Since we’re in a world of rapid reading let me preface the following by saying I think any chance of a deal happening with Orlando is extremely slim.

That said, Stephen A. Smith went on record on the radio the other day noting a source saying that the Magic are exploring a possible deal that would send Dwight Howard to New York for Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, who can’t be dealt before March 1st.

After touching a ton of bases yesterday I was able to confirm that the Knicks have been “very actively” trying to include Amar’e in a deal for Dwight Howard. It seems that there is some friction in the locker room over the idea that the Knicks desperately tried to deal Stoudemire for Chris Paul before the star PG was moved to the Clippers.

Now what does this mean? This means the Knicks are being active as it relates to making changes. Alan Hahn confirmed the team’s interest in J.R. Smith on the network the other day and it sounds as if Kenyon Martin is also a player who is in the mix as well.

This also means that a deal for Howard probably means the Knicks taking back Turkoglu’s contract who could thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s system.

Again, this deal can’t happen until March anyway, but the bottom line is that the Knicks and Magic are apparently having some dialogue as it relates to the framework of a deal, which is newsworthy because Howard didn’t have the Knicks on his list of teams to talk deals with.

I still firmly believe that the Nets are the front runners.

“Amar’e is an unbelievable player but his name hasn’t come up,”

Orlando official

I can tell you with full knowledge and disclosure that Stoudemire was offered for Paul on the day they were pressing to acquire Chandler. It was a shot in the dark.

The Howard situation is something we’ve been on the case with as well. And, again, I won’t take any Howard to NY rumor seriously unless my sources tell me that there is legs to it. Right now it seems as if Orlando is trying to play the roll of Denver last year. There is absolutely no rush for them to do any deal, like the Nuggets last year, if they are winning games and potential trade partners are losing them. It’s beneficial for them to watch the Nets’ (for example) draft position improve night after night. This draft is loaded.

I said at the time Stoudemire would benefit from following the career of Karl Malone, the alpha- power forward who went from delivering vicious dunks as a youth to delivering mid range pick and pop jump shots. That added years (and more production in his 30s) to his career.

SI’s Zach Lowe is now on the case. 

Still: The lack of pick-and-roll plays for Stoudemire was jarring. This is one of the league’s most devastating pick-and-roll finishers — so much so that David Thorpe of ESPN.com suggested last week in a must-watch video that Blake Griffin should emulate the way Stoudemire worked with Steve Nash in Phoenix. Stoudemire finished precisely zero plays as the roll man on Sunday (per Synergy Sports), and as mentioned above, he did not work the play as Melo’s direct partner. Stoudemire loves slipping screens — cutting quickly down the lane without really setting a stationary pick. Passing to a guy who slips a screen involves a split-second reaction; it’s a play based on quickness and timing, not one when a ball-handler can take a few dribbles around the screen, survey the defense and find the screener in the lane. Maybe Anthony and Stoudemire just don’t have that kind of timing down yet.

Maybe. Or maybe Stat knows the significance of establishing his jump shot. Ironically, Patrick Ewing would become a 15-18 foot jump shooter, and maybe the best at the position ever. Ewing was automatic from range.  Amar’e often rushes action towards the basket. Focusing on his jumper allows him to slow down and with that the pace of the offense does as well.

The point is Melo is an isolation player and is as good as anyone in the league at it. Stoudemire must adjust his game offensively in order for the Knicks to have chemistry with them on the floor together. It can work and it can only help the durability of Stoudemire moving forward. One thing is for sure, Stoudemire will do anything to win.

In the first quarter with 6:20 to go of last night’s game there was a play in which the Knicks failed to close out a possession and it led to a foul on Tyson Chandler who hammered Brook Lopez sending him to the foul line.

I watched the replay and saw that Amar’e Stoudemire went to close out on a kick out jumper then “ran out” which is to say he wanted to get out in transition so when the team rebounded (see Chandler) he’d get ball out in transition. Except they hadn’t secured the ball and the result was a foul on Chandler.

Chandler’s reaction?

“WE HAVE TO REBOUND Y’ALL.” Sent in the direction of Stat, who shook his head in agreement.

You know who has the ability to talk to a 5-time All-NBA player like that?

A champion.

Welcome to the paint and to New York Tyson Chandler.

If Magic are considering any trades for Dwight, don't you think Otis makes a call to #Knicks for Cypress Creek HS phenom Amar'e Stoudemire?

November 30, 2011 9:23 am via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@alanhahn

Alan Hahn

This is something that has been tossed around these parts and yes, as it relates to Phil Jackson, it makes more sense for the Knicks to land a big player. This is going to be another one of those years, fans, strap yourselves in.

I can’t tell you how good this feels.

Ok, now that that’s done, it’s time to get down to business and as we’ve learned time and time again, that business is the game of basketball. Knicks basketball.

So here are a few things to keep in mind. I know that this is the first order of business around here, but can I ask that the Fire Mike D’Antoni stuff wait until they lose their first game?

Before then the roster still has to be completed and (thanks to Chris Sheridan) the parameters of the deal include two important talking points as it relates to the Knicks.

Owners dropped their insistence on what would have been known as the Carmelo Anthony rule, preventing teams from executing extend-and-trade deals similar to the one that sent Anthony from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks last season. This means that if Dwight Howard, Deron Williams and Chris Paul want to leverage their way out of Orlando, New Jersey and New Orleans, they will still be eligible to sign four-year extensions with their current teams before being immediately traded elsewhere.

Teams above the salary cap will be able to offer four-year mid-level exception contracts to free agents each season. Previously, owners were asking that teams be limited to offering a four-year deal one year, a three-year deal the next, then four, then three, etc.

The deal also includes an amnesty provision, which will allow teams to cut one player from their roster whose salary will not fully count against the salary cap or luxury tax.

The amnesty clause is key for the Knicks. People have mentioned possibly using it on Chauncey Billups, but that’s ridiculous, Balkman is the player who will moved, and if the Knicks had kept Corey Brewer and signed him to an extended multi-million dollar deal he would have been chopped anyway. I know, the Knicks could have used him in the playoffs, but his agent wanted a place to land him a deal before bargaining. More business.

The MLE was always going to be in play here because big market teams have to spend and they have to be rewarded for spending. But this is the trick. The Knicks have to use it on a one-year deal which brings players like Kurt Thomas or Jeff Foster into play.  Source tells TKB that Foster doesn’t appear to be in the plans in Indy and Kurt Thomas would love to return to NY. What about a cheaper, more creative option?

I’d also look closely at Chuck Hayes, who may be looking for more years and there in lies the problem. This MLE has to be used on a 1 year deal if you are under the impression that the Knicks can land CP3 or Howard, and when you do the (quick) math it would appear as if the Knicks can make a play for a 3rd star. The great Dan from KnicksFanBlog has more here.

I, myself, think that if the Knicks keep Shawne Williams and Turiaf, and maybe Jared Jeffries, who sources say isn’t sure where he stands within the organization’s plans, they should turn their attention to a perimeter shooter.And that’s not even mentioning Jerome Jordan and Jorts. Even with the addition of Shumpert the Knicks need someone who can stretch the floor, a roll that Roger Mason was expected to fill next year. As it relates to balance they need someone to play 15-20 minutes and be a stretch player from the perimeter. Unless they expect Toney Douglas to play more off the ball this year. Maybe Landry Fields has improved this off season.

As you can see there are a lot of questions and I have to say, I’m so freekin’ happy to begin the attempt to start to try to help answer them. Fan of the coach or not, I think real Knicks fans are hoping for a season similar to the one that occurred the last time CBA negotiations went down, at least the last part of the season.

“I’m hearing good things about the lockout, that we’d be starting sooner than later,” Stoudemire said. “So that [Florida camp] would be offset. I’m not sure the change [in negotiating stance], but I do feel better about the fact we may start sooner than later. That’s a positive for us.”

Amar’e Stoudemire

According to several players, the Knicks’ captain sent out emails about the plan to all 10 players under contract for 2011-12, plus draft picks Iman Shumpert (who is already working out at IMG) and Josh Harrellson and a few free agents from the 2010-11 roster. Center Jerome Jordan signed with a team in Slovenia (with an NBA out), so he will likely not be available to attend a workout unless the lockout is resolved.

Anthony, looking muscular and well-conditioned, poured in 27 points in the Melo-Goodman game and declared himself “back”. He had been dealing with an elbow injury last season.

Speaking of back, Stoudemire recently said his feels “much better.”

Chauncey Billups, who missed the last three playoff games with a knee injury, was cleared to begin basketball workouts in August and should be ready for camp.

The one question mark is Ronny Turiaf, who broke a finger in his left hand last month while playing for France. He should be cleared to play by then, however.

Good to hear that Stoudemire is feeling better. Maybe I read into Melo’s quotes a little too much…