Alan Hahn is reporting on Knicks Fix that the Z-Bo to Memphis deal has soured.
Over the summer, Donnie Walsh has had plenty of opportunities to deal Z-Bo. For whatever reason, he has resisted. Walsh does not want to be short changed for one of the select few players able to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game.
Getting Darko in the trade would have at least boosted the Knicks’ shot blocking ability on the front line.
Right now with Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph up front, the duo combines to average 0.7 blocks per game. This defensive deficiency was illustrated by the fact that many players had their season highs against the knicks this past season.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
the slam review some of you have already read:
“aside from Marbury, the Knicks have Nate Robinson, Mardy Collins, Anthony Roberson and Duhon who are all capable of running the offense.
The presence of so many point guards creates another problem, how many of them are going to make the team? As well as, who will start? ”
have they seen roberson play? he’s no point. and nate, they should know that nate has only successfully ran the point in the vegas summer pro league. and mardy has yet to regain the effectiveness he displayed at the end of his rookie season.
obviously if steph is not a knick when the season starts, duhon will be the starting point guard. didn’t they give duhon the full mid level exception? and yet, they’re not sure who will start?
http://slamonline.com/online/2008/09/new-york-knicks-season-preview-2/
an update on gallinari from the knicks
http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/gallinari_091908_qanda.html
Hey guys this season looks promising (I know we say this every season for the past 10 years lol)
because of all the young talent and I knew Gallo would be ready… one thing to keep in mind for all of us knick fans is that we can only go up from here!!!! I might be crazy but I see a carbon copy of the redeem team here!!!!
@thelegacy,
Maybe a lttle crazy,but your thoughts give us hope.That’s enough for me.BTW,who is Rubio,you mentioned on the last page?
KnicksD,
I notice that Hahn writes an article and all the NBA writers pick it up,Hoopsworld,RealGm,InsideHoops,Pro Sport Daily,etc.Hahn never states a recent source,he is just giving his opinion on no activity.That trade maybe be dead,and it could heat up again.We don’t know,Hahn doesn’t know for sure.
Rubio was the main point guard for Spain in the gold medal game against the redeem team. He is projected to be a #1 pick in 2010 which, if David Stern works his magic, could be ours!!! lol, seriously, he is pretty good, could be molded into the next Steve Nash!! Wishful thinking guys!!!
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080921/BASKETBALL04/809210494
http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/may/2008/09/21/lipstick-on-a-pig/
“franchise destroyer”
…
just bloggin, but if the season were to start tonight, here is the rotation i’d use:
1. Duhon
2. Crawford
3. Chandler
4. Lee
5. Jeffries
1. Nate
2. Roberson
3. Quentin
4. Gallinari
5. Ew2
No, I didn’t forget about anybody. That’s who I would play. And that starting five would see the bulk of the minutes, with Gallinari my first forward off the bench and Nate my first guard off the bench. everyone else would be used sparingly.
Everyone else on the Knicks is basically expendable (although Walsh is trying to get top value for them right now).
weird
http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_7lgpmq
Knick D,
I really respect you immensely but I hope that is not the team we field this season. That team may go for the all time losing season in history. Jeffries as the starting five? I hope not.
KnicksD,
So you are not playing Z-bo or EC…interesting!
Not a bad idea……but we need to display both of them for trades possibilities.
Kevin Harewood, I respect you right back dude. I hear what you’re saying about Jeffries. He’s simply not performed well since we picked him up as a free agent two years ago.
My idea with Jeffries is that he ran pretty well with the Wizards a few years ago. I’m hoping that he’ll do in D’antoni’s system what he did with Eddie Jordan’s system.
I don’t know how Zach and Eddy are going to work in the dynamic basketball game D’antoni wants to play.
DLT Knicks, I agree we have to showcase what we’re shopping. I fear that Walsh is thinking to keep zach for another year to shop him next season (the nba teams would be less afraid of a large two year deal than a large three year deal).
Marbury On His Way Out The Door according to the MSM. Remember, however, you heard it here first a little more than a year ago. Now those with short-term memories will credit Walsh for something that was clearly a Dolan-Thomas v. Marbury inevitability. As you may recall, they tried to keep him off the facility and immediately erased his image from the building, but that was not going to fly with the NBAPA or the commissioner. Your boy is on his way to having a great season. He is smart. He should be headed to the Boston Celtics — that would be the worst slap in the face possible, but does Doc Rivers love his Chi-Town colleague enough to save him the embarrassment of Marbury getting a ring while trampling the Knicks?
Stern got Dolan to sub Thomas and Mills with his boys but what has Stern given in return? Did Dolan screw that negotiation up too or is Stern, with the hidden hand, making sure that Marbury does not end up playing for someone that will lead to a continued total embarrassment of Dolan and the Knicks.
I don’t know the answer to that one, because I haven’t seen that page of the script, but you can bet that Stephon is also considering playing for a team out West. Remember Steph just bought a plane folks and gas is expensive.
What market or organization would pay Stephon the players minimum (which allows him to go to any team over the cap) and take care of his air fare so he can jet back and forth to New York to be with his family? Oh, and remember that he and Kobe like each other.
Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago (HaHaHa — Hey Ben, you better recognize and sign a contract)
Jeffries played well with Wizards but he was playing outside guarding twos and threes not fours and fives. Wasn’t required to do much rebounding. Even Agent Zero said his defense was overrated when he left them. Zero said we won’t miss him one bit. Guess what? They haven’t.
I spoke to a KNick Salemen yesterday for a long time. He said Z BO and Curry are working out at facility like never before. Maybe just Maybe
thanks for breaking the story lives, you are always on point.
like you said, they’ve been printing that for years. i remember after the ABS trial they said isiah was going to get canned before christmas but ended up playing out the rest of the regular season. what makes me think this is any different?
too bad steph had such a bad year last season, you’d think a former all-star would have SOME trade value in the final year of a large contract.
Kevin Harewood, you’re right, I believe Jeffries started at the two spot (must have been one of the worst shooting 2-guards in the NBA) for the wizards. I was just saying that the Wizards played fast as will D’Antoni’s Knicks.
As far as do they miss Jeffries, they’ve been plauged with injuries since Jeffries left, but I believe the best they have perfomed in the 21st century was when Jeffries was finishing his contract in D.C.
As far as where do we get rebounds without Z-bo and Curry in there,
A) curry already gets out-rebounded by most small fowards in the league.
B) increased minutes for D Lee and Will Chandler will yield more offensive and defensive rebounds for the Knicks down the road, if not better defense as well (at least chandler blocks shots occasionally).
despite the difference in position, let’s look at eddy versus wilson in terms of blocks per minute last season.
Wilson Chandler
685 minutes, 16 blocks on the season
Eddy Curry
1530 minutes, 29 blocks on the season
Defenders,
Jefferies could be the key to a great season in New York!
Imagine a 6’11 long body filling the lane with speed on a fast break.He has always been known as a defensive player.If he can rebound 6-8/gm, and score 8 pt/gm that would be great for the Knicks.He is able to guard 2,3,4, and the 5 spots.This will allow the team to switch on defense more.He will need add a mid-range jumper (10-15 feet)to bring r-e-s-p-e-c-t to his game.This would really would help this rotation of 8-9 players.
Duhon
Crawford
Chandler
Lee
Curry(Knicks D,only for the first 5 minutes)
bench
JJeferies
Z-bo
N8
Q
Hey Kevin and gentlemen, I’m not convinced this thing won’t work.It appears to me that a lot depends on how good a coach D is.Sure some of these guys are not perfect matches, but they are not square pieces that have to fit round holes.They are people, not just players.Why do soldiers follow their leaders into battle?Why do soldiers sometimes frag their leaders?
Curry, in shape,Zbo, in shape, and Lee make a flexible trio at the 4/5.The fact that it didn’t work under IT.is a different scenario than the one we have now.Good leadership can make a difference.I love the beginning of the movie “Patton” when he arrives to take over the 6th? Army in Africa.D doesn’t have to be Patton, but can he inspire and discipline his “army”.IT couldn’t perhaps D can?I’m willing to wait and see.As for Steph, it would seem to me that it all depends on him.He has a lot to lose if he continues destroying himself with bad choices.On the other hand if he finally grows up, maybe with D’s help, he has at the very least a showcase to market himself.It’s up to him.Read about the young Steph at Lincoln in “The Last Shot”, Darcy Frey.He seems to have the same problems he had at 15.He needs to grow up, and this could be his last chance.If he is traded his downward slide will probably continue.He needs to grow up.This is the right place and now is the right time.If he can’t do it,we can
get rid of him.I see a new clean sheet of paper for everyone, if they want it.There’s a lot of talent here for the right coach.Balls in your court Mike!Are you the real thing?We’re rooting for you!LGK
what up tman?
if alan is right, this for stephon:
Thanks KD.
Yeah, the talent is there and I sure would be happier about a surprise team this year than I was last year when I expected better.
I hope D’Antoni gives them certainty and stability. I like Zach in the system for now. I want to see what he can do and I look forward to Jeffries doing his thing.
We have quite a few players who love to play and play hard. Tman is right. It is up to D’Antoni to make it work. I think he can offensively, which will get us more games than last year.
I really hope it is more exciting or if I watch all of the games, it will definitely be by DVR and not live. I want to have as happy a season, watching winners, as possible, so I am hopeful, but we have some big holes.
Everyone knows Zach is def starting. If not for his skill, for the fact that not starting him will make the locker room a mess because he will flip out.
Lives,
I respectfully disagree – the talent is not there. Our roster does not have one legitimate defender. Any run ‘n’ gun style is going to promote even worse defense.
Duhon , Q and Jeffries are no worse than average defenders and playing and with structure could bump that up a notch or two and all three have shown that @ various times during their careers
Chill Will and PEJr have the tools and hunger to be good defenders they just need seasoning and guidance
I’m gonna resist saying just my 2 cents b/c we all know how little that is REALLY worth now
i meant playing with defined roles and structure
Here is my major concern. We have yet to see the “bad” side of Randolph. He is a menace and a cancer to a team. We haven’t seen that yet. We all dislike him and it’s only because he plays no defense and scores 20 but gives up 30.
Assuming that D’antoni wants to run…Zach is most likely going to sit a lot. He might lash out like no man has lashed out before. Imagine being a superstar and being benched on a bad team. The stories in Portland were that he would walk into the locker room after games yelling about how bad his teammates were. (Until Roy told him to shut the f*ck up). Those tirades came when he was actually playing well and getting notoriety for being a solid 20-10 guy with no help around him.
Imagine the tirades when he is getting 15 & 8 because he only played 22 minutes. I’m officially scared of what this man is capable of. He may just break of Crawford’s skinny pipe-cleaner arm and beat Chandler to death with it.
I’m just saying….crazier things have happened.
“Imagine the tirades when he is getting 15 & 8 because he only played 22 minutes. ”
we did see a little of that last season. isiah pulled him out of the game once and as he was walking over to the bench, he mouthed off to isiah in front of the team and the fans. he put his hands up in the air as a guesture as if to say, “you traded for me, I’m here, are you going to let me do my thing or not?”.
we also saw the interaction with nate robinson involving the gatorade and the towel throwing exchange. those kinds of things are indicators to me that the team unity is awry.