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...