Knicks Now - Alan Hahn Live Chat Transcript

Alan Hahn Live Chat Transcript

February 23, 08:35 AM EST

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KnicksNow - TR:

Welcome to KnicksNow.com for today's Knicks vs. Heat Live Chat.

We’d like to welcome back MSG Network studio analyst, former Knicks beat writer and NBA columnist for Newsday, Alan Hahn. Alan, take it away.

11:01

Alan Hahn:

Good morning Knicks fans. Exciting game awaits tonight before the All-Star Break. Let's get to your questions!

11:01

Comment From Janahn

Is iman shumpert going to participate in dunk contest?!???!?!

11:02

Alan Hahn:

No, he has withdrawn as a result of knee tendinitis. Jeremy Tyler of the Utah Jazz has taken his place. Best for Iman to rest and get healthy because the Knicks will need him and his defense in the second half of the season.

11:02

Comment From mlampert7

any chance shumpert plays tonight?

11:02

Alan Hahn:

No. He is out through the weekend.

11:02

Comment From Guest

Any injuries for Miami tonight?

11:04

Alan Hahn:

None of significance that I'm aware of. Their mainstays are at full health. Miami has won seven straight and appear to be the best team in the NBA right now.

11:04

Comment From Jack Elum

how badly will shump's perimeter defense be missed tonight against LeBron and D-Wade?

11:05

Alan Hahn:

Shump's D on Wade will be missed for sure. The addition of JR Smith as a big guard who has the athleticism and strength to defend Wade certainly helps but Shumpert has developed into a strong one-on-one defender. Wade, like LeBron, is almost impossible to defend one-on-one as it is.

11:05

Comment From Dean Rizzo

What do you believe, is the biggest key to stopping the coast to coast offense of the Miami Heat?

11:07

Alan Hahn:

That is only one aspect of what the Heat do that is so dangerous, those quick touchdown passes for easy baskets that kill momentum off makes. Wade is great at leaking out and LeBron hits him a lot on those. Landry Fields likes to help on the boards from the guard position, but he may have to focus more on getting back to protect the other end.

11:07

Comment From Truman Burbank

what kind of scoreline do you expect tonight?

11:08

Alan Hahn:

This game, for the Knicks to succeed, should be in the 90s. I don't think their offense is ready to play a game that goes into the 100s. Not yet, but the potential is there.

11:09

Comment From Danny Carlisto

Hey Alan, love the fix, With so many players returning from injury, and with so many players on deck who can play, who do you expect is going to fall out of the rotation. We already know Bibby, Jordan and TD (who I miss) are out, who do you think will join them? Or do you think Dantoni will expand his rotation to 11 or 12 players, it just doesnt seem like him to do so

11:09

Alan Hahn:

Thanks Danny. I

11:10

Alan Hahn:

I think D'Antoni will have to play situational rotations with several players. It depends on foul trouble, too. But you're right, it's not easy to go 11 deep in every game. The bench has to develop an identity and then as matchups go, so goes the rotation. Some guys may not play every game or play big minutes. The key is staying focused and ready.

11:10

Comment From willierko

Alan, what do you expect from Carmelo tonight? He sure has a history of stepping up his games when ever he faces off with King James.

11:12

Alan Hahn:

That he does, though I don't see Melo at his best right now physically. He's still working his way back and trying to fit into the system with Jeremy Lin. LeBron, meanwhile, looks to be in incredible shape and has been just dominant. Still, if Melo was able to use the Nets and Hawks games as a way to shake off the rust and get into a groove, maybe he'll find that groove again tonight. The Knicks will need his scoring to have a chance.

11:12

Comment From mlampert7

so melo will be guarding lebron ?

11:12

Alan Hahn:

He usually does. But we'll see Jared Jeffries there, too, I'm sure.

11:13

Comment From kayisgood

Do you think the knicks should double team both wade and lebron, one of them , or neither

11:13

Alan Hahn:

I don't know how you double-team two guys at once with five players.

11:13

Alan Hahn:

But I'm sure there will be a lot of help and switching.

11:13

Comment From Kyle Hodges

What's up with Stat Alan? Is it mental (His brother?), or physical (His legs/ conditioning)? Something ain't right

11:15

Alan Hahn:

Kyle! O.G. Fixer! What you're asking is just not getting answered right now by the only man who knows. I had a private chat with Amar'e on Sunday and he insisted to me that he feels fine. But everyone sees that his elevator isn't going all the way to the top floor anymore. Is this a result of the back injury and an offseason without proper preparation? Is this a sign of early aging on his surgically-repaired knees? It's impossible to do anything but speculate.

11:16

Comment From Guest

do you expect amare to be efective tonight?

11:17

Alan Hahn:

I expect Amar'e to do what he always does: work hard. Last night, though he continues to have defensive lapses, he does give you an effort and he did so on the boards (10 rebounds). Amar'e has to see that when he isn't scoring, he should use his energy to provide in other areas. His matchup with Bosh tonight is very important.

11:17

Comment From Jay Teddy

Do you think Linsanity will play a big part of the Miami Game?

11:19

Alan Hahn:

I think it'll be the focus from the start and the Heat will go out of their way to try to shut him down and get the ball out of his hands. There will be a lot of effort on Wade's part to make Jeremy Lin look human. I anticipate that this is Wade's mission tonight.

11:19

Comment From Zhe Min Wu

would the heat double team or iso Lin?

11:20

Alan Hahn:

They'll do what the Mavericks and Hornets did: blitz him quickly with traps to get the ball out of his hands. Lin has to attack and make quick decisions. This won't be a game of dribbling and looking around. He may have to commit to dribble drives early to put the defense on its heels.

11:21

Comment From Guest

what do you expect fromlin tonight?

11:22

Alan Hahn:

I expect him to battle as he always does and adjust as the game goes on. It's a good test and learning experience for him. This will be close to a playoff atmosphere, which he's never experienced. He can build off this, regardless of what happens.

11:22

Comment From MusicIsGood4U

Which matchup are you looking forward to most?

11:23

Alan Hahn:

I always love watching Melo go against LeBron. Melo seems to know how to attack him and wears that smirk as if he's completely unintimidated. Donnie Walsh used to tell me that he believes Melo is the only player in the NBA that LeBron has a healthy fear of on the court.

11:23

Comment From alloggio23

Who is the biggest factor for each team

11:24

Alan Hahn:

Wade is for the Heat. As his energy goes, they go. For the Knicks, I think Melo has to be Melo, the Melo we all know.

11:24

Comment From Lula

Do you think the knicks will perform poorly today because of the back to back game?

11:26

Alan Hahn:

No. Now will they shoot poorly from three or turn the ball over a lot, which are two of their biggest issues this season? It's very possible. But that won't be a fatigue problem. The win over Atlanta wasn't a major struggle so they should be ready for this game. The bench, to me, will be critical in bringing energy and scoring. I'm looking at JR Smith to play a vital role here.

11:26

Comment From linforthewin

Better bench: Knicks or Heat?

11:28

Alan Hahn:

Knicks have more depth on paper, but Heat have good shooters and floor-spacers and more experience within their system, so their chemistry is already set. You can't overlook that.

11:28

Comment From projectpaki

What defensive problems (if any) do the Heat have that we should look for the Knicks to exploit?

11:30

Alan Hahn:

You can beat them off the dribble on the perimeter, but they are great at help defense and pursuit, as well. The key is to get penetration and make quick decisions when help arrives. They are a very intense team, tho. Very few lulls.

11:31

Comment From Knicks7Carmelo

Do you think the Knicks will focus on the Paint more than the 3's?

11:32

Alan Hahn:

Depends. Miami likes to play a 2-3 zone at times to pack it in. Knicks have to prove they can knock down the three-ball as they did in the last visit. Otherwise, Melo will run into defenders on drives and Lin will be bottled up, as well. That's what JR and Novak will be so critical. The three-pointer opens up the middle.

11:32

Comment From Kyle Webb

Do you think D'Antoni will attempt to slow the pace a bit?

11:34

Alan Hahn:

No I don't think you'd want to let the Miami defense get set, especially to trap Lin in the pick-and-roll. So maybe it's better for quick outlets and quick movement up the court. Let Lin turn on the afterburners a few times and get up the floor against Chalmers and Wade. You don't want to play too fast, of course, because that's what Miami wants to do. Important to control tempo, but don't be too methodical.

11:34

Comment From Frank Ebel

It seems that D'antoni uses JR and Novak in the same lineup ALOT. And most of the time it's when STAT and MELO are off the court. Makes NYK a little 3-ball happy. What's he trying to do with the Lin-JR-Novak-Jeffries-Chandler lineup?

11:36

Alan Hahn:

That's just one look. I don't think he's purposely keeping Novak and JR away from Melo and Amar'e on purpose. It's a second-unit look. This is way too early in the process and I think during next week's break D'Antoni will give many different lineups a look.

11:36

Comment From statmelolin

Do you think turnovers will be a main problem for knicks tonight? MIA seems to be good at picking off cross court passes, which NY seems to do on a regular basis.

11:37

Alan Hahn:

"purposely on purpose." Good stuff, Alan....SMH

Turnovers certainly have been an issue all season and the Heat have feasted off turnovers. It's a matter of adjusting to what the Heat do defensively.

11:38

Comment From Khak7

Do you think Tyson will guard Bosh, instead of Amare?

11:39

Alan Hahn:

I'm sure we'll see that in the game. Depends on lineups and switches, too.

11:39

Comment From Ryan Kani

Alan, do you think lin will step it up like he did against the lakers?

11:41

Alan Hahn:

Like I said above, I think Lin will battle because that's what he does. We've seen him rise to the occasion and I don't expect we'll see him shrink on this stage. Does that mean he'll have great success like he did against the Lakers? No. But you can't get caught up in the numbers. Get caught up in the performance, the effort and the resiliency he shows. See how he adjusts and learns and continues to fight. I just don't expect him to be overwhelmed. But this will be a very difficult test.

11:41

Comment From saingchink

What do you think are the key aspects are for the knicks to get a win tonight?

11:43

Alan Hahn:

They need to hit a fair share of threes, such as 8 to 10, and they need a big game out of Melo on the offense. Defensively, they need to get back in transition to limit easy baskets and keep LeBron out on the perimeter. And, most importantly, the bench needs to play with great energy. Take it as a personal challenge to outplay the Miami bench. Game-within-the-game.

11:43

Comment From Jay Teddy

Do you think this game will go down to the last few minutes of the game?

11:44

Alan Hahn:

Man I hope so. Knicks-Heat going down to the wire is always epic. Great theater.

11:44

Comment From nysportbusiness

Do the Knicks have the deepest Guard rotation in the League ?

11:46

Alan Hahn:

Deep also suggests talent and experience. The Knicks guard rotation has two second-year players (Lin and Fields) and a rookie (Shumpert) along with a prime vet (Smith) and a veteran trying to come back from a career-threatening injury (Baron Davis). And we haven't even mentioned Toney Douglas, who went from being a starter to now completely out of the picture.

11:46

Comment From Joshua Charles-Lorcy

Alan dont you think j.r smith is a great asset for the knicks.

11:47

Alan Hahn:

So I don't know if you can say "deepest"...but they have depth.

I absolutely think that, Joshua. Great asset. If he continues to give the sincere effort on defense and energy that he's brought, he will be huge toward the success of this team this season.

11:47

Comment From mohizzy

Is JR's defense thus far something of a surprise?

11:49