The Knicks Fix

This can only mean a disc problem. A bad back means he goes from a big with guard skills to a stiff.

The Knicks must report the extent of the injury, or we are right back in the Gulag. Very. Bad. News.

Maybe this is wishful thinking on my part but I believe Gallo's back injury is part truth and part fiction.

Yes - it's true that Gallo hurt (strained) his back during that summer league collision with the Tractor. Yes I'm sure he was in some pain and it was right to shut him down for the remainder of the summer league.

At that point I believe (wishful thinking) the Knicks and Gallo agreed that the back injury was a convenient excuse for Gallo to skip the European trials being attended by his Italian team.

This is a big deal over there and I'm sure a big deal typically for Gallo but if I were the Knicks I would have gone to great lengths to keep Gallo from participating in the Euro games regardless of whether or not a back injury had ever occurred.

I'm hopeful that this long term on-going saga about Gallo's back is the Knicks and Gallo's way of trying to make sure everyone back in the Italian homeland is convinced that Gallo's back was serious enough to miss the games.

Had he merely missed the games and immediately started training hardcore with Knick personnel his country men may have called or considered him a traitor. Dragging out the length and severity of the injury gives Gallo a better chance to save face.

If I were GM of the Knicks I would have crafted some type of scenario like this to keep the kid out of games given the huge grind of the upcoming season.

Maybe I have a vivid imagination but it wouldn't be the first time an injury was used by a player to skip an olympic or world game type event. Our american players do this all the time.

I've been watching alot of Gallinari game footage recently, trying to get myself excited for him.

The kid has some serious offensive skills. He has incredibly range on his jump shot, and no just the three-pointer, but a solid mid-range game too.

He can drive to the basket gracefully, but he also has a really consistent up-and-under move in the post.

The thing that does worry me about Gallinari, is that most of his highlights are drawn out one-on-one plays, where he's dribbling excessively and putting up as many shot fakes as Zach Randolph tends to do (only Gallinari's are effective).

So he certainly has skill, but I'm concerned that he's doesn't have the "basketball IQ" that everyone was raving about at the draft.

He is only 19.

P.S. Patrick Ewing Jr. is sick in transition...he'll be fun to watch.

Get Pumped!

No way Gallo use the injury to miss time with national team

And he is not fragile. But unfortunately the injury is bad if he didn't recover in 2 month just resting, he says he has a back (sciatica is correct in english?) nerve inflamed.

Rumors are he didn't improved because he tried some exercises to bulk up some muscles that he can't afford at the moment

And to bloghost: he used this forced extra time to go relax on vacation (1st in 3 years) and flirting with a local volley player, Veronica Angeloni. It would be nice he find a girlfriend before being distracted and trapped from some groupies

Anyway he left Milan to New York 2 days ago.

philipc: don't worry, his basket IQ is definly his best quality.

He's very altruistic and team oriented, his highlights are mostly on 1 on 1 plays because the team didn't plan any game for him, they just give him the ball when the ball wasn't moving anymore

If this is a chronic back issue, we are so screwed. It would practically mean we just lost another year in the turnaround plans. As far as I am concerned, we are going to be terrible this year regardless because we haven't even improved as much as several other teams in our conference, but it would have been nice to at least count on Gallinari for the long term plans.

Does anyone here actually think if he plays or doesn't play alot this year that it really makes a difference ? Stop fooling yourselves, we are going to suck regardless. Since we will miss the playoffs again, I hope we come in dead last so we have the best chance of picking up an elite point in next years draft. The plan is 2010. 2009 be damned.

Whatever. We shouldve gone with Bayless.

this kid has a lot to prove in the eyes of the force.

What is the injury????? We need details, Alan.

A kid his age with back pain months after a pounding in a game sounds pathetic. Dumb draft choice! Knicks front office is stoopid.

DTR

Here is a math equation for fellow Knick Fans:
The Rooster is to Weis as Bayless is to Artest.

I would not be surprised if the 2012 Olympics showcases Marvin Williams leaping over The Rooster for a posterizing dunk and every Knick Fan thinks to themself..."I remember that guy, we passed on Bayless for that CREAM PUFF"!

Ciao Claudio!

Stay with us brother, we need all the news we can get.

Welcome to the Fix!

I hope the injury is minor, but let's not panic. Greg Oden missed his entire first year, yet he is still a strong prospect. Writing Gallinari off as a dud is premature at best!

Danilo Gallinari was the only reason as a fan to make an effort and try to follow this team, which is the same exact as last year. If he's gone, this is going to be another boring and pointless year.

@ sergio - Nonsense! New coach and system, Pat Jr., Wilson Chandler etc.

So, Zach is back. Marbs is back. Our high lottery pick is injured.
Our big acquisition is Chris Duhon.

Exactly why should we watch the team this year?

@ pverne

No new coach or system can make winners out of Crackbury, Z-Ro, Fat Albert and Crawful. Same core thats won 23, 33, 23 and 33 the last 4 years.

Wilson Chandler is not THAT good. Maybe he can become a nice solid 3 but he's not a Star. And lets hope Patrick Ewing Jr. is not cut because Donnie Walsh still believes in Crackbury.

Where are all the Danillo defenders now who say don't question anything Walsh does?

The major problem to everyone questioning why the injury matters, it matters because it sets back the development of the team and our young player/premium draft pick a whole year. Even if he plays sporadically it will be hard to develop a consistent rhythm if he is not practicing and sitting out every third game or back to back games with back issues. Oden's injury also set back Portland a year, they might have had a chance to sneak into the playoffs. Now he will have to take part of this season getting into game shape, adjusting to the speed of the game, learning his teamates games, etc. That injury set that franchise back last year and this year.

Its funny how people killed Staberman for reporting what turned out to be a "fact". We shouldn't be so quick to jump to Donnie's defense all the time but should think objectively. Remember that it is much easier to go along with the crowd (Palin supporters) than to see something reported and look between the lines and at the issues. If you looked at the makeup of the team, and what we want to build going forward, I think it is painfully obvious now that Danillo at six was a mistake especially when your most promising young player (Chandler) plays the same position and the player you want (James) plays the same position. The kid was never a PF, and now with the back issues, never will be. Duhon will be a bust and take playing time from a PG of the future, but as my man Willis says its only for two years. The Zach-Curry fat boy tandem will continue to be a disaster and unless Marburry has a fundamental change in attitude (and what has it been 10 years now) we still don't have a leader on this team.

On the bright side, D'Antoni is an offensive genius and Nate, Crawford, Marburry, Q-Rich, Roberson, Chandler and Zach, are all very good offensive players and should be fun to watch. I don't think Curry's game fits, but hopefully he proves me wrong and comes in motivated and wanting to dominate. But to all the people who questioned why us Knick fans who lived through wasted draft pick after wasted draft pick were questioning this pick, here you go. Suck it up this year, draft a PG next year and sign a real FA who can actually help us win a game for a change a free agent that will make our prized 2010 FA say, yeah that's my Scottie Pippen right there.

@Knicks4Life I haven't heard anyone say, "Don't question anything that Walsh does!" I, among others, have said "Give him a chance." As frustrating as it may be, we really have to wait and see how things work out.

Further, no one is saying the injury "doesn't matter." Of course Portland would have been better off with a healthy Oden last year. The point is that injuries occur and the occurence doesn't necessarily mean that it was a wrong choice.

I'm still waiting to see what Walsh does in coming months before passing judgement.

What else should we expect from the Knicks than yet another lousy draft. It's been going on ever since Jerrod Mustaf. Plus, come on, is anyone surprised to see/hear that yet another Euro player is made of glass?

Between the Mets collapse part deux, and the market collapse of yesterday I'm just annoyed in general pverne, but yeah there were joksters a few months ago who were saying you shouldn't second guess walsh and you can't compare the skill levels of Oden (a far more skilled player) to the Rooster so I was comparing the effect of a star rookie player missing a year or two with injury. I admit it was a rant but I think the subtance of it was accurate.

Some of you guys make me wanna puke- HELLOOOOOOOOO!!!! I figure I might find a little info without having to search and instead I get I don't know what. Mostly a few people that seem to live through this bs of nothingness like you had something to do it. All of you you get a life and let the brass do their job. I'm done checking in here, but I highly doubt it will make you stop pretending to be gm's here. Later

@knicks4life

>Its funny how people killed Staberman for reporting what turned out to be a "fact".

I just can't agree with this.

Staberman more or less reported that Gallinari was chronicly hurt and injury prone in Europe. That has already been proven false.

The issue is that he's hurt now. But players get hurt all the time. Sometimes it's bad luck and sometimes it's a chronic issue due to the soundness of player. In this case all the evidence suggests it was bad luck.

They should contact Jose Reyes. Hamstrings and lower back are his territory. Thhe guy stretches for 45 minutes before every game. And he steals a boatload of bases and plays every day.

Someone doesn't understand the essence of fandom, or bball fanaticism. Most of us have been voluntary GMs since we were tiny weeny boppers complaining about the trade of Frazier to Cleveland or Jabbar from Milwaukee to LA (wrong city).

Co-sign Knicks4Life's rant at 13:50. No apologies needed. It makes a point and is on point.

PhilipC at 10:37, your eyes do not deceive you, but welcome Claudio who obviously has some firsthand knowledge that FIXERS love.

The Fix is starting to turn from a happy place to a more melancholy one as we face the reality of Walsh's lack of a plan. I can understand why Knicks fans want to maintain hope and judge him when all hope is either lost or realized, but he has not optimized any of his options or made better than mediocre decisions yet (except the coach choice). Any suggestion that Galinari was the best choice at 6 or that Duhon was worth the full mid-level exception or that Walsh could not have bought out one or two contracts by now to give the team more security and certainty now instead of having everyone guessing into October is just stubborn blindness.

Walsh's best decision was hiring D'Antoni who will last in New York for two-three years unless the Knicks bring in a defense Guru (and D'Antoni finally accepts what Kerr and Sarver were trying to tell him: coach some defense). Personally, I would have chose D'Antoni over Mark Jackson and Avery, too. That doesn't make it the best decision -- I might have considered giving some other hungry young assistant a chance -- like Thibodeau (over 20 years in the NBA young).

Anyway, Alan is not the only one that has been wrong on Galinari so far. We'll hope for the best, but expect reality to hit.

Query: What team has built a championship team relying on free agency instead of high draft picks and good trades? San Antonio? Detroit? Miami? Boston?

The anonymous comment is attributable to "Lives."

@Knicks4Life, Anyone can get injured. You don't draft thinking this one has a chance to get injured and this one does not. You draft because of the skills, potential etc., and Danilo has a lot of both. It's easy to become wise with hindsight. And if Danilo had not gotten injured and played to his potential in the summer games, all you would have said was Donnie made a good pick.
What can I say, talk is cheap.

We are going thro' some down time and things always seem to happen more to teams when they are down. I am sure we will get thro' this and Danilo will be become the star that he was meant to become.

Query: What team has built a championship team relying on free agency instead of high draft picks and good trades? San Antonio? Detroit? Miami? Boston?

San Antonio is the only one and they lucked out big time. You also have to admit that without Finley being let go from Dallas they wouldn't have won as many titles

Detroit? Rasheed Trade

Miami? Shaq trade

Boston? traded for the whole team

@claudio...thank you for your local knowledge.

welcome to life in hell.

@ Lives, I really don't like the 2010 plan, but I'm hoping we are trying to pull a Miami, i.e. draft a D. Wade, sign a good FA, and make the playoffs in 09-10'. Then sign a Shaq-like free agent in 2010 who will come in praising how great it will be to play alongside that draft pick and FA. I can't believe we will be able to sign anybody with this current cast of characters but I did think at least with Bayless, that the talent was there. @ Skot, we will have to disagree on Danillo being a "star" but I appreciate your optimism. I have been watching the Knicks too long to take it on faith that this kid will be a star.

As for being a "fake GM", why would you even read blog comments if all you wanted to do was read about what Donnie was doing and cheer it. Stick to Newsday and Post columns for that. People love to live in their own deluded ignorance and hate a diversion of opinion. I'm telling you that mindless following is what got the Knicks into the mess they are in (see Dolan, Mills), and what allowed this President to ruin our country after 9/11. Look I dislike Staberman and his lazy journalism and right-wing rag paper too, but he was right when he said Danillo was injury prone. Ok I'm done ranting, Mets game-time.

If the You Tube of Gallinari is an attempt to
make a "highlight" vision out of an obvious terrible
error in drafting this kid @ #6...."you can put lipstick on a Pig."

Walsh may have topped Layden and Thomas's worst moves in half a year! Just when you thought Jerome James and Weis were
the worst moves ever, I believe this will be the worst pick at #6 in NBA history. Now if we can just get Darko and Marko on board,
we could put You Tube clips of Gallinari passing his back brace to
a wheel chair bound Darko, to watch Bayless the lone time Portland visits the Garden this year.

Sorry Knicksmyteam, but San Antonio did not build a championship team through free agency -- they maintained a championship caliber team through free agency. Their Championship legacy was built through lottery fortune and good draft picks. Duncan was a top pick in 77, joining Robinson (another draft pick) who had already won one Championship. The remainder of the big three Parker and Ginobli were also draft picks in 2001 first round and 1999 second round respectively.

Finley joined the team and did not immediately win a Championship. But if you want to credit a championship to free agency, San Antonio picked up Glenn Robinson in 04 and won a championship -- but you may not want to count that championship as a result of free agency.

My point is obvious -- depending on 2010 is not a credible plan. In fact it is incredible. The CBA and the structuring of the salary cap favor building from the draft if you want to win a championship. But, heck, you must have a winning plan if your main objective is winning. So what is our main objective here -- getting ready for 2010?

Of course, Duncan in '77 was intended to be Duncan in '97. Was he even conceived in '77? Just kidding.

u should've drafted ANTHONY RANDOLPH like i told u donnie.....idiot!!!!!!

The objective shouldn't be a chip, it's no that easy to turn this team full of losers into world champions. We should at least try to be competitive and, maybe, get to the playoffs. This year, I don't think we'd be able to do it, but if we don't it won't be because of Gallinari. He's just 19 and he is full of potential, has great skills and if he stays healthy he would really become an All-Star.
And wether we get cap space or not, we should get rid of Randolph, he's a locker-room problem and a bad influence for young guys such as Gallo and Jr. And also get rid of Marbury and Q-Rich.
Can anyone explain me what a protected draft pick is? I'm a knicks' fan from Argentina and there's not enough information here...

This is what a freind had to say when I ask him what he thought about the knicks this comming season. Oh by the way he is a Sixer fan.
(Not much is going on with the knicks, this off season they added chris duhon, anthony roberson, danilo gallinari and patrick ewing jr. they didn't unload anyone or any salary. that's a pretty weak offseason for a team that went 20 - 62 last year. duhon may get about 20mins per night, robertson and ewing will never play, and probably not even make the team. gallinari is very weak, he got hurt in his first summer league game of the season, and did not return, he is at least 2 or 3 years away from playing and doing anything. i expect the exact same thing out of the knicks this year that you have had for the last 5 years at least, a very sub .500 record, possibly 30 wins at best. more likely closer to 25 wins. nothing looks good for the present or future for this franchise. zbo isn't going to the grizzlies anytime soon. i don't see any other moves being made except for possibly buying out a contract or two before camp opens, or just paying the player (marbury) and telling him to sit home and not report to camp so he can't sign with any other teams.

Now lets talk about the sixers, this offseason they added the crowning jewel of the free agent crop, 6' 8" elton brand (5 years 78 million), one of only 4 active players to average 20+ points, 10+ rebounds in his career. also add 2.10 blocks and 1.19 steals per game to that. the sixers also added 6'4" royal ivey a defensively minded guard who can play the 1 or 2, 6'6" kareem rush, who can play the 2 or 3, and hit the 3 to spread the floor, 6'10" theo ratliff, they brought theo back to be the backup center this season due to losing 7'0" jason smith who is out for the year, donyell marshall 6'9" who can play the 4 or 5 and hit the 3 to spread the floor (he hit 12 three points in one game against the sixers in 2006), and they added promising big man 6'10" maureese speights who looks to be a true post up player with a lot of talent and a steal at #16 thru the nba draft. the sixers also resigned restricted free agents louis williams (5years, 25 million) and andre iguodala (6 years 80 million). add these players to thaddeus young, samuel dalembert, reggie evans, willie green and andre miller, and the sixers have the look of a championship caliber team on paper. the sixers also gave coach Maurice cheeks last week to another contract extension in addition to the one he signed on 2/28/08. the sixers may be better then the celtics next year, and a lot is going to depend on how well thaddeus young plays next year. if he has a good season, the sixers could really be an untouchable team for next season and beyond, anything less then 55 wins next year and i'll be disappointed. barring no big injuries to multiple key players, and the sixers should easily win 55 games and be a top playoff seed, going back to the championship series since 2001.)

...And then Brand gets injured and the whole thing unravels like a big ball of yarn!!

Freda: A protected pick is one that goes to the other team if the Knicks finish in a certain place in the draft order.

For example, a Lottery protected pick is one that the other team would get, only if the Knicks actually make the playoffs (because any team that doesn't make the playoffs goes into the lottery drawing).

Prowler: I understand your frustration, but I've gotta say that Anthony Randolph is exactly the type of player that would continue the selfish culture that already looms over the Garden.

I saw him play in summer league in Vegas back in July, and while he was the most skilled player on his team, he completely alienated his teammates to the point that they looked visually distraught everytime he took the ball one-on-one (which was about every single time he had the ball).

In his defense, he's long, quick and can handle the ball quite well for someone his size. But he's a little too raw and out of control, and doesn't seem like a team player...more of a spectacular one-on-one guy.

...and we need to build a T-E-A-M.

P.S. ...it does seem like passing on Bayless will haunt us big time.

Rey T.: Is your friend really that pumped about Royal Ivey?

maybe the back pain means he still is groing...like Bron a couple years back.

I understand why you're so down on Gallinari, you've obviously had enough losing and now you want a true champion to carry the team for years to come, but let's be real for a moment: 1) you have no idea of what kind of player Gallinari is going to be; 2) it's not like Walsh passed up on the next Jordan to get him; 3) everybody get injured (especially if you're 19 and 6,10 and still growing, factors that affect heavily the back). Just wait and see, maybe he is a bust, maybe he is not, anyway you're not going to have a playoff team in a summer, not with the situation Isaiah left. And for all the comparisons you hear with Bargnani, well, the only thing they have in common is the italian passport and being a high lottery pick; Gallinari is way better from every point of view, and has the mentality of a champion: he's driven, hard working and committed to win (while Bargnani always looks like he just woke up with an hang over), trust me, I met Danilo personally a few years back and I truly think he will be great.

the Knicks will be lucky to win 20 games this year- there's no way D'antoni's system can work with that roster full of scrubs and fat guys the Knicks call a team. They have afew decent role-players, and thats it. Gonna take years to undo this mess...