Monthly Archives: January 2010
The horrible irony behind the David Lee snub, which will officially be announced tonight at 7 on TNT, is that Allen Iverson 
would have been the first Knick to make the All-Star team since Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell pretty much at the expense of Lee. Imagine that locker room?
The fact that Iverson was voted in by the fans, essentially taking a spot away from a reserve, really stinks in my opinion. But the NBA will say “then vote” which makes them more money. It’s clear they don’t mind the controversy.
And as both Myles and myself pointed out, if you want to talk about having to play on a winning team, Stephon Marbury (2001), Devin Harris and Danny Granger (2009) were selected as reserves on bad teams. All, I believe, had worse records than the current Knicks team.
Either way the decision has already been made, and the Knicks have to plain focus on a difficult Raptors team, who handled them on MLK Day.
The keys to the game? Don’t let Andrea Bargnani be a world-class player, or allow the team to shoot 54% from three point range. I’d also suggest holding Jose Calderon to less than 21 points off the bench.
The Knicks have to spread the floor, create space and make shots and yes that means you Chris Duhon.
The Daily News is reporting that David Lee has been left off the All-Star Roster. 
“…East reserves: Bosh, Horford, Johnson, Pierce, Rondo, Rose, Wallace…”
Obviously, the name that jumps out is Al Horford, who I love, but is not having the same statistical year as Lee is. But it comes down to wins and the Hawks are playing well. Lee made a great case, and should be deserving. Wins are more important than efficiency ratings, clearly, to the coaches who voted.
Lee is 6th, yes, 6th in the NBA in efficiency. To me he was robbed.
Via ESPN:
“Team USA is in negotiations to hold training camp in New York City instead of Las Vegas in August, and to play at least one exhibition game at Madison Square Garden, ESPN.com learned Wednesday.
“The New York portion of training camp is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 10-16. The team is expected to attend induction ceremonies in Springfield, Mass., when the members of the original Dream Team are going into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.”
Might be a hot ticket when the time comes around…
Listen LIVE (click the player on the right on the BTR player)
Tune in to TKB Radio tonight at 9 PM to talk Knicks with Anthony “Rice Balls” Donahue and Tommy Dee. A lot to talk about including the team’s response at home last night against the lowly Timberwolves.
Twitter: AnthonyMSG
Now, I have to be honest. I like Ramon Sessions. How can you not like a guy who’s worked his way into the NBA after leaving 
school early on the heels of success with Nick Fazekas at Nevada, not getting drafted and working your way up through the D-League.
But seriously, I’ve watched the guy play a lot since Donnie Walsh decide to pass on him this summer, and I have to be honest.
He just isn’t that good.
Again, is he an upgrade over Chris Duhon? Sure. And frankly, I think he’s in the wrong system in Minnesota. They don’t let him distribute, which says a lot about David Kahn’s decision making. Seriously, Kahn may get a job again, but I just have to wonder where.
I’ve been told by a million coaches that you take a job, an opportunity that rarely presents itself especially in professional sports, where you can make the most positive impact (read: a job where the team/organization really sucks) and if you can do even the smallest of good, you’re a hero. Getting into a situation where expectations are really high is a tough deal because you can only go one way.
Kahn will have the time to be successful, but I can’t believe he’ll ever sniff the playoffs, hence where I wonder where he’ll get his next job. Sure, the Milwaukee Bucks have Brandon Jennings, but remember, they let Sessions go and got nothing back in return.
Loading ...“…Soph team: DRose, MBeasley, EGordon, KLove, BLopez, DGallinari, RWestbrook, MGasol, OJMayo…”
Rookie team: TEvans, OCasspi, TGibson, JJerebko, SCurry, BJennings, JFlynn, JHarden, DBlair…”
Still no word on the 3-point contest, and of course awaiting word on David Lee.
“…It’s well-known that owners will try to shorten contracts. Currently, players can sign contracts as long as six years. One GM told me the owners are looking to shorten the maximum length of a contract to four or five years. He added that they have actually discussed trying to guarantee only the first two years of a four-year deal, and that the third and fourth years would be guaranteed only if a player reached certain performance-based incentives the previous season.
In other words, it would be closer to the NFL than to today’s NBA
.
“Those concepts are being discussed,’’ another GM told me. “Is there a sentiment among some [owners] that they’d like to have it like football? Yeah. But I think that’s out of bounds.’’
Severe drops in salary. Non-guaranteed contracts. Billy Hunter, the Executive Director of the Players Association, will not settle for that without a fight, and the owners know it.
“There’s going to be a lockout,’’ the owner said. “There’s not even a doubt in my mind about that. Billy’s not going to make a deal like that. Teams are already saving up money for a strike.’’
Maybe the players should start saving too…”
Chris Broussard does a solid job of bringing something to the forefront. And based on the last NBA work stoppage, the economy, the NHL, and Tim Donaghy situation, NBA owners and player representative Billy Hunter better be VERY careful.
First order of business I’d like to see?? I’d like to see owners penalized for horrible business decisions. Like making a team pay cash money for outbidding themselves to sign a marginal free agent, or for having their GM draft 3 point guards and sign another then hire a coach who specializes in a system where the offense starts with a guard or forward in the post and completely limiting what a point guard does in the first place. How else would you track it? Based on coaching hires, games won, and performance of signed free agents. While you’re at it, give a 10 million dollar bonus, from the recently created awful business pool, to the best turnaround from the year before record-wise. Heck, give them a second round pick from the team that did the worst. This league, the owners and players DOES NEED INCENTIVE people, but from BOTH SIDES. Not just the ones signing the checks. (more…)
Whether you think he’s a moron stockpiling draft picks, or a genius, ummm, stockpiling draft picks, Timberwolves GM David Kahn believes in what he is doing. He thinks so highly of himself, that he felt comfortable speaking to the NY media about the recent reports of Ricky Rubio being back on the Knicks realistic-radar.
Via the NY Post:
“With Walsh a few yards away, Kahn, prone to grandstanding, stood on the Garden sidelines and told reporters the chances of Rubio becoming a Knick anytime soon are almost nonexistent because of the Knicks’ lack of prime-time assets.
“Donnie and I have talked a grand total of three times in the last nine months (about Rubio),” Kahn said. “From the moment we talked, I said to him — and I mean no disrespect to the Knicks or Donnie — what kind of trade can they possibly propose?”
“Kahn said their first conversation took place right after the draft and another one came when the Wolves signed another point guard, Ramon Sessions, in September. Kahn said his remarks to Walsh occurred as Danilo Gallinari was coming off back surgery, but the Minnesota boss still feels the same way.
“There is just no way,” Kahn said of a deal happening with the Knicks’ current roster state.”
Pretty, pretty, pretty blunt stuff. And a bit harsh, if I may say so myself.
I mean, Kahn is unlikely to come out and announce that the teams are close to making a deal, but he could have left the door open at least an inch, right? It’s not as if all this talk is distracting Rubio and his teammates as they try and compete for a playoff spot. I can’t think of what purpose his comments serve other than to expose the cold hard reality of the situation.
That’s not to say things won’t change, and that this convo might not resurface in a couple of months. But for now, given the direct and unambiguous language of the man in charge in Minnessota, I think it’s fair to pronounce the Rubio Sweepstakes, 2.0 dead…
NOW — how about that Jonny Flynn?
What a difference a couple of nights make…
As if they were out to prove all the naysayers wrong after Sunday’s flop against Dallas, the Knicks came charging out the gate and started the game with a 15-0 run. They put up a 40-spot in the first quarter. Minnesota only managed to score 16.
And the game was pretty much over from there.
Mr. Double Double, David Lee led the way with 28 and 10, and really looked great on the offensive end of the floor. He has consistently put up good numbers, but some nights Lee just looks so smooth doing it, and tonight was undoubtedly one of those nights. Wilson Chandler, who was nursing a groin injury up until game-time, played well on both sides of the ball, and Al Harrington did his best David Lee imitation with a 26 and 10 night of his own.
Chris Duhon logged 31 minutes in the win. He was passing the ball better than he has over the last couple games, notching 13 assists, but he only took 3 shots — all from downtown — and misfired on each one. But hey, as long as his +/- differential is a +24, you won’t hear me complaining (too much).
All that said, this Minnesota team is really, really bad. Not to take away from the Knicks’ play tonight, it’s just, how this team has more wins than the Nets I’m not sure. But I will give credit where credit is due: the Wolves did look fresh in their throwback jerseys.
A lopsided win on the heels of a lopsided loss. Let’s see which team comes out to play on Thursday against the Raptors…
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