So this is it. I’d like to open up the thread for the BEST moments of the season.

I’ll start. My favorite part of the season was December. My favorite game, in terms of good, quality basketball on both ends of the floor, was the win at home against Charlotte. Granted they were a bit short handed, but I thought the Knicks were really tight as a team and firing on all cylinders.

Obviously, Gallo against the Nuggets stands out and the dunk on the Celts and the one on Hibbert, Nate going off in Atlanta and the blowout win against the Suns. And you can’t forget David Lee‘s performance in Golden State.

I’ll post a poll, but you guys tell me the highlights of the season. It maybe a particular play or a win, but tell me what stands out to you.

Okay, so I’m sure you’ve had enough of my Randy Foye thoughts, so I’ll spare you. But in trying to figure out storylines here it’s not all that easy. I think Fabricio Oberto’s best days are around him, but I like his experience with the Spurs, but that’s about it.

Obviously, the main storyline surrounds David Lee and the possibility that it’s his last game in a Knick uniform. You’ve already read about how I feel about that. Honestly, opinions from fans are as embraced here as they are anywhere, but I really think that Lee can improve his defense. But it comes down to the all-mighty dollar. For those of you who find Lee’s defense laughable consider this. If they traded him to Cleveland for Anderson Varejao would the Cavs win any less games? I say absolutely not. So what does that say about defense? It says to me two things. Good defenders make bad defenders look better (read Mo Williams and Antwan Jamison, who statistically are two of the worst man-to-man defenders in the league) and if you can surround good offensive players who can put it in the basket with defenders, you can be successful.

Granted, if Lee doesn’t improve and they don’t surround him with a few defenders, then the Knicks may not have made the wisest of investments.

Interested to hear your thoughts…

With Miami assured the playoffs, one has to wonder which team they’d prefer to face in the first round. They are currently .5 games back of 5th place Milwaukee and are set to face the Hawks should Atlanta stay a game ahead of the aging Celtics. Either way, they’ll face one of those two teams in the first round. I suspect they’d hope to face Boston.

As far as the Knicks, well, there’s been a lot of chatter recently. I really prefer to soak games like this in, because I know it won’t be this bad again for a long time. How much better? I don’t know. I just know it won’t be this bad.

Still my favorite all-time Knicks-Heat highlight.

Yes, even more than this.

And this.

If anyone has the highlight from the 1997 playoffs of Chris Childs trying to dunk on Zo but hitting it off the back rim, do us all a favor and upload it to YouTube.

If there’s one team in the NBA the Knicks have an impossible matchup with (okay maybe every team), it’s the Orlando Magic with Dwight Howard. The Magic are cruising having won 16 of their last 19 and are primed to make another run deep into the playoffs. If they are as good as the Cavaliers, whom they are 1-2 against is anyone’s guess.

The Magic have handled the Knicks in their two previous battles, and there is little to make one believe that won’t be the case tonight in Disneyland.

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Don’t look now but the Knicks have won two straight and head into Indiana with the chance to make it the hat trick.

The Pacers just blew out the Rockets over the weekend and are close to calling up former Arizona Wildcat Marcus Williams (not the former U-Conn Star)

As you’ve probably heard, the Knicks announced that Al Harrington has decided on season-ending surgery:

“…Knicks forward Al Harrington will have arthroscopic right shoulder surgery tomorrow, performed by team orthopedist Dr. Answorth Allen. Recovery time is expected to be 3-4 months…”

And according to Alan Hahn, Tracy McGrady will play.

“…Tracy McGrady back in the lineup tonight. He and Chris Duhon start in the backcourt. Toney Douglas will continue to come off the bench…”

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We know tonight’s storyline surrounds Nate Robinson‘s return to the Garden, and I have to wonder if the Knicks were a legitimate playoff team would anyone really make such a big deal?

But Nate, to some, was a fan favorite and deserves recognition. To me, Nate was an energy player and brilliant marketing mind who has capitalized on what has been a pretty ordinary on court career. If Nate can’t been called upon to help win a huge game (read vs the Celtics) the other day, then what does the future hold for him? He should be an on-ball pest. He isn’t. He should be a hired gun to come in and get the crowd going. That he is…sometimes, however not enough so far in Beantown. Granted, Rajon Rondo is tremendous.

Despite the fact that Doc Rivers has eliminated Nate from his playoff rotation, I expect Nate to play a good bit tonight and to enjoy every minute of it.

Sorry to do this to y’all…I really am.

By the way. As far as the argument for rookie of the year, Tyreke Evans had been out, but it seems as if efficiency rating carries a lot of weight. Granted, Jennings’ Bucks are playoff bound but in terms of the rating:

Evans: + 19.79
Curry: + 17.78
Jennings: + 14.04

I’ve received a great question often, as I always do, surrounding Curry specifically. What if the Knicks had selected him, do I think that Walsh would have traded him in order to move his cap number and Jeffries as well. Here’s my take.

Job one was to move Eddy Curry or Jeffries. And I believe the decision was made easier because it was Jordan Hill. Walsh said himself he lost sleep over Hill, but it was the right move for the franchise. I believe they would have kept Steph Curry and looked to adding Wilson Chandler along with Jeffries. But imagine if the Rockets demanded Curry?

We’ll know if it was the right move in a few months, but I imagine Walsh would have been kept up for more nights if he had to make that decision.

I’m interested in seeing Marcus Camby and Frank Isola offers this:

“…It is already being speculated that Camby will return to the Clippers. But Camby enjoyed his time in New York and may want to give the Knicks another chance…”

Camby is a no brainer to add to a star player. But at 35 36, i wonder about his shelf life. He’s not the same high-flier Knick fans remember. He’s a defensive specialist, and may be the best, who can knock down the open jumper. He still has some spring, but is clearly a great defensive presence.

How much is that worth? We’ll find out this summer.

So we all know about the storyline, or at least I think I do. Something to do with the current Knicks coach used to be out there or something…

Anyway, the Knicks have a chance to build on what were great performances by Danilo Gallinari and Toney Douglas. What was lost in the fold the other night was that Al Harrington was pretty damn solid. I’ve heard clamoring that he’s been playing hurt, which is commendable. but Al, it wouldn’t hurt to move the ball first and finding your shot second like you were doing the other night.

And as far as this Alvin Gentry doing a better job than D’Antoni stuff, I don’t need to hear anyone tell me Gentry is adding this and that to D’Antoni’s business model. If you built if first, anything else is tweaking. Gentry himself is humble when he talks about Mike, so that’s good enough for me. I like Alvin, seems like a nice guy, but the team won’t win 60 games this year. Will they get home court against the Jazz? Will they slip to six and be a first round out? Still to be determined. The key in the West is to get in the top 4, and D’Antoni did that virtually every year.

Terry Porter tried to tear down the model, and it didn’t work out. The fact that Gentry GOT the job gives credence to the fact that the model, however currently constructed works.

Both Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill return to the Garden for the first time since being dealt at the trade deadline. Ironically, Jeffries had a few good games for Houston right after the trade and Hill was sitting, now it’s the other way around. Hill has shown promise and will certainly will see action today.

The Knicks have all sorts of injury issues, and will have David Lee back in the lineup.

If you can pull yourself away from March Madness, the Knicks are playing the Sixers tonight just a few days after beating them in Philly.

Eddy Curry, Eddie House and Wilson Chandler are all expected to be out.

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The Knicks head into Boston on a two-game winning streak and Toney Douglas has played very well. Wilson Chandler will be out and may be for a while, and Eddie House will also sit.

Douglas will have his hands full with Rajon Rondo, but it will be a great test. The Celtics are having their own issues having lost 3 of 5 and are trying to make a last run at positioning in the Eastern Conference.

Via Celtics Blog-

“…This Knicks team has cycled more guys in and out of its rotation than almost any other team in the league this season. Injuries, trades, D’Antoni-ism, there are many causes, but basically your guess of who will be starting for the Knacks is as good as mine.

They have been playing well though of late. They’re 4-5 in the month of March and have impressive wins over Detroit, Atlanta, and Philadelphia. Probably the best moment for NY though was a decisive 30pt win over Dallas on the 13th, from which they are only 1 game removed. Since then they’ve beat Philly, so for a team that was expected to lose, this is probably the highest moral point they’ve had all season…”

Tonight’s focus will shift to Philadelphia,  where the Sixers are in the midst of a horrendous season, they’ve won once in their last 11 tries, without the luxury of cap flexibility. So, in essence, the Sixers are the Knicks of the last decade.

I’d love to get a better look at Marreese Speights, who hasn’t played in  games due to a sprained knee. Doesn’t look like he’s going to dress.

Either way it appears that the Sixers brass isn’t all that high on the ex-Florida forward.

” ‘In love’ wouldn’t be the phrase I’d use to describe the Sixers’ relationship with Speights,”Jordan Sams of the Philly blog Liberty Ballers told me today.

“His work ethic has been a major issue, and in my eyes, he’s extremely available as far as a trade is concerned.”

I know, I know, we should be leery of a big man with work ethic questions. Ricky from Sixers4Guidos adds this.

“…Speights is a very talented offensive player that unfortunately plays little defense, can’t box out (yet) and lacks bulk & height to play regularly against the NBA elite big men. He can score, though, in many ways, and has the balls to take (and knock down) big shots in crunch time…”

The Sixers can’t move Elton Brand, will they hold onto Speights after Sam Dalembert’s contract ends after next season? It’s likely, but I don’t know. Either way, Speights is a young, cheap and talented big that could be available come summer time.