The Knicks Fix

lame

Hope this is not a sign of his future toughness!! Knocked out of the summer league by the Tractor, what would a real PF do to this kid. He's a 3 for the foreseeable future.

For everyone waiting on Camby, I don't know, Dolan already got rid of him once, I can't see him signing off on bringing him back. He would be the perfect fit though. @ Kid, Collins is not a PG, but he is also not a 2 either because he is not big enough, nor does he have the lateral quickness anymore to match up with the really good 2s in the league (ie. Roy, Kobe, McGrady, Redd, Carter, Ginobili, Wade, K, Martin, etc.). My biggest problem with him is that he makes bad decisions and plays scared. He also doesn't make his teamates better. He used to play decent D, but that is gone now too. He can't shoot, and the only good sign I saw from him Monday was that he will take it to the hole. Ok I'm done with Collins. Good point about Bayless and Roberson, even though I think Bayless is immensely more talented, they are both undersized shoot first PGs. Difference is Roberson after a couple years around the league still has not learned the basics of being a PG (i.e. coming back to the ball), whereas hopefully Nate M can teach Bayless the position.

Gallo has got to get stronger
so he can take the pounding in the NBA

damn...
one summer league game and he is on the shelf

i hope he plays at least one more game before
he heads back to Europe

they're just being cautious since he'll be playing a lot in the summer for the olympics. someone on here made a prediction that he hits a rookie wall by january...

... well, this is them making sure he doesn't.

Not for nothin, but Traylor was really laying it to him the other day. If that was me taking that pounding, I'd no doubt be in traction right now. :)

I'm thinking D'Antoni will try to keep him away from defending the post in the regular season.

The kid is going to be playing from now until next spring. He'll need the rest. The back got tweaked I'm sure when he was fouled going to the rack in the second half. It was something that worried me about his game when I was watching the youtubes of him. He drives with abandon a la Iverson or Wade, admirable for its aggressiveness, but not too conducive to staying healthy. When you are 6'9" and fully extended in the air, bumps can put all kinds of whiplash and awkward landings on you. The lower back is where everything comes together in the body, and on a long guy like Gallo, especially as he is still thin, thats where things can give out. When the upper half of your body is going one way, and the bottom half gets thrown in the other direction, not good.

I keep reading about how he was flattened trying to defend Traylor. In itself, a common occurrence when defending the Tractor, Gallo hitting the floor is constantly quoted to show how weak he is, how much more physical NBA ball is, etc.... Except, its not true. Yes, he is too light to battle as a 4 right now, yes to NBA physicality, but no to him guarding Traylor. It was actually Stephen Hunter who was getting killed guarding him, himself a very large man. Hunter was fronting him as he couldn't hold Traylor off the block, and didn't hold that position either - Traylor discarded him easily and gathered a lob pass as Gallo came over from the weakside to try to trap him/draw a charge. When Gallo arrived, Traylor already had a head of steam and the young man found out what its like to take a charge in the NBA. Indeed, there were numerous other instances where he was knocked around like a rag doll, but none where he was defending Traylor. He was never assigned Traylor.

I point this out because its the beginning of a tall tale that will probably stick. Never let the truth get in the way of a good story I guess, especially when we can pat ourselves on the back about how physical and tough we are here in America. I think the most important thing we learned playing the Cavs with Traylor and Hickson yesterday, is that the Knicks are STILL in serious trouble inside, and there are no indications we will be getting any help from this crop of FAs or anywhere else. This is a big problem. That is the important story, not that a 19 year old perimeter player from Italy got his clock cleaned his first game trying to play the 4 in the NBA.

Donnie, D'Antoni got his lap dog in Roberson, can we please go get a mastiff now?

You mean Olympics 2012 right? Since Italy didn't qualify for the 2008 Olympics.

@ Don . . .pause.

Another pansy Knick.

Just like Eddy Curry, defenseless on and off the court.

Stephon Marbury, who threw a temper tantrum with that phony injury story last season.

And, of course, Fat Zach and his mysterious - and predicted by this writer - trips to strip clubs in Gary, Indiana.

Another wimp in Knicks clothing.

Traylor is a load for 19 year old SF just as he is for a 30 yo center.

I watched todays game and wasnt impressed by anybody. We got blown out by all those Spurs from France. Knicks looked flat in 2nd half.

@Willis

Excellent post. You described EXACTLY what happened on that play w Traylor. And you are also right that the Knicks still need some big, strong, tough interior defenders/role players. Gallo won't be guarding anyone close to Traylor in size and weight in real games.

Neither Roberson or Nate could shoot the ball today. Perhaps there is a reason that Roberson isn't in the NBA.

Any status on Curry? Did he do the slimfast diet with Q? Is he over his injury?

@ Willis

What you talking about Willis!

We need to beef up?

Actually I agree and have said the same thing, although more indirectly on prior threads.

The Meep Meep of the D'antoni Road Runner, Ferrarri style offense will be going up a more beefed up Eastern Conference.

Seems like while the Atlantic is pairing bruisers with athletic shot blockers- Celtics, Sixers, Raptors- the Knicks are going small but more concerting they might end up being softer in the interior by shedding Lee or Randolph w/o getting either a bruiser or shot blocker back. Curry could be a bruiser but his play last year indicated to me that he might lack mental toughness.

Knicks might get knocked around for a bit unless D'antonio mad genuises the Knicks into a different result

Hornets got Posey. That makes the Celtics weaker next year. Finally some good news from within the conference.

I don't really think it matters if Gallinari was guarding Traylor or not. Gallinari came over to help on Traylor and he took the hit, end of story.

Not the first time Traylor has injured somebody, fat tub of lard.

Well Summer League is over for me. Danilo Gallinari was the only reason worth watching. I might be alone but I have zero interest watching Nate Robinson ballhog and Mardy Collins and Renaldo Balkman shoot bricks. I don't see anything special or promising with Wilson Chandler either. :/

who cares about the knicks anyway? they stink and that will not change next year. who cares if newsday is owned by them. give me a break.

Well I continue to watch summer league to see whether any of the remaining role players up their trade value. Which is what may be the remaining purpose of summer league for many a team coach or scout.

We might be able to pair a player or two in trade of Z-Bo later on down the road. So making your Collins, Balk, etc look good isn't such a bad thing.

Does anyone have news about Balkmans ankle injury ?

Today's games was just like old times. Nate started chucking the ball when the got behind. Chandler looked like a lost rookie again. The Knicks turned the ball over making stupid passes and show off tricks that they didn't finish. What else is new. I know it's the preseason. But, represent and play with heart.

I told you, Danilo Gallinari is soft. He ain't gonna last!
You might wonder if Danilo Gallinari will qualify for this list in the future, but most New York fans would probably laugh at such an idea. http://realgm.com/src_feature/1286/20080707/top_10_careers_of_players_picked_6th/

I hope Gallo's problems aren't chronic. For all the reasons summer league is not that meaningful, it is an opportunity for new players to build relationships with the coaching staff and start some sort of transition to NBA ball. There have been a lot of rookies who get set back by summer injuries and have a hard time making up the lost time.

While its admirable when anyone wants to volunteer their time to play for their country, its well known that players who play at a high level in the summer, including seasoned all-star veterans, often run into injury troubles during the following season. As a rookie, and possibly one with a bad back, Gallo's national team plans may be cause for concern.

DJ Mbenga would be a good fit - cheap, has great feet and good size, can run the floor fast enough ti keep up. Just the kind of Cooler/Nose Tackle we need to eat up post play.

Was in Vegas last week. Most Impressed with DJ Augustin and Al Thornton. Coach Brown had that awe shux look about him. Augustin is lightning quick, absurd handle, hits three's and can finish with either hand in traffic. Thornton looks likes a beast on the wing. Can really shoot the basketball.

Stop it with the 'soft' BS. If you want to talk 'soft' take a look at Durant. Gallo plays same type game as Durant so what is your problem?

@Knicks4Life

True, Tractor is a bootleg-ass power forward in terms of skill, but in terms of being a giant beast of a human being, he can't really be topped. You really think he's soft because that mountain of a man put a hurting on him?

Is Gallo taking Marbury with him to Italy?

WILLIS:
The Tractor & Gallo....
The press makes it sound like a runaway freight train bulldozed Gallo into oblivion. There was contact but geez-wiz..

Good point.

@anonymous
"Another pansy Knick.

Just like Eddy Curry, defenseless on and off the court.

Stephon Marbury, who threw a temper tantrum with that phony injury story last season.

And, of course, Fat Zach and his mysterious - and predicted by this writer - trips to strip clubs in Gary, Indiana.

Another wimp in Knicks clothing. "

I get the same feeling reading your moronic comments as I do when I step barefoot into a load I missed from my dog in the backyard.

rush - for some reason there is a group of people who seem obsessed with the desire to see Gallo as a bust, despite the fact that he really hasn't shown any actual reason to think that to date. Probably the same clowns who booed him on draft day. Logic doesn't stop them - if he looks good in summer league, they'll say summer league means nothing, but they'll rave about it if anyone picked after him has a good summer league game. Durant is an awesome offensive talent but is soft as charmin, and may be the weakest guy in the league. No one settles for jump shots like he does - a natural choice when you're a teenage string bean playing with physical specimens ten years older then yourself. The physical maturation process should help him transition from spindly chucker. No one knows how good Gallo will be after some growth and time in the weight room - some signs are positive, but the injury is legitimate cause for concern.

jim - the anon. troll isn't very bright, as is apparent from his mindlessly repetitive comments. You could probably make a good case that he has a psychiatric disorder as well, if you wanted to waste the time on him. I prefer to ignore his drivel - nothing says "skip me" like "posted by anonymous".