Training Camp Round-Up

Good morning folks. This afternoon is the last training camp session and tomorrow is the beginning of pre-season with the Knicks’ first game against the Wanna Be Brooklyn Nets in Albany. (Talk about your geographic confusion). There have been plenty of eyes, some behind amateur but useful video-camera shots, in Saratoga watching the Knicks try to come together as a T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) to borrow a oft used acronym from Mr. Cooleyhigh.  Perhaps the best way to sum it all up is “the Knicks are a work in process.”

Of course the process is the “How Do We Get To 2010 Without Looking Like Absolute Fools Process”  and that is a difficult assignment which Donnie Walsh has handed off to Mike D’Antoni this preseason.  D’Antoni has taken the task with the same positive energy he usually brings to the job, but we perceive that Mike has changed a little bit – he is no longer verbally rigid about sticking to his “offense is defense” philosophy which he (and Newsday) kept trying to sell us last season.  Now he has embraced bringing a defensive set to the minds of the players; the next step is to bring the players a defensive mind-set, but this is a process.

This year D’Antoni has made defensive pressure a part of the training camp drills, although it is hard to see the impact of those drills in the available film footage (Check out Alan Hahn’s valiant camera phone effort).  The defensive pressure is also not one of the elements noted much by the blogging eyes in Saratoga.

One of the things most Fanatics understand is that you can’t tell much about the upcoming season from training camp, but you are given some tidbits to help your analysis. It is particularly hard to determine how good players or different combinations of players are because they are all training against players who formed one of the worst teams in the NBA last year.  At this time last year we were concerned whether Jamal Crawford would find his shot which seemed to vanish until the end of pre-season and whether Zach Randolph would be able to adapt to the D’Antoni philosophy of ball movement from player to player not from Zach to Black Hole. (At the beginning of the season both Randolph and Crawford were able to adapt as the Knicks got off to a strong start before the leading scorers were caught in a salary dump, to the dump, to the dump.)

The Eyes Have It

Knicks Fans have a number of eyes at Training Camp this year including Tommy Dee of  The Knicks Blog, Alan Hahn of Newsday, Mark Berman of The Post, Seth at Posting and Toasting, and Frank Isola of the Daily News (he really offered very little observation and insight in the on-line version of the Daily News). 

According to most of these gentlemen, Friday night, the 4th night of training camp, was the most impressive as the players came out and played with considerable intensity. “The energy was awesome and regardless of what people think about this being a lost season I’m here to say that these guys are ready to compete and ready to win,” wrote Tommy Dee.  Dee’s enthusiasm is always nice, but not everyone there associated the evenings effort with the Knicks’ state of readiness for the NBA season.

Earlier, we provided you some video from T&P.  The Knicks Blog also has been providing nice multi-media coverage through the SNY-TV network. The following is their Training Camp Day 4 Video.

 

Day 4 Knicks training camp with Tommy Dee from Big Apple Channel on Vimeo.

 

Regarding the intense Day 4 scrimmage according to Dee, “The best five, offensively, in terms of flow was Darko, Lee, Will, Hughes and C-Du. I’m very interested to see if that continues. They have obvious synergy, but it could be just tonight.”  Alan Hahn was more impressed with a different combination. He wrote, “The best lineup for the blues included a huge group of Gallinari, Jeffries, Lee and Milicic. That group moved the ball beautifully and seemed to have great chemistry at both ends of the floor. Milicic ran the floor well and, along with Lee, dominated the boards.” Seth at T&P added that Duhon came to life after Robinson’s squad of youngsters, including Toney Douglas, experienced some success in both trash talking and b-balling.

It’s a process.

Playa, Playa, Play On

Jared Jeffries – Jeffries remains one of the most consistent players on the Knicks.  He is a hard worker and a valuable tool. Unfortunately, Jeffries is often the poster child for offensive disabilities and his contract is one of those in the way of cap space security for fans afraid we won’t be financially prepared for the free agent shopping spree this upcoming summer.

According to Hahn, on the third night of training camp most of the players looked like their legs were dead and their shots were flat, but the “most fittest players such as Nate Robinson, David Lee and Jared Jeffries didn’t show it as much, but everyone else was clearly feeling it.”  I know, I know: Jeffries shot didn’t look as bad because it is almost always flat or a knuckleball, but I like Jeffries because he is a hard working T.E.A.M  player. By Friday night Hahn wrote, “Jeffries has looked very good in camp. He is even finding some consistency and confidence in his previously wayward shot. Not to say he’s a legit scorer, but Jeffries is trying hard to show he won’t be a liability on offense.”

Toasting and Posting wrote, “Brace yourself. Jared Jeffries has been one of the best players on the floor throughout camp. I’m serious. It was cute at first, but Jared made it clear tonight that he’s determined to be a factor. His outside shots continued to fall, and he put the ball on the floor for difficult finishes with either hand. On the other end, Jeffries hounded guards in the backcourt, then raced back to legitimately swat a few people under the basket. My friend (a Celtics fan, I’m afraid, but he appreciates the Knicks) said, without a hint of sarcasm, "he looks like Kevin Garnett out there". It was a sight to be seen.”

It’s too bad that almost every year Jeffries starts the pre-season like a gangbuster and gets injured or so it seems.  Let’s see if he makes it into the rotation on October 28th against the Heat.

Darko Milicic –Milicic, 24, is already in his seventh season. My question is not “How did he become a bust?” It’s “how many rookies has coach Larry Brown destroyed or misused in his career?”    By Friday night, Milicic dominated the boards and ran the floor well, according to Hahn, although he seemed to get hurt a couple of times, once when Toney Douglas landed on his head. Milicic understands that he can help the Knicks improve by rebounding and blocking shots.  "There’s a lot of scorers on this team, scoring is not a problem here," he said. "So I will try to help in other ways; try to rebound, try to block shots. All of this stuff is going to make this team better and get a couple of more wins, maybe for a playoff spot.”

Eddie Curry – Maybe he really is hurt.  Sometimes I regress to my conspiracy theorist days in college and I feel like Eddie Curry is not really hurt, but his conditioning is so bad that the coach does not want the rest of the world to see him practice publicly before he puts a big for sale sign on his Knick-neck.  But, he did practice the first day and he was wearing a boot while working out in the pool by the third day.  This brother is just a mess right now.  Put him on your prayer list please.

Danilo Galinari – Since he was drafted, I have been comparing his game to Jamal Crawford’s which is what I saw in the Euro-tapes.  I was not at all surprised that D’Antoni tried Gallo at the 2 spot which is a slightly better place for him, but according to Berman, “[e]ven D’Antoni admits – for all of Danilo Gallinari’s shooting grace – he still can’t create his own shot.”  That takes a chunk out of my Crawford comparison because Jamal can create his own shot with ease although the shots are not always easy to look at.

Seth at T&P was not impressed with Galinari’s speed on defense. “I think I buy the idea of Danilo Gallinari acting as a shooting guard on offense, but I’m not so down with his matching up that way on D. Gallo matched up with Nate Robinson and Marcus Landry (the latter of which isn’t nearly as ridiculous, but still) at times, and had trouble keeping up when he got screened or lost on the break. At one point, a frustrated Gallo objected to some physical positioning by Landry, and simply shoved him out of bounds with two hands. The guy’s got fire, but I wonder if throwing him out there against guards maximizes his talents.”

Toney Douglas – One of the most significant developments is that D’Antoni has already penciled Douglas in as Duhon’s back up. (Berman). This is not a surprise.  What was a surprise is that D’Antoni had practically written the rookie off as unprepared for the NBA after the Summer League.  "He didn’t have a good summer league, and it was a quick judgment and maybe made a mistake on," D’Antoni said. "He’s a lot better than I thought. He might have ran out of steam at the end of the week, and I judged him on that not being ready. Give him credit though. I showed him things he had to work on and he did."

Toasting and Posting noted, “Toney Douglas continues to impress me on defense. As an athlete, he’s unspectacular, but he’s determined to bust his ass to stay with his assignment. It’s especially refreshing to see someone get over a screen now and then.”

As I mentioned earlier, you are likely to see Douglas and Robinson on the floor together often, especially to improve the tempo of the game.  I would also not be surprised to see Douglas, Robinson and Duhon on the floor at the same time with perhaps Gallo, Jeffries or Chandler.  This combination puts Duhon in the best position offensively as he can pop the tre and play for the drive instead of concentrating on being the distributor.  It’s a small group, but until Milicic is ready, the Knicks’ best units will be smallish.

Al Harrington – Harrington is reportedly looking pretty active and aggressive, particularly on offense where he is also passing the ball around and driving to the rim which is when he is most effective.  Seth wrote, “Al Harrington, who continued to abuse every defender in his path (and a ref or two as well). I believe the word that Al’s added muscle over the summer, because he’s willing and able to bully his way to the basket and finish strong. The outside shots are falling, too.”  Solid play from Harrington will make it tough for D’Antoni to settle on a definite 8-10 player rotation.

We will get a better understanding of what all of this means when the pre-season starts tomorrow. I understand that O&B is going to try to pull together an LBE for tomorrow afternoon.  Stay tuned.

 

DON’T FORGET TO ENJOY O&B’s INSIGHTFUL AND LONG LAP ON KNICK REVIVALISM

ALSO, DON’T FORGET TO ROCK THE VOTE FOR THE DANCE-SPIRIT TEAM

Knicks Got Sixty-nine (69) Issues And (Hopefully) Bitching Ain’t One

Knicks fans love their basketball, but just as important as the play on the field is the drama that surrounds our home  team.  When teams like the Oklahoma Thunder and the Toronto Raptors have poor seasons from the beginning it can be easy to lose interest.  But the Knicks always have some drama going on either on the court,  in the locker room or outside of MSG.  Each year seems to have many great story lines to follow; and watching the Knicks is like watching a soap opera or at other times a situation comedy.

This year, like every other, there are many story lines to follow to hold one’s interest.  We have identified the following 69 issues or story lines that we will follow closely this season. Of course, the Scriptologists among you probably already know the resolution to most of these plotlines.  If any of you have more story lines, please share them in the comment section.

AS THE KNICKS’ WORLD TURNS

1. Will Danilo Galinari’s back hold up for 70-82 games?

2. Will Thrill Will earn his name and show more aggression consistently?

3. Will Toney Douglas become the starting point guard by the All-Star Break?

4. Will Eddie Curry ever get into “Seven Seconds Or Less” shape or revert to “Fat and Overweight” shape?

5. Will D’Antoni emphasize defense more this season or officially remove the “D” from his name?

6. Will the Knicks be in the battle for the 7th to 8th playoff spots or the NY lottery in January?

7. Will David Lee agree to a trade by February?

8. Will Darko go crazy in front of the camera again?

9. Will Walsh trade Jared Jeffries this season?

10. Will Walsh trade Larry Hughes this season?

11. Will Al Harrington or Nate Robinson be the spark plug off the bench?

12. Will the starting unit ever be Douglas, Robinson, Galinari, Lee, Chandler?

13. Will David Lee and Nate Robinson earn their million dollar bonuses and make the playoffs?

14. When the Hawks visit the Garden will Jamal Crawford receive an ovation?

15. When Jamal Crawford plays the Knicks, will he score 30 or more points or will he be guarded by Douglas?

16. Will Nate Robinson enter the All-Star Dunk competition?

17. Will Nate Robinson jump over Yao Ming to win the Slam Dunk competition?

18. Will the Scab Refs have jobs after the All-Star Break?

19. Will Toney Douglas shoot over 40% from under the arc?

20. Will Darko Milicic run the floor and play defense or rub his butt on the bench all season?

21. Will Larry Hughes hit a shot when it means something?

22. Will Larry Hughes be traded before David Lee?

23. Will David Lee continue to be the Knicks double-double man?

24. Will David Lee be forced to guard centers again?

25. Will anybody get sued by a chauffer this year?

26. Will the Newsday writers quit because of the humiliation of being told how to report on the Knicks?

27. What will Stephon Marbury do to get attention during the season?

28. Will the New York press go “goo goo ga ga” over LeBron when he comes to New York again?

29. Will Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum humiliate the Knicks?

30. Will the Knicks get 40+ wins?

31. Will D’Antoni return to the 7seconds or Less offense or continue to emphasize the pick and roll?

32. When Galinari drive to the hole, who will he kick out to for the tre?

33. Are there enough balls for a unit including Harrington, Hughes, Galinari and Robinson?

34. Will FIU make it to the NIT?

35. How many times will LeBron tell the press he is not leaving Cleveland during the season?

36. How many times will LeBron tell the press he is going to test the free agency market?

37. Will Ratner have enough money by December to save the Atlantic Yard project?

38. Will Chris Duhon shut down Brandon Jennings for punking him?

39. Will the Knicks be able to trade Eddie Curry this year?

40. Will the truth about Eddie’s alleged knee injury last year be revealed as pretext for being out of shape?

41. Will Rasheed Wallace, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen embarrass the Knicks at MSG?

42. Will the Knicks keep looking for a point guard during the season?

43. Will the Knicks continue to be without an All-Star Game participant?

44. Will Nate Robinson agree to a trade to the Western Conference?

45. Will Carmelo Anthony, Birdman, Chauncey Billups and K-Mart get pimp slapped by the Knicks?

46. Will Allen Iverson and Zach Randolph try to show off in the Garden and succeed?

47. Will Wilson Chandler and David Le be too much for Blake Griffin?

48. Will the press continue to treat Nate like garbage?

49. Will Wilson Chandler develop an inside game?

50. What will be Jeffries shooting percentage from under the basket?

51. How will D’Antoni use defenders like Douglas, Chandler, Jeffries, Hughes and Hill?

52. Who will complain about lack of minutes first, Darko or Curry?

53. What will Q-Rich do when he gets to the Garden?

54. Will Hill develop a consistent, strong inside move by the playoffs?

55. Will the incentive laden contract give David Lee incentive to play defense?

56. Will anybody take a charge besides Jeffries and Galinari?

57. Will someone assume the role of enforcer for the Knicks?

58. Will Stephon Marbury come to see the Knicks play in NY or LA?

59. Will Newsday ever write anything critical of Knicks management?

60. Will David Lee be able to guard Shaq while Chandler guards LeBron?

61. Will Curry’s former chauffer file for arbitration or bail on the entire process?

62. Will Newsday, which is owned by Cablevision which owns the Knicks, continue to have the most positive spin on the Knicks in New York?

63. Will Mike Breen continue to regale viewers his claims that Robinson is immature?

64. Will the New York media return to the days when black athletes had low basketball IQ’s and all the white athletes were geniuses, according to the press?

65. If the Knicks make the playoffs will Robinson and Lee share a part of their bonuses with teammates?

66. Will Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson become the Knicks’ new targets as “Saviors?”

67. Will the players make progress on the CBA?

68. Who will become the team leader?

69. Will opponents continue to enjoy their visits to the garden?

 

ESPN ANALYSTS FIND OBVIOUS TRENDS AMONGST KNICKS

ESPN’s top NBA analysts Ric Buecher and John Hollinger combined their skills, tools and observations to find trends within the Knicks. The analysis is tucked away in the Insider which requires a subscription for this “insider information.”  Unfortunately in this case, it seems that their combined effort is no more than common sense.

First they determine that the player “trending up” is Wilson Chandler.  Hollinger expects Wilson’s player efficiency rating to increase slightly but not drastically.   He writes:

Chandler will start at small forward again and has a good chance to build on last season’s numbers since he’s only 22. It’s unlikely his playing time will increase much this season, especially if Danilo Gallinari is healthy, so any uptick in Chandler’s numbers will have to come from either finding more shots or converting more of the ones he takes. Either is possible, but we’re talking about incremental shifts here with a gradual build. He’ll probably lift his percentages a bit and average around 15 points per game, which is solid. Just don’t expect the moon based on a superficial reading of last season’s numbers.

The player thought to be trending downward is Darko Milicic.  He believes that Milicic is little more than good trade bait around playoff time:

What? You thought Darko would be reborn in Gotham? Let’s curb the enthusiasm. The Grizzlies traded Milicic to New York for Quentin Richardson, and Milicic will serve as the backup center and provide one of the few sources of defense in the basket area for New York. He’s a good option to bring off the bench for 20 minutes a night for that reason, but he may get lost in the Knicks’ run-and-gun approach. Additionally, he doesn’t have the skill level to finish pick-and-roll plays, the bread-and-butter of New York’s half-court game.

According to Bucher, Jordan Hill is the “name to know” which is translated to mean that Knicks hopes may rest on his shoulders as much as Danilo Galinari’s.  However, he expects little from the raw forward.

Most rookies have an easier time if they can play a role alongside an established star. The Knicks don’t have any bona-fide stars, but their post players, Lee and Al Harrington, have strengths, meaning they won’t yield easily to the rookie. Hill is not going to outrebound Lee, and Hill showed no signs in the summer league of having a superior inside-outside game to Harrington’s. So what does he do to make his mark?

Chances are, he won’t. He’ll be just another guy in the rotation, much like Gallinari. And that won’t help Walsh that much.

As I see it, these are all safe observations and predictions that tell us little about how the Knicks will fare this year.  The key to the Knicks is how well D’Antoni will be able to institute his offense (and whether they will play any defense).  I was cracking up earlier this morning because last year I spent a little time on the Fix, where Chris Duhon was treated like a God, criticizing Duhon and Walsh because their actions dismantled D’Antoni’s offensive scheme and turned it into a half-court pick and roll offense.  The only way that changes is if the conditioning and mind-set of the bigs handling the ball on in-bounds or rebounds and the guards bringing up the ball change their mind-set and move the ball (not themselves) quickly up the court.

Consequently, D’Antoni will be looking to Danilo Galinari and his guard corp to direct the offense. As, I  will write later, Galinari is being put in an awfully difficult challenge but what you must like about him is that he has a great competitive mentality which is an important part of what makes a great player.  Still, the Knicks are probably asking too much of him, his conditioning and his understanding of the NBA game.  With so much weight on Galinari it is highly likely he will “peeter out” by the all-star break.

Regarding Chandler, we all expect him to play better and hopefully with more anger and aggression.  However, the problem regarding Chandler is that the D’Antoni staff must begin to maximize this kid’s skills.  He has the ability to have a nice inside game, but turning him into a three point shooter will ultimately hurt his game and confidence.  We can expect the local Beats to pound on his image by interpreting his laid back, deferential and youthful approach to the game as having a “low basketball IQ.”  (That term rankles me coming from the Beats who understand the game far less than most of the players and have a paper trail of prognostications and observations to prove it.)

D’Antoni’s handling of Curry and Milicic will decide how quickly he can get the team to play consistent ball with each other.  No one really expects much from Curry who will probably not be in D’Antoni game shape.  That would require D’Antoni to alter his “game” for another season. I am not very familiar with Milicic’s game although I have reviewed a lot of tape.  I haven’t seen him get the opportunity to demonstrate all those skills he supposedly has, so I reserve judgment for the moment.

As mentioned before, the key to the Knicks will be the guard corp and whether someone can step up and displace Duhon from the position of titular point guard.  All eyes are on Toney Douglas as the player who hopefully will trend up and be able to direct D’Antoni’s offense.  He showed an ability to play the up-tempo game during the summer league where almost all the games were horse races from end-to-end.  Otherwise, we may see another season with major in-season trades that can disrupt the teams’ flow.

Although, I sorta kinda follow ESPN’s power ranking, they really don’t tell you much more than how certain analysts think a team should be ranked. Very subjective.  However, they are still decent entertainment.

This year the Knicks start off at number 26 in the power ranking, under the Nets and above the Wolves, Grizzlies, Bucks and Kings.  We’ll see.

DON’T FORGET TO ROCK THE VOTE FOR THE DANCE-SPIRIT TEAM

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GULLIBLE’S TRAVELS: The Knicks’ 2010 Plan; Do You Believe That?

Knicks Bring Warren Carter and Gabe Pruitt Into Training Camp

Knicks President Donnie Walsh has announced the signings of forward Warren Carter and 6’4”, 170lb, free agent guard Gabe Pruitt to  non-guaranteed contracts. Both players will be in training camp with an opportunity to make the team. 

  As you may recall, University of Illinois graduate Warren Carter (6-9, 220 lbs) was most recently a popular and effective player in Europe.  He played well for the Knicks’ summer league team.  He averaged 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 13.9 minutes during summer league play.  Carter out-played Jordan Hill, the Knicks #8 first round draft pick, as Carter hustled on both ends of the court and showed more poise and polish than Hill this summer.  Still, with Hill under a lucrative rookie contract and numerous bigs on the roster (including Eddie Curry, Darko Milicic, Hill, Danilo Galinari, Al Harrington, Wilson Chandler and Jared Jeffries), Carter continues to have an uphill struggle in his effort to make the roster.

Pruitt played 62 games, including 4 playoff games in 2009, in the last two years with the Celtics.  The Knicks continue to look for serviceable but inexpensive guard play after being unable and unwilling, in order to preserve the legendary 2010 plan, to pull the trigger on free agents earlier during the summer.

Joe Crawford and Chris Hunter are also under contract for training camp which begins on September 29th. With two weeks to go David Lee and Nate Robinson remain unsigned.

The roster must be at 15 contracts when the season starts.  It is common practice to have more than 15 players on the roster during  training camp, usually to assure that the players are able to compete during before the season starts.

 

 

 

New York Knicks Roster – 2009-10 as of September 10, 2009 w/o Gabe Pruitt

 

Team Roster
NO.	NAME	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE	2009 – 2010 SALARY
41	Warren Carter	F	24	6-9	220	Illinois
21	Wilson Chandler	SF	22	6-8	220	DePaul	$1,255,440
5	Joe Crawford	SG	23	6-5	210	Kentucky	$736,420
34	Eddy Curry	C	26	6-11	285		$10,500,423
23	Toney Douglas	G	23	6-1	200	Florida State	$996,240
1	Chris Duhon	PG	27	6-1	185	Duke	$6,031,800
8	Danilo Gallinari	F	21	6-10	225		$3,089,040
7	Al Harrington	PF	29	6-9	250		$10,026,875
43	Jordan Hill	F	22	6-10	235	Arizona	$2,483,280
0	Larry Hughes	SF	30	6-5	185		$13,655,268
31	Chris Hunter	F	25	6-11	240	Michigan	$736,420
20	Jared Jeffries	PF	27	6-11	240	Indiana	$6,466,600
31	Darko Milicic	C	24	7-0	275		$7,540,000
32	Cuttino Mobley	SG	34	6-4	215	Rhode Island	$9,500,000

 

Coach: Mike D’Antoni Average Age: 25.5 Average Height: 6-7 Average Weight: 227

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GULLIBLE’S TRAVELS: The Knicks’ 2010 Plan; Do You Believe That?

I have been searching high and higher throughout the blogoverse (the ever expanding blogosphere) for our friend Gullible Fanatic. I wanted to ask him personally, face to face, whether he actually believed all that he had been hearing the last two years about how the Knicks would reboot their fortunes by creating cap space for the Big Spend in 2010.

In my deepest and most melodic Gil Scott Heron voice, I want to ask “Do You Believe That?” I even wrote down how I would start the conversation with Gullible who is known to get a bit irate if  you challenge what he calls “faith in Knicks management”:

Hey, in this summer of our malcontent

Where the objective is not to be underspent

and we build a team of players for rent

To fit under the cap by twenty-ten (2010)

They sell us this line w/ little dissent

“Our fortunes will change when LeBron gets in

Or Wade or Bosh is  our cap-space occupant”

Do you believe that?

Do you believe that the stars will go where they can win,

Or do you believe they will agree to start all over again?

While we commit the unoriginal sin

Of building from without (a team)  instead of from within

Do you believe that?

Well, I know Gullible will laugh at me and dismiss my concerns as impatience when I finally catch up with him.  He believes that any move is acceptable so long as the ultimate goal of cap space is achieved.  Nevermind that cap space does not take the court.  Nevermind that the Knicks are unlikely to have enough cap space to give a max contract to a franchise player and attract solid support players.  Nevermind that under the current CBA, championship contenders are not built through cap space — they are built by manipulating the cap rules, through the draft and trades.  The evidence is abundant and clear.

Do You Believe That?

Gullible will probably ignore me and continue to insist that the Knicks will get lucky and David Kahn will help us build our team by generously forking over Slicky Ricky Rubio to run the offense.  I will ask Gullible what happened to the false belief that  Mike D’Antoni would attract free agents like Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant because they liked working with him? Gullible will probably  say that Donnie Walsh didn’t really want those guys.  I’ll ask him “Do you believe that the flirtations with Stackhouse and Tinsley were smart? He’ll ignore me and tell me to focus on the draft of young potential potentates JHill and Toney Douglas.

Nevertheless, I must catch up with Gullible to help synchronize Knick fandom with reality, because only together can we begin to put pressure on our team to build a winner the right way.  Yes, I too may be Gullible (or Gullible’s cousin) to believe that Knicks management will care what I say about their strategy, but I do know that alone I have no impact. Our only chance for change is to unite with all the Gullibles to put force behind our demands for a winning strategy.

So, I continue my search of Gullible Fanatic.  Gullible moves quickly, both figuratively and actually.  We all know that he changes his opinion at warp speed so that it fits his pro-Knick management conclusions (i.e. Knicks offer Kidd a contract which invades 2010 cap space. “Great move Walsh.” Kidd rejects the offer. “Great move, Walsh didn’t want him anyway”).  Gullible also moves from one blogstation to another rapidly, but he leaves a trail of stench as wide as an asteroid tail.  I’m on it.

My first stop was the “gottaread at least once in a while” Knicksfansite Posting and Toasting where we find Lord Seth pining over the positives he found in Gallo’s 412 minutes of professional ball.   Gullible was definitely here and he had a crater-type impact.  Apparently, he dropped some magic dust on 84% of 514 poll voters  who stated  that they had faith in Gallo as a star player in the 2009-2010 Knicks roster.

Strangely, I understand how they can believe that Gallo will be a star this upcoming season, despite coming off major back surgery in April and not playing real ball over the summer; despite him not possibly being in D’Antoni game conditioning; despite not really having a rookie season; despite not playing with his 2009-2010 teammates for an extended period to develop chemistry, I can understand why they would have faith that Gallinari would be a star this year.  Anybody that can shoot a perfect form Wii jumper like the Rooster  should have no problem averaging 24ppg, 6rpg and 5apg in his first real NBA season.

Somehow, I think Gullible had the advantage since I was trailing him.  It occurred to me that  he was trying to make me a believer when he took me to this impressive Gallo summer league interview.

It was only an interview,  But. I thought that if Gallinari could play as good as he sounded there was a chance that Lebron would want to play with him, Chandler and whoever else the Knicks could afford with left-over cap space. How can you not cheer for Gallo, I thought?

I think I accidentally ignited  the random search engine when I thought about cheering because it lead me off course, at hypertense-warp speed, to a cheer-leading squad, that was not the Miami Heat Dance Crew. This is how they do what they do in New Jersey.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “The NJ Nets Senior Citizen Hip Hop Te…“, posted with vodpod

I looked into the New Jersey crowd and I didn’t see anyone who looked like Gullible.   In fact, I didn’t really see anyone because most of the Gullible Nets fans were in Brooklyn waiting for the new stadium to be built.  Perhaps that explains why the Nets dance team looks so mature in anticipation of when the move will actually happen.

I asked the computer to take me to a more thrilling dance team, but perhaps I should have been more specific.  Somehow I ended up in a prison in the Philippines  stuck in the middle of a Michael Jackson tribute.

That was definitely a thriller, but Gullible was not there either.  Perhaps, if I go back in time, I thought, I could catch Gullible.  I told the computer to take me to the 2009 NBA draft where I knew Gullible would be, waiting for the Knicks to draft Ricky Rubio or Stephen Curry despite much evidence that it was not going to happen.    I fell right into the Green Room with Louisville swingman Terrence Williams, a good friend of recently media-convicted traffic menace Nate Robinson.

Terrence Williams, Twill, Nets #11 draft pick 6-6 Swingman

I enjoyed Twill’s guided tour through the draft where he was picked at the 11th spot by the New Jersey Nets, (I wonder how he’ll like the Dance Team), but I could not find Gullible because there were so many disappointed look-a-likes when Curry and Rubio left the board before the Knicks drafted Jared Hill.  I think Gullible snuck out through the press room where they were serving brownies, cheese and alka-seltzer water.  Still, it was amazing to see all these  young boys right before they were to become millionaires.

As Jony Flynn expressed, the draft is such a special time, a culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication.  Unfortunately, given all the accolades and good fortune these youngins are facing now, it is inevitable that someone on the bus is eventually demonized by the same media that promotes and exalts them.

From our friend RichyRich at “the best damn sports comedy” blog, I found the list of most hated athletes and amazingly the top eight are either black or Latino, which led me to real world redemption for one of the most hated athletes of all-time — Jack Johnson.

It took a racially motivated conviction to defeat and destroy the career of flamboyant and culturally defiant boxer Jack Johnson, the first African-American world heavyweight champion.  Now Congress is poised to erase that defeat from the record books.  The Senate and the House passed a concurrent resolution encouraging the president to give Mr. Johnson a posthumous pardon for his conviction and one year prison sentence for violation of a law prohibiting the transportation of a woman across state lines for immoral purposes — in his case, having sex with a white woman.

Once again, I could not find Gullible, but I found redemption.  With that theme in mind, I felt a kind heart towards the Knicks.  It may take another five years, but my team will be a contender again.   There is nothing wrong with faith, but I still believe that some use faith as an excuse for rejecting  responsibility for one’s Fanaticism.   It is still my responsibility as a fan to tell my team that my faith and fanaticism deserves honest nurturing, care and love from the targets of my affection.

So, I will head back to Knicks.com and leave the following message for Gullible and Donnie Walsh.  Build my team, but I don’t want . . .

“No Scrubs”

A scrub is a guy that can’t get no love from me
And is also known as a buster
Always talkin’ about what he wants
And just sits on his broke no game ass
So (no)

I don’t want your low numbers (no)
I don’t want to give you mine and (no)
I don’t want to meet you nowhere (no)
I don’t want none of your time and (no)

[Chorus:]
I don’t want no scrub
A scrub is a guy that can’t get no love from me
Hanging out the passenger side
Of his best friend’s tryin to steal a ride
Trying to holler at me from a winning team
I don’t want no scrub
A scrub is a guy that can’t get no love from me
Hanging out the passenger side
Of his best friend’s

tryin to steal a free ride
Trying to holler at me from a winning team

But a scrub is checkin’ me
But his game is kinda weak

PEACE.

________________________________________________

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Las Vegas Summer League Diary, Day 4: It’s Only Just A Game

I’m packing up and preparing to take the red-eye with my own two red eyes tonight.  I might check out the Knicks v. Bulls game this afternoon since the Thomas and Mack Center is about two minutes away from the airport, but the truth is that I have learned all I needed to know about our Summer League team.  On second thought, I got too much information.  I did not need to see Jordan Hill underwhelm the opposition. (He did, however, grab 12 rebounds to go with his 7 fouls in the Kings loss.) His play was a disappointment.  But the number one rule we walk away with is that the Summer League is only a game and it doesn’t even count except to those trying to get noticed and picked up by a GM. We must also be reminded that every one of these players is a work in progress — they are not going to be static like stat sheets. Their games will evolve — we’re just concerned about what they will evolve into.

I liked what I learned about Toney Douglas, especially after he showed some offensive aggression (but still shot poorly) in our loss to the Kings.  More impressive was the fact that #4 pick Tyreke Evans could not get past “Mr. Lockdown Douglas” and when he tried he got stripped. (Yes, if Toney is “Mr. Lockdown”, then Jordan is “Mr Lock Him In  A Room With A Strength And Conditioning Coach”).

I also sat down with Toney’s dad, a coach and scout in his own right,  and he explained to me that Toney was a multi-sport star and team leader who can throw a football sixty yards and led a baseball team to 48 victories including a few no-hitters of his own.  Like others I’ve talked to, he said not to be concerned about Toney’s scoring and ability to penetrate because his summer league objective was to show he can run a team.   He did that.  My bet is he is now ready to play with people who will score after an assist and come to the ball when he passes it to them.    We’ll hook you up with that interview as soon as we can find the time to transcribe it.   After all this is not the Daily News.  LOL.

Morris Almond? Does he or doesn’t he have a job? He can clearly shoot and he at least puts forth an effort on defense.  He was a bit understated against the Kings however with 12 points on 5-13 shooting.  He is certainly the most likely of all the others to get a job with the Knicks this fall.  Joe Crawford, on the other hand, will probably be picked up by some other team.  He is very athletic and strong to the rim, but not the type of shooter the Knicks will be looking for.

The highlight of my b-ball day (and probably everyone else’s) was Jonny Flynn.  That youngster is Barry Sanders with a roundball.   He has a quick 1st step, 2d step, side-step and stutter-step.  He turns on a dime with the ball glued to his hands and splits defenders unlike anyone at these games.  And when he gets to the basket, as small as he is, he is far more likely to score than not.

There was a lot of noise around Jonny Flynn.  The crowd oohed and aah-ed more for him than it did for the fabulous efforts of Blake Griffin. Even more telling were the screams of defenders asking for help seconds before Flynn would make a move.  It was stunning.  I see why he was drafted before Rubio.  Part of his secret must be his huge hands and those calves that look like he ripped them off a superhero cartoon character.  Although, in my heart I am certain that bigger guards will shoot over him forever, it did not happen here.  You need to see this gentleman in person.

Gerald Henderson, who was drafted by the Bobcats, played alongside Flynn in the back-court. (Looks like Bob Johnson is cost cutting in preparation for a sale, so he was willing to pay for only one air fare to Vegas).  Flynn went out of his way to make sure that Henderson got a lot of work in.  Gerald, who is a tall guard with a solid frame, did not look particularly good today as he missed shots and seemed out of sync over all.  Still you can see why he will be an NBA baller.

The last game I sorta saw was the Nuggets-Trailblazers contest in which Ty Lawson abused Jerryd Bayless for the most part.  Lawson looked nice and solid.  He’s athletic but he didn’t seem too flashy and was just plain reliable.  He clearly knew what to do with the ball in his hands.   I should have watched a little more closely but I was chewing the fat with my new friends from Portland who invited me from my front row perch to the boonies with them and Flip Saunders, who said he would have given me an interview but he had a meeting to go to.  So I got flipped by a Wizard. Dig that.

Anyway,  in between my buddies treating each other like Oscar and Felix of the Odd Couple (and Oscar dissing Obama and lovin’ on Palin), they shared some basketball knowledge that Knicks fans may want to know.  Jerryd Bayless cannot run the point guard position well.  The experiment is failing and the Blazers need a point guard, which for you means we don’t need Jerryd Bayless.

As I said before, meeting all the folks who loved the game like we do was the best part.  I’d come back again and I probably will although the Knicks will need to do some work to have a first round draft pick for me to watch.    You can’t beat the value here — six mostly competitive  games a day for $27 dollars a day.   I think it’s an experience that most of you would enjoy.

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There is an interesting article on Point Guard play by Art Garcia on the NBA Summer League website.  Funny how two people can see the same thing differently, isn’t it?  Perhaps I need a new pair of glasses.    I disagree on his assessment of Stephen Curry, but I didn’t know that Brandon Jennings was giving his jersey away after every game or I woulda run over there (with gloves on of course;  I’m afraid of lots of sweat) and gotten me a happening souvenir I wouldn’t have to leave in Vegas.

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Knicks v. Kings [2009 Summer League Live Blogg (@ 6:00pm on 07.17.09)]

Las Vegas Summer Diary, Day 3: Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry Highlight The Day League

Las Vegas Summer League Diary, Day 2, Part 2: The Summer Maturation of Brandon Jennings — Now Print That MSM!!!

Las Vegas Summer League Diary, Day 2, Part 1: Fan Watching Better Than Watching Knicks Lose

Las Vegas Diary, Day 1, Part 2: Observations On Knicks’ First Outing

Las Vegas Diary, Day 1, Part 1

It’s On and Poppin’ In Vegas

Las Vegas Summer League Diary Day 2, Part 1: Fan Watching Better Than Watching Knicks Lose

As I sat directly across from Clyde Frazier, almost  immediately behind the scorer’s table on the other side of the court, slightly above his hairline level,  I struggled to keep my interest in the Knicks’ 96-73 loss to the Detroit Pistons squad.   Although Jordan Hill showed a little bit better than the day before and Toney Douglas continued to dish double digit assists, the game-long parade of well-endowed beauties bouncing in and out of the stands and  down the walkway in front of me was far, far more attractive.    Likewise,  my conversation with Warren Carter’s girlfriend, while she cheered him on as he defended the paint with Hill, was far more engaging than the game itself.

Ironically, Warren Carter played better in his 15:29 minutes, scoring 7 points on 3-5 shooting, pulling down 5 boards and handing out 2 assists than his teammates with guaranteed contracts or more likely to make the 15-man roster already overloaded with forwards.  Carter’s attractive girlfriend, who shall remain nameless here, cheered loudly enough (as he finally took a shot and showed some range) that a small Illinois contingent gathered around me and reminisced about the recently departed Illini heyday. They discussed how they were certain that some GM would be smart enough to see how good Carter is.  After she talked about how her boyfriend had gained celebrity in Europe playing in the Spanish ACB League and with Russian champions, Ms. Nameless tossed out a wide smile as I told her Carter was more active than Hill had been.

With her small town sincerity (this was the Illinois grad’s first time in Vegas), when I asked her did Carter enjoy this opportunity and what he intended to do if he did not make the team, she said he was thrilled but as far as he is concerned, “It is in God’s hands.”

God’s Hands.  From what I could see up close yesterday, Knicks fans would be happy to have the ball in God’s hands when it’s time to shoot.   Shooting wise the Knicks guards stunk up the joint.  Sure-shot Almond went 4-11 overall.  Toney Douglas (1 for 6), who continues to run the team well and knows how to get the ball to the open man, seems to need a GPS when it comes to his shot, particularly as he approaches the rim. He keeps running into a brick wall.  Blake Ahearn, who has nice speed and a decent statistical game went 2-8.  Second year shooting guard, Alex Acker did himself no favors by going 0-7.

Hill’s offensive game was better today as he demonstrated his mid-range shot. Still his footwork and concentration leave a bit to be desired.  He had six fouls to go with his 14 points on 6-14 shooting.  A blogger, who was also an Arizona grad, made me feel a little better about Hill.  After he confirmed that Hill had a tendency to play in a fog at Arizona, he reminded me that Hill did not really start playing ball until about five years ago and that when he is concentrating he is very tenacious and strong.  His physicality when put to use is awesome, but he certainly needs some big man camp and maybe a hypnotist to help with that attention span which fails him once too often with guards in the paint right under his stationary nose.

The brightest spots for the Knicks, other than Carter, included Joe Crawford who had 10 points but, more significantly, knows how to score around big men in the paint.  He is spectacular with the reverse lay ups and has great hops.  Nikolz Tskitshvili appeared to cool off but he shot 50% from the arc.  Mr. T is a good big body that can play the D’Antoni way with energy and a shot that would cause match-up problems for teams with centers that can’t/won’t defend the perimeter.  (Hint, Hint: Cleveland).

Also notable were the cheers for local favorite Wink Adams who entered the game at the end of the first quarter only to draw two fouls as he tried to guard an elusive Sean Singletary.  He only had one shot attempt, but it is certainly harder to get a shot off when you’re not on the court that much.

Detroit on the other hand, had a solid performance led by the play of Austin Daye with 27 points and 13 rebounds.   The Knicks’ next game is against Kings on Friday.  In that game watch the play of Omri Casspi, Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson.  Yesterday, they were spanked by a hungry NBA D-League Select team 105-89, but they have a few (>3) interesting pieces that will definitely be on their squad next season.

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I don’t know why anyone who reads the entire blog post would want to read my tweets, but if you want an abridged version of the Diary notes, check out LINYLNJ on Twitter.  Or Just read the tweets on the second sidebar.  Every once in a while they’re funny.

LAS VEGAS DIARY: DAY 1, PART 2: Observations On Knicks’ First Outing

I had a great time yesterday guys, but I am pooped from watching so much B-Ball.  I haven’t watched that much ball in person since I followed the high school tourneys in Chicago years ago.   These type of competitions have a different type of fresh, enthusiastic feel where the players are still youthful in their energy and perspective about the game.  As the players walk into the arena towards the locker-room, they still look like kids with their over-sized shorts fanning the ground and backpacks hugging their shoulders tightly.   They try to look serious but often crack a smile and knock fists as they see a familiar or friendly face — a media personality, college rival or friend or just one of the hundreds who are part of the industry.

When Blake Griffin walked over to James Harden, who was being interviewed after a stellar game, and patted him on his back,  you could feel the sense of knowing between the two first and third overall picks respectively; the knowing that they were two blessed rare individuals in a similar circumstance.  Their stars are rising and they exude confidence — one can only hope they appreciate the moment.

As for the Knicks’ two first round draft picks, Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas, one can only wonder about how confident they are about their relative positions.  In his first game as a professional, Jordan Hill showed flashes of the force he could become, but generally his play was lackluster and  devoid of passion. He looked winded in an intensely played 90-86 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Surprisingly, he also seemed a bit disinterested early in the competition although he was going up against the highly touted Hasheem Thabeet.  You would think that Hill would be overexcited to show why he is better than Thabeet.  The saving grace for Hill, who scored 13 points and pulled in 8 boards, was that Thabeet had bust written all over him — and I am not referencing a bust that you put in the Hall of Fame.

I do think it is unfair to label someone on one performance, so I prefer to give Thabeet the benefit of the doubt.  He was winded within minutes of the start of the game.  Perhaps that is the result of the whirlwind life he’s faced moving from college to workouts to the draft and now to the summer league.  Thabeet had virtually no post game.  His feet moved as fluidly as a tangled vine in the post save for a decent hook move.  He also did not exhibit great strength. Again perhaps he was tired .

Hill didn’t look any better in the first half as he finished it with 2 points and 4 boards.  He strolled down the court and played the role of voyeur as opponents attacked the rim.  His footwork in the post was painful on the eyes.  He tries to face up and  is clearly over thinking moves that he doesn’t have before passing the ball out of the post.  He rarely tried to reposition himself in the post. Unimpressive. Uninspiring.  Get the big man doctor.  He, like Toney, drew quite a bit of  positive instructive attention from Phil Weber who was looking dapper in his best impression of Pat Riley roaming the sidelines.

Hill showed more energy in the second half and made a quick turnaround jumper about five feet from the rim.  The move was almost instinctive as he planted his foot on the turn and faded with a soft touch.  I think it was over Thabeet.

Toney Douglas on the other hand brought a lot of energy to the court as he demonstrated an ability to run Weber’s squad.  Toney has a strong build and quiet intensity in his game.  He keeps the ball near his body on the dribble as he challenges and splits defenders.  An excellent passer, he had 11 assists and would have had more if he had teammates other than Almond and Crawford who could score at will or consistently.

He performed extremely well while defending Marcus Williams, who has yet  to catch the starring role he covets, but possesses a NBA point guard’s game and frame, if not frame of mind.  At the endgame, William’s NBA experience showed as he began to out-duel Douglas.

Nikoloz Tskitiahvili will probably not make the team since we have a glut of forwards, but it would not be a horrible idea to have him as a role player.  He was easily the most energized big on the court in the Knicks-Grizzlies matchup.  He had 12 points and 4 boards, but was very active around the ball.

Morris Almond may not make the team either, but he would make up somewhat for the Knicks’ inability to pick up Stephon Curry.  No secret.  This man can shoot:  Pull-up jumpers, tres, teardrops. Bam, Bam, swish.  He went 7 for 12.  However, he didn’t seem to be as effective doing much else.  Morris Almond will be scoring for some team — why not the Knicks?

Joe Crawford also has a likable game although in New York and at least 46 other states he would be called a ball hog.  He had no assists as he went 4-9, including 1-4 from the tre. He is fearless on the drive and get get the ball in the basket with bigs around him, unlike Toney who seemed to be a bit challenged in getting the ball in the basket around the rim with bigs hovering over him.

. . .

It turns out that I didn’t need those credentials anyway, although I could write these pieces a lot faster with internet access which I can’t get until I return to my sister’s house which was after midnight this time.

Part of the fun is meeting and talking to a wide variety of fans during and after the games.   There are plenty of Knicks fans here and the opinions about the quality and direction of the Knicks is as diverse as a bag of Halloween candy.  And trick or treat just about sums it all up.  One fan who I hung out with is willing to give the Knicks a four (more) year window to become a playoff contender.  He is so mad at Isiah that he wants everything Zeke touched to be shipped out the way of Anucha Browne (and Isiah Thomas).

One of my favorite fans is a scout who I talked with for about fifteen minutes before he told me he was Toney Douglas’ dad and that he has another son who plays for the Falcons.  It was a great conversation which I will share later in an interview we’ll be doing later.  But, I must admit that now Toney Douglas will definitely be one I root for (I was actually doing that anyway, but now I have another reason).  So, I admit now that if I don’t talk badly about Douglas as I do Duhon, you know why.  Full disclosure.  But, I will say that Douglas needs to take and hit those open shots or opponents will be treating him like Rondo without the ring.

I missed Anthony Randolph’s performance which had the arena abuzz.  I chose to watch James Harden battle the Lakers and Adam Morrison.  That was another great game and Harden is the real deal.  I’ll talk about him more later too.

Later, I’ll share some more atmosphere stuff like the irritating effort to make the arena sound like an NBA stadium with all the loud music, sound effects and cheesy dance competitions between quarters.  I do like the T-shirt tosses, but I clearly need to sit in a higher row to get a T-shirt. Not happening.

Gotta roll.  Hopefully, I  can get today’s report out a little faster.  We’ll see.  Keep hope alive.  I’ll try to read the comments and LBE sometime today if I can get WiFi away from the house .

It’s Summer League Time In Las Vegas

Hey folks, the NBA Summer League got under way in Las Vegas on Friday.  For those who don’t know, you can check it ALL out LIVE or ON DEMAND from your computer for $14.99 on NBA SUMMER LEAGUE BROADBAND. If you just want to see your beloved Knicks, you can check out all five games on MSG Network: July 14 vs. Memphis at 6 p.m., July 15 vs. Detroit at 4 p.m., July 17 vs. Sacramento at 6 p.m., July 18 vs. Chicago at 6 p.m. and July 19 vs. Washington at 4 p.m.

Although the Knicks don’t play until Tuesday, players, management and the local beats have gathered which means news is being made or created.  First the bad-sad news.  Patrick Ewing, Jr. apparently has not recovered from the knee injury he suffered in the D League in March.  He has been scratched from Summer League play. We all know what that means for his chances of making the Knicks this fall.  That’s unfortunate.

The Rooster is not crowing yet, but he is smiling, working out, and being crowned (as in slapped upside the head) as the savior who will lure a significant star in 2010. With free agents spurning the Knicks, D’Antoni is placing the responsibility for the Knicks to look attractive in 2010 to the development of Danilo, who barely had a rookie season last fall. Courtesy of our man Steady, do you think Danilo will be our marquee star this upcoming season?

According to Alan Hahn, Danilo is optimistic that he will be ready, at 100%, when the season begins.  Marc Berman reports that the pain is “barely on the radar.” Howard Beck, who suggests that Gallo is key to a LeBron James signing, reports, “He has a hop in his step, and his 3-point stroke is as fluid as ever. He even looks a little thicker in his shoulders and upper arms, a good sign for a growing young power forward. He turns 21 next month and is still filling out his 6-foot-10 frame.” According to Marc Berman, Gallo was doing back exercises with the trainers although he popped up with a smile and much less pain.

The good news is that Toney Douglas has been very impressive. Mark Berman writes “ In today’s first day of summer league practice, Douglas stood out in the two-a-day sessions. He looks well capable of handling the backup point guard duties.” The word on the street is that TD will be the surprise of the season for us.

Our other rook, Jordan Hill, has signed his first contract.  According to the beats, he looks a little raw though athletic.  Hahn wrote, “Jordan Hill took a pounding from Sene, who is known to foul a lil bit. Hill looked like he had trouble getting his legs under him, but one noticeable trait was how he got after the ball. The post moves are raw and hesitant. He’s got some work to do.”

Of course, the Summer League is a sign of promise for other teams that don’t need it.  The Pistons’ first round draft choice, DaJuan Summers, at 6’8”, 240lbs abused the Kings for 24 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.Brandon Jennings debut on Friday was so-so in a victory over the Mavericks Summer League squad. His final line read 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  According to Aran Smith of NBADraft.net, Saturday, Day 2 had a number of break out performances:

The second day of the summer league saw a number of break out performances including rookies Rodrigue Beaubois (34 pts), Stephen Curry (29 pts), Tyreke Evans (25 pts), Chase Budinger (25 pts), DeMar DeRozan (20 pts) Austin Daye (19 pts), and DaJuan Summers (19 pts). Other top performers included Cartier Martin (27 pts), Adam Morrison (22 pts), and Quincy Douby (21 pts).

I can’t wait until I can see the team with my own eyes.  The bad news is that I haven’t been able to secure press credentials yet, so I guess I’ll need to take a suit jacket and tie with me so that I can look like I’m important and official enough not to harass for hanging out in the locker room or sneaking into the press area to plug in my computer. While I’m at it, I think I’ll bring my white doctor’s smock from Halloween circa 1977 (it might be a little tight in the waist) while I’m at it.

LIVES

P.S. Can We Get Our First Summer Role Call Gentle Folks?  DLT? PEACE? O&B? ANTI-SPORTS, et al?

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Previous Related Posts

Knicks’ Summer League Team Set To Ball In Vegas

KNICKS’ SUMMER LEAGUE TEAM SET TO BALL IN VEGAS

My How Time Flies: Knicks in the Summer of '08

The Knicks announced their summer league team which will include both draft choices, Toney Douglas and Jordan Hill.  The Knicks also invited Patrick Ewing, Jr. back.  Ewing will be returning from a knee injury he suffered in March while in the D-League.  The team also includes Utah’s Morris Almond (a Peaceman favorite) who was considered by the Knicks in the 2007 draft before they picked Wilson Chandler.

The Knicks will also continue to look at free agents Joe Crawford (SG) and Mouhamed Sene (C) who were signed at the end of the season.  Conspicuously missing is Eddie Curry who has been working out and was mentioned at the end of last season as a possible roster addition.  As expected, the Knicks will also be without Danilo Gallinari. I wonder whether he will show up for the practices.

Although, summer league icon, Nate Robinson, will not be playing, the Knicks’ games will draw special attention because UNLV guard Wink Adams will be playing for the Knicks. Adams, a 4 year college player, is a 6’1”, 190 lbs shooting guard who averaged 14.3 pts and 2.8 assists per game last season which was not considered to be a good one for him.

2009 NEW YORK KNICKS SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER

No  Player     Pos   Ht   Wt      Born          College/Country     2008-09 Team             Yrs Pro

3 Wink Adams G 6-0  200  Mar. 9, 1985 Nevada-Las Vegas   Nevada-Las Vegas (NCAA)     R
13 Alex Acker G 6-5 185 Jan. 21, 1983 Pepperdine Detroit/L.A.Clippers (NBA) 2
11 Blake Ahearn G 6-2 190 May 27, 1984 Missouri State San Antonio (NBA) 2
30 Morris Almond G 6-6 225 Feb. 2, 1985 Rice Utah (NBA) 2
44 Warren Carter F 6-9 220 Apr. 23, 1985 Illinois Cajasol (Spain) R
5 Joe Crawford G 6-5 210 Jun. 17, 1986 Kentucky New York (NBA) 1
23 Toney Douglas G 6-1 200 Mar. 16, 1986 Florida State Florida State (NCAA) R
6 Patrick Ewing, Jr. F 6-8 240 May 20, 1984 Georgetown Reno (D-League) R
43 Jordan Hill F 6-10 235 Jul. 27, 1987 Arizona Arizona (NCAA) R
17 Ron Howard G 6-5 200 Nov. 14, 1982 Valparaiso Fort Wayne (D-League) R
47 Yaroslav Korolev F 6-10 245 May 7, 1987 Moscow, Russia Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 2
40 David Noel F 6-6 230 Feb. 27, 1984 North Carolina Reno (D-League) 1
18 Mouhamed Sene C 6-11 230 May 12, 1986 Senegal New York (NBA) 3
50 Rashaad Singleton C 7-0 270 May 22, 1987 Florida Southern Georgia (NCAA) R
55 Nikoloz Tskitishvili F 7-0 225 Apr. 13, 1983 Georgia (Europe) Fuenlabrada (ACB-Spain) 4

Head Coach: Mike D’Antoni (Marshall)
Summer League Head Coach/Assistant Coach: Phil Weber (North Carolina State)
Assistant Coaches: Herb Williams (Ohio State)
Dan D’Antoni (Marshall)
Kenny Atkinson (Richmond)
Assistant Coach/Player Development: Greg Brittenham (Nebraska at Kearney)
Head Athletic Trainer: Roger Hinds (Brooklyn College)
Assistant Athletic Trainer: Anthony Goenaga (Long Island University)

As revealed in an earlier post, the Knicks play three lottery teams, but since Washington surrendered the #5 spot to Minnie, the Knicks will face only two lottery picks during summer league competition: Hasheem Thabeet (Memphis) and Tyreke Evans (Sacto).

2009 NEW YORK KNICKS SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE

Games at Cox Pavilion
Tuesday, July 14 vs. Memphis 3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 15 vs. Detroit 1:00 p.m.
Friday, July 17 vs. Sacramento 3:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 18 vs. Chicago 3:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 19 vs. Washington 1:00 p.m.

* – all times are Pacific time zone

Unfortunately, the Knicks will not play the Minnesota squad.  The Timberwolves’ roster does not include their #5 pick, Rick Rubio.  However, it does include their #6 pick, Jonny Flynn and the Bobcats #12 pick, guard Gerald Henderson.  The Bobcats don’t have a summer league team this year.

The Timberwolves’ full roster is as follows:

TIMBERWOLVES SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate From NBA Exp.
22 Corey Brewer F 6-9 188 3/5/86 Florida 2
1 Bobby Brown G 6-2 175 9/24/84 Cal State Fullerton 1
23 Pat Carroll G/F 6-5 190 9/10/82 St. Joseph’s R
19 Wayne Ellington G 6-4 200 11/29/87 North Carolina R
11 Jonny Flynn G 6-0 185 2/6/89 Syracuse R
17 Devin Green G 6-7 212 10/25/82 Hampton 1
12 Paul Harris G/F 6-4 230 10/15/86 Syracuse R
15 Gerald Henderson G 6-4 215 12/7/87 Duke R
51 Steven Hill C 7-0 248 11/14/85 Arkansas 1
31 Rob Kurz F 6-9 232 3/5/85 Notre Dame 1
4 Oleksiy Pecherov F 7-0 234 12/8/85 Ukraine 2
20 Garrett Siler C 6-11 305 10/25/86 Augusta State R
7 Ben Woodside G 5-11 185 7/1/85 North Dakota State R

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BUZZER BEATERS. . . .

Knicks are set to offer Jason Kidd a multi-year contract but face stiff competition from Dallas Mavericks who can offer more money. . . . Did you ever think two of the 2008-09 Knicks starters would be traded for each other? . . . Quentin Richardson, who was just traded by the Knicks to Memphis for Darko, was traded to the Clippers in exchange for Zach Randolph.  Good move for both teams.  Check out Post-Up Prince’s comments in the previous post. I like his analysis of how Zach fits, but while Zach was relatively good in New York (‘cept for tossin’ the towel in N8Gr8’s grill), Zach was suspended from the Clippers twice in part of one season. Maybe he was just acting out because he had to rent housing from Donald Sterling. . . Joe Dumars made a great move in signing Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon from free agency.  Now they need a coach and they leave us curious about the future of Rip Hamilton. The rumors suggest that Doug Collins is first in line.  I’m betting on Avery Johnson.  Sorry Fanatics, but Detroit still has a better team executive than we do. . . . What else do you expect Marbury to say about the Knicks.  They screwed him about as much as he screwed them.  Plus he’s right, why would prime free agents want to come to an environment which is understood to be toxic and treats its players the way he was treated.  Character is revealed in how you treat others in the most difficult of times.

Related Previous Posts:

Knicks Pick Up Jordan Hill at 8, Toney Douglas at 29 and Milicic at the Q

Knicks Depth Chart: Where Do We Go From Here?

Fanatics Pre-Draft Scouting Report: Jonny Flynn

Fanatics Pre-Draft Scouting Report: Tyreke Evans

Fanatics Pre-Draft Scouting Report: Ricky Rubio