Knicks Share with Us their Favorite Halloween Costumes

Here is what Isiah Thomas had to say following 10/30 Practice:

How important is it to get off to a good start?

Thomas: With the way the schedule is, anytime you play at home you want to win. We have four of our first five games at home. Our first game is at Cleveland, and we want to play well. Our focus is on winning the game. That’s what we practice for and what we play for.

On the Eastern Conference…

Thomas: This is a tough conference. Every team is capable of beating any other team on any given night. There is really no doubt that the games that you play in conference and in division are extremely important because down the road, those games mean a lot. I thought last year, our team could beat anybody on any given night. I feel that strongly about that today, and everybody’s gotten better. I don’t see a supreme out there of yet, so on any given night, the way the East is right now, the team’s that can grind it out are the teams that will separate from the pack. But I don’t think there will be a big separation this year.

Do you think you have a defensive stopper on the team?

Thomas: I think we’ve got some very good defenders in terms of [Renaldo] Balkman, [Mardy] Collins and I thought [Stephon] Marbury’s defense last year was outstanding. It was probably one of the best of his career. The way he approached training camp this year, he’s carried it over. When you look at Zach [Randolph] and Eddy [Curry] I don’t know any nights where Eddy’s man has scored thirty points in a game, and I don’t see where Zach’s have either. So defensively, we should be a solid defensive team. We just have to take care of the basketball and not turn it over ourselves.

What’s at stake for this team?

Thomas: I think for us the biggest thing at stake is can we take that next step. We are progressing and rebuilding, and we want to take that next step forward. I think the big thing for us is a playoff berth. Can we take that next step? Can we improve and get there? Can we improve our play and our win total. Once we do that, continuously do that, then you start carving out some respect in the league with some of the things we are doing. We made some progress with what we were doing last year, and we have to continue making progress. If we slip, then clearly we haven’t kept aggressive, so that’s kind of what’s at stake. Carving your niche out in this league.

Is this a playoff team?

Thomas: Yes. I think if we are healthy, we will make the playoffs and I expect to make the playoffs.

Gilbert Arenas is Looney Tunes, and I love him for it. CHeck his latest here:

Reality check: you’re telling me that if attention-hungry Gilbert Arenas was traded from the Wizards to the most successful and famous franchise in the NBA, he’d be unhappy? He’d piss and moan at being shipped to the world headquarters of image making and endorsement incom? Not to mention his home town?

p.s. no, i don’t agree with karma’s last sentence (certainly not based on JJ vs DNice anyway)

correction from last post……….. Thats supposed to be Odom.

The topic of contract extensions for both the BUlls and the Seventysixers heat up as both teams approach the 11:59 Wednesday deadline to resign their players respectively– Deng and Gordon with the Bulls and Iguodola’s with the Sixers.

I wonder if Gordon’s reluctance in the CHicago BUlls story above has something to do with his name being mentioned in the Kobe Bryant trade rumors?

Lastly former Knick and current Detroit Piston, discusses his insertion into the Piston’s starting lineup as the team’s power foward.

Check in later gentlepersons

“Stings, but there’s a good observation in there. As others have said before mebbe Zeke did really want to keep the kid, but was not allowed to buy out throw away his albatross.”

I’d agree more if D-Nich (a) wasn’t a rookie (b) could help our perimeter defense along with providing a solid shooter off the bench (c) were trying to find a spot on a roster that t already has 8 SG’s / SF’s.

So although it may sting, its not an observation based on the complete picture that is the Knicks’ roster.

Its funny how D-Nich has come to represent James Dolan putting a cinch on his money purse because of IT’s summer/job performance. The full story is that Isiah took a chance on Nichols, gave him a shot in preseason (as he did JJordan) and in the end it did not work out. While JDolan might have stopped IT from buying JJames out, Nichols would have hardly had a shot at serious playing time this year. As the roster is now, JJefries, QRich, FJones, Collins, Balkman and Chandler are more “game ready” and because of the depth will all see their minutes cut.

Nichols would have had to jump them all.

While the point is surely a point…there’s MO’BETTA reasons for why DNich is gone then “We didn’t buy out JJames because JDolan put a stop on IT”

“If u were Gil, would you be running to go play w/ surgically repaired Oden, carreer failure Kwame, project Bynum and over the hill Fischer. Agent 0 is smart to push to stay in DC if thats what he’s in for on the west coast.”

Gil is the man in Washington. Why would you leave a spot that you helped rebuild to go to LA and be Kobe’s “following act”? Gils got Caron Butler, Jamison, Daniels, Haywood…some young bigs waiting in the wing, and a new rookie everyone is hopped up about. They are going to be solid in the East for years to come.

Kobe just wants to bail because he know even if the Lakers improve, they still have to be better than Houston, Utah, Phoenix, Dallas and the defending champs San An.

Kobe’s not seeing the championship in the West ever again. He wants to come to the East badly.

Sorry about the mix up I forgot to mention that it was Antonio McDyess who would be starting at power foward for the Pistons this season @ post # 111.

BARF

Could I read an implication that although Kobe resigned with LA to be the player to take the challenge of leading the Lakers to the Finals and onto a championship all by his lonesome is now renegging on his former boisting????? What an Fng punk err he shoved foot in ass or mouth wherever is best suited for such classic back peddling. I don’t want that turd on the Knicks.

Also seems lik the futures of both Gilber Arenas an Anoine Jamison might be intertwined as Jamison contemplates not resigning next year should Arenas not be with the Wizards and the team fail to make a showing in the playoffs this season.

Finally Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat expects to take advantage of the increased playing time due to the injuries afflicting the teams frontline.

Ok now I’m really out, I need some methadone to cure my addiction.

JohnQ say:

“Barkley is an idiot. He’s just there to stir shit up. He is Steven A. in a fat suit.”

LOL!

notes… Shaq is done. All his talk is just talk, perhaps to boost himself up a bit, but he’s just too old and injury-prone now to carry the team. And Zo may’ve sipped the last of his magic throwback elixer last season. McDyess for the Pistons has the devil’s attention this year.

…BARF…it’s not about starters, man. JJ ain’t startin none, either. he’s good for some fouls and little else. but let’s say JJ didn’t have some fat-ass contract, are you saying he still would’ve been a better prospect to groom over DNice? i like the Dolan clamp story better.

John Q,

For the record Steven A is a supporter of the Knicks—-so if anything Charles “I Got Oakley Slapped” Barkley is Chris Russo in a “fat suit”.
And both of them are in Anti’s doghouse.

BTW, do any Defender here remember when Charles Oakly slapped Barkley b/c he was talking smack behind Oakly’s back.

Lives,

I read the roll call—reporting to duty sir! WriteOn!!!

O&B,

Insightful thoughts—WriteOn!

Modi,

Keep up the fight—I got your back! Anti-MSM I’m vying for as well to use as a name. Just that I have to build a bigger Anti’s doghouse to
accomodate these media dogs.

WriteOn all!

ChuckFM, I’ll just say this…

The Knicks paid took on Jalen’s contract for an extra year along with the pick that ended being Renaldo. Jalen got paid $15 mil, plus the $15 mil luxury tax hit. In essence, $30 mil was paid to get another IT-picked young guy on the roster.

So taken as a precedent, the Knicks are willing to do fiscally retodded looking things to acquire talent.

But, at the present time, D-Nich wasn’t worth a JJames buy out. If Isiah’s got an “eye for talent”, what makes this any different? What player has he let go here, has gone on to do great things?

I can think of Matt Barnes, although he’s a role player on a 1 year (try em out) contract. Um…McDyess has emerged as a productive player but I doubt anyone would argue the trade at the time, or maybe even now.

As far as a body of work is concerned, IT’s got the benefit of the doubt. At least until he lets someone go that he shouldn’t have. D-Nich may be the guy…but I doubt it.

African, fair enough. FWIW, I wasn’t sure if I should’ve quoted that lil piece I read from “karma.” Can’t help it tho, the DNice story will be a minor subplot this year, at least for as long as he’s not playing in the D-league.

And if the Dolan clamp idea is actually close to the truth, then that is another theme that could have real ramifications for how Zeke gets to run the team going forward.
p.s. did you offer your predictions for the team/conference this year?

ChuckFM, oh, I know people are pulling for D-Nich to shine this year. They’d love to have something concrete to point at when criticizing Zeke. We’ll see. Hopefully, Nichols won’t get hot on Friday and scorch us for 30 or something. Knowing this hometown media, that would lead to a misery of a weekend for any real Knick fan.