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Tyson Chandler to NY Knicks Trade - Video

2011-12-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

Tyson Chandler never thought a trade to the NY Knicks was a possibility but now that he is here he couldn't be happier to be part of a new young NY Knicks Big 3. In order to get Chandler by trade from the Dallas Mavericks the Knicks had to send Ronny Turiaf and a 2013 second-round pick to Washington plus some cash. This was a three way trade so the NY Knicks also sent second-year guard Andy Rautins to the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas also traded to the Knicks Ahmad Nivins and Giorgos Printezis. In order to create cap space to add Chandler the NY Knicks did unfortunately have to cut veteran gaurd Chauncey Billups and his 14.2 million dollar contract. There was some other players and picks moving between the Mavs and Wizards but who cares we get Tyson Chandler, good things are happening for the NY Knicks.

Watch this video where Chandler talks about becoming a member of the NY Knicks and let us know in the comments section how Chandler will fit in with the Knicks.

2011 NBA Playoffs: A Comprehensive Knicks-Celtics Series Preview

2011-04-14T19:19:00.000-07:00

By Jared Dubin
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

These 2 teams, THIS YEAR, have had some out and out battles.

Two of those games obviously came before the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, and the Celtics swapped out Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson for Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic. The Knicks lost those 2 games by 6 points combined.

The second, a throwback back-and-forth battle at Madison Square Garden, ended with a step-back dagger through the Knicks’ collective hearts from Paul Pierce (and a just-too-late 3 pointer from Amar’e Stoudemire).

There have been 2 more games since the trades, but let’s all just pretend Wednesday’s season-finale JV matchup in Boston didn’t actually happen, and concentrate on the March 21 matchup in MSG. It was a hyper-physical game (Troy Murphy, Ray Allen, and Carmelo Anthony all shed blood) in which the Knicks blew a huge lead, but at the same time proved that they could absolutely, positively hang with these guys.

I don’t really buy all the talk about how Knicks vs. Celtics is a rivalry. New York vs. Boston generally evokes the feel of a rivalry game. Yankees vs. Red Sox is a rivalry. Jets vs. Patriots is a rivalry. Rangers vs. Bruins is a rivalry. But not Knicks vs. Celtics.

The teams just haven’t been good at the same time in too long. The Knicks have been dreadful during the Celtics’ most recent stretch of good teams, just as the Celtics weren’t that great during the late 90’s run of Knicks teams.

But because the games this year were so great; and because the Celtics are seen to be nearing the end of their run just as the Knicks are starting theirs; and because these two teams seem to have been going in opposite directions for the last few weeks (New York went 7-2 down the stretch while Boston was 6-7 in their last 13 games); and because it is New York vs. Boston and The Garden vs. the Garden; this series will absolutely FEEL like a rivalry.

It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be close. It’s going to be bloody. And it’s going to be so much damn fun.

Which is why I’m going to break the series down right here in every way I can possibly think of: position by position, strengths and weaknesses, x-factors, and storylines, and I’ll throw in a prediction at the end too.

Point Guard: Chauncey Billups vs. Rajon Rondo

This should be a huge advantage for the Celtics. Chauncey Billups is old and slower, and he’s not getting any younger or quicker. And Rondo is maybe the league’s quickest point guards, and one of the craftiest as well. Rondo should win this in a landslide.

But Chauncey has been playing great lately for the Knicks, and Rondo has been downright dreadful at times since the Celtics traded his good buddy Kendrick Perkins. So it’s closer than it might look.

Still, though, I have to give the Celtics the advantage here. Rondo was so good in last season’s playoffs (he pretty much outplayed LeBron in the Cleveland series), and the physical advantages he has on Billups are so glaring, that I just can’t see Chauncey winning this individual matchup.

Shooting Guard: Landry Fields vs. Jesus Shuttlesworth Ray Allen

Chalk up another one for the Celtics. Allen is still the league’s best sharpshooter, no matter what the percentages say. I’m still shocked when he misses a shot, and so is he, and you probably are too.

Fields has had as good of a season as you could have possibly asked for from a 2nd round pick who almost nobody had heard of before his game was called on draft night. (I literally had never heard of him, and I follow college basketball pretty closely)

For most of the season, he led all NBA guards in rebounding, and all NBA players in 4th quarter 3 point percentages. But his play has really tapered off down the stretch, especially since the Knicks traded for Carmelo.

Meanwhile, Jesus Shuttlesworth quietly had maybe the most efficient season of his career. He shot 49% from the field and 44% from 3 and for the most part played very good defense.

Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony vs. Paul Pierce

A few years ago, before the Celtics ever traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, Paul Pierce was seen as a selfish, shoot-first-ask-questions-later “superstar” who had a bad attitude and didn’t care enough about winning. Eventually though, a light went on for Pierce, and he subjugated his game to accommodate 2 new teammates, started caring on the defensive end of the court, and became one of the best late-game closers in the league. Sound familiar?

It should. Because that’s pretty much what seems to have happened to Carmelo Anthony this season, in the span of just the time since he’s been traded to the Knicks. After initially winning 6 of their first 9 games after the trade, the Knicks endured a horrible 1-9 stretch, during which Melo shouldered a lot of the blame. But right after that, the Knicks won 7 in a row, and Carmelo has never looked better (He averaged almost 30 and 10 during the streak).

To me, the winner of this matchup could be the winner of the series. They’re very similar players at different stages of their career.

They are both very physical small-forwards who can take you off the dribble, raise up for a quick jumper, or back you down in the post. And they’ve both really stepped up their defense.

Pierce has the championship experience. Carmelo has the youth, athleticism, and the better all-around right now.

This one is almost too close to call, but I’m giving a slight advantage to Carmelo. Slight.

Power Forward: Amar’e Stoudemire vs. Kevin Garnett

KG is all about defense, rebounding, mid-range jumpers, and woofing and hollering like a maniac. Stoudemire is partial to rim rattling dunks and smiles, and only occasionally cares on the defensive end of the court (although more this year than ever before).

But both are the emotional leader of their respective teams. Garnett changed the Celtics culture immediately upon coming over in a trade from the Timberwolves, and immediately instilled a passion that was absent on the defensive end of the court. They won a championship in their first season, literally going from worst to first.

Amar’e boldly declared “The Knicks are back” in front of Madison Square Garden before he had even officially signed his 5 year, $100 million dollar deal and took all the weight of a city on his shoulders. He delivered as promised, tantalizing fans with a stretch of 9 consecutive 30-point games early in the year, and teaming with Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups to lead the Knicks back to the playoffs for the first time since Stephon Marbury was running the point.

Stoudemire is the better offensive player. Garnett is the better defensive player. Overall? I’ve got to give another slight edge to Amare and the Knicks.

Center: Ronny Turiaf/Shelden Williams/Jared Jeffries vs. Nenad Kristic/Jermaine O’Neal/Shaquille O’Neal

Ugly situations going on here for both teams. The Knicks’ size, rebounding and defense problem at the center position is well chronicled.

The Celtics problems at this position really only came up recently. They used to own one of the biggest size advantages of any team in the league, and they traded it away. They shipped off Kendrick Perkins, the league’s best post defender, to Oklahoma City, and sent Semih Erden, and underrated backup big man, to Cleveland.

None of Turiaf, Williams or Jeffries can be counted on to provide anything resembling offense, and their defense isn’t a big enough factor to garner an advantage for New York.

If either of the O’Neals can stay on the court for significant minutes, you’ve got to give this one to the Celtics.

Bench: Toney Douglas, Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, Shelden Williams, Jared Jeffries vs. Glen Davis, Jeff Green, Delonte West (maybe), Carlos Arroyo, Troy Murphy

The Celtics are certainly deeper here in terms of quantity of quality (yes, I used those words that way) contributors, but the Knicks probably have the best bench player in Douglas.

Since he went to Florida State, I’m extremely reluctant to give him any compliments, but when a guy leads the NBA in 3-pointers after the All-Star break, you have to give credit where credit is due.

But after that, the Knicks’ bench is too hit-or-miss for me to declare it a win for them. Shawne Williams is really only a positive when he’s knocking down corner 3s, which he did much more often in the first half of the season than the second half. Shelden Williams and Jeffries are negatives on the offense end. And Walker is the most enigmatic of the bunch.

Glen Davis was one of the better 6th men in the league for much of the year, and has stepped up his defense this year from the past. Green can play the 3 and the 4, but hasn’t fit in that well yet since coming over from OKC. West and Arroyo backup at the guard spots, but since Rondo and Allen play so many minutes, aren’t counted on too heavily. Still, they both have playoff experience and are solid.

Biggest Strengths: Knicks offensive firepower vs. Celtics lockdown defense

This is obviously the big battle of the series, and whoever controls the tempo and style of play will in all likelihood be able to win the series.

If the Knicks are able to push the pace, get out in transition and make their 3s, they will be very tough to beat. If the Celtics can make it a grind-it-out, half-court, defensive battle, they’ll likely be able to frustrate the Knicks into bad shots on one end of the court while unleashing their trademark efficiency on the other.

With Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony leading the charge, the Knicks have averaged 107 points per game since the trade. Chauncey Billups has been solid but not spectacular since coming over. Toney Douglas has been absolutely on fire, and has become a more important player to the Knicks’ offensive success than Landry Fields. Fields is very efficient, but has struggled late in the season.

These new Knicks can attack you in a lot of different ways, whether it’s a Billups-Stoudemire of Billups-Anthony pick and roll with the other waiting for a 15 foot jumper on the weak side, or getting out in transition, or letting Amar’e or Melo taking their man one on one in isolation.

The Knicks are definitely tough to stop, but the Celtics are even tougher to score on. Their ability to cut off both the paint and the passing lanes if unparalleled.

Their general focus will be to turn both Amar’e and Carmelo into jump shooters, not letting them get to either the rim or the free throw line. Rondo will apply a lot of ball pressure on Billups, and try not to allow him to hit the roll man or the pop man in screen-roll and pick-and-pop situations.

Not letting the Knicks get out and run will be huge too. Expect the Celtics to hit the offensive boards hard, since the Knicks are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league.

Biggest Weakness: Knicks rebounding vs. Celtics loss of identity Post-Perk

All you need to know about the Knicks’ rebounding woes is that Carmelo Anthony leads the team in rebounding since his arrival. Barring a shocking commitment to the boards from Amar’e Stoudemire during this series, you can expect the Knicks to get spanked on the glass.

The post-Kendrick Perkins Celtics have without a doubt been one of the most interesting stories in the league. In the days following the trade, there was a barrage of stories about how many members of the team, as well as coach Doc Rivers, were literally moved to tears when they heard about the trade.

Rajon Rondo in particular has completely fallen off a cliff without his best friend. Garnett’s woofing and hollering no longer has the physicality of Perkins to back it up. Allen and Pierce’s gambling (at times) on the perimeter no longer has the imposing presence behind it to thwart drives to the hoop.

These guys have looked like they’re old and slow and they’re pissed off that their teammate was traded. They look like they thought they deserved one more shot at a ring with their original group, and Danny Ainge took it away from them. This particular Celtics group had never lost a series in which their starting 5 was in tact (remembers Perkins was injured in Game 6 of last year’s Finals, and they beat the Lakers in ’08 when healthy). Ainge robbing them of that chance has thrown them into a funk.

Whether or not they can snap out of it will determine whether the Celtics can dispatch of the Knicks in quiet fashion or whether they’ll be given a run for their money.

Storylines: The Knicks are Back! vs. The Celtics Last Stand?

When Amar’e Stoudemire stood in front of Madison Square Garden and proudly declared, “The Knicks are back,” many laughed at him. How could a guy who had never played without Steve Nash, who was joining a team that had been one of the worst in basketball over the previous few years, and who had no teammates with any kind of experience to speak of, be so bold?

But Stoudemire took one of the youngest teams in the league on his shoulders, carried a huge load for the first half of the season, and looked like an MVP candidate in the early going. He still gets those chants at home games, even though he long dropped out of serious consideration for the award.

Then in February, the Knicks truly arrived, at least as far as being a relevant team in the national zeitgeist. Carmelo Anthony came aboard, Madison Square Garden absolutely exploded (in the good way), and many fans instantly had dreams of multiple championships.

This team is not at that point yet, but they are on their way. They have 2 important building blocks, and the cap space to potentially bring in a 3rd a la the Miami Heat in the summer of 2012 in the form of Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Dwight Howard. If not one of them, they will certainly be able to improve the team markedly in that span. Things are looking up for the Knicks, certainly when you consider where they were just a year ago.

The Celtics seem to be moving in the opposite direction. Coming into the season, it was expected that this would be sort of a last stand for this particular group in Boston.

Doc Rivers isn’t expected back next year. The since-jettisoned Kendrick Perkins wasn’t expected to resign in Boston after his contract ended. Garnett, Pierce and Allen are not getting any younger. Other than Rajon Rondo, there isn’t a super-star caliber player in the pipeline for the Celtics either.

And they’ve kind of validated all of that this season, especially with the way they’ve looked down the stretch. Is there anyone who could have watched the last 20 games that can seriously say that the Cs look like title contenders for NEXT year and beyond? I don’t think so.

The question for them will be whether they can put it back together for one last go at it. This group won a championship in their first year together, and they came oh so close last year. The veterans will not want their lasting legacy to be last year’s Game 7 loss to the Lakers.

Prediction

As much as it pains me to say, I have to take the Celtics to win the series. It’ll be a hard fought battle, and the Knicks will surely learn from and grow from it, but in the end the Celtics experience, playoff-tested mettle and defense will wear them out.

Celtics in 7 games

Carmelo Trade Post-Mortem: Did We Win?

2011-03-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

By Jared Dubin
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

I want to declare the Knicks winners. I really, really do. And before I attended last night's Knicks/Bucks game, I was going to. I was going to write this (in bold):

The Knicks' struggles since the blockbuster trade that brought Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and the since-jettisoned Corey Brewer to New York have been well documented.

They are owners of a record of just 7-11 since the deal.

They can't seem to play any semblance of defense.

They REALLY struggle to find their offense in the 4th quarter.

Amare Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups have shown little to no chemistry on the pick-and-roll, the axis from which all else in Coach Mike D'Antoni's offense flows.

But I can't, just CAN'T call a trade in which the Knicks wound up with Anthony, a top 15-20 player in the NBA at worst, and Chauncey Billups, an NBA Finals MVP, a loss. Just can't do it.

Eventually, these guys will figure it out. Just like the Miami Thrice did. Remember, the Heat started the season just 9-8 before they reeled off a super-impressive 21-1 stretch immediately after. Now, I'm not suggesting the Knicks are about to win 21 of 22 games, but I am suggesting that we all might be overreacting just a bit when declaring this trade a loss for New York.

But after that game last night, you can't help but think this...

The Knicks roster, as constructed, is flawed. For one, they don't have a true center on the team. When you're trying to guard Dwight Howard or Andrew Bogut with the combination of Jared Jeffries, Ronny Turiaf, and Shawne Williams, something is seriously wrong. And when you resort to playing Shelden Williams in crunch time, something is even more wrong.

Secondly, they don't really have a backup point guard. Toney Douglas has flashed some serious range a few times since the trade, but his play-making abilities leave a lot to be desired.

It doesn't help that Chauncey Billups has looked old and slow since getting kneed in the thigh by Dwight Howard a few weeks back. He's either just old, done, or both. I legitimately texted my friend who was also at the game, "Chauncey is killing us. He can't guard anyone so we have to play Douglas or Carter with him when Jennings is in the game. He should just sit down the stretch." And I meant it. Not a good sign.

At this point, it seems like the Knicks should be past the point of "growing pains" and "we need time to jell." It really does. You can't be making those kinds of excuses when you're losing to the Bucks, Pacers, and Cavaliers twice each in a span of 18 games.

Let's remember though, the Knicks do have wins over Miami, Memphis (twice), Atlanta, Utah, and New Orleans since the day. This deal will ultimately be judged into the future, and who Carmelo and Amare are able to recruit to join them in the summer of 2011 or 2012. This trade was as much about getting more guys to join up as it was about getting Carmelo.

Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire WILL be on the New York Knicks for the next 4 years. Only time will tell if they can bring a championship back to Madison Square Garden.

5 Things the Knicks Need to Have Success in NBA Playoffs

2011-03-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

By Jared Dubin

Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

Barring an epic collapse in the last few weeks of the season, the New York Knicks will be in the playoffs. They stand 4.5 games ahead of 8^th place Indiana as of today and would see the Chicago Bulls in the first round in a throwback to classic series of the 1990s. The Knicks are likely to finish in 6^th or 7^th place and face one of the three best teams in the Eastern Conference: the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, or Miami Heat in a first round series. Here are some things the Knicks need to do in order to have success against these teams.

5. Get Carmelo and Amar’e on the same page

Individually, Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire are obviously great players and prolific scorers. However, the Knicks big guns have yet to really gel together so far. More time on the same team will help, but they also both need to subjugate their games to accommodate the others’ strengths.

The reason the Boston Celtics Big Three was able to win a championship in their first season together was because they all put ego and numbers aside for the betterment of the team concept. Until Carmelo and Amar’e do the same, they won’t be able to consistently beat the better teams in the East.

In my opinion, working Carmelo and Amar’e on the same side of the floor more often and forcing defenses to choose who they want to get beat by on a given possession is the way to do it. Carmelo likes to post on the right block, and Amar’e is pretty deadly with the 15-18 foot free throw line extended jumper, so working in sets where the two of them and Chauncey Billups form a triangle on one side of the floor would put even more pressure on opposing defenses.

4. Decide on a rotation and stick with it

Mike D’Antoni has used 5 different starting lineups since the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony. Players such as Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, and Bill Walker have been yanked in and out of the rotation at a moment’s notice. Ronny Turiaf, Shelden Williams, Jared Jeffries, Shawne Williams, and Toney Douglas have started some games and come off the bench in others.

Until D’Antoni settles on a starting lineup and subsequently a rotation, people will be confused about their roles on the team. This obviously breeds a lack of chemistry, which is one of the main complaints about the Knicks right now. Once it is settled, everyone can find their niche on the team and figure out the ways that they will be able to contribute positive minutes.

I think a starting lineup of Billups, Landry Fields, Carmelo, Amar’e and Turiaf with Douglas, Shawne Williams, Jeffries, and Roger Mason Jr. off the bench is the most effective for this current Knicks team. It’s an undersized lineup to be sure, but the Knicks need to go with what works; spreading teams out and attacking with ball movement and the three pointer.

3. Figure out their 4^th quarter offense

The game against the Celtics perfectly encapsulated one of the Knicks major problems right now. They were ultra-efficient on offense and defense in the first half, and in the second half, they fell apart, especially in the 4^th quarter.

The Celtics clamped down on defense and the Knicks ended the game on a 1-11 shooting streak. You’re not going to win games that way.

Too often in the 4^th quarter, the offense consists of one of three plays: throw it in to Carmelo and everyone else stands and watches; throw it in to Amar’e and everyone else stands and watches; or Chauncey takes a jumper while trying to draw contact. I’m not sure what it is that gets to the Knicks in the 4^th quarter, but it needs to be solved.

Chauncey and Amar’e gaining chemistry on the pick-and-roll like Amar’e did with Raymond Felton is the easiest way to solve this problem. The pick-and-roll is the one play from which all else flows in Mike D’Antoni’s offense. Once they get this play rolling, everything else will flow from there. Landry Fields, Shawne Williams and Roger Mason will have open threes, Carmelo will have room to operate in the pinch post, and Jared Jeffries will have room to miss layups (just kidding).

2. Push the pace

The Knicks have played significantly slower since the arrival of Carmelo, Chauncey and company. This is partly because the types of sets Melo excels in: isolations and post-ups, require the ball to be slowed down. But Denver was the 5^th highest paced offense in the league and Melo and Chauncey played there, so the Knicks would be wise to speed it up again.

The Knicks, obviously, are not very good defensively, and maximizing their amount of possessions in order to outscore teams just might be the best way for them to win come playoff time.

Mike D’Antoni has proven that he can win basketball games at that pace, so has Amar’e Stoudemire, and really, so have Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups. It’s time for the Knicks to start moving the ball up and down the floor quickly, and getting into their offensive sets quicker too.

Some of this will come with more familiarity with each other and with the playbook, but a conscious effort needs to be made to get out and run.

1. BUY IN DEFENSIVELY

The previous four keys I listed for Knicks success had to do with offense and continuity, but everyone knows you cannot win in the playoffs without defense. This team has shown the potential to be a good defensive team at times (see: wins against Miami, Atlanta, New Orleans, and a close loss to Boston).

Until they bring defensive effort and intensity nightly, however, they may be stuck in that 5-8 seed range and going on the road to a better team’s stadium in the playoffs. It all starts with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire.

If those two buy in and put forth maximum effort on the defensive end of the floor night in and night out, the rest of the team will have no choice but to follow suit. They need only to look at the Boston Celtics for an example of how this can work. Right from the get-go, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen worked on the defensive end of the floor, and Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins then emerged as premier defenders at their positions.

Working hard, being held accountable, and putting forth maximum effort on every possession defensively is the only way the Knicks can have a sustained playoff run. No matter what happens with the offense, no matter how much firepower the Knicks have on the court, if they don’t play D, they wont be making a run this June.

How is the Melo Experiment Working Out So Far?

2011-03-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

By Jared Dubin

Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

There were 28 games remaining in the season when the New York Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony. 14 of those games have now been played and the new-look Knicks record in those games stands at 7-7. This shouldn’t come as that big of a surprise. That other team in South Beach started the season with a record of just 9-8 after 17 games. It takes a while for superstar-laden teams to gel, to gain chemistry, to really find their stride. What makes the Knicks record so surprising is the fact that they are 1-5 against teams with under .500 records. This of course also means that the Carmelo-led Knicks are 6-2 against teams with above .500 records. So what’s the difference? Why do the Knicks struggle against bad teams while thriving against better ones?

First, and most importantly, it comes down to defense. In 6 games against opponents with records under .500 (amazingly all from the Central Division - Cleveland and Indiana twice, Milwaukee and Detroit once each), the Knicks are allowing 111 points per game on 48.6% from the field and 42.5% from three. In 8 games against teams with above .500 records (Miami, Orlando, New Orleans, Utah, Dallas, Atlanta, Memphis (2)), the Knicks allow just 101.5 points per game on 47.1% from the field and 34.5% from three. That really just comes down to effort and intensity. The Knicks get up for big games and bring the defensive intensity. When they are playing lesser opponents, they relax because they think they can coast on their offensive talent.

The Knicks score 109.6 points per game on 49.8% from the field and 40% from three in games against teams with under .500 records. In games against teams with over .500 records, those numbers are 108.7 points per game on 47.6% from the field and 41.5% from three. Offensively, there is not much difference in how the Knicks have played against good teams versus how they have fared against bad teams. They actually average 0.9 less points per game against above .500 teams, and shoot a worse percentage from the field by 2.2%. They shoot 1.5% better from three. It really is all about defense. Defense is all about effort and intensity. The Knicks need to realize that offense alone will not win games for them and bring their defensive intensity every night.

The Legacy of Mike D'Antoni

2011-03-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

In the NY Post, Marc Berman brought up the idea of Mike D'Antoni being fired if Walsh's contract is not picked up by the April 30th deadline. It makes sense, Walsh brought in D'Antoni when he was hired three years ago, and usually a new GM is going to want to hire "their" guy to run the team as they see fit.

Well, Walsh stepped down as GM of the Knicks earlier this week and the ice beneath D'Antoni has just gotten thinner.

If this a new GM decides to hire a fresh coach for the Knicks, what will be the D'Antoni legacy as an NBA coach?

When D'Antoni began coaching the Suns, he was praised as an offensive mastermind, a coach who was willing to go against traditional basketball theorists by pushing the tempo of the game with little regard for defense. Teamed with Steve Nash to quarterback his offense, the Suns un expectantly become a force in the West. But as D'Antoni's team repeatedly came up short in the playoffs, analysts and writers began to question whether playing D'Antoni's style could ever bring a championship. As successful as D'Antoni was, he was unable to shake the "defense wins championships" premise that had stuck in so many peoples minds.

D'Antoni's teams were ranked towards the bottom in points per game given up, but ss that truly a fair assessment of D'Antoni's team defense?

It is unfair to judge D'Antoni's team defense by just looking at points per game. Considering teams in a D'Antoni coached game are going to have more than the league average of possessions, it is more accurate to look at their defensive ratings, which looks examines how many points per 100 possessions a club gives up. Below is how D'Antoni's teams ranked in defensive ratings for each of the four playoff teams.

2004-05 - 17th

2005-06 - 16th

2006-07 - 13th

2007-08 - 16th

Those teams may not be feared defensively, but they were not as bad as many people perceived them to be. Yet, people seem to focus on outdated statistics such as points per game as the main telling point on how D'Antoni's team fared defensively compared to the rest of the league.

Yet based on a more accurate statistic such as defensive rating, D'Antoni's competitive Phoenix teams were in the middle of the back, with an average ranking of 15.5 out of 30 teams during their four playoff seasons.

The bigger issue is the stigma that comes with a team that doesn't appear committed to defense. That is the problem D'Antoni has. His teams were often described as a team that lacks effort and focus. That may be fair, but it doesn't necessarily mean that D'Antoni's style can't win a title.

If that is the main criticism of D'Antoni, then it is only fair that the argument be made both ways, and yet, when there are coaches who preached defense and sacrificed offense and habitually have come up short, they are given a pass by everyone. Is that fair?

Jeff Van Gundy will always hold a special place in Knicks fans hearts. Yet those teams seemed to always fall short during the playoffs, and their offensive ineptitude was the main culprit. Here is how those Jeff Van Gundy coached Knicks teams ranked in offensive rating each year:

1996-97 - 25th

1997-98 - 20th

1998-99 - 26th

1999-00 - 21st

2000-01 - 19th

If writers and analysts are going to unfairly label D'Antoni's system as one that will never win a championship, the same has be said for Jeff Van Gundy's as well, even though it is on the opposite end of the spectrum. Since people naturally respect defense over offense, no one would dare label Jeff's system as one that can never win it all. Defenders of Jeff Van Gundy will point to the fact that he was never given an offensive play maker outside of Ewing, and Ewing was in the twilight of his career. But that same argument can be made in a case for D'Antoni. In Phoenix, his two best players (Amar'e and Nash) were atrocious defenders, and now in NY he has the same problem except with Carmelo and Amar'e.

If this is Mike D'Antoni's last year with the Knicks, I would hope he would be remembered for more than an offensive mastermind, but whose style isn't conducive to winning a title. Since the 1979-80 season only three different Western Conference teams have won the NBA Title, with all but two being the Lakers and Spurs. If D'Antoni's legacy as a coach is going to be a man who will never be able to win a title, then coaches like Jerry Sloan, George Karl and Rick Adelman should be given the same label, right?

D'Antoni's lack of playoff success is not due to his system. Those Suns teams have become underrated as they get dissected more and more. Mike is capable of winning a title with his system, and hopefully if he is given another chance with another team, and the "Seven Seconds or Less" offense will add a title to its resume.

-MB

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/nysportsmix

MIAMI ROAD TRIP: PARTY LIKE IT’S 1999

2011-02-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

By Jared Dubin
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

A friend of mine from college called me up in October and said, “Dubin, I got 2 tickets to Knicks-Heat in Miami on February 27^th. If you can get down here, the second ticket is yours.” That phone call was the inspiration for what became a weeklong trip back to my old stomping grounds in Miami, starting last Monday in Coral Gables, spending most of the week in South Beach and ending this past Sunday in American Airlines Arena. I have so many thoughts on this game that I just had to document them; some of them poignant, some of them rambling and incoherent, all of them somehow related to the Knicks’ 91-96 throwback victory over the Heat.

1. I’m not saying it definitely affected the way either one of them played, but I know for a fact that two prominent Heat players were at Liv in the Fountain Bleu on Friday night until at least 4 a.m. when I left. They had just ordered something like their 5^th round of 4 bottles of champagne and were showing no signs of leaving. Not sure if either one of them was even drinking it, (it was absolutely impossible to even get into their section, but you could get pretty close to it) but uh, they probably had a shoot around to get to or something the next day.

2. LeBron’s over-the-head pass to Erick Dampier in the first quarter was unlike anything I’d ever seen on a basketball floor in person. I had never seen LeBron play live until going to two Heat games this week (I went Tuesday against the Kings also). It’s almost indescribable. The things he does don’t look to be humanly possible, even as he’s doing them. You could see it in his body movement at the ball was in the air the he was gonna try to throw the ball backwards over his head, you just didn’t expect it to actually work. And then it did. Unreal. Of course, he followed that up with an absolutely bonkers left-handed alley-oop slam off a terrible lob pass from Dwyane Wade which almost brought the entire (65% full) house down.

3. Speaking of… Man, what an embarrassing crowd. There was so many empty seats. Not sure if they were talking about it on the telecast, but in know in ESPN’s game recap, they made it seem as though the place was packed, but it wasn’t even close. It seemed like the crowd was 50-50% Heat “fans” – Knicks Fans, and if it wasn’t, the Knicks Fans were certainly louder. The boos droned out the “M-V-P” chants when LeBron was at the free throw line in the fourth quarter. There was a shockingly loud “DE-FENSE” chant in the 4^th quarter on a big possession, and a thunderous “NEW YORK KNICKS!” chant broke at both inside and outside American Airlines Arena at the end of the game. The things Knicks Fans got away with inside that Arena, I mean, if a Heat “fan” tried in Madison Square Garden, let’s just say the Knicks season-ticket holders might’ve had a problem.

4. I hung around for a few extra minutes after the game, and went down to get a picture with Spike Lee (who was, amazingly, T’d up during the game; although they credited the call to Chauncey Billups), but the American Airlines Arena employees kicked us out of the arena when I was next in line. Instead, I got a fist bump and a “See you in New York,” from the Knicks’ biggest fan.

5. In the first half in general, and the first quarter especially, the Heat were finding Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers and James Jones for wide open threes and they were knocking them down. When LeBron, Wade, and Bosh started looking for more one-on-one offense in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters, the shooters got cold, and when called upon later in the game, they couldn’t deliver. The Knicks’ defense really clamped down. Shawne Williams and Bill Walker both defended LeBron and Wade extremely well for stretches of the game. Shawne did this to LeBron in the previous Knicks-Heat game as well, when LeBron was so incredibly and obviously off with his jumpers, but seemed determined to prove he could score of Shawne. Carmelo’s defense on LeBron down the stretch was great. (LeBron still had 27 points by the way; he’s just an unstoppable freak.) After a disastrous stretch of playing time in the first half, Anthony Carter did a nice job on Wade in the second half; including one really nice from-behind block leading to a fast break layup.

6. Amar’e and Carmelo still have no idea how to take advantage of playing together. That will come with time. I’d like to see them in some more pick-and-roll situations with Melo as the ball handler. Or with one of them on the low block and the other in the high post, so if the postman is doubled it’s a wide-open jumper for the other. Right now, because teams have been trapping Chauncey Billups on the pick-and-roll to force him into early decisions, “post-up Carmelo on the right block” is the Knicks’ best play. If Amar’e is right free throw line extended, and Chauncey Billups is on the weak side; Melo either has a one-on-one in the post, a drive-and-kick to Amar’e for a 15-footer, or a skip pass to Billups for an open three. We haven’t really seen Amar’e and Melo operating on the same side of the court yet. One of the few times they did, it resulted in a back-door cut and dunk for Carmelo on a nice feed from Amar’e.

7. In just 3 games, Chauncey Billups has already begun climbing on my list of favorite Knicks. He’ so smart and so strong. So much has been said about it already in the wake of this game, but I can’t get over how much I (and most people) underestimated how he would perform in this offense. There have been some out there making the joke, “Remember when we got that guy Carmelo in the Chauncey Billups trade?”, but I’m super-glad we got this guy. I did like the way Raymond Felton played for this team, even if I was lower on him than most, but Chauncey is definitely an upgrade. Every time the Heat took a lead, Chauncey made a play to make sure they couldn’t stretch it too far. He hit a huge three to spark the 16-0 run that ended the second quarter. He obviously hit another clutch three in the 4^th, stole Bosh’s wayward pass, and then found a streaking Shawne Williams for a layup (missed) and 2 free throws. He made so many little plays throughout the game that kept the Knicks around.

8. For most of this season, a lot of conversation centered on how the Knicks did not have sufficient assets to be able to trade for Carmelo Anthony. To then hear the Knicks’ trade for Anthony panned as a huge loss by many, many analysts didn’t make much sense to me. The same guys who had been saying that unproven rookie Derrick Favors, four unknown value future first-round picks (one belonging to the Lakers, and another protected pick belonging to the Warriors which turns into two second-rounders in a few years) was a MUCH better deal than what the Knicks were offering were now claiming that the Knicks gave up way too much for Carmelo. The Denver Post even went as far as saying Gallo could REPLACE CARMELO. Nuggets fans on message boards all have taken a liking to Gallo and Chandler already.

9. The Nuggets insisted that the Knicks include Timofey Mozgov in the trade. Mozgov has yet to play in 3 games since the trade. The Knicks insisted that they receive Corey Brewer in the trade. Brewer has yet to play in the 3 games since the trade, and is expected to be bought out.

10. Renaldo Balkman is useless. Don’t want to see him on the court. I’d rather see Shelden Williams. I’d rather see Bill Walker. I’d rather have seen Corey Brewer. I’d rather see former/future Knicks Jared Jeffries. I would not rather see Roger Mason.

11. Winning a game when you should 38.8% from the field is damned impressive. The defensive effort was absolutely off the charts. This is the kind of win you can get when you just try. If Amar’e and Carmelo bring the defensive intensity that they brought Sunday to every single game, the Knicks will be a very dangerous team for a long time. A lot of people consider these guys to just be bad defenders and dismiss them having any impact at that end of the court at all, but they both stepped up big time and proved that to be untrue.

12. Some plus/minus numbers for everyone out there: Wade: 0, Bosh: 0, LeBron: -3; Amar’e: +4, Chauncey: +5, Carmelo: +11, Bill Walker: +22.

13. The Knicks somehow did not shoot a free throw in the second half until 2:51 remaining in the 4^th quarter. The refs in this game were sufficiently horrible. How Amar’e Stoudemire doesn’t go to the free throw line once in the entire game is inexplicable. He was HAMMERED on that layup which cut the lead to 82-78 with 3:18 to go and it was uncalled.

14. Bill Walker had a great game. Had to single him out. It seemed like he had about 40 rebounds (he actually had 7 in 25 minutes), he hit a huge bank three to end the first half, and he played some good defense on both LeBron and Wade for stretches. Loved his performance.

15. Landry Fields, Ronny Turiaf, and Toney Douglas did not have good games at all. Landry went a very un-Landry 1-8 from the field, Turiaf did pretty much nothing, and Douglas again struggled to command the offense with Billups off the floor, which led to Mike D’Antoni dusting off Anthony Carter for a run.

16. Not sure why the Heat didn’t go to Chris Bosh down the stretch more often. He had a really strong game. Most power forwards dominate the Knicks anyway, but he did it too. LeBron could have hit Bosh on the roll on the play where he was blocked by Stoudemire, but took it himself. LeBron also had Wade open for a jumper the next play, but decided to rise and fire himself, and missed again.

And that’s it for now. I’ve got to say it was maybe the most enjoyable Knick win I’ve ever been to. I’ll never forget this night for the rest of my life. It was the renewal of a great rivalry. We got a great road win. I (kind of) met Spike Lee. I can’t wait to see what this team is capable of going forward, and I’m really excited about the possibility of a first-round matchup with the Heat. Here’s to being the ones who stand in their way as they look for “Not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven…” NBA championships as LeBron announced on stage at the Big 3’s unveiling, smoke show in July.

Pressure All on Melo Now

2011-02-21T20:13:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn Native has to deliver championship to MSG

By Jared Dubin

Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

Carmelo Anthony got his wish tonight when the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks finally, mercifully, at-long-last agreed to a trade that sent the All-Star forward to New York in a complicated, 3-way deal in which Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter wound up with the Knicks; Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 first round pick, and 2 second round picks went to the Nuggets; and Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph were sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Knicks gave up a lot. A whole lot. Pretty much all of their young talent except for Landry Fields. Gallo was coming into his own lately, and while I wasn’t as high on Chandler as most, he was having his best season yet. Felton had proven in just a few short months to be a warrior, a terrific leader, and a guy who had the stones to take and make big shots when the time came. Mozgov, while raw, looked to be a decently competent big man. Randolph never really got off the ground here, but he is unquestionably a talented athletic specimen. (Notice I didn’t mention Eddy Curry… damn.)

And because the Knicks gave up so much, and because Carmelo declined to use the leverage available to him and force a trade to the Knicks by communicating to Denver that he would only sign an extension in New York, the team he goes to has a lot of talent at the top, but not much after that.

Carmelo and Amar’e Stoudemire instantly form one of the highest scoring tandems in the league, and bring a lot of star power. But the rest of New York’s new starting lineup will probably include Chauncey Billups, Landry Fields, and Ronny Turiaf. Shelden and Shawne Williams will come off the bench and provide minutes, along with Balkman, Carter, Bill Walker, and Toney Douglas. Not much punch to work with. Probably a worse supporting cast than LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are working with in Miami.

So there is a whole lot of pressure on Carmelo to deliver in New York. Really deliver. Championship deliver. That’s the mandate. It’s why he was brought here. Being able to sell Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Dwight Howard on the Knicks next season will certainly help. Developing excellent chemistry with Amar’e Stoudemire will help more. Putting in his 26 points a game will too. Carmelo has set high expectations for himself and his friend Amar’e. He needs to surpass them to truly be loved in his hometown.

If Not Melo, Then Who?

2011-02-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

By Jared Dubin

Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

The Knicks’ top target this trade deadline is obviously Carmelo Anthony. Pretty sure everybody already knows about that one. But if Donnie Walsh is unable to agree on a trade with new Denver Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri, he should look to upgrade the team in other ways. I’ve already detailed how this Knicks team is in need of a backup point guard. The Knicks also desperately need a defensive minded center, because while Ronny Turiaf may be a fan favorite, he doesn’t stay on the court and isn’t talented enough offensively for Mike D’Antoni to justify playing him big minutes. The Knicks have also struggled to defend talented swingmen, so a wing defender is another area of need for New York. With this in mind, I’ll take a look at some players who I think would be pretty good fits for this team, for Mike D’Antoni’s system, and for the team’s future salary cap flexibility, which Walsh would like to maintain so he is able to make a run at Carmelo this summer, and Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or Dwight Howard the summer after that.

Joel Pryzbilla, C, Portland – Pryzbilla has played in just 26 games so far this season for Portland, and sparingly at that. While the Knicks would probably like to get their hands on another center for the Trail Blazers (Marcus Camby), Pryzbilla’s expiring contract probably makes him a better fit. He is a solid defensive presence who can also run the floor, and would be a great fit next to Amar’e Stoudemire.

Samuel Dalembert, C, Sacramento – Dalembert is another talented defensive center that is not much of a contributor on offense. However, he could anchor the defense for the Knicks’ second unit, and he also has an expiring contract, which fits in well with the Knicks’ desire for future flexibility. He’s averaging 1.6 blocks in just 20 minutes per game in Sacramento, and he would add to the Knicks’ league-leading shot blocking total.

Shane Battier, SG/SF, Houston – Battier is not mentioned much in trade discussions, but he could be a very valuable piece for a playoff team. He plays excellent defense, and doesn’t require any plays to be run for him to score the basketball. His game is somewhat similar to Landry Fields, but even more refined because he’s been in the league for a while. He has the ability to knock down the open three as well.

Andre Iguodala, SF, Philadelphia – Iggy’s name has been dangled in trade discussions for some time, and with good reason. The 76ers seem to have their backcourt of the future set in Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner, and Iguodala replicates many of the same skills that Turner brings to the table, for a lot more money. He’s a terrific defensive player as he showed for Team USA last summer, and his high-flying style would fit in well with Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced offense. However, his contract runs through 2012-13, so it would come at the cost of losing out on free agents in the next couple of summers.

Luke Ridnour, PG, Minnesota – The Knicks desperately need a point guard who can run the offense for the second unit, and although they’d probably like to get their hands on a different point guard under the Timberwolves’ control (Ricky Rubio), Ridnour is a steady option as well. He is especially proficient in pick-and-roll situations, which is the centerpiece of Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system. Ridnour’s contract does run for another 3 seasons after this one, so the Knicks may be hesitant to pull the trigger on a deal for him as well.

Nene, C, Denver – It’s highly unlikely that the Nuggets will trade Nene if they don’t trade Carmelo Anthony because they’ll likely try to make one last playoff run with their current group. However, Nene is just about a perfect fit for the Knicks. He plays great defense both in the post and in help situations, and he’s having the most efficient offensive season of his career. His injury troubles seem to be behind him, and his contract is expiring this season as well.

Troy Murphy, PF/C, New Jersey – You’d be hard pressed to find a player that fits in better with the Knicks’ needs than Murphy. He’s a 6’10” athletic, shot-blocking, three-point-shooting big man who is also a terrific rebounder. He’d be a good frontcourt mate for Amar’e and allow Wilson Chandler to come off the bench to provide some scoring punch for the second unit. Murphy’s contract expires at the end of this season.

Jason Williams, PG, Orlando – White Chocolate is an excellent passer and a good enough shooter to hold his own in D’Antoni’s offense. He’d presumably be a joy to watch in the open court, as he was in Sacramento. However, he was recently replaced as backup point guard for the Magic by a familiar face to Knicks fans… Chris Duhon. That does not say good things about Williams’ current skill set.

Deron Williams, PG, Utah – Jerry Sloan stepped down as Jazz coach today, and rumors are that it was because of his contentious relationship with star point guard Williams. Deron is one of the best point guards in the league, if not the best, and he is one of the few players in the league who are/could be available who would be an upgrade over Raymond Felton at that spot. If he’s really unhappy in Utah, the Jazz could look to trade him sooner rather than later, to avoid a LeBron James/Chris Bosh/Carmelo Anthony situation next year with all the media distractions centering on Williams.

Amar’e ends All-Star drought in New York

2011-01-30T14:51:00.001-08:00

By Tyler Pager

The last time the New York Knicks had a starter on the All-Star team was in 1992 when Patrick Ewing represented the Knickerbockers. However, Amar’e Stoudemire has ended that streak, after being voted into the 2011 All-Star game as a starting forward. This is Stoudemire’s 6^th All-Star appearance after five years playing for the Western Conference; this will mark his first time playing for the Eastern Conference.

LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Derrick Rose, and Dwight Howard will join Stoudemire on the East team. The West team is comprised of Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Yao Ming, who is injured and someone will be selected to take his spot.

Another Knick is also being considered to be selected as an All-Star reserve. Raymond Felton has a chance of joining Amar’e Stoudemire in Los Angeles if he is picked. The reserve picks will be announced February 3^rd.

The 2011 All-Star Game will be played on February 20^th in Los Angeles.

The Curious Case of Raymond Felton

2011-01-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

By Jared Dubin

Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

Much like his predecessor as point guard of the New York Knicks (Chris Duhon), Raymond Felton started off this season with very strong play, posting the best numbers of his career. In the first month of Duhon’s Knick career, he posted averages of 11.4 points per game on 43.6% shooting and 8.6 assists per game, followed by 13.3 points per game on 41.4% shooting and 8.9 assists per game in the second month. Duhon did all this while averaging 40.3 and 39.7 minutes per game, respectively, in the first 2 months of the season. By the end of the season, he had clearly worn down. In February of the same year, he averaged 10.3 points per game on 38.9% shooting and 7.5 assists per game in 36.0 minutes and by March those averages had dipped to 8.1 points on 38.1% shooting and 5.4 assists per game in 33.7 minutes a night.

Similarly, in his first month as a Knick, Felton averaged 18.6 points per game on a would-be career-high 47.5% from the field and 8.6 assists per game in 38.1 minutes. The second month of his Knick tenure was another stellar one as her averaged 17.8 points on 41.4% shooting (already the decline was coming) and 10.2 assists per game in 40.8 minutes a night. The high minute totals have seemingly already had an effect on Felton, as his January numbers dipped to 16.2 points per game on 38.2% shooting and 8.8 assists. That includes a 9-game stretch where he shot under 50% from the field in every game, and just 31.2% overall. His 3-point percentage has gone down with each successive month, from 36.7% in November, to 33.3% in December, and 32.8% in January. Obviously, it is far too soon to conclude that he will experience a Duhon-esque fall off a cliff in February and March, but it’s definitely concerning.

Felton’s poor shooting has allowed defenders to sag off him on the pick-and-roll, which has led to ineffective stretches for Amar’e Stoudemire and Wilson Chandler. Chandler, not surprisingly, broke out of a prolonged shooting slump in the same game that Felton broke his string of 9 consecutive games of under 50% shooting. By sagging off of Felton, defenses have been collapsing on Amar’e, and that’s why his string of consecutive 20+ point games was snapped at 26 in a horrific effort against the San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks are 9-5 in games where Felton shoots 50% or better from the floor, and 14-16 when he doesn’t, indicating just how important his shooting really is.

Playing Felton for fewer minutes would probably ease the playmaking and creating burden on him, but unfortunately for the Knicks, backup point guard Toney Douglas is rarely capable of running the offense when Felton is out. Douglas’ level of play has also dipped each month, and as a result he’s shooting just 39.4% from the field. He seems to be much more of a shooting guard than a point guard. Douglas especially struggles on the pick-and-roll, which is the play from which all else in Mike D’Antoni’s offense flows. This obviously presents a big problem, and the offense normally fails to establish any semblance of a rhythm with Douglas manning the point.

I'm not in any way saying Felton isn't a good player or that he hasn't been good for the Knicks. On the contrary, I'm extremely satisfied with his play so far. I'm just saying, we've seen this before. A point guard has come in and put up career numbers for a stretch before dropping off. I don't anticipate Felton turning out like Duhon, mostly because he went to UNC and not Duke, but it could happen. That said, his poise and leadership are a huge reason why the Knicks are in the playoff picture right now, and they arguably (definitely) wouldn't be there without him. What I am saying is that the Knicks should make a move for a backup point guard who can run the pick-and-roll and shoot it well from the outside in order to both ease the burden on Felton and make it easier for the second unit to get baskets.

The Rise of Raymond Felton

2011-01-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

By Tyler Pager

As the NBA season hits the halfway point, the New York Knicks are know finally recognized around the league as a playoff contender. However, the surprise of the Knick team has to be their playmaker and court general, Raymond Felton.

Most Knick fans expected greatness from Amar'e Stoudemire as a he is a five-time all-star and has already proved that his talent is undeniable. However, Felton’s rise to stardom was definitely unexpected by many.

After only averaging 12.1 points and 5.6 assists per game during his last season with the Charlotte Bobcats, Felton was a solid player. However, his campaign with the New York Knicks has been a huge success. This season, Felton is averaging 17.6 points and 8.8 assists per game and along with Stoudemire will hopefully take a franchise out of a seven-year playoff drought.

Felton’s ability to see the entire court has not only improved his game but those of his teammates as well. Rookie Landry Fields is one of many of Felton’s teammates who have benefited from his skill at the point guard position. Fields is averaging 10.1 points and 7.4 rebounds a game and is regarded as on of the top rookies in the league. Without Felton to dish him the ball, Fields’ development would have not have exploded so quickly.

Even though Felton’s play has been vital to the success of the Knicks, his leadership is his most invaluable quality. As co-captain, along with Stoudemire, Felton’s leadership is seen on and off the court. As a player with playoff experience and a natural floor leader, his ability to make everyone work harder and as a result become better basketball players and a stronger team, Raymond Felton is an invaluable member of the New York Knicks.

New York Knicks Mid-Season Report Card

2011-01-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

By Jared Dubin
Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

After tonight’s loss to the Rockets, the New York Knicks are exactly halfway through the 2010-11 regular season with a record of 22-19 and stand at 6^th place in the Eastern Conference. They started slow, reeled off an incredible hot streak in December, but have cooled considerably in 2011. The first half was marked by quality wins against Chicago, Oklahoma City, Denver and San Antonio, hard-fought defeats at the hands of Boston, Miami, and Orlando and terrible losses to Cleveland, Sacramento and Phoenix. It’s unquestionable that the Knicks are back to playing solid basketball and they look like a playoff team, but that’s not enough for many New York fans. I’m happy to see the team playing well and I like the young core, but the team has been slipping in recent weeks and its entirely possible they could be on a 6-game losing streak when they return home from this current road trip. Not all has been bad however, as the Knicks currently would face the Chicago Bulls in a first round series if the playoffs began today. Of course the midway point of the season calls for a mid-season report card, with letter grades handed out to every member of the team, from Donnie Walsh on down.

Kelenna Azubuike – Azubuike has yet to play this year and has had multiple setbacks in his rehab. At this point, it looks like he might not play at all.

Grade: Incomplete

Wilson Chandler – December was probably the best month of Chandler’s career. He averaged about 18 points and 7 rebounds per game on 53% shooting to go with 41% from three. He looked like he was on his way to becoming the player everyone wanted him to be until the last 3 or 4 games in which he has shot under 40% from the field, 20% from three and gone to the free throw line just four times total. A week ago, I would have given him an A. Now, not so much. He’s seemingly gone back to the previous years’ version since the calendar flipped to 2011. Very talented and very capable player, but doesn’t always put it all together.

Grade: B+

Eddy Curry – Curry’s salary is sitting on the Knicks’ books until Donnie Walsh decides to pull the trigger on a trade for Carmelo Anthony or until the trade deadline passes and he is bought out.

Grade: Incomplete

Toney Douglas – After a hot start to the season, Toney has REALLY cooled off. His struggles to run the offense with the second unit are a big reason for the declining play of the next guy on this list. Douglas’ inability to command the half-court or full-court offense has led to Raymond Felton having to play entirely too many minutes. It’s no surprise the Knicks are looking at backup point guards in the trade market, since Douglas is probably a shooting guard.

Grade: C-

Raymond Felton – Felton was playing and looking like an All-Star for the better part of the first half of the season until a rash of injuries hit. He’s slowed down considerably over the last few weeks, and his shooting has been flat out horrible lately. Nevertheless, his improved play overall and his leadership have been one of the main catalysts for the Knicks’ turnaround this season. If he starts knocking down open jumpers at the rate he did earlier this season, he’ll more than justify the Knicks’ investment in him.

Grade: B+

Landry Fields – Landry is still humming along leading all NBA guards in rebounding. He’s not flashy, he won’t wow you in any way, and his jumper is hella-ugly, but he’s solid and consistent and an absolute pleasure to watch play basketball. Picking this guy up with the 39^th pick in the draft is one of the bigger steals I can remember this team ever getting.

Grade: A

Danilo Gallinari – Gallo’s recent knee injury was one of the downs in what has been an up-and-down season for the Italian. He’s still one of the better shooters in the NBA, but he absolutely has to be more aggressive and assert himself more on offense. He’s got a well-rounded game, but rarely shows it. When he does, he’s proven he can be an explosive scorer (like the 2^nd half of the first Boston game, and the 1^st half of the first Miami game), but those situations are far too infrequent. Maybe he’s been affected by constantly being included in trade rumors.

Grade: B-

Roger Mason Jr. – Mason is one of my least favorite Knicks in a while. Supposedly a great three-point shooter, he has yet to make one as a Knick. He only gets off the bench in blowouts, and that one game where Toney Douglas was only supposed to play in an “emergency,” which he did because Mason was terrible earlier in the game.

Grade: F

Timofey Mozgov – When the Moz made his first two shots of the season, I thought the Knicks had a nice find on their hands. But he’s struggled to do everything from catching the ball to not fouling and is no longer a contributor. He didn’t even get in games when Ronny Turiaf was hurt, with D’Antoni instead opting to go small and force opposing teams to react, which hasn’t exactly been that successful.

Grade: C

Anthony Randolph – Ugh. So much talent. Seemingly so little smarts. Randolph’s basketball IQ is microscopic. He rarely knows where to be on the floor, and when he does, he just stands there. Otherwise he runs around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to block shots, shoot long, contested jumpers and turn the ball over. You can see the raw ability oozing from his long limbs, but the kid really just does not know how to play the game of basketball. Most disappointing player on the team.

Grade: D

Andy Rautins – Rautins made a three in a blowout recently. I’d like to see him make some more of them and actually run the point in the D-League, but the Knicks have never once used the D-League for its intended purpose (to develop players), so don’t count on it.

Grade: Incomplete

Amar’e Stoudemire – Simply put, STAT has to be on your MVP short list, or you shouldn’t have one. He’s invigorated the team, the city, and the Garden like nobody else since Patrick Ewing. He’s the Knicks best player, best scorer, and from the looks of it, best teammate. Everyone raves about how hard he works and how dedicated he is to his craft of knocking down jumpers and dunking on people’s heads. His outside shooting is the thing I’ve been most impressed with this year, along with his shotblocking. I could not be more satisfied with his performance so far. He needs to stabilize this team going forward and lead them to the playoffs.

Grade: A

Ronny Turiaf – Turiaf is not only one of the best Tweeters in the league, but he also has one of the best beards. He also plays pretty solid defense. He definitely needs to stay on the floor, as he seems to have trouble doing. He’s missed stretches of games 2 or 3 times already this season. He’s the Knicks’ best interior defender, and an underrated passer as well. Solid rotation player.

Grade: B+

Bill Walker – Walker is quite an enigma. He lost a lot of weight in the offseason, but somehow looks like he moves slower. He’s still knocking down threes like he did last season. He’s also still not doing much else like he did last season. His play has picked up of late and he was solid while Danilo was hurt. If he enters the dunk contest, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some fireworks.

Grade: B-

Shawne Williams – Extra E is the man. Not really much else I can say. He leads the league in three point percentage at around 63%. His long arms help when the Knicks run their press against backup point guards. He fought Bill Walker in practice. Just a nice bench player who can provide both offense and defense.

Grade: B+

Mike D’Antoni – His rotations have been questionable at times, and he’s failed to get anything out of Anthony Randolph. However, he saw the team struggling early in the season and cut his rotation down to 8 players and the Knicks vaulted into the playoff picture immediately after. He needs to do a better job motivating the team to play under-.500 squads, which has been a problem in the last few weeks. He knows the team is not quite there yet, but improving. The people who were calling for his job earlier in the season have certainly quieted down, but he still needs to show improvement in the second half of the season.

Grade: B+

Donnie Walsh – Walsh did a great job assembling this team. Arguably, his only offseason misfire was the David Lee trade, and everything else has panned out pretty well. A lot of Knicks fans got on him for choosing Shawne Williams over Patrick Ewing Jr. to make the roster, but that has turned out nicely. Amar’e is an MVP candidate and Felton is an important leadership cog. He has played some masterful poker in the Carmelo Anthony situation, and just refuses to gut the team to acquire another superstar. It seems to have paid off because the Nets have dropped out of the race, leaving the Knicks as #15’s likeliest destination.

Grade: A

Carmelo State of Mind

2011-01-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

Why the Knicks Absolutely SHOULD Trade for Carmelo Anthony

By Jared Dubin

Follow me on Twitter: @JADubin5

Ever since the Knicks missed out on LeBron James last summer and decided to build their team around Amar’e Stoudemire and the available cap space they would have in 2011 and 2012, it’s been assumed that Carmelo Anthony would be their number one target. And it’s also been assumed that MSG is Carmelo’s number one preferred destination. This week, however, there have been multiple articles printed on why the Knicks should not go after Carmelo, with some actually going as far as to say that the Knicks would be worse if they acquired him. I do not understand this one bit.

Yes. Wilson Chandler is a good, improving basketball player. Same for Danilo Gallinari. And Landry Fields may be the biggest surprise of the season. They are all nice players who have a chance to be solid contributors in this league for a long time. But none of them is the proven superstar and scorer that Carmelo is, and likely none of them ever will be. While Chandler, Gallinari and Fields have all shown flashes of greatness; Carmelo’s greatness is consistent.

People point to Wilson Chandler’s recent 31 point explosion as a sign of his continued improvement and say “Why trade for ‘Melo when you have Wilson for less money?” Well, because Carmelo does that EVERY NIGHT. Carmelo is a top-5 scorer pretty much year in and year out. He’s a proven clutch shot-maker in the 4^th quarter. He has brought his own team to the Western Conference Finals.

Acquiring Carmelo would make the Knicks so much tougher to defend than they already are. The center piece of Mike D’Antoni’s offense, the pick-and-roll, would become even more deadly. Felton-Amar’e pick-and-rolls with Carmelo as a weak side option on the dish. Felton-Carmelo pick and rolls with Amar’e at the free throw line extended for a jumper. Carmelo-Amar’e pick-and-rolls would be an automatic bucket just about every time.

It’s said that Carmelo wouldn’t fit in D’Antoni’s offense because he doesn’t shoot the 3 well enough and he isn’t efficient enough. Neither was Wilson Chandler before D’Antoni got a hold of him and developed his skills. Now Chandler shoots around 38% from three-point range. And with Amar’e and Felton spacing the floor for him, ‘Melo would have much more room to operate.

If you still don’t think acquiring Carmelo is the right move, let me put it this way: if before the season I told you that the Knicks could acquire Carmelo for Eddy Curry’s expiring contract, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and the 39^th pick of the draft, you would have taken that deal in a second, right? I would. Sign me up for that real quick. But now after 3 months of improved play by Chandler, a so-so season from Gallinari, and better-than-expected play from Fields, this is too much? I just don’t see the logic behind it. I like Chandler, Gallo and Fields as much as any other Knicks fan, and I'd be terribly sad to see each of them go. But I'm pretty sure I'd get over it the first time I saw Carmelo in the orange and blue as the Garden.

Get Carmelo, worry about how the rest of the team will fill out later. In the new NBA, gathering up superstars is the only way to compete for a championship. Boston has Garnett, Pierce, Allen and Rondo. Miami has LeBron, Wade and Bosh. The Lakers have Kobe, Pau, Bynum, and Odom. Oklahoma City has Durant and Westbrook. And on and on it goes. Right now, the Knicks are on their way to becoming a contender. With Carmelo in the fold, they’re right there with the best of them. Make the move, Donnie Walsh. Make the move.

Knicks Have True Grit

2011-01-14T11:26:00.000-08:00

Over the past month several people have asked me what's behind the Knicks resurgence. I could point to several factors, such as; the acquisition of superstar Amar'e Stoudemire, a significant upgrade at point guard in Raymond Felton, greater team chemistry, the development of Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari or the old school game of unheralded rookie Landry Fields. But ultimately, the Knicks revival can be summed up in two words: TRUE GRIT.

Former general manager Isiah Thomas comprised a team of malcontents who lacked discipline, leadership skills and a desire to play winning team basketball. When Donnie Walsh took over the reigns he traded Isiah's misfits for players other teams didn't want, but who fit into Walsh's plan to clear cap space for the free agent bonanza of 2010. Consequently, Coach D'Antoni was stuck with players motivated not by wins and losses, but rather their next contract with another team. Talented youngsters Chandler, Gallinari and David Lee were unaccustomed to winning in the NBA and lacked the veteran leadership to show them how it's done.

Enter Amar'e and Felton. Both have proven themselves to be better players than anybody realized. Amar'e has disproven the theory that Steve Nash made him who he was and is playing the best defense of his career. Felton, who averaged 13.5 points and 6.5 assists for his career is swishing and dishing at the rate of 18.5 and 8.9 per game. But the biggest contribution the two veterans have made to the Knicks is more subtle.

The co-captains adopted their role as leaders of the team and set the tone on and off the court. The message is clear; the Knicks will compete every night and expect to win regardless of the opponent. When they fell to 3-8 after an uninspired effort at home against a depleted Rockets team, Amar'e let his teammates know that their effort was unacceptable. He's backed up his talk on the court by demanding the ball in clutch situations and leading the league in fourth quarter scoring. When the Knicks are in a tight game or their energy is lagging Felton ("The Bulldog" as Amar'e calls him) raises the intensity level of his teammates by hounding his man defensively and driving to the basket with reckless abandon. The younger players have followed their captains' lead.

The NBA season is a grind. Players spend long stretches of time away from their homes and families. They fight through a lack of sleep and nagging injuries to face off against the greatest players in the world night after night. Talent goes a long way, but what often separates the winners from the losers is a will to win. In recent years the Knicks were content to showcase their individual talents and collect their multi-million dollar salaries. This team is different. They have true grit.

Why the Knicks should not trade for Carmelo

2011-01-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

by Patrick Leon

The Knicks are currently in 6th place in the Eastern Conference Standings, and it is clear that if they want to compete with upper echelon teams in the Association they will have to trade for an elite wing-man in Carmelo Anthony. Why I think the Knicks should not trade for Carmelo as of yet. The Knicks have promising young talent in Danilo Galinari, Wilson Chandler and Landry Fields all three of these players are under the age of 25 years old and reasons other than Stoudemire why the Knicks are relevant again.

Trading for Melo, you would likely have to give up two of the three, which would otherwise deplete the depth of the roster and the quality of production that you might not get from Anthony, Stoudemire, and Felton. The Knicks who are already in playoff contention should at least continue to compete in the East as the way they are, and wait until the season is over, therefore Eddy Curry contract will expire which should have enough cap room to sign big free agents in the off-season. The Knicks are currently having one of their best season since 2000-2001 and are on their way to making their first playoff appearances since 2004.

Chris Paul Moving On Up to MSG?

2010-07-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

By Canbek Alakay

This must be karma for the LeBron James debacle; Chris Paul has said he wants out of New Orleans, and he's given the Hornets a list of teams. Who's at the top you ask? The New York Knickerbockers. I was so excited when I heard that, not only did he want to leave New Orleans, but his top priority was to join New York, I misspelled Turiaf's name in a recent tweet involving a possible trade for the leagues best young point guard. Using ESPN's handy Trade Machine, I've crafted a trade that would work for both sides.

New York receives: Chris Paul (2 years, $31.8 million) and Emeka Okafor (4 years, $52.1 million)

New Orleans receives: Eddy Curry (1 year, $11 million), Ronny Turiaf (1 year, $4,000,000) Danilo Gallinari (1 year, $3.3 million), Wilson Chandler (1 year, $2.1 million) and Toney Douglas (1.1 million)

The Hornets will be looking for cap relief more than anything else, having signed several veterans to overpriced contracts over the years (Stojakovic ($14.2 million, expiring), Okafor (see above), and Posey ($13.5 million over the next two years). This deal clears Okafor's huge contract and also gets rid of Paul's nearly $17 million per year off the books. They would receive five expiring contracts, one of which (Curry), could be a valuable piece in a future trade with another team looking for cap relief.

The Knicks lose two of my favorite current players, Gallinari and Chandler, but that's the price you have to pay if you want to build a winning team. There aren't many guys like Gallinari, someone who could average 50-40-90 (FG%-3P%-FT%). However, it doesn't hurt as much because the Knicks also traded for Anthony Randolph recently, who will fill in for Gallo's absence quite well. Azubuike could also come in for Chandler and produce (Azubuike's 2009 PER was six points higher than Chandler's).

In the end, the Knicks starting lineup would be Paul and Azubuike in the backcourt, with Randolph, Amar'e, and Okafor in the frontcourt. Those five alone could get at least a six seed in the East. Add in role players such as Bill Walker and Raymond Felton off the bench, and you have a team that could very well challenge the top four in the East (Heat, Celtics, Magic, and Hawks). New Orleans, on the other hand, receive the Peja they wanted to sign in Gallinari, a very good sixth man type in Wilson Chandler, as well as a lot of cap relief. If they waive or trade Curry's contract, they could very well save up to $70 million over the next four years, $70 million which could go to the best free agents of 2011 and 2012.

If this deal ends up happening, it could very well sway Carmelo Anthony into possibly joining the Knicks next year. Everyone would forget about Miami's big three and focus on the real "Big Three" in the Big Apple: Paul, Melo and Amar'e, hopefully coming to MSG in 2011.

The Aftermath of the LeBronathon

2010-07-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

By Canbek Alakay

If you're a Knicks fan, you've got to be feeling down. It wasn't bad enough that he decided to go to a different team, or that he forgot to mention New York in his ridiculous decision special, but taking Bosh with him to join Wade in South Beach? That's like losing your girlfriend to some new guy, and then finding out that they were in cahoots six months before your breakup.

You've probably read a thousand articles about it already, either praising or condemning the self proclaimed "King" for his actions. This isn't one of those. Instead, I'd like to discuss where the Knicks go from here, and what they can do to relive the brighter days of Willis, Clyde, Bernard, and Ewing.

First of all, let's take a look at what the Knicks have done up to now. The club signed Amar'e Stoudamire to a five year, $100 million deal. I was a bit apprehensive of the move at first considering the fact that we just invested $100 million dollars into a big who isn't very much interested in rebounding or defending. Then I remember, thanks to D'Antoni's D'Inflation, he averaged 26-9 in 2004-05. Granted, he was playing with Steve Nash, but still, if we can get something like 22-10 or 24-9, then I'll be satisfied.

Next up is Raymond Felton. I've never been a fan of Felton to be honest, and I didn't like this move. However, he is an upgrade over Duhon. I believe he will most likely be used next year as a possible trade chip, coupled with Curry, for the Chris Paul deal that has me salivating. Just CP3 and Amar'e alone would be ridiculous. The fact that we have room for a max next year - a class that will likely include Carmelo, Yao and Tony Parker - is even more ridiculous. There's a good chance that this time next year, the Knicks will have their own big three.

The latest free agent addition is Timofey Mozgov, a 7'1'' center from Russia. Mozgov fills a big need at the five spot that desperately needs someone who is willing to bang down low and compensate for Amar'e. I'm not a Russian league expert, but most European centers haven't been built in the Russell mould, so I'm a little skeptical. However, on the other hand, most European centers are also very good three-point shooters, so I'm expecting him to fit D'Antoni's system like a glove.

Luckily, the Knicks picked up a bruiser who isn't afraid to hound his man and try to swat his shot on every possession. The Knicks sign-and-traded David Lee for Ronny Turiaf, along with Kelenna Azubuike and my favorite addition this summer, Anthony Randolph. Randolph is an excellent forward prospect. He creates mismatches at the three with his length, and is able to blow by many big fours with his excellent speed. He's a liability when it comes to defending big men, however, because he lacks elite strength. I expect to see Randolph get minutes at the three backing up Gallo this season, and possibly shift to the four when Amar'e needs a breather.

I've been a big admirer of Azubuike since his jump from the D-League to the NBA. His ability to play the two and the three affords us flexibility when we go big or small. He's an excellent role player and 9th man who you find on championship-calibre teams. Turiaf is another good addition because he can provide a spark off the bench and is a good defender. I expect him to either start or split minutes with Mozgov.

Sure, you might say we missed out on the two top players in the league, but hey, I'm an optimist. I feel good about what we've ended up with, and the moves we're making. We picked up an upgrade or a good role player in all five positions. However, we still need to make a few more moves because we're extremely thin at the guard position. I would have liked to see us bring back Nate, but I'll be satisfied if we find a good backup or two in the summer league.

Donnie, you gave us hope when you took over. Now it's time for you to deliver.

Gallo and Wil come up big in meaningless win

2010-03-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

By Donny Shabtai
Not surprising to any real Knicks fan, last night the Knickerbockers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 99-98. Anyone who watches the Knicks knows that can be competitive for a stretch. With the losses piling up, most recently to the WNBA team that plays in Jersey, the Knicks came out ready to prove they're not as bad as their record says they are. Gallo was hot from the start, dunking on the first play of the game. After what seemed like forever (21 straight games without hitting 20 points) the Rooster finally busted out of his hen for an enormous 27 points, on 9-14 shooting overall, going 4-5 from downtown and 5-6 from the charity stripe, two spots which should be layups for Danilo, though he's been struggling from there lately.
All season long Knicks commentators Mike Breen and Clyde (as well as everyone else in the five boroughs) that Gallo needs to be more aggressive and assert himself on the offensive end. All too often Gallo puts himself in a corner and waits for the ball. Monday against the Hawks, the Rooster was coming to the ball, putting himself in position to get off his gorgeous shot.

Toney "Money" Douglas has been seeing more time on the court and has been making it count. His defensive tenacity has proven to be valuable for the offensive minded Knicks. Although he had a great game, his turnover at the end of fourth quarter could have been disastrous had Wil-the-Thrill not been there to save his butt. Don't know what I'm talking about? Take a look.

Where is Lee going to be next year?

2010-03-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

By: Donny Shabtai

Every Knicks fan is well aware about the big time free agents who will be available this summer. 'Bron. Wade. Bosh. Joe Johnson. Over two years ago with an enormous amount of foresight, Knicks president Donnie Walsh started cleaning house so that the Knicks can be players during this summers much anticipated free agency. The Knicks plan, which they completed with the Jeffries trade this past month, was to have enough cap space two offer two different players max contracts (17 million apiece). Bron and Wade. Bron and Bosh. Joe Johnson and Amare. The speculation is endless. However, with the recent rise in David Lee's game, one has to wonder if it's worth offering one player a max contract, and a modest contract (10 mil or so) to Lee. With the leftover money the Knicks can sign a decent center (think Brendan Haywood) which would allow Lee to move to power forward, his natural position. The money can be saved for the next summer, when Eddy Curry's fat contract comes off the books, and the Knicks will find themselves in position to offer another player a max contract (two summers free agency is almost as enticing as this years).
To Lee's credit, he has improved his game by leaps and bounds year after year. He started out as a rugged rebounder, then learned to finish with both hands around the rim, and ultimately became a reliable mid range shooter. In the last three years his scoring average went from 10.8 to 16.2 to 20.2. What makes you think he is going to stop improving his game? He runs the pick and roll as well as any big man in the league, and if he was able to run it with the new no. 6, would be an unstoppable force.
Yes, I know he is not as good as Chris Bosh. However, Lee has been here for five horrific years, and has hustled every play in that span. He is the captain of the team. When his grandfather died a few months ago, Lee rented his own private plan to make sure that he got to the game in time, all because he is the captain. This is a guy who wants to be here, and we should want him to stay.
What do you think? Is it worth signing one star and David Lee? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment!

King James Sweepstakes

2010-03-02T06:02:00.000-08:00

Honesty I don't think that lebron James cares at all about the Knicks record this year when deciding if he wants to live in the New York State of Mind. The Knicks are an abomination on the cusp of either becoming huge or handicapping themselves for a few more years depending on the options available to them. What my question is... If Lebron James and his Cavs win a championship this year does that make him want to stay? Or will he be satisfied he brought his home a title and move on? I hope he moves on either way but only to New York.

Knicks end winning streak at one; Z-Bo gets his revenge

2010-03-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

By: Donny Shabtai

One night after the Knicks ended their eight game losing streak with an unwatchable overtime win over Washington, the Knicks lost a very winnable game to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Knicks interior defense has been a weak spot all year, and became even weaker with the recent trades. Last night Memphis scored 62 points in the paint, most of the damage being done by former Knicks Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. New York fans know that Z-Bo can play ball, but has changed his game this year to be more team-friendly, and in turn was chosen to his first All-Star Game. Z-Bo also out-hustled the Knicks for an astonishing 25 rebounds.

The Knicks, as always, had a furious comeback in the third quarter and even took the lead at one point. McGrady's minutes were limited last night (as they will be until he feels comfortable, probably next season) so the Knicks depended on Al Harrington to carry the load. Al actually shot the ball well last night (11-18 FG, 6-11 3PT FG), but as always he got carried away when it counted most. He is a great scorer who can help tie up any game, but after that he should be taken out. His decision making in clutch situations is not exactly his forte, and has proven to be detrimental to the team in the final minutes.

It seems as if Bill Walker will get some significant playing time in the Knicks height depleted roster. In his limited playing thus far, SkyWalker (Clydes nickname for him) has shown that he is definitely one of the more athletic players on the roster. His ferocious dunks have fired up the Garden and hopefully he'll continue to do so.

- Show quoted text -

New Arrivals Spark Knicks Offense

2010-02-26T09:39:00.000-08:00

Even though their record since the trades doesn’t show it, the Knicks offense looks better with Sergio Rodriguez at the point and Tracy McGrady at shooting guard. Since Rodriguez has taken over Chris Duhon’s starting job, he has averaged 11 points, 3.5 assists, 3 rebounds and 5 steals per game. He looks more explosive and is the perfect fit for Coach Mike D’Antoni’s run and gun offense. He is showcasing his talents after being kept a secret by the Kings and he is playing for a starting job next year as he plays out his contract. Chris Duhon may not see the floor the rest of the way.

At times Tracy “T-Mac” McGrady has looked like the all-star that people saw during the past decade. Since entering the Knicks starting lineup, McGrady has averaged 15.7 points, 4.7 assists and 3 rebounds per game. Even though he has proven that he is not durable and has been seen limping off the court recently, it’s remarkable what he has brought to the table. People didn’t know what to expect from “T-Mac” once he was traded to New York, but he has shown flashes of the “T-Mac” of old in the last year of his contract. McGrady’s career looks far from over and the fan favorite looks to get a starting job for next year.

Eddie House was also a new arrival in the Nate Robinson trade and he has also shown some flashes of the clutch shooter who won a championship with the Boston Celtics two years ago. Since joining the Knicks, he has averaged 12.7 points, 3 assists and 3.7 rebounds off the bench. He is also a favorite of Mike D’Antoni since he once played with him in Phoenix. He is also getting quality minutes and he should keep producing as long as he is on the court.

Even though the Knicks are not really in playoff contention, they have been entertaining to watch and have at least given the fans that go see them every game something to watch. Next year we will see a completely different Knicks team, but the Knicks will be fun to watch the rest of the way.

Deadline Deals

2010-02-25T12:43:00.000-08:00

I've been overseas without an internet connection for the past week, so here is my reaction to the NBA deadline deals.

We all expected this NBA deadline to give some big name players a new home; the general managers did not disappoint. My last blog stated my predictions were T-Mac to the Knicks, Stoudmire staying with the Suns, and Camby going to the Blazers. I love to toot my own horn but, these weren't really long shots.

Tracy coming to the Knicks saved Donnie Walsh's job for the next two-three years. Before the deal the Knicks were only in position to max out on one player which would all but ensure no Lebron to NY. This year is shot anyway but, at this point lets hope the Knicks can fall out of the top 10 since they don't have their draft pick next year. Houston scores Kevin Martin and the Kings unload Martin's contract and land Landry. (NYK Grade: A, HOU Grade: C, SAC Grade: B

Marcus Camby was a no brainer for the Blazers because he presents a post-up presence that was absent with the injuries to Joel Prizbilla and Greg Oden. The Blazers gave up Steve Blake and his less than favorable contract and Travis Outlaw who could be a future all-star. All and all the trade helps both team. ( POR Grade: A, LAC Grade: C)

The Cavs made the smart splash by grabbing Antwan Jameson and literally gave up nothing. The trade was ultimately Z. Illgauskas for Jameson and big Z was released yesterday by Washington which I think means he ends up wth Cleveland again in 4 weeks. This trade was better for the Cavs than Amare because he is just a better player than the soft big man in Phoenix.(WAS Grade: C, CLE Grade: A)

The first trade of the offseason was the swap of Caron Butler and Josh Howard. Butler and Haywood went to Dallas with Stevenson in exchange for Howard, Gooden, and a couple others. This trade went south earlier this week when Howard went down for the season with an ACL injury. For arguement sake I will rate this trade from the date the deal took place. (WAS Grade: A, DAL Grade: A)

Nate Robinson goes to the Celtics for Eddie House. As a Knick perspective this deal is fantastic. The Knicks get rid of the cancer that was Nate Robinson for Mr. Clutch Eddie House. From a Celtic perspective this deal is dumb; they take on a Knick headache for a second straight year. They give up a playoff proven shooter for a streaky shooter who plays no defense. (NYK Grade: B, BOS Grade: D)

"The Way We Were"

2010-02-22T20:16:00.000-08:00

By: Bill Pritchard

The Knicks celebrated the 40th anniversary of the 1969-70 NBA Championship team, but the party did not last very long.

Andrew Bogut and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks beat the Knicks by a score of 83-67 on Monday night, sweeping the season series in the process. Bogut finished with a double double, scoring 24 points and grabbing 20 rebounds, only his third career 20-20 game and first since 2008. John Salmons also contributed with 15 points for the Bucks.

The Knicks struggled from the floor and now have a record of 19-36. Tracy McGrady scored 15 points in only his second game with New York, but only shot 5 for 14 in just under 30 minutes playing time. Another newcomer Sergio Rodriguez, didn't do much better, only scoring 4 points with 1 assist as a replacement in the lineup for Chris Duhon.

Tomorrow night the Knicks travel to Boston to play the division leading Celtics. Will the Knicks rebound with a great effort or will KG and company have something in store to keep the Knicks on their skid? What will we see from new Celt Nate Robinson against his former team?

Knicks Clear Cap Space and Welcome In McGrady

2010-02-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

In a 3-team, 7 player deal between the Sacremento Kings, Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks, the Knicks add a star player and lose 3 "helpers". The New York Knicks have acquired Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez along with some cap space in exchange for 3 mid-tier players; Larry Hughes, Jarred Jeffries and Jordan Hill. The Knicks also had to exchange 3011 draft picks with the Rockets as well as sending them their first round pick of the 2012 draft.
The Knicks gained Tracy Mcgrady and didnt lose Nate Robinson (yet) as expected, but is this a real win? Tracy McGrady is a good player, but his averages are down this season. Maybe working off Lee's offense and Gallinari's jumper, the Knicks have a new go to man. Seeing Robinson, Harrington Lee, Gallo and McGrady play off each other could give the Knicks a surge for some playoff hopes, but in my opinion McGrady is depleting. Im sure he's excited to play in New York, but the question is; Is he worth it?
Obviously the Knicks are looking towards next season with this deal, and some more trades will probably come. But 3 draft picks and 3 players for 1 good player and another mediocre one? Okay Jordan Hill isn't the best player, but Jarred Jeffries and Larry Hughes did add something to the team however not enough in terms of W's I guess. you could argue "Why do you need draft-picks if you have cap space?" Maybe they think McGrady will play off LeBron next year...hell, they may even trade McGrady at the end of the season. Ones thing is for sure, the Knicks have high hopes in their prospects. In the end though, welcome aboard T-Mac you are now a part of Knicks history.

Knicks Lose First Game Back From All-Star Break

2010-02-16T19:20:00.000-08:00

After tonight's game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, the Knicks have lost 13 of their last 17. and are 14 out of being .500. It was pretty bad by the Knicks and D'Antoni looked extremely disappointed and exhausted. Their schedule isn't getting easier anytime soon.

Bulls tomorrow at MSG

Thunder at MSG (2/20)

Bucks at MSG (2/22)

at Celtics and at Wizards 2/23

The Knicks entire staff needs some motivational speaking on the Shallow Hal tip. They've played with no determination. Watch some game tapes, pick up your pants, do some drills and play like they actually mean it.

Final score 118-85. Derek Rose finished with 29 points. Hopefully tomorrow wont be the half-assed schalacking it was tonight. Tomorrow is a new game though.

Sorry, no game recap guys-too much to bare.

Nate the Great

2010-02-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

By Sebastian Kotowski

Last night during the much-anticipated Sprite Slam dunk challenge, Nate Robinson became the first three-time Slam-dunk champion by edging out DeMar DeRozan of the Raptors in the final round. After a somewhat mediocre first round, which included apathetic efforts from Gerald Wallace of the Bobcats and Shannon Brown of the Lakers, the high-flying Nate went to work beating DeRozan with 51% of the fans' vote via text message or through NBA.com. Although its rewarding that at least one player from the Knicks can enjoy some kind of success, this year's contest was disappointing to say the least. In recent memory the participants of the dunk contest, besides Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson, have been end-of-the line bench players with some high-flying athletic ability. But these players have little to no marketability; they are relatively unknown players, which in turn unfortunately diminishes what they accomplish. To retain the magical ambiance that the dunk contest once possessed, the NBA needs to get superstar names into the competition. This year's festivities were a far cry from the contest's heyday when Jordan and Dominique were wowing the audience. We saw a slight resurgence with Dwight Howard and Nate Robinson; but after Nate announced yesterday that he is retiring as a competitor in the contest I fear next years lineup of dunkers. If they can somehow entice LeBrown to participate he might just save us all from another pedestrian competition. In fact, this will be the perfect opportunity for King James to be the savior that the game needs. If he throws his name in the mix, others will follow. If they can't get someone like LeBron to headline the competition maybe they should just allow D-Leaguer Taurian Fontenette a.k.a. "The Air Up There" to compete in the dunk contest. (He threw down the first ever 720, are you kidding me?)

Since last nights competition was such a disappointment, it got me thinking about previous years and what my all-time dunk competition lineup would be. So I compiled a list in my head that I figured I'd share with every.

1. Michael Jordan - You can't have a dunk competition without his Airness. Jordan was the first ever back-to-back champion and is regarded as one of the best dunkers of all time. He's a no brainer.

2. Dominique Wilkins - Dominique was the innovator of the windmill and paved the way for future dunkers. Not to mention his explosiveness and seemingly effortless power kept fans at the edge of their seats.

3. Vince Carter - Vince Carter's performance in the 2000 dunk contest to me has to go down as one of, if not the best performance in a dunk competition. Every single dunk is now shown on all the highlight reels.

4. Spud Webb - The first ever competition winner below 6 feet tall. When Spud dunks it's almost scary how much vertical he has. It's one thing when you see someone who's 6'5 throw down a 360 but when someone who's 5'7 does a 360, its in another league entirely.

5. Nate Robinson - I figured the first and only three-time winner deserves an invitation, and there's just something about sub 6-foot dunkers that amazes me. Every dunk he does just looks so much better because of the sheer vertical.

So there you have it. That's my ideal lineup for a dunk competition. I'm not sure who would win but I can guarantee it would be entertaining. Let me know if you guys think I left anyone out.

T-Mac to the Knicks?

2010-02-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

According to Sportscenter this morning, the Knicks are reportedly involved in a three-team deal including the Houston Rockets and the Washington Wizards that would potentially send Tracy McGrady to New York. This blockbuster trade would send forward Al Harrington to our nation's capital and also send Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood from the Wizards to the Rockets, along with another player with a large contract possibly Larry Hughes, Eddy Curry, or Jared Jeffries from the Knicks. With the February 18th trade deadline looming, the Rockets are trying to move T-Mac's league leading $23 million contract out of Houston, despite only playing in six games this season. McGrady has been plagued by injuries for most of his career, however when healthy he's one of the leagues elite premier players. McGrady has an expiring contract which would fit the Knicks overall budget plans for next years inevitable overhaul with notable free agents such as Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and of course the Knicks first option, LeBron James. The only question surrounding this trade for Knick fans is Tracy McGrady's health. Over the last few seasons McGrady has been out for extended periods of time having major surgery on his knees and arthritic shoulder. However, he can provide instant scoring ability on a much higher level than David Lee or Wilson Chandler. T-Mac is a perennial all-star, something the Knicks dont have at this point.
The Knicks are having an up and down season, landing them in the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference 13 games below the .500 mark. Adding McGrady at this point just might be what they need to make a playoff push in the second half. If it doesn't turn out the way they planned then his contract expires at the end of the season and they make a run for Lebron in the off-season according to plan. If nothing else McGrady will put fans in the seats at the Garden and provide Knick fans with some entertaining basketball for the remainder of the season.

Sebastian

Knicks Turn The 'Wolves Into Mike Vick's Puppies

2010-02-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight The Knicks did to the Wolves what Mike Vick did to...well...you know...

The game started out with a 15-0 run in the first qtr. Knicks led by 36 at one point. My Boy David Lee had a great game yet again putting up 28 points with 10 rebounds. Al Harrington also had 10 rebounds with 26 points. Wilson Chandler had 20 points with 6 rebounds.

One notable play was Nate Robinson going in for the lay-up, jumping on the right side of the board, getting fouled in mid-air, managing to float the ball over the defenders body (who had about a foot over Nate) and into the net.

The Knicks are still dribbling around a playoff spot, but its gonna take a lot more of everything before they can even think about getting past the first round.

The Timberwolves never led during the game. Final score=132-105.

Win at all costs?

2010-02-10T09:16:00.001-08:00

The Knicks along with every other New Yorker, want to win and they want to win soon. I can understand the frustration, as I have been troubled over the years by the Knicks' woes. But my question to you is, do we really want Lebron? For all of his talent and superstardom, does anyone question his character?

Sure Lebron says all of the right things, but doesn't he seem a bit immature? Doesn't he seem too cocky? He's cocky in that obnoxious way, where you can tell someone is too in love with themselves. He has succeeded on every stage in the NBA so far, except for winning a ring. The Cavs may be the top team in the NBA and are looking like NBA title heavyweights. If he wins a ring, I don't see any reason for him to leave the Cavs, and for good reason. They have a nice supporting cast, but the only reason they seem so good is partly because he lifts everyone to another level. This is what the great players do, they make everyone around them that much better.

He could win a championship with the rag tag team that the Knicks have, even right now. He's that good. He could probably do it with the Nets, no offense to the Nets. But do we want to win in that way? The way that the Yankees have been winning for years? I would rather put a scare into the Eastern Conference with a couple of talented players, maybe a Chris Bosh, or a rejuvenated Amare Stoudemire. It still isn't too late in his career to learn a little bit of defense, although I highly doubt that the Knicks would be the organization would teach him defense. Amare Stoudemire a few years ago put a deep fear into the Spurs, playing at a extremely high level. Remember when he was pouring in 35 points, pulling down 13 boards, blocking a couple of shots? This isn't too far fetched. With the right team, and with the hunger that he currently has, maybe we just need a couple of stars - as opposed to a player who is so full of himself and throws baby powder up to the stage.

Granted this may never happen, but I would rather us win with homegrown talent. Let's make some great draft choices. Let's hire some scouts who really know what they're doing. Let's draft a point guard and come to the realization that as good of a guy that Chris Duhon may be, he has limitations.

We're afraid of other players bringing in cancerous vibrations to our organization but the cancer has been detected and is all over the Knicks, in every branch and in every department.

Sure, we traded for Marbury and he was already set in his ways. But imagine if we got a brash, trash-talking, confident young budding star in Brandon Jennings, and molded him into tough player like we had back in the early to mid-90's? We need a player who will instill fear in other players, just by the way he looks at them, just by the way he talks to them. In my mind, it's kind of like raising children. Some kids are born pricks, but you can teach them values and traits that will help sublimate that energy into something more productive. That is something we should have done with Jennings, and he would have rewarded us.

Instead of seeing others outside the organization as being potential threats to us, we should look from the inside. I would rather have a couple of all-stars who aren't as good as Lebron, but that don't exude that nasty full of BS attitude. He's good, but his you know what doesn't smell like roses.

Let's win from the inside, and a little help from the outside. I don't want Lebron on my team when it comes down to it, I don't want to buy our championship from a guy that shows off and dances on the sidelines when his team is up twenty.

I want someone who will cut your throat on defense and not gloat about it, not be so smug about it. There was a time that I was emotionally invested in the Knicks, and how the Knicks played would parallel how I felt about my life. Just recently I have cut off that emotional investment, because I am tired of being upset and let down. I am committed to us winning, but I am not going to be upset for two hours after the Knicks lose anymore, not anymore.

-Hillel

Knicks Suffer Disappointing Loss to the Sacramento Kings

2010-02-09T22:09:00.000-08:00

Going into the All-Star break, the New York Knicks have let themselves and their fans down. They fought hard, bringing the battle into overtime but left the court with their heads facing the concrete.

Wilson chandler was the leader of the game with a career high 35 points. Lee had another great game with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Knicks led most of the game. It was in the 4th qtr when Tyreke Evans led his team comeback, bringing it to overtime and leading his team to the win. I think coaches statement sum up how the Knicks have been playing the last 10 or so games.

"It went from 15 to seven in about 30 seconds and then we got tight and didn't play well and they beat us," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Somehow our spirit is all messed up."

KNICKS+Massacre=King James

2010-02-06T20:24:00.000-08:00

The Knicks have been playing bad basketball. As a fan, Im disappointed more then ever. You dont expect this kind of basketball from them. LeBron scored 47 points himself, bringing the Cavaliers to their 11th straight win. Chris Duhon was quoted as saying "Sometimes you just get star struck and you start to get in a daze" Thanks for letting us know Chris.

The picture was try to make all the Knicks fans out there a bit happier about the fact that no matter how much the Knicks lose, our cheerleaders always win. Thanks ladies.

Cleveland wins 113-106.

Lebron in New York 2011!!!!!!

Nate Robinson is the new starting PG!

2010-02-04T09:58:00.000-08:00

By: Mike Connors
Mike Slane of Knicks.com just reported that Coach D confirmed Nate Robinson will be starting over Chris Duhon beginning tomorrow. This is well deserved for both Duhon and Nate.
Duhon has had an abismal showing as a Knick since last year's All-Star break and finally Coach D stopped being stubborn and sat him down. It began last night against the Wizards, when Robinson began the second half and Duhon did not see one second of playing time.
Robinson has been a spark off the bench; he is as streaky as they come when it comes to scoring, but his defense has improved considerably. Robinson should be the sixth man with Hughes starting at the point, but as long as Duhon isn't getting considerable minutes the Knickerbockers should prosper.

Coach D's logic... I don't get it

2010-02-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

When did the knicks decide that they are good enough to play a seven or eight man rotation on a night to night basis? Coach D has this thing about him where if a player rubs him the wrong way they sit for two weeks; that is poor leadership. A great coach doesn't let his personal vendettas keep him from having the best players on the hardwood.
I'll be first to admit Nate Robinson is an idiot, but that idiot can provide major offense and pesky defense...when he wants to play defense. Nate sat for three weeks but the knicks were still getting wins. Currently the benches victim is Larry Hughes who is the best point guard on the team; Coach D has had it out for him since camp but, he scores and plays great defense.
Coach D must soon realize that using the same seven each night is going to burn out this team.
Granted the Knicks are not a legit playoff team but if he continues these rotations the Utah Jazz will end up with a great draft pick in June.

The David Lee Conundrum

2010-01-31T11:39:00.000-08:00

Written by Matt Barbarasch

With the Knicks trailing the Sixers 90-91 in the second week of January, David Lee calmly hit a fifteen foot jump shot with forty-three seconds left in the 4^th quarter. Lee would later ice the game with a lay-up, off a feed from Duhon, propelling the Knicks to a 93-92 road victory, one they needed after letting a game slip away in Houston, and then getting blown out by Oklahoma City two nights later. It’s the fifteen foot jump shot that Lee has added to his arsenal that has transformed him into one the most efficient offensive players in the league. When the Mike D’Antoni era began, Lee was perceived to be expendable. A player as limited on the offensive end as he was could not thrive in a system that requires five players who have the ability to spread the floor and shoot. Lee’s first year under D’Antoni was a breakout success. Being equally adept going to his right and left, Lee was able to get easy lay-ups in D’Antoni’s wide open offense. This season, Lee has once again exceeded expectations. The addition of a mid-range jump shot to Lee’s game has made him one of the best offensive forwards in the NBA. Based on Hoopdata.com, Lee has made 45% of shots between 16-23 feet. The league average for forwards and centers hovers around 40%. Lee’s offensive game may just be peaking, but it is his play on the other end of the court that has stunted his development at becoming one of the best all around forwards in the NBA.

With the Knicks down by one and needing a big stop against Toronto in the closing seconds of the 4^th quarter Thursday night, it wasn’t Lee out on an island guarding Bosh, it was Wilson Chandler, who despite his efforts, was unable to stop the more powerful Bosh from converting on a left-handed lay-up. Lee is a liability on the defensive end. He’s too small to battle forwards low in the paint, too slow to cover small forwards on the perimeter, and lacks any instinctive awareness on defense to protect the rim. In his career, he has averaged a mere .3 blocks per game, and this year he has not fared any better, averaging only .35 a game, ranking 8^th on the team. Basketball Prospectus rates Lee as a -5 on defense, the worse ranking for any player. It’s hard to rationalize signing a player to a huge extension that is a detriment to his team on one end of the court.

If the Knicks decide to ultimately give Lee an extension, they need to have a plan in place to make up for his defensive deficiencies. They need to give Lee a defensive caddie, someone who may not provide much on offense, but contributes on defense and protects the rim. They need a Jared Jeffries. Jeffries leads the Knicks rotation in blocks and in the +/- category at + 1. The numbers at 82.games.com also support Jeffries importance to the Knicks. Out the Knicks top ten lineups based on minutes, Lee is a figure in all of them, while Jeffries only plays in half. When Lee and Jeffries are paired together, the Knicks are +31 in the point’s differential, compared to -71 when Lee plays without Jeffries. Walsh and D’Antoni cannot give Lee a worthy extension based on his ability to convert easy baskets and grab rebounds. In order to construct a complete team they need to focus on what Lee can’t do, and find a player who can fill his void defensively.

Kicks Play Murder Ball at MSG

2010-01-26T19:50:00.001-08:00

Knicks Play Murder Ball at MSG 1/26/10

Tuesdays game against the Minnesota Timberwolves showed us how good the Knicks can play against a bad team. Honestly…The Wolves looked like a bunch of puppies out there…poodle puppies at that; but that's nothing new this season. This game was great to watch for any Knicks fan. Everyone on the team scored except guard Chris Duhon and forward Jordan Hill. David Lee once again walked away as the games lead scorer with 28 points and another 10 rebounds.

Granted, on Sunday the Knicks played like they were handling a bowling ball- tonight almost made up for it though. Yea, Minnesota isn't that good of a team; yea they're not even a mediocre team, but the Knicks played some great ball tonight. They disrespected the Timberwolves on a personal level. After taking a harrowing loss themselves, the Knicks deserve this kind of win tonight.

The 'Wolves have lost by 20 or more points 11 times this season; they lost their last 8 road games and lost the last four straight. Coach Kurt Rambis started bench players, and had 4 different players in before 20 points were even scored. Their lead scorer was Corey Brewer with 22 points. Every player on the active roster got in game time, and all but one of them scored.

In the first quarter alone, Minnesota had 9 turnovers which the Knicks converted to 15 points helping them take a plus 28 lead over the Minnesota Puppies. At halftime, the game was 68-15. Nate Robinson came off after missing Sunday's game with an injured hamstring and scored 13. Wilson Chandler played most of the game despite an injury and scored 20. Al Harrington also played another great game scoring 26.

This was an awesome game all around. Dominate basketball by the Knicks. I know I know…it's the 'Wolves so I shouldn't get excited, but this W should help improve the morale for the team after that brutal slop on Sunday. Now is the time to swoop in, win some games, and set a standard. Robinson is slowly coming back, Harrington is on, Lee is playing a great games, Chandler is doing his thing, and Galinarri is learning and slowly making an impact as a Knick. The players are there, the coaching is there. The only question is; is it too little too late? Or will it ever be enough? Show us why we're proud to be Knicks fans guys.

In total, the Knicks had 44 rebounds, 32 assists, 10 steals, 7 blocks, 13 turnovers, 20 personals and 132 points. They shot for 50.5% in field goals and went 17-40 in 3-pointers. They went 21-25 on free throws.

&n bsp; -DP-

Los Angeles Kobe Bryant’s vs the New York Knicks 1/22/10

2010-01-22T20:57:00.001-08:00

Los Angeles Kobe Bryant's vs the New York Knicks 1/22/10

(I only put that title to rile up some Lakers hate/love)

On Friday night, the Los Angeles Lakers came off a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers to play the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. Kobe Bryant had an average of 30.5 points per game at MSG coming in; the Knick historically played with no defense against these guys (or this guy) in the recent past. Tonight was a little different; but not by much.

Starting out, the Lakers won the jump ball and immediately scored. However the Knicks "should be all-star" center David Lee answered right back with a jumper of his own. The Knicks led most of the 1^st until the Lakers center Andrew Bynum got off a three point play with a free throw included bringing the game to 25-23 Lakers. Then, the Lakers went on a 13 point run and finished the first quarter leading by 6.

The second qtr. didn't show any real Lakers advantage over the Knicks; it wasn't the usual smut we see when Kobe comes cross- country. It was a pretty entertaining second. This included a Nate Robinson- Wilson Chandler Ally-OOP that shook the whole arena. Im pretty sure the people underneath MSG at Penn Station could even feel this one. The Knicks played smart ball and kept the Lakers out to the perimeter. Nate Robinson pulled his right hamstring with 10 minutes of play, 3 points and 4 assists. He didn't come back into the game. The quarter ended tied at 63.

At halftime, Bill Clinton walked on court and made a speech about the disaster in Haiti, kissed babies and politicized with players. While this game was going on, the Help for Haiti marathon was happening on other channels. They probably raised millions in aid for this misfortunate catastrophe,-which is a great thing. Artists, entertainers and politicians have really made America and the rest of the world fully aware of what has been going on. You would literally have to live out in the woods or limbo to not have heard about this thing. Clinton's talk really changed the atmosphere of the game for a little while though, which really speaks for this ordeal.

When the third quarter started, I myself was petty stunned to see the fight that the Knicks were putting up. At this point it was hard to say if the Knicks were playing good or if the Lakes were suffering with Kobe's sprained index finger. At the end of the qtr, the Knicks had out-scored the Lakers 38-20 in the paint.

The fourth didn't end so well for the Knicks. With about 7 min left, the Lakers opened the score up to an 8 point lead at 91-99. Kobe scored 13 of his 27 points this quarter. At one point Lakers fans started yelling "MVP", but the Knicks fans put an end to that with their own "Boooooo"'s real quick. At the end, Kobe ended with the 27 points with some help from power forward Paul Gasol scoring 20 with 8 rebounds, 5 assists and Andrew Bynum who scored 19 pts. The Lakers took the game and finished at 115-105; bringing their own record to the best in the NBA with 33 wins and 10 losses. The Knick's were demeaned to a 17-25 record. Looking at the numbers, the Knicks only had 4 turnovers with 13 rebounds, but had 34 flagrant fouls against them with 7 blocks.

Besides Kobe not demolishing the pride of the Knicks, and the Haiti relief efforts; the story of the game was David Lee. The All-star voted were cut in and David Lee was not a part of it. After seeing who was voted in, many people are wondering if the system should be changed.

Currently, fans decide who plays in the All-Star game. Many were left out, but a player like Allen Iverson was left in. Who knows why and for what reason; could be lack of votes, or lack of coverage for other players. They should take a poll on way they chose Allen Iverson. (I for one would love an answer). Tonight though, David Lee played an outstanding game. He scored a season high of 31 points against the best team in the NBA with 17 rebounds and 4 assists. He was the star player tonight against last year's NBA champs. When's the last time Iverson put up 31 against the Lakers? David Lee has been passed around the NBA like a 3 dollar ___ the last few seasons. He has put up good numbers and assisted on every team he's been on. He has earned himself a great reputation as a great player and probably the Knicks MVP. Keep on ballin' Lee. You keep playing smart and hard- and stay healthy- and you could have yourself a spot in the Hall of Fame. No racism, I must emphasis that; over and over again; but here's to the white guys who put up great numbers in the NBA. Let's go Knicks.

-DP-

Living and Dying With Chris Duhon

2010-01-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

Written by Matt Barbarasch

When it was reported last summer that the Knicks had interest in signing point guard Chris Duhon to a two year deal using their MLE, I was elated. He was the anti-Marbury, a point guard who distributed before shooting, played defense, didn’t scowl at team mates for ill-advised shots and turnovers, and didn’t sit on the bench with a towel over his head while his teammates took on the court. From his days at Duke, Duhon exhibited the characteristics of a leader. He is a guy coaches relied on as a coach on the floor and as someone who wouldn’t be a detriment to the team.

This year has been a different story. It is not coincidence that Nate’s return to the lineup has coincided with Duhon’s slump. Nate single handedly won the game for the Knicks in his first game back against Atlanta, while also providing a spark at the end of the third quarter recently against Charlotte, and gave the Knicks a boost off the bench during Monday’s win against Detroit. The numbers do not lie either. In the Knicks twenty-four losses, Duhon has shot 29%, while posting an assist to turnover ratio of 2.66, and contributing a team worse, .86 points per shot. In the seventeen wins, Duhon has shot 45% from the field, posted 4.32 assist per turnover, and contributed 1.39 points per shot, third on the team. Duhon is not totally at fault. He was always considered a stop-gap player, someone to help with the continuity of the team, until the summer of 2010. Last year after a hot start, he wore down late with back problems, and he is showing signs of wearing down again. He was never supposed to be a thirty-five minute a game player (he is currently averaging 33.6). If the Knicks are going to make a run at the 8^th spot, and they should be in playoff contention heading into March, it is time for D’antoni to give Duhon’s minute to Nate and Tony Douglas.

On a related note, the criticism directed at Walsh for passing on point guard Brandon Jennings is out of line. Jennings was a high school star who became one of the first star high school athletes to bypass his mandatory one year of college, and decided to play in Europe. In twenty-seven games playing in the Italian Lega A, Jennings averaged 17 minutes, 5.5 points, 2.2 assists while shooting 35% from the field, and 20% from three. Walsh was supposed to have a feel for a player who put up those numbers after one season? If Jennings was so good on tape, why didn’t the Timberwolves, who drafted two straight point guards before the Knicks were even on the clock, select Jennings? Jennings was the ultimate enigma, and Walsh deserves a pass on this one.

Time is Now for Knicks 2010 Move

2010-01-18T23:05:00.000-08:00

By: Gary Ayd

In my last post I outlined how the Knicks winning more consistently this season coupled with David Lee having a career year was actually having a negative impact on their summer 2010 prospects.
In the week or so since that post the NBA trade climate has presented the Knicks a great opportunity to circumvent the damage done by their successes this season.
That opportunity is not trading Eddie Curry (there is still no team dumb enough to do that….I don’t think), nor is it a way to get rid of Jared Jefferies’ contract (see Curry description). In fact the opportunity I see has nothing to do with cutting salary.
This opportunity is about making a play at the recently up for trade Chris Bosh.
For many of you who have read and listened to me over the past couple of years you know that I have repeatedly said the only one of the big three (Wade James and Bosh) that is going to be a free agent is Bosh.
If we go on the assumption that my theory is right and Bosh is the only A list free agent in this summers class (No Amare does not count as A list) why not go after him now and avoid competition on the open market?
If the Knicks are to have a chance at signing Bosh on the open market they will have to sacrifice resigning Lee who is playing his way to a well deserved payday this season. Knowing that and knowing that they are unlikely to free up enough cap space to allow them to resign Lee and go after a max level player it would be in the Knicks best interest to make a strong play for the Raptors forward now.
If the Knicks came the Raptors tomorrow and offered up a package centered around David Lee that included one or two expiring contracts and perhaps a draft choice do you really think Toronto could turn it down easily?
Every team in the league knows the Raptors are probably trying to get rid of this guy and get something for him because they know and the league knows he is as good as gone come July 8th—the day teams can start signing free agents.
Lets face it this isn’t Major League Baseball where some teams can just outright outbid others for the services of all the best players so the Knicks do not have an advantage over any other team simply because they are from New York.The question in this case is not about money Bosh is a max contract player simple as that, the question in this case and in that of every other max player is what can your team provide for me in the way of winning, social scene, good area to raise a family etc. over the other team(s) that want me?
The bottom line is a max level player is getting the same contract sands a few insignificant details wherever he goes so the ball is totally in his court (pun not intended) as to where he wants to play.
This puts a team like the Knicks which has not won really at all in almost 10 years and sands a few of the players they will have to let go to pursue Bosh does not have a very talented roster at a competitive disadvantage compared to other teams that may be in the hunt for the star forward. If given the choice would you rather play with Eddie Curry, Jared Jefferies, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler? Or Brook Lopez, Devin Harris, Courtney Lee and Chris Douglas-Roberts? I thought so.
If the Knicks do choose to package Lee with a few other pieces for Bosh they better do it soon, and they also better know they can get Bosh to resign with them following the season or before. The reason it is important for the Knicks to move early is simple: as the trading deadline draws closer more and more teams with money looking to be the proverbial early bird to get the worm will start making offers.
If a team like the Lakers offers up a budding star like Andrew Bynum strait up for Bosh as has been rumored the Knicks don’t have the pieces to match that kind of value.
Opportunity’s like this do not present themselves very often, and for once it would be nice to see the Knicks play the front-office chess match a move or two ahead of the competition by going after Bosh now as apposed to a move or two behind and waiting for their chance which may or may not come to sign him in free agency.
Anyone have an over under on the odds of this? I’m setting the number at 15% chance the Knicks at least try.

NY Knicks Lose 104, to 112 to the Toronto Raptors

2010-01-15T21:51:00.001-08:00

The New York Knicks hosted the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. They're minds must have been someplace else besides MSG though. It was Italian Heritage night, so maybe it was on the spaghetti and meatballs they had before the game…maybe they were bloated from too much garlic bread…either way the Knicks played a terrible game against a team that is at best-average. I heard this game was actually broadcasted at 2am in Italy by the way.

The Knicks never led for a fraction of a second. Not even by a point. This is a tough one to write about, especially for a first article. The Knicks played a lazy game. It looked nonchalant. They even looked nonchalant about looking nonchalant. Like a big F-U to the Italians on Heritage night. Italian players playing include Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli for the Raptor's, Gallinari, Coach D'Antoni and the guy who played Uncle Junior on The Sopranos. Let me start off with the positives before I start the assault though…

The Knick's led the game in assists (20), rebounds (10-42 offensive total), steals (5) (toronto had 4) and Al Harrington was the night's lead scorer with 31 points. David though was what I'll call the Friday Night Knick All-Star with 25 points, 14 rebounds, 9 assists and a steal. Danilo Gallinari had 26 points. Thank You Mr. Lee, Mr. Gallinari and Mr. Harrington for showing up on Friday and not playing like you were bloated off marinara sauce.

The pasta water boils down to this…The Raptor's performed better as an entire team. The Knicks did outscore them in the second and third quarters- but they can't get their due daps because it didn't mean a thing except for stats. The Raptor's are no powerhouse team. After tonight's game they are at .500. The Knicks are hurting on the inside and the outside. The Raptor's Center Andrea Bargnani had 9 field goals and went 5-6 and 3 point shots. He was Toronto's lead scorer with 24 points and also had 12 rebounds. As opposed to Harrington's 31 points; you figure the Knicks should have been able to pull this out, but Bargnani actually had a team with him. The Knick's performance shouldn't be blamed on the coaching either. Mike D'Antoni is in my opinion one of the best moves the Knick's have made in the past 8 years (besides firing Isaiah Thomas).

To sum it up, Toronto wounded New York with a 28 point amputation that the Knicks just were not prepared for. Toronto's first lead started with a 24-8 run. They made 17 of its first 27 shots in the second quarter bringing the onslaught- I mean basketball game to 67-43. New York did pick up the pace though, cutting Toronto's lead to only 9 points at one point. But then, the spaghetti fell off the fork and Toronto's DeMar De Rozan scored the final points of the quarter. The fourth quarter finally ended with The Knick's outscoring Toronto 24-19, bringing the final score to 112-104.

It was good to see The Knick's make a comeback. Gallinari, Harrington and Lee are slowly making themselves into star players. They need to step up though-big time, Ed Curry is injured and Nate Robinson isn't really doing much of anything. The season isn't over, and as faithful Knicks fans we can always say these great words… "Hey, at least I'm not a Nets fan".

The Knicks travel to Detroit tomorrow so the smart money is on the Knicks.

Knicks Winning Their Games - Losing Their Plan

2010-01-10T03:11:00.000-08:00

By: Gary Ayd

The New York Knicks are in the midst of a surprising and in some ways ill-timed resurgence. By winning now the Knicks are putting themselves in a tougher position heading into the fabled class of 2010.

With so many players playing well in the last year of their contracts Donnie Walsh and his front office staff, along with coach Mike D’Antonti will have the tough act of trying to balance keeping money available for potential free agents and keeping a competitive roster around star X.

Below is a list of players who will come off the team’s payroll following this season:

Player	Stats as of 1/9/10	2009-2010 Salary
Larry Hughes	10.4ppg, 3.9apg 1.4spg	$13.65 million
Al Harrington	18.4ppg, 6rpg, 1.6apg	$10 million
Cuttino Mobley	Retired	$9.5 million
Darko Millcic	2ppg, .5apg, 2.3rpg	$ 7.5 million
David Lee	19.1ppg, 10,9rpg, 3apg	$7 million
Chris Duhon	9.5ppg,6.4apg,1.6spg	$6 million
Nate Robinson	13ppg,3.2apg,2.4rpg	$4 million

Appearing on that list are the Knicks leaders in every major statistical category except for blocked shots, (Jared Jefferies) as well as five of their top seven scorers.
Of course shedding $57 million in salary would allow New York to pursue one max guy and perhaps another less then max free agent, but at what cost?
You and I both know any max salary guy is going to take his sweet time signing with whoever he decides to sign with, if the Knicks decide to roll the dice on signing one of the top guys they are almost assuredly going to lose most if not all of the impact players on the above list.
Before we ask the question is it worth the risk lets go back and list the top reasons why the Knicks winning this year may do them more harm then good.
1. A team that is at or around .500 and may or may not have snuck into the playoffs is very unlikely to impress a Lebron James, or Dwayne Wade, especially if most or all of the key players on that team are sacrificed in order to afford them.
2. It may accelerate fan expectations to an unreasonable level, the fact is with or without a big name coming in this off-season the Knicks will still be a few years away at best from truly contending for a championship, especially if they have to gut the roster to land that player.
3. Players like David Lee and Al Harrington are unlikely to sign anywhere cheap (nor should they). Lee for example is having a career year he is leading the Knicks in both points and rebounds and is one of only 10 guys in the league currently averaging at least 15 points and 10 rebounds. Is there any logical reason he should accept less then top dollar on the open market?
4. This last reason is unlikely to happen but should still be a concern for true Knick fans: what if as the trading deadline nears and the Knicks are still in contention (as I expect them to be) for the playoffs Donnie Walsh makes a bold move and acquires a player whose contract extends beyond the end of this season? If that were to happen the Knicks would have significantly hindered their long-term plan to satisfy a short-term desire. Again probably won’t happen but you have to at least mention it.
So now back to the question is it worth it? Is it really worth pinning all of the teams hopes and dreams on what essentially amounts to putting your whole life savings on black at the roulette wheel? My answer is a resounding…maybe.
If Walsh can find some way to lure a big name player and keep at least Lee in the fold (preferably Lee and either Duhon or Harrington) then I am all for it.
But make no mistake about it if the Knicks lose everyone and add only one top guy this team will be no better and perhaps even worse then they are this year.
Also lost in all the Lebron mania is the fact that David Lee has elevated himself to an all-star, and perhaps even all-pro level. People still love to say that Lee is limited offensively, he can’t create his own shot, isn’t athletic enough etc. but the fact is this man is .9 ppg away from being only the fourth guy this season to average at least 20 and 10. Very simply you DON’T let a guy like that go PERIOD!
Yell at me if you want Knick fans but I am just simply raising the issues that James, Wade, Bosh or any other big name free agent the Knicks bring in will ask.
They say in the NBA like in life timing is everything, and the Knicks may just have picked the absolute worst time to start winning again.

Robinson Must Go

2010-01-04T14:39:00.000-08:00

By: Gary Ayd
The benching of Nate Robinson by head coach Mike D’Antoni is without question fair, but New York’s most popular mob boss better be careful, for his family can ill afford to go through another foul divorce.
From a pure basketball performance standpoint the numbers speak for themselves. In the 18 games prior to Nate Robinson’s benching the Knicks were 4-14 and were giving up a staggering 108.6 points per game. In addition the club had surrendered eight games of 110 points or more, losing seven of them.
In the nine games since the benching the Knicks are a solid 6-3 and are allowing over 10 points per game fewer. In seven of the nine games, the Knicks have held opponents under 100 points. It is also worth noting that over the last 10 games, there are only seven teams with equal or better records then the Knicks, five of which are division leaders.
So far so good for D’Antoni and company in their decision to bench Robinson, although as should’ve been expected there have been rumblings of late from the Robinson camp clamoring for a trade or buyout. According to ESPN.com sources close to Robinson wants to be traded from the Knicks, preferably to the Boston Celtics. If no trade that is agreeable to all parties can be reached the source said Robinson would like to be bought out. My advice? Give it to him! Sooner rather than later.
I’m sure all Knick fans remember how badly the Donnie Walsh Mike D’Antoni team handled the Stephon Marbury situation. Well this has the potential to be if not quite as bad at least bad enough to derail a promising change of fan and media focus.
It would not be a stretch to say the Knicks are playing perhaps their best basketball since 2003-2004, the aforementioned Marbury’s first season with the Knicks. And as is normally the case fans of the Knicks are starting to take notice. Being a New Yorker myself I can say this is the first time I have heard anything good about the sorry Knicks in quite a long time, and as a basketball fan I certainly hope the talks continues to be about their solid play and not about the players that are not playing.
Walsh and D’Antoni MUST I repeat MUST handle this situation with Robinson better then they handled the spilt with Marbury last year.
Unlike last year the vaunted summer of 2010 is not a full year away, but a mere handful of months away, and if the Knicks are to have any shot of luring one of the top three free agents (James, Wade, or Bosh) to New York they need to use this season as positive look at us we are heading in the right direction advertisement, not a look at us we still have no idea how to handle adversity warning sign.
Also Unlike last year this Knicks team has a viable shot at the playoffs. At the conclusion of play Monday the Knicks sat just one game behind Detroit for the 8^th seed in the eastern conference playoffs. What better sales pitch to a big time free agent then to say we are coming off a playoff run and now are in a position to get markedly better in a short period of time?
All of this is still far off I realize but the Knicks must keep the focus on their play and not on a petty controversy with another guard, who just couldn’t fit in D’Antoni’s system, if they are to have any shot of competing this year, and more importantly making a big catch in the upcoming free agent season.
Thankfully for Knick fans this situation lacks the overall dislike, history, and financial complexities that made getting rid of Marbury about as complicated as proving the general theory of relativity.
Unlike Marbury who was making over $20 million dollars last year Robinson is only due $4 million. Also good for the Knicks is the fact that Robinson is still only 25 a factor teams that might be interested in the embattled guard will surely consider.
With that being said D’Antoni and to a lesser extent Walsh have a history of being stubborn and slow to react to these types of situations, and with the New York media always starved for a controversy this story will continue to balloon and become a major distraction for team that can ill afford one unless the brain trust of Walsh and D’Antoni address it promptly.
Robinson cannot be traded until December 24^th when his contract would officially reach the 90-day mark. Lets hope Robinson gets what he wants for Christmas because trust me Knick fans its what you NEED!

Nate the Great Torches Hawks For 41 Points

2010-01-02T01:05:00.000-08:00

By Canbek Alakay

Talk about getting revenge. Knicks guard Nate Robinson featured in his first game in exactly a month when the Knicks traveled down to Atlanta to play a hot Hawks team last night. Reports suggested an internal rift between head coach Mike D'Antoni and Robinson, but D'Antoni quashed the rumors by stating that he believed rookie guard Toney Douglas gave the Knicks a better chance of winning.

He was right. The Knicks stood at 4-14 on December 1st, but kick started two winning streaks when they rattled off big wins against the Hawks, Magic and Trail Blazers. Without Robinson, the Knicks went 8-6. However, Robinson reminded D'Antoni that he was a true Knick in a New York minute, scoring 41 points off the bench in an overtime win over the Hawks (he also dished out 8 assists and grabbed 4 rebounds).

I love guys like Nate, the underdog type. You can say he's too small, but his agility is unmatched. Gerald Wallace had a great quote in an interview with ESPN where he said that size "don't stop nobody. Spud Webb and Muggsy Bogues played in this league forever. Size is something for a person to [complain about] when they don't feel like tryin'. It's an excuse."

Nate is the last player to make excuses, and that's why he should remain a key cog in the Knicks organization going forward. He's the perfect role player/sixth-man, coming in late in the first and second quarter when his matchup is tired and torching them for easy baskets, much like what he did last night.

At this point, nobody knows what's going to happen next summer. Will LeBron sign with the Knicks? Wade? Bosh? Right now, I hope Nate is among the big names who signs on to be a New York Knick.

What The Knicks Must Do To Get LeBron

2009-12-29T12:31:00.001-08:00

By Canbek Alakay

Fast forward to Opening Night 2010. MSG is buzzing with a low hum. The teenagers in the nosebleeds are fighting over who gets to eat what, the WAG section is alight with the latest gossip and fashion talk. Suddenly, the lights go down and everything becomes quiet. The PA announcer's voice roars over the silent crowd. Everyone gets ready to witness a spectacle that has been matched only by a certain other number 23.

Sounds enticing, doesn't it? It's the dream of every Knick fan who's been following them for the last few years. We've endured through too many sub-.500 teams, and it's high time we get back to the days of Clyde, Willis, King and Ewing. Who better to ring in a new era of "I Love This Game!" basketball in the Big Apple than the most exciting player of the decade?[1]

Now it's time to get realistic. LeBron James has shown us that he can carry teams by himself. But can he really carry the Knicks back to the glory days? Who bites on Jeffries' and Curry's contracts? (I'm looking at you, Chris Wallace). Let's fast foward to the Summer of LeBron. Here's the list of guys who are still under contract with the Knicks and their respective salaries; Guards - Douglas ($1.07m), Forwards - Jeffries ($6.9m), Gallinari ($3.3m), Hill ($2.7m), Chandler ($2.13m), Centers - Curry ($11.3m). That's around $27.4 million. ESPN reported the cap might not drop as much as expected ($51m), and said the Knicks were using $53 million as their cap.[2]

That's around $25 million in cap space to spend on LeBron and Star X and maybe Star Y. With $25 million? Not happening. LeBron alone will cost us around $20-25 million. Douglas, Gallinari, LeBron, Hill and Curry with Chandler as the sixth man. Do you really see this team going anywhere? Bill Simmons[3] summed it up perfectly by saying we need to get rid of Gallinari and Hill to shed the $18 million fat of Curry and Jeffries.

Let's fast forward again to the Summer of LeBron. We've cut another $24 million after getting rid of Gallo, Hill, Curry and Jeffries. Only Douglas and Chandler are under contract, which amounts to $3.2 million, leaving us with roughly $50 million to play around with.

LeBron ($23m) + Bosh/Wade ($20m) + 1 mid-level exception (let's pretend Grant Hill opts out of his Phoenix contract and joins the Knicks for $3 million) + 1 role player ($3m) + 6 minimum rookies ($3m).

That means...
Douglas/Chandler/LeBron/Bosh/Center X with Hill, Role Player X and Y coming off the bench.
OR
Douglas/Wade/LeBron/Chandler/Center X with Hill, Role Player X and Y coming off the bench.

And then we wait. Trade away our picks in the 2010 draft for picks in the 2011 and 2012 draft, because we aren't getting John Wall and there's no one else besides him in the draft (then again, didn't we say this last year?). I don't know if I'll ever get over taking Hill ahead of Brandon Jennings. Imagine Jennings, LeBron and Bosh on the court at the same time. Damn.[4]

In a perfect world, we would have drafted Jennings ($2.3m) instead, with LeBron ($20m) signing and Wade ($13m) and Bosh ($13m) slashing their wages to build the greatest team of the millenium (even though we don't have Jennings, this is still the best three-man tandem of the millenium). Why wouldn't Wade and Bosh do it? You get a chance to play with the most exciting young player since Magic and Jordan, as well as a pretty much guaranteed title.

Come on, Donnie, offer them gigantic bonuses if (and when) they win (a) title(s). It's a win-win situation! If Shaq and Kobe and Duncan/Parker/Ginobili can win 4 titles, imagine what LeBron/Wade/Bosh could do? 6, 8, 10 titles? It's possible. All else that's needed is a competent point guard who can do all the point guard stuff and nothing more (think Andre Miller/Brevin Knight mold) and a rebounder/defender (Rodman type preferred, but do they really need another Grade A stopper when they already have Wade and LeBron?) and they're set.

Knicks and New York fans in general aren't exactly the most patient bunch in the world. But if we want to see New York become relevant again, we have to bide our time. Good teams build through the draft, and that's what the Knicks need to do. I'm not saying we need to land LeBron-type caliber draftees, we just need good solid players who know their roles. All Jordan needed was his Pippen and a bunch of role players around him. LeBron isn't the next coming of MJ, he's not the modern day Russell; he is LeBron James, the kid from Akron who has the chance to go down as a top-5 player of all time.

Then again, this could all blow up in our face, but here's to hoping and wishing that it doesn't.

Footnotes
[1] - Originally, I had "talented" in place of "exciting", but then I remembered that Duncan, Kobe and Shaq hit their peaks during the first half and some of the second half of the decade. Isn't it crazy to think that LeBron, a guy who went 28-7-7 last year, still hasn't hit his ceiling? Man.
[2] - http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/11723/what-will-next-summers-salary-cap-be
[3] - I have the biggest man-crush on Bill Simmons. Seriously. If I was a girl I'd probably cut out pictures of him and paste them on my Math binder.
[4] - What was the front office thinking when they made this decision? "Hey, let's take this young undersized power forward who still needs at least 20 pounds of muscle and post moves ahead of the most exciting guard in the draft." I know there were questions about Jennings, but he's the kind of talent you roll the dice on. Will Hill turn into a good player? Maybe. But never did I look at him and think, "man, this guy is going to be some kind of player!".

Curry's Long And Winding Road Back to the NBA

2009-10-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

By Canbek Alakay

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said "the dictionary is the only place that success comes before work." Wise words from the two-time NFL Super Bowl champion coach. However, the quote doesn't apply to Eddy Curry. The larger than life forward/center of the New York Knicks will earn over $10.5 million this season to sit on the bench.

Curry was selected fourth overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 2001 NBA Draft, coming straight from Thornwood High School. Curry enjoyed a few decent years with the Bulls, before being shipped to New York in a six-year, $56 million dollar sign-and-trade deal. Curry started off slow with the Knicks, before bouncing back in the 2006-07 season, averaging 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds, both career highs.

Unfortunately for both Curry and the Knicks, he would never play as well again. Knee injuries, heart problems and weight issues lead to him featuring in just 62 games in the last two seasons. The Knicks were hoping to integrate him back into the team this season, and all seemed well up until recently when general manager Donnie Walsh commented on Curry's progress. "I think it's going to take him time to get back into a flow," said the second year GM of the New York Knicks. "I'm not expecting anybody to come out of the gate and we all go, 'Wow.'"

Curry lost 40 pounds over the off-season, but still weighs in at a hefty 317 pounds. He joined his teammates recently, playing in a few scrimmages. However, it is said Curry had to leave due to a hamstring strain he suffered earlier in the week.

If it wasn't bad enough having an overweight forward getting paid $10.5 million to sit on the bench, Curry has a player option for the 2010-11 season for $11.3 million. If Curry activates the option (who wouldn't?), the $11.3 million would cut into the Knicks salary cap, possibly hindering their ability to sign two superstars in the Summer of LeBron.

David Lee, Poster Boy

2009-09-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been to the Garden, you'll know that the mob is tough to please. We want our basketball, and we expect our team to deliver. If the Knicks aren't putting up the numbers, they'll hear it from us. Maybe that's why we didn't have much of a home court advantage last season (20-21). But in spite of the erratic performance of the team, there was always one unwavering constant - David Lee, Mr. Double-double. Night in and night out, Lee went to work, and we honored him for it. Whenever he got to his feet, the Garden roared with approval.

David Lee brings more than just a solid player to the table. He may not have the fancy footwork or power of other forwards like Amare Stoudemire or Dwight Howard, but he has other intangibles. He has the composure to steady the game, the hustle to dive for the loose balls, and the grit to play through bad calls. Playing 81 games, 35 mins each, he has the tenacity to turn up and turn in the quality play the Garden demands.

It's not just the numbers either. As any player will tell you, momentum is a huge part of the game. A 20 point deficit is as depressing as the gloom that settles on the fans when they see it. Anyone who can elicit cheers, howls and whistles just by standing up is invaluable.

Come on, Donnie. Sign him already.

No Starry Skies in NY

2009-03-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

The Knicks Haven’t Had a Star Player Since Ewing in the Mid-90s

By JACOB SMITH

This article is coming at halftime of tonight’s game against the Utah Jazz. The score: 67-46, in Utah’s favor. Deron Williams has 18 points and eight assists, and Carlos Boozer has 14 points and ten rebounds. More than the typical lack of defense, this reminds me that the Knicks haven’t had an All Star in eight years, and no one that could be considered “untradeable” since Patrick Ewing in the mid-1990s.

When you think about our best players over the recent decade, the list is as disappointing as it is symbolic of our futility. David Lee and Al Harrington. Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph. Stephon Marbury. Allan Houston. Latrell Sprewell.

Do you see any names that will have an NBA team coming into town saying, “Uh oh, I’m not sure how we’re going to deal with him?” Neither do I. I want someone like that. We need someone like that.

And while other teams will doubtlessly have better sidekick options for LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, the Knicks have two assets that their competitors lack: The Big Apple, and the Garden that symbolizes its intrigue and importance.

New York has made Derek Jeter an icon. Now imagine what it could do with LeBron, the best and most marketable player in this city's favorite sport. Because that’s exactly what he is imagining, and it’s precisely the reason that the Knicks do have a legitimate chance of landing the best player in the game. The same holds true with Wade.

Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer would be the best individual players the Knicks have had in nearly fifteen years. Think about that. We’ve had good players, but no great ones. We’ve had guys that could take over a game, but not a season. And we’ve had players that have gotten better as Knicks, but not players that could make other Knicks better.

Boozer is, in fact, a free agent after this season, but after fifteen years, he’s not good enough. We have to make up for lost time. We need a superstar.

The New York media market has an unparalleled ability to fanaticize its top athletes. The
Knicks faithful are pining for the chance to root for LeBron, or Wade, or even Amare Stoudemire or Dirk Nowitzki. Of course we want to be a fixture in the playoffs again and win championships. But first we want someone who can lead us there.

Because in the words of Roger McGuinn, all you need is someone to love.

NY Bricks Not Tanking, Just Stinking

2009-03-29T10:29:00.000-07:00

By JACOB SMITH

Friday night’s home win over the Hornets not withstanding, the Brickerbockers have been an absolute horror show over the past two weeks, starting with the 26-point loss to the New Jersey Nets and culminating in last night’s debacle in Charlotte against the Larry Brown-led Bobcats. After the Nets loss and the 27-point embarrassment at Madison Square Garden against the cellar-dwelling Kings the following night, the Brickerbockers’ playoff hopes were unofficially sliced and diced to bits.

In 2010, the Knicks’ draft pick belongs to the Utah Jazz, so it is imperative that the team, certain to once again appear in the lottery following this season, gets a high selection and uses it wisely. So I’d understand if the losing streak was a result of playing our youngsters, gauging who to keep and who to let go, who has a future in the Big Apple and which bad apples we should let rot elsewhere. After all, it would be in the best future interests of the club to both let the young guys mature and be in the best draft position as possible.

The problem is, aside from Wilson Chandler, who I’m not sold on as a starting-caliber player in the NBA, and Danilo Gallinari, who has been shelved for remainder of the season, we have no real youth. We have Nate Robinson and David Lee, but in their fourth seasons in the league, we really have to consider them veterans. And, honestly, there is a good chance that one or both of our young stars will leave via free agency and not return to the Bricks next season.

Therefore, I don’t think we can consider this swoon “tanking.” We are playing our normal rotation normal minutes and losing - badly. Tanking teams are almost always in a rebuilding stage, letting their recent draftees and younger players show that they belong at the highest level.

However, it remains to be seen what kind of rebuilding the Bricks are really undergoing. How can we be hopeful heading into next season without the promise of younger players improving? Between Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Chris Duhon, Jared Jeffries and the rest of the vets, we pretty much know what we’re getting, and it isn’t anything pretty. This rebuilding stage is, in effect, a fraud. It is just a name of hope to mask for another year of watching holdovers until the front office cleans house and hopefully brings in some star power.

Returning to the present, I’m not sure what happened after that three-game win streak two weeks ago to turn the Knicks back into the Bricks, but it has deflated the high that many Knicks fans, including yours truly, have carried for most of the season. And barring any major off-season or draft-day shakeups, it is reasonable to assume we will be entering next season with the skeleton of the team intact. So unless Chandler or Gallinari come back vastly improved, we can expect more of the same Brickerbocker chucking and the same lack of defense and results.

Never did I think tanking would sound like such a good alternative.

Knicks Lose Again... I'm Used To It

2009-03-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

By: Bill Pritchard

The Knicks lost in Orlando last night, 110-103. Quentin Richardson had 33 points to lead the team.

Seems like it's the same headlines over and over again in recent weeks. Knicks lose, but someone on the team scores 25+ points in the effort. They don't play defense. They aren't going to get a playoff spot, let alone have a chance against Cleveland or Orlando. Orlando showed last night they could win in 5 or 6, and Cleveland would sweep them. The Cavs don't lose at home, and LeBron gets mystical like powers when he goes to the Garden.

I've tried to be very optimistic this season and for the most part I have. Keeping in mind that I've been a little distracted this month with the watching the World Baseball Classic and other work... I still think D'Antoni was a bad move. I said it they day he got hired, they should have gotten Rick Carlisle or Avery Johnson instead, or at least a defensive minded coach. D'Antoniball will never work in the NBA. It gave Phoenix false hopes, and it will fail even more in New York. It boosts your stats, and gets you a 2nd round exit. David Lee would still be a beast, he is averaging a double-double with a coach that doesn't coach defense! All of this is just flash, and soon the city will tire of just a playoff spot. They want a championship, and they can't depend on a superstar that doesn't even play for them to bring it.

The Knicks are home for three games against the Magic, Clippers, and Hornets. They'll probably lose to Orlando (again), but it's possible they could beat New Orleans. The Clippers are terrible, and Mike Dunleavy is a moron that can't coach, so that should give the Knicks the win by default. The LA game should be a guaranteed win, but nothing is guaranteed anymore. After all, the Knicks lost to a Kings team that was winless in 28 games against the East.

There are only 13 games left in the season, and the Knicks are 3.5 games out of the 8th seed. Their playoff hopes are slim, but if they have any left it needs to start now. They play Charlotte, Chicago, and New Jersey, who are all ahead of them in the race for the 8th seed. But before even thinking about that, they need to worry about Kryptonate stopping Superman one more time.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

2009-03-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

By: Kyle McMorrow

Last season Knicks fans covered their heads with brown bags to hide their eyes from the horror that was a never-ending season, but what a difference a year makes.

Throughout a season of Starbury turmoil, salary cap trimming, roster shake-ups, and Lebron James hype, the New York Knicks have found themselves in the thick of a playoff hunt.

While the fight for the 8th seed in the eastern conference may bring up more laughter than interest, the Knicks have not made the playoffs since they were swept in the first round by New Jersey in the 2003- 2004 season. Five seasons of embarrassment is enough to make any Knick fan want to keep that brown bag on their head and pass out until the 2010 season comes around.

But this season has given Knicks fans hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Those who have cut two eye holes in the brown bag to check out the action on the court are witnessing the unexpected.

Former “key” players from the Isiah Thomas regime such as Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Zack Randolph, and Jamal Crawford, have been sent off or denied court access sparking team chemistry and a product that any NBA fan would enjoy watching.

If the Knicks continue their play, they could find themselves playing Cleveland or Boston in the first round of the playoffs. So the question remains: suicide or improvement?

Although it may be hopeless to think the Knicks could advance past the first round if they were to make the playoffs, the statement the Knicks could make by making an appearance in the post-season could make star players think twice about coming to New York during the 2010 free agency period.

Now flip to the other side of the coin and hope the Knicks lose every game remaining.

While all the hard work the Knicks have put into making this season work may be for nothing, would it be so bad? If they would only be meant for an early exit in the post-season, why take away the benefits of being one of those teams who are at the bottom looking up?

Should the Knicks miss the playoffs they would be lottery bound, and could possibly set themselves up for a top five pick in this years draft. Possible star talent for less than a quarter of the price can’t be beat.

So the Knicks find themselves in a win-win situation, a win-lose situation, or a lose-lose situation, allow me to clarify.

If the Knicks made the playoffs there is always the possibility of upsetting the one seed in the playoffs and continuing on, the Knicks have done it before. They would improve their reputation and greatly increase their chances of luring the NBA’s elite during free agency.

A win-loss situation would be for the Knicks to make the playoffs, puss the series to the limits and fall short after a valiant effort. While the Knicks may gain some respect and increase interest, they lose any chance of participating in the lottery.

And finally the dreaded lose-lose situation, which if Knick luck continues, it will turn out exactly this way. The Knicks would miss the playoffs and draw a low pick in the draft leaving them with nothing to show for their hard work.

As the season draws to a near, the Knicks are pursuing their goal of reaching the playoffs, whether that is or isn’t the best thing, only time will tell.

Will Knicks Improvement Earn Fans' Patience? It Should

2009-03-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

By JACOB SMITH

There exists in sports, as in so many of life’s adventures, an internal conflict between dedication and disappointment. As fans, we must balance them and weigh one against the other, because, to some immeasurable extent and not unlike Wally Szczerbiak, Stephon Marbury and others discussed at the trade deadline, fans also have expiring contracts. Many writers feel it is their responsibility to address the team’s issues, explain the reasons behind its spot in the standings. However, it is the loyal fans who make the team and the league what it is, and it is you all for whom my pen advocates and seeks to entertain.

There is a loyalty threshold, much like a commander who time and again leads his troops blindly into battles that cannot be won, and who deserved the mutiny he later receives. Certainly the Knicks are an improving organization, but to countless Knicks fans the forgettable past and mysterious and uncertain future have caused an unmistakably transitioning present that has us questioning our commitment to our team, going over and over in our minds whether or not to jump ship and move on ourselves. Why follow a team that has no identity and is sure to be subject to demolition over the next year and a half?

I grew up with Patrick Ewing, John Starks, Charles Oakley and Pat Riley. Older fans remember the days of Clyde Frazier, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed and Red Holzman. Albeit the twenty-five year gap, these teams shared the passion, consistent effort and unwavering commitment to team that constructs a winner. The players weren’t all glitz and glamour but they were inspirational and commanded our respect. They made us Knicks fans for the present and for life. Or so we thought.

How many Knicks fans do you think have left since Y2K? Ten percent? Twenty? There sure are tons of empty seats in the Garden these days, and though I'm loathe to admit it, I miss the days of Knicks tickets being the hardest get in the city. How many new fans have spawned in that time? Surely not as many as have left is the unfortunate answer. As we approach the second decade of our new millennium, there are three legitimate, irrefutable reasons to stick with our team. Bear with me.

Due to injuries and a system that fits his skills like spandex, Nate Robinson, a.k.a. KryptoNate, is a likely candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. He has quickly become everyone’s favorite Knick, keeping the team in games with his energy, catlike quickness and increasingly reliable jump shot. On a few occasions, i.e. February 23 against the Pacers when he posted 41 points, many coming down the stretch, he has single-handedly delivered a plus-one to the Win column. You didn’t support the team all these years to give up on it when we finally have a player who commands our attention and has earned our love and respect.

You also didn’t wallow through the misery of the Larry Brown/Isiah Thomas era to desert the team when we finally get a coach who has infused Knicks basketball with shots of much needed optimism and hope. After reading much of The Yankee Years, I was reminded how much faith Yankees fans had in Joe Torre during his stint as skipper. And while some basketball purists might not be ready to accept a transition into an offense-is-the-best-defense ideology, and it is true that our team’s defense, ranked 28th out of 30 teams, is less temporarily absent than absolutely obsolete, we have to be happy with the instant credibility Mike D’Antoni has brought to New York. The team is not likely to garner a playoff spot, but we are a part of the conversation. And we're one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the entire league. Our team is fourth in points per game. When is the last time we were fourth in anything?

And then there’s Lebron, DWade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, and the rest of the free agent class we may or may not recruit to the Big Apple. It’s not a promise of basketball relevance, but it’s a huge reason to stick around throughout the transition in hope of brighter days. And if the team clears the necessary cap space but is unable to make major moves to improve the team? Well, that is a bridge we'll cross when we come to it. For now, just keep the hope alive.

I am a loyalist by nature, and obviously devoted to my team for the long haul. But I know many others who see no reason to currently commit themselves to a team that in two years will undoubtedly have once again been overhauled. And to be honest, I get that. So albeit not admirable, I do deem it acceptable to seek alternative short-term options - after all, we all want someone to root for in April and May. Marvel at the effortless fluidity of Kobe’s Lakers or the everlasting mechanic brilliance of Duncan’s Spurs. But make sure your heart stays true to the Knicks Blue, because for the first time in a long time, both the players and the front office are showing great effort and noticeable improvement, and they have finally earned something important. Our patience.

Marbury, Knicks Finalize Messy Divorce: Good Riddance!

2009-02-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

By JACOB SMITH

So the prodigal son returning home didn't work out exactly as we all had hoped. Sure, Starbury had had his problems in Minnesota. And New Jersey. And Phoenix. But back in the Big Apple, with all his family and friends and legendary mentors like Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas, surely Stephon Marbury would return to his Showbiz moniker and bring his hometown team to the promised land. That was in the middle of the 2003-04 season. Five years later, after (finally) agreeing to a buyout, a messy separation that has seen a number of days in court has become a finalized divorce, with both sides much worse for the wear.

As a Brooklyn native, I am no longer proud to say that Stephon Marbury was my favorite player. I had all his NBA jerseys and even a Lincoln HS uni with the infamous Marbury and #3. I defended him to all the naysayers who called him a team cancer and said he would never take a team to the championship. "He's just never had the right team around him," I said. "He's strong and quick and basically unguardable," I said. What a joke. Marbury proceeded to alienate everyone and anyone who ever stuck up for him, fans and front office employees alike, and this writer especially.

There were public spats with Larry Brown, and then when Isiah names himself coach (which clearly worked out wonderfully), things were supposed to change. These two guys were supposed to be boys, compadres who would stick up for one another, be the tough who got going when the going got tough. Another failed relationship. And then in came the new regime of Donne Walsh and Mike D'Antoni, and one more chance for Steph.

But except for seeing him rejuvenate his career and go for 20 and 10 in an offense perfectly suited for his slashing game, it instead got to the point this year where the team banished him from anything Knicks-related. Banished. You have to really be something else to be banished. Napolean was banished. Think about it.

And no, I don't blame Stabury for everything. How can anyone? The Knicks organization, disorganized and unruly, has resembled a three ring circus since Ewing left. Except that's three rings the Knicks couldn't even dream of. Owner James Dolan has come out of this looking very Al Davis-esque, Larry and Isiah were fired, deservedly so, and even D'Antoni and Walsh, with everything they have done to make the Knicks watchable again, obviously mishandled this situation.

But that's the thing with Stabury and his tattoed head. He needs to be handled. He's not a team leader who's going to go out there and take his troops into battle. He's a head case, a disoriented malcontent who has an ego that couldn't fit inside the World's Most Famous Arena.

Remember earlier in the season, when Marbury refused to play even though the team was only dressing eight players due to the Jamal Crawford/Zach Randolph trades? Quentin Richardson, probably the Knicks' default leader at this point, blasted Marbury, saying that's not what you do to teammates. You don't abandon them in times of need. Then Marbury came back at him in the press, saying it wasn't only the organization that alienated him, but his teammates too. Another drama.

Maybe we don't know him well enough to judge him (though his entire life has become more public than Paris Hilton's). But the guys in his locker room, the guys who played with him and went out with him, they hate him too! Only the players union stuck its nose in on his behalf, and that's because it was contractually obligated.

So now it's over. The buyout that should've happened before the season finally happened, and Starbury is taking his crossover, his jumper, and his troubles most likely to Boston to be reunited with Kevin Garnett. For a team who turned chemistry into a championship title last season, I'm not sure this is the best move. Perhaps they should reevaluate the consequences of such an action. Because I'm done sticking up for Starbury. At this point, I'm just happy to see that tattoed head and all the chaos rattling inside it on its way out of New York.

It's time to move on for both parties involved. Because it's painstakingly obvious, as we peer through the looking glass at the trials and tribulations of the Knicks and Starbury, that this was one marriage doomed from the I Dos.

Hell Week Ends For Knicks

2009-02-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

By: Bill Pritchard

At least no one scored 50 points in MSG again.

The New York Knicks lost to the Boston Celtics 110 to 100 Friday night in New York. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 26 points, and teammate Kevin Garnett turned in a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Boston was without Ray Allen for the end of the 4th quarter after he fouled out of the game, but they still hung on for the win. Another positive for the Celtics came from forward Leon Powe, who had 13 points off the bench in 27 minutes.

The Knicks got a fairly good night out of their players, but couldn’t finish off the champs. Al Harrington led the team with 27 points, and David Lee added to his double-double total by contributing with 18 points and 18 boards. New York forced more turnovers and scored more points off of turnovers, but the Celtics fought back in crunch time and put the Knicks down for good with 8:41 left in the game.

After the “Dream Week” home stand, the Knicks are 0-3 after winning three in a row. I don’t think anyone expected anything out of the team, but fans at least hoped the team could win one or two out of the three games. They played hard in all three contests, even though the final stats or scores may not show it. They are improving every game. One of their problems, however, is ball handling. The Knicks are one of the sloppiest teams I have seen when it comes to holding on to the ball. They aren’t at that skill level yet where they can run what D’Antoni wants, and they don’t have Steve Nash, either. They can run the floor and be up tempo but they need to slow it down a bit when they make stupid passes into traffic. It’s one of the reasons they are blowing close games at the end.

I don’t want to be completely negative, because this year has been a huge step up from watching (Fire) Isiah run the team into the ground. It was good seeing Danilo Gallinari getting more time in games. I really don’t know anything about the guy except he was drafted in the first round and he’s Italian. (Oh and I know how to screw up his name a bunch of times, so far I’ve called him Danilo Bargnani and Dingo Gallimimus, among other things. In texts I just started referring to him as “The Italian.”) He seems like he’s turning out to be a pretty good ball player, and maybe towards the end of this season or next year we will get to see his full potential. He should be a nice compliment to the roster being assembled in the Apple.

So really quick, in other big Association news, H-O-R-S-E is coming to the All-Star game! This will be fun to watch, and it’s going to breathe some life into the stale-for-years weekend coming up. The league should let David Lee and Mo Williams show up as a half-assed “I’m Sorry We Shafted You” apology, but they probably won’t, and they’ll invite guys from the Grizzlies and Bobcats instead. There are three guys participating, so besides Lee and Williams, here is who I would like to see in the contest.

· Rafer Alston – I think Skip To My Lou could make some intermediate difficulty shots look great with some street ball handling.
· Carmelo Anthony – He’s good, he’s sitting home next weekend, and he would do it.
· Devin Harris – I get the YES Network, and I don’t watch any of the games. I know he’s a rising star, and Dallas was dumb for trading him. I would like to see him show off, plus it gives New Jersey some representation in Phoenix.

The Knicks are on the road this week, at Portland, at Golden State, and at the Clippers. They are fairly easy games, and the Knicks are capable of winning all three. That should be enough momentum to send them into the break on a high note.

Dream Week???

2009-02-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

Knicks to Face League's Best in Next Three Games

By JACOB SMITH

The Knicks organization has deemed next week “Dream Week.” The team just finished up a 6-1 stretch that included quality wins over Phoenix, Houston, and Atlanta. Next week, the Knicks will play host to the league’s three best teams in the Lakers, Cavaliers, and Celtics, and while this is undoubtedly the perfect test to see how the Knicks fare against the crème de la crème and whether or not they are a legitimate playoff contender, one can only hope that by next Saturday, the dreams of Knicks fans haven’t turned into nightmares.

And though the upcoming opponents might strike fear into the hearts and souls of some opponents, the Knicks have the advantage of past success telling them that winning these games will not be Mission Impossible. In the team’s last appearance at the Staples Center, they led by fifteen points at halftime only to pull off the classic Knicks collapse down the stretch and fall, 116-114. Their last match-up with the Celtics did, in fact, end with an increase in the Wins column. However, this was during Boston’s 2-7 swoon, and is now back to its championship-winning ways, having won its last ten.

Against Cleveland, however, the Knicks have shown their small size and occasional lack of willpower, asLeBron and his oversized frontcourt henchmen overpowered David Lee, Wilson Chandler, and the rest of the crew. In the two previous meetings between the two clubs, the Knicks were outscored by 54 points.

If you all have watched the recent winning streak as I have, then you understand that our team is one that relies on momentum. They are streaky during games, and streaky from game to game. They can just as easily make six threes in a row as they can miss sixteen. Right now, the momentum is with the Knicks, and the squad will return home where it will most likely be met by three sold-out Garden crowds.

Now, I’ll post again in between these games for status updates, but going into tomorrow’s game against LA, there’s something I have to put out there. As if by some unwritten rule or cross-country gravitational pull, Knicks fans, including yours truly, have an uncanny loyalty and attraction to the Lakers, and more particularly, their all-Universe star, Kobe Bryant. We all know at some point during Monday’s bout, Kobe will pull something out of his bag of tricks to make us ooh and aah. And I’m not saying the crowd shouldn’t applaud him during the starting lineup introductions or after an especially dazzling play. But Knicks fans, I implore you, don’t get swept up in KobeMania and forget you’re there to root on the good guys, the team that needs its fans, the team that plays off of momentum. These Knicks are perfectly capable of coming out of Dream Week sleeping soundly. Let’s make sure we are there to make sure its their opponents who will be tossing and turning.

Knicks Roundup

2009-01-28T14:58:00.000-08:00

By Bill Pritchard

The Knicks have been playing fairly well recently, winning four out of their last five games. The lone loss came in Philadelphia, the one game I just happened to attend. (I would have had pictures posted, but they are on my friend Bones' camera, and he was too busy dreaming about Pat's cheesesteaks to send them to me.)

It was good to see them live, even with the loss, but Wachovia Center does not even compare to MSG. Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful building and it had all of the flash and amenities you could ask for, but it just feels off. I guess it just doesn't have the history that you think of, like when you think of places like MSG, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, or Lambeau Field. Or maybe I just feel like bad mouthing it because the Knicks lost. (I'm leaning towards that.) The pregame "entertainment" was bad, as was the halftime event. It was supposed to be "Phillies Night", but all they did was carry the trophy out, and some of the lesser known Phils come out for a half-assed three-point contest. It was cool seeing them hype the last game ever at the Spectrum, and using videos to celebrate their history, but I have no other real interest in the team. Two personal highlights for me were having my friend Josh get cut off at the beer line and seeing Donovan McNabb pop up on the big screen, to a deafening chorus of boos. You stay classy, Philth-adelphia.

David Lee is garnering some much deserved talk for All-Star consideration. I agree with it, he is putting up great numbers. Some people will argue against it, bringing up the teams' record, or the system he is in, but I have to argue for him. Lee has always been a good player, he just gets to show his skills now that he has a more prominent role in the rotation. The team record should have nothing to do with consideration, but people should instead look at the team performance and improvement. Lee has been a part of both categories. If LeBron can come out and say that the Cavs wouldn't be as good without Mo Williams (which is true), then Lee should be in the same talks. Hell, if Steve Nash can win two MVP awards under D'Antoni, they why can't Lee be an All-Star? It's getting boring watching the same cast of people being All-Stars. Players like JKidd, AI and Shaq, who are perennial All-Stars, shouldn't be there. I like them all, and you could argue for Shaq being there because his team is hosting, but they already have Amar'e starting for the West. Guys like the ones mentioned aren't playing at a level to be called an All-Star, but Lee is. He's fourth in the league in rebounding, and is currently tied with (top vote-getter) Dwight Howard for double-doubles. How do you deny a player like that? The answer is you can't. Many fans want to see him there, and he deserves it.

Some other thoughts:

They still have the worst unis in the league, but the Oklahoma City Teamstealers are steadily improving.
The Nets have also been getting better, they have Vince Carter (who seems to be actually trying this year,) and rising stars in Devin Harris and Brooke Lopez. So why can I still get tickets to their games on StubHub for 2 dollars?
Kobe thinks he could play football. Nate Robinson actually did play.
Nice to see good teams like Orlando getting nationally televised games, instead of constantly seeing Cavs/Bulls and Spurs/Mavs like the past few years.
Speaking of Dallas, Mark Cuban should stop trying to buy other teams and pay attention to his floundering Mavs.
Wanna hear a great joke? Baron Davis actually wanted to go to the Clippers.
Here is another one: Stephon Marbury.

The Knicks are home to the Hawks tonight. If they get good play out of Harrington and Duhon, they should come away with the win.

My guess - Knicks 108, Hawks 102.

Knicks Beat The Wiz

2009-01-14T18:47:00.000-08:00

By Jason A. Cohen

In a game that the Knicks were supposed to win against the sinking Washington Wizards, they delivered with a 128 to 122 victory. During the game three things were reinforced. The Knicks need to learn how to play defense, they still need to learn how to close an opponent out down the stretch when the game is close, and David Lee is a MONSTER.

From the moment the game began, both teams had strong starts. Each team shot extremely well from the field and traded baskets back and forth throughout. With the score at halftime 67 to 66 it certainly seemed as though defense was optional if not shunned all together.

For the Knicks, multiple players stepped up and had huge games. Quentin Richardson was red hot from the field hitting 6 of 7 from downtown and 10 of 16 overall. He added 4 rebounds and 3 assists to go along with his 26 points. Most importantly, when the Knicks were locked in a battle in the final minutes, Richardson hit a dagger from behind the arc, virtually sealing the victory. David Lee had another impressive showing hitting on 12 of 21 field goal attempts for 30 points with 10 rebounds and 6 assists. He may be the teams most valuable player as he plays each and every game with a fire that has not been seen since the days of the Patrick Ewing led Knicks. Another Knick who made a contribution in 28 minutes off the bench was Al Harrington who chimmed in with 27 points on 8 of 12 shooting.

For the Wizards they received solid contributions from Nick Young, Caron Butler, and Mike James. Young was red hot from the field scoring 33 points in 33 minutes off the bench. Butler, who has been having another All-Star caliber season, added 25 points and 3 rebounds. New York product Mike James enjoyed a solid homecoming scoring 20 points hitting 4 of 4 from long range. He also compiled 5 assists and 3 rebounds.

For the Knicks it was a good victory coming off their victory in New Orleans on Monday as they seek to put together a string of victories to get back above .500. The Knicks are putting forth a terrific effort and it has made all the difference.

Knicks End Skid With Tough Road Win

2009-01-13T12:57:00.000-08:00

By Bill Pritchard

The Knicks got a much needed win in New Orleans last night, beating the Hornets 101-95.

David Lee scored a team high 24 points and was one rebound shy of recording his ninth straight double-double. He is one of four Knicks’ players to score in double figures.

The loss ends a three game skid for the Knicks, whose last win came against Boston on January 4th. After losing the first three games of the four game road trip the Knicks came out firing, and recorded an impressive team total 30 assists. The teams traded off the lead for much of the 1st half, but the Knicks gained control on a Chris Duhon 3-pointer at 9:21 to go in the 2nd quarter and never looked back.

The Hornets got close towards the end and cut the Knick lead to three, but late 3-point shots by Quentin Richardson and Al Harrington kept the win intact. The Knicks showed promise by limiting New Orleans to 38 percent shooting from the field, and they caused the Hornets to commit eleven turnovers.

With the road trip over, the Knicks come back to New York for a home-and-home against the Washington Wizards, before hosting Philadelphia, Chicago, Phoenix and Memphis.

The team earned a hard fought victory over a good Hornets team and need to keep focused and playing hard. They have a home stand against some of the leagues’ weaker teams, so they should use the win as motivation. If the Knicks use the confidence they got from beating good teams like the Celtics and Hornets, then they should be able to string a few wins together and get out of last place.

What Will Knicks Do Next?

2009-01-12T09:59:00.001-08:00

By: Jason A. Cohen

With the NBA's trade deadline a month away, the New York Knicks brain trust has a lot to ponder. Having already made multiple deals to jettison Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, and Mardy Collins, it is not a question of if the Knicks will make a move, but who will be the next domino to fall. Since taking over for the failed Isiah Thomas experiment, team President Donnie Walsh has done an admirable job of revamping the squad, while also keeping an eye to the much fabled 2010 free agent class. This leads many Knicks fan to ask what Walsh will do next.

With a roster spot set to be vacated by the retiring Cuttino Mobley, acquired in the Zach Randolph deal, in addition to the impending departure of much maligned Stephon Marbury, the Knicks will have two roster spots to fill. Patrick Ewing Jr. is frequently mentioned as a strong candidate to fill one of these roster spots given that he is currently playing with the Knicks' D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. He is averaging an impressive 33.9 minutes with 13.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest. His defensive intensity would be welcomed with open arms as the Knicks are giving up 106 points per game for a -3.8 ratio. It does not take a rocket scientist to realize that when you give up more points than you score, there is a problem.

Back to the question at hand, what should the Knicks do to improve their roster? The answer is simple. More than anything else, the Knicks need a player who will bring defensive intensity, grab rebounds, and block shots. They have enough players capable of scoring and they desperately need someone who does not need to score to be a contributor. This is a stark contrast to Eddy Curry, who is a leading candidate to be dealt should Donnie Walsh find any takers. Curry, who is 6'11 and nearly 300 pounds, SHOULD be a gifted defensive player and among the league leaders in blocks and rebounds per game.

In reality, Curry's career averages of 5.4 rebounds and .7 blocks per game are abysmal. To put this into perspective, Jason Kidd, a point guard, is roughly seven inches shorter than Curry yet he has a career average of 6.7 rebounds per game. Given Kidd is commonly referred to as one of the greatest rebounding point guards of all time; Curry's rebounding deficiencies are extremely troubling.

Some players that would prove to be significant upgrades include former Knick Marcus Camby, Golden State Warriors center Andris Biedrins, Sacremento Kings center Brad Miller, and even struggling Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert. Many of these players are certainly not on the trade market, but they all serve as the type of player the Knicks should look to acquire.

This being said, the Knicks will have a difficult time building Curry's trade value as he has only played in one game thus far due to injury, he is not a fit in Mike D'Antoni's up-tempo offense, and his contract runs through the 2010-2011 season. The more likely candidates to be moved are David Lee, Quentin Richardson, Malik Rose or Nate Robinson. Stay tuned as we count down to the NBA's trade deadline.

Knicks On The Way Up, Face Tough Test On Road Trip

2009-01-06T16:05:00.000-08:00

By Bill Pritchard

The Knicks got a big win on Sunday night, beating the world champion Boston Celtics 100-88 in New York. Tonight, they face a team at the opposite end of the spectrum, in the Oklahoma City Thunder - aka “The Team Formerly Known as the Sonics”, aka “The Clay Bennett Hijackers”, or in three years aka “The Team Kevin Durant Used to Play For.” (Sorry, but I still think it’s wrong that there is no basketball in Seattle.) Anyway… the Knicks should have another good game tonight, and should look to come away with the win in OKC. This is the start of a four game Western Conference road trip, with stops in Dallas, Houston and New Orleans.

The Thunder come into tonight’s game with a 4-30 record. So not only do they enter with the league’s crappiest logo and uniforms, but they have the worst record as well. They rank 27th in the league in points allowed, and that statistic combined with the number of Knicks wins when they score over 100 points (12 out of 13 total wins), should result in a Knicks victory tonight. Winning tonight’s matchup may give the team the spark they need to beat some of these tough Southwest Division teams coming up on the schedule.

The Knicks are getting better as the season progresses, from both a player and coaching standpoint. I hated the idea of Mike D’Antoni coaching the team. I told my friend Josh that he was overrated and should have gone to Chicago instead. His Phoenix Suns teams scored at will, but didn’t play a lick of defense. (A lick? Am I that old already?) I thought the same thing would happen in New York, but with worse results. I can now see that he really knows what he is doing, and he is getting results. He is winning games, and making Knick basketball more exciting to watch again.

The talent was in place last year (ex: Nate Robinson, David Lee, Wilson Chandler), but they got terrible results from a terrible coach. D’Antoni was brought in this year, along with players like Al Harrington and Chris Duhon, and the league is taking notice. I was at the November 29th game against the Warriors, and it was unbelievable. David Lee had career highs in points (37) and rebounds (21), and Chris Duhon had an all time team record of 22 assists. Nate Robinson has begun his transition from “Rising Star Dunk Champ” to being a household name and ESPN nightly highlight. After being in the NBA’s basement, things are finally beginning to look up in the Apple.

Knicks Show Champs Who's Boss

2009-01-05T00:25:00.000-08:00

By Jacob Smith

As Knicks fans, we all were encouraged by the quick start, the flashy offense, and entertaining style. A couple of good wins had us counting our blessings and pondering a playoff appearance. But after the team's recent swoon that included home losses to the Timberwolves and the Pacers, this fan base was reminded that we are not yet at a point where there are "games we should win."

However ghastly some of these losses have been, Knicks Nation held its breath heading into Sunday night's meeting with the defending champion Boston Celtics, a team that has showed no mercy against the struggling Knicks in the recent past, especially during a six-game winning streak at the Garden. And though the C's were reeling after losing three of their last five, we were expecting a statement game, one in which they would say, "hey, we're still the best, and don't forget it." This, in essence, was a "game we should lose." But behind remarkable defense (don't get to say that too often), and inspired performances by Wilson Chandler and Al Harrington, the Knicks pulled out a convincing 100-88 victory over the champs and once again gave us something to be proud of.

The Knicks started quickly out of the gates, staying within punching distance of Boston and trading leads throughout the first half en route to a 53-50 halftime deficit. And then in the third quarter, Chandler showed why Mike D'Antoni is so enamored with him. He scored the lion's share of his 31 points in the third period, as the Knicks opened up a double-digit lead that would shrink, but never vanish. On one play, Chandler faked Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett out of his green Adidas and took him to the rack, finishing on two Celtics with a fearless gusto and confidence that had this Knicks fan remembering the last great Knicks 3-man, Latrell Sprewell.

We were reminded that no fourth-quarter lead is safe with this team when Paul Pierce, who dropped 31, scored eight straight points and cut the Knicks lead to four. But with timely shooting from Chandler and Harrington, who racked up 30 points of his own, the Knicks stretched the lead back to double digits and never looked back. David Lee finished with his customary double-double, notching 14 and 14. Garnett finished with just six points and point guard Rajon Rondo finished with three, as the two combined for 2-13 shooting. Jared Jeffries guarded Rondo for much of the game, and it was clear his height and length gave Rondo fits. It was also clear, as the Knicks left Rondo open for ten-foot jumpers he couldn't make and then wouldn't even attempt, that this most-improved player candidate still has something major to work on.

So what did this convincing win convince us of? For one, the team played with energy and fearlessness from the get-go, showing us that D'Antoni has this team believing they can win on any given night. But perhaps even more important were the snapshots of the Knicks bench and the emphatic gestures by Harrington after draining a twenty-eight footer in KG's face. This team has fun and the players enjoy playing with each other. They root for each other. When they get taken out down the stretch, they don't sulk, they stand and cheer. Perhaps the good vibes from this win will carry over to the upcoming road trip, and perhaps they will vanish into thin air with a loss in their next game to the pathetic Thunder.

But on this night, let us rejoice that we have a real team, one that will put forth the effort and keep its fans in the game. On this night, we took the defending champs down a peg. On this night, we conquered a dynasty.

Jumping Jack Flash

2009-01-03T18:45:00.000-08:00

By Bill Pritchard

Looks like the Knicks’ “Seven Seconds or Less” offense could not prepare for Jarrett Jack. The Pacers guard hit a jumper with 0.9 seconds left in the game to give Indiana the win Friday night.

Jack scored the Pacers’ last six points, including the buzzer-beater, to drop the Knicks to 12-19 on the season. The Knicks outscored the Pacers in the second half, 59-52, and also had a career night from David Lee, but could not hang on for the win. Lee scored 26 points on 12-for-15 shooting and pulled down 11 rebounds along with five steals in the loss.

Al Harrington scored 27 points, including 22 of them in the second half rally, but it still was not enough. The Knicks did not even lead the game until they were up 96-93 with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Turnovers proved costly, as they committed 21 in the game that turned into 24 Indiana points. The Pacers regained the lead after three straight Knicks turnovers, and Jack won the game with the jumper after Wilson Chandler tied the game with a three-point-play.

The Knicks have hit a mid season skid in which they have lost 4 straight home games. This year looked promising for the Knicks, but a lack of defense has the team seven games under .500. They started the season with a 6-0 record when scoring 100 or more points, but now sit at 11-10.

They have lost their last six out of their last seven games; the lone win came against the perennial basement-dwelling Bobcats in Charlotte on Tuesday night. The Knicks have another tough test this weekend as they have the defending champion Boston Celtics coming to the Garden on Sunday evening.

Class of the NBA Show Knicks How It's Done In More Ways Than One

2008-12-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

Written by Daniel Dunn

Needless to say, the NY Knicks have quite a climb ahead of them to compete with the elite teams in the NBA, particularly eastern conference rivals the Boston Celtics. From the opening tip, the Celtics took care of business, punching in with 17 consecutive victories and checking out extending that streak with win number 18, 124-105, tieing a franchise record. The 26-2 Celtics cruised to a victory shooting 65% from the field. The Celtics seek to extend their winning streak to 19 against the Philadelphia 76ers on tuesday night.

WIth all the firepower the Boston Celtics bring to the table, an emerging young point guard, Rajon Rondo, torched the Knicks manipulating the defense all night. Rajon Rondo scored a career high 26 points hitting all 9 of his shots in the third quarter and making 12 of 14 in total, further proving that he is becoming a stable fit for the Celtics at the point guard position. Paul Pierce contributed 17 points to the win as Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen combined for 28. The leading scorer for the Knicks was Quentin Richardson, who scored 29 points.

One positive taken away from this record tying game (which was played a lot tighter than the score reads), from both the Knick fans and the New York Knicks organization, is that we had a first hand look at what it means to be a TEAM. From the unselfish passing, to the defense, the comradery and the respect, the defending champs are becoming the class of the NBA on and off the court. Seasoned veterans like Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have taken the team by the reigns, holding each and every contributor accountable for their actions and play (Maybe even more importantly accountable for each other). The leadership has trickled down to the last man on the bench, as he is as important to the teams success as any superstar on every given night.

I hope Donnie Walsh and Mike D'antoni were paying close attention to what they we witnessing (though they'll get another first hand account at MSG on January 4). The message was heard loud and clear, stating that the Knicks need to get out of the shadow of thugs like Stephon Marbury and onto respectable, accountable players who preach teamwork and accountability. Veteran free agents of the class of 2010 will be asked to man the ship and change the landscape of a locker room that has been in shambles for years.

To say Knick fans are happy with the improvements in the culture and representation of the team this year would be an understatement. Yet, the summit is still far from view. Championship teams are crafted in the off-season. The hire of Donnie Walsh may be bigger than any move the Knicks are to make in the coming future. A good General Manager is the foundation of an organization. As he quietly goes unnoticed, success is reaped by the masses if he produces win, but if things don't change there is only one man to blame (Harsh reality of the life of a general manager). Donnie, you have a big process ahead of you. The strides made thus far have exceeded all of our expectations. Finding the right mix in the coming years can boost you to iconic stature in New York as well as propel this proud New York franchise to the forefront of the NBA once again (no pressure). However Mr. Walsh, though you have all the experience in the world and have a great reputation for being excellent in your field, take a lesson from Danny Ainge in 2010. Knicks fans are sick of the drama and negative limelight, its time for a team that can mesh well. A team with viable Veteran leadership is what this city needs. So you see Mr. Walsh, even the most tenured of professionals can learn some lessons from the peers now and then. Don't take it as an insult, think about it as a gift. Boston's GM Danny Ainge laid out the grand plan for all to see, just reach out and take it. Anything Boston can do, New York can do better. So in the words of New Yorks own Jay-Z, "Show me what you got."

The King in '10? Maybe, But Who's Our Prince?

2008-12-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

Written by Daniel Dunn

With 2010 rapidly approaching, the idea of a big name free agent signing with the New York Knickerbockers has got fans and media alike in a feeding frenzy. Who's it going to be? Will King James bring the magic back to the garden? D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, who knows? All I know if that the anticipation is overwhelming. However with all this speculation there is still an entire season to be played after this one (a small detail many like to ignore). Aside from all of that, a glance into the future is to tempting for us Knicks fans to put aside. It's as though the city is mesmerized by the idea of being relevant in the basketball world again.

As Donnie Walsh and Mike D'antoni work to free up cap space for the budding stars of the 2010 free agent class, the question still remains who? Who will put the garden on their shoulders and rise to greatness? Who will light up the blue and orange again and lead them to victory? But more importantly, to clarify, by stating who, I am not saying Lebron or Dwayne Wade can be the savior by themselves. Can they? Possibly. Can Al Harrington be the safety blanket we need to back up a player of Lebron's stature? Maybe, Maybe not. All things considered there is still a necessity for more than one high profile free agent to be successful. So in saying who, I am also referencing who else?

The culture of the NBA has taken a turn toward dynamic duo's or as seen in Boston, Los Angeles, and even Houston, has evolved in a side show many to have dubbed "The Three Musketeers." Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and KG…… Kobe, Gasol, Bynum (Odom as well)… McGrady, Artest, Yao Ming…… So I ask, why can't the New York Knicks hit the jackpot? The New York market rival, if not supercedes all the aforementioned cities. So if anyone is capable of matching the rosters of such powerhouses its owner James Dolan, Donnie Walsh and Mike D'antoni.

As overwhelmingly apparent by the media coverage, if we were stuck in the Matrix, Lebron James would, of course, be the ONE free agent on the top of the Knicks list. He's the crown jewel of the 2010 free agents. And did I mention that he's accepted as a god by New York fans, dominates in Madison Square Garden and has dreams of becoming the first billionaire basketball player; with all that being said the Knicks seem to be the overwhelming favorite to land the superstar. But as to Batman, who will be his Robin?

There's no telling which direction the New York Knicks will go with the lingering sweepstakes of the summer 2010. All I know is that the Knicks need to make a splash. Lebron and Bosh, Lebron and Stoudemire, or even Wade (though I wouldn't want to leave the Miami Lifestyle if I were him) and a front court mate. The possibilities are endless. But as I see it, the King of New York in 2010 is going to need a Prince. Its obvious the Knicks will sway someone to be their savior, but who's going to be the Pippen to Jordan, Parker to Duncan, or Kobe (early in his career) to Shaq? Personally, I think that's biggest piece of the puzzle that needs to be addressed.

Marbury Returns as Paying Visitor

2008-12-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

No matter what ban the Knicks put on Stephon Marbury, they can't seem to get away from him.

Marbury did his thing yesterday and bought his own ticket to sit courtside and watch the Knicks battle the Lakers to the last buzzer. He even sat near Spike Lee!

Worst part is, he used the money the Knicks are paying to stay away from the team.

It might have seemed Marbury got his laugh in last night, waving his Blackberry around, talking to reporters, watching the Knicks lose without him, but the way the Knicks played last night showed just why they banned him from the team.

The Knicks fought hard yesterday, showing they can win a game on any given night. The Knicks showed they play great without him. They are much better without him and I'm not just talking about not being on the court. I'm also talking about not being around.

The Knicks are playing with great intensity and great chemistry for the first time since the millenium. Thanks in no part to Marbury. His appearance yesterday showed just why the Knicks told him to leave. He's a distraction and only Marbury cares about Marbury. And now only Marbury can ruin Marbury's career. And yesterday's actions might just be enough to persuade teams not to go after this guy.

Watch Out Knicks: Rough Waters Ahead

2008-12-15T12:44:00.000-08:00

By Jacob Smith

As the Knicks sit at 11-12, floundering in mediocrity, most fans have found a number of reasons to turn their frown upside down. A cocktail glass-half-full guy myself, the rejuvenation of the franchise under Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh has already begun to rejuvenate my interest in the NBA. I'm sure I speak for other Knicks fans when I say that whatever is brewing in the Mecca these days is leagues and galaxies better than the catastrophe that has been our team in the recent past. D'Antoni is an undeniable improvement over Isaiah, Larry, and the rest of those inept leaders who followed our favorite curmudgeon, Jeff Van Gundy. He has given us reason to turn on MSG on gamenights or even shell out the big bucks to see Al Harrington and the boys launch three after three in person.

The Blue and Orange are one game below .500 and currently tied for the eighth best record in the Eastern Conference. For a fan base used to looking up at the barrel from the bottom, why shouldn't we be proud of the progress our team has made? We have a legitimate point guard, solid wing players, and a couple of good hustle players - guys who might actually sneak us into the playoffs. While the real hope comes with a gaze into the future of the team (See 2010), most of us have been and will continue to be happy to field a competitive team that puts forth effort every night.

However, starting tonight, expect the rain to start pouring down on our parade. Yes, the Knicks have shown the ability to beat teams like Charlotte, Sacramento (our beatdown of the Kings on Saturday got Reggie Theus fired - something to brag about, I guess?) and Washington. But we have only two wins against quality teams in Utah and Detroit, and let's see how much our team really has in the tank tonight and tomorrow, when we go up against some of the best in the West in Phoenix and Los Angeles. These two teams possess the Kryptonite to D'Antoni's run-and-gun fun: monsters like Amare Stoudemire, Shaq, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, guys who can dominate the interior on offense and force the Knicks to bomb jumpers all game on offense (although that's pretty much what we do anyway). The 'Bockers have shown the competency to stay competitive with teams like Boston, Portland and Dallas, but the inexperience that accompanies the eventual losses to such superior squads.

Our schedule gets remarkably harder over the next two months, so I urge you all to continue to see that glass half-full as we undoubtedly hit, and perhaps crash into, that cement wall. Watch tonight and tomorrow, and pay extra attention to Amare Stoudemire, Lamar Odom, and Sasha Vujacic. These guys could end up with New York across their chests before you know it. Harrington has played at an all-star level so far, Chris Duhon has shown consistency and Nate Robinson is getting back into the flow of the offense. David Lee is a double-double machine. So as the waves grow higher and the water gets rougher, look at the positives, the team chemistry and the progress on offense. And while I hope our Knicks will prove me wrong, you might want to avoid looking at the standings - with eight of the next 13 on the road, it might get ugly.

Let's Make Some Moves!

2008-12-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

With Jared Jeffries returning from a broken leg and Eddy Curry almost on his way back with a bruised knee, it's time to bring up the trade talks again.

Jeffries and Curry are the only two players whose contracts will run past 2010 and both need to go if the Yankees want to sign two superstars. They can still sign them with the two contracts on the books but that means the Knicks would have to sacrifice resigning David Lee and Nate Robinson.

I rather have the latter two than the former.

But as much as I want to see Jeffries and Curry shipped out of New York, the Knicks would have to be patient with this one. The Knicks need the two to be on the court for quite some, so the NBA can see what they can bring to their team.

Jeffries is already back and have put up so-so numbers. But let's see what he can do after a month or two.

We don't know when Curry will be healthy enough to play, but when he does the market for him will be a lot greater than Jeffries. There are several possible destinations for Curry. One notable one that I think has a great chance of working is a Dallas deal that would bring back Jerry Stackhouse and Shawne Williams.

Stackhouse's name has been floating around all season and Williams is a young player that hasn't impressed the Mavs this season. If Curry can play at a level close to his 2007 season, then a trade could definitely be in the works. Let's just hope Curry can get back on the court in time and prove himself before Stackhouse is gone.

Another possible destination is a trade to Indiana for Rasho Nesterovic. The only problem is, Nesterovic is having a good season for the Pacers and I'm not so sure Larry Bird is willing to take on a guy with more money due and has a character issues.

As for Jeffries, I don't see the Knicks being able to convince anyone to take his contract. He's due $6 million this year and six and a half more the next with a team option of close to $7 million in 2010-11. Unless you package him with Nate Robinson or David Lee to sweeten the deal, then I don't see anyway a team would pick up Jeffries' contract.

Let's just hope Jeffries can play up to his potential and contract so he can be a key part to LeBron James and the New York Knicks.

Wanted NY Knicks Blog Writers

2008-12-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

Wanted NY Knick Blog Writers! NYKnicksmix.com is currently looking for freelance writers and super fans to contribute on a weekly basis to the center blog section of NYKnickmix.com! This is a great chance to have your views reach a louder audience and accomplish your writing goals. If interested please contact us at writers@sportsmixed.com.

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2008-11-27T20:32:00.001-08:00

2008-10-11T23:43:00.001-07:00

Danilo Gallinari - Forward - New York Knicks

2008-06-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

New York Knicks Player
Danilo Gallinar - Forward
Name: Danilo Gallinari
Drafted: (6) 2008
Hometown: Sant'Angelo, Italy
Position: Forward
Height: 6'09"
Weight: 212
Age: 19

Player Profile: Tough player who can handle the ball and shoot from range.

The latest stats, facts, news, pictures, salary, and notes on Danilo Gallinari, Forward of the New York Knicks.