For all of whom who were willing to trade for the veteran white chocolate point guard Jason Williams your fantasies may be ruined. Over on OPP they're contemplating whether or not Williams career is over. Let's get one thing straight, I aint down with OPP because well, you know me, I'm a Knicks fan. I'm a believer that Andy Rautins could make a serviceable backup point guard but I was intrigued by Williams as well. It's a real shame though seeing that his career may be over.

"I'm not so sure that I won't be able to play ever again," Williams told the Orlando Sentinel before tipoff.

"It's not getting better, and they say it's not going to get any better. I've still got a long life to live, so we're going to see a day at a time. I don't know."

There's plenty of linkage on the article on OPP so check it out and read into if you feel like further educating yourself which is never a bad thing :)

Poll

Who must you have at backup point guard?

3%

Williams

3 votes

24%

Telfair

21 votes

45%

Rautins

39 votes

25%

NONE

22 votes

85 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Note: My intentions for the quoting are not to "expose" false predictions. They're here to show the excitement about players who have little to no impact on games. So if I quoted you... Don't take it the wrong way.

Wilson Chandler is not a starting Power Forward, Toney Douglas is not a Point Guard and these are two obvious facts. We know we need a starting Center/Power Forward and a backup Point Guard. So here's where I'm heading, is trading for pieces (or dropping players to pick up someone) to fill those holes extremely necessary? Hmm, let me rephrase that; is it necessary at all? I don't know which side of the seesaw I'm on with this one, maybe at the conclusion of this article I'll come to a decision but I do have some opinions on the situation if you allow me to continue.

I don't usually ask folks to take the jump with me since you know... We don't actually jump in FanPost but go ahead, take the jump if you'd like.

Poll

I Have Faith In...

11%

Rautins

20 votes

14%

Mozgov

25 votes

21%

Randolph

38 votes

12%

None of them

22 votes

11%

All of them

20 votes

29%

Two of them

52 votes

177 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Dec 15th is a big date, mark it on your calendars folks because from that day onto the trade deadline the NBA will quite possibly go through an extreme makeover (Trade Edition). More importantly the Knicks will most likely have a makeover as well. The exuberance of this makeover is still unknown but some may believe it's almost certain that Donnie will make at least one trade. For those who are a tad lost, when Dec 15th arrives teams can then include players who were acquired during the free agency period in trades.

The Knicks have nearly a completely new team on their hands due to free agent signings making it harder for them to execute a trade before Dec 15th. Kelenna Azubuike, Raymond Felton, Roger Mason Jr., Timofey Mozgov, Anthony Randolph, Amare Stoudemire, Ronny Turiaf and Shawne Williams are all untouchable players until the Dec 15th restrictions are lifted. Most of the trade rumors being floated around had involved at least one of these 8 players, most noticeably Anthony Randolph. 

The main trade or player that's been talked about is no doubt Carmelo Anthony. One could imagine that  Donnie may restrain from making any moves in order to maintain cap stability for the big fish. This is most definitely a possibility and if Donnie doesn't take much action after Dec 15th it'll most likely mean that he's in serious talks with Denver and refuses to screw up any scenarios where 'Melo could land here in New York.

This team has it's share of issues, the need for a Center and a backup point guard has been talked about and Donnie himself has even acknowledged the weakness at those particular positions. With all the talking going around Donnie may already have a deal on the table and is simply waiting for Dec 15th to pull the trigger. We may be welcoming a player or two to New York or even saying farewell to one for a draft pick in return...

 

Is Randolph and Walker going to be moved for O.J. Mayo

Is Randolph going to be traded for a first round pick, which would possibly be sent to Denver in a 'Melo deal

Will an offer for Landry Fields be too good for Donnie to turn down

Will we mingle with the Trailblazers in an attempt to pry one of their veterans away from them

I really have no clue what's going to happen but no matter if Donnie sells the team to the devil or keeps the team how it is I know he has a plan; a plan that he's going to follow through.

Poll

Which do you prefer?

45%

I want Donnie to at least fill one of the holes we have

47 votes

13%

I want Donnie to keep the team as it is

14 votes

41%

Whatever Donnie does I'm fine with it

43 votes

104 votes | Poll has closed

Last night was great, taking over the Verizon Center was one of the best feelings I've ever had. When I was younger and I watched wrestling I always wondered why some of the guys chose the vile, less like-able villian path over the alternate heroic fan favorite. I now understand why, it's loads of damn fun. Before we get to that I'l shed some light on the happenings during the shootaround where I had the most fun. Fun like meeting (or at least having them acknowledge me) Ronny Turiaf, Raymond Felton, Amare Stoudemire, Danilo Gallinari, Roger Mason Jr and Tina Cervasio <3

Continue reading this post »

Anthony Randolph has seen a piss poor amount of minutes and hasn't shown flashes of much during time on the court. He has the skills to be the team's best rebounder and best post defender but instead he gives us incredibly bad shot selection for one and all around bad basketball decisions as a whole. Before the season started it was rumored that there was a 1st round draft pick on the table for Randy which was thought to be from the Indiana Pacers. Back then most of us scoffed at the idea of giving away Randolph for a 1st round pick, I get the feeling that the consensus around here for this particular subject might have changed.

The Knicks have fielded calls from several Western Conference clubs regarding a deal for Randolph, according to a team source. The most compelling conversations have been with the Houston Rockets, who in one scenario would trade the Knicks the first-round pick they obtained in last year's Tracy McGrady deal.

via Frank Isola of the NY Daily News

The feeling is that the first round pick acquired would be most likely dealt to Denver for Carmelo Anthony in return which would mean the Knick aren't planning on waiting until Free Agency for the All-Star and would rather trade and secure him now. Knowing what you know, 1) He would likely be traded to the West and away from us in case he turns it on and 2) The pick would likely be dealt in a deal for Melo, would you make a trade?

Poll

Would you trade Anthony Randolph for a First Round Pick in the upcoming NBA Draft?

65%

Yes

113 votes

22%

No

39 votes

12%

Undecided

21 votes

173 votes | Poll has closed

Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports

With the Trail Blazers' obvious struggles and the health challenges (that's putting it mildly) of Greg Oden andBrandon Roy, two people with knowledge of the team's strategy told CBSSports.com that Portland management is contemplating trading older players and going young. The obvious targets for such a purge would be Marcus Camby (36), Andre Miller (34), and Joel Przybilla (31).

Przybilla ($7.4 million expiring contract) and Miller (whose $7.8 million salary in 2011-12 is fully non-guaranteed) are eminently moveable. Another candidate to be dealt, though not because of age or health, is Rudy Fernandez, who has wanted out of Portland for some time. Sources caution that the Blazers have engaged in only internal conversations about this strategy, and it is contingent upon the team (10-11) continuing to struggle. But the writing certainly is on the wall for major changes in Portland. 

Maybe this is exactly what the doctor ordered, a couple of bigs and a point guard. I know Camby was just recently extended and I'm unaware of how much he's making and for how long. Also, If my memory serves me right Przybilla is out with some sort of injury so trading for him will be a gamble.

Poll

Give me...

45%

Marcus Camby

44 votes

12%

Joel Przybilla

12 votes

8%

Andre Miller

8 votes

34%

None of em

33 votes

97 votes | Poll has closed

Who's going streaking? We are; we all are. There's no doubt that this team has been impressive, but there's also no doubt that we are far from perfect and there are holes which need plugging. Most noticeably we have an undersized shooting guard backing up the point and simply cannot run the offense and a somewhat injury prone backup center taking on a heavier load than he should causing wear and tear on his body. Originally we were worried about the gaping hole at the 2 which was eventually partially filled with the emergence of rookie Landry Fields, now that that's been taken care of for now what should we do next? There have been two reports over the past couple of days addressing our backup Point Guard and starting Center issues.

Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times has got us covered with insight on moves being made for a backup PG.

The Knicks have made inquiries to other teams about acquiring a low-cost backup point guard to preserve the starter Raymond Felton, according to two N.B.A. executives with knowledge of the organization’s discussions. The Knicks are looking at players whose contracts expire at the end of the season in order to keep their salary-cap space for the summer. They are willing to part with Bill Walker, according to the executives.

Not that Toney Douglas is a bad player or anything but the guy just cannot play the Point Guard position appropriately. I won't go into detail and bash Douglas because he is a good player and fans from other teams already think we underestimate the guy which we don't. It's just the simple fact that he can't run the offense properly and as a result Raymond Felton is 3rd among all Point Guards in minutes per game with 38. A backup would take a pair of weights off of Felton and give him more relief and time to rest up without having to worry about our offense moving at snail pace like it does now when he's out of the game. A veteran back up for Ray would do this team a great favor. We've all talked about the possible expiring point guards but according to a report early this morning we should be more focused on the big men on the market.

Poll

The Knicks have a need at Center and backup Point Guard. Which do you prefer?

64%

Center

80 votes

28%

Point Guard

36 votes

2%

Neither

3 votes

4%

Too hard to choose

6 votes

125 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

DATE	OPP	RESULT	MIN	FG	PCT	3P	PCT	FT	PCT	STL	BLK	TO	PF	OFF	DEF	TOT	AST	PTS
12/3	@Nor	W 100-92	21	5-7	.714	3-4	.750	0-0	--	1	1	1	3	0	4	4	0	13
12/5	@Tor	W 116-99	21	5-6	.833	4-4	1.000	0-0	--	1	0	1	1	2	1	3	2	14
Numbers for December			21.0	10-13	.769	7-8	.875	0-0	--	1.0	0.5	1.0	2.0	1.0	2.5	3.5	1.0	13.5
			MIN	FG	PCT	3P	PCT	FT	PCT	STL	BLK	TO	PF	OFF	DEF	TOT	AST	PTS
Totals			29	6-9	.667	3-4	.750	0-0	.000	1	1	2	3	1	4	5	1	15
Averages			9.7	2.0-3.0		1.0-1.3		0.0-0.0		0.33	0.3	0.67	1.0	0.3	1.3	1.7	0.3	5.0

Do you see that? Seriously, doooooo yoooooooooou seeeeeeeee thaaaaaaaat? Shawne "Threee" Williams (Get it? He wears number three, hit's three and the extra "E" in Shawne adds onto three which makes "Threee"... Ah, forget it) has been absolutely hot in the past two games. The guy can simply not miss. I may be jumping the gun but who gives a hell, when players on my team show flashes of greatness I take notice and I drink the kool aid.

It's weird actually, every time Shawne got the ball this afternoon I felt completely safe, like I was riding the light up into heaven. He makes me feel... Protected in a way. No matter how incredibly weird that may sound it's the honest truth. When he shoots, time stops, the ball begins to move in slow-motion and when it tickles the twine, boy does it tickle my fancy, rings my bell, tutes... my... horn... I'm not sure if I sound increasingly homerish or just plain homo but I'm fine with either the two.

I apologize to you Shawne for the unlimited amounts of "Drop Shawne Williams for _____" comments and post I've made. You deserve to be a Knick and everyone who have doubted should take this time to apologize now. Keep it up and don't make me regret this...

The Knicks' brigade goes stomping into New Orleans tonight to take on a pretty tough Hornets squad. The key match up to watch in this one is easily Raymond Felton Vs. Chris Paul, not only because each player can change the tide of the game but more importantly to get a glimpse of where Felton's head is at in the long run.

A lot of the media and fans speculated that Felton would put up impressive numbers on this team under Coach D'Antoni and his cap friendly contract was like extra whip cream on my already delicious thanksgiving candy yams. The tricky part is no one really knows for sure what's going to happen with Felton and his future on this team. Will CP3 sport blue and orange in a couple of years? Is Felton playing beastly to secure a hefty contract with another team? Or is he making the case to stay put and show the Knicks' front office that he belongs in NY, he deserves an extension and that Paul should be put in our rear view mirror like a dissed hitchhiker? I personally like to believe that Felton is making a case to stay a New Yorker.

You don't tug at the New York stitching on the front of your jersey in MSG if you didn't have the New York State of Mind. Felton is completely aware of the situation, he may not have any competition for his position on this team but down in New Orleans where beads and boobs co-exist, Paul is (possibly unknowingly) making a case to play in NY. If Felton is passionate about being extended by the Knicks he would take this opportunity to show us that although Paul may be the better player, he's only a couple of steps behind him and Paul isn't worth the hassle.

So I'll being paying close attention to this battle. We'll never know for sure what Felton's intentions are until the time comes but if he goes out there tonight and tears Paul a new one, I'd like to think it was because he wants to be a Knick for years to come. Something I have no problem with.

The Knicks have the rights to D-League prospect Vernon Goodridge who was drafted 5th in the D-League draft. We're talking about a lottery pick (OMGZ!) people! Ok a D-League lottery pick is not something to wet your slacks over but improving the team with new players always deserve attention. The problem is, we currently do not have an open roster spot for this particular D-League prospect.

Goodridge, 26, who flew under the radar at LaSalle University, worked out for the Knicks for several days in late June and impressed. He was the last cut of the Warriors in late October and was drafted by Springfield with the fifth pick. Knicks president Donnie Walsh told The Post recently he was indeed monitoring Goodridge's progress as he likes his leaping ability and defensive potential.

Curry still could be bought out sooner if they feel he won't be part of a trade package. In two games with Springfield, Goodridge is averaging 10 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes.

Full article (here)

Here's a somewhat dull highlight reel of the 6'9 Forward out of LaSalle. At the end of the day, if we can't trade Curry and he'll never see the floor anyway I see no downside to cutting him for a player with possible upside.

                                        RBA VERNON GOODRIDGE REEL (via MIKEREV212)

Poll

Are you intrigued at all by Vernon Goodridge?

42%

Yes

30 votes

12%

No

9 votes

45%

He wouldn't make a difference

32 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed

So Amare Stoudemire is not happy, he isn't happy with the players, he isn't happy about the effort and he isn't happy about the losing. I really don't want to touch on this topic too much because it pains me to even talk about the abysmal sucking we have been producing so i'll provide a few quotes from Amare himself.

 Amare Stoudemire's New York Knicks were down 18 in the fourth quarter, minutes away from their fifth straight loss, when the boos started to rain down on the Garden floor.

"It's definitely something that I'm not accustomed to. It's not fun," Stoudemire said after the Knicks lost, 104-96, to a Houston Rockets team that came into town with just two wins. "We're a young team and we make mistakes but we can't keep doing the exact same thing every night. We just gotta find a way to grow up."

"I don't understand why we're not playing with the urgency. I'm not used to that," the Knicks' $100 million man said. "We're not playing like we're on a four-game losing streak, now five. We don't have that sense of urgency. It's almost as if it doesn't matter and it's not something I'm used to."

"We just can't have guys complacent and comfortable with losing," Stoudemire, said with a look of pure frustration on his face. "I can't stand that. It's more attitude. It's more heart. We have to show more heart and go after it."

"We're still not having that sense of urgency to dig for loose balls, get down on the floor. We're not showing that we really want it," he said.

"Maybe the winning mentality has never been here," he continued. "I'm used to winning."

"It's a foreign land for me right now"

I actually agree with Amare but one thing is certain, if we keep this up we'll be the Dallas Cowboys of the NBA. Full article (here)

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle is reporting that the Houston Rockets will not clear a roster spot for center Erick Dampier.

Less than two weeks after they agreed on a contract, the Rockets and free-agent center Erick Dampier came to a very different agreement Sunday.

The Rockets will not sign Dampier as planned, with the Rockets’ stumbling start making the short-term move no longer appealing to the team or the NBA veteran.

The Rockets had reached an agreement with Dampier, 35, on a one-year deal Oct. 29, pending a move to clear a roster spot, most likely by trading or releasing second-year guard Jermaine Taylor who had not played this season.

But Sunday, the Rockets told Taylor, 23, they would not move him because they no longer planned to sign Dampier, Taylor’s agent Michael Whitaker said.

Poll

Should We Sign Erick Dampier To A 1yr Deal?

50%

Yes

48 votes

49%

No

47 votes

95 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

After 5 games we're looking like a pretty solid team at 3-2. We could easily be 4-1 right now but let's not dwell on what could have happened, let's talk about was has happened and what will most likely happen in the future. 5 games in we've looked impressive with each outing and with a team FULL of new faces it's pretty hard to tell that they've only been acquainted for a tiny handful of months. Every single game we've played we've been in it, we were never blown out and for opposing teams we were the bunch that just wouldn't go away. Having Portland, Boston and Chicago back to back to back was no cake walk. All Playoff bound teams who weren't going to lay down for the up and coming Knicks. We managed to dismantle Chicago on their home court on national television in one of the best shooting performances in recent memory, the Knicks are back. Our upcoming schedule isn't a very scary one. The remainder of November shouldn't cause concern or any headaches, December on the other hand... Eh, that's a bit different. Take a look. 

 - Teams who have missed the playoffs last year 

 - Teams who have made the playoffs last year 

 - Teams who have gotten better since last year

 - Teams struggling 

NOVEMBER
Orlando	Tuesday, November 02 2010	PPD	coverage
@ Chicago	Thursday, November 04 2010	win 120 - 112	coverage
Washington	Friday, November 05 2010	win 112 - 91	coverage
Philadelphia	Sunday, November 07 2010	12:00 PM EST	coverage
@ Milwaukee	Tuesday, November 09 2010	8:00 PM EST	coverage
Golden State	Wednesday, November 10 2010	7:30 PM EST	coverage
@ Minnesota	Friday, November 12 2010	8:00 PM EST	coverage
Houston	Sunday, November 14 2010	7:30 PM EST	coverage
@ Denver	Tuesday, November 16 2010	9:00 PM EST	coverage
@ Sacramento	Wednesday, November 17 2010	10:00 PM EST	coverage
@ Golden State	Friday, November 19 2010	10:30 PM EST	coverage
@ Los Angeles Clippers	Saturday, November 20 2010	10:30 PM EST	coverage
Charlotte	Tuesday, November 23 2010	7:30 PM EST	coverage
@ Charlotte	Wednesday, November 24 2010	7:00 PM EST	coverage
Atlanta	Saturday, November 27 2010	1:00 PM EST	coverage
@ Detroit	Sunday, November 28 2010	1:30 PM EST	coverage
New Jersey	Tuesday, November 30 2010	7:30 PM EST	coverage

Look at all of that drool! Look at all of the tears! We have some pretty easy competition in for the remainder of this month. Golden State, Houston and Milwaukee are three teams we shouldn't take lightly. Houston and Milwaukee are struggling but shouldn't be taken lightly and Golden State has been pretty much delivering fatalities. Denver and Atlanta haven't gotten better from last year but they were playoff teams, playoff teams that we beat last year. In fact, Atlanta never beat us last year, we seem to have their number and with a vastly improved team they should have even more problems with us now than they did in the past. The fact is, there's a buttload of games this month that we SHOULD win. Not just could but should. 

Poll

Will The Knicks Win More Than 9 Games In November?

77%

Yes

55 votes

22%

No

16 votes

71 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Marc Berman is reporting that Steve Nash may soon be on the trading block.

There are new rumblings out of Phoenix if the Suns falter, Steve Nash will [be] on the trading block.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni and Amar'e Stoudemire would give their left lung to reunite with the veteran playmaker.

 

Nash lives in SoHo in the summer and has given vibes about being intrigued about ending his career as a Knick.

"In that situation where you want to start over, maybe rebuild, you got to get draft picks and the Knicks don't have any. They gave them to Houston," Kerr told The Post before the Knicks' 120-112 victory. "I don't see what you put together on that roster that makes sense for Phoenix. Or Denver."

 

Kerr, who quit in June to go back to TV, said he can foresee Phoenix moving forward with a Nash trade if it believes it can't win now.

 

"Nobody's untradeable," Kerr said. "I know a year ago no way we would've considered that. But if a team struggles and looks like it won't be a playoff team, they have to consider all their options. But you can't just do it for the sake of doing it. You have to hit a home run. The reality is I don't see any deal put together for those two teams."

I for one see the Suns amounting to very little this season. If they somehow make the playoffs look for a first round exit. If it's true that Phoenix is willing to move Nash and start over if the team isn't excelling I'd expect to see him trading elsewhere. It seems like every player that's rumored to be unhappy or rumored to be on the move seems to want to play here. Do I buy into every report? No, but I like to keep an eye on them. As for Nash, he's a great player and all but I wouldn't want to trade for him. Raymond Felton is doing a very nice job as of right now and can you imagine what we'd have to part with to land Nash? It's a totally different situation from Carmelo Anthony and there really is no leverage at all. I like Nash but I maintain that I would not trade for him.

Poll

Would You Trade For Steve Nash?

26%

Yes

26 votes

54%

No

54 votes

19%

Undecided

19 votes

99 votes | Poll has closed

After a big win against the Chicago Bulls we've been pumped but you know what they say, good things don't last forever when you're acquainted with Isiah Thomas. Thomas has once again spoke of possibly rejoining the Knicks and speaks of future successes that he would like to accomplish with this franchise. The article is written by ESPN's Ian O'Connor who broke down the article in sections. I'll quote various tidbits from each section and drop my two cents as I go along. Be forewarned, this is going to get ugly.

On Chasing Lebron

 

Isiah believes James (and perhaps Dwyane Wade) would be starting for the New York Knicks if Isiah had remained president of the team.

Isiah believes he can recruit James out of Miami and into Madison Square Garden in 2014.

Isiah believes that, with or without James, he will someday help the Knicks win their first NBA title since 1973.

"I want to be on the float and I want to get my ring" Thomas said.

 

As a Dolan emissary on a desperate mission, Thomas met with a James associate on the eve of LeBron's televised announcement in July, arriving with too little power, too late in the game. Not that Thomas is giving up on the hope of being a high-ranking Knicks executive in the summer of 2014, when James can opt out of his deal with the Heat.

"I'd like to still hold onto that dream," Thomas said. "I do think that he'll win championships here in Miami, and they will be a great dynasty. ... But I think when he comes to New York and he wins it in New York, I think he's the greatest player ever."

Isiah really feels in his heart that he'll be a part of this organization in the future, even more shocking; he believes he'll be able to get LeBron James here and win a championship here as well. He wants to ride on a float, a float that will ride through New York streets after the Knicks win in the Finals, a float that he has no business riding or even thinking about riding! He sounds like the dumped boyfriend in denial, knowing that his ex is with another guy but he doesn't care. He wants her back so much that he does humiliating things until his ex finally slaps him across the face and tells him it's over and to get a life. Does he need a wakeup call? Maybe so and it becomes more and more apparent that he needs a reality check as you read along. 

Poll

Do You Think Isiah Thomas Will Ever Be A Part Of The Knicks Again?

7%

Yes, It's Inevitable

5 votes

25%

No Way In Hell

17 votes

67%

Hmm... Not Sure, But As Long As Dolan Is Still Here There's A Chance

46 votes

68 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

According to nba.com's "Rookie Ladder" 

The Landryman ranks 4th among all rookies so far this year.

Rank	Status	Player
1		John Wall
2	NR	Blake Griffin
3	NR	Derrick Favors
4		Landry Fields
5		DeMarcus Cousins
6	NR	Evan Turner
7	NR	Wes Johnson
8	NR	Paul George
9	NR	James Anderson
10	NR	Gordon Hayward

After an impressive showing in Las Vegas, I wondered if Fields would win over Mike D'Antoni with his hustle. Boy, did he. Fields has started all three of the Knicks' games, playing big minutes (29.7, third among rookies) and contributing with his all-around game. He's averaging 11 points and 7.3 rebounds, good for fourth and third among rookies. 

Update: ESPN ranks Landry Fields at 5th among all rookies.

Nov. 4: Some would wrongly assume that Fields has fit right in at this level from day one of summer league because he's a four-year college player. But the fact of the matter is most four-year college players don't make the NBA. So what Fields has been doing is impressive indeed.
Fields has earned a starting guard position for the Knicks, and his willingness to do more than just shoot and score will ensure rotation minutes for him far into the future. It's nice that he averaged 11 points in his first three games, but I love that he grabbed 18 total rebounds in tough games against Portland and Boston. Rebounding is a weakness for the Knicks, and his efforts have kept them beyond respectable in that area.

Read full article (here) ESPN Insider required

Poll

Will Landry Fields Be Ranked One Of The Top 5 Rookies At The End Of The Season?

58%

Yes

78 votes

3%

No

5 votes

37%

Not In The Top 5 But Close

50 votes

133 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Tony Parker has signed a multi-year contract extension. 

Via Spurs Twitter

For some this may come as sad or even devastating news. I on the other hand...  For some reason it seems like he's been in the league forever, I thought he was like 34 but he's actually only 28. His extension with the Spurs is delightful news, god knows how much money he would have been pushing for in the free agency. He would make our team better but what would the cost be? Max? Near max? I'll pass but thanks anyway.

Poll

Tony Parker Has Extended With The Spurs, How Do You Feel?

27%

Happy

44 votes

5%

Bummed

9 votes

66%

I Aint Even Trippin'

106 votes

159 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Hah! That picture makes me giggle...

Carmelo Anthony made perhaps his most revealing public comments to date concerning the stalemate between him and the Denver Nuggets.

"They [Nuggets management] want to sit down and talk, but my thing is it’s way beyond this year. It ain’t got nothing to do with the new GM, Josh [Kroenke], the players. For me, I feel it’s a time for change," Anthony said.

"If I do nothing now, I’m never going to do anything. I feel like my time is now to make a decision if I want to leave or if I want to stay," he continued.

Sources say Anthony is worried about joining a team that has gutted its roster to acquire him, and one source doesn't think he has warmed much to the idea of playing for the Nets.

Anthony continues to maintain that he is not as concerned about money as he is in controlling his destiny. And he says that he does not dwell on the maximum-salary extension offer from Denver that remains on the table.

"I can’t go out there playing and thinking like that. I won’t be able to be as effective as I can be out there thinking like that," he said.

Well that was rather blunt. This is basically a nice way of saying trade me or get nothing. With all of the reports coming out about Denver's confidence in getting Anthony to resign this pretty much shuts them all down. Carmelo showed his hand, they know what he wants and unfortunately they'll be looking to trade him now. I wish they would have just rode their confidence into the offseason believing he'd resign. If we get him we'll have to part with some tools from our toolbox. Maybe Donnie wont bite on any trade offers? Maybe he'll be brave enough to wait until the offseason? My greediness wants to sign him without trading anyone but ugh, not likely, I'll just quit typing now. Read full article (here)

This afternoon I found The Garden's response.  While not as large as the ad the Nets had painted on 8th Avenue by any stretch; without any notice except by those driving down Atlantic Avenue (and not even then) the Knicks took a different tact and bought space directly inside the footprint of Atlantic Yards; site of the Barclays Center, future home of the Brooklyn Nets.

 

Let this thing build up some steam.  This rivalry will go where it has never been before.  Fuhgeddaboudit!

Via TheBrooklynTrolleyBlogger

Seeing this made me laugh, good to see that Dolan had the balls to retaliate. Here's what the Nets fans had to say.

The Knicks and Nets can go back and forth all they want with this fiasco, it's really just an epic waste of money. There is no billboard that would make a true Knick fan become a fan of the Nets. Fairweather fans may switch back and forth but you can have those types because we don't want them. At the end of the day New York will always belong to the Knicks so no matter what the Nets do it's pointless. I appreciate and respect Dolan for getting this billboard up to remind Net fans that this is our town and to let Knicks fans know he won't lay down though. Seriously, what the Clippers are to the Lakers is what the Nets will become to us. They're just a poor franchise with no supportive fans that can't sell a ticket and want to move here to boost their worth. Either way the team is still a fragile boat waiting to sink regardless.

The 2010-2011 NBA Season officially starts tonight and what better way to kick it off other than some award predictions? I'll keep this one short and sweet.

Most Valuable Player: Kevin Durant

 

Most Improved Player: Michael Beasley

 

Defensive Player Of The Year: Dwight Howard

 

Sixth Man Of The Year: Brandon Bass ( Super reach but something tells me he's going to have a great year)

 

Rookie Of The Year: Blake Griffin

 

Coach Of The Year: Mike D'Antoni

 

Please do leave your predictions in the comments because without them this thread goes straight to shit.

After a devastating injury against Duke in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament Da'Sean Butler's NBA dreams came to a screeching halt. Prior to the injury Butler was a projected 1st round pick in the NBA draft but luckily slipped to the 2nd round where he was picked up by the Miami Heat after being projected as undrafted because of his injury. Recently the Heat have released Butler and he's in the open for the taking. What my thinking is, get rid of Shawne Williams who will amount to absolutely nothing this year and pick up Butler. Just like Williams would, Butler could ride the bench for the entire season and then show how much he's recovered in the Summer League and possibly in next year's Preseason as well. Even coming off of this injury I still believe Butler has immense potential, Shawne Williams has already received his chances to prove his worth and has consistently failed , we should trash him and go after the lottery draft pick with a chip on his shoulder. He's a smart guy, clutch, he can shoot from anywhere on the floor and he can attack the basket... I think we should give him a chance. Although it's unlikely that we will I think it's the right move. I watched him last year and he reminded me of Carmelo Anthony and I'm not just saying that, his game seriously reminded me of a Carmelo, Rudy Gay hybrid. Trust me, Da'Sean Butler will eventually amount to something in this league. Not saying he'll become a superstar, but he'll be a quality role player at the least, something every team can't have enough of.

Da`Sean Butler

West Virginia Mountaineers #1 - Forward

Height 6-7 Weight: 225

				FG			3PT			FT			REBOUNDS			MISC
YEAR	TEAM	G	MI	M	A	PCT	M	A	PCT	M	A	PCT	OFF	DEF	TOT	AST	TO	STL	BLK	PF	PPG
2009	West Virginia Mountaineers	38	0	5.5	13.2	.414	1.8	5.2	.354	4.4	5.6	.789	1.6	4.6	6.2	3.1	1.8	1	.400	0	17.2

Poll

Should The Knicks Trash Shawne Williams And Give Da'Sean Butler A Chance?

89%

Sure Why Not

98 votes

10%

Nope

12 votes

110 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Mike D'Antoni wouldn't commit to a starting lineup Sunday after practice in Greenburgh, but did admit that rookie Landry Fields has a shot of being his starting shooting guard when the Knicks open the season Wednesday in Toronto.

"He could be everywhere from starting to coming in and playing significant minutes," D'Antoni said of Fields. "He is a rookie, so a lot of it is still unknown. But I'm very comfortable with playing him. The thing about him is that he doesn't need the ball to do a lot of stuff. When you have guys like Amar'e (Stoudemire) and different guys you want the ball going to, then you've got to have other guys to be the 'glue' guys. He exemplifies that pretty well."

"I haven't talked to everybody yet and I'm still weighing certain things," D'Antoni said of his plans. "Come Tuesday, we'll know, more or less."

 

The idea of seeing Fields in the starting rotation didn't come as a surprise to Stoudemire, who will lead the Knicks into Boston on Friday before they make their home debut in the Garden Saturday night against Portland.

"He's a smart player and he played great in college and he's done great in preseason," he said. "Defending guys is going to be tough for him, as it is for any player coming out of college, because the speed of the guys in the league now is incredible. It might catch him off guard."

Via Mitch Lawrence, full article (here)

Poll

Would You Prefer Landry Fields At The Starting SG Position?

54%

Yes

74 votes

25%

No

35 votes

20%

Undecided

28 votes

137 votes | Poll has closed

Continue reading this post »

Preseason has ended and finishing with a 3-5 record some can't help but to feel a little depressed. We've been rewarded with the opportunity to finally see our new face Knicks in action after a summer of speculation and optimism but all was not glamorous and promising. Sure we've glimpsed at Stoudemire's greatness and what separates him from Lee, we've witnessed Felton's growth within the system and connection with our players but we've also witnessed Gallinari and Randolph's continuing struggles. Let's look at the comparisons based on preseason play.

Amare Stoudemire - What can I say; this guy is an absolute monster and does whatever he wants while on the court. He gets to the line at will, he can create his own shot and his presence is felt at all times. He's taken the game into his hands multiple times, especially against the Celtics causing foul after foul after foul until Marquis Daniels was forced into the game. He's simply a machine, a terminator, a force to be reckoned with. He's proven that he was a better choice and better player than David Lee. I wish Lee the best with the Warriors but he would not have had this same effect nor would he lend this same amount of confidence and optimism to the team and fans that Stoudemire has. It's only preseason but he's been proving he's worth the huge price tag by being the player that he always has been. Preseason Comparison: Amare Stoudemire

Continue reading this post »

 

 

 

via Frank Isola

 

Wilson Chandler could become the Knicks' new sixth man, with Toney Douglas taking his place as the starting shooting guard.

Mike D'Antoni is considering altering his starting lineup because Douglas has played well and mostly because Chandler gives the Knicks versatility and scoring off the bench.

"The starting lineup might be different after seeing some things because we don't have that conventional (shooting guard) that you can pencil right in, I like what Toney brings into it."

My oh my, we've all seen what DWTDD can do with Raymond Felton and the rest of the starters, it's been nothing short of a thing of beauty. Most of us also like the idea of having Chandler coming off the bench and using his versatility to plug him into different spots. Both Douglas and Chandler have been impressive but it's clear that Chandler is not a SG. Douglas however, is undersized but he plays like a SG. Pairing him with Felton excited me during the preseason, let's see if D'Antoni follows through with this plan for opening night.

Update : Mark Berman reporting, Chandler and Knicks having extension talks

Mike D'Antoni hasn't yet decided on whether Wilson Chandler will start Wednesday's season opener for the Knicks at shooting guard, but there have been preliminary discussions between Chandler and the team about a potential contract extension

"There's been positive dialogue," Chandler's agent, Chris Luchey, told The Post. "I wouldn't be surprised if he is extended."

Luchey was in New York last weekend and met with Knicks president Donnie Walsh at the Garden.

Read full article (here)

Poll

Who Should Start At SG In The Regular Season?

71%

Toney Douglas

64 votes

28%

Wilson Chandler

25 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed

 

I know the pictures may be a bit blurry, if you want to see them at a bigger size with better resolution and the ability to zoom click (here).

As part of their NBA Preview issue hitting storesFriday, October 22, ESPN The Magazine has collaborated with the House of Ideas' finest artists and editors to marry basketball's best and brightest with the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe with incomparable illustrated editorial content. Each of the NBA's 30 teams will be featured in their own art-laden preview celebrating and paying tribute to classic characters and storylines while also prognosticating what the 2010-2011 season will bring.

- Bruce Boughner of the examiner