New York Knicks Blog - 7 Seconds or Mess

7SoM is moving (again)

2009-12-09T18:48:00.002-05:00

So MVN shut down which means 7SoM needed a(nother) new home. Introducing the New York Knicks blog, KnickBlog.com.

I couldn't believe it wasn't taken. Shame on you, Internetz.

So once again, Old and Busted: 7 Seconds or Mess. New Hotness: KnickBlog.com.

And if you're one of the gracious fellows that have added me to your blogroll and/or Google Reader, please update the link and/or RSS feed.

Shalom.

7SoM: Webisode 21, Knicks Zone Defense

2009-11-16T13:47:00.002-05:00

With the Knicks offense being as putrid as it's been, I decided, instead, to look at the putrid defense. The Knicks have utilized a zone in recent games presumably to stop being so thoroughly exposed defending the pick and roll. You'll see, however, that the team's lack of defensive awareness hasn't been solved by assigning defenders to specific spots on the floor.

Want to comment on the article? Leave a voicemail at 347.443.9297 and hear it on The Turnover podcast. Email me at gian[at]7som.com and follow @GianCasimiro on Twitter.

Ramon Sessions is what the Knicks need

2009-07-18T17:57:00.006-04:00

Listening to interviews with Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh from the Summer League, you'll hear one phrase uttered over and over again: "We have to get better." Of course. You have to get better when you're not the best. But my definition of getting better doesn't involve signing Jason Kidd or Grant Hill to three year deals. Thankfully those things never happened, but the Knicks still have to get better. The team still needs to add talent and it still needs a PG of the future. Enter Ramon Sessions. The latest rumors have the Knicks either exploring a sign and trade or offering the full MLE to the Bucks point guard.

I've only seen the man play a couple of times because if there's a choice between watching the Milwaukee Bucks and the Food Network, I'm switching to Food Network. But I've seen him shred the Knicks like asiago and better basketball minds have raved about his game. So I'll rely on those opinions and take a look at the stats to see what Sessions is all about.

Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus had this to say before free agency started:

The veteran point guards on the market might be preferable to Sessions next year. Over the following three or four? Sessions, who just turned 23, figures to be far more valuable. He followed up a surprising breakout late in his rookie season with a strong campaign split between starting and coming off the bench. Sessions is effective as both a scorer and a passer, and his ability to get to the free-throw line (14 percent of his possessions, more than any other free-agent point guard) bodes well for the future. His five most similar players by age: Kenny Anderson, Devin Harris, Tony Parker, Deron Williams and Terrell Brandon. If the Bucks are unwilling to match due to money concerns, somebody is going to get a starting point guard for the next decade or so.

Those are glowing words from a man who's usually right. Pelton ranks Sessions as the best available PG and puts him in a class of names I've drooled over for years.

Earlier today Kevin Arnovitz of ClipperBlog and TrueHoop called Sessions "The Best Free Agent Nobody is Talking About":

He isn't yet an efficient outside shooter. He's drained a grand total of nine 3-pointers in his two seasons in the league, which has kept his effective FG percentage down at just below 45 percent -- not so good for a guard. But there's a silver lining here, too. Sessions gets to the line [5.9] times per 36 minutes. Among point guards, only Devin Harris, Chris Paul, and Chauncey Billups top Sessions in this category. This brings his true shooting percentage above 52 percent.

I know the importance of your guards having range, especially in this system, but the Knicks need trips to the line far more than they need three point shooters at the moment. The Knicks were 21st in the league with 23.2 FT a game and were 28th in FT/FG with 21%, topping only the Clippers and Spurs. That means they only made free throws on 21% of their shot attempts. By comparison, the Denver Nuggets led the league with 30.3 FTA a game and 29 FT/FG. In short, as a jump shooting team, the Knicks were terrible at getting to the line. Both Pelton and Arnovitz highlight Sessions' ability to get to those free points which would help the offense immensely.

Now let's take a look at Sessions against Chris Duhon and Nate Robinson.

Chris Duhon

10.9 Pts/36
7.0 Ast/36
2.6 FTA/36
57% TS%
27.9 AST%
14.9% USG%
26 FT/FG

Nate Robinson

20.7 Pts/36
4.9 Ast/36
4.8 FTA/36
55% TS%
22.9 AST%
25.6 USG%
24 FT/FG

Ramon Sessions

16.2 Pts/36
7.5 Ast/36
5.9 FTA/36
53% TS%
34.6 AST%
22.4 USG%
36 FT/FG

Nate is clearly the most prolific scorer of the bunch but his low AST% and assists/36 mins along with his 25.6 USG% prove his tendency to keep the ball in his hands instead of getting others involved. He also has the lowest FT/FG which shows that although he's keeping the ball, he's not getting to the line as much as he should. This shouldn't be a surprise to Knick fans. Nate is able to beat his man with his quickness and finish inside but he doesn't pad his stats with free throws. He's a player that can explode for 30 some nights when he should be getting 38.

Duhon is a distributor to a fault at times. He got inside as much as his athleticism and ankle allowed last season and pulled it back out just as fast. He doesn't (can't?) score often but he knows how to get the ball to the right people. And I think I've shown how David Lee benefits from this enough times. He's got a terrific TS% because of his 39% clip from behind the arc and 86% free throw shooting but he only gets to the line 2.6 times per 36.

Which brings us to Sessions who seems to have the best aspects of both. He scores at a lower rate than Nate (/Clyde) but makes up for it by dishing out three more assists per 36. He also blows the other two away with his 34.6% AST% and 36 FT/FG.

Would I be comfortable with him in a Knicks uniform? Even though I haven't seen enough of him personally, yes I would, especially with Pelton and Arnovitz giving such high praise. Even at the full MLE? Considering Devin Harris gets over 8 mil/year, I think it's a better deal. How about with 4-5 years guaranteed? Well we keep asking for a franchise point guard and Sessions has the look of one. And he's 23. And, stop me if you've heard this before, he'd probably flourish under D'Antoni. And with Jennings on board in Milwaukee, plus the their financial situation, some people don't think Bucks would match an offer.

Want to comment on the article? Leave a voicemail at 347.443.9297 and hear it on the podcast. And follow 7SoM on Twitter.

Leave 7SoM a voicemail!

2009-07-18T13:44:00.003-04:00

Do you have Knicks questions?

Do you want to hear your own voice instead of mine on one of the Webisodes?

Do you want to be part of a new Q&A podcast I'll be doing next season?

Well then call 347-443-9297 and be a part of 7SoM. Interactivity through media is the focus going forward. I'd love to hear from you. And so would the rest of the blogosphere. Especially if you leave angry messages about why I suck.

Here's a test voicemail left by a friend:

Something in the back of my mind

2009-07-05T23:15:00.005-04:00

Chris Duhon, Larry Hughes, Wilson Chandler, Al Harrington, David Lee

Toney Douglas, Danilo Gallinari, Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Darko Milicic

The Knicks have too many players. Not exactly what you'd consider good depth but those are the ten that I expect to get some burn next season. Throw in Eddy Curry and whatever happens with Nate Robinson and you have all twelve eligible players looking for minutes. That's at least four too many for Mike D'Antoni.

After three quarters of a season filled with injuries, blatant benchings and obesity, the Knicks suddenly had too many players down the stretch last year. It created some funky rotations that simply threw everything off. In the end, Chris Wilcox drew the short straw and got less minutes than I would have liked to see. My guess is that Curry and Milicic will have a lot of time to get to know one another but after that, D'Antoni has some decisions to make.

But, hey, competition's a good thing, right?

Writers Wanted for 7SoM

2009-06-24T10:47:00.005-04:00

Things are changing a bit for 7SoM next season and I'm looking for two people to join the team. Because I restrict myself to multimedia, I'm only able to cover a small percentage of games so I need help rounding out the blog.

I'm looking for a writer to recap every Knick game of the season. You'll also have the freedom to write articles about anything Knicks/NBA related, of course. I don't need you to be John Hollinger but I do need you to be keen on using advanced stats in your writing, as well. I won't filter your shine so come with it.

I also need a second person who's all over the internetz and up on all the stories and articles throughout the day. Even though my hands are glued to a keyboard at the office, I don't get to open my Reader until I get home. I can only catch whatever's tweeted during the day so I need someone to post all the relevant links when stories break and post a daily link dump. Certainly there's an opportunity for you to write, as well, but your main responsibility is linkage.

"But then what will you do?" =/

If you're interested, I'll need to see writing samples so send me an email at SevenSecondsOrMess@gmail.com. Tell me which position you're eyeing and I'll answer any questions you may have.

Learning to Scratch - Week 2

2009-06-19T23:21:00.003-04:00

So I've been learning how to DJ for the last couple of weeks and I've decided to make videos to track my progress. This is week two.

I've settled on a name. You can call me DJ Mbenga.

7SoM Lakers vs Magic NBA Finals Game 1

2009-06-05T22:30:00.003-04:00

There's not much to say about such thorough dominance. You know the Lakers went away from the triangle and Kobe Bryant pulled up for jumpers with Dwight Howard playing the drive. You know the Magic missed shot after shot, open and contested. You know that the Magic are much better than their performance last night.

So I give you a couple of defensive possessions showing how the Lakers protected the inside and defended the three. And I show a couple of instances where I would have liked Rashard Lewis to be more aggressive going to the basket.

Dwight Howard's got your back with the tip dunk, Rashard. Go back to what was working for you against Boston and Cleveland.

Nate Robinson at Comix Comedy Club May 20th

2009-05-15T09:02:00.005-04:00

Nate seems like a pretty funny guy and it looks like he's going to try and prove it on stage Wednesday night. He'll be at Comix Comedy Club on the 20th for a special appearance on 12 Angry Mascots.

Nate 'The Great' Robinson will be making a special guest star appearance at the next 12 ANGRY MASCOTS show at Comix Comedy Club, May 20th at 10 PM.

12 Angry Mascots is NYC's only sports-themed comedy variety show, featuring sports-related stand-up, sketch, and a guest interview with an athlete. Nate will be our interview guest for this show. Giants all-pro left tackle Dave Diehl will also be taking the stage as a sketch actor. Everyone's excited about, especially Nate who apparently has become good friends with Will Ferrel in the past year, and is looking to break into the entertainment/comedy world.

It looks like Seth and Tommy are going, as will I, so your Knicks blog hosts will be well represented. You can grab your tickets here so hurry up and do that. Come out and show Nate some love!

7SoM: Dominant Dwight?

2009-05-15T00:46:00.014-04:00

There's been so much made about Dwight Howard's comments after Game 5. Is he a dominant player? Does he deserve more touches? Many people assumed yes. Others had different opinions. So, I did what normal people would do and looked at every single touch Dwight Howard got over Games 5 and 6.

After watching each possession again, I had a really hard time deciding what angle to take with the situation. I wanted to completely debunk the idea that he's a dominant player because I hate it when players get praise they don't deserve. And it might have been enough to show every clip of Howard posting up a defender over the last two games. Then you'd see how many times he missed a shot or turned the ball over. But Howard deserves better than that. He really can be a dominant player. But he does it with his defensive presence and his work on the glass, not with his offense. So, instead, this video focuses on Howard's limited offensive skill and the things the Celtics are doing to make life even more difficult for him and the Magic.

If you want to call Dwight Howard dominant, then point out the parts of his game that make him so special. He'll clean that glass for you and dunk it in the process. He'll swat Rajon Rondo's floaters away like a gnat. But don't try to prove to anyone watching closely enough that Howard deserves more opportunities to assert himself in the post. You'll look as silly as his running hook.

7SoM Lakers vs Rockets Game 2

2009-05-08T01:38:00.006-04:00

The league's two best big men played on Wednesday night and they were as invisible to us as they were to their teammates. I'll quote Kelly Dwyer cause he made me take a second look at the Lakers-Rockets game:

"They won with Yao Ming getting the ball, and Yao Ming shooting the ball. That's the ticket to the next round. And if you don't have the guts to fire an entry pass that isn't anything less than a 100 percent certitude to get to the big man, than you don't deserve to move on. Simple as that. Find your go-to man, or go home."

Yao Ming, who was in foul trouble and played only 26 minutes, finished with only four shot attempts, two of which were tip-ins while Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola finished with 15 and 14 attempts. A look at the tape shows it had a lot more to do with his teammates' unwillingness to give him the ball than his foul trouble though.

(Click on HQ.)

7SoM Webisode 18

2009-03-25T17:37:00.004-04:00

New York Knicks vs Orlando Magic

Hey, all. Thanks for sticking around through the long delay in posts. Things have opened up for me and I've been working on the second season of Extreme on the Travel Channel. The new season starts on April 8th at 9PM Eastern so check that out.

Now onto our Knicks. Sorry I couldn't cover the collapse but Knicks broke themselves down better than I ever could. So with the remaining meaningless games I'll try to point out some of the major flaws with the key players on the roster. First up is David Lee and his defense against Orlando on Monday (first video in a month and I attack Lee - I must be a Knick Hater).

You're a Knicks fan. Boom, roasted.

2009-02-11T18:47:00.005-05:00

For those that haven't read it yet, here's the NQTC post that's being imitated by bloggers everywhere. This Office clip is what inspired him to make one for the Bulls and I figured I'd make one for the Knicks.

Hmm.. who to start off with.

Mike D'Antoni: You chose the Knicks, the Bulls chose Derrick Rose. Boom, roasted.

Chris Duhon: You'd still be the fourth best guard on the Bulls. Boom, roasted.

Nate Robinson: Maybe you should play well enough to get your jersey retired at MSG instead. Boom, roasted.

Quentin Richardson: The Celtics have rings. Boom, roasted.

Danilo Gallinari: You're late; Q was already our SF with back problems. Boom, roasted.

Stephon Marbury: You'll still be running in the mountains come playoff time. Boom, roasted.

Malik Rose: Not even the Knicks want your expiring. Boom, roasted.

Jerome James: You weigh more than Eddy Curry. Boom, roasted.

Tim Thomas: This is your second time being a Knick. Boom, roasted.

Al Harrington: The lines on your head are prettier than ones you post in box scores. Boom, roasted.

Jared Jeffries: Roberson averages more points than you. Boom, roasted.

Anthony Roberson: Jeffries shoots better than you. Boom, roasted.

Wilson Chandler: You show more emotion on the bench than on the court, maybe that's where you belong. Boom, roasted.

David Lee: When's the last time a white guy made the All Star team? Boom, roasted.

Eddy Curry: Your life. Boom, roasted.

James Dolan: You won't be paying LeBron in 2010 but you'll be paying Isiah. Boom, roasted.

7SoM Webisode 17

2009-02-10T01:48:00.002-05:00

In Episode 17 I breakdown the final four Blazer possessions and touch on how Brandon Roy maneuvers his way through the defense, Al Harrington's poor recognition, and David Lee's huge mistake on the game winner. I made the podcast before reading that D'Antoni didn't know he had a foul to give, but Lee still needs to make this play.

You can watch the video in high quality here or hover over the triangle on the lower right of the player and click on HQ.

Dream Week at the Garden

2009-02-08T14:43:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of breakdowns last week guys. I was entertaining some old friends from Chicago. I have no real insights on the games - the Knicks were just overwhelmed. So here's something I threw together yesterday to honor Kobe and LeBron. You can watch the high quality version here or hover over the triangle on the lower right of the player and click on HQ.

7SoM Webisode 16

2009-01-29T18:33:00.002-05:00

In Episode 16 the Atlanta Hawks do their part in the making of the Chris Duhon highlight reel. You can watch the video in high quality here or hit the triangle on the player and click on HQ.

7SoM Webisode 15

2009-01-22T18:41:00.003-05:00

In Episode 15 I try to show just how easy it was for Duhon and Lee to score on Nash, Shaq and Stoudemire. You can watch the high quality version here.

7SoM Video Clipboard 1/21/09

2009-01-21T13:12:00.002-05:00

What to watch out for against the Phoenix Suns tonight.

YouTube page for high quality.

7SoM Video Clipboard 1/16/09

2009-01-16T13:35:00.002-05:00

What to look out for in tonight's game against the Wizards.

YouTube page for high quality.

7SoM Play of the Week 1/15/09

2009-01-15T14:21:00.005-05:00

YouTube page for high quality.

SSoM Webisode 14

2009-01-13T17:35:00.004-05:00

New York Knicks at New Orleans Hornets

YouTube Page for high quality.

I had to go with jazzier music considering the opponent.

The Basketball Jones Ep. 369

2009-01-09T13:10:00.002-05:00

Chances are that if you know about this blog, then you know about The Basketball Jones, but in case you don't here's their latest podcast where they discuss the Knicks and the Eddy Curry situation.

Ep. 369: Silent Roof from The Basketball Jones on Vimeo.

SSoM Webisode 13

2009-01-05T20:15:00.002-05:00

New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics

YouTube page for high quality.

SSoM Webisode 12

2008-12-29T20:38:00.001-05:00

New York Knicks vs Denver Nuggets

YouTube page for high quality.

Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-24T20:04:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays, everyone! When you're with your family this year, take a minute, realize where you are and smile.

I'd like to thank you guys for all of the feedback and compliments. When I started this blog during the summer, I think I had one reader and she doesn't even count because a) she was my girlfriend and b) didn't give a damn about basketball. Now, just a few months later, I've been on TrueHoop. That's all thanks to you viewers and fellow bloggers.

A special thanks goes out to Mike and everyone over at KnickerBlogger.Net for giving me a bigger platform and to Tommy Dee at TheKnicksBlog.com for all of his continued help.

I know that a good number of you will be watching the Celtics and Lakers game tomorrow so here's just a little reminder of what happened last year. Bounce coming up!

SSoM Webisode 11

2008-12-16T18:26:00.002-05:00

Knicks vs Suns
12/15/08

YouTube page for high quality.

SSoM: Play of the Week 12/12/08

2008-12-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

SSoM Webisode 10

2008-12-03T19:06:00.003-05:00

New York Knicks 97 vs Portland TrailBlazers 104

12/2/08

Enjoy the new widescreen format. It won't show widescreen in the embedded player but it will on the actual YouTube page.

SSoM: Play of the Week 11/20/08

2008-11-20T17:22:00.001-05:00

SSoM Webisode 9

2008-11-19T21:36:00.001-05:00

New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics

Thank YouTube for the delay.

Video Clipboard

2008-11-18T15:28:00.002-05:00

This is a little pre-game segment I'm doing for The Knicks Blog now. Consider it a what to watch for from opposing teams' offenses. This one is for tonight's Celtics game.

SSoM Play of the Week 11/13/08

2008-11-14T13:35:00.002-05:00

Your play of the week, folks.

SSoM Webisode 8

2008-11-12T14:23:00.004-05:00

Knicks 80 vs Spurs 92
11/11/08

I'm no longer doing the highlight section simply cause it takes extra time and you can find highlights at several other places.

SSoM Webisode 7

2008-11-10T18:59:00.001-05:00

Knicks 107 vs Jazz 99
11/9/08

SSoM: Play of the Week 11/7/08

2008-11-07T11:30:00.002-05:00

Hey everybody. I've got a new segment over at KnickBlogger.Net that breaks down the week's best play. I'll be posting it at KB each Friday so check it out.

First installment:
SSoM: Play of the Week 11/7/08

SSoM Webisode 6

2008-11-06T18:36:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. I was in Boston getting caught up in life as Marbury would say.

I have something special in store tomorrow so check back for that.

But without further ado:

New York Knicks 101 vs Charlotte Bobcats 98

SSoM Webisode 5

2008-10-30T21:54:00.003-04:00

New York Knicks 120 vs Miami Heat 115
10/29/08

I know, I know. I didn't cover the Stephon Marbury story - simply cause I refuse to make him the story of the night.

SSoM Webisode 4

2008-10-22T18:16:00.001-04:00

New York Knicks 90 vs Boston Celtics 101
10/21/08

SSoM Webisode 3

2008-10-21T19:33:00.002-04:00

Knicks vs Nets
10/20/08

In case you're wondering, they'll continue to be this length going forward. It allows me to get them to you faster which is what's most important. Enjoy.

Back early; Mail time

2008-10-18T12:17:00.002-04:00

Hey guys, I got back from my trip earlier than expected and thought I'd answer some emails. There were a couple of questions that were asked repeatedly:

Why isn't Wilson Chandler starting over Quentin Richardson?
Well this one's easy enough if you look at the bigger picture. Yes, Chandler has made a much bigger impact than Q through all four games now. Yes, Richardson has shot an abysmal 3-19 from downtown and has been outrebounded by Chandler 32 to 12.

But with Jared Jeffries still out with his broken tibia and Eddy Curry's metabolism still AWOL, Chandler is the goto big man off the bench. He's done well in that situation, and unless you think Malik Rose is a better option, he's playing the exact role the team needs at the moment. But once Jeffries comes back, I expect him to get more time at the 3, especially if Q continues to perform the way he has.

The real question is, what happens when Danilo Gallinari gets back? Does Q find himself third on the depth chart? I don't think Mike D'Anotni would do that to Q but the first month of the season is going to be critical for him.

What do you think the Knicks will/should do with Eddy Curry?
This is getting increasingly difficult to answer. Basically, Curry's unprofessionalism isn't only hurting the Knicks on the court, but also in trade talks. His work ethic was notoriously poor to begin with but the fact that he showed up to camp out of shape, even with the new regime coming in, should convince teams that a change of scenery isn't enough motivate him. Plus, Zach Randolph's conditioning and willingness to change his game only makes Curry's problems even more glaring.

It puts the Knicks in a bad situation cause they need to play him for all the obvious reasons: to get him in shape, to maintain his confidence, and ~~to get their money's worth~~ to make him a factor and up his trade value. But through two games it's clear that he can't find his offense in this system. It requires you to be a good jump shooter, and if that's not your forte, you need to be hyperactive (screening, passing well, crashing the basket). Curry is neither. And if Jeffries performs up to his training camp hype, then Jerome James might have a new dinner date. I'll go ahead and assume this is what happens and dub the them "The Buffet Brothers."

They should trade him, obviously, but it'll take a lot of creativity on Donnie Walsh's part.

Seven Notes; flying out tomorrow

2008-10-14T22:34:00.005-04:00

Sorry to disappoint folks but I'll be flying to Florida tomorrow and won't return until Sunday so I won't be able to cover tonight's game against the Sixers or Friday's against the Celtics.

Since I couldn't do the video, here are Seven Notes:

1. Eddy Curry made his debut late first quarter and quickly made his exit mid-second quarter. He played winded for a total of 6:21, even after getting the break in-between quarters. He finished with one point, three rebounds.. and three fouls. I wish I had time to show you a couple of his clips but since I can't:
On one possession Curry was trying to get in position for a tip-in and jumped just high enough where his feet were above a Sixer player's sneakers. The ball was tipped up high into the air and Wilson Chandler got it by jumping high enough where his feet were above Curry's knees. Just a funny contrast.

The Sixers were on the break and missed a shot. They got the rebound, pulled the ball out and reset their offense. That was in the span of maybe five or six seconds. As they made their first pass after the reset, Curry was just reaching the three point line... walking back from our side of the floor. That should give you an idea of how out of shape he is at the moment.

Curry got into post position but Nate Robinson didn't immediately give him the ball so he pulled his hands down and just stood there. Nate was forced to shoot the three instead. Made it.

2. Speaking of Nate, he continues to be erratic from deep, coming up short on several attempts. But we play our best defense when he's on the floor and we really look flat without his energy.

3. For the second straight game, Jamal Crawford found his offense early and then struggled and disappeared. It's pretty apparent how he's not fitting into this system. Basically, he comes to the ball off screens like he's on sedatives and can't get the separation he needs to catch the ball. It's killing his number of touches (which is why he's disappearing). And he's still completely dependent on his crossover pull-up jumpers. I'll keep an eye on this as the preseason progresses cause if he's not providing offensively, then he's not providing at all. By the way, D'Antoni didn't play him down the stretch.

4. We can start to consider Anthony Roberson's tenure with the Knicks finished. Mardy Collins' performance has shown that he is far more valuable to the team at this point and Mike D'Antoni has played him for 29 minutes compared to Roberson's six. We know Collins can't shoot, and judging from his decisions on offense, he knows it too. But he's been slashing to the basket successfully and he's picking his spots very well. He finished with 10 points on 5-5 shooting (all inside) and had a great defensive stop on a clearout for Andre Iguodala.

5. Quentin Richardson finished 1-7 from downtown and is 3-14 so far. I don't think it's a stretch to say that he'll be third on the depth chart if Danilo Gallinari's jumper is as good as everyone's raving.

6. Stephon Marbury has 12 assists and only 15 shot attempts. And that's while playing shooting guard almost exclusively. It's not hard to see that he's holding himself back so no criticisms from me - other than him letting Iguodala dunk it tonight when he could've taken the charge. But the question is, how long will he keep this up?

7. I'll show you this in a video eventually but our passing is very sloppy at this point. That's not the say that we're not seeing or hitting open men. What I mean is that players are having to catch passes at their ankles, picking them up on short hops, needing to jump for balls, and being pulled off spots. Not on every pass of course, but it happens far too often. It's essentially negating our open players.

To all the new viewers:

2008-10-13T12:41:00.002-04:00

Thanks for the positive feedback, glad you like the work.

Some have commented about the poor video quality but that's only the case if you view it in the embedded player. The high resolution version is available on the actual YouTube page.

Visit www.youtube.com/SevenSecondsOrMess for better quality.

SSoM Webisode 2

2008-10-13T08:23:00.002-04:00

Knicks vs 76ers
10/10/08

SSoM Webisode 1

2008-10-10T21:05:00.006-04:00

The first preseason game was played on Wednesday night against Toronto so the first webisode of Seven Seconds or Mess is finally here!

2008 NBA Finals Celtics Highlights

2008-10-09T10:30:00.002-04:00

With the new season right around the corner, I visit the reigning champs one last time. Perhaps the Knicks can turn it around as fast as the Celtics?

Perhaps not.

Quick links

2008-10-01T12:08:00.003-04:00

Danilo Gallinari's back issue was caused by a bulging disc. The disc has receded.
Seth over at Posting and Toasting attended Knicks practice last night. It's unusual access for a blogger but I believe practices at Skidmore College are public and Seth is lucky enough to be attending school there at the moment. He has some early observations about our players.

Hollinger's team forecast

2008-09-30T17:41:00.001-04:00

A summary of the Isiah Thomas Error.

Marbury the epicenter of media day

2008-09-29T22:31:00.006-04:00

The Knicks gathered with reporters today in Saratoga for media day festivities and two themes were evident:

The media, once again, is forced to care about the status of Stephon Marbury.
This roster really isn't any different than last year's.

The focus ~~should've~~ could've been about new coach, Mike D'Antoni, and how the players feel about his system. Or it could've been about the excitement and optimism surrounding this team as they head into a new era. But, no. For another season the Knicks open the year on a down note with Marbury at the epicenter of more unwanted controversy.

Ken Berger, who recently wrote a piece about Marbury's toxicity, told the man that his newfound focus on basketball sounded much like his claims of previous seasons. Marbury responded with:

“To really be honest, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what you say. It doesn’t matter that you call me toxic and that you call me all of these different things. Because that’s what you’ve got to live with. It’s not me, it’s you. So I don’t feel like I have to explain anymore. I’m just going to let my game do my talking for me, and that’s it. Because speaking and saying something, it does nothing for me. Because any time that you can say the things that you said about somebody and feel like it’s OK, and allow people to read that, and when they read that, they think that you’re right on and you’re dead on? That’s a wild, crazy song to be trying to sing to somebody."

See the funny thing about letting his game speak for him is that he's never been successful here or anywhere else he's been. So why should we expect anything different?

But, hey, Steph tried to make up with him anyway.

Awkward.

And are you surprised that this roster hasn't been overhauled? Eddy Curry is too:

“I was talking to Jamal (Crawford) about that last night. There are a lot of the same faces. I don’t want to wish away any of my teammates. I love everybody on this team but it’s a little shocking. I’m shocked that I’m still here.”

Yeah, I'm tired of this too.

Walsh had cancer

2008-09-28T16:56:00.002-04:00

Donnie Walsh had tongue cancer removed in late June.

"My doctor says he got it all," Walsh, 67, told the newspaper. "Luckily, it was caught quickly before it could spread."

As a result, he's quit smoking after 50 years of the stuff. And as someone who's quit after four years of three to four packs a week, it's good to see another person kick the habit.

His doctor says he got it all but cancer doesn't like to go away quietly. He's got the resources to stay healthy, though, so good luck, Donnie.

This doesn't seem to be interfering with his ability to run the Knicks but given his age, and news like this, it's no wonder he was considering hiring a GM. Certainly, one wouldn't be hired mid-season, but it's something to look out for next summer.

Gallinari out for majority of preseason

2008-09-27T14:43:00.004-04:00

Mike D'Antoni says that Danilo Gallinari will be out for the majority of the preseason.

Gallinari, still experiencing back pain, won't participate in the weeklong training camp in Saratoga Springs featuring two-a-days, according to coach Mike D'Antoni. He said Gallinari could be "100 percent" late in camp, but probably will need time to get into playing shape.

"The way we play, a guy sitting for two months without running, I don't want to do that to him," D'Antoni said.

Definitely unfortunate, but at this point, we were already expecting his absence. This is buffered a bit by the emergence of Wilson Chandler and the hype surrounding Jared Jeffries, but it's depressing to see our number 6 pick sidelined from the get-go and playing catchup the rest of the season. Consider him a non-factor this season because it'll just be too difficult for him to jump in out of shape, while learning the American game, and expect significant production.

The bosses talk

2008-09-26T21:50:00.007-04:00

Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni held a conference today to answer questions before Monday's Media Day. Some selects:

Regarding the players:

“If you have a problem with Mike," Walsh said, "the problem is probably you.”

"The thing that excites me is that there is a nucleus of good stuff that we have," D'Antoni said on Friday. "There's enough stuff there where we can win some basketball games. We don't have to go get somebody. It's up to me to figure out how to do it... I would not be excited if I thought there was no way that we can do this. I really think that the talent (here) surprised me. There's a lot of young guys that are very good, and we can do well with what we have. I don't know all who's included, but I do know that I am excited about certain elements of our team and we'll build on that."

"Watching Chandler play, or Jeffries or Lee, they've been (working hard at the practice facility) since September, so they're working," [D'Antoni] said, "They're foaming at the bit, and they are going. I just used three guys, but those are guys that just jumped off the page and are ready to roll, and I just think there's a lot of things we can build upon and get into there... We're going to try a lot of different combos and see what happens. That's what training camp is all about."

"The guys that need to get the minutes will get the minutes," [D'Antoni] said. "My job is that every night, we want to be competitive and win. You can't just say to wait until next year. My job is to win every night, and I'm going to play the guys that give me the best shot to win... I'm going to believe in nine or 10 guys, and that is who we are going to battle with. They'll love me, and a few of the other guys will hate me. So that's just how it's going to be."

Regarding the quiet offseason (thanks Alan Hahn):

“To be honest, I thought things would change," [D'Antoni] said, "but in the NBA, it takes two to tango.”

“Look," Walsh asid, "if you called up the New York Knicks and every trade you said, ‘I want a first-round pick, $3 million and you get a lesser player than I’m getting,’ at some point I think somebody’s got to say, ‘I’m not going to do that.’”

"I was doing this in Indiana for a long time and I can’t remember buying out a contract," [Walsh] said. "I really can’t. I dealt with it with trades, I guess. I always tried not to do that. That isn’t good management if you have to do that.”

Well that addressed a lot of my own curiosities. Yeah, I'll buy into this roster being talented. And I'll buy into Mike D'Antoni translating some of that talent into victories. But obviously, and the bosses didn't deny this, some parts ~~are unwanted~~ don't fit and will need to be moved. I remain optimistic about the product on the floor, though, particularly because D'Antoni promises to play the best lineups and players. That was a huge question mark, really. Would D'Antoni and Walsh cater to salaries or not. Apparently not.

Walsh also addresses the criticisms about the uneventful offseason and confirms my assessment of him. He won't be had by any other GM's. He won't make rash decisions. And he won't bite on anything until he's absolutely satisfied with what he's getting in return.

D'Antoni's first interview as head coach

2008-09-25T22:50:00.004-04:00

Mike D'Antoni sat down with NYKnicks.com for his first interview as the New York Knicks' head coach earlier this week. Some selects:

NYKnicks.com: Do you think it's going to be a big adjustment for you coming over to the Eastern Conference from the West?

D'Antoni: Not really. You know, the style of basketball we are going to try to do the same. Obviously, I think we can do what we did in Phoenix -- that same style but with different players. The teams in the NBA, you play everybody so you know what you are in for. The East is a little bit better this year than in other years, and it will continue to get better. But I'm looking forward to the challenge.

...

NYKnicks.com: Is there anybody who has surprised you so far from what you've seen?

D'Antoni: Jared Jeffries. He's surprised me. He's been a lot better than I thought.

NYKnicks.com: What about Jared has caught your eye?

D'Antoni: With Jared, it's just his versatility. He can really see the floor and he's got a lot of skills. Chris Duhon has done really well, too. He never gets tired and just keeps running.

...

NYKnicks.com: Obviously, you want to make the playoffs, but this season is still Year One for you. Are there other things in particular you want to accomplish?

D'Antoni: I want us to be exciting, entertaining and a winning basketball team. We've got to get towards that goal of what winning means. At this point, I don't know how many wins that translates into, but we should be a team that people like to watch.

...

NYKnicks.com: We have been asking players this question, so we'll put it to you, too: If you have one thing you want to tell the fans about the Knicks this year, one single message, what is it you want to tell them?

D'Antoni: That we're going to be exciting. We're going to be a lot of fun to watch.

I like the attitude D'Antoni exudes. He's makes us expect so much, yet understand how far we need to go. I guess what I'm trying to say is that he's giving us some real direction instead of the false hope Isiah Thomas liked to float around.

Also, notice how there's a lot of buzz about Jared Jeffries these days. It's ~~about time~~ great to see Jeffries being utilized properly. All the talk is about him playing the 4 and 5 spots this year which instantly makes him our best interior help defender.

Preseason news conference by Donnie Walsh and D'Antoni tomorrow. Media day on Monday. Training camp on Tuesday. Should be lots of non-statement statements on Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph in the next few days.

You hear that? That's the sound of too much dribbling. Knicks basketball is back, folks.

Marbury talks about possible buyout; Free agent signings

2008-09-25T20:15:00.004-04:00

Stephon Marbury addressed the buyout possibility with Bruce Beck. The video can be found here. One key quote sums up his tenure here in New York:

"Why would I settle when I earned the money I'm about to receive?"

Right. You're worth everything we gave up and everything we still owe. I'm tired of talking about him, and I know you are too, but he always finds a way to be the center of attention each and every year.

***

The Knicks signed two familiar faces to non-guaranteed contracts today for an opportunity to compete for a roster spot in camp. As expected, Allan Houston is a Knick once again, trying to make a comeback... once again. Ernie's boy, Dan Grunfeld, gets his shot too. Donnie Walsh sure is keeping it in the family this offseason.

Quick updates on Marbury, Houston

2008-09-24T11:28:00.006-04:00

Now we have word from Stephon Marbury, himself, about the buyout:

"There wouldn't be no negotiation," Marbury said. "They're going to give me all my money. ... If they want to waive me and give me all my money, fine. If not, I'll try to help this organization win the championship. They told me to come to camp in the best shape of my life and I did that. But I don't want to be in a place I'm not wanted."

So there's an indication as to why he's not out the building. Marbury wants all of his money instead of just a percentage. Alan Hahn explains:

"I spoke with a few agents yesterday about the buyout process. One said usually a fair buyout agreement is around 75 percent of the player's salary. So if Marbury is due $21.9 million, these agents suggest a $16.5 million settlement could be agreeable.
But that's generally because the player believes he can make up the lost 25 percent as a free agent. Marbury knows the best he will get at this point is the veteran's min ($1.3 million) or the bi-annual ($1.9 million). He still loses about $4 million in this deal and he more than anyone is well aware that the Knicks are not a charity case."

Steph would be losing money if he accepted a buyout so he's taking care of himself. I can't say that I blame him (we're not talking 20 bucks here), but this is exactly why we call him Mebury. It seems ridiculous that he knows he's not wanted, that he knows his future is in the air, that his teammates don't like him, and yet he still wants to be a part of the organization. Other players would accept a clean divorce so each side could move on and start fresh, but we should've known that Marbury's not that kind of person.

***

Allan Houston will be in training camp. He's trying to finish what he started last year and give it a true shot. If he doesn't make the team, he wants to be on Mike D'Antoni's staff as a special advisor. Why we cut young players like Renaldo Balkman and bring in over-the-hill guys like Houston to camp is a bit mind-boggling but his veteran leadership would be much needed, especially if we move forward with Steph.

Hold your horses: Marbury WILL be in camp

2008-09-23T21:42:00.004-04:00

Chris Broussard of ESPN got in touch with Donnie Walsh about the latest on Stephon Marbury and his reported buyout.

"He's coming to training camp," Walsh said of Marbury in a telephone interview Tuesday evening.

...

"This thing is initiated in the press and then I have to ask questions about it," Walsh said, sounding somewhat perturbed. "I haven't approached [Marbury] about a buyout."

When asked whether he's reached out to the point guard to alleviate concerns about his status with the team, Walsh said, "I talked to Stephon once and he seems OK about all of this."

Well that's a bummer, but did you expect anything involving Marbury to be resolved so fluidly? You already know what I think about the buyout. I wonder if James Dolan isn't ready to sign off on the check just yet. The Knicks are playing with fire at the moment.

Marbury to be waived by the end of the week

2008-09-23T11:00:00.005-04:00

Stephon Marbury is expected to be waived and bought out by the end of the week. It's fitting that we begin cleaning up the Isiah Thomas Error by parting ways with his first acquisition. In five years, he's given the franchise five losing seasons, one playoff appearance, one incriminating testimony, and one disappearing act.

Everyone saw this coming and so did the rest of the league. And with camp opening up next week, everyone began to question the hold-up. There could be any number of reasons. For one, it's a lot of money to fork over ($21.9 million) so the decision had to have been discussed several times. Donnie Walsh may have continued to try and move Marbury, as well. My guess is that Walsh shopped him around but found no takers because he was expected to be released regardless. Why give up someone when you can get him for free? So Walsh must have waited this long so that anyone willing to sign him to the veteran's minimum would have to do so right in the beginning of camp, shaking up their team, bringing in a lot of press, learning the offense late, and ultimately distracting whichever team he lands on.

It's been widely rumored that the Miami Heat have an interest in Marbury because of their hole at the point. All I can say is, please, Pat Riley, be our guest. Put Marbury on a team with a talented rookie that has character issues. Add him in with Shawn Marion who's unhappy about not getting a contract and has been recently touted as a locker room problem. Let him run a team expected to lose a lot of games. And to top it off, make him the third or fourth option on offense and see what happens to your locker room. Please put that kind of pressure on Dwyane Wade to hold it together, Riley, and experience New York all over again.

It's difficult to pay someone to leave, especially at $21.9 million, but saving the locker room is more important than saving the money. It frees up a roster spot that makes Patrick Ewing Jr.'s dream all but a reality. And the roles, rotations and starting line-ups begin to look clearer going forward.

You were supposed to be our born-and-raised savior, Steph. Instead you became the brother we never wanted. We'll miss your ridiculous interviews but we'll be glad to see you and your head towel on another team's bench. And we look forward to reading your book, dishing everything about Isiah Thomas and your relationship, since, you know, you don't have to worry about covering up for Knicks management anymore.

How D'Antoni's offense translates to Knicks personnel

2008-09-21T13:02:00.009-04:00

Since the Memphis deal fell through some fans have been giving love for Zach Randolph and his supposed increasing value. But I can't help but laugh because I know the majority would rather have him off the team than on it. The message I'm getting is "Yes, he will be great... so that we can move him eventually." They don't want him here but they love that he's not being given away for free. And they're salivating over the possibility of Zach flourishing so they can prove the haters wrong.

I'm on record as saying that Randolph would produce because scorers get theirs in any system. And there's a lot of people saying that he would fit because big men belong on the secondary break anyway. But that's common sense because they're slower and they're the ones throwing the outlet.

The real question is whether or not he could run every game with starter's minutes. David Lee has talked about being out of gas before the fourth quarter when playing Phoenix.

NYKnicks.com: What were your thoughts in the past when you would go up against D'Antoni's Phoenix teams?
Lee: Oh man … tired! (laughs) They wear you out! That style of play -- or I should really now say our style of play -- it's something that if you don't prepare for every single day, it's ridiculous. I mean it's just flat-out tough. There were times where we would come back from a game where we would face a half-court team and then have to play Phoenix, and it seems that they are going 1,000 miles per hour, but they are used to playing that way. You can usually handle it for a quarter or two, but then about the third quarter, they are still going full speed and you are getting tired and are sucking wind. So it's an interesting style to play against and I'll be happy to be playing for it this year.

So it's safe to assume Zach will be sucking wind for a while. His current conditioning is probably no different than last years' and probably won't see significant improvement until the second half of the season.

But realistically, fast break points won't even make up a quarter of our offensive production. D'Antoni likes to run to get opportunities for easy baskets but, really, the benefit of running is the ability to setup his offense sooner. So we have to look at how Mike D'Antoni likes to run his half-court set which is primarily a two-man game with spot up shooters who know when to cut. It's a spread pick-and-roll offense which sounds simple enough but it's putting a lot of pressure on the ball handler to make the right decisions.

In Phoenix, Steve Nash would dominate the ball and run the PNR with Amare Stoudemire while players moved to open spots. This worked so well for three reasons:

1. Nash's ability to shoot the three, quickness to drive to the basket, and ability to find the open man.
2. Stoudemire's quickness to the basket and explosiveness around it.
3. The other teammates' range and awareness of spacing and cutting.

When Phoenix wanted to give a different look and Nash didn't have the ball, you would see Boris Diaw distributing on the high post or even further out.

How does this translate over to Knicks personnel?

Well, for starters, Chris Duhon's abilities are severely limited in comparison to Nash. He's a pass-first, spot up shooter who plays defense but he's not quite the creator Nash is on the PNR. And actually, he's only an average spot-up shooter (36% for his career) so if his defender goes under the screen, he won't be lighting it up from deep. His game reminds me much more of Raja Bell's than it does of Nash. Bell is a much, much better shooter from downtown but I expect them to play the same role nonetheless.

Duhon's not afraid to drive to the basket, but he won't put up Nash's numbers doing it, because he's not as quick and the options around him aren't as good. Which brings me to my next point.

With the exception of their bigs, all of Phoenix's players were great outside shooters. Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, and Bell were all ready to shoot the 3 if the opportunity was there. This made defenders stay honest and gave Nash the space he needed to operate the PNR. If anyone left their man, it was three points.

Of the Knicks players expected to get minutes, only Nate Robinson is a good threat from downtown. The rest - Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, Danilo Gallinari, and Duhon - are average shooters from deep, and Wilson Chandler doesn't have that kind of range. So what can we expect? Long two's? A lot more cutting to the basket? If shooters stay behind the arc, expect it to look like a Cavaliers game because help defenders don't have to worry about their man. If it's long two's, defenders can still help on the PNR and recover fast enough to contest the kickout. If it's cutting, it really depends who's on the floor and who's distributing.

Now consider the screener cause that's where Randolph comes into the picture. Our big men are neither quick nor explosive. Randolph and Eddy Curry rolling to the basket don't scare any teams because the outcome is too predictable. Randolph is going to keep the ball and he's going to shoot an unorthodox lefty shot. He's not going to elevate over anybody like Stoudemire either because he can't jump. And don't expect him to pass out of a double team when the help defender collapses. Curry on the other hand is prone to lowering his shoulder and picking up offensive fouls. The defense simply needs to play to their tendencies.

On top of that, Randolph is the only big that's a pick and pop threat. He's got a great mid-range jumper - much better than Stoudemire's and Diaw's - and D'Antoni will utilize it extensively, but what happens when the defense adjusts? Randolph's decision making is a real wild card. Will he pass out and reset? Look for another man in motion? Force a shot? Or will he slow down the offense by backing his man down? Just based on history, you'd have to believe that he'll try to back his man down. That's fine on a mismatch, and Diaw used to do it all the time when a point guard switched to him, but Zach is willing to do it on any defender, disrupting better options.

So having Zach on the team will work but everything is up to him to make it work. The perimeter shooters aren't as strong. The ball handler's decisions are in question right now. And he's our best PNR option. If he's going to remain on the floor, it'll be because he learns to pass when necessary. And to condition his body for the ride.

Randolph to Grizzlies talks are dead

2008-09-20T01:38:00.006-04:00

This just in, Newsday reporting that the Grizzlies have passed on the possible trade for Zach Randolph. The two teams have been talking over the last few weeks with Memphis waiting for Walsh to sign off on the deal. As structured, it would've sent Marko Jaric and Darko Milicic to the Knicks for Zach Randolph and a first-rounder. Walsh wanted more, now Memphis wants out.

This is the second opportunity Walsh had to send Randolph to another city. Before talking to Memphis, he had a chance with the Los Angeles Clippers but a second-rounder wasn't enough for Zach and a first-.

Walsh is being ever so patient involving deals for Randolph but this summer has to have been a humbling experience. The league has no interest in the majority of our players, but what can we expect when we have no interest in them either? There are no other teams with the cap space to take Randolph's contract on without receiving dead weight in return, which is what Darko and Marko would have been. No team in rebuilding mode would waste their future cap space on a player like him, either. And to top it off, it's difficult to think of any team in playoff contention that would bring in a guy with chemistry issues who constantly needs the ball, especially mid-season.

So assuming Zach's on the team up to, and most likely through, the trade deadline, what can we expect to see from him? Well this is where everything gets tricky (read: depressing). In my view, shipping Randolph to another team is about addition by subtraction. We'd be getting better by shipping away our stat sheet filler because other players are more effective.

Most importantly, our frontline needed to be more athletic. Now Zach and Eddy Curry both need to run laps until they collapse, but Curry was more valuable due to his height, more manageable contract, and our lack of a backup center. With Zach out, David Lee would get extended minutes and possibly start altogether. Fans want that, I want that, the team needs that. But other options also turned up.

Jared Jeffries is a much loathed name in New York, but he was a victim of misuse. His intangibles, height and defensive mentality are all valuable to a team that lacks all three. And we have so many shooters that he can just be a cleanup man. Alan Hahn says, "I keep hearing a lot of positive feedback about how Jared Jeffries looks in the voluntary workouts and that Jeffries might see more time at the four and five spots than in previous seasons."I think Jeffries will regain his respectability. He's a terrific help defender and would be faster than most 4's in the league. Lord knows, Curry needs help defenders.

There's also a possibility of playing Wilson Chandler at the 4 through some stretches. He'd be undersized obviously but Shawn Marion did it for D'Antoni for years. Having Chandler play the four would also free up playing time for Danilo Gallinari at the 3, when his back heals...

(BTW How do you solve the problem of having five small forwards? Hire D'Antoni.)

Any of these guys can beat Randolph up and down the court easily, every single game. But don't be surprised if Randolph gets such limited minutes that it just ends up happening. D'Antoni is firm about his rotations. And he believes so much in playing people that fit the system that other effective players sometimes can't get on the floor (see: Kurt Thomas). Zach simply can't cut it in this offense unless he radically alters his game. More importantly, he'd need to get into shape - D'Antoni shape.

But he's still here and that's Walsh's fault. And if he's taking precious minutes away from more effective players, that's D'Antoni's fault. We can only maintain his value one way, though, by starting him. Ugh.

Jamal Crawford drops a few words about camp

2008-09-17T21:31:00.006-04:00

Voluntary workouts started this week and a lot of the players are in running drills and playing pick-up games two weeks before training camp. In his latest entry, Jamal Crawford talks about a few teammates, the new system, and Allan Houston.

"It feels good to be here in NY with the guys again. We've been working out real hard and getting up and down the court. Some guys are looking really good and in shape. We’re all still getting use to the new style of play but it will be fun and exciting for you guys to watch....
Just doing some of the things that we work on in drills, it will be tough to stop us once we start playing because the floor is so spaced and there so many different options....

So let me give you guys an update on what I’ve seen so far out of the guys who have been involved in the workouts:

Wilson Chandler: Wilson has gotten a lot better from last year! His range has improved -- his ball handling and his athleticism was always there…I think he's just more confident then anything now and it's showing. I think he'll have a really good year for us!

Danilo Gallinari: “Gallo” is still banged up a little bit,..so he's just been shooting and riding the bike...but this kid is very VERY confident!! He listens, works hard and wants to get better. Some of you guys may have booed him when we drafted him, but he is going to be a big time player for us one day!

Allan Houston: He’s back and looks a lot healthier than he did in his last comeback attempt last season...I think he may have rushed that one a little bit, but he looks a lot better this time! AND of course we all know his jumper is razor sharp!!!!!!! I can learn a lot watching him.

David Lee: We all know David's game by now - all out hustle, rebounds. The thing that will surprise you most is his jumper! He shooting it with so much confidence, I mean even three pointers! He shot one and I said to myself, "No way." And it went straight in.

Chris Duhon: Very solid, very unselfish. Can run a team. Makes good decisions, I'm going to like playing with him!

Nate Robinson: Still a blur. Shooting great and should be a great fit in this system, a la Barbosa! His athleticism still amazes me...

Pat Ewing Jr: Very athletic. Working on his jumper but has been shooting it pretty good. Can block shots, something we really need!

Jared Jeffries: Jared really knows how to play, He's a smart player. He does all the little things to help teams win. I think he'll go back to the Jared he was in Washington.

Q Rich: He’s really stepping up as one of the leaders. Seems rejuvenated. Working on his handle, He'll play like he did in Phoenix.

Mardy: Lost some weight, so he's moving better. Very smart, really good defender!

Anthony Roberson: Has been a lil banged up, but when he shoots he rarely misses! One of the best shooters on the team. He plays like Eddie House but with a better handle!

Eddy Curry: It will be a transition for him at first because he's used to posting up. But he'll be on the perimeter a lil bit more....he'll get better adapted to the system the more he does it...but we need him...

Zach Randolph: Zach loves to play and he's been scoring and rebounding, doing his thing. Him and Eddy have had some nice match-ups. They look better on opposite teams…(hahahah, just playing! I knew that would get a rise outta you guys!) I don't know what's gonna happen with all the trade talk and everything, but its good to see that, either way, he's not letting it affect him.

Danny Grunfeld: Ernie’s son. To be respectfully honest, he doesn't look like he can really play -- until you give him some space and he's hitting a jumper on you! But it's the quiet ones that get you...

Me: This will be very fun for me, This system is so wide open, so spaced! First day, I was aggressive offensively and making things happen. The next day I shot only three times in eight games, just to work on something different that day. I didn't play today, just rode the bike and did core. My back is a little sore (nothing serious!). I’ll be back on the court tomorrow."

All in all, it's what you'd expect from Jamal, or any player that doesn't wanna alienate his teammates. He's positive about everyone and expects them all to have a better season. He says some guys are in shape but doesn't mention who. My guess it's the ones you'd expect like Chandler, Lee and Robinson.

He says Gallinari is going to be a big time player eventually and doesn't seem concerned about his back injury. Hopefully it's not as serious as we're all speculating because, once again, there hasn't been an official diagnosis. But he says Gallo's been shooting, not playing, so it doesn't sound like he's in condition to be jumping around everywhere.

It's, uh, nice to see that Allan Houston is doing well but, really, that roster spot is better spent on Pat Jr. (not that we don't have other useless players riding the bench). I think he's merely in camp to provide leadership early on and help some players along. Other than that, he can't possibly have a shot, can he?

Zach's "doing his thing" but what else would we expect. He was "doing his thing" on the court all of last season and I'm damn tired of it. And of course the trade talks haven't affected him, he's a stat sheet filler regardless of the situation. He'll work on his game but not the team's.

Notice the apprehension about Eddy Curry, though. It's nice to see that he's not delusional about Curry's play style but I'm a little worried about what he means by "...but we need him..." exactly. Is he having that difficult of a time picking it up right now? Or is he too out of shape at the moment? It's probably some combination of the two.

I love the enthusiasm out of Jamal and I have high expectations for him. It was obvious that he and Nate were going to fit well into this scheme but I wonder how soon all of them can do it as a team. My guess is sometime after the All-Star break. That much time learning the system coupled with all that running should have them in shape for the latter half of the season. But no playoff berth obviously.

Gallinari's back is still hurting

2008-09-17T21:31:00.003-04:00

As we all know, Gallinari was shut down after his only game in this year's Summer League with a back injury. We haven't heard any updates about it since - and still don't know what the actual injury is for that matter - but Alan Hahn reported that Gallo is still hurting.

"Danilo Gallinari's back still isn't 100 percent and now, with two weeks to go before training camp opens, the Knicks are starting to get concerned.

...
Gallo just got into New York this week to get settled in New York and prepare for camp, which opens Sept. 30 in Saratoga Springs.

If Gallinari is still experiencing pain in the back -- it's really more related to his hamstrings and hips -- I would be surprised if the Knicks would allow him to play through it."

That's got a lot of us worried - and even more of us pissed off - but all we can do is wait until we get an official diagnosis the team doctors.

This setback is only raising more questions about the draft pick and is looking more and more like we made the wrong decision. Danilo getting too banged up after D'ing Tractor Traylor doesn't bode well for him playing the 4 all season.

Why didn't we draft Jerryd Bayless, again? Only Knicks executives know but if we did, you'd have to think that Chris Duhon wouldn't have been signed. And even if he were, Nate Robinson would've been expendable and probably added to a deal with Randolph. I still don't get it. We needed a point guard and had four small forwards at the time. Now we still need a point guard and have five small forwards. I firmly believe that Bayless could've been our Barbosa. The quick and efficient scoring guard that could also handle the point. But Walsh and D'Antoni had other plans
that we just can't figure out until we see Gallinari play. But now I wonder when we'll get to see that happen.

"It's management by impulse, by overreaction ..."

2008-09-09T13:56:00.007-04:00

I like this picture cause he's not actually wearing the jersey but anyway. The proposed deal with Memphis is starting to cool down a bit and both sides appear to be at a stalemate. Howard Beck at the New York Times calls it dormant.

Incase you haven't heard, the Grizzlies have asked for a first-round pick and Walsh appropriately asked for more in return. Apparently this is where the deal is stuck but neither team has pulled out just yet.

As you know, I'm in favor of shipping Zach away but that's only if the pick isn't involved. We're most certainly lottery bound next year and we don't have a pick in 2010 so that bad boy is precious.

The hold-up has baffled the media over the last week. They can't figure out why Walsh won't jump at the chance to ship the loser out of town. But he's doing the right thing here. I have to admit that my eyes got pretty wide with a realistic opportunity to deal Randolph and that my personal feelings about him were clouding the bigger picture.

Why was Walsh hired in the first place? To right the ship and be competitive again? That's the easy answer cause simply put, that's any new GM's job. It's deeper than that. He was brought here to change the perception of our franchise among the other GM's. Isiah turned us into the magical land where bad contracts came to die. We were all about desperation - quick moves that kept us in the news but out of the playoffs. It's different now. Walsh is letting everyone know that we're not desperate anymore. He isn't trading our future away and he's not blowing up this roster just because everyone's pressuring him to do so. When he's finally ready to move him, I'm confident that it'll be a better deal.

On the flip side, these talks are driving the Memphis media insane. Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes:

"Two years ago, late in Brandon Roy’s rookie year, the Portland Trail Blazers lost yet another game. Zach Randolph went on a rant in the locker room afterward, calling out teammates, pointing fingers, telling other players they weren’t pulling their weight.
Roy told Randolph to sit down and shut up. The next day, he went to see Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard and told him to get rid of Randolph.
...
It’s management by impulse, by overreaction, by today’s spasm of an idea. Give Marc Iavaroni all the power. Play offense like the Suns. Strip Iavaroni of everything but his job. Play defense like the Pistons. Deal the expensive power forward for financial flexibility. Acquire an expensive power forward and flexibility be hanged.
Mind you, the preceding paragraph has all happened in the last year. And Heisley wonders why the franchise doesn’t win.

The Grizzlies should walk away from any potential trade for Randolph. If they won’t listen to me, they should listen to the people who know the big guy best.

The Trail Blazers drafted Randolph out of Michigan State. They employed him for six years. And when they assembled a locker room of promising young talent, they shipped him as far away from that locker room as possible.

Now the Grizzlies are assembling a locker room of promising young talent. And they’re thinking about making Randolph the highest-paid player — and therefore, the instant leader — of that team?
Don’t do it, Mr. Heisley."

Now I don't know if that story about Roy and Randolph is true, but it's behavior you would expect from a man who splashes water at his teammate. In a previous post, I talked about Randolph carrying the burden for Memphis while their backcourt developed but Calkins makes a strong argument why he would stunt that development altogether.

So there it goes. I want Donnie to do it and I don't at the same time. It's addition by subtraction but I don't necessarily want what we're adding either. I guess that's why Walsh is stuck, too. But for what it's worth, every analyst outside of Memphis thinks the deal is worth it cause, I mean, it's Zach Randolph.

Mitchell & Ness Hall of Fame fitteds

2008-09-08T13:48:00.002-04:00

Mitchell & Ness released these hats along with a Hakeem Olajuwon version in honor of the two great centers and recent Hall of Fame inductees.

"Paying tribute to two of the most influential and powerhouse bigmen in the game, Mitchell & Ness has release these two fitted caps as an homage to Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing. The two were recently part of a cast of players announced for induction into the NBA Hall of Fame with their fate all but guaranteed.
Two versions are available for the Ewing cap and one for Olajuwon with stockists including the NBA Store in New York as well as select Mitchell & Ness dealers."

I personally like the design where Patrick gets his own special Knicks logo but I'd probably end up getting the more classic version. It's a nice tribute and Olajuwon's looks great, too.

(via Ball Don't Lie)

Walsh confirms talks with Grizzlies

2008-09-07T16:26:00.010-04:00

Frank Isola of the Daily News reporting that Donnie Walsh confirmed that talks with Memphis have taken place.

"There is no deal," Walsh said over the telephone early Saturday. "We've spoken to Memphis but there is nothing happening so far."
A source close to the negotiations said that a trade is unlikely to take place before Monday. Walsh refused to comment on a report in Memphis Commercial Appeal that claims the Knicks would be required to pick up part of the deferred payments Randolph is owed over the final three years of his contract that will pay him $48 million.

That's a typical non-answer answer from Walsh but he at least acknowledged all of our speculations. The main players involved have not changed so we can expect a trio of European imports in New York if all goes according to plan. Walsh's refusal to comment on the deferred payments only leads us to believe that the Knicks are still tweaking the deal in some capacity but it seems like there will be some resolution later this week.

Knicks fans are hot and cold on this deal because "Darko's a bum" but Randolph's a bum, as well. And from what I know, Darko isn't dumb enough to play around on the court like Z-Bo (good job by Isiah for keeping him on the floor after that).

A lot of fans really don't want to give up Zach's 20 and 10 for Marko and Darko and worry about the offensive repercussions it could have on the team but I firmly believe that the offense actually improves without him on the floor. It frees up starter minutes for David Lee, who isn't nearly as gifted offensively, but will run his heart out for easy baskets on secondary breaks and move to open spots on the weak side on dribble penetrations. Minutes and shots are also freed up for Gallinari and Chandler, furthering their development, which I believe is the biggest necessity for our immediate future.

This move essentially sets the picture for Mike D'Antoni's offense in New York. We're getting faster on the break with this trade, something that D'Antoni needed. It won't happen with Darko and Marko on the floor, necessarily, but we're faster because Lee, Gallinari and Chandler are on the floor instead of Randolph. We're also establishing Curry as our inside presence on the offensive end. This should boost his confidence again after he lost himself through Isiah's decision to cut his minutes and touches last year. Yes, he only put up 19 points a game in '07 cause he was fed the ball in the post incessantly, but that won't be the case with D'Antoni. He'll be moving non-stop and be the recipient on screen and rolls instead of playing with his back to the basket. It's the way Amare Stoudemire played in Phoenix and it'll be the way Curry is taught under this new regime. He won't have his feet cemented in the post like the past; if he does he won't play. And we're putting faith in our wing players and giving them the opportunity to develop. They were our number one picks, they need that opportunity. Isiah didn't give it to them but D'Antoni has no choice.

But believe it or not, the best part of this deal may lie in the casualties involved. This trade would bump our roster to 17 and we'd have some decisions to make about a couple of players. Jerome James, Stephon Marbury and Mardy Collins are all unwanted fat and we'd need to shed two of them. With Darko joining the team, we can bet that James will be shown the door. That leads us to the question that's been in the back of everyone's mind since the end of the season. What do we do with Stephon Marbury? We can't move him but we must get rid of him. If this franchise is truly stressing change and "a new era", the decision is simple. Get rid of the man and let him ruin a different team.

So this trade could essentially rid us of Randolph, James and Marbury, the three-headed beast that Isiah unleashed unto the basketball world that did little except draw laughs from our opponents and, uh, us too. Do it, Donnie. Do it before Memphis regains its sanity.

Trumors: Z-Bo for Darko is still piping hot

2008-09-05T09:39:00.011-04:00

I talked about a Randolph for Milicic rumor a few weeks back and the teams are still negotiating. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Edge who broke the story originally followed up on it recently:

"Any potential Memphis deal involving New York forward Zach Randolph is now in the Knicks’ court from what I’m told. The Griz will agree to a package that includes Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric going to the Knicks for Randolph. But Griz brass apparently wants the Knicks to pick up more of the deferred payments owed Randolph in the latter year of his contract. New York executives supposedly are deliberating."

In my earlier post I said that we could right off Jaric because his contract runs over the summer of 2010. After a second thought, my guess is that Jaric's smaller contract ($7.6M in 2011) is still $10M less than what Randolph would make that year. It would be much easier to move that summer whereas trading Randolph's expiring would involve a boatload of players - think of the Jason Kidd deal. So it's safe to assume that the Knicks needing to pick up the deferred payments on Randolph are stalling everything.

The Grizzlies' offer is too damn much. Having the Knicks pick up more of the payments defeats the purpose of this deal and the Grizz know it. They're trying to screw Walsh over by getting him to take Jaric's contract and shell out more money on top of it. I've already discussed the pros and cons of the deal for both teams in my previous post so I'll leave it alone for now. But if we're going to pull the trigger on the deal as structured, I'd be pretty disappointed. Lowry is clearly off the books now, but we should at least be able to get a second-round pick or Javaris Crittenton.

And at Center at 7' from Georgetown, number 33, Pat-rick Ewing

2008-09-05T09:38:00.005-04:00

Patrick Ewing stepped foot at the Garden and threw it down for his first bucket only a few weeks after I was born. I grew up watching the man; and everything I believe about this game and how it should be played is due to his style, passion and identity. Ewing and those Knicks of the 90's made me love basketball, and without him, I probably wouldn't watch sports.

His contributions to this franchise and to this city are undeniable. His shortcomings are well documented. And when his biggest critics, New Yorkers themselves, speak of his career, it's clear that his legacy is under-appreciated.

But tonight, during his induction into the NBA Hall of Fame, fans get to see what he meant to the Knicks and to the league. The moment will be bittersweet for us as he shares the stage with Hakeem Olajuwon and Pat Riley, but you can bet that it'll be one of the greatest honors of his life. He won't regret that Pat Riley didn't make the right moves in '94 and he won't regret losing to one of his counterparts. It is Knicks fans that will regret criticizing him for not getting a ring, as though he didn't do everything in himself to become a champion. It's only now in our darkest days that fans understand what he brought to our franchise.

I often joke about how Knicks fans are inexplicably faithful and perpetually tormented. Well it's mostly because we're never happy with what we have. Not Patrick. He went to war for us with padded knees and he was happy to represent us win or lose.

"Ewing with the step ... YES! And the foul!"

Crawford now chucking shots from the internet

2008-09-04T14:19:00.009-04:00

Alan Hanh reporting that "Jamal Crawford has agreed to write a blog for Newsday.com this year, updating us on everything from the Knicks' shot at getting back to the playoffs, to his favorite music, movies, style and even his perceptions on fans and the media."

It's called Crawful to Crawesome and you can bet your ass that Newsday chose that name to go along with the theme of positive change going forward. They're dead-on about Crawford's awful play with the Knicks (and throughout his career) but awesome is still a bold claim at this point.

He directly responds to fan criticisms in his first entry. Here are some pulls:

"THAT I'M NOT A WINNER: First off, you win as a team and you lose as a team...but I do understand that the better players and leaders on your team have to provide more then a younger player would. No, I've never played on a winning team since college. BUT this year I'll be playing for my ninth coach in nine seasons.

DEFENSE: It helps to have a scheme or set way that you play defense, as well. Bruce Bowen is such a good defender, not because he's the best one-on-one, but for the simple fact that he knows where to push you to on the court. He knows where his help is. That's what he's good at. No good defender can stop a good offensive player. They can try to make things tough, but let's be honest they can't stop them. But, again, this is something I WANT to be good at and, with the work I'm putting in, I WILL get better at!

SHOT SELECTION: This is the biggest area that I HAVE to improve on and where I'm criticized the most...and for good reason. I HONESTLY feel like I can make every shot that I take. You have to understand that's how I feel when I play. Some nights it happens but a lot of times it doesn't. And I believe this along with WINNING is the difference in me being a good player and a great player."

He also talks about how he's excited to play for D'Antoni but everyone is so we can gloss over that.

Crawford's right about winning and losing as a team. Very few players (read: LeBron James) can carry entire squads on their back and push them into the playoffs. Minutes before tip-off on a TNT game last season, new Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said you need three legit All-Stars or two superstars to really contend for championships in this league. Take a look at the teams that have won this decade and you can't fault his argument. Crawford has never been in that kind of situation. In fact, his formative years as a player have been spent with franchises that were complete messes. Nine coaches in nine years must be a nightmare for any player, let alone one that's featured so prominently. We can argue that he should have sucked it up and performed anyway, but he's not that kind of player - he's not a superstar. But Crawford has all the tools to become an All-Star. He just needs consistent direction from someone who can utilize his strengths and a cast that can compensate for his weaknesses.

It's his comment about being one of the team's leaders that annoys the hell out of me, though. Yes, Jamal, you are one of the team's leaders. And all of the criticism you get is directly related to the potential people see in you. You're not Stephon Marbury or Zach Randolph in our eyes because we want to give you the benefit of a doubt (and because your antics don't disgrace the team). But our continued failures make it increasingly difficult to argue that you're not just the lesser of evils. Yes, you'll have to be more productive. Yes, you'll need to be way more consistent. And, most importantly, you're a nine-year veteran that needs to be the vocal leader of this team. Too often have you not taken a stance when this team was in the gutter, when Marbury's actions were destroying chemistry, and when Randolph was playing around on the court. The media looks to you, the fans look to you, for what it's worth, Isiah Thomas looked to you, and now Mike D'Antoni looks to you. You have to make your teammates want to play hard because that's part of being the All-Star we all hope you are.

Now that I'm done addressing him personally, let's get back to business. He's right on point about his defense. Crawford is a bad one-on-one defender, but so is 99% of this league (hey, you don't keep your legs fresh enough to "throw it down" by playing D). His shortcomings are just blown out of proportion, or made more apparent rather, by the horrendous team defense. Our big men are too lazy to move and Crawford reaches in and gambles too often. But you have to like his attitude here. He sounds sincere about getting better on this side of the ball and that desire is half the battle. His lateral quickness and endurance will only help (that, and the overall commitment by his teammates - Duhon go!).

Now Crawford's shot selection will make a lot of people scratch their heads. But my head gets itchy when I watch Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, too. They're chuckers in their own right but they're superstars that can can them (see what I did there?). Crawford is a scorer and, as he said, he feels he can make every attempt. That's just the mentality it takes to score at this level because doubt is what cripples your shot and keeps you in prolonged slumps. What we can criticize him for is his habit of settling for jumpshots. Crawford is 84% for his career from the stripe, yet he only averages three attempts a game. Someone with his handle and quickness should at least be getting six trips a night. But instead, he loves going east and west only to finish with a pull-up. The easy baskets are there for you, Jamal.

He ends his first post with this:

"KNICKS FUTURE: I don't want to make any promises or guarantees because, personally, you guys have heard that every year and you have to be tired of it. I know I am."

I honestly don't know what to say about that statement. For the first time in a long time, Knicks players are publicly showing signs of accountability. David Lee, Nate Robinson and now Crawford. They all express their excitement about playing for D'Antoni and you can feel their positive attitudes about the future. But in the end, they realize that they have a lot of work to do and seem determined enough to follow it through. I cannot think of a better mindset for the least professional team in the NBA. This is more significant than the players feeling confident. We don't want them to come out with a new swagger, as if the Isiah Era never happened, as if they didn't need to correct their play, as if our franchise - no, let me correct that - as if us fans didn't become the laughing stock of basketball. We want them to play upset. To learn from the black eye of our team's history. We want each player to use this mountain on their shoulders to prove them all wrong. And we want it to start with you, Jamal.

OKC Thunder Logo Gets Leaked, Looks Awful Familiar

2008-09-01T01:48:00.006-04:00

Via NBAOKC:

Fantastic! They managed to turn the Seattle SuperSonics into something so generic it looks like one of those fake teams you'd find in a video game. I feel like I just entered Create a Franchise mode and picked the least hideous color scheme and chose the name Thunder instead of something like Avengers. I also like that there aren't any thunderbolts to be found, although it'd probably make it look worse. And take notice of how OKC appears to be moving to the right as if it were jetting away from some place west of it.

How many teams are going to use orange and blue as their primary colors by the way? The Warriors, Bobcats and now these fools. They even used the ball and name inside of a triangle thing. Hop off us, fellas, or give up Kevin Durant.

Thinking of the Past: Knicks get Patrick Ewing Jr.

2008-08-29T16:10:00.009-04:00

Howard Beck reporting that the Knicks trade for Patrick Ewing Jr.

The deal sends the Knicks' rights to Frederic Weis to the Houston Rockets for Ewing. Yes, that waste-of-a-first-round-pick Frederic Weis. Better yet:

That Frederic Weis.

Forty inch vertical and 7' wingspan aside, Ewing Jr. will need more than his athleticism and father's legacy to earn a spot on the roster. But with the status of Stephon Marbury, Jerome James and Mardy Collins still unknown, he may just find a spot on the bench. Whether for kicks, PR boost, or just plain good karma, Walsh brings him in and Knicks fans can have a guy to root for other than David Lee. And having something to be happy about is so important for us. Hey, we didn't have a second-round pick this year, so Ewing Jr. turns into that pick and it didn't cost us anything.

Trumors: Memphis considering "bad for bad"

2008-08-28T23:46:00.008-04:00

This is a couple of days late but the story has a lot more backbone than this fizzling two-liner we heard a couple of weeks ago. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Edge reported that the Memphis Grizzlies are considering a deal to bring in Zach Randolph in exchange for one or more of their bad contracts.

Tillery suggests that Memphis would part with last season's free agent signing Darko Milicic along with other non-core players (OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, etc.) to take a shot at the productive power forward who's worn out his welcome here. HOOPSWORLD.com is reporting that Antoine Walker is part of that package, with Marko Jaric as a possible sub. Darko has two years, 14.5 mil left on his deal and Walker has 18.7 mil on his two-year contract. Jaric has a ridiculous three years and 21.3 mil owed which means we can dismiss him from the equation right now - Donnie Walsh isn't taking anything past 2010. Walker's final year is a team option so we could part ways with him easily enough (but expect him to sulk on the bench much like he did in Minnesota last season - and don't we already have a guy that does that?).

Memphis would be taking a risk with Randolph no matter how you cut it. He's a stat sheet filler and one of the few consistent 20 and 10 guys in the league. Memphis will be great on the wing for years to come with Mayo, Gay and Conley but Hakim Warrick and rookie Darrell Arthur won't give them the inside presence they need to free up those guards. Neither will new imports Marc Gasol and Hamed Haddadi. But of course, the question with Randolph isn't about his production, it's about his style, attitude and off-court issues. He could pick and pop with any of those wing players for the 15 footer all game but feeding him down low means it's the end of the possession. Forget about Mayo's range and forget about cuts by Gay for the easy basket cause Randolph isn't passing out of the double team. And, of course, his stats don't mean anything if he shatters the team's chemistry. But I can see the logic behind it.

The Grizzlies won't be competitive. Not in their conference. Not in their division. They've finished 22-60 the past two seasons so what they're risking in the win column is insignificant. The team is also looking to send out a core where third-year wingman Rudy Gay would be the most experienced player (Hakim Warrick's got a year over him but his skill is about six years more raw than Gay's). The rest feature a three rookie frontcourt of Gasol, Arthur and Haddadi, and a backcourt rotation of third-year player Kyle Lowry, second-year starting point guard Conley, and rookie OJ Mayo. Adding Randolph to the team while the backcourt develops would put them in a position to be competitive in the playoffs in three years or less - Dallas, Phoenix and San Antonio aren't getting any younger. He and Gay could carry the offensive burden as Mayo finds his game. Gay was the team's leading scorer last season putting up 20.1 a night but he was also the leading rebounder (in the absence of Pau Gasol) with 6.2 boards. Warrick could also slide down to the 3 and not have his bone-thin body banged up inside. Pairing the two together could net the team 40 and 16 out of the forward positions. After two years Memphis could also be huge players in the 2011 trade market with $25 mil in Randolph's and Jaric's expirings. Their contracts also expire just in time to make a decision on Mayo and Conley.

The Knicks are faced with the same problem they've had since Randolph arrived to town. Teams simply don't think his numbers are worth the contract and chemistry issues. This offer perpetuates the league-wide view of the Knicks as a circus of pick-up players masquerading as a franchise. Simply put, Milicic and Walker shouldn't be enough. We're doing Memphis a favor but you can be sure that the entire league thinks it's the other way around. But if you look at the other rumored deals involving Randolph over the year, you'll see that we can only expect more of the same:

Zach and Balkman to the Bucks for Villanueva ($2.715M/$3.448M), Bobby Simmons ($9.28M/$9.92M/$10.56M) and Dan Gadzuric ($5.751M/$6.25M/$6.749M/$7.248M). Those are two underwhelming bench players with horrendous contracts that go beyond 2010 and Villanueva who gives us lower offensive numbers and the same defensive problems. This was one sided for the Bucks but they declined.

Zach to the Nuggets for who knows what at this point. The latest reports were Nene and Kleiza. Nene was set to make 9.6-11.3 mil until 2011 and had a player option for 2012 - let's not forget his testicular cancer issues. Kleiza's good, tough and cheap, we know, but was off the table from everything I've read. Denver is full of offense-first players and they were in a playoff hunt but still wouldn't bite on Randolph.

And then there were conflicting stories about Zach (and maybe a first-round pick and $3 mil?) to the Clippers for a second-round pick (or maybe Brevin Knight). Would've been a straight salary dump for us as structured and would've further showed Randolph's low value. Walsh declined to much criticism.

And now this rumor of Zach for Darko. Notice how in each deal, the Knicks are getting screwed over in some way? But in this offer from Memphis, Darko's actually contract runs up after 2010 and Memphis actually has pieces we can negotiate about.

They want to keep Lowry but they have Javaris Crittenton as a third young point guard, which makes one expendable. Lowry plays good defense and has terrific rebound and steal rates. He averaged 13.6 pts, 5.1 assts, 4.3 rebs and 1.6 steals per 36 mins last season. Memphis is holding onto him specifically for defensive purposes so we can expect him to be consistent at that end of the floor. His shooting touch leaves much to be desired and he definitely won't extend the floor with his 26% 3FG, but we have scorers on the floor. What we need is a young point guard to develop for the future, one who can take over after Duhon (I'll be calling him Stopgap from now on btw).

My feeling on Randolph is not that he can't be productive for us (pure scorers score, they just do) and, therefore, must go. He'd probably be on the high post setting picks like Boris Diaw was for D'Antoni. Diaw is a way better passer from there but Randolph is a way better shooter from that range, so give and take - it's up to D'Antoni and Randolph to make the most out of it. What won't go away though is stories about him on the trading block and that has to make you believe that something about him - either contract, attitude, or play style, probably all three - doesn't make him part of the future. Whether it's now or later, with this deal or something marginally better, it's an inevitability. But for those same reasons, his value is so low that any trade will have to involve a Darko-like player and contract. We don't have a first round pick in 2010, so getting a pick or a talent on a rookie contract, in addition to the Darko's out there, is essential. Taking on Darko is fine, but he won't be the main part of the deal. Draft picks, PG's or shot blockers. If not, I fully believe that D'Antoni's ready to roll with what we have.

Welcome to Seven Seconds or Mess!

2008-08-28T18:07:00.003-04:00

Welcome all to Seven Seconds or Mess, a blog dedicated to the New York Knicks and the league around it. I'm your blogger, Gian Casimiro, a Boston College alum who just moved back to NYC right after watching an entire season of the Boston Celtics play World Championship basketball. Here's what I come back to ... great.

Some of you may wonder why I decided to start a blog in the dead of the NBA calendar and the answer is a simple surplus of time. Besides, training camp is just over a month away and the rumors are picking up. What better than a blog to talk about sports rumors? Once the (pre)season starts, though, I promise to bring an element to this blog not seen in others.

So get hyped folks! The Knicks are starting to look like a real franchise again. We've got a new GM, new coach, new personnel, and a new roster! Ok maybe just a new starting lineup, but it's a start. All in time for me to get the Knicks back in my local market. Try not to turn away. It's gonna be a Mess out there.