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After the signing of Jonathan Bender, Donnie Walsh may be ready to make additions to a Knicks team that 
is playing its best basketball of the season. Walsh once called the 7-foot Bender one of the most talented young players he’d ever acquired when he dealt Antonio Davis to Toronto in exchange for Bender, who was selected fifth overall in 1999. It’s a low-risk move for the Knicks; and judging from practice, it appears that Bender is closer to playing at an NBA level than one could imagine. His knees, which gave him enough trouble to force him into early retirement, seem to be relatively fresh. It will be interesting to see if significant minutes follow.
The team, so fragile for so long, is in the midst of a hot streak that has seen it win five out of its last six games on the heels of a five-game losing streak. It’s something that the players can see sustaining. Mike D’Antoni’s fast-paced style has been slowed down, and the team is more balanced.
“We’re not too much of one-pass shot anymore right now,” Larry Hughes said after Monday’s practice. “All around the board, everyone is getting good looks, and when two or three people get good looks, it opens it up for everyone. We’re actually making the extra pass now.”
“You always want to be a running team when the opportunity is there. You never just want to get up and down. You need balance. If you can take possessions where you execute offensively it helps make the defense work so it’s harder for them on the other end. It goes hand and hand.”
And it’s that balance that has helped the Knicks off the mat after a start that had many fans throwing the season away. more.
Just another unimaginative, retread move by Donnie walsh.
i know…he’s sooo boring, why cant we just trade for LeBron James already lol
Interesting picture of Hamilton there when discussing possible Knick trades. Just sayin . . .
As for the Knicks and Augustine, I think it is a good fit. But it takes two to make a trade and I don’t know what the Knicks have that the Bobcats would want. Raymond Felton only resigned for one year there so from a GM standpoint (not and insane LB standpoint) I don’t know why they wouldn’t just keep Augustine as insurance. He is cheap and young and that organization has enough financial trouble, I seriously doubt they resign Felton.
um, the guy in the background is bender…
i miss you K4L
see ya in 2010!!!!
Oh yeah I know Bender is in the background, I’m pointing out that Hamilton is a player that could be available, is a good 2G, is the veteran presence we need and should be available if Gordon lives up to expectations in Detroit.
I didn’t think the pic was a mistake, rather I thought it was an interesting choice of a picture pick with Hamilton being a perfect fit.
Rip would be perfect for this team if it his contract wasn’t so huge. He’s been injury prone as of late too. He’s a favorite player of mine, though.
I hate Hamilton, he’s a hack and a crybaby, the worst combination.
That’s wonderful. You can go back to ignoring me now.
I like him too, but is contract is a poison pill. no chance he plays for us
Definitely. It’s really too bad. His spot up shooting, constant movement on the court, ability to find open spaces and the way he uses screens are all skills that could do wonders in this system. He can also be a pesky defender at times.
Its curious that Augustine got nearly 40 minutes vs the Kniccks..
But Why is Donnie going to add 2.5 mil to his precious 2010 payroll for a player who is no where a contributor when he could have had sessions for a million more? Trading for DJ looks like Donnie admitting he dropped the ball in the PG market this off season..
Augustin looked good in Colege but he was passing to Durant.
Walsh may take back the $2.5 million if we also shedded either JJ or Eddy Curry as part of the trade. As long as there is a lower net number in 2010 payroll trading for DJ makes sense.
Speaking of contributors, Sessions is far from one for the Twolves. He can’t even beat our a rookie for the starting pg spot on the team. It seems that NOT signing sessions may have actually been the correct move over the summer. Wouldn’t you agree?
Augustin > Sessions talent-wise imo
The Augustin rumor is bs if its leaked it wont happen we all know that around here.
Another decent rookie getting shafted by Next Town Brown.
Later for DJ … he’s fast but undersized & not that great a shooter. At this point the Knicks should wait till summer to package something for Rubio’s rights and add CJ Watson as a FA PG. CJ will only be 26 and an upgrade on Du-NON who, I hope, we won’t re-sign. Then a backcourt of Rubio/CJ at point … TD and (hopefully) Hughes at SG is not too shabby with all 4 guys having the ability to handle the ball …
Have you seen Rubio’s numbers this year?
PPG: 5.1
RPG: 3.1
APG: 5.1
SPG: 1.1
2P%: 37.5%
3P%: 25%
FT%: 100%
Through seven games. And that FT% is for only 15/15 free throws.
How much are you really willing to give Minn for this guy?
“Yeah, I think I’m a better player than he is. I just shoot the ball better than he can. The only thing I’ve seen him do sometimes is when he has a home-run pass or something like that. I think the dude is just all hype. I can’t even front. I’m just going to be real with you guys.”
This doesn’t sound like a quote from a player with an inflated view of his own talent anymore, does it?
You conveniently leave out that those numbers are in 20 minutes per game playing behind veteran Juan Carlos Navarro.
Rubio per 48
PTS: 11.8
REB: 7.2
AST: 11.8
STL: 2.5
Jennings per 48
PTS: 28.3
REB: 5.1
AST: 8.0
STL: 1.4
Per 48 makes no sense. Jennings is playing against real NBA competition and the more minutes you play the more your numbers go down because of fatigue, foul trouble, etc. What would Eddie Curry’s numbers be per 48?
And the fact that Rubio is playing behind JCV is not a good thing.
to be fair, jennings numbers in europe weren’t that great either and he seemed to turn out ok….so far
Touche, but that was Jennings first and only season playing overseas. Wasn’t the big plus about Rubio that he had all this prior “professional” experience.
That’s my point exactly. Stats are misleading. You presented stats to suit your view on Rubio, I simply flipped it around. Bashing 5.1 ast in 20mins from a young 2nd point guard up is what makes no sense. So is analyzing shooting percentages through 7 games. Rubio has played, what, a dozen games coming off his wrist injury? He shot 61% from the floor in the Eurocup.
Also, Barcelona is one of he best teams in Europe and Navarro is an NBA caliber player. He means more to Barcelona than Ridnour does to the Bucks. Navarro has lead that team for over a decade, Rubio is not going to unseat him just yet. Still, Rubio has outperformed Navarro in every facet except scoring, but Navarro is a shoot first PG. Rubio is a playmaker and that kind of skill doesn’t always show on the stat sheet.
Disclaimer. I’m not hopping on any bandwagon. I liked his play in the Olympics and Eurocup but I do think he is a bit overhyped. But I also think you’re underhyping him. The jury is definitely still out. Let us see the kid play in the NBA before we build him up OR tear him down.
I just saw Adrian W. (not writing his last name out) on yahoo sports reporting that anthony randolph’s on the block. Would nelly go for randolph and raja bell (when his trade restriction is up in mid january) for nate and chandler? Nelly wants to get rid of randolph b/c they don’t see eye to eye plus nate fits nelly’s system. Plus he gets young talent in chandler. We get young talent back in randolph and raja bell who could contribute nicely off of the bench for us for the rest of the year. I know that golden state has a lot of points, but nate is still a spark off of the bench.
Randolph is a great young piece. Pair him with Gallo in the front court and I would be extremely excited about the Knicks future.
Do whatever it takes short of Gallo.
Your still listening to that guy??? Same guy that said NY was gonna trade Al for Ty Thomas same guy that said TMac was gonna play a month ago, seriously??
Adrian just reported the rumor…others did as well…ask tommy; AW is usually reliable.
meaning the al for ty rumor
ESPN confirmed it also
Wow! You want Augustine? Is he any different from Hill or Douglas at this point? Would he be a good player to have? yeah. But he’s your pg of the future? I guess that’s hypocritical knick fans for you, saying every young point is pass first, but not our rookie pg, that’s not what fans think, the ones who think Galo is next best thing since slice bread. Our rook should be thrown on the back burner, because very young player and rookie not named Toney orJordan are great. the funny thing is, the ones named Toney and Jordan are on team, but it’s like they are not even on your team, lol.
He averaged close to 12 points and 3.5 assists in 26 minutes a game in a half court system last year…that would be 15 and 5 in ours; add more minutes and you get even more production…that’s fine by me…personally, i’m not saying he’s the pg of the future; but he’s a more natural point than TD and a nice addition…plus, he can stroke it from outside
Have you seen Tony Douglas play or are you just making angry comments? If you have actually taken the time to watch him play you would see he is not a pass first PG.
Very good defender, and gutsy as hell. Dude is not Mardy Collins he can ball. But a pass first PG he is not. There is a reason he was drafted at the end of the first round. He is too small to be a pure 2 but does not have the mentality of a 1.
Really, Knicks4life?
“Have you seen Tony Douglas play or are you just making angry comments?”
He’s not a pass first point guard? Don’t tell me I need to watch him play because I’ve seen him play for the past five years! I’m not you, to say he isn’t a pass first guard because he wasn’t drafted in the top ten. But then again Jennings is a “pass first point” when he’s not, right? What about John Wall, that everyone wants in the draft next year? He’s scoring as a combo guard does, but then again everyonewants him to be a starting pg for the Knicks next year. How hypercritical is that?
You think Douglas is more of a combo guard, but then again you want Jennings and Wall as your point when they too are more of a combo guard than Douglas. And don’t tell me Jennings is a “pass first” pg because he’s not. He’s a flashy guard who could dish flashy passes, but that doesn’t make him “a pass first” pg. Please check his game in Italy, SL and in the first couple of games in the season. Oh forgot half of you didn’t know whoJennings was until the draft.
See to you all it’s a matter of where that person was drafted. If Douglas was drafted in the top five and we had a different coach who gave him the minutes to play and he scored every game the way he did when he scored 21, 23, 15, everyone would be saying “Oh, we don’t need a pg, all we need is a C and 2010 contract and we’re set” am I wrong? When Douglas first started few games of the season passed way more than he shot. Most of the times he never found his shot, leading many to say ” he needs to shoot more.” Now that he started knocking down shots after shots, “it’s oh, yeah, he’s a combo guard.” Ok, let’s go back to SL.
In summer league the dude passed his heart out, keeping his dribble, commanding the team, doing what a pg guard does. Ok, now, Pre-season, the dude made four turnovers the whole pre-season against tema s like the Celtics, Nets, tec who had fast pgs in Rondo and Harris. Is harris a pg? No, but then again you want him as the starting pg on your team. ”
“…but does not have the mentality of a 1.” That’s we’re his game is contridicting because he takes the three or the jumper when he has the opportunity like a two, but in terms of passing the ball, he dumps the ball in the post without turning it over, he drives it to the basket and kicks it out safely for the open man. No one has answered this, how many turnovers since SL has this guy committed? How do you what he could do if everytime he brings the ball up and Larry Hughes is taking the ball from his hand? Think about it. Everyone says Galo is the odd man out which untrue. Galo is hestitant more often than not to create for himself. Toney on the other hand is odd man out. He’s playing a rotation where your best scorer Harrington is playing with him and Hughes is moving the the ball up. So what can Douglas do in five minutes with them two of them there?
See the thing is you don’t know what you’re talking about. Let’s get some game footage. I want Tommy to put together Toney’s game footage on video and so we could see how much Toney is a” two guard.” Do get me wrong I agree when you say he doesn’t look like a pg at times because he doesn’t, but what about Lawson who on many occusions this year played like 2 like when he went off on Iverson in Iverson’s debut back in Philly? But you still want him as your pg, right?
What seperates Douglas from Jenn, Lawson, Wall, Devon, Harris? Scoring 30 or so points. That’s why you want them as your pg. Not cause their “pass first pg’s” Out of that five Devon and lawson are “pass first pg’s” but not the rest. Lawson Wall and Jennings is similar to Doug in scoring, but they’re not pas first pg’s..the only reason half of you are saying that is becuase YOU want them on your team and you don’t know that much about the people we drafted. So to say Douglas isn’t a pass first pg compared to four of the five names above is stupid. How the hell can you say Jennings is a past first, when scouts in Italy and in the states say he’s more of a shooting guard. The reason you’re saying he’s a pass first guard is becuase the Knicks passed on him and bexuase he’s scoring 55, 40 points ina game. That’s it.
SO, DONT TELL ME I’m not watching becuase I am. Toney doesn’t just jack up shots he keeps his dribble, never getting nervous, makes the approiate pass to the big in the post or making a good pass around the perimeter or when driving to the basket. The only time he shoots is when he stops and pops or is open behind the arc. YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS IF YOU AND THE OTHERS WOULD WATCH HIS GAME CLOSELY.
By the way, I like Augustine’s game but for the same reasons I don’t think Sessions would have worked here, I don’t think DJ will either.
The kid can’t shoot and this offense is predicated on at least the threat of the pull back shot of f the pick and roll or the PG launching a three out of nowhere (see Duhon, see Nash).
Plus if you get a superstar in 2010 (see Wade or LBJ) you need to surround them with shooters and rebounders. DJ is neither. I wouldn’t mind seeing him here, but I wouldn’t go crazy if DW didn’t think he was a good fit.
We are not talking about a can’t miss talent like Jennings here (that one was strictly for Tommy).
how about a guy like this in NY to become our center of the future?
http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/63424/20091215/warriors_put_randolph_on_block_again/
Look above. I already commented on this.
sorry about that!
He’s not a center, but he’d be the perfect 4 for this system.
I’ll hang myself if Donnie Walsh doesn’t pull a player from the 2008 draft out of Don Nelson or Larry Brown’s doghouse. I’ve been PRO “TRADE FOR ANTHONY RANDOLPH, JERRYD BAYLESS OR DJ AUGUSTINE” all year long. Donnie Walsh NEEDS to make something happen – Randolph, Bayless and Augustine are extremely talented and they are still in their rookie contracts.
Danilo Gallinari and Anthony Randolph (respectively) at the 3 and 4 spots is my dream.
Here’s a trade that I’d like (the numbers work) :
Wilson Chandler and Darko Milicic for Anthony Randolph, Speedy Claxton and Devean George.
Got to watch the game now.
Wilson, Nate, and Landry for Randolph and Bell (after his trade restriction is up)
I think Nate’s outgoing trade value is $2 million (50% $4 mill) – this trade doesn’t work (correct me if I’m wrong)