I really missed blogging here.
Thanks to those that wished me well with helping out my uncle overseas. The quest is almost over. We have the baby, and once we cross onto US turf, she becomes a full-out US Citizen.
Since I’ve been gone, I’ve caught zero preseason Knicks action.
For the first time in four years, I did not get to attend the annual Knicks open practice.
The stench of the previous regime’s failures have not been fully expunged from the grounds of Madison Square Garden.
And yet when I get home, I look forward to watching my Knicks play.
I’m reading Nate, Duhon and Chandler are excelling under Mike D’s tutelage. That’s good to read. I hope Chandler springs back from the knee re-injury. I’ve also read that Gallinari is going to be practicing with the team, in pain. Not so good to read. Why rush him back, especially since Chandler is producing along with Zach and Lee? I want to see Gallo play, but not at the risk of chronic back injury as a rookie.
What I do know is that D’Antoni found a pair of front court players in Randolph and Lee that actually have good chemistry and then he tried to split them up recently. I hope that is just some preseason trial-and-error because although Zach and Lee mirror each other statistically, they obviously do different things on the basketball court.
I read that Curry is in D’Antoni’s dog house. Good. Time for some tough love for E-City. Skiles tried it too with the “video games in his basement” comment and the “jump” comment, but for a completely different coach to come in and take issue with Curry’s weak work ethic and lack of competitive nature just may be the guy’s last hope. Either that, or he’ll be inspired to follow in the not-so-great Jerome James’ footsteps: sit on the end of the bench and cash the checks, and smile at the 19,763 that obviously want to kick your ass. Isiah made Eddy the first, second and third options. Not happening here. Eddy Curry needs to hang out with Charles Oakley on a regular basis to show him how to be an NBA basketball PROFESSIONAL.
As much as I enjoyed it, there is some heavy censorship in China. I had absolutely zero access to this knicks blog and to some other Knicks blogs for the entire duration of my stay. Frustrating to say the least.
The Chinese do love basketball, which is part of why I enjoyed my visit. One of the provinces I visited, Wuhan, has a huge square in the center, and a omega-supreme sized jumbotron wired with big sound that televises an assortment of government-approved programs. One night I was out to play some pickup basketball games just outside of our hotel, and they had a Rockets preseason game on in its entirety with Chinese announcers calling the game. Yes, of course, Yao has something to do with it, but Yao was not playing this night and they still showed the whole game. There were many people in that square smoking their Chinese cigarettes just watching NBA action.
I laced them up and played with the locals. At 6’3″, 207lbs, I have an obvious size advantage, but these guys are quick and strong like our own #4, but to a lesser degree. They laughed at me at first because I showed up on the good court and couldn’t speak enough Mandarin to say I wanted to play. Eventually they came over to me and asked and all I could do is make the thumbs up sign indicating that I wanted to play. We ran the court that night. Played about 15 games (they play to 7 for some weird reason) and lost only one. Every other night I showed up to play, the same team picked me up and we won most of the time. Where they were at first making fun of the odd looking foriegner that doesn’t speak Mandarin, they were giving me some of their cigarettes to celebrate (I quit 15 years ago).
NBA stuff I saw in China: Yao stuff, Jordan stuff, LeBron stuff, Kobe stuff. That was about it. You could see that basketball culture is big here, but they don’t idolize American players to the extreme that we see back home.
Oh, and to the few haters that posted here while I was gone:
lick my balls.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
welcome back knicks d!! I always wanted to go to China.. sounds like you had a good time.. glad the quest for the baby went well lol.
I have a good feeling about Chandler this season.. a bonafide allstar in the making!!! Zacks trade value will also shoot up im sure and we could pick up a solid player + cap room… playoffs baby!!!
Former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was taken to White Plains Hospital Center today after overdosing on sleeping pills, WABC-TV reported, citing police and unidentified people.
Police respond to report of drug overdose at Isiah Thomas’ home
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2008/10/24/2008-10-24_police_respond_to_report_of_drug_overdos.html
KnicksD,
Hope all went well on your journey.Welcome home my brother.
Hope the Knicks will play better than Tuesday night.
Congratulations on the new edition to the family.
Welcome back dude.
That was an interesting post (about your China visit experience). Gotta ask you this… was it a dirt court, cement or asphalt. I grew up in the Far East and we mostly played on cement court and on dirt in remote areas.
I was at the Open House practice. My kid and I usually go to these Open Houses (can’t beat a freebie).
BTW, good luck to the new member of the family. May (s)he bring you good luck and joy to your family.
Good luck and good beer.
Good to read that you had plenty o fun and meaningful moments in the land of Xin.
The preseason’s been a mixed bag and who knows if that is telling for how the regular season will fair.
There is generally better energy on the court. Zach and Lee do look together on the court. But that said bigger and more athletic line-ups might fluster that splendid duo.
I get a sens that the very energy that has seen a rejuvenated Knicks offense does show in more active hands on the defensive end. I tend to believe that the defense looks for the quick steal to ingnite the break, where part of the strenght of the offense exist. The Knicks also appeare to be relying to a larger extent on the long ball. To sum it up the offense seems to be more focused on a mixture of quick strike running opportunities and the three ball. The ball does move alot more in the offense, players are more conscientious of getting the ball to an open man.
These are all good things and it is better that the Knicks play “incidental defense” rather than no defense at all.
With all that good and fun stuff said there are causes for concern on this retooling Knicks squad.
The Knicks lack of size, Thanks no-shows Curry & James, has allowed for opposing teams to take advantage of the Knicks in the paint. Many a gaurd and power player has scored almost at will on the Knicks non existent interior defense.
The energy that is clearly demonstrated on the offensive end and carries over to a more active defense that looks to spark a break with active hands jumping passing lanes, appears incidental and without structure or scheme. Once opposing teams can get past the initial push of the Knicks’ defense to spark a break the opposing teams- especially those with quick gaurds and good post up players- then settle in and surgically exploit our Knicks lack of a strong interior defense or a coherent defense approach that goes beyond the Knicks initial push.
What compounds the above situation is that our perimeter defender’s have no help inside- again thanks Curry & James- and when their attempts to jump the lane fail the opposing teams go straight to the jugular of a Knicks team w/o shot blockers or enforces in the interior.
The fast pace and excellent show that comes from the D’antoni fast break and the increased reliance on the deep ball when it works is a thing to ooh and aah over. But the converse is that whe opposing teams stop the Knicks from fast breaking, and the three ball isn’t hitting the Knicks look terrible. There was hardly any resort to a half court game- again thanks to Curry for showing up out of shape again- and the overeliance on three at times results in the Knicks not taking the ball closer to the net for higher percentage shots- on either drives off pump fakes or set plays for mid range jumpers.
Off course that is the flip side.
I think the Knicks will be improved b/c last years team was stagnant so overeliant on a post offense that was too duplicative and stymied by the pro-flop rules. Moreover, this Knicks team is more conscious to get the ball moving w/o relying on and one pound the ball style play. Those are great signs.
Like Kenetic energy bodies in motion- this year’s Knicks team- tend to stay in motion- more activity on defense and active hands to spark the break. Last years Knicks team was bodies at rest- people standing around waiting for curry to pount the ball inside or Crawford to do his dance- and you know that bodies at rest tend to stay at rest.
This year’s team is active, could certainly use more structure and direction on the defensive end- need a guru like Thibedeau- and could use more balance on the offensive end- drive’s, post play, mid range plays- but it is better than last year’s.
I do think that Curry could help with his ability to score inside and of cours “if” “if” he got motivated to play both sides he could tremendoulsy help the Knicks. He’ll either turn the corner this year or he will be gone.
Last game Ewing Jr. made a case for himself staying on Board. Kid blocked shots, dunked and attacked the rack like a beast, and played in the interior with passion. That is stuff that neither Curry nor James are either willing or able to do.
I think he should stay and James should get cut. The other option is that Ewing Jr. stays and Roberson gets cut. Ewing should stay before either of those two b/c he provides the Knicks with a semblance of interior defense that our two big oaths can’t.
Donnie do the right thing
Safe return home KnicksD
Starburyfan
This blog smells of your stench!
You must first have balls, to get them
licked. The litany of you adopting even
an Asian must be legally challenged.
Anonymous,
You say “You must first have balls, to get them
licked.” and you call yourself Anonymous.Why not use your real name? Where are your balls?
We want to talk basketball here.Take your hate some where else.
Yo KnicksD
One question about play in China…
What style of play do they tend towards more. Could you gather from talking to or translating conversations whether they prefer the fast style of the West or the Half court and power game of the east. Are they more towards emphasizing fundamentals like I hear Europe does or is it alot of free style like our boy J-Craw?
Anonymous has that scum Peaceman’s signature all over it.
Best thing to do is ignore it and focus on the upcomeing season
“Anonymous has that scum Peaceman’s signature all over it”
K Fag For Life, you have a thing for PEACEMAN?
Ease your woody, you give too much credit
son. Wrong again as usual. You want to get in his truck? This is just too easy. Your brain is a terrific thing to waste.
Take it out your mouth KFFL.
” I really missed blogging here.” ( The host)
I’ll bet the vegas odds are you are the only one!
“Since I’ve been gone, I’ve caught zero preseason Knicks action.”
Hey Ace, it’s Rhetorical you’ve ever “caught”
Knicks action.
No commentary from Peaceman and Lives in New Jersey. With Zeke, their boss, telling lies at every turn, the loyal Posse is crushed.
“It wasn’t his daughter,” Harrison Police Chief David Hall told The Associated Press. “And why they’re throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand.”
It is beyond my ability to understand why
the Coney Island Cupcake didn’t jump? Nah,
too many Possette’s to break his fall.
just because i’m on the road doesn’t mean i’m going to let a middle schooler come in here and try to hijack my blog and turn it into the lunchroom insult show.
this blog is about the knicks and other worthless garbage will be taken to the curb as has always been the case. it just will take longer because i’ve been on the road.
don’t think i don’t know who my friends and enemies are on here. just because you say nice things under one name and cowardly change your name to say what you really mean, it doesn’t fool me for a second. i don’t have to call you an asshole, people know it simply by reading your words.
you’re ruining the comment section for the good people who actually post stuff i want to read.
although you dislike it, you read my blog, take the time to write about how much you dislike it.
get a life. take your meds, do the things you want to do and stop wasting time hanging out in places where you flat-out just don’t belong.
What kind of man would put his own daughter under a bus? Isiah Thomas would. Thomas saying it was his daughter who attempted to kill herself, not him, just shows the type of lowlife Isiah Thomas really is.
Here’s what Thomas should have said, instead of putting his own daughter under a bus, “I have no comment. But Thomas would rather trash his daughter then have people think he tried to kill himself.
Drossman
Have you ever stopped to consider that perhaps Thomas was attending to his daughter who hypoglycemia and as a result it was difficult for Thomas to get some rest. Quite possibly as a result Thomas turned to sleep aides and took more than the normal dosage, which Dr. Peaceman aptly points out wheres out in effectiveness with time, in order to get some sleep after a day which might have involved a difficult day for the Thomas household.
Did the Media or Drossman consider that possibility? No the first thing to do is to continue to paint Thomas as inept and out of control. To paint him as incapable of handling his own business. So once again they have to intervene and craft a story. I wouldn’t want that faux sympathy from such callous enemies.
So STFU Drossman just STFU!
Eww– when did the knicks change their homepage?
http://www.nba.com/knicks/
I’m not sure I like it. Anyway, our first game is Wednesday and I’m looking forward to it.