Knicks Defense

Look for Toney Douglas to get more minutes before S-Rod.  We’re testing both of them for Mike D’s system for the 29 games.  Actually, everyone not named Wilson or Danilo is on notice.

Lets Go Knicks!

See you at the Garden!

The top six players this summer looking for new contracts HAVE ALL PLAYED FOR MIKE D: Wade, Bosh, LeBron, Amare, Joe Johnson and Boozer.
Now if the money is there and you know that you like the coach and you’ll be playing with a fellow all-star do you really think they’ll all say no? In New York??

Knick trade deadline casualty #1 has been completed.

Darko out.

Brian Cardinale in.

This is strictly for cap space, but let’s face it, Darko didn’t play here, so if Brian gets any burn, it would be an improvment.

Go to work Donnie!

We have a REAL GM in command at 2 Penn Plaza.

Lookout Chicago!

Nate is on his way to Boston.  This supports my theory that D’Antoni was only playing Nate in January so he’d have his rhythm in the dunk contest.  Mission accomplished.  Nate, you have a future in the NBA, no doubt, but, let’s face it:  your future is not with us.  Good luck to you Nate, I won’t miss you.

The best memory I have of Nate was during his rookie year when he hit the three point shot over Allen Iverson to win the game at the buzzer.  I was at that game, great game.

The T-Mac rumors have been beaten to death.  The Rockets want Jordan Hill, and Donny Walsh Isn’t budging –he wants to keep Hill. 

I really think Donnie Walsh is a great GM.  The NBA is a fraternity, and Walsh is a guy with connections.  Walsh is friends with T-Mac’s agent, Arn Tellum, who is pushing Houston hard to make a deal with New York.  Chicago wants a piece of the T-Mac action; obviously I hope Chicago doesn’t get what it wants.  They already have Derrick Rose; let us get someone with a pulse in our back court.

I think Mike D’Antoni  is a great coach (you probably won’t agree until you see what he works with NEXT season) we have a positive future ahead of us as long as James Dolan stays the hell away from an kind of decision making process that involves the basketball team.

We’re aiming high, and when was the last time you could say that about the Knicks?  We’ve been aiming to get into the first round of the playoffs for 8 years and failing every time, but this summer, the goal is to get two FRANCHISE PLAYERS.  We don’t know which two it will be, but if Dwayne Wade is dreaming of playing with LeBron, might I suggest he dream of it on the Garden floor?

Not just blogging!

Donnie Walsh for President!

Mike D’Antoni for Vice President!

Haters go pick another team and will the real New York Knick fans please stand up!

I just realized something.  I titled this blog, “the shape of Knicks to come,” fashioned after the Ornette Coleman masterpiece, “The Shape of Jazz to Come,” except for one thing:  the Knicks are pretty much shapeless right now.  Assuming we get both trades completed, there is even a possibility of a third trade if the Knicks continue to acquire Tyrus Thomas from the Bulls, we have only a few players that we are sure to keep for next year:  Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Toney Douglas, and maybe Jordan Hill.  Eddy Curry will be here because nobody wants him at all.

We’re looking at a full-fledged roster gut, except for those four guys and maybe T-Mac.  We have a shell.  The nucleus has yet to be formed.  Stay tuned to July 1st, 2010.

 Lee

Watched the game in pieces, did not see Lee score his two baskets, but I read a quote where he said, “I just want to score a bucket.”  In that respect, it was a success.  Lee deserves to be recognized for the great season he is having.

Nate

That reverse dunk he tried from under the basket was something else.   Innovative, he understood he needed to be innovative with that dunk.   He went for it, but did not execute, as he missed it twice before moving on.  Had he made it on the first attempt it would have been the best dunk of the contest. Good think you remembered to move on this time Nate, none of that 18 attempts stuff that made me cring the first time you won the championship.

Speaking of championship, Jordan and Dominique only won the dunk contest twice, surely Nate is not better than either legend.

Gallinari

Is his arm still injured?  If not, he had kind of a forgettable weekend, despite being part of two events during the festivities.  How about that Paul Pierce?  I thought for sure Stephen Curry was going to win it after that first round.

T-Mac

The latest rumors on the web include a revised trade (down from a three team swap to a two-team trade) that is 50-50 to occur:

The Knicks and Rockets are getting closer to a deal that would send Tracy McGrady, Joey Dorsey and Brian Cook to New York in exchange for Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, and either Al Harrington or Larry Hughes.

There would also be some swapped draft picks, but the details are still being ironed out — for example, if Harrington is included instead of Hughes, the Rockets wouldn’t have to send back Brian Cook. T-Mac would certainly get some run for the sinking Knicks, but New York’s real motivation is unloading Jeffries’ $6.9 million salary next season.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35412359/ns/sports-player_news/

I’m going to leave you with this:  assume this trade that is about to go through with Houston is only to clear enough salary cap to get Wade and LeBron (yeah, dare to imagine that despite the fact that it seems obvious the odds are against us) this summer. 

You sign those two, and you can’t afford David Lee any more.

Would you then trade David Lee for Ty Thomas now, before we lose him and get nothing for him this summer, when he is an unrestricted free agent?

The trade deadline is this Thursday.  The Knicks have been on the clock for the past decade, will 2010 bring better Kharma to the New York Knicks?

Just bloggin’

David Lee has earned the right to be there this year.

Although he could have boxed out better against the Kings the other night, Lee has improved his game and worked hard to maximize his potential. 

Good for you David Lee, represent the Knicks with pride this weekend!

The Knicks are now sending three guys to the All-Star Weekend:

David Lee (All-Star Game)

Nate Robinson (dunk contest defending champion)

Danilo Gallinari (rookie-sophomore game, 3-point shootout contestant)

Don’t think of it in terms of salaries because they both come off the books this year.

Al Harrington has been a servicable Knick, loyal, proud, I don’t think there is one Knick on this roster that wants to stay here in New York more than Al Harrington.
T-Mac, does Mike D’Antoni  really want T-Mac on his squad?
Can T-Mac still do what he used to do?

Can he help this team play better defense?

I think T-Mac used to shoot too many outside shots after he started having back problems during his days in Orlando.

Obviously in Houston T-Mac’s injuries became a major factor.  He never approached 82 games on the season while in Houston.
If I were Walsh, I’d be scouring every professional basketball league in the world for an upgrade at the point guard position right now.

Otherwise you’re begging the Minnesota Timberwolves for a crack at the rights to Ricky Rubio this summer.

All signs indicate Mr. Walsh is more focused on obtaining another forward/swingman right now, be it Tracy McGrady or Ty Thomas.  Neither will mean very much this season if we can’t get a better point guard to run the D’Antoni offense.

A recent blog by Ken Berger (or K-berg, as Alan Hahn used to refer to him when they worked together for Newsday) mentions that Ty Thomas is on his way out of Chicago. 

It has been clear in other reports coming out of Chicago that Ty is unhappy with his role on the team and the Bulls–namely the coach–are unhappy with him. 

Earlier in the year, there were several rumors that the Knicks were trying to obtain Ty Thomas from the Bulls, but they have all been unsuccessful thus far, obviously.

Are the Knicks going to get something done before the trade deadline? 

Could this be it? 

Should it be for a point guard instead?

Or perhaps both?

After the all-star break, after Nate Robinson defends his dunk contest title, he should go back the the bench, if the Knicks are concerned about making a push for the playoffs.

When Nate sat, and Larry Hughes played, we beat good teams back in the December.

Since Nate’s 41-point game brough him back to life this season, Nates numbers have been up, but our New York Knicks numbers have been down.

Yes, it had something to do with Al Harrington being out.

It also had something to do with Duhon’s slumps (and those have been two very, very bad slumps).

I say go back to the 7-man rotation that was winning games for us, assuming everyone in that seven is healthy.

6′10″  PF from New York     Danilo Gallinari

6′11″ C from Phoenix          Channing Frye

6′3″  G from Golden State    Stephen Curry