The current Knicks aren’t as obvious. For one, Tyson Chandler rarely posts up. Anthony has plenty of moves on either side of the court, even if he too often relies on some of his worst options offensively, and Stoudemire remains a versatile player offensively even his shots were finding the bottom of the net fewer and fewer times in 2011-12 (and, most worryingly, the months after Anthony showed up midway through 2010-11).
The parallels are in place, though. And while Olajuwon can help, and thinks that a low-post attack featuring either Stoudmire or Anthony (with the other lodged just atop the free throw line) can work, Dream was at his best by himself in the low post while four shooters (including power forwards like Otis Thorpe, Robert Horry, and Pete Chilcutt) looked on. Garbled interior messes like New York’s — and that’s assuming Anthony ignores his low percentage instincts and takes it to the paint — are a tougher nut to crack.
Hakeem will try, though; and it’s certainly smart of the Knicks to put the cash down to bring the two-time champion (including one title, following a seven game Finals battle, against the Knicks in 1994) to their facility during the fall, acing 29 other teams along the way.
For those wondering why Olajuwon won’t be with the team throughout the season, working on that post work? It’s not feasible — there is barely enough practice and development time as it is during the regular season, and this only works unless Olajuwon wants to be away from home for over seven months as a full-time assistant coach. It’s probable that he doesn’t want that sort of racket, and the open slot on the Knicks’ assistant staff is likely to be filled by LaSalle Thompson.
The onus, as it was when Olajuwon was merely coaching Stoudemire, is on the players to make it work. To go, as Dream usually did, to the highest-percentage move as close to the basket as possible. As fans of the low-post art, even if you scoff at the Knicks for piling up the big names, this is something to root for. Credit the Knicks for paying enough to bring Olajuwon north, and encourage this sort of cohesion.
Article Appeared @ http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/knicks-keeping-hakeem-olajuwon-themselves-hiring-legend-team-200152425–nba.html