The Knicks Fix

Randolph, James & Richardson should go to the Clippers or Europe or Bolivia and take Starbury with them. They can buy a franchise.

Curry needs a bowl of fruit and a salad 3 times a day, hold the bread and pasta.

Wishing Gallinari a roll of tape and a gallon of Ben Gay. Drafting soft guys is really smart.

DTR

Very Funny.

Alan, a couple of years ago I would think none of this would come true. But, I think sadly enough all of it will come true. Lets get Eddie another hamburger w fries.

From last thread:
@Knicks4Life - What makes you think D'Ant has any plans to play Zach and Curry together?

FWK I think he will have no choice but to put them on the floor together at times. We don't have enough height in the middle not to play them together on occassion with the way minutes are allocated. The only other "big" of any use is Lee. Rose and James can't and should not get meaningful minutes. With our record the past four years should anyone on this team really be untouchable? We need a shotblocker.

As for the practicality of playing the Twix Towers (thanks NYC) together, I don't see it. I was in favor of the Zach move until I saw him play consistently. Think about it, two bigs who don't play D and are both terrible at passing out of double teams and are slow footed. How do you play them together effectively over 48 mniutes? For 20 minutes Zach can stand to the side while Eddie does his thing and vice versa but then teams double team whoever is hot and in the 4th, we collapse. Lee can't hit a 15 foot jumpshot so putting him in is useless in the clutch unless he can get a tip-in or offensive rebound, but remember he is not a good defender either. In two or three years when/if Gallo can play the four that is the answer on offense, no doubt. But for next season, I can't see going into the season and watching all that fat jiggling up and down the court. Hope I convinced you . . .

Lee shot 0.552 last year and finishes on the break better than anyone and can average 15-20 in D'Antonio's system. Saying he is useless is absurd. He is really their best player and every other team would love to get him.

DTR

New here, first post. Let me try to sum up what I'm reading:

-Zach Randolph needs to go because he's a big man that is a ball hog, doesn't run, and doesn't pass.

-The Knicks pick up a young big man, who passes, runs, scores inside and out, and generally makes teammates better, and everyone's mad we didn't pick up Bayless?

Am I sensing a bit of inconsistency? Just chill. No one here was bigger at 19 than they were at 22; no one here was bigger at 22 than they were at 25. He's going to grow. And he's not going to lose his ability to run and pass. He's got vision, and that means he'll help any winning team. As for soft, despite getting beat up, I saw him go to the hole again and again in that game, and at least attempt to defend a man who has age, experience, and 125 extra pounds on his (back)side.

Bayless looks nice, for sure, but A. it's summer league, and B. undersized combo guards are a dime a dozen. There will be another one available next year.

I agree with most comments here about the need for Zach to go, eventually.

Just to play contrarian though, Zach is NOT a bad passer. He is just unwilling. Remember, there were plenty of times last year where Zach would make a nifty pass on the money, and it Clyde and Breen would react with surprise. They eventually got used to it and realized that Zach does indeed posess the ability and vision to pass well, he just doesn't like to do it. Which, in my opinion, is even worse. He had like 3 games in a row at one point with 5 assists (which I think is like his career high or something). But then decided he was bored with that, and went back to being the black hole that he has been his whole career.

i listened to walsh on MSG last night
and i come away with these points:

1.walsh says he need more time to evaluate the roster
2.and that he is thinking about not making any moves until Feb
3.and that he thinks "Fried Chicken" Curry can play better defense

huh?

i think that Walsh thinks that D'antoni can sprinkle
fairy dust and make the curry not as fat
make Zach pass more and play defense
and turn back the clock on Q-rich's back

what does walsh need to evaluate that
he has not already seen?

and the marybury situation...
whats the plan?
play him.trade him,buy him out?

don't you think that some questions on the knicks
don't need evaluation?

i mean we won 25 games last year...
what is there to evaluate?

there is a time to be patient
and their is a time to be aggressive

personally i think walsh should be in
aggression mode...

basically we are bringing back the same team
with a few new additions
(Duhon,Gallo,Robertson)

But all the old problems are still on the knicks

we still got the Marbury problem
we still got the zach and curry problem
we still got the "big Snacks" problem
we still have no defensive pressence
in the middle

its like going in your closet and putting new shoe laces
on your old tennis shoes and calling them new

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO START SOLVING
SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS?

@ DTR. I didn't say Lee is useless in general. I said in the clutch when our C is being double teamed he is usless b/c he does not have a jump shot. What is with the man crush on Lee anyway. he is a solid/good basketball player but he is not an all-star because his game has allot of liabilities. Remember he couldn't even start over Channing Frye!! You lose simply by saying he finishes on the break better than anyone. Marion, Stoudamire, Iverson, KG, Vince Carter, Kobe, Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Howard, Andre I, Roy, Moon, B. Davis, G. Wallace, Beasley . . .he is not even the best finisher on his own team (see Chandler. Marburry). Last year he also lost his explosiveness and missed more dunks than at any point in his young career. Just stop now!!!!

Gallo is a SF on a team full of SFs. He is a few years away from being a PF in this league. No inconsistency there. Oh and we still need a PG unless you believe in DUHon, which is why we wanted Bayless or Augustine and not Gallo. If Gallo develops into a star as a life long Knick fan no one will be happier than me, but in the next couple of years it is going to be painful watching Bayless on another team.

al-boogie
why no mention of nate's jersey retirement ?? c'mon that was comedy at its finest....i need tha inside scoop of "wtf was up wit dat?" i know his boys on tha team had jokes 4 days when that size S jersey was unveiled hangin' up there all alone by two thumbtacks. i wonder if it's gonna be hangin' there all year-round ....gimme that info al, u slippin' baby.

Don't post stats unless you are going to post them all:

David Lee FG%:
05-06: .596
06-07: .600
07-08: .552
(*gone down every year)

Min:
05-06: 16.9
06-07: 29.8
07-08: 29.1

PPG:
05-06: 5.1
06-07: 10.7
07-08: 10.8

Yeah this is our best player never playing more than 30 min PPG and never averaging over 11 pts. Cmon DTR think before you type. Lee is a good but at this point in his career limited player.

@ knick4life

David Lee FG%:
05-06: .596
06-07: .600
07-08: .552
(*gone down every year)

your great analysis of "gone down ever year" is not accurate, please review the numbers. thanks babe.

Maybe we should add Tractor Traylor and then we'd really have the Flabtastic 4?

Mike and the Mad Dog
is backing the NY Post story
that the knicks knew that Gallo
had a history of injuries on the italian team
and they said there is a chance he might not
play at all this season

What?

this kid is 19 and he has had
chronic knee problems and
back issues

and the European scouts dub Gallo as
"injury prone"

now i ask

why would walsh use the knicks #6 pick
on a injury prone euro player?

when he had his choice of
1.Jerryd Bayless
2.Anthony Randolph
3.Joe Alexander
4.Brook lopez
5.Ben gordon
6.DJ Austustine

Walsh defenders please answer this question...thanks.

Nets looking to give away Marcus and Sean Williams.

why not see if we could get them on the cheap (if the Nets would deal with us)

>Mike and the Mad Dog
is backing the NY Post story
that the knicks knew that Gallo
had a history of injuries on the italian team
and they said there is a chance he might not
play at all this season

Mike and Berman are total idiots if they think that's what's going on.

Just about every rookie with some potential got banged up a little and they were all shut down immediately. There is ZERO point to aggravating even a mild injury in summer league with any top prospect. If this was regular season and the Knicks needed Gallo to play, he could have and would have played.

SERIOUSLY? Gordon?

Gordon anyone? Anyone? Gordon? Gordon?

@Italian Stallion

the key world is "chronic" injuries

that statement came from a italian scout

the scout said that Gallo has a history of "chronic" injuries
including knee problems

of course the Knicks are gonna tell us
that he could have played
if the games meant something
what are they gonna say

"yep..we drafted a kid with a bad back that might
linger throughout his career"

thats just PR spin...but what about the reports
of chronic knee issues?

and if the injury is so minor why
are the knicks asking Gallo not to play
in the Euro tournament coming up

if it was so minor...they would be like
"go play"...but obviously they have some concern

oh yeah...i meant eric gordon in post above
not ben gordon..LOL

@ Knicks4Life

I think he will have no choice but to put them on the floor together at times. -snip- Hope I convinced you . . .

Look, I have no use for Curry whatsoever. Same goes for Crawford. Whatever they bring to the court they should bring elsewhere.

But, facing reality, we are stuck with these two. I happen to believe Zach is a better Weatherspoon and can be very good for this team.

You are correct - we need a shotblocker. Again, assuming no trades I double Zach with Jeffries (as center) to complement each other and Curry with Lee. Zach and Curry are Kryptonite to each other.

As for that missing shotblocker, I have advocated for over a year engineering a Curry for Darko deal involving some bad contracts. Darko is no bargain but at least he's not Curry. Memphis can make the respective claim on their side as well.

Kwame is floating around out there as well. i am also an advocate of making your competitors better short-term for a long term payoff.

Teams who have to win now will come back to revisit the Knicks. Detroit, Denver, and many other teams will have injuries and needs after the season starts. Feb. should be interesting.

The Nets shopping sean williams?

really?

i hope walsh is on the phone
but i doubt the Nets will be trading with the knicks

sean willaims would make a nice fit in a knick uniform

This sounds like a He Said - She Said kinda thing (Gallo, not Nets trade rumor)

Would Walsh really make his first pick as GM a guy with a bad back and sprung knees?

I dunno, but Berman is Berman, and well, I can't really stand to listen to talk radio, least of all the babbling idiot Russo, so, who do we believe? Berman? a Dog? an Italian Scout? the Knights Templar? The Borgias? The Medicis? The Capulets? The Montagues? What is this, the frikkin DaVinci Code? (somebody stop me......)

Wouldn't Walsh have done some due diligence, ask D'Antoni? D'Antoni knows his dad, played with him, would Vittori snow D'Antoni about the kid? Why wouldn't D'Antoni talk to people he knows in the Italian League about the shambling wreck that is Danillo? Why would D'Antoni accept as his first chance at revamping the talent on the Titanic, a broken player? Its not like Italy can only be reached by Christopher Columbus era sailing ships and word couldn't get here in time for the draft that Danillo had polio as an infant. Maybe the "Italian Scout" has an agenda, a relationship with a spurned agent who missed out on representing Gallo? Maybe Berman, Stephon's personal stenographer,a man who feels the only thing that's got Starbury on the outs is a personality/loyalty conflict with Zeke, is a little too credulous?

And Alan thought things would be quiet in the wacky world of the Knicks until training camp. Seems like we've got something on the stove now. Sorry Papi, you'll have to keep the barley juice on ice for a little while longer......

On second thought, this is probably best dealt with from the other side of sober........

Maybe this is what Berman heard about:

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53688/20080721/front_office_source_love_a_train_wreck_physically/

(They all look alike to me too)

But didn't Walsh say the first time
he saw Gallo play was at summer League?

i think Isiah was his eyes and ears

do you think isiah would stab walsh in the back
by saying good things about Gallo
when he had heard some injury concerns?

hmm...i would never trust isiah
if i was walsh

if it was me i would have flown over there myself
and seen the kid with my own eyes

all i got to say is if Gallo does not play
significant minutes this year i will be pissed

you can just throw away a #6 pick

Knicks4Life wrote "What is with the man crush on Lee anyway. he is a solid/good basketball player but he is not an all-star because his game has allot of liabilities."
In your statistical review, you not only incorrectly stated that his FG% gas gone down every year, you failed to mention his rebounding. Others have commented that he lost some "spring" last year, but that could be attributed to a lull in rehab from his injury. Also, don't forget what a complete fiasco last season was!
There's a reason that other teams want Lee. He could become an all star, but even even if he doesn't you get hustle, rebounding, and intelligent team play. Most of us who are Lee fans have recognized that he is expendable if the rigjht deal comes along, but are mystified by people who don't get what a bright spot he has been in some very dark times. Why do you want to write off one of the few players on our team who gets it?

Sorry, the post at 19:28 was me.

@nyc 2 Infinity

My point was that all these stories about chronic injuries and rumors he's going to be held out are ALL NONSENSE. I don't care who the idiot was that was the original source about supposed chronic injuries or anything else. Mike, the Mad Dog, and Berman are even bigger idiots looking to make headlines, stir up controversy, etc... instead of giving the new regime some time to do all it has to do to clean up Isiah's mess.

There is NOTHING WRONG with Gallinari now and he's had no injuries beyond the routine aches and pains that all professional athletes get. He missed little or no time while playing in Italy/Europe. That says it ALL.

@Italian Stallion

i hope you are right

would you be disappointed if Gallo's
back problems are more significant than reported?

remember Q-rich had questions about his back
coming out of college
and look at how that turned out.....

i would hope walsh and company did their research
but it makes me nervous when i hear these things

do you think that italian scout
has a grudge against Gallo?

he is spreading some negative info

Infinity - nervous making it is.

Remember Jonathon Bender? Walsh traded Antonio Davis for Bender the very year they went to the finals against Shaq, leaving them one Davis shy of beating Shaq and the Lakers. Bender never played, his knees were shot.

So, yeah, scary whenever you hear this stuff, but it is rumor now, and I can't figure that if everybody in Italy knew about it, Walsh and D'Antoni never did. What is they say? "Rumor is half way round the world before truth even puts on its shoes" or something to that effect.

I also find it the highly unprofessional that Berman insists on the "Italian Stallion" nickname, played off as if its the common parlance, when no one has ever called the kid that. But we know from Fox news and the rest of Murdoch's properties like the fascist rag the NY Post, that the truth never got in the way of a good insult. Rumor mongers, panty sniffers, stink bomb throwers all. Berman has to manufacture things now that his time as Marbury's jester is coming to a close.

So let me get this straight .......

Some unamed scout says Gallo is injury prone but this guy was nowhere to be found prior to the draft when just about everyone was trying to get more info on this kid ?

I call BS .This is simply a ploy for the knicks to get Gallo to sit out and not play for the national team and to do so without ticking them off.

There was a article where the knicks head euro scout talked about how long he had been following Gallinari. If the guy was missing all sorts of games he wouldve saw it or at least heard about it.

I think Walsh saw what he could do and wants him to hit the ground running in October.hes still a young guy and he needs to get acclimated to the states and they want him on the weights for the next 10 weeks .

LOL @ Berman listing an unamed inside source on the knicks ......as if anyone tells marbury anything anymore. and then somehow has a unamed euro scout.

@Luke

the Knicks said that they knew Gallo had some injuries
during the Italian League but that they were
just growing pains

@Willis
I know Berman is a joke of a reporter
but it worries me to hear those kind of rumors
i got the feeling that the knicks were determined to draft Gallo
regardless of what they heard
the only player they would have drafted instead of Gallo
would have been OJ Mayo

to me the worst injury besides knee stuff
would be back stuff.
back problems are hard to fix

we already have one back problem player(Q-rich)
we don't need another

@WILLIS. you crack me up. you are the most insightful blogger in this room. but please, when it comes to referencing fascism in a basketball blog, i kind of like to think of that as my domain.

Alan thanks for the laughs and updates. I'm in Cyprus till October and this the best Knicks blog out there. Can't watch any summer league but the topless beaches in Ayia Napa make up for a lot.

My 2 cents re. Lee: using his minutes, or whether or not he started over Frye as a measure of his worth as a player is totally disingenuous - remember who was doling out the p.t. Isiah's moronic substitution patterns was one of his (many) major weaknesses as a coach and his unwillingness to play Lee was something he was ripped for here.

On the Gallo issue - his "growing pains" are worrying, but I'd be more concerned if the info wasn't coming from Starberman (like the nickname Alan). He is about as reliable as a Sam Smith trade rumor. However, I also wouldn't put too much faith in management's "due diligence" either - GM's have often ignored injury concerns when they really want a player. One need only look as far back as Greg Oden to find a player whose history of injuries and other signs like uneven leg length were well-publicized worries prior to the draft, but Portland still took him. So far, that hasn't worked out so well - time will tell if it was the right decision. The point being, the Gallo situation is one more thing that bears watching, and if he does prove fragile, the second-guessing will only get worse.

Sec my brother, have at it - you do it well!

Some times it just boils over.....

@nyc 2 Infinity

I think Gallinari is a very talented player, but he's young and not physically mature yet. It's tough on any kid his height/frame to get banged around by some of the pros in the NBA that play at the forward spot. The Knicks would rather him take some time off from playing, perhaps lift some weights, change his diet, etc... and improve his strength and bulk a little before the season. There is no point in pushing him and potentially aggravating any minor injury to the point that it delays his development. The Knicks are in such a terrible position, they simply can't gamble with guys like Gallinari and Chandler because both have the potential to be very solid starters (if not all stars) in a few years. I think the rooster will be fine. He's never had back problems. He just took a very hard blow from The Tractor that would have hurt most players a bit.

AM I CRAZY OR SHOULD WE HAVE GIVEN ZACH AND A NUMBER ONE TO THE CLIPPERS? I THINK I STILL MAKE THE DEAL

As I remember, the same people who were blasting Isiah for not getting Sean Williams or Marcus Williams are knocking Walsh for not getting Bayless and Gordon. Word of advice learn from your mistakes, nothing is guaranteed in this league.

Pete i think you are mistaken about Isiah sub patterns. He was trying to win every game and played veterans until it was hopless. Then he started rookies and lost like 20 in a row before they started playing better. He just wasn't willing to do this earlier thats all. He was doing it the right way, believe me.

Correction nothing guaranteed in this leage except silly contracts.