Knicks links from cyberspace - 2/15

Today's Links:

- David Waldstein at the Star-Ledger explores a Drew Gooden trade.

- Marc Berman at the NY Post looks back at Eddy's all-star snub, and is confused about Jerome James' starting role.

- More from Berman : did Phil Jackson have a chance to coach the Knicks?

- ESPN Game Recap from last night.

- TrueHoop.com writes a GREAT article looking back at the trade that brought Eddy Curry to the Knicks.

Into the break we go...

After going down by 31 points, and at one point in the 4th cutting the deficit to 9, the Knicks lost last night to the Warriors 101-120. It looked like the Knicks we got used to seeing earlier this year, going down big early and trying to crawl back in the late stages of the game. It was a game reminiscent of last season, with the Knick starters playing inadequate basketball, only to hand the blowout to Nate Robinson, who had 23 last night. Maybe he was trying to gain some attention for the event he's REALLY been practicing for, the Slam Dunk contest this weekend. I couldn't even believe he remembered how to play half court basketball, considering all I've heard about Nate lately has been his attention to the dunk contest, and a planned dunk involving David Lee. Maybe if he focused more on practice and team basketball, he would get more playing time to show off his talents.

Steve Francis really crapped the bed last night. In a game where Marbury was worn out from the emotional one-point win vs. LA last night and nursing an injured foot, Francis seemed to be lost. I was shocked to look at the box score and see he led the team with 9 assists, however he did have 4 turnovers and just 2 points. The best free throw shooter in the NBA didn't make any effort to get to the line either, a tactic that could have slowed down Golden State's run-and-gun offense. Instead, Stevie settled for bad jump shots and careless passes.

One plus from the loss was seeing Renaldo Balkman get some quality minutes (25 to be exact), putting in13 points, 7 boards, and 4 steals. Nice...maybe Isiah will finally see that his energy leads to team success. His defense played a key role in the attempted comeback.

Stephn Jackson decided to play tonight, and contributed 36 for the Warriors. On another note, Monta Ellis is a baller. Clyde mentioned on the broadcast that he reminded him of a young Marbury. He can penetrate and score, and his dishing is coming around. Impressive showing from the second year man out of high school. He's only 21 and is sure to be the Warriors PG of the future.

So what is the status of the Knicks going into the All-Star Break?

At 23-29, the team still needs to look towards the positive. Miami is holding the 8 spot at 26-26, but they are sure to move up. You have to look at teams like Orlando (27-26) and and Chicago (29-25) as teams that might strugle down the stretch. It won't be easy though. The Knicks need a couple 4 or 5 game win streaks to make up some lost ground in the second half.

The trade deadline is one week from today. Will the Knicks make a move? The consensus around the league is no, but then again Steve Francis surprised us all last year. The only names I've heard circulating are Drew Gooden (highest possibility), Ray Allen, and Ruben Patterson. All of these deals would likely involve Channing Frye, and Isiah has said he is happy with the team right now. With this in mind, the possibility of a trade seems doubtful.

I honestly don't see this team making the playoffs right now. Every time they raise some eyebrows around the league with a big win, they follow it with a disappointing loss. Barring a HUGE move on the tradefront to acquire a scoring, rebounding forward (ahem, Kevin Garnett), this team is looking at .500 ball the rest of the year and missing the playoffs. Yes, the schedule does get easier the second half, but as the Knicks get better, so do other teams. They aren't the only ones trying to make a playoff push you know. 29 other teams will be looking for wins, even scrub teams that would love to put a stop to a New York team's efforts.

Well, enjoy the break, I'm looking forward to the game. I'm sure I'll catch Nate's try at defending his dunk title, but I doubt he'll win this year after Iguodala's screw job last year. Plus, Kobe is a judge, and everyone hates Nate now. I'll be back with more posts, and I'm also going to start putting up link posts to Knicks stories for the day in an effort to get increased attention to the site. Wishful thinking, I know.

2/14/07 - Playoff Push??

I know it's been a while since I put something up here. I was busy working over winter break, and I'm just now getting settled into my school schedule (as a matter of fact, this post is therapy away from a long day of studying today). BUT, I'm back now. Over time time I've been away, the Knicks have been playing slightly better ball, and slowly climbing the ladder, even of going back down a couple rungs every few games. Now that the All-Star break is coming this weekend, it's time to get serious. The Knicks face the Golden State Warriors tonight, looking to go into the break at 24-29, a confidence boost that might help make a serious run towards the playoffs for those bottom two spots.

The entire team is healthy now, for actually the first time ALL SEASON.

Steve Francis seems to be silencing his critics as he tries to slowly ease into his old ways....Eddy Curry. Enough Said...

Jamal Crawford is spotty.....Marbury surprises you at times, bringing back memories of his Brooklyn style ball.

Basically, it's the same rollercoaster we've been used to all season. However, there has been a slightly better effort on the defensive end (there's still a long way to go) and Marbury is beginning to learn that Eddy Curry is the only chance to spark a career revival. I love Steph as much as the next guy, but he's losing a step. His ability to take over a game is gone, and he knows that. It is time for him to get his teammates involved, and just run the offense. This is a role he is slowly coming to accept.

To compensate for his offensive shortcomings, Marbury has upped his effort on defense. Last night against the Lakers, Marbury did an outstanding job in key moments of the game, playing ball denial on both Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant on separate occasions. Of course Kobe got his points, but he never took over the game. He didn't even get a chance to take the last shot.

The Knicks should look at TONIGHT'S GAME as a MUST WIN. the momentum of winning 4 of your last 5 before the break would really carry over to the second half. Maybe this team has finally found his identity, even if it took team owner James Dolan telling the team Isiah Thomas' job was safe. At this point, he might be the only man to lead the way. He dug the hole, he might as well help build the ladder to climb out.

Back soon...

DAVID FRICKIN LEE!

THE RUNDOWN:

With 0.1 seconds left in double overtime against the Charlotte Bobcats last night, Jamal Crawford inbounded the ball right over the top of the cylinder, where David Lee curled off his defender to come open for a tip in that would win the game. It was the Knicks second buzzer beater in a row, and New York is now 2-0 since their brawl with the Nuggets.

The Knicks were down by almost 20 points in the first half, with the Garden crowd booing constantly. It looked as if the team was giving up, when they began to come back in the final minutes of the first half. Led by Channing Frye (30 pts. in the game), the Knicks charged back into a second half that they controlled the whole way. Lee had 10 points to go along with his 19 rebounds. Eddy "The Monster" Curry put up 29 points to continue his all-star caliber play that has come to be expected night in and night out.

At 11-17, the Knicks are only 1.5 games out of first in the underachieving Atlantic Division. As I said in a previous post, this three game stretch will be important. Tomorrow night the Knicks take on the Chicago Bulls, where a win would make a statement for this team, considering they have been playing without Steve Francis, Quentin Richardson, aand their three suspended players: Jared Jefferies, Nate Robinson, and Mardy Collins.

It seems as if the brawl has brought the team a bit closer together. They know they are going through this mess as a family, and seeing the team embrace each other after Lee's tip was a good sign. With wins aganst the Bulls and Sixers, this team could be on track.

NEWS AND NOTES:

- Michael Jordan was in attendance last night, as well as former Knicks Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, and John Starks. All players received a standing ovation, even Jordan...

- Also of note was that Spike Lee was NOT in attendance for one of the best games in the past couple years...sorry Spike.

- Stephon Marbury eclipsed the 15,000 point mark...congrats to Starbury.

Knicks beat the Jazz

THE RUNDOWN:

The Knicks beat one of the best teams in the NBA last night, the Utah Jazz. The win came thanks to Stephon Marbury, scoring with a layup in the final second of overtime to seal the win. The Knicks were without Nate Robinson and Jared Jefferies, two somewhat key players suspended after Saturday's brawl in the Garden with the Nuggets.

Marbury had 29 pts. and 8 assists, and David Lee added a career high 20 rebounds. Yes, I said 20. This was Steph's second quality game in a row, after dropping 31 against the Nuggets on Saturday. Having Starbury rolling on all cylinders is exactly what the Knicks will need over the next stretch of games. Without Steve Francis and Quentin Richardson, Steph will need to pick his spots wiseley - knowing when to dish, and when to swish.

The team is now 10-17, looking at two home games in the next 3 days. The Charlotte Bobcats come to town tomorrow night, followed by Chicago on Friday. Both of these teams have hit some road bumps this year, so the Knicks should look to exploit them. The Knicks go into Philly on Saturday, a game that is a must win simply because it would be embarassing to lose to the Iverson-less Sixers, who have a double digit losing streak.

Who knows, with STARBURY back in full force, it may be time. "Coney Island's Finest" might have just decided to start the season. Maybe that brawl was exactly what the Knicks needed. A littlw wakeup call of sorts. If they take the next three very winnable games, the Knicks will be looking at a manageable 13-17. Let's face it, any team that goes on a winning streak of 4+ in the Atlantic division will probably end up winning it.

NEWS AND NOTES:

- Allen Iverson is now a Nugget. This is important only because he is now out of the Atlantic, and was NOT traded to the Celtics.

- Due to Marbury's recent revival, Jamal Crawford has now been the recipient of boos and cat calls from the garden faithful. Let's wait and see if this treatment has the same effect on him as it did on Steph: STEP IT UP!

GARDEN FIASCO!!!

Well, I just wrote an entire goddamn F*****g post about 3 pages long about the brawl tonight, but dumbass blogspot deleted it somehow. I'll write more about it in the next couple days.

For now I put the video up there, so enjoy. What are my thoughts? Quickly I'll say there's pros and cons:

Pros: The players defended each other, and wouldn't let any crap go down on their home court.

Cons: This team still sucks.

By the way...Stephon Marbury: 31 points, 8 assists. Too bad his best game of the year so far will be overshadowed by this fight that is for sure going to be blown out of proportion all over ESPN for the rest of the NBA season.

Also, Carmelo: I love you, but you were a little bitch tonight. You sucker punched Mardy Collins and ran away like a girl. Terrible. That's not the Melo I know and love from Syracuse.

More on this fiasco later. It's the weekend so I'll be back probably Monday.

Clyde's Quotes

Thought I'd take this off-day opportunity to post a collection of my favorite Walt "Clyde" Frazier quotes from his time, past and present, as a Knicks' broadcaster. Some Knicks fans may not realize how lucky we are to have a legend like Clyde calling the games. He erupts with charisma, and knows his stuff too. Here are a few Clyde gems:

"Good NBA action from the Knicks now, swishing and dishing on the offensive end."

"There he is, posting and toasting on the low block."

"Stephon Marbury, stopping and popping for three."

"Joe Johnson - a common name with an uncommon game..."

"Q-Rich, draining and paining them from downtown."

"Eddy Curry, mauling and appaling them down low."

"Eddy, agile and hostile on the low block."

As you noticed, I've been collecting just the rhymes that Clyde is so famous for. If you have more, feel free to send them to me or comment on them after this post.

WOAH... Knicks win a game they should!

RECAP:

The Knicks defeated the Joe Johnson-less Atlanta Hawks this evening, a convincing 94-82. The Knicks were up as many as 30, but the lead began to drop after Isiah Thomas cleared the bench towards the end of the game. This one never seemed in doubt, as NY looked confident disposing of a depleted squad that shouldn't have posed any problems to begin with.

Common as of late, Eddy Curry, the main event in New York right now, finished with 20 pts and 9 rebs before earning a well deserved long rest late in the game. The performance made it "Easy Eddy's" 11th straight 20 pt. game, the longest streak since...wait for it...Patrick Ewing did it in 1994! Eddy has a little ways to go, however, as King Patrick's streak ended at 17 games.

Jared Jefferies got his first start of this season for the Knicks, producing a solid 15 pts. and 7 rebs. Jefferies' presence was felt on the defensive end as well, including three steals. Such play may be exactly what the team is looking for, with a solid defender in a starting role. David Lee was sent to the bench, but provided a much needed spark for the second unit, much like he brought early in the season.

NEWS AND NOTES:

- Some hilarity ensued as Jerome James entered the game, chugging down the floor like the cookie monster we know and love, somehow converting two field goals much to the Knick bench's amusement.

- Isiah Thomas announced today that Channing Frye will likely come off the bench when he returns, reuniting the triple team of Frye, David Lee, and Nate Robinson as the young guns in the second unit.

- The Allen Iverson sweepstakes continues...with his stock falling every day that passes. Yo Philly! Steve Francis is here for the taking. You can have Channing Frye as well...I don't care...

- Big three game swing coming up: Indiana, Denver, and Utah. Is this team for real? We'll find out. No stretch will tell more than this one. Pray on, Knicks fans...