Preseason game two has come and gone, and the Knicks are now 2-0. It was admittedly a tough game to watch, but I’m encouraged by some of what I saw and look forward to seeing this Knicks team again as they continue to learn how to play together.
Early on the Knicks looked nervous, Stephon and Quentin missed some easy buckets I’d like to think they’d make once they get into regular season rhythem.
Mardy’s got no hops yet coming off surgery, yet he did some great stuff including a spin move in the paint that dazzled. He had a few looks at the basket where it seemed he had no lift. I know from the Wheelchair Charity game last year that Mardy can throw it down, so I hope with more time he can redevelop his leaping ability. His defense was still very good, and he picked somebody’s pocket out there and pushed the ball on the break. That’s what I like to see from Mardy Collins.
Fred Jones played solid defense and challenged/altered some shots in the paint. I’d hate to think of what would happen if it were against a more athletic NBA player, Fred might get dunked on some times, but nobody said good defensive players don’t ever get dunked on–ask Mutumbo about that.
Nate looked like a real distributor out there. I’m liking what I’m seeing this year. His jumper looked good too–lookout AH7.
We’ve heard that Nate and Fred would be picking up their man at 3/4 court, yet I didn’t see much full court press tonight; I suppose we didn’t need it once New York took the lead.
Physically, Fizer looked like Boozer out there. He put on some weight while he’s been overseas.
I noticed they played Mardy at the Small Forward position some tonight, with Fred Jones and Nate Robinson in the back court. Very interesting lineup choice. There was some good chemistry between Nate and Fred, looks like that second unit is going to be a terror.
But what stood out most in my mind was Zach Randolph’s performance. He didn’t hit too many from the perimeter as he did in the first preseason game, but instead he showed great ability to score the ball with his lefty shot. Early on ZBO and Stephon played some promising two-man game, something to look forward to this season. All the rumors that ZBO doesn’t pass the ball once he gets it seem to be false, because I saw Zach passing to everybody out there, he just didn’t get any assists out of it.
Jared Jeffries had a nice dunk on the break, but he and Mardy still seem to be passing up open shots, I hope they develop the confidence and skill to take–and make–that shot this season.
The rookies: Chandler is very athletic, he has a shot too. Too bad Jared Jordan, Demetris Nichols and Randolph Morris played limited minutes, I’d like to see more from them in the next game.
Overall they looked rusty, but I like the team passing and I’m more than impressed that New York only had 11 turnovers for the game.
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I’m a lefty myself so it is nice to see such great lefties on this team like ZBO and DLee.
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I tried to get tickets to this game, the cheapest they had today at the Garden Box Office was $250. I couldn’t bring myself to pay that much for a game that doesn’t matter, even if it is for chairty. Outside MSG they were selling Maccabi jerseys and everything was very pro Maccabi Elite, I did not see much Knicks stuff at the merchandise tables. Suffice to say the crowd wasn’t a knicks crowd, they were still cheering for Israel despite being down by 20 in the fourth quarter.
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Starbuty:
You see, that’s what got the process started for the firing of Anucha! Marketing and player personell are two different areas. Anucha wanted total access to players at her disposal.
Marketing puts out whatever it can to get the fans going, irrespective of what the coach decides to do. Marketing have as much clout as you and I, and wouldn’t know who starts. Isiah may be the only one that knows, and at this point, I still think he’s scratching his head.
I still think Q and Jefferies should start, and bring Craw from the bench.
I hear you African, I agree Isiah must still be figuring it out. The right combination and timing could mean the difference between having a five point lead after the first quarter and being down by 12 with four minutes to go before halftime. Whatever starting five doesn’t have the Knicks down early on gets my support. Lee was part of that second unit last season along with Nate and Balk that could rally the team when they needed it.
check this out, could we have our first positive review of the knicks for the season? CNNSI jumping on the bandwagon this early on? I’m pretty sure I have some articles bookmarked from this guy Mannix where he trashes the knicks, but this one seems a little more positive.
CNNSI LINK
Starburyfan,
That CNNSI article had me all warm on the inside like after I drink a cup of hot choclate. The Eastern Confernence execs are like “damn I thought us saying it wouldn’t work would discourage them from playing hard.” Wrong, the Knicks are about to come out like gang busters. Last year we had a feamle cat at the power forward position this year we have a pit bull. The diffrence will be night and day.
The best part of that article was when he said the growing consensus among “NBA types” is that the Knicks are a playoff team. I guess not too many in the NY media are considered NBA types or people in the know. Very encouraging article. nice find.
Berman got a new blog out. I don’t know how to post links but it’s about allan houston at practice. Here’s a quote.
Fresh from Lewis’ tape recorder, this is Houston on his comeback today.
“Usually athletes retire because they no longer have desire or there’s no longer a desire for them to be part of whatever situation. That wasn’t the case for me when I retired. It was health. If the desire from the team for me to be here isn’t there, then I’ll accept that.”
Houston added if he’s cut, he won’t seek another club
Read this slop….
Knicks Welcome Back Old Friend
The New York Knicks have added another felon to their lovable Gang of Goons, and his name is Allan Houston. As you may recall, Houston was convicted of Grand Larceny in the Court of Public Opinion earlier this millennium, after he stole $100 million from the Knicks’ woeful organization. H20, as he likes to be called, signed a six-year, $100 million guaranteed maximum contract in 2001, and then abruptly decided to stop playing basketball. He played sparsely from 2003-2005, and then retired in 2005, while the Knicks have had to continue to pay him $21 million over the past two seasons, as Houston sat on a beach and sucked down daiquiris.
Yesterday, however, Houston began his NBA comeback for presumably a much more meager amount of money (terms of the contract were not disclosed), although it’s unimaginable that he will make the team or help the Knicks in any way. The 36-year-old who hasn’t played substantial minutes in five years will join a roster full of young prospects, and he has just three weeks to prove to Isiah Thomas he can still play basketball. Personally, I’d be impressed if he could just run up-and-down the court, considering he has bad knees and all that money weighing down his pockets, but we’ll keep you updated.
http://www.nypress.com/blogx/display_blog.cfm?bid=26375133
DVJ, I just picked up their entire issue devoted to knick-hating. I printed the cover of the issue in the blog entry entitled “NY Press BS” a few days ago. I wonder who owns that paper, talk about agendas.
Defenders,
The Knicks took care of business last night, but we must acknowledge that it was a “hard practice” at best. The concern that I have is continuing to get off to slow starts. It appears that it takes the knicks a full quarter to get their motors running. I am from the school that if it’s broke, then you must fix it. The knicks need to change their routine, even if it means staying in the city the night before games to get an early morning shoot-around, (hey Dolan is printing money). I do not want to see a repeat of last year where the knicks spot a team 16-18 points, and then expend their energy to get w/n 6 and lose by 4. In order to be a good team the knicks need to pay attention to the big and little things. I do hope Isiah address this issue before 10 games have been played w/ deep hole in 8 of the games.
Peace & Blessings
Defenders,
After reading today’s coverage of the Knicks game last night,(they booed Isiah, they did not boo Isiah, they will boo Isiah) I have concluded that the Knicks are not “Wacky”, it is the Media that is “Wacky”.
Peace & Blessings
Shut ‘em down, shut em, shut ‘em down!
It’s nice to be around strong-minded people, don’t take shit from a fraud! “Get over it?” Excuse me? WTF?
None of the blogs on Newsday refer to the respective team in a negative way. And today’s article was the last straw for sure. Yep, Isola was his mentor. He forgot there was a game being played with all the reference to crowd reaction.
I will continue to migrate frome whereever disrespect breeds.
Again, kudos to African. You are a true prophet. You picked it up very early and stayed the course.
LGK!!! I can’t wait for this season to get going! All of these fools are going to have to kiss Isiah’s ass!! Remember I said it!!!
@Statesman & Defenders
I did not hear many “boos’ for Zeke either. WHY is the media trying to start trouble?
BTW last night
Zach=great
Jamaal=great
Q=looked lost
Steph=good
DLEE=great
Morris=needs work
N8=great
Collins=good
Chandler=needs more time
DNick=????
JJordan=Needs ticket to Europe
– John Q, I don’t think that it is personal toward Alan. Strictly business.
– AH7 is instantly the Knicks best longrage shooter so he is worth something… assuming he has something left in the tank which early reports seem to suggest
– Heads Up: Later this month I’ve got an airtight Bernard King case for Hall of Fame piece coming out…
Keep it coming MODI!!
Check out Isola’s interview on wfan.com. He actually sounded like a fair reporter. He thought IT was humbled by the case, and felt he could have won if Dolan and Marbury weren’t involved. He said fans just want to see a winner and are willing to give him a shot this year. Shocking. Francesa and Russo of course want him fired, saying he has had a bad run; however, they don’t point out that the roster has been upgraded, that there are tradeable picks, that the team averages around 25-27 years old and in great shape. They gave no reason other than they won 33 games. Easy to point that out without referring to Larry Brown fiasco, Steve Francis trade that hampered future trades, etc. NO TRUE ANALYSIS BY RADIO GUYS.
I have no problem with the haters, but can someone give me an objective reason to dislike the Knicks going into the season? I can understand if this witchhunt started in May, but to be silent throughout the summer and start the season without analyzing the team?
I hope we kick some ass next week against Boston and Jersey. That will change this nonsense.
HarlemBoy in MD:
Isola only shows his hatred in his blog. When he’s on NBATV or on the radio, he always seems like a nice guy that is unbiased. In my own opinion of Isola, he hates Dolan and Stephon Marbury, but although he doesn’t think Isiah is right to run/coach the knicks, he doesn’t hate Isiah. He wishes Isiah could speak more because of his basketball intelligence but Dolan’s policy frowns on speaking candidly about the team or anything else for that matter. You have to measure your words carefully as long as James is pulling the strings. Isola did say some things during the ABS case in support of Isiah, and against ABS, but again, he can’t hide his complete disgust of Dolan or Stephon Marbury.
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This is what Isiah said after Allan Houston’s first practice with the team today:
“Only what you do on the floor gives you clout.”
http://www.nyjournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071012/SPORTS01/710120459
Ahhhh! Nice to breathe some quality Knick fan air! Way too stuffy @ Hahn’s. Man needs to learn something about customer service. I’ll keep him in my feed reader (where it won’t affect his hit/pageview stats — that’s what counts for these guys) in case some unique news develops. Speaking of which, he reports this from the last practice:
I’ve had a sneaking suspicion for a while now that zeke can’t afford to keep dnice for the time being and is trying to “hide” him from the other GMs by keeping his profile really low. I mean, 5 mins burn in garbage time? That’s ridiculous. Either he’s trying to hide DNice or it’s payback.
What youse think?
Hey Defenders
Just checked in but I got caught up on today’s reading. Good back and forth about last year’s team tendency to go down by double digits early only to come up short in the end. Althoug it made for alot of excitement and promise that has this group of Knix luvas eager to witness a deep playoff run, such a tendency, of loosing by alot early only to fall behind, in the long run also would tend to hurt the team in other places besides the box score. I have to think in terms of back to back games and also over the grind of the regular season such a bad tendency detracts from what the team could be doing–namely pushing the pedal to the medal during strategic parts of the games to KO the opposition– and the other dark sign of the coin is that it leads to expended effort that could better be used to take it up a notch in close games. I guesse that’s why, as you defenders noted, Zeke is still struggling with the decision of which startig five can get us the best jump early on– or at the very least keep us in the game– so that we can shift to 6th gear when we need to. IMHO this team has the talent and depth to run roughshod over the league but the first step is to stay in the game early on or get up on the opposition thereby using our youth athleticsm and depth off the bench in such a deliberately efficient manner that come playoff time the Knicks ought to be sprinting to the conference finals while the other teams are gasping for air trying to find a second or third wind.
By the way I did post previously a link to a yahoosports preview that got the Knicks in as the Eighth seed and at 43 wins for this upcoming season. Again I think the Knicks at their best could go between 44-48 wins, maybe even tease the 50 win plateau and make alot of noise as a 6th or 5th seed.
Night my fellow defenders!
KFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Charles
I’m hoping Thomas is just trying to hide Nichols from other GMs and that Nichols is as good as that last Hahn hit says he is. If he is that good keep Nichols. At last nights game I really couldn’t gauge his game but I hope Hahn is right that he is shooting lights out. I know it’s a win now atmosphere given the fallout of the ABS saga but absent acquiring Artest or Kobe, I don’t think the Knicks make it further than the 2nd round of the playoffs, Conference finals tops– but believe me they could shock people depending on how they come out of the gates. That said if the finals might realistically be about a year or two tops away why not develop Nichols. I hope we get a better look at him against the Celtics and Nets.
By the way what to the defenders think about the word “Blizzard” as a knickname for David Lee?
I think it might work since a Blizzard is like a relentless storm coming down all over the place that puts those unfortunate to be in its presence in a deep chill. Yeah the reference is also to his skin color, white, but the words does sum up Lee’s ferocity and intensity. “Watch the Blizzard get on the court and come down hard on the rim!”
If it’s off let me know, I guesse I’ll have to eat crow on the idea. But really I’m just bloggin!!!!!!!!
Charles Follymacher
Thanks for that update about Nichols! I read at DX Express that during day 2 at Orlando
He Made 9 of 13 treys mostly coming off Curls? He’s a keeper and to answer your question,
I’ll defer to Bronxboy in Md’s Quote, “Zeke has an ego the size of the state of Texas” so it
a hard thing to except Nichols sayin NO to Europe! I don’t believe Zeke will cut him and
yes Zeke is giving him some payback for his resistance, but Zeke is proud but not stupid!
Nichols can shoot his ass off and Zeke will be hard on him, but I feel in my heart this Kid will
not be cut! BTW Follymacher, you have to come up with a shorter handle or Nickname, it takes
half and hour to write your name! How about C Mach, or Folly? I’m glad to have you as a defender,
your posts are PURE!
O&B
I like that name! It would be fine by me! We could also just call him “30.”
That was the the number he was drafted at and will most likely equal 30 every game
with a combination of points and rebounds! That would be of true Knick origin,
as the league would ask ” Why do Knick fans call Lee 30?”
David Lee already has a nickname…
“Shallow Water”
Charles, welcome homie.
yeah, Isiah has tried to keep his picks under wraps before, last year it was Taz he kept on the DL. It was surprising for me to see him play veterans so much and not focus more on who to cut in the second half. Besides D-nice, Jared Jordan also saw very little daylight.
O&B, blizzard is a good name. As DVJ has mentioned, Kenny Smith nicknamed DLee “shallow water” on inside the NBA. Is “blizzard” an upgrade from “shallow water?” You could make that argument, IMO. Smith had to name Lee on inside the NBA because the knicks had ZERO nationally televised games last season. yes, I know Kenny Smith called some games for MSG, but I think he usually does his nickname thing when he’s on National TV.
O&B I agree with you 100% about win now because of the ABS trial. there is a lot of pressure on Isiah and the knicks this year, and I think the media, Newsday included, have all joined forces to turn the city against Dolan, Isiah and the current team if there aren’t big wins early on in November. That is why it is confusing to me as to why houston would be forced on to the team by Dolan. I hope Isiah actually gets to pick his final cut 15 because this is a make or break year, the media are going to make sure of that. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t care, but Dolan should try not to interfere any further for everybody’s sake.
What kind of concerns do you have in dealing with a 36-year old that’s been out of the game for two years? Can he still do it defensively?
Thomas: We’ve transitioned from a team that has a high powered offensive team. We want to be looked at as a high powered defensive team. Like my background at Indiana and Detroit, we now the athletes to defend now and we have the mindset now. Where you’re going to make your mark now on this team is on the defensive side of the ball, and every guy knows that.
See Isiah On Houston
Defenders,
Just getting off a plane, heading to lay my head and bust out in the A.M., but I had to check in on the crew. GREAT STUFF GUYS, GREAT POSTS, GREAT ANALYSIS, GREAT COMMENTARY(African, Charlie, HarlemBoy, STATEMAN) StarburyFan all the best! You’ve have the ELITE and MOST PASSIONATE KNICK FANS vibing on your platform and that’s KARMA…There’s nothing for me post gents. You DEFENDERS have done it for me and covered ALL THE BASES!!!!!!!! That’s the Bomb!
Keep it POPPIN Defenders
Thanks again Wizard. Sup Ballas and Shot Callas!!!!!!
Why the hell is the second squad still beating the starters ???? I’m getting concerned.
What’s up Defenders!
Harlemboy:
This is not the first time. I read folks quite easily even when they try to come in disguise.
Hahn is poison. Just read his stories for the papers for the last few days. He’s trying to incite the masses to boo Zeke. He stated Zeke was booed, Isola said he wasn’t. That’s sad.
This site is what’s up.
The second team is the intensity squad. They run the hell out of any team, and wear them out with their defense. Nate is going to be such a force this season. Just watch. I’d like to see Zeke run isolations for him to get to the basket, becusse I haven’t seen anyone stay in front of him. He can always hand it off when he gats to the basket.
I’m getting excited. Can’t wait to shut all these maggots up.
Wow, I go on vacation and look what I miss… a mutha-effing revolution. Props to all involved in this website, both the posts and the comments. Please keep it going ya’ll.
With regards to Alan Hahn, he’s the best beat writer out there, but at the end of the day he’s a beat writer, and that means he works for the MSM (mainstream media). I got on his case because he posted that YouTube clip of Marbury that I found, and refused to credit what website he found it on (like he “found” it on You Tube or something… please). That’s the pettiness of the MSM… they don’t want to acknowledge the same little people that they steal from to survive.
Anyway, you have my support guys. Let’s go Knicks!
Starburyfan, Peaceman, DVJ
Thanks for the feedback on the Knickname for D. Lee. I like the knickname 30 sounds good too. I have a question though. Why “Shallow Water”? What qualities of D. Lee is that supposed to highlight.
Well there’s no rule that says a player cannot have several knicknames. So here’s to D. Lee aka “Blizzar,” “30,” and “Shallow Water.”
O&B,
I thought shallow water sucked when it first came out. kenny smith called D lee that because everything D Lee does on the basketball court is from 5 feet deep or less, hence “shallow water.”
absoultely players have more than one “knick” name. usually the top players have more than one alias, and I think David Lee is going to be a top player, if he isn’t already. the blizzard is going to be an all star one day. hope he’s on the knicks when it happens.
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