Dwyane Wade must actively dislike the Knicks, and I'm not really sure why. Is this still about that time he got elbowed in the face? Because that guy was elsewhere last night. Whether it's a personal vendetta or just a defense ripe for attack, Dwyane Wade brings it against the Knicks, and it's more than a little obnoxious. Consider that my testament to his greatness.
Wade's antics aside, everybody knows the star of last night's game was Wilson Chandler. Wil didn't shoot all that well (8-19), but he took the shots down the stretch, which suggests confidence from the coaching staff and from within. I'd also like to report that Wilson's jumper, which used to carom off everything from the backboard to the shot clock to the arena rafters, now simply rims out when it's off. Wil's missing better than he used to. Small victories, y'all.
Having watched Chandler reach the cusp of reliability, it's great to read the news that he'll be working hard this summer:
The encouraging news on that front is that Chandler plans to spend the off-season in New York, working with the coaching staff. His top priorities are improved ball-handling skills and shooting. Chandler had converted just 43.3 percent of his field goal attempts and 33.3 percent of his 3-point attempts going into Sunday’s game.
The article also mentions the oft-heard comparison between Chandler and Shawn Marion, which I don't think does Wil justice. Marion's got offense, but excels mostly as a garbage man. While Chandler shares that ability to finish at awkward angles, he's already showing more of an ability to create for himself than Marion ever has. I envision his best-case scenario in more of the Danny Granger mold- not necessarily the best player on a good team, but a star who's capable from scoring from everywhere and makes a difference on defense. Maybe I'm over-estimating Wil's potential. But I doubt it.
The Knicks' final game of the season is Wednesday against the Nets. I sympathize with those of you who've ignored this latter part of the season, but I'd love if everybody came out for the last game and we bid 08-09 farewell in style.