The Knicks Fix

Channing Frye looks ready to return to the lineup. His sprained ankle will be evaluated by the team’s medical staff – what, no second opinion? That seems to be the standard operating procedure around here – before Saturday’s game against the Nugs at MSG. He might be cleared to play.

I’d like to see if A.I. is cleared to play . . . for the Nuggets.

Whenever Frye does return, he’ll do so as a reserve. He’ll join fellow sophomores David Lee and Nate Robinson in the second unit. Remember earlier in the year when we were thinking of a Knick-name for the bench? Well, considering what James Dolan said about his second-year players – and if you don’t, let us remind you: “I feel like they’re really in their first year, because I don’t think they developed much last year.” – perhaps we can call them “Dolan’s Dunces.”

Frye’s return means even less minutes for Jerome James, who excited the Knick bench with his activity in the late stages of the Knick blowout win over Atlanta on Wednesday. Well, actually, it was a blowout at one point – the Knicks led by 30 points – until sloppy play late made it a less-lopsided 92-84 final over an injury-plagued team.

Getting back to James – Jerome, not my homie LeBron – for a second, I was watching him run his tail off and give up hard fouls and follow up a missed shot with a dunk. Then I saw the bench cackling and laughing about it. And I thought – Isiah Thomas gave this guy $30 million to be Greg Butler or Stuart Gray, who were cartoon-characters on Knick teams in the early 1990s. These were the big white guys that the Garden crowd would call for when the Knicks were up big.

James should have more to offer than comic relief. But where do you find minutes for him in a fast-paced game?

Whenever Steve Francis gets back from knee tendinitis, it’s going to create more of a log-jam in Isiah Thomas’ rotation. It’s not going to be easy to be political about it at all. Isiah can’t play 10 players a night and expect to have consistency. So someone among the guards – the guess is Robinson – will see his minutes slashed dramatically. How’s that going to sit with N8 the GR8?

About as well as it will probably sit with the fans.

* * *

So I go over to interview Frye before the team’s shoot-around this morning. Frye was at the arena way before the team doing his own workout. The guy may not be the best rebounder, but he’s a hard-worker. He was dripping with sweat before the rest of his teammates had even gotten into their practice gear.

He was also winded. And as I asked him how his ankle feels and if he’s ready to come back, he got tongue-tied.

“I feel real good,” he began. “The doc’s gonna reav-re- re-”

Malik Rose, sitting next to him, let out a “Wooo!” and then pretended to start up a motorcycle.

“Give it a little gas!” Rose yelled, laughing.

“-re-evaluate me tomorrow,” Frye continued, finally finishing his thought. Clearly embarrassed, Frye looked at Rose and said, “It’s cold outside, dog. It’s cold”

* * *

Just wondering if Magic Johnson had that talk with Stephon Marbury and if now we’ll start seeing Steph toss up a few “baby skyhooks” with that smile Magic says he hasn’t been seeing out of Marbury. As another colleague pointed out, why is it that there is this notion that someone thinks they can get through to Marbury? Isn’t that the job of the coach?

And, quite frankly, Marbury seems to be listening to his coach and playing the role that is asked of him. Lately, he’s been playing it well. Now we want him to smile, too, so we can see if he’s enjoying himself or not?

How about next we ask him to grow out his hair like Josh Childress, so he comes off as more lovable to kids?

* * *

Is anyone really surprised Eddy Curry isn’t among the top 10 in the all-star voting for Eastern Conference centers? Outside of 11 games so far and our own little world, who else in the NBA really knows about Eddy Curry? Can he put together at least a half-season of solid play before we annoint him an all-star? It’s like handing Jared Jeffries the Defensive Player of the Year award after two games. And it’s no one else’s fault than us in the media – well, not me – who come up with this stuff. Not once has Eddy Curry said he should be an all-star. And if you ask a teammate or his coach if he should be an all-star, would you expect anyone to say no?