Knicks Rumors: Jamal Crawford Chase Proves NY Covets Players Allergic to Defense

Hachew!!! That isn't me, that is Jamal Crawford's allergy to defense acting up during defensive drills. Do the Knicks think that signing Tyson Chandler will erase all of the defensive bad habits the rest of their roster has?

What is even worse is that the Knicks amnestied the only other player with an ounce of defensive principle in Chauncey Billups. Rookie Iman Shumpert has the physical attributes to become a good defender, but who is going to influence him? Jamal Crawford? Apparently, that could be the plan, as the Knicks are pursuing a sign-and-trade for the free-agent guard.

Crawford has never had a reputation as a good defender. In fact, he was perhaps the worst defender on the team in his last stint with the Knicks. This is not a progressive move.

The Knicks have been aggressive this offseason on every front. They ridiculously chased Chris Paul, even though they had no assets to acquire him. Considering that commissioner David Stern shot down the CP3 Lakers deal, can you imagine what he would have done to a Knicks deal that would have offered far less?

The Knicks have traded for Tyson Chandler, who will apparently be asked to erase every mistake the Knicks make defensively. The new question in the Big Apple should be how long will it take before the Knicks fire Mike D'Antoni for failing to win with this talented roster?

You cannot disregard defense. I don't care how much you score and how many possessions you allow because you shoot quickly. Those are the normal excuses D'Antoni offers when his defensive approach is questioned.

The Knicks have allowed 108, 106 and 105 points per game under D'Antoni. The Suns under D'Antoni never allowed fewer than 103 points per game.

The last time an NBA team won a championship giving up that many points per game was in the 1988-1989 season, when the Lakers gave up 107.5 points per game. But that was a different era in the NBA, as every team in the league gave up at least 100 points per game.

The Knicks are attempting to lead the charge back to the future. D'Antoni isn't Doc, and he has routinely fallen short.

If the Knicks want to take advantage of a talented roster, they need to target defensive-minded players and find a coach that values good defense.