The Lakers ended the Knicks 11-game streak, their longest up to that point, beating them 113-109. The Knicks went on later in the season to their longest ever winning streak: 18 straight. The steadiest of all the Knicks, it seemed, the one who never seemed to deviate from good defense and clutch shooting and rebounding was Dave DeBusschere. I wouldn't argue that DeBusschere is better than several other forwards in the history of the league, but I would put him on a personal all time pro basketball team along with John Havlicek, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan and Walt Frazier. March 6: DeBusschere a Hit Even Without Ball The first thing you might notice about Dave DeBusschere on the basketball court these nights is that he looks like Bill Bradley's bigger brother. Both Knicks are tall, dark and handsome. Bradley has sleepy eyes, DeBusschere has piercing eyes, and he's more than an inch taller.
What may be more difficult to notice--and appreciate--about DeBusschere is the way he moves without the basketball. Moving without the ball is one of the marks of this superb player. DeBusschere is outstanding--more outstanding than the Knicks thought when they got him from Detroit in The Trade--and his constant movement without the ball helps make him among the most complete, selfless of ball players. If you can stand this self-discipline, try to watch DeBusschere without the ball the next time you have a chance to see the Knicks. Even if you don't always remember to do it, the exercise is one step in becoming the complete basketball observer. DeBusschere's contribution to the Knicks is almost an old story now. Since acquiring him they have won 30 games and lost eight. They had been stumbling along at a 19-17 pace before The Trade. DeBusschere's outstanding hustle, rebounding and defensive work have complemented Willis Reed's emergence as a superstar at center. Reed, DeBusschere and Walt Frazier are the brilliant core of the team now. Red Holzman, the Knicks' Yankee Doodle Dandy of a coach--and anybody who criticizes Holzman's choice of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as his favorite all-time movie is a cad and a bounder--says, "I didn't realize that Dave was as good as he was until we got him. I always knew he was an outstanding ballplayer, but not this good. It's often that way I suppose. You don't realize how good a guy is until you see him play every night. Eddie Donovan, the Knicks' general manager, agrees. "As soon as Dave got here, he moved into the two basic aspects of the game--defense and crashing the offensive boards. He's done a terrific job. He's a team guy and it shows in dozens of ways in helping the other players. The funny thing is that I don't really think he's close to his best right now. I think he can be a better player offensively. He's not going for the basket as much as he will." DeBusschere says, "The important thing is that the team is winning. But I really don't think this has been a good year for me. I got hurt in the pre-season charity game for Martin Luther King, and there's a problem now with bone chips in my ankle. I haven't been in top shape and it seems to have affected my scoring. I'm not hitting the way I have in the past." If this isn't a good year for DeBusschere, it's more than good enough for the Knicks. His presence has given the Knicks one of the premier defensive players in the game. He always draws the tough forward on the other team. Not only does he put a blanket on many of his opponents, he eases things for Bradley at the other forward position. This has helped Bradley blossom. DeBusschere's significance shows up in little ways. When the Knicks had their winning streak ended by Los Angeles two weeks ago, a factor was DeBusschere's early bouts with personal fouls. As long as DeBusschere was present, the Lakers' Elgin Baylor was having trouble scoring. DeBusschere picked up a cluster of fouls earlier than usual, he had to be rested, and the Lakers came back to take charge of the game. In the victory over Detroit Tuesday night DeBusschre was the only man on both teams to play the entire game. The cliché is that DeBusschere plays like a second coach. And he has been a coach, of course. When the Detroit Pistons' situation deteriorated a few years ago, he was appointed termporary playing coach at the tender age of 24. The temporary job lasted for almost three years before he gave it up voluntarily. For many men, there could have developed the problem of having advanced too quickly. Some men might have had trouble coming down to player status, taking orders from another coach. Not DeBusschere. He said, "It was a relief to give up coaching. I realize now there were little things I wasn't mature enough to handle. I wasn't ready to deal with men who were older than I. Giving up that job was like having a great burden lifted from my shoulders. My playing was beginning to suffer. Right now I prefer it better this way." The coaching experience was valuable, though. "It gave me a better view of the entire game," he said. "I saw the game from a coach's viewpoint. I think I grasped the game better and could understand how players were making contributions in more ways than just scoring. Most players understand this; a coach drives it home."
|
|
The Knicks Streak vs. the Bogeyman 
