you can download the schedule here:
1d1_nba_sl_scheduleflyer_neww.pdf
The Knicks don’t play until July 14th, which is a Monday. Danilo Gallinari is expected to play in the summer league, and there are rumors that some of the Knicks veterans such as Eddy Curry and Nate Robinson will participate in some of the games.
To watch the games, you either have to have MSG or go to Vegas, although some of the games may eventually be looped through NBATV.
I wonder who will coach the games…
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
How do you pick a project at 6?I have no problem with Gallinari as a person or a player.That’s completely besides the point.He may be great offensively in a few years, but the object of the game is to win.Gordon, 220lb and set to go, Alexander, his draft interview was downright scary intense.That dude will be a monster!,the Stanford twins and a run at Love (see Dicky V, interview) would have made a lot more sense than a guy who will never be there defensively and is a “maybe” offensively.What scares me more than anything is that Walsh admits he never saw him play in person.What’s up with that?You smarter than Pat Riley?Sounds like you’re mailing it in.In fact sounds like someone told you who to pick a long time ago and the rest was smoke.How come we didn’t try to move up for Love and trade him for Mayo?Key word is try.You want conspiracy theories, try this one.Mr. Stern sat down with Dolan, the Elder a while back and said something like, dump Isiah and since you can’t win a chip the right way any time soon it might be good for everyone’s NBA business if we brought the circus to town.Screw the integrity of the game, we need a cable product that plays well internationally.Let’s bring D.Walsh in, he needs a golden parachute and will be accommodating.He’ll even keep Little Jimmy’s pals hanging around so Jimmy’s behind won’t shine.Then we can bring Mike D. in as the ringmaster to fill the seats for the suckers who think a jumpshot is the new layup and defense is passé.Then we bring in Europe’s (white)golden boy and hope for the best.Why try to build a team when you can buy an act?Besides we’ll sell bigger internationally if we can develop the next New-itsky in NYC.Oh yeah, let’s get that Chinese kid Yi to BK,NY too, there’s a billion Chinese who want to buy cable.That all makes good business sense David.But what happened to the old fashioned way? You know, if you build it(to win), they will come?
A few tidbits,
“D’Antoni said. “We think he has the potential to be above a good player. That’s how you build a team. We’re starting with him.”
Really, what about the guys you have?You trading all of them before training camp?
But D’Antoni added, “Hopefully someone will teach him how to play defense.”
Surprise Mike, that’s supposed to be you!Oh I forgot, you don’t believe in that.
“Gallinari’s addition means the Knicks likely will trade Lee this summer for a point guard.
The new regime apparently feels Lee is limited and are hesitant want to give him a lavish contract extension by October because it could hurt their ability to get under the cap in 2010.”
Lee is limited, but Gallinari isn’t?If you trade Lee why didn’t you try to draft a rebounder?Oh yeah, you did, didn’t you?
Nevertheless, “Gallinari could be more limited, especially defensively. All scouts admit he’s not too athletic, lacks lateral quickness and might be a bad defender on a Knicks’ team who has stunk on defense for seven years. D’Antoni said he believes Gallinari will bulk up – he’s 227 pounds – and become a better defender and Walsh scoffed at the notion.”
“Most likely others are freshman in college and aren’t schooled in lateral, moving of their feet,” Walsh said. “All these guys need work.”
Rose, Mayo,Beasley and Westbrook were freshmen.They seemed to have learned to move their feet somewhere.The Rooster has been playing professionally since he was 16.His own father was a defensive specialist.I guess they just ate dinner together.
“Asked whom Gallinari reminded him of, D’Antoni said, “If you’re dreaming, it’s (Dirk) Nowitzki and (Toni) Kukoc,” D’Antoni said. “If it’s a nightmare, it’s someone else.”
Be careful what you wish for!
“President Donnie Walsh has something in common with the fans. He has never seen Gallinari play live either. A consultant named Isiah Thomas was dispatched by Walsh to check out two games.”
Finally,
“(Thomas) told me, this kid won’t back down,” Walsh said. “He gave me a good report on him.”
It’s nice that someone besides his dad reported on him.
I.T. basically has no respect for Euros, players that is, the other kind he has a lot of regard for.So he is the perfect choice to go and evaluate Italian talent.He’d do a lot better with Italian popcorn.In any case he is clearly a company man, Big Jimmy’s man, without portfolio now along with Mr. Walsh.He has a portfolio, but apparently he’s scared to read it.This kid better show up big time or heads will roll.Oh, wait a minute we’re not really in it to win it.We’re just here to entertain, to help Cablevision make a buck and pray LeBron has pity on us in 2010.Why try to build a tough defensive team like, lets see, the Cee’s.After all didn’t MJ love playing with defensively deficient Kukoc?NJ is building a big strong defensive minded team.Hmm, who would LeBron rather play with, Gallinari or the Stanford kid?Oh yeah, don’t worry about the head thing.It’s all good, right David?
By the way, it’s still all about the Curry situation.What’s up with that Donny?You keeping tabs on him.Weigh him, then keep him or trade him.Rookies apparently don’t matter in NY so what about the shape of our veteran centers?LGK, pretty please?
That’s… that’s… all folks!See you after training camp!
strong post Tman, hopefully you post again before training camp because that’s in October–very far away to wait.
I can’t speak for Gallinari, matter of fact I can’t speak for Yi in new Jersey. All I know is if you were a great baller in the 80′s or 90′s, chances are you are a very unsuccessful GM: Jordan, Bird, Isiah, McHale ect.
Defense has always been our problem. Anthony Randolph was one of the best defenders still available at #6, but he’s even more of a project than Gallinari. Lopez fell to 10 so it wasnt just walsh that saw potential problems with his game. he could still be a good player in the league but there must be some reasons he and bayless fell as far as they did.
to make the trade for love or mayo you have to have the assests. maybe walsh did mail it in but maybe he tried and nobody wanted a package of david lee and malik rose. that’s on the previous guy’s roster selection.
walsh did build a team that competed well against our defensive knicks in the 90′s (davis boys, smits, ect) so i do think he gets that there will need to be defensive emphasis to get out of the east when the time comes.
isiah got to rebuild, layden got to rebuild, why doesn’t walsh get the same opportunity to put his stamp on the team?
My guess with the Gallinari “project” is that Walsh thinks he can contribute right away, because of his years in the top euro league. a recent article i read said they didn’t draft him to sit in the first year. no doubt he’ll have to hit the weights. i think d’antoni must have complained to walsh that there were many knicks that can’t shoot well enough (david lee, renaldo balkman, jared jeffries, mardy collins, to name a few) to be successful in his system.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06292008/sports/knicks/walsh_looks_to_make_point_117758.htm
here’s one by berman that says the knicks are looking for a point. I found several holes in it, including the misspelling of Hinrich, the claim that the knicks will do a sign and trade AND use the mid-level exception, when they will probably use both in the same deal.
it flirts with the idea of monta ellis (dare i imagine what HE could do in D’Antoni’s system?) coming over but i’d imagine Golden State will not give him up except for big bucks, exactly what walsh said he was trying to avoid.
also, according to berman, “fred jones and dud-center Randolph Morris are both goners.”
if we don’t get james in 2010 bosh will be available. he’s pretty solid big man all around–defensively too–and he’s on the olympic team with coach D’antoni that are currently practicing as I write this.
2010, I’m hoping for the playoffs this year, but we are building to 2010. we’ve got a recruiter working with some of the current best players in the world who will be available in 2010 so until then we pickup what the coach wants and get what we need at the right price along the way.
jermaine oneal has too many miles on him, i’m glad they let that one pass on by.
we need a point, because they’re probably going to move marbury, and we need to try and trade zach or eddy, my preference is to move zach because eddy did have that one good year for the knicks, even though he regressed big time last season.
now we have a 6’10″ shooter on the wings that may already be a better percentage shooter than quentin richardson. and he can handle the rock and knows how to pass, so I’m looking forward to the vegas summer pro league to see if he was worth the #6.
Exclusive Gallinari interview:
http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/gallinari_080627_interview.html
“I will play with my heart, and I will do everything I can every night for the team. I want to be a Knick for my whole career, and I will do whatever I can and will work hard to win.”
Dwight Howard, our only true big man going into battle this summer olympics, reinjured his sternum during Team USA practice.
Bosh and Boozer will have to step up big time. Maybe they’ll play LeBron some at center in emergency situations? Something tells me he can handle it if need be, he’s that powerful. Magic had the same ability.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3465434