any team. The team relied on one player—Carmelo Anthony—to produce instant offense every single night. It was also the oldest team in the history of the NBA, which is not the best label to have when heading into a grueling playoff series against a much younger and more physical Indiana Pacers squad.
These are all very credible criticisms of the Knicks. But no matter which way you throw the blame, it eventually curves like a boomerang back toward Stoudemire.
Anthony and Stoudemire were paid a combined $40.46 million this past season, which is more than 50 percent of the Knicks’ team payroll—a payroll that is already $21 million over the salary cap (per Spotrac.com).
Stoudemire has played just 76 games over the past two seasons while raking in $18.22 million in 2011-2012 and nearly $20 million in 2012-2013.
Anthony earned $19.45 million this past season, which is essentially what an NBA leading scorer goes for these days.
It is not by any means out of the ordinary for a team that has true aspirations of contending for an NBA title to devote half of its payroll to two legitimate superstars that it can count on to produce every single night.
The problem with the Knicks is that they have essentially been throwing $20 million down the drain with Stoudemire over the past two years, which creates a very difficult situation for Anthony and the rest of the team.
The Knicks spent nearly $80 million to build a team consisting of two superstars and a group of strong role players.
Yet, for that $80 million, they have gotten a team that has consisted of one superstar and a group of role players that have been asked to do far more than they are capable of.
The Knicks had to rely on J.R. Smith to be a premier scorer this past season.
Smith is not that guy. He is not the Knicks equivalent to Dwyane Wade.
Smith is simply a streaky scorer that the Knicks could have used as a weapon off the bench from time to time when he happened to be on his game.
The Knicks needed a scoring threat down low, so they looked to Tyson Chandler.
Wrong answer.
Chandler is not that guy either. He is and always has been a defensive specialist that excels mostly in grabbing rebounds and protecting the rim.
Now, the purpose of this article is not to blame Stoudemire for all of the Knicks’ troubles as if he had just decided to take a few extended vacations over the past two years.
Stoudemire has suffered legitimate injuries which have come through no fault of his own.
However, the bottom line is that the Knicks have been down a 25-point-per-game, $20-million-per-year superstar for two years now, which makes winning a very difficult task despite Anthony’s 28 points per game during the 2012-2013 season.
So what are the Knicks’ options moving forward?
Well, it would be foolish for the Knicks to rebuild at this point, as they will literally be wasting the prime years of Anthony’s career while trying to rebuild around him.
Signing a big-time free agent or trading for another legitimate scoring threat is also not much of an option for the Knicks for two reasons.
The first is that they don’t really have a stock of players that they could trade away for a steady scoring threat. Stoudemire would be the only player with enough name recognition to command some attention, but that is more the Stoudemire of 2006-2011.
Unless the Knicks can find a GM out there who has been living under a rock for the past two years, Stoudemire is a risk that no one will be willing to take on at $20 million per year.
The Knicks also have the sixth-highest payroll in the league. Adding another $15 million salary is not really an option right now. As it stands, the Knicks are facing the very real possibility that Stoudemire might wind up being their version of Bobby Bonilla…only the NBA happens to have a salary cap.
What the Knicks are ultimately faced with is the hope that Stoudemire can somehow come back and be the nightly 25-point, two-block and eight-rebound guy that they are shelling out $20 million for.
They could also hope that a player such as Smith or Iman Shumpert can evolve into a consistent scoring threat that the team can count on for 20 points per night.
It’s clear that something must change prior to next season if the Knicks truly want to contend for the title, but it is also clear that very few, if any, roster changes will take place during the offseason.
The Knicks’ only option for the 2013-2014 season is to improve from within, which is something that New York sports fans are not used to hearing.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
New York Knicks: Reliving the Top Moments of the 2012-13 NBA Season
The New York Knicks’ magical season, along with the team’s hope of a championship, collapsed Saturday night in a Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 2012-13 NBA playoffs.
New York should have beaten Indiana. The Knicks had the deeper roster, more experience and the best player on the court in Carmelo Anthony. While the outcome of this series can be largely attributed to the Knicks’ offensive struggles, a great deal of praise needs to be given to the Pacers team that outhustled, outworked and outplayed New York.
Lance Stephenson and Paul George are emerging as stars for Frank Vogel’s team, but the Knicks already have a bona-fide superstar. Roy Hibbert abused Tyson Chandler on the low block all series, but Chandler came into this season as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. J.R. Smith, the 2012-13 Sixth Man of the Year, shot 28.9 percent from the field in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while D.J. Augustin came off the bench and averaged 8.2 points per game on 50 percent shooting.
There is no excuse for losing this series, and it’s going to be a long offseason filled with questions for Mike Woodson and the Knicks. However, while the team came up shorter than it wanted to in the postseason, New York had a phenomenal season overall.
With battle-tested veterans like Jason Kidd and older rookies like Chris Copeland (28 years old) and Pablo Prigioni (37 years old), the Knicks had the oldest roster in NBA history. Woodson never got the chance to work with a full squad as injuries decimated the team at nearly every position. The team rose together, and now they have fallen together—no one person is to blame for their success or their failure.
Looking back on it, New York really did have an amazing season. Here are some of the best moments of 2012-13 for the Knicks.
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Five Reasons Why The New York Knicks Should Part Ways With J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith proved his worth throughout most of the 2012-13 NBA season by averaging 18.9 points per game, enough to take home the Sixth Man of the Year Award. The scoring punch he gave the New York Knicks off the bench was irreplaceable…or was it? Smith’s postseason was unspectacular to say the least. It seems inevitable that he will at least test free agency come July, and most New Yorkers would agree that he probably wore out his welcome.
1. MOST IMPORTANTLY – HIS MINUTES IMPEDE ON THE PROGRESSION OF SHUMP
Nothing should be more important to this team than seeing seeing Iman Shumpert out to his full potential. The Knicks showed every bit of their age throughout a roller coaster season of injuries, re-injuries, and extended shooting slumps (cough! cough! Jason Kidd!). While the veteran based, win now method proved to be successful in hindsight, the playoff roster age of 31-plus years must be addressed. Shump showed that he can be a force offensively in the postseason, regaining his…
View full post on Yardbarker: NBA
Amar’e Stoudemire Questions Role with New York Knicks After Disappointing Season
Amar’e Stoudemire wants answers.
After appearing in just 33 games this season (playoffs included), the New York Knicks superstar-turned-injury-riddled-disappointment wants to know where he stands within the organization.
Following New York’s season-ending 106-99 Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers, he said he plans to sit down with head coach Mike Woodson and get his answers.
“We didn’t give it a chance,” Stoudemire said of re-entering the starting lineup (via Marc Berman of the New York Post). “We need to understand exactly what my style of play is and what I bring to the table. It’s something I have to sit down with Coach Woody and express to him.”
If Stoudemire seems frustrated, that’s because he is.
Not only was he forced to battle through knee injuries all season, but he saw himself relegated to a seventh-man role and in for a total of 13 minutes in New York’s final two games against the Pacers. For a six-time All-Star, that has to be difficult to stomach.
My advice to him, though? Stomach it. I’ve been one of Stoudemire’s biggest supporters all year, but even I’ll admit he’s not in a position of power here.
Stoudemire has embodied a “team-first” mantra all season. He embraced his role as a reserve and willingly handed the reins of the Knicks over to Carmelo Anthony. He’s made sacrifices. Boatloads of them. And it’s only natural for him to be upset and confused.
But he has to understand that these were the playoffs. The Knicks didn’t have time for him to play through his rust the way he needed to, let alone insert him into the starting lineup. That just wasn’t an option.
If Stoudemire weren’t a former All-Star earning nearly $20 million this year, he probably wouldn’t have played at all. He should think about that.
Leading into next season, Stoudemire is right, the specifics of his role need to be discussed. He’s owed more than $45 million over the next two seasons, so he’s not going anywhere. The Knicks will have to find a place for him in the rotation, and he needs to know where it’s going to be.
But now? After this loss? Before New York’s roster for next season is even close to etched in stone? The Knicks can’t offer him that type of clarity.
The futures of J.R. Smith, Chris Copeland, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni all need to be determined before the Knicks make any definitive decisions about next season. Free-agency and trade dust needs to settle before Amar’e can get any answers. And more light needs to be shed on his health before he begins to lodge any inquiries.
“It’s alright—as long as we won the game,” Stoudemire previously said about his Game 5 benching. “That’s all that matters.”
All that matters now is that Stoudemire remain patient. He’s not the only one with questions.
The Knicks have plenty of their own.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
JR Smith Says He Wants to Retire with New York Knicks After Playoff Exit
Well, nobody ever accused J.R. Smith of lacking confidence.
Shot selection? Sure. General judgment skills? Absolutely. But confidence? No, sir.
Fresh off of a truly abysmal performance in the New York Knicks‘ Eastern Conference semifinal defeat to the Indiana Pacers, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year told reporters that he’d kind of like to stick around the Big Apple for a while:
Well of course he does. New York does have excellent nightlife.
Smith will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so he’ll have a few options. But with the way he finished out his playoff run with the Knicks, it’s hard to imagine that his employer is as jazzed about his potential return (and apparent desire to stay put for a long time) as he seems to be.
I mean, he didn’t exactly leave the best impression in his final games this year:
The Knicks certainly aren’t laughing about Smith’s horrendous offensive showing against the Pacers, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us have to clam up. After all, making jokes at the expense of others is sort of what Twitter is for, isn’t it?
Seriously, though, the Knicks are really going to have to figure out whether Smith’s production is worth the headache of his inconsistency. When Smith catches fire, he’s capable of taking over games. But as an overall asset, he’s basically a one-dimensional scorer who gets his points in an extremely inefficient way. Just try to guess which game this tweet came from:
It’s tough, right? Really, it could have been from almost any contest that involved Smith. Horrible shooting performances are that common for him. Worse still, he almost never stops shooting, no matter how cold he gets. Knicks coach Mike Woodson has to sit him down in order for there to be a cease fire.
Maybe Smith will be back with the Knicks. If he is, it’ll signal that New York hasn’t yet realized that low-percentage, high-volume offensive players were part of the problem with the team this year.
It’s cool that Smith is professing his loyalty after a loss, but it’s hard to imagine that the Knicks are feeling the same love right now.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Is It Time for New York Knicks to Start Over?
After falling to the Indiana Pacers four games to two in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it’s clear that the New York Knicks lacked the firepower and the wherewithal to make a championship run this spring.
A mountain of pressure was put on Carmelo Anthony to carry the club, especially in this physical second-round series. He gave it his best effort, but it fell short, and he didn’t get enough help.
Indiana exposed New York on many levels, chief among them being an overreliance on the jump shot and an inability to handle a paint-oriented opponent that possessed size.
Mike Woodson’s veteran guards were overmatched, his energy post players Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin were too one-dimensional, and the isolation-based play of ‘Melo and J.R. Smith was often detrimental.
Entering this offseason, the Knicks must take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask whether the team as its currently comprised can challenge for a title in the near future.
Changes definitely need to be made, but how much and at what positions?
Chief among the dilemmas is whether to keep J.R. Smith long term, and whether to hang on to many of the veteran role players.
He put together a brilliant regular season to help the Knicks earn the No. 2 seed; however, his incredibly inefficient shooting ruined New York’s chances to advance past Indiana.
Signing the veteran reserve to a few more years would likely cost more than they’re paying him now, and I don’t know if the New York brass is ready to commit to a volume scorer who’s quite one-dimensional.
If you’re asking me whether keeping him is going to help them win a championship within the next couple seasons, the answer is no.
Smith was an exciting scorer and a handy guy to have around during ‘Melo’s brief injury absences. However, his style of play is part of the reason New York struggled to topple the underdog Boston Celtics and failed to upend the Pacers.
The decision to let him go is only part of the equation.
There’s also the question of what to do about guys like Jason Kidd (signed through 2015), Marcus Camby (signed through 2014) and Pablo Prigioni (restricted free agent in 2013).
Not all of them can stay, and they certainly can’t be a major part of the team’s future plans. Although Kidd and Prigioni were effective for much of the season, they were exposed in the playoffs and are both miles past their primes.
The main obstacle that makes New York’s offseason alterations and potential additions so difficult is the massive percentage of payroll consumed by Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire.
‘Melo is obviously going nowhere. Amar’e is the star Knicks fans would love to shed. General manager Glen Grunwald would get rid of Stoudemire in a heartbeat if he could find a good deal for him.
Good luck with that.
Stoudemire is owed more than $45 million over the next two seasons, and since the Knicks already used their amnesty clause on Chauncey Billups in 2011, the only way to unload him is via trade.
That’s a tall order, because his bloated salary and injury-plagued past aren’t attractive to anyone. Most NBA trades need to match up financially, and it’s just not worth it for potential suitors.
Ultimately, New York’s front office needs to deliver another offseason of tricky maneuvering in order to make the club better in 2013-14. Can it add an affordable forward like Elton Brand or DeJuan Blair to bolster the roster, or will it come up empty-handed?
Change is necessary, because the current composition of the squad can’t lift the Knicks through the East.
Follow Daniel on Twitter for more NBA coverage: @DanielO_BR
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers: Game 6 Preview, Schedule and Predictions
The New York Knicks kept their season alive with an 85-75 triumph in Game 5 at home, so the series now turns to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for Game 6 as the Indiana Pacers try again to close things out.
Chris Copeland provided Mike Woodson a huge boost off the bench, as he notched 13 points in 19 minutes. New York led early and was in control for nearly the entire game, as Carmelo Anthony regained his shooting touch, and the Knicks were the more aggressive unit.
Indiana struggled without point guard George Hill, who was ruled out due to a concussion suffered in Game 4. The Pacers dished out just 12 assists and committed 19 turnovers en route to 36 percent shooting.
Frank Vogel hopes to have his floor general back at full strength to clinch the series at home.
Date/Time: Saturday, May 18, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Series Record: 3-2 Pacers
TV: ESPN
Key Storyline: Will George Hill’s return do the trick?
Without George Hill in the lineup in Game 5, Indiana simply lacked offensive consistency.
D.J. Augustin wasn’t able to generate consistent offense in his stead, and consequently, Indiana relied on a combination of Paul George and Lance Stephenson to help out with the facilitating.
ESPN Stats & Info explained just how weak the Pacers are in pick-and-roll situations without Hill:
The Pacers’ pick-and-roll ball handlers shot 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) with four turnovers in Game 5 against the Knicks. The Pacers struggled on those plays without George Hill, who shot 50.0 percent as the pick-and-roll ball-handler in the first four games of the series.
Hill is questionable to return for Game 6, as he was scheduled to take another concussion test Friday night.
Indiana’s odds of clinching the series ride heavily on Hill’s status, as it depends on him for more than just playmaking and shooting. His return would significantly upgrade Frank Vogel‘s defense: He’s done a terrific job on Raymond Felton for much of the series.
If Hill comes back and is near 100 percent, the blue and gold will be that much closer to this year’s Eastern Conference Finals.
Series Star So Far: Carmelo Anthony
It hasn’t been a pretty series for ‘Melo, and he’s endured a couple rough games along the way.
However, he’s the best player in the series, and he saved New York Thursday night.
Anthony has drawn a lot of criticism for his one-on-one exploits, and in Game 3 in particular, they hindered the Knicks’ efficiency. Nevertheless, he’s scoring 28.7 per night and grabbing 6.9 boards, and he has given his club a chance to force a Game 7.
He shot 12-of-28 (43 percent) in Game 5, including eight crucial points in the fourth quarter to keep Indiana at arm’s length.
Taking care of business at home is one thing, but can Anthony translate it to Indy for Game 6?
Projected Starting Lineups
Knicks: Pablo Prigioni, PG; Raymond Felton, SG; Iman Shumpert, SF; Carmelo Anthony, PF; Tyson Chandler, C
Pacers: George Hill, PG (questionable); Lance Stephenson, SG; Paul George, SF; David West, PF; Roy Hibbert, C
Knicks Injury Report (via CBSSports.com)
Tyson Chandler (back), probable for Game 6
Pacers Injury Report
George Hill (head), questionable for Game 6
Knicks Will Win If…
…at least three players generate efficient offense.
Getting three or four players to produce at a healthy clip is easier said than done, but the Knicks have the resources to make it happen.
If Raymond Felton can shoot a high percentage while doling out five to eight assists, that’s a good start. His effectiveness might hinge on George Hill’s return for Indiana.
Now, we get to the tricky part. Can ‘Melo and J.R. Smith both produce on the same night?
Although Smith has yet to find a rhythm in this series, he’s gradually playing better. He was driving with purpose, dishing to teammates, and clamping down defensively in the Game 5 win. A hot shooting night might be just around the corner.
Getting Chris Copeland to chime in with these three would be magnificent for Woodson.
Will all four keep the flow going, or will Indy enjoy a stagnant version of the Knicks?
Pacers Will Win If…
…Hill returns and the team wins the aggression battle on both ends.
Hill’s absence was certainly a factor in the Pacers’ Game 5 loss, but it wasn’t the only factor.
New York was more aggressive and confident, and that manifested itself in the undersized Knicks nearly winning the rebounding battle against the bigger Pacers. ‘Melo and Tyson Chandler were assertive early and often, so Paul George and Roy Hibbert got into some serious foul trouble.
The Pacers can’t afford to commit 19 turnovers while forcing only 10. They also can’t afford to shoot 19-of-33 from the charity stripe.
Their passes must be crisper, their cuts and post-ups must be more purposeful and they must reclaim dominance in the rebounding department. At this point in the series, it’s about who wants it more, and Indiana needs to use its home crowd to fuel that extra edge.
Prediction
Even if Hill isn’t 100 percent, his presence in Indiana’s lineup and comfortability in the pick-and-roll will give them steady production from quarter to quarter.
Don’t expect New York to go quietly, as it will unlikely deliver another ugly road performance as it did in Games 3 and 4. ‘Melo will be driven, and I would be surprised if he scored fewer than 30 points.
Ultimately, the Pacers have the personnel and the home court to wear the Knicks down. Hill will challenge the Knicks’ perimeter shooting; George will make Anthony work for everything, and Hibbert and West will remind New York that the paint is Pacer territory.
A Game 7 would have been fun, but it’s not in the cards.
Prediction: Pacers 94, Knicks 88
Follow Daniel on Twitter for more playoff hoops talk: @DanielO_BR
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
Is George Hill Indiana Pacers’ Hidden Key to Snuffing out New York Knicks?
George Hill quietly made “The Leap” between Games 4 and 5 of the Indiana Pacers‘ Eastern Conference Semifinal series against the New York Knicks.
And not just a physical leap from the hardwood to a darkened training room on account of a concussion, though that had everything to do with it. Rather, I’m referring to the more symbolic, even lyrical leap that Hill made—from Rodney Dangerfield to Jodi Mitchell, from “I can’t get no respect!” to “You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone.”
The Pacers pummeled the wayward Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Game 4, 93-82. Hill led the way with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, with four assists, three rebounds and a steal in 37 minutes for good measure. Statistically speaking, it was arguably Hill’s finest playoff performance as a Pacer.
And that’s before we even consider the pesky defense he played on Raymond Felton, particularly in the pick-and-roll.
Unfortunately, Hill’s postseason breakout wasn’t without incident. He caught an elbow to the head from Tyson Chandler in the first quarter of that game, and though he managed to play on without further incident, the lingering effects were difficult to shake. Soon enough, Hill’s persistent headache gave way to a concussion diagnosis, forcing Hill himself to give way to D.J. Augustin in Game 5.
The result? The Pacers dropped a wholly (and strangely) winnable game in Hill’s absence. Moving Augustin into the starting five, albeit out of necessity, threw the entire team out of whack. There were some stretches wherein Lance Stephenson and Paul George had to split duties at the point (Yikes!), others during which the seldom seen Gerald Green was asked to make entry passes into the post (Double Yikes!), and still others that rendered the mistake-prone Sam Young far too pivotal a piece of the Pacers’ incomplete puzzle (Even More Yikes!).
Hence, the 19 turnovers (seven between Paul George and Gerald Green) against 12 assists (none from Augustin), the 36.2 percent shooting for the Pacers, and Felton’s pick-and-roll renaissance (via Hardwood Paroxysm):
In essence, Hill’s concussion set off an unsettling chain of events that ended with the Pacers’ (precarious lack of) depth, particularly on the perimeter, being put to the test…and failing rather miserably.
And predictably. For all the burgeoning star power of Paul George, the intriguing storyline that is Lance Stephenson, the defensive dominance of Roy Hibbert and the veteran reliability of David West, it turns out that Hill is the one who truly butters Indy’s proverbial bread.
According to NBA.com, the Pacers outscored the opposition by 8.7 points per 100 possessions when Hill played and were outscored by 2.5 points per 100 possessions when he sat during the regular season—a disparity of 11.2 points. So far through these playoffs, those numbers have swung even more dramatically, to plus-8.4 with Hill and minus-15.3 without him. The difference in the Knicks’ series alone has been astonishing (via ESPN Stats & Info):
Make that minus-30 without Hill now, after the Pacers’ 10-point defeat in Game 5.
Clearly, Indy needs a healthy George Hill to ensure victory in this series—and avoid becoming just the ninth team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead. They need his ball-handling and passing to keep the Pacers’ stodgy offense moving, and his outside shooting to keep opposing defenses honest. They need his length, athleticism and spatial smarts on the defensive end to disrupt the Knicks’ pick-and-roll attack.
Heck, they need his mere presence to relegate D.J. Augustin back to the bench and re-solidify the rest of Indy’s razor-thin rotation.
Unfortunately, having Hill suit up at all might be too much for the Pacers to ask at this point, given the NBA’s new concussion protocols (per Mark Montieth of Pacers.com):
To be sure, Indy still owns the high ground in this series. They’ll have two more shots at closing out New York, including once at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on May 18th. The Pacers were excellent at home throughout the regular season (30-11 record, plus-8.8 points per 100 possessions) and have been even better there in the 2013 playoffs (5-0 record, plus-15.6 points per 100 possessions), per NBA.com.
Moreover, the Knicks didn’t exactly blow the doors off the Hill-less Pacers in Game 5. Indy had every opportunity to steal a win at MSG, despite the aforementioned Hill-related issues, along with foul trouble for Paul George and Roy Hibbert and 14 missed free throws for the team as a whole. Indy’s bigs can control the interior and clean the glass, especially with Tyson Chandler’s fitness in question.
Perhaps the shifting of the series back to Indianapolis will be change enough to put the Pacers back on the winning track. Perhaps they’ll be able to cut down on their own mistakes, make more of their free throws and squeeze steadier performances out of their oft-unreliable reserves, regardless of whether or not Hill’s in the lineup.
But if Hill doesn’t play in Game 6 and the Pacers suffer the same fate that befell them in Game 5, then George’s “Leap” (or, at least, the narrative surrounding it) will be all but complete.
For better or, in Indy’s case, for worse.
Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com
View full post on Bleacher Report – NBA
