Nice pull by Marc Berman:

“…The good news is he can sleep through the night. Now can he play 82 games next season? “I feel better,” Gallinari said. “For example, I’m sleeping without pain. I didn’t sleep for a lot of months. So it’s a big improvement. Pain is not the same. I’m feeling a lot better. Hopefully I’ll be perfect in the next three months and be ready for training camp.”

Gallinari began rehab yesterday – stretching and massages. He doesn’t know when he’ll be able to run and will see how he feels in July before making a commitment for summer league. Odds are, he doesn’t play.

Gallinari still talked about “discomfort” in his leg, but claims it’s normal. “It’s not pain,” said Gallinari, who competed in 27 games. “It’s discomfort. It’s the normal discomfort because I was working on it for eighth months. It’s not going to go away in one week.

The Knicks hold the eighth seed in next month’s lottery and pray to move up to 1 or 2 in order to select Spanish PG Ricky Rubio, whose name was on the early entry list announced today…”

‘Here is the list.

The Hornets were thrashed in their series with the Nuggets. At the trading deadline, the Hornets looked to give away one of Chris Paul’s favorite running mates, Tyson Chandler. Once their trade fell apart, Chandler and the Hornets were not really the same. Amidst financial problems, this summer the Hornets will likely look to unload as many of their contracts as possible in an effort to rebuild. Many fans and analysts believe that the Hornets’ best chance to make noise in the playoffs was last year. Based on this season and this year’s playoffs, they are probably correct.

The Hornets would love to unload Peja Stojakovic and his massive contract. Peja is owed $14 + million for next season and $15 + million for the following season. While maybe not on the Eddy Curry level, Peja is probably untradeable. The Hornets can unload James Posey, who still has three years left at roughly $20 million. Posey, a proven playoff veteran, could not work the same magic this year as he did with the defending champion Boston Celtics a year ago. He is tradable, but I do not see the Hornets being in a major rush to deal him. Mo Peterson will be a tougher task to deal. Peterson had an abysmal season, playing in only 43 games at only 12 mpg. Peterson has two years and roughly $13 million left on his current deal. Hey, at least he can hit the 3 ball. Right?

Then come the more interesting names. Tyson Chandler appears to be a lock to be dealt this summer. Chandler, who is not a perfect player by any stretch, has a tendency to get into foul trouble early in games. He also does not provide a ton offensively on the blocks. He can score on put-backs and can score on dunks when he is fed, but overall Chandler will not wow anyone with his post moves. That said, Chandler, who had an inconsistent year due to injury and trade speculation, can still defend the hoop and can rebound the basketball. Many Knicks fans have called for Donnie Walsh to grab this guy while he can be had for next to nothing. While he fits the bill of what we are trying to find in a center, his huge cap number can kill any chance at a major free agent next summer. Unless Walsh deals Curry for an expiring contract (highly unlikely), Knick fans might have to forget about Chandler.

But if the Hornets are really looking to rebuild, and rebuild quickly, their best trade chip is by far and away their all-star power forward, David West. West, who arguably is tied for the most friendly contract in all of basketball with John Salmons ($9 million next year, $8.2 for 2010-2011, and a player option for $7.5 million for 2011-2012), can net the Hornets a major haul and nice young pieces to put around Chris Paul. Unlike some of their other veterans, the Hornets would not simply give away David West. His contract and his production will not allow that. West averaged 21 ppg and 8.5 rpg last season, and 20.9 ppg and 8.9 rpg two seasons ago. Translation, he is a premier talent.

While this is a Knicks blog, I keep tabs on all other NBA teams, including the other tri-state area team, the New Jersey Nets. I am sure most Knick fans living in the tri-state area have seen the Nets play a bunch of times. And I will bet that those fans will all agree that the Nets desperately need a force at the power forward spot. The Nets have not had a premier PF since they traded Kenyon Martin. Last year, the Nets paraded Sean Williams, Yi Jianlian, Ryan Anderson, etc. out to play next to rookie Brook Lopez, but none of those options really did the trick. The Nets have a bunch of young, promising big men, but none are the type of PF that they really need to get back to the top of the Eastern Conference. That is why if the Hornets put David West on the trading block, Kiki and Thorn should place a call. West would stabilize the starting rotation, providing a rock at the PF spot. The Nets have a similar type of PG as Chris Paul in the form of Devin Harris. The transition would not be drastic for West to fit in with Harris. If the Nets decided to keep Carter this summer, then a starting five including Harris, Carter, West, and Lopez would put them near the top of the East immediately. Lopez had a strong rookie campaign and only figures to get better. West can help that process.

If the Nets called the Hornets and offered a package including Bobby Simmons (to help make the salaries work), Ryan Anderson, Sean Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts and their lottery pick this year in return for West and the brutal contract of Mo Peterson, I would imagine that the Hornets would have to at least listen. The Hornets will need another shot-blocking presence if Chandler gets dealt, so Sean Williams can help fill the void off the bench behind Hilton Armstrong. Anderson had a good rookie season and showed that with the minutes, he can produce. The Hornets desperately lack slashers, and CDR would give a nice boost off the bench in that department. With another lottery pick, the Hornets can go out and draft another young point guard to pair with Paul or a power forward like James Johnson from Wake Forest. That would be a decent package for the Hornets, and it would clear some cap space to make other moves. If that is not enough, perhaps another future 1^st or 2^nd round pick can go to the Hornets.

I am not sure what kind of plans Thorn has for the summer of 2010, but unless either Wade or LeBron plans on going to the Nets, I am not sure if the other potential free agents can fill a need for this team quite like West can immediately. And if Carter is dealt, that 2010 plan might not completely go out the window. I think this situation can be very interesting if in fact West is put onto the trading market.

Just a thought. What are you thoughts? Net fans? Hornet fans? Anyone?

And each team were assembled geographically. In other words, players playing for their relative hometown team.

Depressedfan.com has that answer in what I have to say is one of the best posts I’ve seen in some time. (Finger point to G-Baker for the look.) Interestingly enough, I’d probably pick that Indiana team to cause some serious problems for the opposition.

“…NEW YORK KNICKS

PG Ben Gordon (Mount Vernon, NY)
SG Ron Artest (Queens, NY)
SF Lamar Odom (South Jamaica, NY)
PF Elton Brand (Peekskill, NY)/Ryan Gomes (Waterbury, CT)
C Charlie Villanueva (Queens, NY)
BG Analysis: This team has good talent all around with a lot of versatility and strong defense but no pg. So I could see this team using odom as their Point-Forward to bring up the ball. Gordon is most definitely a pure 2, always looking for his shot so he wouldn’t work as the 1. This team has good shooters slashers and every player can create their own shot so this would be an effective team but their 3pt game outside of Gordon is a little suspect because Villanueva, artest and odom are inconsistent from 3.
My Take: I’d take Brand at center, Gomes at PF, bring Charlie V off the bench and hope the defense could hold up.”

View all teams. Who do you think is the best? And what about Skip Alston?

I noticed that some weren’t familiar with the Florida guard who is testing the waters. Here is a scouting report via draftexpress.com.

“…From the end of last season to the beginning of this one, Nick Calathes spent about three months without Florida Gator basketball. After spending six weeks from June to August playing for the U-20 Greek national team, Calathes returned back to Gainesville only to be sidelined for 5 weeks because of a hip flexor. In addition to that, up and coming point guard Jai Lucas transferred to Texas and Florida welcomed five new freshman to their squad. Thus, Calathes was asked to shoulder the majority of the point guard responsibilities and become the team’s leader.

What makes Calathes so effective is in his ability to control the pace of a game. He can play an up-tempo style or run an offense in the half-court and in either fashion he seems to make good decisions. He makes great passes at the right times and to go along with his 6.5 assists a game he makes countless passes that lead to assists – contributing to the team’s ball movement.

Calathes’ passing ability is far and beyond his greatest skill. He sees the court unlike any other player in the country relative to his size and repeatedly makes difficult passes with either hand, creating easy shots for his teammates. At 6-5, he has great size and therefore can see over the defense – making passes that most point guards in college cannot. His great strength is also a weakness however, as he can get into trouble, attempting unreasonably difficult passes at times, which is why he’s averaging 3.3 turnovers a game, which is 20th worst in the country.more.”

So I was watching the Marbury story as told by ESPN last night and I had a wide range of emotions going on. Click here for video.

As I’ve said numerous times I rooted hard for Steph because we are similar in age and I was a point guard back in the day when NYC  guards were seemingly at their peak.

Consider Derrick Phelps and Khalid Reeves at Christ the King, Seldon Jefferson at Bishop Loughlin, then later Eric Harris, Junior Clarke and Kareem Reid at St. Raymond’s Shandue McNeil at Molloy, and Shammgod Wells at LaSalle, NYC had some serious talent at the guard position right around the time Steph took over the city.

So when Steph came here I rooted for the fact that the ultimate NYC guard, in a  time where the notion had reached mythic proportions, was about take back Manhattan for good.

It didn’t happen.

Much like Patrick Ewing’s legacy will be determined by Michael Jordan and falling just short, Marbury will be defined by being in the eye of a horrid period. He’s the poster child.

Granted, he may not have been told he wasn’t in the plans, as he claims, which are justified based on his coach telling him everyone gets a fresh start, but he had to see that the organization was moving on.

He had to realize that his admitted mental issues clouded how much he impacted this franchise negatively.

Now he’s in Boston and I just realized last night how relieved I am that he’s no longer is part of this organization. There is hope now and in a brief year, other than Eddy Curry‘s contract, Donnie Walsh has fumigated the stench of the last 5 years. But at the same time, it’s easy to feel bad for Steph as his issues that he took so long to deal with easily played a huge part in his horrid tenure here. So in many ways I sympathize.

Good luck in Boston Steph,we’re moving forward full steam ahead.

As we reported the other day, Lawrence Frank will return to the Nets as head coach, according to a report on WFAN. The note was published in the Post yesterday.

I understand people not familiar with TKB may have found it strange that such a note would appear on a “rival” blog, but when I sent the note to SNY, where my NBA column appears, it was linked to here.

What we knew, and was confirmed by our source is that Rod Thorn is a big fan of Frank’s, although not everyone in the organization is. But the fact that they would have paid Frank a buyout may have been the overriding factor in the decision to keep him. Plus, it’s Thorn’s call.

Frank, who’s weathered the storm as the Nets try to position themselves to add some talent after trading both Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, has a roster that consists of plenty of young talent including Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson so the organization must feel Frank is the right coach at this time.

With the rumbling surrounding a Jazz shakeup this off-season, I have to wonder if C Mehmet Okur would fit on this team.  His outstanding 3 point shooting attracts me the most.  But he is not a terrible rebounder either, averaging close to 8 rpg.  The Knicks can use a shot-blocking center, but Okur would fit in terms of D’Antoni’s shooting philosophy.  Defensively, Okur defends bigs and would help Lee in the paint. Despite not being a shot-blocker, Okur’s big body would at least alleviate some of Lee’s pressures in the middle.  Offensively, Okur would stretch the defense.  I like Okur a lot.  He is willing to take a big shot.  Better yet, he is able to hit the big shot.  He has an option to return to the Jazz for one more year for $8.5 million.

I am not sure what the Knicks have that would entice the Jazz.  One thing the Jazz have is our first round pick next year.  The Jazz also have first round pick in this year’s draft.  Would Harrington for Okur and a first work for the Jazz?  Is that too much to ask?  I am not sure if Harrington for Okur straight up makes our team that much better, but the extra draft pick could be enticing.  The Jazz are looking for more energy, and Harrington brings that to the table.

However, Harrington might have more value elsewhere.  Of course, I would much prefer it if the Knicks found a way to nab Camby from the Clippers.

Carlos Boozer reiterated his intentions of staying in Utah after last night’s series ending loss to the Lakers.

“…”Absolutely, love to be in a Jazz uniform,” he said. “(I) feel like one of those cornerstone people that brought this team back to prominence and back to the playoffs. I’d love to continue to move forward and have a chance to win a championship in the future…”

And so starts the speculation for what’s sure to be interesting events surrounding free agent power forwards- a group that includes Boozer, teammate Paul Milsap, and of course, David Lee.

Milsap will surely grab a lot of attention, and may force the Jazz to match any offer should Boozer sign elsewhere. That could be pretty expensive for the 24-year-old Milsap, who stood out while Boozer was injured recording 19 straight double doubles.

Speaking of double doubles, Lee is poised to listen to all offers before deciding how much he’ll accept and if that will be from the Knicks. He has said he wants to stay in NY, so one has to wonder, if Boozer signs with Miami what team will offer Milsap and what will it be? You can bet that all three will be patient to see who gets what offer come July.

In an interview with Dan Patrick, Davidson’s Stephen Curry told the host that he’s heard that he will be a lock first round pick and seemingly that made him most comfortable about his decision to turn pro.

“…Former Davidson guard Stephen Curry joined the show to discuss his decision to go pro.

Curry said his father and coach talked to every NBA team before he made his decision. “The highest I heard was No. 6. The lowest was 20,” Curry said.

Curry said the Knicks were the team at No. 6 and Charlotte at No. 20. Interestingly, he’d probably rather go to New York than his hometown team, because he’d love to play in Madison Square Garden.

Curry says he’s really 6-2 1/2. Not 6-feet tall like Reggie said. Curry and Dan discussed what NBA player he’s like. Ben Gordon was one comparison that seemed to work.

Curry said he wasn’t 100 percent sure he would declare himself eligible for the draft  until an hour before he announced it. He said he was sad at the press conference because he’s leaving his family of teammates and coaches at Davidson…”

Judging from these conversations if the Knicks don’t get lucky and move up and don’t make any trades, they seem to be locked in with Curry.

But let’s hold our horses, there are still workouts to be had and trades to be explored. Oh, and that whole lottery thing to see where exactly the team picks.

Does anybody know what happened to the once promising franchise led by Chris Paul, and with Tyson Chandler and David West providing aid?  Just last year the Hornets won 58 games, and although they barely lost to the seasoned San Antonio Spurs, they set the grounds for a core that would compete in the West for many years.  They defended, led by Chris Paul’s ability to get steals in the backcourt and Tyson Chandler blocking shots in the paint.  They also scored, averaging 101 points per game.  One would assume that the Hornets and Blazers were the future of the Western Conference;  Both teams played with vitality and were piloted by exceptional young players, Brandon Roy and Chris Paul.  But the Hornets seemed to retrogress while the Blazers seem poised to actually achieve their various expectations.  Byron Scott had won Coach of the Year, and the Hornets also signed James Posey to provide some big shots in the playoffs and provide veteran leadership.  

This year, however, was different.  Paul got his usual 23, 11, and 3, but the Hornets lost the liveliness and vigor they played with everyday last year.  They lost several games they shouldn’t have; Knick fans should know that.  The Knicks swept the season series.  Throughout the season, the Hornets also lost to Charlotte, Sacramento, Golden State twice, and Memphis, also losing to Orlando on national television by 20.  Their 49-33 record is more than respectable in a Western Conference stacked with good teams, but the Hornets never regained the swagger they had at the end of the 07-08 season.  

They attempted to trade Tyson Chandler, but that didn’t work out, and there were rumors that they would look into trading the best point guard in the NBA, Chris Paul, for financial reasons.  I’m not trying to say that the Hornets are as finished as the Pistons, because they are not.  I also don’t want this to be about the demise of the Hornets, because they are still a good team that can turn this around.  I just don’t think they will.  The financial issues that this franchise has, along with the disappointing season they have endured, makes the future look grim.  

Last night, after a 95-93 victory that would have been invigorating for most teams, and that also cut the Nuggets series lead to 2-1, the Hornets came out and got spanked by the Nuggets.  At home, they lost by 58 points.  They now trail 3-1 in the series and head back to Denver for Game 5 where the Nuggets can end the series there.  It’s not like the Nuggets are the Lakers, they can be grouped with the other second tier teams in the West, everybody but the Lakers.  But to lose by the second largest margin in playoff history at your place in a game with monumental implications is despicable.  Should be an active summer for Hornets GM Jeff Bower.

Lebron James spoke candidly about what has made him a great player after yesterday’s sweep of the Pistons. Sure, the fact that he’s a combination of Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson physically rolled into one helps, but James himself points to his work ethic as a major reason why he is on the cusp of a championship.

“…The 24-year-old superstar said his work ethic has been “everything” in a breathtaking career that has surpassed unprecedented hype.

“You’re only born with a certain amount of gifts,” he said. “You have to take advantage of them, and put in the work. My work ethic has helped me be the player I am today.”Cavs coach Mike Brown said James is a “workaholic,” and relayed an anecdote about his son being in awe of James lifting weights and going through individual drills during last offseason…”

Of all the things the Knicks have lacked over the past decade, I think the most important thing missing is a player who forces teammates to improve based on their work ethic. Patrick Ewing used to be the first in the weight room and held other players accountable for not putting their own work in.

When you have the combination of a player of Lebron’s ability and will to get better, teammates know that if they don’t put the work in, they will be gone. It just hasn’t been like that around here for so long.

You can bet that as Donnie Walsh adds players to this mix, he’ll be looking for players who are grinders so that whoever comes in 2010 will fit seamlessly.

In the meantime, I wonder who is the one in the locker room pushing teammates, and I wonder if those teammates are responding. It will be interesting to see if Walsh can get a player who can hold down the fort in such aspect this summer.

With all of the trade chatter on this site about Lee, Chandler, and others, I began to think about our most valuable trade chips.  Al Harrington, a Golden State cast-away, has to be considered a valuable trade chip.  While his play summarized the type of season that the Knicks had, Harrington put forth a pretty good year for the Knicks.  He finished the season averaging over 20 ppg and over 6 rpg.  With one year remaining on his current contract, Harrington has to be popular player for other GM’s to target.  True, Harrington can disrupt a team’s flow with the number of shots he takes.  But we as Knick fans have to understand something… who on this team deserved more shots than Harrington?  I am not trying to condone some of the poor shots he took last year, but he was arguably our best offensive player.  And it is not as if other players were gun shy either (see Larry Hughes, Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler).

It appears that Harrington loves playing here.  When he was demoted to a reserve role, Harrington did not fuss.  He simply earned back his spot in the starting rotation.  On a good team, Harrington can be a great third option, or even a decent second option.  Walsh likes the guy.  Harrington likes Walsh.  Aside from some of his mental mistakes, I think D’Antoni likes Harrington as well.

So where does that leave Harrington for next season?  A starting front-court of Lee and Harrington proved to be laughable at times last year.  For someone listed at 6’9, 250 lbs., Harrington was nowhere to be found in the paint last season.  People sometimes fault Lee for his lack of defensive presence in the paint, but Harrington was no help.  I think Harrington can play the three spot, but then where does that leave Chandler?  Chandler can start at the two, but I believe that Walsh would prefer a more prototypical two guard that can shoot consistently from beyond the arc and that can make smart decisions with the ball (perhaps James Harden in the draft).  If Lee is retained, then he is going to be our starting power forward.  Someone with length has to be our starting center.  Where does that leave Harrington?

A source familiar with the Nets has informed TKB that Lawrence Frank will remain as head coach of the team to start the 2009-10 season.

The source said the team is also, initially, very high on Wake Forest small forward James Johnson. Currently, the Nets sit at the 11th position in the draft, three behind the Knicks. Chad Ford has nailed Johnson to the Nets as well.

ESPN has this to say about Johnson.

“…Johnson is a very intriguing prospect. He’s a great athlete, has a NBA body and he’s very skilled. He can play multiple positions on the floor and does a bit of everything on the offensive end. Johnson has some flaws. His basketball IQ is still fairly raw and he can get out of control at times. But it’s probably a good decision. He’s already 22 years old and was really impressive in the second half of the season. He’ll likely go somewhere between 10 and 20 on draft night…”

Johnson reminds me a lot of Wilson Chandler in that he can guard 4s and has a perimeter game, but he’s a really natural 3. No word out of Knicks camp, but I’m interested to see if they give Florida’s Nick Calathes a long look. Calathes could be had further down in the draft and does have the long, athletic,  pass-first qualities that D’Antoni loves in his point guards.

And Big C has the photos to prove it.

I’ve seen this season and watched as Dennis Rodman drank his way off the show, and I’m still trying to figure out what the heck Herschel Walker is taking about. Clearly too many hits to the helmet. And yes Joan Rivers is getting ready to play the “Crypt Keeper” whenever HBO decided to roll out more “Tales from the Crypt.”

Anyway, much like Nate, Lee has marketed himself pretty well and is taking advantage of being an athlete in NY. How that helps his market value in this economy I’m not sure.

Victoria Silvstedt is reason enough to watch.

In fairness, Lee was playing with a banged up knee down the stretch, and that hampered his mobility and explosiveness.

Now that is not an excuse, just something to bear in mind. Finger point to  Pavlos Gorgey for the mix.