The Denver Nuggets had a whole bunch of fun at the Knicks’ expense Monday night at the sparsely attended Pepsi Center. They put on a fast-break clinic starting late in the second quarter in posting a 106-78 laugher.
The account in the Denver Post was clear: These Nuggets are enjoying the run-and-gun style of new interim coach Melvin Hunt, no longer restrained by the structured coaching of Brian Shaw, who is a Phil Jackson disciple.
Derek Fisher’s Knicks tried to slow down the game early. They were successful and built a six-point lead. Once the Nuggets got into the running game, it was all over. They outscored the Knicks 30-15 in the second period and went on a 13-0 run to close the third quarter, using the athleticism of which the Knicks right now have little.
Kenneth “The Manimal’’ Faried (19 points, 11 rebounds) is one Nugget enjoying the changed environment.
And it brings into focus one difficult element Jackson and Fisher face when recruiting free agents: Are guys willing to join the Knicks and their triangle?
Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith said a couple of weeks ago on his visit to New York some free-flowing guys may not think it’s the best fit. It wasn’t for him, Smith admitted, and wished the Knicks ran more with their talent.
“I’m able to run,’’ Faried told the Denver Post. “I’m able to play in open space and play my game. I’m able to push the ball if I need to. … We have five guys who can push the ball at any time.’’
After Jackson’s roster tear-down, the Knicks have lost any semblance of athleticism. They were not looking to run the ball, especially in the high altitude in Denver. Fisher admitted some of the new players ran out of gas in the tough environs. Not having the athletic Tim Hardaway Jr. (back spasms) or Quincy Acy (knee soreness) didn’t help.
Ex-Knick Wilson Chandler, who scored 17 points, said of the Nuggets’ new offensive philosophy: “It’s a lot of fun, and I’m used to it.’’
Meanwhile, the plodding Knicks looked like a group having no fun at all in the triangle. Andrea Bargnani, Jason Smith, Travis Wear, Lou Amundson and Alexey Shved can’t be accused of being pure athletes.
And the Knicks frontline was so undersized and played so tentatively that when French rookie center Joffrey Lauvergne stepped onto the court late in the first half, he pushed around the Knicks. The 2013 second-rounder, who signed a contract in mid-February, was the best center on the court.
Hunt is now 4-2 playing a style that is counter to Shaw’s. No, Shaw didn’t use the triangle, but shunned a free-wheeling system.
In the Rockies, it was another night to consider whether the triangle is the wave of the future.