SB Nation - Eddy Curry

Bulls 98, Knicks 89

Seth — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:39:41 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

At a certain point, it's time to change up your game. Sticking with what works works, until what works stops working, you feel me? When the three-pointers keep bricking, it might be time to stop attempting them. When your 6-man rotation is getting tired, it might be time to find minutes for men 7-12. When your team stops attacking the basket and rebounding, it might be time to play your guard that attacks the basket and your big men who can board. Sorry for being snide, but the Knicks' faults in tonight's loss to the Bulls were deafeningly obvious. The Knicks shot too many threes and played too few players (and the wrong ones), and it doesn't take an expert to see that.

Notes, after the jump.

- New York started unreasonably hot from downtown. Al Harrington and Chris Duhon were gunning from the outset, and we were looking at a 17-point lead in a matter of minutes. If you thought an edifice built out of Harrington and Duhon threes was going to stand tall, you haven't watched Knicks basketball. That lead evaporated faster than you can say "Checking into the game for the Knicks, number 34, Eddy Curry".

- And that was the first major hiccup of the night. Curry checked in alongside Danilo Gallinari with 2 minutes left in the first, and things went downhill from there. Eddy called for touches impressively, but swallowed the ball as soon as it came his way. He would take too long to make his move, invite the Bulls' double, turn into the double, and then either mishandle the ball or throw up a blind hook shot. I like the idea of allowing bringing in Curry and Gallo as a tandem so one can free up shots for the other, but it won't work until Eddy's confident and oriented enough to pass competently.

- Speaking of Gallo, he and the Knicks completely neglected the two-point shot this evening, and paid the price. Even after the first quarter heat had dissipated, the Knicks kept shooting early and often. Ballhandlers kept missing cutters, so the cutters stopped cutting, then everything went to shit. Though nearly every Knick had a hand, Gallinari was the most disappointing of the perpetrators. Some late-game buckets helped his overall numbers, but Danilo's 6-17 from the field on 6-16 from three was inexcusable. Gallo's far too versatile to limit himself like that, particularly when he can't get his legs under those jumpers. Particularly on the multiple occasions he was marked by an undersized Bull, it would have behooved Danilo to drive and pull-up from the midrange or back his way down for some close buckets. We all know he can do it. Word has it the Bulls' announcers were talking smack about our prized youngster, and they had every right to do so this evening.

- As for the team's three-point shooting as a whole, there isn't much to say past the numbers themselves. They shot 16-47 (.340) from three and 31-86 (.360) total. Those 47 three-point takes broke the Knick record for attempts. They were one short of the NBA record. The 29 attempts in the first half were an NBA record. It was as laughable on television as it is on paper.

- Regarding the missing of cutters, some of the best stretches in those wins over Phoenix and Atlanta came when Wilson Chandler and Al Harrington got hit for open looks off of backdoor cuts. Tonight, like I said, the passes didn't arrive, so the cutters eventually saved their energy. After 11 first quarter assists, the Knicks finished with 21 on the game.

- Taj Gibson should have goggles.

- At one point in the third quarter, Chris Duhon hit a three-pointer, then stared down the Chicago bench with maybe the grimiest, most perverted look I've ever seen on a human being's face, all while leaving David Lee hanging on a high-five. He went 1-5 for the rest of the game. This sequence, to me, sums up Chris Duhon's entire existence.

- I was happy to see Toney Douglas get some minutes, but Ghostface failed to impress in his time against Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose. Toney's a defender by trade, but he's outside his mind if he thinks playing close on Hinrich 35 feet from the basket is going to end well. Toney's got the agility to stay in front of people, but he compromises that by face-guarding everybody all the time. Gotta pick your spots.

- Somebody needs to keep a list of the NBA names to which Clyde adds and extra "r" or two. Tonight's victim was Joakim "No-er" ("Knower"?).

- It was nice to see Wilson Chandler back down Kirk Hinrich a few times in the second half. That doesn't come close to compensating for his 1-6 from downtown, though.

- David Lee got his chin cut open in the fourth quarter, undoubtedly because Joakim Noah hasn't clipped his nails since July, and got just about the ghettoest tape job I've ever seen. It looked like his jaw fell off and somebody tried to stick it back on with bandaids.

- I got a little sassy in the intro paragraph about the rotation, so I guess I should explain. The Knicks look tired tonight, and Mike D'Antoni gave significant minutes to only 6 guys. Even with Jared Jeffries and David Lee in foul trouble, he stuck with the same 6 dog-tired players. Energy and activity were lacking. If you're hampered by injuries, this is excusable. If you've got Nate Robinson, Jordan Hill, and Marcus Landry- all of whom fit the description of "energetic" and "active"- riding the pine, you look silly. I know D'Antoni sticks to his guns, but he's got to see the signs. Everybody else watching the game saw the obvious. Nate gets the picture and the youngsters deserve more of a shot, and tonight was the night to break the trend. You stick with what works until it stops working.

- 5-18 on the night for Al Harrington. Somebody ought to start up some trade rumors again.

Again, tonight's loss was maddeningly simple. The Knicks are flying back to New York now and playing the Clippers tomorrow night. If D'Antoni sticks to his six and those six keep this up, we'll be in for another long night.

On the Outside, Looking In

Seth — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:12:52 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Browse more photos »

I may or may not be quoting Staind in the headline, but the fact of the matter is that the Knicks have strung together a nice stretch of wins with Eddy Curry and Nate Robinson on the sideline. The Nate-less and Curry-less success has made for some mixed feelings in two of the longest tenured Knicks.

Nate Robinson, as we know, has been a regular DNP-CD for over a week now. The benching certainly stings, but as Marc Berman reports, Nate is doing his best to swallow his pride and work his way back.

Privately, Robinson feels D'Antoni treats him with a double standard and gets punished for transgressions teammates get away with. Because Robinson signed a one-year, $4 million contract days before training camp, he can't be traded until Dec. 15 and needs to approve any trade.

Since the benching, Robinson's pre-game preparation has been ultra serious. He's on the court 90 minutes before tipoff, usually performing a series of intense shooting drills with assistant coach Kenny Atkinson. It's all business.

Again, Nate has every right to be hurt, but it's an excellent sign to see that he's taking the demotion in stride. Robinson isn't a kid in this league anymore, and the fact that the Knicks are thriving without him seems to have affected his habits. Personally, I'm not dead-set on using Nate's expiring deal as a trade asset just yet. We've long considered him to be one of the most talented Knicks, and it might be worthwhile to let this benching play out and see if he can't earn his spot back and turn over a new leaf on the court.

In a similar vein, a Knick with different issues and a very much opposite personality from Nate's is Eddy Curry. Curry made a spirited, if not entirely compelling, comeback from injury several weeks ago. His appearance was short-lived, though, and he's been rehabbing his sore legs while the Knicks have been winning. Eddy's just about healthy enough to return (again (again)), but worries about messing with a good thing. From a separate Berman article:

"I want to try to blend in and not mess them up," Curry said after the Knicks' fourth win in five games Monday night over Portland. "They're really rolling right now. I don't want to be the reason we lose the game. It's going to be touchy for me. I trust Coach puts me in there when he feels I'm ready."

That kind of self-consciousness doesn't exactly scream "dominant big man", but we've long known that Eddy's not a brute or an egomaniac. In fact, he's got a very lucid idea of where he stands:

"Trade bait?" Curry asked. "I'm going to relish any moment I can to play. Whether playing me to trade me, or playing me because they want to win games, it doesn't matter to me. I just want to get out there. Although I don't want to be traded."

As Coach Herman Boone would say, "a self-aware man. I like that".

The point is that Eddy Curry and Nate Robinson have both been absent from the Knicks' recent surge, but both are hopefully on the path to factoring into the winning equation. They approach it from different directions, but both seem to have reached the conclusion that they've gotta fit into the team concept to earn playing time. Curry and Robinson can and should be key factors in the Knicks' success, and both seem to be headed in the right direction.

Game Preview: Suns vs. Knicks (And Mike D'Antoni)

Wil Cantrell — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:42:46 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

"Please Santa, please bring me a Steve Nash for Christmas." (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Browse more photos »

Tonight the Suns play game three of their current 4 game road trip against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Suns enter the game on a 4 game win streak, but are facing the next couple weeks without Leandro Barbosa.

While the Knicks as a basketball team aren't incredibly interesting, this match-up interests all of us for one particular reason: Mike D'Antoni.

The architect of 7SOL in Phoenix is attempting the East Coast version on a cash strapped, Isiah Thomas/James Dolan destroyed franchise that can only look to the future for any kind of hope. The Knicks are currently 3-14, in the midst of a 5 game slide, in which they most recently lost to the Orlando Magic. While the Knicks and their fans do not have much to be happy about this season, at least they can say they aren't in last place, thanks to the 0-17 New Jersey Nets.

Since both squads emphasize the offensive side of things, here is a little statistical comparison:

TEAM	PPG	FG%	3PT%	FT%	RB/G
PHX	112.0	50.7	44.5	72.8	42.2
NYK	101.9	43.8	31.8	78.6	40.0

OK, that's pretty boring. So why don't we try something a bit different in this preview? I'd now like to introduce, perhaps, for the third or fourth time on BSOTS, the most used FIVE-MAN FLOOR UNITS for the Knicks and Suns. This is a statistic I found out there on the inter-wide web that basically measures the effectiveness of a particular group of players by combined average +/-:

New York Knicks

UNIT	MIN	+/-	WIN%
DUHON-HUGHES-GALLINARI-CHANDLER-LEE	149.9	-25	38.4

Ouch. the most commonly used unit for the Knicks throws down a whopping +/- of -25.

Phoenix Suns:

UNIT	MIN	+/-	WIN%
NASH-RICHARDSON-HILL-STOUDAMIRE-FRYE	256.6	+40	53.8

Our starting five, and most often used unit averages a +40.

Obviously the numbers don't tell the whole story here, and we can argue that +/- has its significant flaws, but heck, it looks good right now! Now, on to the players

Players

Guards

Chris Duhon-runs the point and leads the Knicks with 6 assists a game. It's safe to say he's not a scoring threat at 7 ppg, and at present, shooting 28% from the field. Look for a Duhon/Lee pick 'n roll set from time to time.

Nate Robinson-we all know Nate can play. Against the Magic, Robinson popped off the bench to go 10-11 from the field for 22 points. Of course he may not be out of the D'Antoni doghouse after burying a three on his own basket after time expired.

Larry Hughes-is Larry Hughes, shooting 39% from the field and 28% from 3-point range. J-Rich should enjoy posting Larry, driving on Larry, shooting over Larry, etc.

Bigs

Al Harrington-At 19 a game, Al leads the Knicks in scoring and manages 6 boards a game. But like most of the Knicks, he is a subpar 44% from the field and an attrocious 29% from three point land, which is interesting, because he continues to hoist them up, second only to Gallinari in attempts with 89.

Danilo Gallinari-the 6th pick in the 2008 draft seems to be improving, at 13.1 ppg, but the gripe on him seems to be his tendency to sit in the corner and watch the game. Still he's capable of getting hot behind the arc.

David Lee-averaging 18 and 10, Lee can flat play. I anticipate Frye, Amare, and perhaps Rolo/Lou matching up at times to slow down Lee, especially on the boards.

The rest: Wilson Chandler (11.9 ppg) Darko Milicic is evidently homesick, Jordan Hill (unsurprisingly) has seen time in only 8 games, and Eddy Curry (chuckle) has played in 4 games, which probably averages out to about 3 million dollars a minute or something obscene.

Overview

So the Suns are looking good and Knicks are not. Again, like many of these awful teams we have been playing of late, there is always a pitfall lurking, especially on the road. This writer likes our chances tonight, but we could be in for a barn burner with little defense being played and many three pointers being hoisted.

And....As a Very Special post Thanksgiving Treat...A Short Q&A with Seth over at Posting and Toasting regarding the state of the Knickerbockers:

Me: First off, how are you all enjoying D'Antoni as your coach?

Seth: Mike D'Antoni's had a rough time in his first years as coach, but I think a lot of Knick fans would agree that he can't be fully judged until 2010 rolls around and the Knicks (hopefully have something resembling a competitive roster. In the meantime, D'Antoni's plenty likable and forthright, which is a welcome departure from his predecessors. There have been complaints about his lineup management (why aren't the rookies playing more?) and control over shot distribution (why isn't Danilo Gallinari getting more touches?), as well as his unwavering attachment to Chris Duhon, who has been appallingly ineffective. All that said, D'Antoni's seat won't even be warm until the Knicks use their forthcoming cap space.

Me: Is the run and gun everything you'd hoped for?

Seth: It sure isn't when the shots aren't falling. The Knicks have reined in their heaving a little bit, but are still the 23rd in the league in FG% and 22nd in 3P%. There have been plenty of open shots, but guys like Duhon, Robinson, Chandler, and Hughes have all gone cold for long stretches of the first 17 games, while the Knicks' deadliest shooter, Danilo Gallinari, isn't taking enough shots. It gets ugly.

Me: What are Knicks fans most frustrated about this season? (Besides simply losing) Is it that Jordan Hill and the youngsters don't see much playing time? Is it Duhon's performance in general? or the combination of all that and Gallinari not living up to his potential as the 6th pick in the draft?

Seth: You pretty much hit the three biggest issues. Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas should not only get to spin because this is a losing team and there's plenty of room for them to development, but because they've actually proven to be more effective than some of the vets. Chris Duhon finally registered a decent offensive game on Sunday against Orlando, but has spent most of the season shuffling around and bricking jumpers. He hasn't been the leader nor the offensive threat necessary to pilot the D'Antoni offense. Finally, I keep harping on this, but Danilo Gallinari needs the ball!

Me: Lastly, what else should we desert rats know about your squad?

Seth: If (when) tonight's game turns into a blowout, you can hopefully look forward to Marcus Landry making an appearance. The undrafted rookie hustles and bangs just like his older brother Carl, and he's also got decent range for a big man. If D'Antoni ever fully commits to playing the young guns, Li'l Landry will make a name for himself.

Link Fun

Posting and Toasting
Knicks Statistics
Suns Statistics
Mike D'Antoni deserves criticism...but why? - Posting and Toasting
Guess who's upset about a certain Mustachioed coach not developing young players?
azcentral.com blogs - Coro's Suns dish - PaulCoro - Nash for CP3? For Kobe? Anyone?
Coro's Suns dish: Steve Nash has posted six games of 16 assists or more this season in 17 games. That is one more than he had all of last season. Something tells me he is about to put up a crazy number again tonight. This is the building in which he has posted assist...
D'Antoni's system gets mixed results
Mike D'Antoni swore you would never know whether it was his system or Steve Nash that made the Suns. He joked that he would walk away when Nash did in order to keep it secret. But some think they figured it out, now that D'Antoni's New York Knicks are woeful at 3-14 and the Suns visit here as a NBA-best 14-3 with Nash playing like his MVP days.
Lost at a Knicks game - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
This is HILARIOUS!
SUNS: Q&A With Al McCoy: "The Real McCoy"
More movie and TV comments « Channing Frye's Blog
Nash Still Burns for Phoenix - Bethlehem Shoals - The Baseline - Sporting News
Amare Loves the Animals - Bethlehem Shoals - The Baseline - Sporting News
Kobe Bryant has highest 'basketball IQ,' poll says - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
According to NBA players and coaches at least one other point guard has a higher basketball IQ than Steve Nash...
Create A Caption #40 Winner - Third Quarter Collapse
Guess who is being heckled for taking and missing too many three's....hint: tattoo

Preview: Knicks at Kings

Ziller — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:00:27 -0000

by Mike Groll - AP

View full size photo »

That's low, Al Harrington. Real fricking low.

THE OPPONENT

This is going to blow your fricking mind: the Knicks defense is better than the Knicks offense.

That is more of a commentary on the dreadful shooting the Knicks have given the world this season. New York ranks 22nd in effective field goal percentage, and 24th in three-point shooting. This is particularly problematic because the Knicks have taken more threes than anyone else. A full 32 percent of New York's FGAs are threes, which is outpaced by Orlando (34 percent) but still bloody robust. And, again, bloody, considering New York hits only 31 percent of those. That's an eFG of about 46 percent on threes, which is comparable with lower echelon two-point shooting. While threes are among the most efficient shots in the game, you do need to remain fairly good at hitting them to reap the benefits.

As for New York's defense: opponents turn the ball over quite a bit against the Knicks. Larry Hughes is the only passing lane wizard on the squad, but Sacramento has shown such a propensity to turn the ball over lately that even Eddy Curry could morph into a hawk before our eyes. A frightening visage, no doubt.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Al Harrington	14	31.1	6.7	15.1	44.3	1.4	5.1	28.2	4.2	4.9	85.5	1.1	4.8	5.9	1.4	2.4	1.2	0.4	3.3	19.1
David Lee	14	32.6	6.9	13.1	53.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	3.4	4.6	73.4	2.3	7.4	9.7	2.6	2.4	1.2	0.4	3.4	17.2
Danilo Gallinari	14	29.1	4.6	10.2	45.5	3.0	6.7	44.7	1.7	2.0	85.7	0.6	3.6	4.2	1.5	1.4	0.8	0.6	2.2	14.0
Larry Hughes	12	33.4	4.5	10.8	41.9	1.1	3.8	28.3	2.5	3.2	78.9	0.8	3.3	4.1	4.1	1.7	2.1	0.7	2.5	12.6
Wilson Chandler	14	33.0	4.9	12.3	39.5	0.7	3.3	21.7	1.8	2.0	89.3	1.6	4.0	5.6	1.7	1.7	0.5	1.2	3.6	12.2
Nate Robinson	8	21.4	3.3	8.9	36.6	1.5	4.5	33.3	0.9	1.4	63.6	0.6	1.3	1.9	3.3	1.6	0.8	0.4	2.4	8.9
Toney Douglas	13	14.5	3.4	6.6	51.2	0.8	2.2	37.9	0.4	0.5	83.3	0.2	0.8	1.1	0.6	0.8	0.4	0.0	1.5	8.0
Chris Duhon	14	34.5	1.9	7.7	24.1	0.8	3.9	20.0	1.9	2.3	81.3	0.3	2.9	3.2	6.2	1.9	1.2	0.1	1.4	6.4
Eddy Curry	4	11.3	1.8	4.5	38.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.8	3.3	53.8	1.0	1.5	2.5	0.0	2.8	0.0	0.0	2.0	5.3
Jordan Hill	7	7.7	2.0	3.1	63.6	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.6	0.7	80.0	1.1	0.6	1.7	0.3	0.7	0.4	0.4	1.6	4.6
Jared Jeffries	13	19.7	1.2	3.0	41.0	0.2	0.8	30.0	0.4	0.7	55.6	1.2	1.7	2.8	1.4	1.2	0.5	0.8	2.2	3.1
Marcus Landry	4	5.3	1.0	2.0	50.0	0.3	1.0	25.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8	2.3
Darko Milicic	8	8.8	1.0	2.1	47.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.6	1.6	2.3	0.5	0.3	0.5	0.1	0.9	2.0

Seth of Posting & Toasting is the funniest 20-year-old I've ever met, which the two exceptions being Donte Greene last year and myself at age 20. (If you can't see the joke in there, my humor is way too next level for you.)

THE KEY BATTLE

I would announce the coming conquest of Tyreke Evans over his worst DraftExpress comp (Hughes) if Evans were certain to play, but alas, he is soft. (This is the greatest: part of the Peaches crusade against Kevin Martin was that Evans was so tough that he'd play through minor things like sprains. "If it isn't broke, you play." Guess what? Sprains hurt! They limit your ability to run, stop, jump, cut and slide! Basketball requires those movements! Frequently! And basketball players -- even tough basketball players -- need to let their body heal sometimes. Sorry that Kevin Martin and Tyreke Evans and Bobby Jackson are robbing you of your $0 tickets.)

In conclusion, if Grant Napear were an actor, he'd be Peter O'TOOLe. If Grant Napear were a president, he'd be IDIOTham Lincoln. If Grant Napear were a Danish philosopher, he'd be Soren DOUCHEgaard. If Grant Napear were a game show host, he'd be Pat SaJACKASS.

THE KEY BATTLE, NON-TANGENT EDITION

Beno Udrih, meet Chris Duhon. Destroy Chris Duhon. Destroy him. (I will also accept Jason Thompson vs. Al Harrington.)

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

The Kings are 0-1 in games when free pregame buffets are provided to fans. But I've got a special feeling about this buffet. Yes, this one will beget good things. Lofty things. (Seriously, nice promo, Kings. Golf clap. If I didn't have a date with an infant and some spit-up, I'd be right there with you shovelling mashed potatoes down my throat, leaving my seat to visit the gentlemen's room at a crucial point in the game. Right there with you.)

BOLD PROCLAMATION

Eddy Curry will not feel like commiserating with Francisco Garcia over the dangerous realities of exercise balls. (Speaking of which, does anyone else think El Flaco should spend his time away from the court doing stand-up? "An Israeli soldier, Sean May and Eric Musselman walk into a bar. And then I'm like, wassup fellas? <cackle>")

NUMERIC PREDICTION

Considering the Sexy Systemic Rating System has been an abject failure in determining margins of victory, let us stick to the mainstream methods: random guesses, based on intuition and hope. Kings 124, Knick 78.

DETAILS

7 PM start (for the game and the game thread. Forreal this time). Buffet opens at 5:30. No Game Thread II tonight. Post-game thread at 9:45. Go Kings.

Tracy McGrady and the New York Knicks... Again

Tom Martin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:48:35 -0000

More photos » by Kevin C. Cox - Getty Images

about 1 month ago: ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 20: Tracy McGrady #3 of the Houston Rockets warms up before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 20, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Browse more photos »

As you may have read, there's been speculation that Tracy McGrady could end up in New York City, primarily from Newsday's Alan Hahn. Not like we haven't heard this before.

However, this go-around, the timing of the chatter certainly makes sense. McGrady and the Rockets, despite what each says, are clearly not on the same page, and a continued feud between the two could result in a decision to part ways. It's a good foundation upon which to pile countless rumors and ideas. As we here have said for months, it's not easy to trade a giant golden nugget such as McGrady. That said, if there was one club out there who could make it work, it's probably the Knicks.

But even if a proposed trade works contractually, is it a good decision for the team? I'm not sold.

1. We haven't seen him post-microfracture surgery yet.

There's a number of folks out there who think that the surgery and the resulting rehab sessions have revitalized Tracy's career, but there's an equal number who think that while the surgery will heal his leg, it won't improve his game from the paltry form that we saw last season. In other words, we don't know what we are presumably trading. I'd like to see him in game action before anything happens. At least ten games or so.

2. Who would we get in return?

Proposed trades in the blogosphere have included the likes of Eddy Curry, Wilson Chandler, Cuttino Mobely's contract, Larry Hughes, Jared Jeffries... and draft picks (we'll come back to the latter soon enough). None of that sounds very appealing to me, in terms of fitting in with the current roster we have. None of those players are very efficient either. Curry has always played smaller than his size, averaging 7 rebounds per game only once in his career. He's been lamented for his below-averageness, inspiring a Yahoo! Fanasty Sports staple called the "Eddy Curry Line" in which a player must average more turnovers than assists, steals, and blocks combined. Whether it's fantasy or reality, it's not good.

Chandler is just as inefficient as Curry. He doesn't get to the free throw line, and averages 12 points on 11 shots per game. Sounds like Ron Artest doesn't it? Except that Chandler isn't too good of a defender either, making Artest look that much better. It's not something that we want to see return to Houston.

Hughes has always been a negative influence to his team, so much so that a popular (and hilarious, might I add) website was created after him. We'll leave it at that. And Jefferies has been a bust, at best. At worst, he's been transparent.

To summarize, a deal with the Knicks would not be for a personnel upgrade. It would be contractually motivated, so that the Rockets would be able to move McGrady and still be able to knock off 22-23 million dollars off of their salary payments next season.

3. There's no reason why we can't just bench McGrady.

It would be cruel and unusual punishment, but assuming he comes back and gets hurt again, or if he is playing extremely poorly, we can send him to the pine. This little incentive that Xiane was talking about a few days ago makes that a very appealing decision, assuming the worst from Tracy:

"Houston can start to collect up to 80 percent of his prorated per-game salary after he's missed 41 consecutive games. McGrady sat out his 42nd straight game Wednesday in Minnesota, and the league insurance plan would reimburse the Rockets for any additional missed games. For the rest of the season, the insurance policy could cover 80 percent of his per-game salary of $282,946."

4. We're not looking at the "now" as much as we're looking to the future.

Eddy Curry is not so appealing as to trade for him exclusively to plug him in this year and hope that he can make a difference before expiring next season (he does have a player option, though; we've been through that with Cook Daddy thus far, and it's not fun). And if it's not evident enough, Trevor Ariza is a much more attractive developmental wing player than Chandler is. Whereas Chandler looks to score, and takes up a lot of possessions to do so, Ariza fits in much better as a third option, which is what we're hoping to see him as come next season. Yes, we're looking to compete this year, but there's no sense in messing with the future in order to bump a team up from the possible 8th slot in the West to the 5th slot.

5. He could be productive and could be an asset to the team... imagine that!

This news concerning his practice today helps to fortify that front.

Compared to the five reasons that I've laid out supporting McGrady's return to Houston, there are only two that I can think of supporting his exit.

1. He keeps acting up and becomes THAT MUCH of a distraction.

If it gets to the point where he's more of a hindrance than a help, albeit on or off the court, trading him for $$$$ is an acceptable solution. Remember, the deal would not be to improve our current roster, but to move McGrady's attitude and his contract to New York in exchange for expiring contracts such as Mobely and Curry.

2. New York throws a few draft picks into the mix.

One Knicks source that I talked to discussed the possibility that the Knicks throw in a protected 2012 first round pick as well as a 2010 second round pick, or something of that nature. If this were to ever be offered (D'Antoni has a long history of trading first rounders), then I think Daryl Morey would have to at least consider it. Any chance to find more talent for the long run needs to be looked at.

In the end, this is all speculation, which is why I think it's kind of silly that I'm discussing it myself. However, I thought you'd like to see the possibilites of a deal with the Knicks. At least you've got a decent idea of what would be at stake. Personally, I'd like to hold onto McGrady for now, but like I said, if draft picks are in the equation, it becomes much more interesting.

Celtics 107, Knicks 105 (OT)

Seth — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:25:40 -0000

by Kathy Kmonicek - AP

View full size photo »

The Knicks put a good scare into the Celtics, but even an old, hobbling Boston squad was enough to outlast New York in overtime. In an exciting game of back-and-forth runs, a slow but excitable Kevin Garnett sank the buzzer-beating shot to give the C's the win. Heartbroken as I am, it was a pleasure to see the Garden alive like it's supposed to be. The Knicks really turned up the effort, particularly on defense, for significant stretches of this one. The crunch-time execution, though, didn't measure up to that of the Celtics, which I guess it to be expected.

Notes after the jump...

- I get the feeling that the major theme of today's game for anybody not emotionally invested in the Knicks was the demise of Kevin Garnett. I couldn't give half a shit about Garnett's health, but even I noticed KG's trouble moving. Particularly late in the game, Al Harrington repeatedly beat Garnett off the dribble, which defies logic and the sanctity of the game. His shots, too, were consistently off the mark until he hit a pair of his signature 18-footers (including the winner) down the stretch.

- Ray Allen, too, looked pretty sluggish. Paul Pierce was the only leg of the axis of evil to play well, and he was as deadly as ever. He shot 6-7 from downtown, and finished with a hell of a line: 33 points, 9 boards, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal in 42 minutes. One of those blocks was a huge rejection of a Wilson Chandler jumpshot in overtime. Pierce is really, really good and I really, really despise everything about him.

- The fact that Chris Duhon played more minutes (47) than Nate Robinson (27) and Toney Douglas (6) combined means that Coach D'Antoni has some reason beyond on-court performance to give him time. Chris is killing the Knicks out there.

- Danilo Gallinari was impressive early, but faded once again down the stretch. Though he, like everybody else on the team, had trouble with Paul Pierce, Gallo seemed willing to pull early and even drove on Pierce for a viscous two-handed dunk:

Check that post-dunk meanface. Awesome. Anyway, Gallo was doing things like that early, but was either bench-banished or snoozing in the corner for most of the second half. The city of New York demands more touches and shots for Gallo, and the blame for that falls on everybody involved. Danilo needs to get in position, and his teammates need to find him there.

- Did Rasheed Wallace ever buy property in the Boston area? I'm just saying...if you told me he'd been living in a really big box outside the TD Garden for the last six weeks, I'd believe you.

- They were filming a movie this afternoon at the Garden, which mention that Rosie Perez, Mark Wahlberg, and Will Ferrell were sitting courtside in some bizarre combination of dress clothes and Knicks apparel. Since Will Ferrell is Nate Robinson's muse, you bet your ass Nate picked today to break out of his season-long slump. Nate registered 19 points on 7-11 shooting, hit 3 threes, grabbed 3 boards, and even blocked a couple shots. MSG security should've seized the opportunity to shackle Ferrell to that chair.

- Wilson Chandler's offense (5-13, 11 points) came and went, but give him credit for mostly staunch defense on Garnett and whoever else he had to cover.

- Jill Martin's "Gimme a Minute" was with Tracy Morgan, who acknowledged owning 4 pet scorpions and 4 pet nurse sharks, because he "loves animals". He also pretty much confessed to having a tattoo on or near his genitals. I love Tracy Morgan.

- If you, like me, were completely dazzled by MSG's footage of the "Quick Change" halftime show, here's a rough sketch of how it works. If I were in charge, that sort of black magic would be banned. Too much for me.

- The margin was only three at halftime, but the Celtics started the third with a 9-0 run. The flurry of Knick excellence that followed thereafter was a sight to be seen. The Knick defense tightened up out of the blue, and Al Harrington came alive for 11 points in the period, including three downtown bombs.

- A couple of guys in the crowd were wearing rooster-themed hats, although Mike Breen and I both initially thought they were turkeys. Confusion aside, I love it, and recommend that somebody designs an orange and blue take on this for P&T to sell.

- Mike Breen really hates "The Wave", which leads me to believe that he had some grisly childhood mishap at a high school football game.

- Speaking of which, I must mention the late fourth quarter when Chandler secured a rebound, only to be intentionally tripped by Garnett and lose the ball out of bounds. No call was made, but the refs quickly made up for it by calling Ray Allen for a semi-legitimate elbow hook about 5 seconds later. I love the NBA.

- Eddy Curry's game is far from polished, but he's ready to get more minutes. The big fella battled with remarkable vigor against Rasheed Wallace, and got pissed off to the point that he responded to a non-call on Kendrick Perkins by spiking Rajon Rondo's tiny little body against the floor. It was flagrant in every sense of the word. In any event, I could see a starting Lee-Curry frontcourt working very well. Their games are different enough for it to run smoothly. Curry wanders around the paint on offense, while Lee sets high screens. Curry's been helping and switching pretty well on defense, while Lee is completely useless on that end. It's worth a try.

- Nobody makes Lee look sorrier on defense than Rajon Rondo does. When a 6-foot-high martian is scoring over you at will, you're doing something wrong.

- For all Lee's defensive pitfalls, he deserves credit for solid work otherwise. Lee finished with 22 points (including a number of very difficult righty finishes) and 15 boards in in 37 minutes. 5 turnovers, too, but whatever.

- Parents who let their kids sit on the baseline amidst the cameramen should probably have their tubes tied.

- Eddie House was seen pumping up Kevin Garnett by slapping him on the knees. Nice gesture, but probably not ideal.

- A summary of the last two possessions in overtime: Down 2, Larry Hughes make use of a relatively empty paint area (Boston was preventing the three-pointer) to find David Lee for an easy finish off the pick-and-roll. Timeout Celtics. Boston inbounds with 9 seconds left. Pierce, dribbles, dribbles, then gets a screen from Garnett. Both Lee and Chandler stick with Pierce, who finds Garnett. Harrington scrambles out far too late as KG sinks the game-winner. The Knicks had a foul to give the whole time. By my count, thats poor coaching, poor communication, and poor rotation all on one defensive possession. In a game of surprisingly competent D, that was disappointing.

- I said before that Danilo Gallinari needs more touches, and that's especially apparent in the fourth quarter. Gallo creates his own shot and passes well enough that I'd give him the ball every time down the floor in late-game scenarios. Al Harrington played well, but can't win a game by himself. Danilo might be able to do just that.

New York had a chance to pounce on a crumbling Celtics team this afternoon, but couldn't quite get the job done. That's quickly becoming a theme this year, and it'll remain that way until a leader (Gallo! Please!) steps up. Next game's Tuesday in L.A.

IC Cold Links: Reliving Painful Pacers Memories From Last Night, Five Years Ago

Tom Lewis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:41:48 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Al Harrington enjoyed finishing off the Pacers last night.

Browse more photos »

The sober light of day doesn't take the sting away from the opportunity for a win that slipped away from the Pacers last night. Credit the Knicks for staying in it for all 48 minutes because they were close to being knocked out early in the fourth, but kept coming when the Pacers couldn't deliver the decisive blow.

The Pacers showed they still need to mature as a group after not reacting well in the face of a little adversity last night. The self-inflicted wounds in the second half seemed to feed off each other. We're talking bulk turnovers and 25% shooting for the second half. That's never a winning combination and no one was able to step up and stop the madness.

LeBron James and the Cavaliers will be at the Fieldhouse on Friday, so the Pacers have a chance to bounce back and start a new winning streak.

After the jump, more links of interest on the game along with a look back at 'The Brawl' by Mike Wells. Where were you when the mayhem started?

I vividly remember watching that game five years ago while preparing to fly out to Seattle the next day for a Thanksgiving vacation. The whole scene was so surreal at the time that it was hard to judge the impact immediately. But the next day crater left by the impact was apparent. Seattle has some strong local sports talk and at the time the shows were local 24-hours a day. Nearly every minute of these local shows was dedicated to talking about the brawl. I may as well have been in Indy with all of the analysis and judgments I was hearing. Same with the local news stations. Video of the brawl was everywhere and Ron Artest was suddenly a world-wide name. Ugh.

On to the links:

Box score
PACERS: Inside the Game: Pacers vs. Knicks
Bruno's post-game report which includes more crazy numbers, including the Knicks bench outscoring the Pacers 65-22. Also has video of Granger talking to the hand...his own.
The Associated Press: Harrington, Knicks beat Pacers to snap 6-game skid
Cliff Brunt offer his report on the game.
Pacers blow big lead in 4th, lose to Knicks
Mike Wells reports on the collapse at the Fieldhouse last night, as he saw the Pacers revert to some familiar bad habits left over from last season.
Mike Wells picks through the ruins of the winning streak crashing to a halt.
Pacers show signs of finally recovering from 'The Brawl'
Mighty Mike Wells marks the five-year anniversary of the Palace fiasco digging into all of the details and aftermath. Thanks a lot Mike, just what I need after that nasty loss last night. At least he includes the light at the end of the tunnel as the current Pacers are far removed from that night at this point.
Practice? I'm talking 'bout practice!
Mike Dunleavy blogs about his long road to recovery and taking part in practice once again.
Curry helps snap Knicks' six-game slide
Marc Berman reports on the Knicks snapping their losing streak.
Curry back in favor
Alan Hahn reports on the favorable impression Eddy Curry left with his play last night.
Knicks pull away, end Pacers' 5-game win streak
John Oehser offers his report on the game for NBA.com along with his Examiner post.
Big step: Eddy Curry plays a little - TrueHoop Blog
Henry Abbott recognizes the return of Eddy Curry for the Knicks. Despite all of the jokes about his past play, Curry looked decent last night and was a plus for the Knicks.
Memphis beat the Clippers last night as Jamaal Tinsley made his return to the NBA official with about six minutes of playing time for the Grizzlies.

Knicks 110, Pacers 103: Pacers Crumble Down The Stretch

Tom Lewis — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:59:56 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Wilson Chandler and the Knicks rose above the Pacers at winning time.

Browse more photos »

"They beat the heck out of us in the fourth quarter."

Uh, yeah.

Jim O'Brien stated the obvious in his post-game comments after witnessing his Indiana Pacers lose control of a game they grasped for most of the night before eventually letting it go, losing to the visiting New York Knicks, 110-103.

The Pacers had a 13-point lead with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter and then just crumbled down the stretch. The home team ran out of gas and answers, while Al Harrington and the Knicks took advantage of their depth and fresh legs to sprint past the Pacers at the finish.

At halftime, life seemed so good for the Pacers. Danny Granger had 30 points, the team had scored 43 points in the second quarter. They had nine offensive rebounds and Roy Hibbert was on his way to another double-double. Visions of a sixth-straight win were HD clear.

Then the second half happened.

Danny Granger was blanketed by Wilson Chandler early in the third quarter and then slipped into a foul-induced coma, for the remainder of the game. After returning for the last half of the fourth quarter, the Pacers' All-Star could never get it going again. There was a brief spark of hope with two minutes left when Granger hit an 18-footer to put the Pacers up 100-99. But the Pacers would never lead again and about 30 seconds later, Granger would foul out trying to block a shot in transition.

But Granger doesn't get all of the blame. The final 5:50 of the game produced enough goats to turn this near-win into a sure-loss.

With 5:50 left in the game Dahntay Jones made a layup to put the Pacers up nine (97-86). Then the implosion went into full effect.

Earl Watson offensive foul, Watson turnover, Granger bad pass turnover, Watson's shot blocked, Hibbert missed shot, Dahntay Jones missed shot. That all happened in consecutive possessions.

Dahntay broke the string by making one of two free throws and then Granger made his two-pointer at two minutes with the game still in the balance. But then another string of slopped spilled out on the offensive end for the Pacers.

T.J. Ford bad pass turnover, Dahntay bad pass turnover, T.J. bad pass turnover (SERIOUSLY), Watson missed 3-ball.

Meanwhile, Harrington was leading the Knicks to the W at the other end. The former Pacers scored 13 points in the final 5:37 including three 3-balls which gave the Knicks all of the life they needed to believe they could steal the win. And they did.

A few more observations:

During the fourth quarter when the Pacers still had a nice lead, JOB responded nastily to a fan yelling at him to put Granger back in the game. Seems crazy that JOB would feel the need to verbally respond at a time like that, but maybe he was the first to know his team was about to collapse.
Hard to imagine two more diametrically opposed halves of basketball than the two that Granger put out tonight. He was making it look easy in the first half and had the look in his eye while knocking down 5 of 6 three balls. But that look was nowhere to be found after the game. Instead he sat in a heap in front of his locker and mumbled through his post-game interview, literally talking through his fingers.
The turnovers down the stretch were so mind-numbing, I have a feeling Vegas will be checking into this one. Granger, T.J. Dahntay and Watson all had careless turnovers. T.J. coughed up three which gave the Pacers no chance to salvage the win.
Speaking of T.J., I should've known there was some bad karma brewing early in the game when it was obvious T.J. and Dahntay weren't on the same page. With Dahntay taking the ball up the middle of the court in transition, T.J. was on the left wing waving his arms for the ball. When Jones passed to the right instead and turned it over, T.J. let his frustration show with a little pout in the corner.
Roy Hibbert logged another double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds, although only one of those came in the second half. He appeared to have his way in the post against David Lee in the first half, but Granger was going so well the Pacers didn't need to expose it. For some reason, they couldn't make it work in the second half either. Eddy Curry provided a little more beef in the middle to contend with. Yeah, I know, that last sentence is crazy. So was this game.
Dahntay Jones didn't have his best game, equalling T.J. with 5 turnovers, but he laid his body on the line trying to get something going. He also scored a cool 25 points, finding his offense in the draft behind Granger and Hibbert. He even made a couple of threes, although I'd be fine if those were his last two treys of the calendar year.
Earl Watson played more crunch time minutes tonight in a lineup that had him paired with T.J. Ford. Brandon Rush had another quiet offensive night, missing 6 of his 7 threes. After the game JOB mentioned that he prefers Watson at this time and Rush is dealing with normal second-year consistency issues. Hmm, whatever.
Tyler Hansbrough burst through his 16 minute playing limit tonight, logging 20:38 and even playing a bit late in the game after Granger fouled out. The rook finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds, including a sweet follow where he was hit in mid-air, scored the bucket and drew the foul.

Daily Links 11/12

FLCeltsFan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0000

Herald Celtics leave Deron Williams searching for answers
Kevin Garnett fine after scare
LeBron James has answers for Magic
Glen Davis digs up treasure
Brian Scalabrine’s miffed
A big test for Heat
Dwyane Wade shoe-in for Air Jordan
Suns use 40-point first quarter to rout Hornets
Slimmer, healthier Eddy Curry back for desperate Knicks
Value of practice time shows for the Celtics
Celtics tune out Jazz
Globe Final: Celtics 105, Jazz 86
Final: Celtics 105, Jazz 86
Deron Williams: We're soft
Washburn: Celtics bounce back after rough stretch
Analysis of Celtics win over Utah Jazz
Garnett talks about locking down the Jazz
KG on his big dunk
Celtics vs. Jazz Photos
Davis thinks inside the box
Celtics take full advantage of break time
Doing a number

CelticsBlog    Harmonizing Win
Celtics rock the Jazz
A Rested Team is an Offensively Efficient Team
Green Street    NBA Power Rankings 11/12
Doc Rivers on D+C
Fast Break: Celtics - Jazz
Danny Ainge on the Big Show, 11/11
Celtics generous in win over Jazz
Walker makes unexpected return
Turn up the volume: C’s practice makes perfect
Boston SportsPulse   Do The Celtics Have What It Takes To Go All The Way?
WEEI    Rivers on D&C: Shoot it, Sheed
Danny Ainge on WEEI
Bulls.com   NBA says refs made correct call on Miller shot
NESN     What Life Could Have Been Without Kevin Garnett
Live Blog: Jazz at Celtics
Celtics' Brian Scalabrine Likely to be Sidelined Until Saturday Celtics Rock Jazz, Roll to Balanced 105-86 Victory
Rest, Practice Do Re-Energized Celtics Good in Win Over Jazz
SL Trib    Utah Jazz: Boston gets no fight vs. Utah
Utah Jazz notes: Back, psyche hurt
Jazz thrashed by Celtics
Loy's Place    Random Thoughts on a Fun Win Over the Jazz Comments from the Other Side - Jazz 11/11
Cleveland.com    Which team is the Cleveland Cavaliers' true rival?
Muze Clothing   Muze Clothing Blog -Ray's Shirt for Charity
ESPN     Eastern Conference rematch -
Utah's Williams ready to go
Garnett has fun in laugher
Rondo, Perkins share duties
Walker makes season debut
Once again this season, point guard matchup is key to Celtics-Jazz game
Celtics.com     Celtics Host Reading Event Featuring Educational Animal Show
Ford Keys to the Game: Jazz at Celtics
Celtics 17    Rajon Rondo Will Become the Best Point Guard in the NBA
Cocking the Gun: Celtics Three-Point Shooting Will Take Them to the Top or to the Grave
Red's Army    Lay Up
Your KG Face of the Day
Your Morning Dump... Where Practice Happens
Comcast SportsNet    Well-rested C's easily defeat Utah
Well-rested Celts play a tune on Jazz
Celtics Thrive Off Revamped D
Celtics Hub     When Shots Fall, Blowouts Happen: C’s 105, Jazz 86
‘Toine vs. Sheed and the Importance of Context
North Station Sports    Celtics Silence the Jazz, 105-86
Celtics Town    The Boston Celtics' go-to guy
Running Diary: Jazz no match for rejuvenated Celtics
Lex Nihil Novi    Rondo Needs to be Boston's D.Wade
McHale Thriving in 6th Man Role (83-84)
Boston -12
Celtics Keep Rolling
Larry v. Magic: Celtics have a Date with the So-Called "Great 8"
CelticsLife    That's More Like It, Celts win handily
Celtics 105, Jazz 86 Highlights
Celtics/Jazz Post Game Videos
Gino's Jungle     Celtics Rock and Roll the Jazz
Rondo Wins Another Heavyweight Battle
Spreadin the Wealth
Fan Huddle   The Utah Jazz not in tune as they lose to the Boston Celtics
Yahoo    Cavs' Delonte West misses team plane
Waiting for Next Year    Cavs 102, Magic 93: The LeBron and Mo Show
Wilbon: Iverson and Cavs a Perfect Match
MetroWest Daily    Celtics 105, Jazz 86: C's no fans of Jazz
Thoughts from the Jock Strap     A Celtics Fan in Jazzland
NBA Talks    The Celtics are Back!
ProJo    Rondo, Celts drum Jazz out of town, 105-86
Celtics-Jazz pregame: Utah coach impressed with Wallace/Rivers
Celtics Journal: Garnett doing fine so far, and Rivers expects improvement
Welcome to the TD Garden
Bleacher Report    Perfect Situation: Allen Iverson Is "The Answer" For The Cavaliers
Inside Source Says He Knows Where LeBron is Going
Slam Dunk Central    Celtics Have The "TOUCH"; Bombard Jazz 105-86!
Sports of Boston    Celtics Earn Extra Rest in Blowout of Jazz
Inside Hoops     Brian Scalabrine angry at injury-causing cameraman
NBA Rumors - Thursday, Nov. 12
Dimemag    Superman Too
CT News     Celtics Overwhelm Jazz: 105-86 -
Patriot Ledger    Celtics show what they can do
Telegram   KG’s numbers not big worry
Rest Stop
Celtics Stuff Live     Some Unemployed Ghosts of Celtics’ Past
Gold Rarities Postgame Show: Celtics vs. Jazz
Ohio.com    LeBron to stay silent on free agency
NBA FanHouse     Delonte West Speaks but Doesn't Make Much Sense
Athlete News Wire   The Truth Strikes Again
Cleveland.com   Delonte West sitting out Wednesday in Orlando after reportedly missing team flight
Hoopsworld     NBA Power Rankings Week 2
Social Media     How the Boston Celtics are using Social Media
NECN     Grousbeck a fan's kind of owner
USA Today    20-second timeout: Celtics guard Rajon Rondo
Boston Score    Grousbeck a fan’s best friend
Sporting News   Deron Williams Q&A: Jazz Searching for Consistency in Early Season
Hoop Doctors   Who Should (And Probably Won’t) Be Getting All Star Fan Votes

Wednesday Trioks

Seth — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:43:05 -0000

Good day, pilgrims. The Knicks are signed up to play basketball against the Atlanta Hawks at home tonight. In the meantime, let's take a look at what's floating around the world wide web.

- Eddy Curry practiced with the team yesterday and...Holy Jared Fogel, what happened!? NYKnicks.com has the words and video on the big guy, who looks like his own little brother right now. I saw Eddy in person no more than 6 weeks ago and the amount of progress he's made is astounding. I was ready to discount his ever playing this season completely, but things appear to be looking up.

- From that same article, Nate Robinson practiced yesterday and could be ready to go against Atlanta tonight. The Knicks could badly use his offense, provided he can relocate his shooting touch.

- Trey Kerby runs the "Phenomenal Swag" feature at Ball Don't Lie, and happened upon some fresh kicks for the suffering Knick fan/hipster in your life. I think we can call these people "Knicksters".

- You'll probably object to my invoking the name of Charles Smith in this space, but you should know that he's been up to some philanthropy since becoming dead to you in '94. Howard Beck profiles Smith's engagement with the NBA Retired Players Association.

- Mike Kurylo of Knickerblogger tells Donnie Walsh what's what about advanced statistics and Walsh...well...read for yourself.

- Danilo Gallinari isn't on the All-Star ballot, which infuriates me. It also infuriated me when Danilo Gallinari wasn't elected president or named Top Chef or America's Next Top Model. ALL THESE HATERS. I wouldn't be surprised to see some cock in the three-point shootout, though. And by that I mean Daniel Gibson might participate.

- I have a feeling that a few of you will foam at the mouth after reading this bit of opinion on Chris Bosh. If you do foam at the mouth, you should consider getting treatment.

- All I'm saying is don't let your guard down around that Tate's triok. Something fishy about that character.

Come back later for a Knicks-Hawks game thread and maybe my celebrity sex tape. Maybe.