SB Nation User Blog: Seth

Knicks 122, Wizards 117

Seth — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:16:11 -0000

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

I continue to underestimate this team. Playing with only seven men and less than 24 hours removed from a blowout loss in a different time zone, the Knicks came alive last night to defeat the sorry Washington Wizards in NY. They stayed above .500 for one more day, and did it in front of a rocking MSG. Some notes:

- When you've got only 7 guys, it takes massive contributions from a couple people to make anything happen. Well, we got that. Check it:

- Quentin Richardson was furious at the loss to Milwaukee, and unleashed his fury on the net. He buried 7-13 three-pointers (including 6 in the first quarter alone, tying John Starks for the Knick quarter record) on his way to 34 points. Q also grabbed 12 rebounds and went toe-to-toe with Caron Butler all night.

- Wilson Chandler's shot has been a little off since the deal, but he overcame his struggles to shoot a respectable 7-16 from the field and drop 23 points. Wilson must also be commended for 6 ferocious rebounds against the bigger Wiz.

- Nate Robinson's another guy who seems affected by the trade. He's dealing with the stress by reverting to his old showboating self. He put filthy crossovers on Nick Young, threw superfluous wraparound passes to nobody in particular, and committed silly fouls but who's to argue with 27 points on 10-14 shooting, as well as 6 bounds and 6 assists?

- Finally, give it up for David Lee and Chris Duhon. Lee was a monster around the basket, and finished with 22 points and 12 assists at the 5 spot. Duhon struggled at times, but got 11 assists and 5 boards to go with his 10 points.

- No Knick starter played less than 40 minutes.

- Tim Thomas, Al Harrington, and Cuttino Mobley were all in the house, and all seem legitimately psyched to be Knicks. We got interviews with each of the guys, all of whom are ecstatic to participate in D'Antoniball. And you know what? I'm gonna give Tim Thomas a clean slate for his second go-around in New York. If P&T existed in 2004, TT would've been a major goat around here. He was always an infuriatingly talented player who just never put in the effort. I'm willing to give Tim a chance, though, since he seems like a nice dude and sounded pretty excited when interviewed.

- Incidentally, Thomas will be wearing #2, Mobley #32, and Harrington #7.

- How on earth are the Wizards so bad? Even without Arenas and Haywood, they've got two All-Stars, size, and a decent bench. I don't see Eddie Jordan staying employed for much longer. The guys at BF are inflicting a little frontal lobe damage over this whole thing, and it's hard to blame them.

That is all! It was an exciting win, and the Knicks will have a full rotation and a little head of steam going into Tuesday night's game against Wally Szczerbiak and the Cavs. The Garden braces itself for a visit from Wally World.

Crawford/Randolph tribute coming later today. I swear.

Game Thread: Knicks vs. Wizards- 11/22/08

Seth — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:37:10 -0000

Here we go again, my friends. The incoming players have yet to arrive, and the Knicks will one again go to war with seven men. This time it's the vengeful Wizards, who probably aren't pleased about the robbery of a game the Knicks pulled in Washington. We saw what this depleted is capable of last night (i.e. not much), and I fear the same tonight. New York stands at 6-6, and this could be the night we fall below .500 and never look back. Tipoff's at 7:30 and this here's your thread for comments and whatnot. I'll be around unless things start to get too ugly. 152 games to go.

Check out Bullets Forever for the Wiz beat on tonight's game.

Bucks 104, Knicks 87

Seth — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:54:29 -0000

(AP Photo/Darren Hauck)

One down, 152 to go. We've got quite a bit of time until the mythical 2010 beast graces our team. This one was particularly sour, since the newbies from Cali have yet to show up. Let's recap last night's events quickly:

- The Knicks were completely lifeless last night, and it's hard to blame them. It's tough for us to face two seasons of idling before 2010 comes. It's tougher for the guys who have to actually play the games. In interviews, guys like Nate Robinson seemed legitimately crestfallen at having Crawford and Randolph so swiftly taken away. Basketball's a business, and it's easy for us to think of certain individuals as just a big contract or a trading piece, but the players don't think that way.

- Gus Johnson had a particularly brilliant call on one of the Knicks' many blunders: "Robinson, working the pick and roll with Malik Rose, kicks it out to Mike D'Antoni...". The passes were errant al night, the shots were out of flow, and the seven guys on the court looked tired as hell.

- The big news was that Stephon Marbury suited up and participated in warm-ups, but did not play. It depends who you ask, but either he refused to enter the game or D'Antoni made it clear that he would not be playing this season. The Knicks would rather we not dwell on this conundrum, and I'm down for that. I will say that it's pretty surreal to see the Knicks huddle on one of the bench, while Marbury grins off into space on the other end.

- Luc Mbah a Moute: darker-skinned Jared Jeffries? Anybody?

- I've never seen so many airballs in a game in my life. The rims in Milwaukee must be the size of quarters. That or guys like Malik Rose and Wilson Chandler were shooting contested fallaway jump shots that didn't have a prayer of drawing iron throughout the game.

- In the third quarter, Tyronn Lue hit a three to put the Bucks up by 12. Clyde quipped "that was a Lue-Lue, Gus!". I don't know what that means, but I do know that I've never searched so feversihly for sharp objects in my dorm room.

- Milwaukee has a dance troupe that consists of old people wearing throwback Bucks jerseys. Their jersey numbers appear to be their ages. I have no joke.

And that is all. The Knicks play Washington tonight, and the three new guys still aren't expected to participate. Game thread will be up this evening. Before that, we're gonna take a look back at the legacies of Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph. Peace.

Game Thread: Knicks at Bucks- 11/21/08

Seth — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:22:24 -0000

Well, friends, the floor just fell out from under the 2008-2009 New York Knicks. They showed some promise, but "some promise" ain't Donnie Walsh's business. No, we've got bigger plans. Such plans call for patience, though, and patience begins tonight. The Knicks will face the Bucks with a sparse lineup that wouldn't even be helped that much by the incoming players. Writing a game thread now feels a little like Drew Carey introducing Whose Line Is It Anyway?- "Welcome to the New York Knicks: The team where half the players are guests and the points don't count!" Going into night one of limbo, I've got some questions:

- Stephon Marbury has been activated, meaning the Knicks have 9 healthy bodies for tonight's game. Will Steph play? On a scale from "1" to "Glen Rice's entire New York tenure", how awkward might that be?

- Who starts? Lee will surely step in for Randolph, but who gets Crawford's spot? Does Quentin Richardson slide down? Does Marbury, of all people, start? I bet Robinson gets the go at 2, but look for Anthony Roberson to get actual minutes.

- Dammit, I wish Danilo Gallinari was healthy right now. Can someone set Il Gallo up with a back transplant? I'll give him mine, I swear.

Last time the Knicks played the Bucks, Andrew Bogut and Charlie Villanueva beasted all over the undersized frontline. The frontcourt just got even more undersizeder, so get psyched for more beatdowns to come. The rest of this season's going to be an offensive lovefest with little defense to be seen. The Wait begins tonight.

Upon attempting to finish this post, I realized we may have to retire my signature game thread phrase. Zach Randolph was the inventor of "Get them W's", and it doesn't feel right to use it without him. Thoughts on a new line to punctuate my threads?

Tipoff's at 8:30. Check out Brew Hoop for all your Milwaukee coverage of tonight's matchup.

So, I guess Donnie Walsh was serious about that 2010 thing.

Seth — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:43:01 -0000

Sweet Buck Williams' britches, what a day. In one rotation of the earth, Donnie Walsh swiftly and mercilessly cut payroll and changed the face of our team. The most recent news is still fresh out the oven, but here's a quick look at what seems to be the case:

New York Receives: Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, Tim Thomas

Golden State Receives: Jamal Crawford

Los Angeles Receives: Zach Randolph, Mardy Collins (maybe)

That's over $25 million dollars of cap relief in the summer of 2010. It's also the team's two leading scorers (about 40 ppg combined), and one of the league's best rebounders both out the door. Tomorrow will be dedicated to saying farewell to Crawford and Randolph, two players with mixed legacies in New York- both deserving some attention as they board planes to California.

Meanwhile, what does this mean for this season's Knicks, who are a respectable 6-5 heading into tonight's contest in Milwaukee? Well that's two starters scratched. Stephon Marbury has been activated for tonight's game, but I doubt we'll actually see him. For the time being, expect Quentin Richardson to slide down to the 2 spot while David Lee steps into the starting lineup. Or Robinson/Roberson may plug the string-bean shaped hole vacated by Crawford for the time being.

That's the near future. What are the other, long-term implications?

- The Knicks are even farther away from having a frontcourt. Al Harrington's game is Randolph-esque, but with more threes and far less rebounding. The Knicks may need to start Herb Williams at center for the next two seasons.

- On the other hand, David Lee fans can rejoice that our hero's resigning has become more feasible. Or we can live in fear that Walsh is ready to pull the trigger on anybody, and that Lee is an asset to be packaged as the cherry on top of a foul contract later this year.

- Cuttino Mobley is a decent basketball player, but has nothing to contribute besides some shooting, and may never sign another NBA contract.

- Walsh's pickup of Tim Thomas represents some degree of ignorance for Knicks history. If he was trying to erase the legacy of Isiah Thomas, then resurrecting one of Zeke's most perverted acquisitions wasn't the way to go. I understand that he's an expiring deal, but I'd rather just pay the Clippers $12 million for some Universal Studios gift certificates or something. I don't need Tim Thomas back in my life.

- Last, and far from least, is the fact that Donnie Walsh has unmistakeably made his purpose clear. This team is within an Eddy Curry deal away from being legitimate players for the free agent class of 2010. Quincy Douby is within our sights!

The game has changed my friends. Say goodbye to those above-.500 Knicks who were just starting to convince you. Say hello to a team of young studs and expiring contracts that may drive Mike D'Antoni off the deep end before the dawn of 2010. Get ready for many, many losses interspersed with the occasional runaway win (this team just got much more trigger-happy from downtown, if that was possible), prepare for a few more high draft picks to come, and brace yourself for more idle speculation every time LeBron James eats a slice of pizza for the next 2 years. We're rebuilding in earnest, my friends. This is what we wanted, isn't it?

BREAKING: Al Harrington to Knicks Reportedly In The Works

Seth — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:29:32 -0000

From Newsday:

The Knicks appear to be close to landing athletic forward Al Harrington from the Golden State Warriors in a trade that possibly could send the team's leading scorer, Jamal Crawford, out to Oakland, Newsday has learned.

Details of the deal were only starting to slip out late last night and the only concrete piece of information so far is that the Knicks were getting Harrington, who Knicks president Donnie Walsh, while with the Indiana Pacers, drafted out of St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, N.J., in 1998. Harrington before the season had demanded a trade from the Warriors after a falling out with coach Don Nelson.

...

The New York Post, who posted a report on its Web site early Friday morning, suggested Malik Rose's expiring contract ($7.6 million) was the player going out to Oakland, which makes far more sense for the Knicks on the court -- Rose is a little-used, though well-respected big man, while Crawford leads the Knicks in scoring -- but not in payroll. Crawford makes $8.6 million this season, though he does have an opt-out in July. If he picks up the option, he has two more years at $9.3 million and $10 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

I just woke up and have to go to class, but more on this if and when it becomes official. My original comments on this deal are here. Leave your knee-jerk comments here. Oh, and this report originally comes from Peter Vescey, so, you know...

UPDATE: Is it Crawford or Rose? The implications on the rest of this season are pretty big. Could this possibly be a deluge of Crawford and Randolph in a three-team deal for Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, and TIM THOMAS!? More as it comes.

AFTERNOON UPDATE: It's Crawford for Harrington, it's done, and the Knicks may not be done today. Analysis will come once things settle down and the Knicks themselves makes it official.

MORE: The next step could be that aforementioned Randolph for expiring contracts deal. The GS deal might also include Italian guard Marco Bellinelli, who I think I wanted the Knicks to draft back in the day.

HOW ABOUT ANOTHER UPDATE?: Jamal Crawford:

"It's a whole new regime. You can't take stuff like this personally. I got to be professional and not take it personal. I'll be closer to home. It wouldn't be the end of the world. It would be disappointing. When things were bad, I was there. I wanted to be there when things got good.''

Mike D'Antoni:

"Donnie's plan is pretty clear that in a couple of years we'll be under the cap,'' D'Antoni said in Milwaukee. "Everything we do will lead us to the possibility of being under the cap in two years. Then I'll deal with making sure the team is competitive. We're not going to compromise our future because we might take a half-step.

UPDATEBURY: The Knicks Blog is reporting that the Knicks will activate Stephon Marbury for tonight's game in Milwaukee. Apparently this is because another trade will be made that is so ravaging that Steph will be needed to suit up enough guys. That promises to be awkward.

LAST UPDATE?: The second deal is done. Zach Randolph is heading to L.A. it seems, with the previously mentioned expiring friends Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley coming in return.

Quentin Richardson's got some beef.

Seth — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:25:07 -0000

Quentin Richardson played a decent game last night. He was crappy (3-10) from the field, but was clearly pushing for rebounds and giving his all on defense. His real performance, though, came after the action. Check out Q's carefree transitions between verb tenses and hints at a cage match to come, via Skeets (originally on Boston.com):

"I think a few of those guys know they can’t just say anything to us," said Richardson. "I’m just real curious to see what those guys will be saying if we weren’t in a basketball league, and didn’t have referees. I mean it wouldn’t be the same story. I mean they are the world champions and rah-rah-rah, but the tough part I don’t factor. I come from a neighborhood where you can say what you want to say, but 'til you do something, it don’t mean nothing. Some of those guys are happy to get a ring, but you ain’t been in the league long enough to talk to people like that. I don’t have a lot of respect for that. Like I said, I’d be curious to hear what they have to say in a different setting, I’d be very curious to see that.”

I understand that Q has some history with these Celtics, and it's probably pretty irritating to get an earful from the likes of Eddie House, but...what?

Celtics 110, Knicks 101

Seth — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 02:59:47 -0000

Somehow, this photo summarizes tonight's game better than I ever could. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

A loss is a loss, but the Knicks hung around tonight in Boston, and even made the Celtics sweat a little down the stretch. The guys actually squandered a bit of an opportunity, as Doc Rivers decided to compound the suspension of Kevin Garnett by benching Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo for much of the first half. Unfortunately, the Knicks' undersized big men groveled at the feet of larger bodies once again. This time it was the brutish Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe, who had 16 and 14 points respectively, that caused problems for the New York frontcourt. The C's pounded the ball down low and scored easily and efficiently through 3 quarters to gain enough ground to keep the Knicks at bay later on. Some more notes:

- This was a chippy one throughout, and tempers were flaring everywhere. Zach Randolph was frustrated all night, and his aggravation bubbled to the surface in a little face-to-face altercation with Leon Powe. There wasn't so much as a shove, thankfully, and the two were issued double techs. Later, Richardson and Pierce had some words, rekindling a confrontation that's presented a couple times since Q's been a Knick. It's hard to blame the players for being feisty, though, since both coaches had their panties all in a bunch on the sidelines. The refs got an earful from both Doc Rivers and Mike D'Antoni, but Coach Mike was especially bitchy, and got a tech for damn near shanking Mark Lindsay at the end of the third quarter. He was still jawing after the commercial break, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lindsay wakes up in bed with a horse head some time soon.

Mike D'Antoni objects to a call. Anthony Roberson learns his first curse word. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

- The Knicks came out shooting threes and nothing else, as they often do, but tonight the shots didn't really go down in the first quarter, and never picked up. They were 9-30 as a team, which won't hurt our proud lead in the "made and attempted" department, but turns the stomach a bit when you calculate the percentage. (My number-crunching parrot did it for me, and it's 30%. Quoth Polly, "that sucks".)

- There's a difference between passing a lot and ball movement, ya dig? You can stand still and swing the ball all around the perimeter as much as you want, but it's setting screens and hitting cutters that'll get things done in a half-court set.

- I'd rather see Duhon and Lee play the ball and commit a foul than grab their nuts, shut their eyes, and stand still in hopes of a charge.

- The Knicks actually held a lead after the first quarter, which was garnered by being active and forcing turnovers on the defensive end. I'm pretty sure the C's turned the rock over 6 or 7 times in the first 12 minutes. After that, not so much. Boston (the most turnover-prone club in the league, we learned), finished with a relatively light 14 TO's, considering the first quarter damage.

- Wilson Chandler had himself a really nice game on both ends. Save for a spasm of ill-advised threes in the second half, Wil was attacking, taking and making open shots, and letting the game come to him. It's becoming apparent that his best look is a catch, one dribble with the left hand, and then a nice 18 footer from either side of the key. On defense, Chandler got completely abused by Celtic big men, which is hard to criticize since he's out of position. On Pierce, though, he showed some real mettle. Particularly in the fourth quarter, Wilson harassed the indomitable Pierce into a few misses, even physically deterring a doubling Nate Robinson to take his man one-on-one and force a brick. Wilson Chandler got a heart and a pair of balls, and I respect his 7 rebounds and 4 fouls as much as his 23 points. Cut out a few of those threes and he's got one more fine performance.

- That guy in the Bud Light freeze-frame "drinkability" commercial (Not the hipster cabin one, not the chick tailgate one- the other one.) should send 20% of every paycheck to Dave Chappelle.

- Nate Robinson stuffed Kendrick Perkins in the fourth quarter. It was called a foul, but Perk will lose a little sleep over that one.

- Mardy Collins got a relatively heavy 11 minutes in this one, and didn't completely wet the bed. He still seems pretty wild on offense, and even his makes look accidental, but he got a few good looks at Pierce and Tony Allen, and did a fine job.

- Speaking of Collins, around 20 seconds left in the first quarter, I'm pretty sure Kelly Tripucka said he was "shitting the defense". No doubt I misheard that, but can I get a second opinion?

- Collins' minutes undoubtedly sent a message to Jamal Crawford, who was ghost like Swayze in 25 minutes. He was 1-4 for 3 points, played no defense, and turned the ball over a couple times. Crawford knows he's got what it takes to accomplish a lot in D'Antoni's system, but he's gotta use his head and capitalize on his skill set to stay on the floor. Coach has made that clear.

- What's with Malik Rose's pump-faking? Has Anthony Mason been hired as an assistant coach? By the way, we need video of Rose pulling the chair on Leon Powe in the second half, and Powe somehow maintaining his dribble during his awkward descent.

- Dwyane Wade: "G2 is the smart choice for athletes...'cause it is low in calories". That's not funny. That's just a poorly-researched statement of opinion. WHY ARE YOU ALL LAUGHING?

- I tried really hard not to get myself worked up over a sure loss after the Dallas game nearly burst my aorta, but I gotta admit, it got a little tense at the end there. The Knicks cut it to 4 in the last two minutes, but credit Brian Scalabrine with a huge corner three to ice the thing. Dick.

Oddly, this makes me feel much better. (Original AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

That is all. The Knicks have now fallen to 6-5, and the next game's on Friday in Milwaukee. That's gonna be a big one.

Game Thread: Knicks at Celtics- 11/18/08

Seth — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:15:27 -0000

Sorry I'm a little late, kids. The Knicks tip off in Boston in about 15 minutes, and it's bound to be an interesting one. The C's are without Kevin Garnett, which takes some pressure off Wilson Chandler, as I mentioned yesterday. Pierce and Allen, though, have terrorized the Knicks for years, and will get their points tonight in Boston. For the Knicks to keep this close, they'll have to at least mildly irritate one or both of those two scorers, and find someone to box out Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe. I wait with bated breath. Get them W's...

Update: In my haste, I forgot to mention the newly absorbed Celtics Blog. Not that they needed my link. Check it out.

All-Starbury 2009!

Seth — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:02:03 -0000

Yes SIR we can!

This comes in response to a Fanpost from s.bucektz. The ballot for the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix was released a few days ago, and there's a very important inclusion amongst the Eastern guards. From the announcement (emphasis might be mine):

Ray Allen, Boston; Gilbert Arenas, Washington; Mike Bibby, Atlanta; Chauncey Billups, Detroit-Denver; Jose Calderon, Toronto; Vince Carter, New Jersey; Jamal Crawford, New York; Raymond Felton, Charlotte; TJ Ford, Indiana; Ben Gordon, Chicago; Richard Hamilton, Detroit; Devin Harris, New Jersey; Joe Johnson, Atlanta; !!!!Stephon Marbury, New York!!!!!OMG!!!1; Andre Miller, Philadelphia; Jameer Nelson, Orlando; Anthony Parker, Toronto; Michael Redd, Milwaukee; Jason Richardson, Charlotte; Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee; Rajon Rondo, Boston; Derrick Rose, Chicago; Dwyane Wade, Miami; Mo Williams, Cleveland.

Thus, in the spirit of Posting and Toasting and all others who have proposed the idea, I'd like to formally announce my advocacy for Stephon Marbury as an All-Star. Steph spent the summer working into tip-top shape, performed well in training camp, and had a solid preseason. What's he gotten for his effort? Zero minutes to date. Regardless of what you think about his spot on the Knicks, I think we can all agree he's got a right to play somewhere this year. How about playing a game in which he represents New York, but nothing actually counts? What could possibly be better?

Marbury's Knick days are likely behind him, so let's pay respects for his tenure in orange and blue- his heroics, his antics, and his idiosyncrasies. Stephon's been the most prolific font of entertainment and discourse the Knicks have seen in years. Let's give him one more opportunity to thrill us. Vote early, vote often, and v ote Stephon Marbury to the 2009 NBA All-Star team. If you're down with the cause, tell your friends, mention it on your blog, fill in a ballot for your pet iguana...every vote counts. Yes we can!

(A few more games, and I may be back on my soapbox for Zach Randolph. We'll see.)