The following is a guest piece from avid TKB reader and huge Knicks fan, Zachary Story.

Since being left standing at the alter by “He Who Shall Not Be Named” our beloved Knickerbockers have made a series of intriguing moves this summer, one of which was the sign and trade of David Lee to Golden State, that brought Ronny Turiaf, Anthony Randolph, and Kelenna Azubuike to the Big Apple.. Kudos to Donnie Walsh on that one…

Much of what I have been hearing out of the Knicks camp since the deal though, is that Anthony Randolph the prize possession in the deal, who i believe to have the most upside of any player on our team will be coming off the bench as the teams 6th or 7th man, with Ronny Turiaf starting at center and Amare at the 4 or vice versa… Now you might think Im crazy when I say this.. but I truly believe that for the Knicks to try and make that jump into the East’s elite they must utilize Randolph as a starter with Amar’e at center… Here are some reasons

1) I think that if Randolph comes off the bench, he could easily get lost in Dantoni’s infamous “Rotation”, which i think as Knicks fans (and Larry Hughes) know is not a good thing..

2) I think Randolph’s run and gun style of play, will definitely benefit Dantoni’s uptempo offense rather than a less mobile Turiaf out there..

3) Confidence… This guy rides off confidence ever since he was at LSU, and to be out there having your named called in the starting lineup, in the world best city, with the worlds best fans, would be a great start

4) He would also take some pressure off of Amar’e, with another threat down low in the post, and i think the fact that he can run the floor will benefit Felton and continue to aid Tony Douglas, in the hopes of one day being a starting point guard in this league..

5) I’m not a huge supporter of this reason but…. Randolph could definitely boost his trade value in which he could possibly become the center piece of a deal for Carmelo, which I believe the Knicks are now no longer the front runner or the second option of the Nuggets.

This is a very opinionated post, and of course i know there are just as many reasons as to why this guy should probably come off the bench.. But i truly believe in my heart that he should be on the floor during tip off against the Raptors for the season opener… Now let the debating begin…

Via ZagsBlog:

“I still think the curiosity factor and him coming to New York and being a part of the Knicks, I think that…people would’ve just been drawn to watch to see if he could do it.”

Asked if he thinks LeBron seriously considered joining the Knicks, Thomas, who was part of the Knicks’ recruiting team for King James, said, “Yeah, I think so.”

Via NY Times:

Mozgov, 24, is an athletic 7-foot-1 late bloomer whose performance for Russia during pool play at the world championships has been one of the surprises of the tournament. Coming off the bench behind the former Kansas star Sasha Kaun, Mozgov scored 18 points in Russia’s victory over Greece on Thursday, has averaged 11.8 points over all and has helped lead a Russian team without any N.B.A. players to a 4-1 record.

“I think it’s going to be easier for him in the N.B.A. than in Europe,” Blatt said. “He’s not going to have to be a lead player, and they’ll probably put him in a small area of the game where he has to pick and cut or run the break hard, which he does extremely well.

I know some think that the Mozgov coverage in the media has been slightly excessive, but his contributions this season can really play a huge role in how well the Knicks do. Think about it: If Mozgov can play a Robin Lopez role, rebound, defend, and finish, that allows Amar’e to play his natural position and provides the Knicks with a five who can guard other fives, because Anthony Randolph can’t. Of course Turiaf can do the same thing; it’s all about depth.

Via NY Post

But the Nets have enough pieces, including 10 draft picks over three years and young players, to devise a trade for Anthony.

In recent years, that has been the way teams have gone if dealing franchise players — seeking picks and cap relief over star power-for-star power deals. Whatever the price, it appears Brook Lopez would not be allowed to enter the equation and is the Nets’ lone untouchable.

Should Denver gamble and keep Anthony, the Nets would be in position next summer with roughly $20 million in cap space to make a free-agency pitch.

Interesting.

Via RealGM

Alan Hahn of Newsday writes that, “So several NBA insiders have suggested to me that Portland will exhaust all other options before they’d even consider doing Rudy a favor and sending him exactly where he wants to go, especially if the Knicks aren’t offering anything they really want. And what they want is a first round pick.”

The Blazers’ asking price has always been too high for the Bulls and the Knicks, higher than just a first round pick, which the Knicks don’t have to shop. Apparently, the Knicks turned down sending Anthony Randolph in the deal.

Via Daily News

According to a team source, Knicks president Donnie Walsh recently rejected a three-team deal that would have sent Anthony Randolph to Indiana, a first-round pick to Portland and Fernandez to New York.

Because the Trail Blazers are insisting on receiving a first-round pick in return for Fernandez, the Knicks likely need to recruit a third team in order to complete a deal. The Blazers apparently have little interest in Wilson Chandler. Fernandez, who is currently playing for Spain at the world championships in Turkey, was fined by the NBA for publicly asking for a trade.

Randolph for Fernandez would not have been a good trade.

Via ESPN

The Nuggets and new vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, just introduced Tuesday to the local media, are not close to announcing a Carmelo Anthony trade.

Sorry to disappoint again: Anthony isn’t even on the market.

Not yet, anyway…The Nuggets can do nothing to prevent the future of Anthony – along with Chris Paul and Deron Williams (“I have a feeling he’s next for all these trade stories,” one Western Conference team official said of D-Will) – from becoming the new season’s sidebar obsession to the actual basketball. But they can tell teams that call about Anthony that they’re not ready to discuss potential Melo trade scenarios.

Let the CP3-D-Will debate begin…

Via Slam

If your head is spinning, think of it this way. If an NFL team has a free agent whom they don’t feel confident they can re-sign to a long-term deal, they hold the card of applying the franchise tag and either retaining the player’s services for another year — albeit at a high price — or receiving two first rounders, depending on how the scenario develops.

Given the power exerted by NBA players during this summer’s free agency period, and the power plays Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony have attempted on their current teams, the franchise tag would seem to be an appealing option for owners if they want to keep a star player from leaving via free agency. One former general manager agrees.

“The franchise tag would be a huge hit for the owners,” said Steve Kerr, who returned to TNT’s broadcast booth as its lead game analyst after three years as general manager of the Phoenix Suns. “One of the biggest issues they’re trying to accomplish with this next CBA is cutting down the length of guaranteed contracts and getting rid of dead money — when a guy signs a $100 million deal and he gets injured.”

Or basically the Eddy Curry situation…Look, it’s a good idea and we know football is a different animal but most players, particularly stars, hate the franchise tag. It causes great friction. But that’s because NFL players need guaranteed money in lump sums. I believe it could be good for the league, but I don’t know if the players would ever sign for it.

Without getting into the argument of whether or not a Mike D’Antoni coached team is capable of defending, let’s keep one thing in mind.  Every team in the NBA plays defense.  It is a fundamental part of the game.  How well teams play defense is another story and something I am willing to discuss in this article.

Last season, the Knicks did not play defense well as a team.  However, before Jared Jeffries was dealt, the team did have some success with him defending at the top of a zone.  His length and quickness helped to contain the opposition. 

With a potential starting line-up of Ray Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph, Amare Stoudemire, and Ronnie Turiaf, the Knicks figure to have more length than any other team in the league.  With that length, the Knicks can find themselves either facing matchup problems or creating matchup nightmares for the opposition depending on how they play.  Even though Danilo Gallinari receives a worse reputation than he deserves for his defensive abilities, I am not sure how well he will be able to defend shorter, quicker shooting guards.  Every time down the floor, I would expect the opposing guards to attack Gallo and force him to tire out and potentially get into foul trouble.

Despite preferring man-to-man defense, I am beginning to believe that if the starting line-up is consistent with the one mentioned above, then perhaps a zone defensive scheme would work better.  I am envisioning the Knicks running a 1-3-1 zone scheme, with Ray Felton harassing the ball-handler at the top of the key, Gallo and Randolph on the wings, Amare in the middle, and Turiaf quarterbacking the zone from underneath the hoop.  Felton’s quickness and defensive ability should be able to slow / stop penetration from the opposing point guard, thus forcing him to kick it to one of his wings.  At that point, I believe that Gallo’s and Randolph’s length will allow them to get out on those wings quickly, thus contesting jump-shooters.  With Turiaf’s ability to block shots and to put a body on players once shots go up, I think he would be a good fit in the back of the 1-3-1 (that is not even mentioning his motor mouth while he is on the floor.  Those who have played zone before understand the need for good rotation and for communication amongst the five teammates).  Then once Wilson Chandler (potentially the 6^th man) checks in for Turiaf, he would shift to the wing and force Randolph underneath the hoop.

(more…)

Via NBA.com

This happens. This is sports. Everyone declines, even the greats, unless they leave before their feet touches the ground. Just like taxes and a Mark Cuban rant toward a referee, it’s inevitable. And it usually doesn’t happen suddenly; most of us can see it coming, for a variety of reasons: age, competition or a change in team dynamics.

That said, here are 10 players who appear most vulnerable to a slide in 2010-11, and why:

Amar’e Stoudemire (Knicks): He lost Steve Nash and he gained a potentially hostile crowd. Those are the hazards facing Stoudemire in his new digs. The Nash factor is very real; Stoudemire owes a bunch of his highlights to a point guard who excelled in the pick-and-roll and knew how to deliver the ball. As for the New York atmosphere, it might get gruesome should the Knicks falter and/or their new big man fail to meet the steep expectations. If you recall, Stoudemire was a bit touchy last spring when he was called out in the postseason. Therefore, is he too sensitive to deal with media that’s triple the size of what he saw in Phoenix, and twice as skeptical?

I guess we’ll see. He looked pretty good in the playoffs just a few months back…

Via Hoopsworld

As I covered in my chat yesterday, and as ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting today, NBA teams that have called about Carmelo are not finding a very receptive Nuggets team, and most of the conversations have ended before they have started.

The Nuggets are hoping to meet with Carmelo personally in the coming days. Teams that have gotten the Nuggets to talk about it say until Denver gets a sense of where things really are they are proceeding as though Carmelo will be in camp and that he will be a Nugget for the foreseeable future.

It’s funny how the message changes when there is actually someone to talk with.

As we said yesterday, Denver isn’t in a rush to trade Melo. What is clear is that at this point the Nuggets don’t feel the need to get 10 cents on a dollar for a world-class player seeing that he;s not itching to extend anywhere else. If he were traded to NY, it would be different. Bottom line is this. If Melo decides that he wants to extend elsewhere than NY or Denver then he will be traded to another city. If he doesn’t, the Knicks may end up getting Melo at some point during the season without having to give away too much.

Via NY Post

The coaching staff will tell you nobody has worked harder than Douglas this offseason. The second-year Florida State product has done two-a-days at their Westchester compound since the beginning of May — save for a two-week break in July.

Douglas, the Knicks’ most tenacious defender, said one of the reasons he has worked so hard is he wants to be a leader this season. There were none during last season’s 29-53 campaign.

“I had an OK rookie year, but this year I want to be more vocal and be one of the leaders on the court,” Douglas said. “At the same time, you can’t be a leader if you don’t hold up your end of the bargain. If people are slacking, I’ll tell them. If I’m slacking, I want them to tell me.”

We’ve talked about at length how leadership was an issue in the locker room last year. No one is a bigger fan of what Douglas brings to the table than I am. I know the coach wants him to see the floor more and learn how to be a traditional point, but as far as I’m concerned the guy possesses all the great qualities in a young rotation guard. Defensively, he’s a pest on the ball and is tremendous in the passing lanes. How many steal/layups did he have when he started getting regular minutes last year? He fights over screens and can rebound. Offensively, he can knock down shots in catch and shoot opportunities, he can get past his man and hit mid range and he can move the ball when not looking to score. And he’s very adept at the pick and roll. Aside from defense, I wouldn’t say he’s great at anything yet, but he’s a complete player who I’m looking for to have a really strong sophomore campaign.

And it looks like he’s putting the work in to make that happen. Add that to the list of great qualities.

Via NY Post:

According to Douglas, newcomer Kelanna Azubuike is not yet working at Westchester and still is doing offcourt rehab after missing most of last season with a torn tendon in his left knee. It’s looking more doubtful the shooting guard will be 100 percent when training camp opens on Sept. 25.

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Listen live as Anthony Rice Balls carries you through the 10 PM hour tonight.  Plenty to talk about including the World Championships, the shaping of the Knicks roster, and essentially anything else on your mind.

Tonight, Anthony will have recently signed Patrick Ewing Jr. as a guest to talk about his chances of making this Knicks roster, his experiences over the last couple of years, and more.

Don’t miss out, and don’t forget to give Anthony a ring to share your thoughts.

Via ESPN

“I think I’m going to convince him to be a Nugget,” Ujiri said, smiling. “No, I don’t know, I can’t make a judgment on that. Like I said, it’s a process and until he tells me that … we want him back, the city wants him back, ownership wants him back.”

There have been hints that Anthony might be thinking about moving on: his mansion in the Denver area is on the market and at his New York wedding to TV personality LaLa Vazquez this summer, there was that now famous toast by New Orleans point guard Chris Paul about reuniting with Melo in Gotham to form a super-team along with Amare Stoudemire to counter the Miami Heat‘s terrific trio.

To me, there is no more obvious reason that the Nuggets and Melo will eventually part ways than the candidates for the formerly vacant GM position. We mentioned David Griffin’s experience with dealing with an unhappy superstar, however he took his name out of the running. Ujiri is fresh off a similar situation with Chris Bosh in Toronto. Again, there will be no rush to deal Melo and the longer this drags, the better off for the Knicks.

The following is a guest piece from avid TKB reader and huge Knicks fan, Zachary Story.

Mozgov is For Real

I mean yes it was against Ivory Coast, the 41st ranked country according to the FIBA World Rankings (http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/even/rank/rankMen.asp), but Timofey Mozgov “The Russian Yao”, put up one of the better games i have seen in this FIBA World Championship.. Putting up 19 points, 5 boards, 1 block, and shooting 8-10 form the field in only 21 minutes, carrying Russia to a 72-66 win over Cote Ivorie, in what was a very close game right up to the end..

From the videos that I have seen which Tommy has posted, you get a good feel for how Mozgov controls the paint and alters players shots, with his large frame and athleticism .. But today I got a real feel for his skills as a scorer, as he was relied upon heavily down the stretch. Regardless of the fact that it was a fairly decrepit Ivory Coast squad, it was still a pressure-packed game with Russia fighting to stay alive in this World Championship… Hopefully Russia gets a chance to square off against the Americans in this tournament, so we can see how he plays amongst the world’s best…