whottt
03-01-2005, 01:08 AM
http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/41468.htm
RAMBLIN' ROSE HAS NO BEEF WITH KOBE
By MARC BERMAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMING ATTRACTION: Kobe Bryant, who scored 31 points, fouls Raptors' Jalen Rose during Lakers' 108-102 loss yesterday in Toronto.
Photo: Reuters
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February 28, 2005 -- Malik Rose is the Knicks' resident Laker expert. When he won two titles with the Spurs, the Lakers were San Antonio's biggest rival. Now, Rose is a Knick and couldn't care less about the fortunes of the Lakers, who invade the Garden tonight.
When asked if he thought the Shaq-less Lakers would make the playoffs, Rose said, "I'm just concerned about getting first place in the Atlantic. That's what's on my plate now."
There is a new grit, a new aura about the Knicks the past few days since Isiah Thomas' trading-deadline shakeup, as they are on their first winning streak since late December. And there is not the old aura surrounding the 28-26 Lakers, just another team trying to sneak into the playoffs, settled into the West's eighth and final playoff spot.
Kobe Bryant got what he wanted - no Shaquille O'Neal, no Phil Jackson, no chance of a championship.
"You can defend anyone differently when you don't have Shaq," said Rose, who had an eye-opening Knick debut Saturday by hauling in eight rebounds in nine minutes. "Shaq changes the dynamics of every game. But Kobe is a great player. It never will be [just another game] when you got the great 8 wearing that yellow jersey."
The Knicks (23-33) have won two straight since Thursday's two trades that were panned, whipping Eastern Conference playoff contenders, Philly and Indiana. Winners of four of six, the Knicks are still five games out of first place in the Atlantic Division, but at least they're no longer an embarrassment.
"Things feel way better than what they have in the past," Stephon Marbury said. "We just have to keep playing real good defense."
Rose, who had four offensive rebounds, played like he had downed three cans of Red Bull Saturday and it was contagious. The Knicks held Indiana to 79 points - just the third time this season an opponent has scored under 80.
"I just wanted to show the Garden that I wasn't going to mess up," Rose said. "The nervous butterflies are the good kind because they keep you on edge. But I've seen this crowd get on people and I don't want them to get on me."
Rose's minutes are on the rise. "Malik's a guy who's going to demand minutes just because of his style of play," Herb Williams said. "He's going to rebound the ball for you. He's going to do the intangible things you need to win. He's been on championship teams.
"The thing you notice immediately about him is that he's constantly talking, pointing to guys where they should go. It's a sign of a guy who's been on a championship team."
The bearded Bryant has won three titles with the Lakers, but unless they get Phil Jackson back, there's no more coming. Bryant said during All-Star weekend he thought it's "a good possibility" Jackson will choose L.A. over New York. The Lakers are run by assistant Frank Hamblen.
"With the Lakers you go way back to since [Jerry] Buss has been there, he's always had great teams in the upper echelon," Rose said. "The changes made in the summer, on paper and their record, doesn't have them in the upper-echelon but they're still dangerous with Kobe."
However, Marbury said the Lakers need Shaq to make it work, though he referred to Bryant as "the best player in the game." Bryant is averaging 27.5 points.
"They both complemented each other," Marbury sad. "Whenever you had two guys of that caliber, it makes it tough. Look at Dwyane Wade, the way he's playing because of Shaquille O'Neal. It was more Shaq than anything. I don't take anything away from Kobe, but to have both of them, it makes it harder. Guarding Kobe at the perimeter, you can double-team him and get it out of his hands."
RAMBLIN' ROSE HAS NO BEEF WITH KOBE
By MARC BERMAN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMING ATTRACTION: Kobe Bryant, who scored 31 points, fouls Raptors' Jalen Rose during Lakers' 108-102 loss yesterday in Toronto.
Photo: Reuters
Email Archives
Print Reprint
February 28, 2005 -- Malik Rose is the Knicks' resident Laker expert. When he won two titles with the Spurs, the Lakers were San Antonio's biggest rival. Now, Rose is a Knick and couldn't care less about the fortunes of the Lakers, who invade the Garden tonight.
When asked if he thought the Shaq-less Lakers would make the playoffs, Rose said, "I'm just concerned about getting first place in the Atlantic. That's what's on my plate now."
There is a new grit, a new aura about the Knicks the past few days since Isiah Thomas' trading-deadline shakeup, as they are on their first winning streak since late December. And there is not the old aura surrounding the 28-26 Lakers, just another team trying to sneak into the playoffs, settled into the West's eighth and final playoff spot.
Kobe Bryant got what he wanted - no Shaquille O'Neal, no Phil Jackson, no chance of a championship.
"You can defend anyone differently when you don't have Shaq," said Rose, who had an eye-opening Knick debut Saturday by hauling in eight rebounds in nine minutes. "Shaq changes the dynamics of every game. But Kobe is a great player. It never will be [just another game] when you got the great 8 wearing that yellow jersey."
The Knicks (23-33) have won two straight since Thursday's two trades that were panned, whipping Eastern Conference playoff contenders, Philly and Indiana. Winners of four of six, the Knicks are still five games out of first place in the Atlantic Division, but at least they're no longer an embarrassment.
"Things feel way better than what they have in the past," Stephon Marbury said. "We just have to keep playing real good defense."
Rose, who had four offensive rebounds, played like he had downed three cans of Red Bull Saturday and it was contagious. The Knicks held Indiana to 79 points - just the third time this season an opponent has scored under 80.
"I just wanted to show the Garden that I wasn't going to mess up," Rose said. "The nervous butterflies are the good kind because they keep you on edge. But I've seen this crowd get on people and I don't want them to get on me."
Rose's minutes are on the rise. "Malik's a guy who's going to demand minutes just because of his style of play," Herb Williams said. "He's going to rebound the ball for you. He's going to do the intangible things you need to win. He's been on championship teams.
"The thing you notice immediately about him is that he's constantly talking, pointing to guys where they should go. It's a sign of a guy who's been on a championship team."
The bearded Bryant has won three titles with the Lakers, but unless they get Phil Jackson back, there's no more coming. Bryant said during All-Star weekend he thought it's "a good possibility" Jackson will choose L.A. over New York. The Lakers are run by assistant Frank Hamblen.
"With the Lakers you go way back to since [Jerry] Buss has been there, he's always had great teams in the upper echelon," Rose said. "The changes made in the summer, on paper and their record, doesn't have them in the upper-echelon but they're still dangerous with Kobe."
However, Marbury said the Lakers need Shaq to make it work, though he referred to Bryant as "the best player in the game." Bryant is averaging 27.5 points.
"They both complemented each other," Marbury sad. "Whenever you had two guys of that caliber, it makes it tough. Look at Dwyane Wade, the way he's playing because of Shaquille O'Neal. It was more Shaq than anything. I don't take anything away from Kobe, but to have both of them, it makes it harder. Guarding Kobe at the perimeter, you can double-team him and get it out of his hands."