Dion Waiters: Destined To Be A Career 6th Man?

Written By Clevis Murray 

The Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Dion Waiters with the 4th pick in the 2012 NBA draft.  The franchise hoped that they had found their shooting guard of the future by pairing him up with the Rookie of the Year and the 1st overall pick of the 2011 draft Kyrie Irving. Dion Waiters being drafted so high in the 2012 NBA draft was a bit of a surprise since he only played 71 career games at Syracuse University under Jim Boeheim and never started however he was considered the best sixth man in college basketball, being named the Big East's sixth man of the year. During his rookie season in the NBA (2012-13) Waiters came off of the bench 13 times in the 61 games he played.  Due to the averages in his rookie campaign 14.7 points, 3 rebounds and 2.4 assists he became known as a scorer......nothing more and nothing less.

As Dion Waiters second NBA season began many believed he was poised for a breakout but new Head Coach Mike Brown wanted to try something different and put Waiters on the bench stating that "The one thing Dion gives us is a nice punch off the bench with the ability to play pick and roll and create shots not only for himself, but for his teammates." With the statement being said former 6th Men of the Year James Harden, Manu Ginobili, J.R. Smith and Jamal Crawford all come to mind.  All four had previously ran the pick and roll the most when coming off the bench and were obviously the best at creating their own when coming off the bench with the exception of James Harden who is now a starter with Houston.  For the most part, the players are combo guards who can handle the ball and can get their teammates involved.

Thus far this season Waiters has played his best when coming off the bench rather than starting.  One can say that he has to a point been hindered by teammates.  During his brief stint with the Cavaliers, center Andrew Bynum would demand the ball in the post. Kyrie Irving is known for dominating the ball as well which limits the amount of possessions that Waiters can potentially have.  The situation reportedly grew toxic and there were rumors of fighting.  Waiters reportedly wanted to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers "because he thinks he'd be the best player on the team." Andrew Bynum was suspended for "conduct detrimental to the team" and eventually traded to and released by the Bulls.

Waiters is putting up season averages which make him look like a role player but scoring and shooting like a 6th man.  He is averaging 13.5 shot attempts per game, 14.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 rebounds along with 41% FG & 38% from the 3-point line. Comparing his sophomore season to his rookie season shows that there is no improvement at all and he is basically the same player and doesn't follow the motto "Getting better over the summer." But to be fair he is a young player in his 2nd season and will most likely get better over time especially on defense as Mike Brown recently said "defensively he has the capabilities of being a great defender. He’s in the process of learning and growing on that end."

A Bad Reflection?

Dion Waiters has been compared to many players for example Dwyane Wade but he doesn't have the size Wade had when he was younger but does have similar quickness and is truly skilled when heading to the basket but one would be wise not to compare Waiters to a future Basketball Hall of Famers like Wade.  A more accurate comparison for Dion Waiters is Vinnie "The Microwave" Johnson or to keep it more current it would be Rodney Stuckey but the most accurate comparison at this time would be J.R. Smith.  The career path of Dion Waiters is becoming very similar to Smith's.  Despite Waiters career still being young, it's still growing similar to Smith's. The perception of Waiters is that he takes bad shots but that’s not the reality, Waiters doesn’t take bad shots but his low shooting percentage is what fuels the perception.

Both J.R. Smith & Dion Waiters have are both two immature NBA players with tons of talent. Remember when people thought J.R. Smith was a future All-Star when he was with the Denver Nuggets but all that changed when he didn't develop, listen and had too many off the court problems which have led to suspensions and hefty fines. His coach Mike Woodson recently said "[He] has got to grow up and do the right things." J.R doesn't listen and was recently fined $50K for untying shoes and his value around the league is continuing to decrease.

In similar fashion to Smith, Waiters usually starts sulking on the court and on the bench when things don't go his way and like Smith he thinks people are after him and nobody is on his side.Waiters has also gotten into an argument with Cavs guard Kyrie Irving and Head Coach Mike Brown. Waiters defensive effort decreases whenever he's not effective on the offensive end displaying his immaturity and like Smith, his teammates can't deal with it on and off the court but thankfully he isn't as immature as Smith off the court with the smoking of marijuana and uncalled for antics.

Dion will hopefully mature as a player and more importantly a person and exceed the expectations that were placed onto him but as of now he's a future sixth man who makes some bad decisions and his teammates are starting to grow tired of it.  There's usually a growth period of about five NBA seasons to see how a player develops as they should have carved out their niche by then, but let's see if Dion Waiters is really a future sixth man. With the way Dion is progressing he is showcasing a limited work ethic but for a young player with a huge upside and it shall be interesting to see how things will turnout down the line.

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Knicks Knock Off Defending Champion Heat

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 9^th, 2014

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks look to finally be getting back on track as they pulled off an impressive victory against the Miami Heat Thursday, winning 102-92. This is the biggest win of the season for the Knicks as they were able to knock off the reigning champs in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks roster has been dealing with the flu bug as only four players were healthy enough to practice yesterday but the whole team came out ready to play today. With the victory the Knicks have won three in a row and four of their last five in the regular season against the Heat. They will look to continue their winning streak Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 PM ET in Philadelphia.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Jim McIsaac

Against his biggest rival and good friend LeBron James, Anthony showed up once again to help the Knicks get a huge win tonight. Anthony matched up with James throughout the night and was able to limit him because of the great team effort that was put forth by everyone on the court. James was forced into six turnovers as the Knicks made life as difficult as they could for him throughout the night. Anthony led the Knicks with 29 points (12-24 FG, 3-8 3pt, 2-3 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. Anthony’s efficiency on the offensive end is important when the Knicks play tougher opponents like the Heat and he did a good job getting into great positions to score tonight.

-Positives

Elsa/Getty Images

The guard play had been lacking throughout the early part of the season with Raymond Felton struggling through injuries and Iman Shumpert struggling with his shot. Tonight both were exceptional. Felton, in his second game back from his hamstring injury, scored 13 points and handed out a season-high 14 assists. Felton got into the paint at will against the Heat and was left open multiple times on the perimeter, taking advantage by knocking down jump shots. Shumpert continued his torrid perimeter shooting, knocking down 4-7 from the three point line, all of which that came in the third quarter. He also added nine rebounds and three assists to go with his 12 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Toure’ Murry gave the Knicks some energy and exciting minutes off the bench, punctuated by a put-back dunk by Hardaway Jr. over Ray Allen.

Amar’e Stoudemire gave the Knicks quite possibly his best effort of the season; he played so well Mike Woodson stuck with him down the final stretch of his game, leaving Kenyon Martin on the bench. Tonight Stoudemire dominated the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds and shooting extremely efficiently from the field, going 7-12 for 14 points. Stoudemire held down the scoring for the second unit tonight with J.R. Smith essentially being benched by Woodson.

Andrea Bargnani was able to score when given the opportunity which helped the Knicks immensely. With so much attention being given to Anthony, having Bargnani knock down shots early in the game helps immensely. Bargnani scored 10 points in the first quarter to set the tone and finished with 19 on 9-13 shooting from the field. He stuck to what was working tonight as he attempted no three pointers, the first time in his career he didn’t attempt at least one playing 35+ minutes. He also added five rebounds and some good defense on former teammate Chris Bosh, who was held to 3-10 shooting for the night.

The offense was pretty sluggish for the Knicks in the first half but they got it going in the final two quarters. The Knicks were able to outscore the Heat 59-44 in the second half as they got it going from the three point line. The Knicks started the game 1-11 from the three point line but knocked down eight of their last 13 attempts and shot 63 percent overall in the second half. Also, for a team that usually lives and dies by the perimeter shot, the Knicks dominated a good Heat defense in the paint. The Knicks were able to get easy scoring opportunities en route to 52 points in the paint.

Mike Woodson catches a lot of heat in these post game recaps but you have to give credit when credit is due. Tonight Woodson thoroughly out-coached Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. It was an admirable job by Woodson to get this team ready tonight as he was unable to even have a half hearted practice yesterday as the Knicks only had four healthy players able to take part in practice. A lot of the Knicks players are ill because of the same upper respiratory Tyson Chandler is suffering from. The biggest surprise and best decision Woodson made was benching J.R. Smith. Smith was fined $50,000 for his shoe untying tactics and Woodson finally made a stand by benching Smith tonight. Woodson would not comment on the matter but it looks to have been a clear message being sent to Smith that if he doesn’t straight up his act he will not be a part of this as the Knicks showed tonight they can and will play well without him.

Elsa/Getty Images

-Negatives

For the first time all season it could be argued nothing should go here. The Knicks put together their best all-around game of the season as everyone stepped up and did their job. Only one Knick, Hardaway Jr., had a negative +/- and the Heat only had one player, James, finish positive with a +1. The only negative from the game is how often Bargnani was switched onto James, but he did an admirable job whenever put into the tough situation. The big thing the Knicks need to concentrate on is how they come out Saturday against the 76ers. It is easy to get up and come out to play against one of the top NBA teams but that cannot be said when facing lower tiered teams. The Knicks win tonight against the Heat would mean nothing if they come out and lay an egg against the 76ers Saturday.

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Knicks Shoot Themselves in Foot, Houston Struggles Continue

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 3^rd, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets

Post Game Recap

The Knicks played hard but once again were their own worst enemy as they dropped a heartbreaking thriller 102-100 to the Rockets. The Knicks outplayed the Rockets for three quarters tonight but fell apart down the stretch. Mental mistakes and poor execution doomed the Knicks as they once again showed that they are the lowest basketball IQ team in the NBA. With the loss their struggles against the Rockets and in Houston specifically continued; they have now lost 17 of 18 to the Rockets and nine straight in Houston. As Carmelo Anthony said in his post game interview, the Knicks gave the Rockets the game tonight. They will look to get back in the win column and wrap up the Texas Triangle Road trip on a positive note Sunday night in Dallas against the Mavericks.

Player of the Game: Iman Shumpert

George Bridges/MCT

For the second consecutive night Shumpert was on fire from beyond the arc. After going through the worst shooting stretch of his career that saw him go 6-42 from the field, Shumpert has found his stroke again in the new year. Against the Spurs and Rockets Shumpert has gone 19-27 from the field (12-14 3pt, 3-3 FT) to rebound from that rough stretch. Shumpert was one point shy of his career high that he set Thursday against the Spurs. The back-to-back 20 point scoring games is the first time Shumpert has accomplished that since March 28^th & 30^th, 2012. Against the Rockets Shumpert also added four rebounds, five assists and one steal. His defense one-on-one against James Harden was also outstanding throughout the night. Harden, who gets to the foul line as much as anyone in the NBA, did not attempt his first free throw until two minutes remaining in the first half. Shumpert playing smart defense against him was a big reason why. Shumpert looks to have turned the corner on his season which can only be a positive thing for the Knicks, especially with how poorly Tim Hardaway Jr. and JR Smith have performed recently.

-Positives

Tyson Chandler logged only 27 minutes but he made the most of them, registering a double-double. Chandler finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds on the night. He started the game off strong with five points in the opening quarter to get the Knicks going. Chandler also did a formidable job on Dwight Howard throughout the night, a tall task.

Anthony did not have as efficient a night as he did in San Antonio but he had a good game nonetheless. Anthony ended the game with 25 points and eight rebounds. He also added two assists and did a fine job defending Chandler Parsons throughout the night. Parsons shot 6-13 from the field for 17 points but did lead his team in rebounding with 11.

Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports

Amar’e Stoudemire did not have the big scoring night for the Knicks but he was able to help out on the glass and in help defense. Stoudemire pulled down seven rebounds and had two steals on the night as his play provided Mike Woodson a chance to give Andrea Bargnani, Chandler and Anthony some rest at points in the game. Stoudemire has obviously lost some because of all the injuries but you can count on him to give your team everything he has as long as he is on the court.

Toure’ Murry was inserted into a game as early as he has been in his NBA career and he made the most of it. Murry entered the game with barely five minutes gone in the first quarter and the Knicks went on a run right when he entered. The Knicks reeled off a 12-2 run as the Knicks turned a seven point deficit into a four point lead. When Murry plays in the backcourt with Shumpert or Hardaway Jr. it is a fun thing to watch as the athleticism is something the Knicks have lacked. Murry replaced Udrih in the first quarter and Udrih looked none too happy about it, but he bounced back nicely later in the game. Udrih finished strong and ended the game with 10 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals. What is making Udrih and Murry successful is that both are able to attack and get into the paint to put pressure on the defense.

-Negatives

JR Smith is hurting the Knicks more than he is helping. He augmented a poor game with a boneheaded play in the last 24 seconds of the game. Chandler was able to gain the Knicks another possession with the shot clock off and the ball was worked out to Smith. Smith inexplicably attempted a three pointer, almost a carbon copy of what Bargnani did against the Bucks a couple weeks ago. Udrih compounded the miss by fouling Aaron Brooks in the corner but Smith never should have attempted the shot, especially since Chandler is in his line of view telling him to slow it down and Udrih is doing the same. It was a icing on the cake for a poor game for Smith who is having more negatives than positives for the Knicks. Smith finished the game 3-13 (1-8 3pt, 2-2 FT), zero rebounds, two assists and two steals. It will be hard even for Woodson to show trust in Smith now with how he has been playing and the lack of basketball IQ and awareness he shows on the court. After the game he admitted to not knowing what the score and situation of the game was, just another reason he should be off the court in big situations.

Patric Schneider/AP Photo

With Shumpert starting to play well and round into shape it is disappointing to see Smith crater and give the Knicks negative minutes. He is not the only one doing so as Hardaway Jr. has joined Smith in giving the Knicks poor production. Hardaway has seen his minutes decrease with Shumpert playing well and has done nothing to show the coach he deserves those minutes back that he is losing. For the second consecutive game Hardaway was mostly invisible, playing 11 minutes and scoring only one point. He also added one rebound but finished with a game worst -14 +/- ratio.

Bargnani had been dealing with a stiff neck recently and it seems to be effecting his shooting. The injury has been affecting him for the past 8-10 days and over that span he has been shooting the ball at a 38.9 percent clip. He has shot even worse from the three point line, hitting only 25 percent of his deep shots. He did nothing to help those numbers against the Rockets, shooting 3-10 overall and 0-3 from the three point line. The Knicks need Bargnani to get back in a groove and shoulder more of the scoring load with Smith and Hardaway giving them ineffective minutes off the bench. He did a good job once again defending Howard and battled on the boards, pulling down eight rebounds.

After having Shumpert guard Harden for the better part of first half he went off in the second half with Shumpert no longer shadowing him. Harden scored 27 of his 37 in the second half, with 11 coming in the decisive fourth quarter that saw the Rockets outscored the Knicks 29-19. Harden missed only three shots the whole second half, finishing the game with 37 points (5-10 3pt, 10-10 FT), seven rebounds and six assists.

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Knicks Release Chris Smith, Sign Jeremy Tyler

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

thatsenuff.com

In a move that should have never had to been made the New York Knicks recently released guard Chris Smith. Smith’s contract was guaranteed at $490,814 so the Knicks will not be saving any money in the transaction, just opening up a roster spot. Smith’s inclusion on the Knicks roster was not met positively by very many people. Many people believe Smith was added to the roster as a favor to JR Smith, the older brother to Chris.

Fans were not the only ones unhappy with Smith being on the Knicks roster as even an NBA player took notice and made his feelings known on twitter. Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings questioned Smith’s credentials compared to other players he felt were more deserving. The tweet drew the ire of JR, who was fined $25,000 for what many felt were threatening tweets at Jennings.

The timing of the release, even though it should have happened weeks ago, is still a little surprising. The Knicks are dealing with major injury problems in the backcourt as Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni are both injured and not making the upcoming road trip. Mike Woodson has gone to Toure’ Murry and JR as point guards in a pinch behind Beno Udrih in the absence of the other point guards. Let it be known that is the only reason Chris Smith in my opinion is qualified to be on the Knicks roster as his performance in summer leagues and preseason were not deserving of a roster spot. Even then it is a stretch as there are plenty of capable veterans available in free agency that would have helped the Knicks more than Chris Smith.

Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports

Chris Smith roster spot was quickly filled by the Knicks, who signed center Jeremy Tyler to the 15^th spot. Tyler had a partially-guaranteed contract in the preseason but broke his foot and was released by the Knicks. The 22-year old Tyler has taken an interesting trip to get to the NBA, skipping his senior year of high school. He instead played overseas for two seasons until he was eligible for the NBA Draft. Tyler’s time overseas was tumultuous but he is still a young big man loaded with potential; in high school he averaged 28.7 points per game.

More recently Tyler has been playing well for the Knicks NBA D-League affiliate the Erie BayHawks. In his five games since returning Tyler has averaged 19.8 points and 11.4 rebounds over his last five games.

Tyler will bring something the Knicks have not had on the roster in a long time; a legitimate low-post scoring threat. Currently the Knicks best player in the post is Carmelo Anthony but he prefers to do his damage from the elbow. Amar’e Stoudemire has improved his post up game in the last two seasons since working with Hakeem Olajuwon but neither can do it as consistently as Tyler can. Tyler will immediately jump Cole Aldrich on the depth chart, who was considered to be cut until the organization decided on Smith. Tyler could see some minutes right off the bat as the Knicks will have a tough road trip they will need as many healthy bodies they can find going through the Texas Triangle. Tyler will also add useful depth to a front court where Tyson Chandler has already suffered a significant injury, Metta World Peace is about to have surgery and you never know when Stoudemire or Kenyon Martin will be shut down because of injury. Adding Tyler to the roster is a move that has been well overdue.

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors, December 28th, 2013

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Saturday, December 28^th, 2013

New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks will look to salvage the home-and-home with the Toronto Raptors tonight after losing 95-83 Friday night. This game is of the utmost importance for the Knicks as they need to start mounting some division wins if they plan to take advantage of what is the worst division in sports. Here are some things to keep an eye on in the game tonight.

AP Photo

-Injury News and Updates

The Knicks will have to find a way to score once again without Carmelo Anthony. Anthony will miss his third straight game, as he did not even make the trip to Toronto with the team. Anthony’s ankle injury has proved too much for him to take the court for the better part of the last week. Anthony will be sorely missed as they have been outscored by an average of 20.5 points per game without their leading scorer.

Anthony is not the only player who is dealing with injuries as Iman Shumpert is battling a thigh injury. He fought through it last night but he is questionable tonight as he did not perform well Friday. Amar’e Stoudemire also is struggling with some swelling in his right wrist the past two games but is supposed to be ready to go Saturday.

For the Raptors we will see if former Knicks Steve Novak and Landry Fields will take the court against them tonight. Neither player received any minutes Friday night, and have not for the last seven games; since the trade with the Sacramento Kings that sent out Rudy Gay the Raptors have been using their new, higher ceiling players in Patrick Patterson, Greivis Vasquez and John Salmons.

-Bargnani Returns to Toronto

Andrea Bargnani will be making his first return to Toronto since the trade this offseason that landed him with the Knicks. Bargnani had a tumultuous tenure with the Raptors after being the first overall pick in 2006; a combination of injuries and poor player caused the fans to turn on him and Bargnani crumble under the pressure of being a top pick.

AP Photo

Bargnani can expect a rude welcoming when he takes the court Saturday night as the fans grew tired of Bargnani the longer he was there. On the other hand he may receive the greatest ovation of any player this season in Toronto as the Raptor faithful are happy that he is gone.

The biggest slap in the face Bargnani can give the Raptors is him playing well and leading the Knicks to a victory. With Anthony out the Knicks need someone to carry the scoring load and Bargnani should be the man; he will be as motivated as ever to show the crowd in Toronto he was worth the first overall draft pick they used on him.

-Matchup of the Game: JR Smith vs. DeMar DeRozan

Without Anthony the Knicks need Smith to pick up some of the scoring slack left behind; he is capable of it but how he gets the points will be the thing to keep an eye on. Friday night Smith and DeRozan matched up and had similar shooting nights; Smith was 7-15 and DeRozan 7-13. But there was an eight point difference in points as DeRozan took permanent residency at the free throw line, taking 14 attempts. Smith on the other hand only had two.

Smith has been better recently facilitating the offense but needs to stay aggressive when he is looking to score the basketball. Smith was at his best last season when he was attacking the basket and getting to the foul line. Smith and the rest of the wing players also have to step up the effort on the defensive end as DeRozan and John Salmons hurt the Knicks Friday night from the perimeter.

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Knicks Fall to Raptors as Offense Falters Late

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, December 27^th, 2013-12-28

Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks have no one to blame but themselves after losing to the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors tonight at Madison Square Garden 95-83. The Knicks let a 12-point third quarter lead slip through their hands as the offense crumbled without Carmelo Anthony leading the way. James Dolan told the players and coaching staff that no moves were going to be made; a move that should have calmed some people with trade rumors swirling; all it did was make them as complacent as ever on the court. Mike Woodson said yesterday he still expects this team to repeat as Atlantic Division champs and did nothing to back him up. The struggles the Knicks went through in the fourth quarter is where they can point for the poor ending. With or without Anthony this was a game there for the taking and the Knicks could not take advantage, something that has become commonplace this season. The Knicks will look to bounce back tomorrow night against this same Raptors team in Toronto. They will have to do it without Anthony again, who is not making the trip to Toronto with the team.

Player of the Game – Beno Udrih

Frank Franklin II/AP Photo

With the Knicks so short-handed in the backcourt Udrih was forced to play big minutes and he responded in a positive way again. Udrih was not happy that Woodson picked him out for poor performance. After calling out Woodson for his comments made after the Christmas Day debacle against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Udrih came out and played a good game tonight. Udrih was a scoring threat, stepping up without leading scorer Anthony on the court by pouring in 15 points. He also added 10 assists, giving him his first double-double as a Knick and highest assist total of the season. He was also aggressive and a pest on the defensive end, tallying four steals. Udrih has run this team to the best of his ability and the lack of offensive fire power cannot and should not be placed on his shoulders.

-Positives

The Knicks, for all their short comings on the offensive end, were able to get it going from beyond the three-point line. The Knicks knocked down 10-19 from long range, good for 52.6 percent. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way for the Knicks, knocking down 4-5 and ending the game with 15 points. JR Smith added 3 of his own and Andrea Bargnani added two as well.

Speaking of Bargnani, he looked engaged and aggressive early on, seeming to be motivated by playing against his old team. He finished with 18 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. He also added two blocks to his stat line for the night. Bargnani did not play as well as he could have though given the opportunity he had with Anthony sidelined.

For at least one half the Knicks were able to keep the Raptors under control on the offensive end. The Knicks held the Raptors to only 40 points in the first half as they went into halftime with a nine point lead.

For what seems like the first time all season the Knicks were able to hold opposing point guards to less than outstanding games. Trade target Kyle Lowry did not score much, totaling only 10 points for the game but he did hand out 11 assists. His backup fared even worse, shooting 1-7 and scoring only four points while compiling four assists.

-Negatives

Tyson Chandler, in his fourth game back from injury, was dominated by Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas has been having a coming out party since Rudy Gay was traded to the Sacramento Kings and the Knicks did nothing to stop it. Valanciunas finished the game with 16 points and a career high 18 rebounds as he dominated the paint throughout the night. Valanciunas very active front court mates, Amir Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough, gave the Knicks some problems as well as the two combined for 12 rebounds and the constant movement and activity the Knicks do not get night in and night out from their bigs.

Frank Franklin II/AP Photo

The perimeter defense for the Knicks was improved but once again not well enough. While the point guards did not fare as well, the other wing players did just fine. DeMar DeRozan led the way with a game-high 25 points on 7-13 shooting. He was a frequent visitor to the foul line, taking 14 free throws and making nine. Terrence Ross made the Knicks pay from the perimeter as well, knocking down 3-6 from deep and finishing with 11 points. Reserve wing John Salmons hit the go ahead three-pointer with 8:07 remaining to give the Raptors the lead for good. Salmons finished the night 3-7 from three point land and 11 points as well.

Whatever Iman Shumpert is doing he needs to change because it is not working for him. The starting shooting guard is in a rut like no other as he played only 12 minutes tonight because of a combination of foul trouble and unproductive minutes. Shumpert virtually goose-egged the box score, grabbing only one rebound and getting one steal. Shumpert will continue losing minutes to Hardaway Jr. (possibly not a bad thing) and Smith (probably not a good thing) if he continues to play so poorly. It is disappointing that Shumpert is not taking advantage of all of the chances presented to him as the Knicks could really use a boost from the third year shooting guard. Being the player brought up most frequently in trade rumors, being told he would not be traded was thought of as something to calm Shumpert down. Instead he looks as if he has checked out and is ready to move on from the Knicks.

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