Al Harrington Exploding in NY

 

Unless you’re a die-hard Knicks fan, it’s hard to follow what the Knicks have done in the past couple of seasons. Beside that though, the franchise is finally seeing some light heading into this season. Newly acquired coach, Mike D’Antoni has help guide the team to a 11-14 record, while it’s not too impressive, the team has already half the wins they totaled last season. Thankfully, the ever-glowing cancer of Stephon Marbury is gone for the most part (Steph purchased a ticket to sit baseline during the Knicks-Lakers game.) Team president, Donnie Walsh has told Marbury to stay away from team practices and games until they can work a buyout of his contract with the Knicks. The talent has also been growing from New York on many sides, players like Wilson Chandler, Derek Lee, Nate Robinson are getting their chance to blossom for the franchise. While things are looking up, the franchise is also bracing themselves for a chance to bring LeBron James to New York in 2010 via Free Agency. 

With many headlines surrounding the team, Donnie Walsh was never shy to continue reshaping the franchise with a couple of trades. Jamal Crawford, the loose cannon himself, was shipped away along with the money-eating 20-10 machine, Zach Randolph. The Knicks received Tim Thomas, Cuttino Mobley (retired due to heart problems) and most notably, a disgruntled Al Harrington. 

Harrington has taken a new method into improvising his game with his new team. Averaging 24.3 points and 7.6 rebounds as a Knick, the highest he’s ever averaged in his 10 year career. The 6′9” forward, gladly left the struggling Warriors to help the Knicks in their post season hopes and has been erupting with nine out of twelve games where he’s put up at least 20 points and 6 rebounds. His return to the Golden State was stunning, Harrington hung 36 points along with 12 rebounds to help the Knicks defeat his former team. His best night so far in his young career with New York was against the Nets, where he led the team to a win with 39 points and 13 rebounds. He’s currently the team’s starting power forward and has become no stranger to expressing D’Antoni’s loose offense in the scoring department.

The trades have shook the team substantially though, going 4-8 since they took place. On the brighter side, the Knicks are beginning to feel more comfortable under D’Antoni’s gameplan and the team is beginning to have a more competitive push. Last night’s 2-point-loss to the (21-3) Lakers helped prove the effort. 

 

 

Dated: December 17th, 2008

 

Sunday Morning Dimes

• LeBron James has helped the Cavs win 9 of their last 10 games, propelling their record to 10-3. The Cavaliers hold the second best record in the East, behind Boston’s 12-2 record. ‘Bron leads the league in scoring with 29.5 points a game.
• OKC Thunder have lost 11 in a row and their recent firing of coach Carlesimo only expresses the unavoidable frustration in this rebuilding stage. On the bright side, Durant continues doing his thing (21 ppg.) and Russell Westbrook is having a great rookie season, averaging 12 points and 3 assists per game while playing just under 25 minutes a night.
• Shaquille O’Neal lead an impressive night for the Suns tonight in their win. 19 points and 17 boards is great production coming from the big man. But is it really necessary watching this dude Try and dive into the fans for a loose ball with a 11 point lead and less than three mins left in the game? How in God’s name is 325 pounds of force viciously slamming into a bunch sitting, clueless set of people any more dangerous than Artest fleeing into the stands to snuff one particular Detroit fan? That’s kind of an extreme comparison, but wait ’til Shaq KO’s that two thousand dollar suit-wearing season ticket holder, or some flimsy girl, an 8 year old, a celebrity. I’m going too far, but it’d be fitting for the Suns to have a sturdy, bulky, ring of temperate glass surrounding the court to help prevent any lawsuits or numerous replays on ESPN every two months of a +300 pound, seven-footer failing to realize, “Yo, I’m not fit for this one.” I think GM, Steve Kerr, Terry Porter and the rest of the Suns already get the point that he’s hustling or that he can at least still hustle for the most part. And that whole talk about never ruling out Shaq reuniting with the Lakers is absurd. As much as I love that ‘99-’03 Lakers era, Shaq has 16 years under his belt, bro. Lakers have overcome the bullshit after O’Neal’s departure and are right where they want to be. Two wins away from a Championship last season, Kobe in his prime, Bynum evolving as the team’s center. No more distractions are needed or expected coming from the Lakers in the near future.
• Despite the cringing lack of consistency, the Pistons are officially one of the sexiest teams in the NBA.
• Hornets aren’t flossing as high as I expected them to this season, running with a 7-5 record. CP3 and West are having stellar seasons regardless. In their recent dismantling of the OKC Thunder, West had a game high with 33 points while Paul stuck 29 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.
• There was no excuse for missing Vince Carter’s latest homecoming game against the Raptors.
• QRich was just two three-pointers shy of the franchise record tonight. Nevertheless, Richardson nailed 7 three’s in his 34 point night. The Knicks recent garbage dump of Crawford and Randolph has set off all the nerves of speculation for 2010. While both Crawford and Randolph are talented players, they were never fit for the Knicks success, their absence won’t be felt, nah. 
• Speaking of absence felt, the Wiz dropped to 1-10 recently. Come on Gil, I know it hurts, but Christ Almighty. 
• The Lakers are 10-1, the Clippers are 2-11.
• Dallas is starting to get back on track, their four-game-winning streak has them at 6-7. 
• The Spurs sit at a steady 6-6, but humbly expect their star, Manu Ginobili to return sometime next week. 

 

Dated November 23rd, 2008

Wednesday Dimes

Bullets for Wednesday, Oct. 30th, 2008

• Kevin Love’s NBA debut: 18 min., 12 points (5/8), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal. Efficiency? check.
• Dalembert lead the league in boards tonight with 17. Chris Bosh scored 27 points behind 4 assists and 11 rebounds, while helping his Raptors win 95-84. Philly’s leading scorer tonight? Lou Williams with 16. So much for Brand’s debut.
• Udonis Haslem, Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and rookie, Mario Chalmers all had respectful performances for Miami tonight. Second round pick, Michael Beasley struggled, shooting 4/14 for 9 points. 
• The Knicks swung their uppercut tonight against Miami though, the reckless jacker, Jamal Crawford was on tonight and we all know when he’s on, he’s on. Jamal had 29 points, shooting 9/19. Players such as David Lee, Wilson Chandler, NateRob and Zach Randolph put forth an amazing effort to make D’Antoni a winner in his New York debut.
• Danny Granger is blossoming. 33 points, 5 rebounds. The team isn’t quite there yet, Indy lost 94-100 to Detroit.
• As expected, Phoenix and San Antonio shared a close game tonight. Duncan looked flawless. Parker started off slow, scoring his first points in the second quarter, but both players had 32 points tonight. 
• Shaquille O’Neal went 5-8 from the free-throw line tonight, that hack-a-shaq strategy will never fade. 15 points, 13 boards and 2 blocks for the Big Cactus though. Nashy also proved he hasn’t slipped a step, 13 points and assists.
• Hornets slipped past the Warriors tonight. Without Monta Ellis, both Maggette and Jackson shared most of the scoring, while Biedrins put up 12 points and 14 rebounds.
• CP3’s line- 21 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals. Oh, and a block. 
• Main concern for Mayo? Shot selection. O.J. shot 5/20 tonight, ouch. Marc Gasol put work tonight though, 12 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks.
• Lakers out-rebounded the Clippers 51 to 32. Baron Davis was electric in the first quarter in front of his Grandmama, but the Lakers easily slowed all the Clipper hype down immediately after the first quarter, 117-79.

Division Previews: Atlantic

Atlantic Division

The Overview

The Atlantic Division this season will, for once, be one of the most interesting divisions to follow this season. That is, in gracious thanks to the revamped teams of Philadelphia and Toronto. This division has dealt with it’s respected amount of changes in some rosters due to monster signings by Philadelphia, notable trades and international losses by Toronto, and massive reloading by both New York and New Jersey.

The Ranks

1. Boston Celtics
2. Philadelphia 76ers
3. Toronto Raptors
4. New York Knicks
5. New Jersey Nets

 

The Previews

1. The Boston Celtics (66-16)

The 2008 NBA Champions come into the league with a caliber that is ever-so-hard to ignore. Sure, they’ve lost some huge role players in James Posey and P.J. Brown but they still have the main men who gave them the parade. The loss of Posey could prove out to be one of the biggest losses in role-player-history (it’s that serious). Some small additions such as Patrick O’Bryant and Darius Miles aren’t anything major. The loss of Sam Cassell is a plus for the team, even though they desperately lack a point guard. Stubbornly relying on Rondo to carry the load for another season could eventually have it’s backlash unless Rajon put some serious work into his jump shot this off season.. Another year, is both good and bad for Boston, good in the sense players such as Leone Powe and Glen Davis maturing, but bad with the big three becoming a year older. Ray Allen became 33 over the summer, Garnett 32 and Paul Pierce, who turns 31 in October. The fact remains though, these are the Champions and it will take more than perseverance to take them down, ask the Cavaliers.

Finals Odds: 89%

Player Spotlight: Leon Powe

Besides his crisp haircut, Loen Powe has a story behind him that many couldn’t grasp. He grew up in Oakland, with a father that left him when he was only two years old. When he was seven, his house was burnt down, resulting in he and his family to become homeless for years. In high school his mother died before his state championship game. It’s obvious Powe’s life wasn’t the easiest growing up, but he never let it affect his game. In college, Powe attended California University and in his sophomore year he achieved 20.5 pgg. and 10.5 rpg. while leading Cal to a 20-11 record along with a tournament berth. Once getting drafted, he suffered limited playing time for the struggling Celtics during his rookie year. But with Kevin Garnett’s arrival, the club were given a winning atmosphere and confidence. Powe then went on to average 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in only 14.4 minutes per game during his second year with Boston. During last year’s finals, Powe was unleashed during Game 2, scoring 27 points and 11 rebounds. With his presence felt, Leon comes into his third year as an efficient back-up power forward with amazing promise. 

Why they will be NBA Champions.

Boston will win the Championship this year by replicating what they did last season. They must bring the same hunger they had last season. With a player like Garnett on the team, it’s hard to argue they won’t have the same hunger. Players like Garnett and Pierce laid it all on the floor last year before getting crowned. It’s only been one year for anyone to say there’s nothing left in tank. This roster didn’t undergo any serious changes to put them out of championship talks. The Celtics come into each game knowing they have the best group of players and proved it every time, winning 66 games. They carried the best defensive ranking in the league while having the defensive player of the year in Garnett. Their roster was combined with extensive leadership (Garnett), skill (Pierce), clutch play (Ray Allen), role play (Posey, House), youth (Rondo, Perkins), and veterans (Cassell, Brown). Another year can only mean more time for this untouchable group to become even more comfortable with each other. As long as KG remains on this team, Boston will always be in Finals talk.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

The Celtics made it hard for most teams to find their true weakness. One of the best ways teams found to attack Boston was to force the young Rajon Rondo to shoot the ball more. Rondo’s shot selections weren’t the best and the guard only made five total three-pointers last season. In the playoffs, Rondo has the third lowest shooting percentage for the team at .407%, the strategy worked for the most part, but no team could get around the talent Boston packed. This season team’s can only hope that Ray Allen’s shooting fails like it did in the post season and Rondo continues to keep up his poor shooting for this team to stay away from the Finals.

 

2. Philadelphia 76ers (40-42)

Stefanski made it clear to Philadelphia that there will be changes in the roster and this summer the 76ers underwent the biggest face lift in the league. The Sixers first nabbed arguably the best free agent in Elton Brand. Then, smartly paid Iguodala and Williams for the future. After that, carefully hand-picked effective role-players, Royal Ivey (defense), Theo Ratliff (size), Kareem Rush (perimeter shooting) and Donyell Marshall (shooting and boards). Their draft pick, Marreese Speights has already gained acceptance in the city of Philly, which is huge. They couldn’t afford to lose Iguodala, for they’ve worked on him since day uno (hence the fat contract). Philadelphia will create problems. Andre Miller must continue his wise-play, Iguodala must improve his shooting and Louis Williams should see much more minutes so that rest will fall into place.

Finals Odds: 73%

Player Spotlight: Louis Williams 

Coming into the league, this cat was given poor comparisons and expectations. Most scouts predicted the high school prospect and to go undrafted after his poor workouts until Philadelphia drafted Williams with the 45th overall pick late in the second round. Young Lou Williams compared himself to Allen Iverson, the Sixers former star at the time. But his first steps in the NBA had no relation to a young Allen Iverson and Philadelphia sent Williams to the NBDL. While playing for the Development League, Williams averaged 26 points and 7 assists in over three games. With Iverson’s days being numbered in Philly in the following season, Williams was brought back up to play for the Sixers. In his sophomore season, he got a hint of more playing time and averaged 4.3 points and 1.8 assists per game why playing under 12 minutes a night. The ‘08 season rolled in and Williams benefitted greatly with a young Philly team that now shared the scoring with Iverson gone. Williams played for the full season, providing electric scoring off the bench. His play caused many fans followers to prefer Williams as the starter over Willie Green, who the Sixers’ starting two-guard. At the end of the season, Louis averaged 11.5 points, 3.2 assists and 1 steal per game, while being the team’s best three point shooter by percentage. Louis Williams’ appreciation and respect was felt and the Sixers resigned for five years, worth 25 million. With things looking up for the franchise, Williams is one of the top players on Philadelphia’s roster with great expectations, his playing time and stats will improve along with his status. 

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Sixers were the undisputed winners of the 2008 free agency. With a player like Elton Brand on board, Philadelphia’s quest to become a deeper playoff team is becoming a reality. Led by Andre Miller and Iguodala, Philadelphia went into the playoffs under Maurice Cheeks as head coach for the first time. Their success became a surprise to many, with the team not having such great expectations coming into the season. With Billy King finally out as the Sixers GM, new manager, Ed Stefanski made his presence felt immediately by sculpting the roster to a brighter future. The Korver trade will always be argued, with Philly being the worst 3-point shooting team last season. But with Rush and Marshall in the roster, the perimeter should fix the three-point shooting wooes for the most part, while having a future first rounder coming out of the Korver trade. Philadelphia also drafted Maurice Speights, a tenacious power forward that will become resourceful with stud-rookie, Jason Smith gone. Philadelphia is close to become a strong, complete team in the league. While the East still remains open, the Sixers just need to climb over one or two teams before having their glance at the O’brien trophy. Still for the most part, Stefanski fixed the screaming holes on this team and has pleasantly given the league warning shots aiming a Philadelphia’s resurrection to dominance.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

The Eastern Conference still holds its unique tough set of teams that could easily stop Philadelphia in their run for the Finals. The Sixers shouldn’t expect to be exposed as they were last season by the Pistons in the playoffs, but surely teams will find a way to frustrate Iguodala and Brand. The Sixers don’t have a bonafide scorer and attacker along the lines of Bryant, James, or Stoudemire and you best bet teams with such weapons will shove it to Philadelphia’s face when it matters. The Sixers are relying on a set of borderline, hopeful vets to bring home a championship. Just like Boston did, but with better names. No one will match the heart this team carried when they had Iverson, fans will only hope Brand will help bring it back, while trying to sway away from injury-prone criticisms.

 

3. Toronto Raptors (41-41)

This flexible bunch has done it’s best to extend opposing defenses after the departure of Vince Carter. This season, it’s no different when it comes to that factor, but over the off-season the Raptors underwent tremendous change. Shortly known for their expansion in international talent that opened the perimeter, the Raptors lost a handful of their international weapons in Carlos Delfino and Jose Garbajosa. T.J. Ford finally got beat out of his job in Toronto by Jose Calderon, as expected. Thanks to Calderon, trading away a young Ford for Jermaine O’Neal wasn’t anything but great for the team. The overall look of the roster still remains physically weak and lacking any toughness. The bulkiest player for Toronto is Nathan Jawai, a 280 pound rookie center from Australia that probably won’t see many minutes. The line-up seems electric for Toronto regardless of their lack of toughness. With Calderon leading the crew, Bargnani extending the floor, an encouraging amount of role players and the O’Neal-Bosh tandem down low, Toronto is guarunteed to have a better season than last year.

Finals Odds: 63%

Players Spotlight: Jose Calderon

Calderon carries a special swagger and intelligence to his game that remains unmatched. Former Raptor’s point guard, T.J. Ford, found out the hard way. When Ford was traded away it was clear that Calderon, a Spaniard sensation, out-balled Ford out of his starting spot, which landed him in Indiana. After playing magnificently in Europe, Calderon made the shift to the NBA by signing with Toronto. His rookie season proved to be well solid, critics claimed his poor shooting was a mental factor, for he shot well in Europe. His second season saw great progress, being capped off by averaging 13 points and 5.3 assists per game in the playoffs. Last season, Calderon’s potential was unleashed. The crafty playmaker averaged 11.2 points and 8.3 assists per game under 56 starts out of the 82 games he participated in. Calderon couldn’t be in a better position this season, as he’s expected to play alongside Bargnani, Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal.

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Raptors possess one of the most unique offenses in the league. Their offensive attack is sometimes unmatched, as they contain a lengthy set of players that can also shoot the ball well from distance. It was said they needed another big man down low, who better than 6-time All-Star, Jermaine O’Neal. It’s been nearly two year’s since O’Neal convinced watchers that he’s an elite power forward. But everyone knows what big-time trades can do to star players, hence Shaq and Garnett. Sure, O’Neal isn’t on the same caliber, but with Bosh, Bargnani and Calderon on his side, the chances are immense. Toronto is one of the best perimeter teams in the league, with 2-time defending 3-point champion, Jason Kapono and Anthony Parker. Bosh continues to extend his game yearly, Bargnani has been said to be getting stronger and Calderon is just getting started. They could apply pressure to the best teams the Eastern Conference has to offer, leaving them to an easy ticket to the Finals.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

It has yet to be proven whether they have the mental toughness they lacked last season. Teams such as the Pistons and Celtics can easily muscle this squad to create turnovers. Still, with tall, skinny post players in Bosh and O’Neal, Toronto can only hope to not run into big time centers like Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudemire (with Shaq!), and Garnett. Toughness is the biggest factor that holds this team back from a cham.pionship, and the problem is many teams carry that factor.

 

4. New York Knicks (23-59)

A team that’s currently in the process of Obama-like change. After the hiring of former Sun’s coach, Mike D’Antoni, along with the firing of Isiah Thomas, the 08-09 season came in too soon for New York, Stephon Marbury, Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford sadly remain on the roster. Different faces come into the picture to accompany the Mike D’Antoni leadership with Chris Duhon, Danilo Gallinari, Patrick Ewing Jr., and Anthony Roberson. Renaldo Balkman, one of the few true players for New York now plays for Denver. Thankfully, the Knicks bright light, David Lee still remains on the roster. It’s only a matter of time before more player swapping occurs, resulting in an unbearable mess for the Knicks’ upcoming season.

Finals Odds: 21%

Player Spotlight: David Lee

If you follow a good portion of basketball, you know who David Lee is. The 6′9” power forward from the Knicks is one of the most efficient players off the bench. Lee is a graduate of Florida University, having played three great years in college, Lee was drafted in 2005 by the New York Knicks. Lee began his pro career as a small forward, starting 14 games all season. While averaging 16.9 minutes a game, Lee averaged 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his rookie season. In his second season, his fan base grew quickly. David saw more playing time at 29.8 minutes a game, while putting up an impressive 10.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Many New Yorkers craved for Lee to have a more specific role for the team, after starting less games than his previous season. David became one of the most productive and hard-working players in the Knicks’ line-up, which was surrounded by players with fat contracts while lacking motivation. Lee finally gained more playing time the following season, starting 29 games. Opponents have become aware of Lee’s huge role in the Knicks offense and around the glass. 

Why they will be NBA Champions.

With a new coach in Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks will look to change the team’s mind-set. The Knicks will look to be led by newcomer point guard, Chris Duhon. In hopes that Duhon’s game will explode and players like Zach Randolph and Eddie Curry can get it together in the front court, the Knicks will to surprise the league. With a couple of different shifts in the roster, Crwaford’s loose cannon should hopefully contain itself to sensible shot selections. Wilson Chandler is also a baller for NY that can make some noise. Behind all the money, New York’s line-up does have solid talent could create a substantial amount of wins.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

Facing the fact that it’s the Knicks we’re talking about, this franchise hasn’t seen a playoff birth since the ‘03-’04 season. With all the changes, this is still the same heartless team it was last season. Relying on players like Zach Randolph, Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford and quite possibly a selfish Stephon Marbury, isn’t going to get this team anywhere different than last season. There’s still a boatload of changes that this team needs to undergo before even thinking about a championship.

 

5. New Jersey Nets (34-48)

Another team with a completely different look heading into the season. But this look is for the future, not for this season. Richard Jefferson, DeSagna Diop, Kristic, Nachbar and Marcus Williams are all gone, is Carter next? Most likely. The Nets have brought in plenty of young size throughout the off-season in Brook Lopez and Yi Jianlian. Their future is marked with abundant questions regarding their path towards a true leader. This will be another season to forget about for New Jersey, but the future for the Nets will be nothing less than epic.

Finals Odds: 19%

Player Spotlight: Devin Harris

Harris came into the league after making a name for himself in college. At the University of Wisconsin, Devin worked his way to become a freshmen starter. His game then emerged during his sophomore year, and in his junior year, Harris’ game took Wisconsin to the Sweet 16. Before getting eliminated by Kentucky, Harris’ amazing skill shined on the big stage. With his great defensive-mindset, quick first step, court vision and uncanny ability to dunk the ball with authority, Devin Harris was drafted fifth overall in the 2004 NBA Draft. In his first set of years for the Mavericks, Harris adapted to the team’s up-tempo offense, while being a combo guard. When he was traded to New Jersey last season, Harris’ role became completely different. Devin ushered his way into the starting line-up in New Jersey as the Nets braced themselves to have Harris become their floor general for years to come. Harris’ stats reached their highest when playing with New Jersey, averaging 15.4 points and 6.5 assists per game. With Marcus Williams recently being traded away in July, Harris’ position as the team’s prime point guard became solidified. 

Why they will be NBA Champions.

The Nets are a team that have completely swapped their image. Trading away the team’s former leading scorer, Richard Jefferson, makes Vince Carter the scoring veteran. If he remains a Net, Carter will be surrounded by many different unique talents, most notably Yi Jianlian. The struggling Nets last season were against the grain after losing Jason Kidd, but defeated Cleveland 3 out of their 4 match ups and put up close games against the Lakers and Celtics. Harris, Jianlian and Carter would have to mesh together to produce reliable scoring and defense to get deep into the season.

Why they won’t be NBA Champions.

Lets face it, the time isn’t quite there yet for New Jersey. Unless Carter explodes to become the player he was four years ago, this team’s history. There’s just too much skill in their division for this team to even hope for a playoff berth. This team just needs more time and maybe some sort of King.

Allan Houston Back to NY

It’s been reported that former Knick, Allan Houston, plans to make a comeback not only to the NBA but to the organization he’s spent 9 years with. The 37-year-old hasn’t participated in a league game since the 2004-2005 season, but has accepted the offer to attend New York’s upcoming training camp.

With Stephon Marbury’s spot in the air, New York’s invitation to Allan Houston can possibly become more than what was expected. Although Knicks President, Donnie Walsh, has denied reports that Marbury could be gone by week’s end, their recent hint towards Houston increases the chances of Marbury’s buyout. With the Knicks having 17 players on the roster, two over the max, Allan Houston is going to have to beat out Marbury and Patrick Ewing Jr.

The image of Allan Houston flashing the Knicks jersey could bring internal happiness to hardcore fans. The two-time All-Star has brought many memories to New York in the 90s, most importantly his clutch shot with 0.8 seconds left to put the eighth-seeded Knicks to the semifinal past the top-seeded Miami back in 1999. His age is the only concern at this point, even though Allan has stated his knees were stronger. With some solid, experienced, and smart play, Houston could become part of the new era the organization has begun to construct.

NBA Team Previews: Knickerboxing

New York Knicks Preview

The quest in search of sublime mediocrity after nearly a century of damned disappointment and mockery, the New York Knicks are sluggishly progressing.

 

New York, Madison Square Garden, the epitome of a well-recognized and respected basketball franchise. But the tragedy immediately emerged on September 20th, 2000. The Knicks were a force to be reckoned with in the East-side throughout the 90’s, hitting the playoffs each season was mandatory. The only opposing cancers that prevented the team to form a dynasty were Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller. There was that one season where Jordan was absent from spoiling another Knick’s post-season, New York went on to crawl into the Finals that same season, to then blow it in Game 7 against Houston. These numerous seasons who all ended in turmoil were lead by personal heroes such as Allan Houston, Sprewell, Larry Johnson, Starks, Ward and most notably, Patrick Ewing. Ewing was eventually traded away from the Knicks in September 2000, ending his era in New York, in hopes of finding an alternate roster to push the city further. Ewing’s departure lead to the Knicks never getting past the first round of the playoffs to this day. The root of the seemingly unavoidably dispair wasn’t merely because of the Ewing-trade, but the Knicks front office. With endless erratic headlines surfacing throughout that time regarding coaching swaps (Pat Riley, Jeff Van Gundy, Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkins, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas) and senseless player transactions (Shandon Anderson, Eisley, Marbury, Francis, Crawford, Eddy Curry, Jerome James, Jalen and Malik Rose, Penny Anderson, Zach Randolph).

The Jabs

All of these moronic moves certainly leave permanent cuts and bruises to the franchise, turning many fans against the organization. But the franchise isn’t completely knocked out of its feet, slowly recovering from Isiah Thomas’ anarchy. The first rebound jab from the Knicks organization came in April 2, 2008, when the team owner James Dolan, signed former Indiana Pacers’ CEO and president Donnie Walsh, to take over Isiah’s role as team president. The second jab came when Walsh fired Isiah Thomas from his head coaching job after the 07-08 season. The firing of Isiah was widely approved by fans of the dying Knicks fanbase. Thomas’ mistakes included his generous contract signing that generated frustration among everyone besides the money-hungry players themselves. Thomas managed to bring expensive players to the team such as Marbury, Crawford, Francis leaving the payroll over a whopping $160 million, while still carrying one of the worst records in the league.

The Hooks

Through all the chaos, there were a few positives that should have Knick-followers attatched to what the future holds. First is, David Lee. Lee is the sole original hustler of this team. His stats have progressed through all three years, last season he averaged 10.8 point and 8.9 rebounds per game, while only starting 29 games. Some other honorable mentions in that nature include, Nate Robinson and Renaldo Balkman. In the 2008 Draft, the Knicks shocked their desperate crowd by selecting 6′9” forward from Italy, Danilo Gallinari. This was a severe thing to grasp for the fans, considering they don’t follow overseas ball, and they wanted a player more reassuring. But it appears that the Italian rookie isn’t going to be such a bad fit for the team after all, adding more athleticism to the stiff players they already have on the floor. Another good hook comes in with the rumors swirling about Stephon Marbuy leaving New York to go play overseas. If true, this clears up some headaches and any distractions for the Knicks. The third hook isn’t major but has its separate tap on history for the traditional Knick fans, the recent acquirement of Patrick Ewing Jr. The Knicks’ trade to bring in Ewing Jr. grabs a healthy amount of positive vibe and some limited happiness for the New York hopeful. The 24-year-old forward stands at a steady 6′8”, 240 pounds, with some small essentials to his game, Ewing Jr. could have his lasting effect on what was his father’s franchise at one point. The strongest hook comes in with the addition of Chris Duhon to the roster. Duhon, a strong floor general with great range and defense will tremendously help this team for the following season.

The Uppercut

The concluding uppercut for the Knicks is the signing of former Pheonix Suns head coach, Mike D’Antoni. The deal leaves D’Antoni as the Knicks’ coach for 4 years for $24 million. The Knicks, a franchise known for they’re attraction towards high-profile head coaches, pulled the trigger quickly, allowing D’Antoni to set up some pieces (Duhon, Gallinari) for his offense before heading into the season. D’Antoni, like many previous coaches, isn’t in the best position for success when trying to encourage this deadbeat roster into a winning attitude before heading into the 2008-2009 season. But his unbelievably strong and strict showings in the past is sure to change everything in New York and give the Knicks the change the franchise craved.

 

Freshmen Headlines

Thursday night was a night filled with immense headlines and changes for the League. After soaking in all of the decisions by each team for several hours, I felt I couldn’t pick a better time to write this up ’til after the following blockbuster trade which took place a little pass 1 a.m.

T’Wolves receive Kevin Love, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins from the Grizzlies for O.J. Mayo, Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner.

After all the lights were turned off at MSG, Wolves GM Kevin McHale rolled up his sleeves and made the moves necessary to bring more skill to the front court, along with a stronger perimeter shooter in Mike Miller. The Grizzlies finally bring home the desired O.J. Mayo to create a congested backcourt with guards, Kyle Lowry, Javaris Crittenton and Mike Conley. The deal turns out to work for both teams equally.

The Grizzlies back court will face tension in the minutes that are to be spread from the guards. The loss of Juan Carlos Navarro, with his decision to leave the team and play overseas and Mike Miller’s departure due to the trade help out the cause. The production from the back court is not the factor to worry about for Memphis now,

the back court does become the question though. With the loss of Pau Gasol in their infamous trade, Memphis is left with Darko Milicic (7ppg., 6rpg.), Hakim Warrick (11ppg., 4rpg.), Kwame Brown. The execution to get Mayo define GM, Chris Wallace’s obsession to have Mayo on the roster. It is now up to Wallace to put forth one or two moves to add help to the front court.

The Timberwolves, on the other hand are a developing team with a healthy line-up. O.J. Mayo would’ve done nothing but give this teams a solid 10 to 15 more wins then last season. But the acquirement of Kevin Love helps stretch the length of this young team. Alongside, Al Jefferson (21ppg., 11rpg., 1.5bpg.) and Ryan Gomes (12.6ppg., 5.8rpg.), and Craig Smith (9.4ppg., 4.6rpg.), Kevin Love is surrounded by plenty of young big-men that have been in his position not too long ago, to help relate. Love fell into a comfortable spot to express his game for this team that’s exploding with potential. The guard position wasn’t hurt either Thursday night, even after losing Mayo. With Foye and Telfair coming back, along with the selection of Mario Chalmers, McHale is upgrading smoothly after the loss of KG.

With the #1 Draft pick, the Chicago Bulls select guard, Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis.

Not a soul was a surprised with this pick. The only reason this pick drew questions was due to Chicago’s mass amount of effective guards. The list includes, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon, Larry Hughes, Chris Duhon, Thabo Sefolosha, JamesOn Curry, and Shannon Brown. There is no mystery as to why the Bulls chose Rose, the best guard in the draft. But, passing on Michael Beasley, the best player in the draft causes talk. Derrick Rose’s playmaking ability will be Chicago’s reasoning throughout the season as many will compare the two. Rose has a tremendous amount of pressure in his rookie season, anything less than stellar will be held against him and the organization’s decision-making. Derrick Rose’s talents are unexplainable for his position, his career will be put to the test right off the bat in his hometown. Many will think the Bulls are senseless in drafting another guard, but they see elements in Rose that most don’t understand. It is still extremely early in the off-season to assume this will be the final roster for Chicago. With their amusing stack of guards, expect their chase after a big time player down low. Rose’s presence will help turn this franchise around in a matter of 1-3 years, if you’re a Bulls fan, prepare for a set of grateful years ahead.

Miami overcomes all the rumors and selects Michael Beasley with their second pick.

Everyone was fed with abundant talks of Riley desperately trying to nab an explosive guard from the draft or a big time player like Elton Brand. It is still questionable whether Pat Riley and the Heat will stick through with this decision of Beasley and not push for a trade. It is still obvious the Heat want to make another significant push for a guard this off-season. Miami fans can only hope it doesn’t involve Beasley. Drafting Michael Beasley masked Miami as one of the smartest teams in the Draft by not letting Beasley drop on Minnesota or Seattle’s lap.

It’s been said many times on this page and it’ll be repeated, Michael Beasley is the best player in this Draft. Michael Beasley brings forth size, strength, jumping ability, quickness and scoring. His left-handed stroke is the essence of his shooting ability. He can pretty much get by defenders at will with his strong triple-step jab moves. Accompany that with an unbelievably soft touch around the basket with both hands and you have yourself a prime time scorer. It is only a matter of time before his name is mentioned in the same category as Carmelo, McGrady and Pierce.

New York Knicks draft Danilo Gallinari with their 6th overall pick in the Draft.

This decision has D’Antoni written all over it from top to bottom. The 6′9”, 212 pound Italian will be sporting a Knicks jersey to being his career in the US, with a great deal of pressure behind him. Gallinari is only 19 years of age but is said to contain all the maturity. Though his body is steps away from being on the NBA level, Gallanari is a consistent shooter with plenty of range. Danilo can become a scoring threat for the Knicks a few years from now with his numerous intangibles. Scouts also say the Italian is a crafty shooter with a knack for scoring the basketball, while also being able to sell a foul call like Ginobili. Danilo Gallinari may not be the perfect for the Knicks just yet, but as the years go through he’ll become a fan favorite once his weapons expand along with his age.

Sacramento makes the bold move in selecting Jason Thompson with their 12th pick.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you, hence the words on the last entry,

“…and please don’t sleep on Jason Thompson. Just don’t.”

I wasn’t at all surprised with Sacramento’s decision to grab what they feel is the right player for the team. Jason Thompson, a 6′11”, 21-year old power forward from Rider University was the best kept secret in the draft. The late bloomer has great fluidity in his footwork and a nice set of low post moves. He’s also a quality defender, something necessary for Sacramento to help Artest.

After drafting Arizona’s Jerryd Bayless, Indiana trades away Bayless and Diogu for Portland’s Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts.

This column has extreme love for Jerryd Bayless. So when the news struck that Bayless was traded to Portland, this immediately turned into a headline. It would’ve certainly been nice to see Bayless turn into a quick NBA start and plump his stats in the traditional basketball place of Indiana, but teaming up with Brandon Roy isn’t bad for an NBA career. Bayless has one of the best pull up jumpers in the game, along with amazing body control, it will be a treat for Portland fans to see this team blossum with Oden coming back next season. The following trade for Indiana made it evident that their primary guard, Jamaal Tinsley is going to be shipped out of Indiana.

New Jersey Nets draft Brook Lopez, eying LeBron, Wade or Bosh in their Brooklyn future?

After trading away a fundamentally skilled Richard Jefferson, the New Jersey Nets received Bobby Simmons, Yi Jianlian and the Bucks draft pick which turned out to be an obvious steal with the acquisition of Brook Lopez. The key theory of this trade for the Nets isn’t focused towards Yi Jianlian’s potential, but the amount of salary cap relief he’ll bring to the Nets in 2010, which is when DWade, ‘Bron and Bosh might be available. The main attraction for the Nets organization would be bringing LeBron to Brooklyn. Such a move would explode the Nets fan base for several years.

Philadelphia drafts Marreese Speights from the University of Florida.

Philadelphia’s choice of Speights was no surprise. I’m incredibly proud of Philadelphia’s decision this year with this one. It looks like Stefanski is a GM with a head on his shoulders, who’s trying to work this team out to be completely successful in every area. The 6′10”, 250 pound forward has a wingspan that could potentially allow him to be a situational center for the Sixers. Speights has a good offensive attack, can work beautifully off pick-and-rolls and brings the adrenaline of Joakim Noah or Reggie Evans, whom the Sixers already posses. Adding another player like this only upgrades the bangers down low for Philly to get dirty.