From realgm.com

Mike D'Antoni told the media that he has never seen a shooter as good as Danilo Gallinari.

"He's the best shooter I've ever seen," D'Antoni said.

I mean, I don't know what else to add. I mean, I don't need to tell you guys the players D'Antoni has coached. Just remember that he's 58 years old and has been around basketball his entire life. He's coached Steve Nash on the Suns and Mike Miller, Michael Redd, Kobe Bryant, etc. in the Olympics. Comments?

This year we've been thinking about the overall home run record set by  the 1997 Mariner's (264) for a single season, but one we haven't been paying much attention to is a less relevant, but still existent record: Most players with 20 or more home runs in a single season. According to Baseball Almanac, the American League record stands at 7 ('96 Orioles, 2000 Blue Jays, 2005 Rangers). Currently, our Yankees have three players (Teixeira, A-Rod, Damon) who have hit the 20 home run mark, with four others (Swisher-18, Cano-18, Matsui-17, Posada-15) clearly on pace. That would give us seven, tying the record.

Two things I think are worth mentioning are that Derek Jeter has 13 and Melky Cabrera has 11. While I don't expect either of them to hit the 20 mark, stranger things have happened and it would be cool to hold the record. The other thing is that all three of the current records represent the "Steroid Era" in Major League Baseball to its fullest extent. While A-Rod has admitted to using PEDs in the past, I can confidently say our Yankees look like they may wind up with the "cleanest" seven 20-home-run guys, so to speak.

I just thought it was something worth mentioning as well as something to root for.

Keep your eyes on right field!

Admittedly, I'm in love with Ricky Rubio pause. But I have an objective hypothesis concerning our acquisition of the spicy point guard pause, and here it is:

Rubio was taken 5th overall by the Wolves, who then proceeded to take Jonny Flynn 6th overall. They definitely need a point guard, but they certainly do not need two. This leads us to believe that one of the recent additions will be moved.

First Question: Why would they move one of their picks?

First Answer: As individuals, Rubio and Flynn are both higher-echelon talents. Rubio is Harry Potter with the rock and Jonny Flynn is an excellent energy player who could develop into a starting NBA point guard within the year. In tandem, however, the two playing on the court together simply does not work. One of the them would have to guard the two position, a job of which neither player is capable (Flynn for obvious reasons and Rubio because he's only 6'4" and lacking muscle). This leads me to believe that the Wolves never planned to combine the two guards, as it would be foolish for them to draft a player who would play back-up with the 5th or 6th overall selection. Moving on.

Second Question: Of the two, which one is more likely to be moved?

Second Answer: Rubio. The reason for the is a simple one: Money. Had the Timberwolves planned on keeping Rubio, they would have taken him 6th rather than 5th, so they would pay slightly less considering the rookie pay scale. I could also cite his disappointment with his selection, but I don't read too much into that shit. However, in the NBA, as with every industry, you must follow the dolla signs, bitch.

Third Question: What would make the Knicks his most likely destination?

Third Answer: Need. The Knicks were one of the many teams who went into this draft with a mindset of nabbing a "point guard of the future." From a quick analysis, they were the only team who was unsuccessful. The Kings, Warriors, Bucks, Sixers, etc. all got their players (no matter what Monta Ellis's shooting guard ass has to say about it). Our Knicks, however, remain stagnant with a mediocre Chris Duhon.

Also we must consider the needs of the Timberwolves. They will, in some way, have come out of this draft with a solid point guard. They have have an excellent PF/C in Al Jefferson, and an additional power forward in Kevin Love. A quick glance at the three spot makes any sportsfan want to vomit. With Ryan Gomes and Rodney Carney playing the small forward position, the Wolves need help. I think you guys know where I'm going with this: Wilson Chandler.

Giving up Willie would be painful, but we really need to let the cock spin. You truly do not want to click that.

I'll let you guys go nuts with the trade machine concerning the salaries, but a quick glance at the free agent list shows you plenty of expiring deals on the part of the T-Wolves, and you know we gobble that shit up son pause.

What would you guys think of some fangled deal swapping Willie for Rubio and more burn for Gallo?

Peace.

This was originally a response to Seth’s comment in the post about New York being the Mecca of Basketball, but it got way too lengthy so fuck it. It’s a post now.

 

I never lived in the city and only spent 7 years of my life in the state of New York before moving to Pennsylvania. I have yet to meet another person out in Pennsylvania who even CLOSE to shares the same feelings toward the Knicks that I do.

Normally I wouldn't consider this a good thing, but I've kind of enjoyed it, retrospectively.

In the past however many years, I've watched the Knicks get their asses handed to them by some of the worst teams ever assembled. I've watched them get their asses kicked to shambles by teams in a division marked the "Titanic" conference.

I've watched the Knicks play like SHIT against teams of almost all white guys (here's to you, 2006-2009 Indiana Pacers!).

They are going to get a lot better sometime relatively soon, and you're going to have a lot more people going absolutely bugshit about them almost entirely because of their improved record. I welcome this, but at the same time it's going to make me look back on the game threads of "Knicks vs. Nets 2008: Everybody get ready for a terrifying shitshow pitting the worst teams of all time against each other!" and kind of miss them.

It probably seems really pompous that I'm even typing this up, seeing as the Knicks' improvement is far from guaranteed. But these last few (ten) years have been a test of will, and I think we all deserve it.

 

Any given year, I want the Knicks to go 82-0 and sweep the playoffs. I want to see, in my lifetime, not just a Knicks Championship team, but a fucking Dynasty. I want to be able to say "Wow, someone from your team won the dunk contest? Cool...what was your record this year again?" I want the Celtics to fake injury at the end of the year against us because really, there's no point in trying to beat us at the Garden.

 

Anyway, back to what I was saying in the way beginning, when I was unnecessarily giving a stupid autobiography for no reason. I live far, far away from the nearest Knicks fan, and this website has consistently given a shit about the Knicks even when the Knicks didn’t give a shit about the Knicks.

 

I agree with Seth that the fans of this site are predominantly diehard and realistic people. When there is a welcome influx of fans who are neither (which, frankly, has already started), I’m going to love it, but about 1% of me is going to look back on the last few years and say “Jesus Christ we were terrible, thank God other people still gave a shit!”

 

I just hope, with the impending flood of new fans of this site (Once again, I’m pumped for this, not dreading it. Welcome everybody), I just hope it won’t mean we have to do shit like, FOR REAL. I hope we still get ridiculous recaps, even if we’re winning 50 games a season (Please, God).

 

A girl can only hope, Diary. Goodnight.

Editor's Note: Knicks-Bucks thread coming soon. In the meantime, solanumbrella presents an interesting discussion topic.

Via Isola [Article on Knicks site here]

Donnie Walsh says he's having a "Greatest Players" tribute representing the greatest Knicks player from each of the last 6 decades at halftime of the March 23rd game vs. the Magic. He has each decade pegged:

40s: Carl Braun

50s: Richie Guerin

60s: Willis Reed

70s: Walt "Clyde" Frazier

80s: Bernard King

90s: Chris Dudley Patrick Ewing

2000s: ??? [Will be honored in 2010, when this shitshow is over]

with Dick McGuire getting a Legacy Award.

Isola hypothesizes Spree or Houston as far as 2000s are concerned, and one of the comments suggests maybe Marbury. Any other ideas? Agreement? Disagreement?

I say if, by some miracle, David Lee can string together 20 straight games of Godliness and lead us to the playoffs, he should get the nod for rescuing us from death's capture and deading the Isiah Era once and for all.

As reported by the times

Marbury is definitely going to the Celtics, as we all suspected. The Times is reporting that he'll sign for the veteran's minimum (1.3 mil, I think). Quoth the Times:

"Marbury is scheduled to meet with reporters in Boston on Friday morning and be in uniform Friday night when the Celtics host the Indiana Pacers."

Definitely the best quote of the short article is:

"An elite player in his prime, Marbury has not always been considered a positive influence on the teams he has played for."

This guy is a douchebag. Thoughts, gentlemen?

Just read on ESPN.com that Chad Ford heard the Knicks and Bulls have agreed to the following trade:

Jerome James

Tim Thomas

for

Larry Hughes

What the hell would this do to help us? I don't know, give us back a player who has forgotten how to be a good basketball player in the last 3 years? You guys tell me.

Is he serviceable? Is this a mistake? Are we going to miss Tim's 3-point shooting and size, with no real big men? Does this mean less playing time for anybody? Thoughts.

This shit that Chad Ford (is white as fuck) just wrote up lists his top ten ballerz most likely to move before the trade deadline. David Lee is listed as #7 with the following reasoning:

"But to keep Lee, who becomes a restricted free agent next summer, the Knicks would have to pay a terrible price, considering that team president Donnie Walsh is trying to clear cap space for the summer of 2010. As the Knicks currently stand, if Walsh signs Lee to a big extension, any hope of having cap space to lure LeBron James goes out the window."

with some other shit, too.

Personally, I think David Lee is the only big man we currently have that I wouldn't peg an "alien" in that test they did at the beginning of Men In Black. Not sure what this means, but it's definitely something. I would like to hang on to him as long as possible no homo.

Thoughts? Concerns?

I'm trying to figure out some way for the Knicks to get ahold of Raymond Felton. I know he's not an unbelievable point guard by any means, but I've watched him a little over the past couple of years (Don't ask me why the fuck I get the Bobcats channel) and I have to say he's pretty sick.

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Here is a compiled list of every rhyme I heard Clyde say throughout the course of the season. Yes, I have a lot of free time.

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