Shaking off his 0-for-Nate

Friday October 30, 2009 8:53 AM By Alan Hahn

After an uncharacteristically quiet opening game (scoreless, 0-for-8) for Nate Robinson, who on most days couldn't be quiet in a vaccum,he vowed after practice on Thursday to channel his inner Tasmanian Devil against the Bobcats Friday night in Charlotte.

In fact, he encouraged his entire team to do the same and went as far as suggesting the big-money Knicks embrace the role of the scrappy underdog.

[Bloghost note: I think I just named three cartoon characters just two sentences into this blog. Four, if you count Nate.]

"We're undersized, so we have to play a little more scrappy," he said. "We weren't that much scrappy [against Miami]. They outhustled us. We didn't really get to loose balls and they had a couple of offensive rebounds. They wanted it a little more than us, I guess.

"But that's something we have to have every night: we have to play with a chip on our shoulder, thinking, we're small, we've got to come out being fiesty. Everybody on the team's gotta be Tasmanian Devils, even if that's not your character. You've got to find it. That's something we've got to do."

Robinson's main role is to bring that kind of attitude off the bench, but he was very ineffective against the Heat. His shot, which was inconsistent in the preseason, looked terribly off-target. He also tried to style on one drive to the basket late in the first quarter and it was blocked by Joel Anthony.

The biggest concern was that Robinson seemed to allow his shooting issues impact his effectiveness on defense. Some players, and Robinson appears to be this type, desperately need swagger to play at a high level. When the offense isn't there, the swagger level droops.

If Robinson is going to earn himself a long-term extension here or anywhere else, he's got to separate his offense from his defense. A bad shooting day at one end of the floor should motivate him to make it a great day on defense. We too often judge Sixth Man of the Year too much on a player's offensive impact off the bench, probably because it's too easy to judge. But a true quality Sixth Man is one who can enter the game and make a difference, whether on offense or defense, for the better.

But he's right about the attitude this team needs to take.

* * *

As we reported today in Newsday, Mike D'Antoni suggested there could be a change coming with the starting rotation. It likely involves Danilo Gallinari moving into the starting five (inevitable, for sure), but the debate is whom he will replace.

UPDATE: 12:30 -- At the morning shoot-around here in Charlotte, D'Antoni said it was "too early" to make any radical changes with the lineup, so it'll remain the same tonight. But he left the door wide open for the possibility of changes coming on the horizon, especially with a nod toward the team's future.

That wouls suggest that Wilson Chandler, who struggled in the first half on Wednesday, but picked it up in the second half and clearly isn't 100 percent yet after the offseason bone spur surgery, is not going to come out of the starting five.

The coaching staff likes the defensive versatility that Jared Jeffries gives them on the floor, but if you recall the original five D'Antoni went with in camp included Duhon, Chandler, Gallinari, Harrington and Lee. So Jared could be the player who goes to the bench eventually.

I wonder, however, especially when Eddy Curry comes back (or as Darko Milicic continues to get comfortable in the system), if D'Antoni might consider Al Harrington off the bench.

Is it a dangerous situation? Absolutely, especially considering that Harrington, in a contract year, made it clear last week that while he'd accept the role, he strongly believes he's a starter. But Harrington really isn't a three and he shouldn't replace David Lee at the four. If Gallinari's second half is any indication that he found his touch,he should be starting. This team needs to open games in a rhythm offensively, but I'm not sure Mike D'Antoni, who has already exiled Larry Hughes to the end of the bench, is ready to stir up a hornets nest with Harrington.

But despite how D'Antoni regularly downplays the importance of the starting team (he stresses that it's more important to be in the rotation), he did admit there is no doubt you need to begin the game with your best five players that fit the best together.

"That's one of the reasons why, with a veteran team, everybody has their role and you know it from the get-go," he said. "Where, we still haven't won and we're still looking for that elusive stuff. We've got a lot of new guys that we've got to fit in. We've got, also, a future to think about. A lot of things go into it, but I want to get there sooner rather than later. And I will. I don't think it's today that it has to be, but it will be soon."

They're high-fiving in Utah

Thursday October 29, 2009 1:51 AM By Alan Hahn

Danilo Gallinari didn't even want to talk about the fact that within the ugly of a 115-93 embarrassment in Miami on opening night, it appeared he rediscovered his stroke.

"The thing is, we lost the game so I am not thinking about my game," he said. "I'm thinking about we lost the game."

That wasn't a loss, that was a tragedy. It was also the kind of performance that had to have Jazz personnel grinning at the prospects of an unprotected lottery pick next June.

The offense produced countless open looks that just clanked off the iron. Then that led to forcing shots. Then that led to forcing plays. Then that led to losing focus on defense and it was body-hits-pavement from there.

We saw enough of this team's collective shooting issues in the preseason to notice it could be an issue. But now that it still exists in live action suggests it's more than just a slump. Really, aside from Gallinari, who on this team is a classic shooter? Wilson Chandler, who was invisible in the first half (1-for-6), is a streak shooter from the perimeter and doesn't use his athleticism enough on the drive. Nate Robinson (0-for-8 and also surprisingly quiet on both ends of the floor) is also a player who is more of a rhythm shooter. He can get hot and ride it for a while, but we've seen him also go ice cold as well.

David Lee had a strong numbers game (22 points, 9 boards) and for a brief stint late in the second quarter -- right before the bottom fell out -- he and Chris Duhon hooked up for some pick-and-roll moves. But the middle can't open up for the PNR if the defense isn't being pulled out to defend the perimeter.

So Gallinari's strong second half (5-for-7) gave enough of a hint to suggest he may have found the touch, but who else is going to step up as a scorer for this team that obviously has to score in the 100s to have a chance at winning. This is a system that produced extra possessions in games because of its up-tempo style. But while Al Harrington can muscle his way for baskets down low, he doesn't do the Knicks any good shooting six three pointers, especially if he only makes one. And he should take more than four free throws in a game.

You can't dismiss this as just one game mainly because we saw too much of the same issues - mainly shooting - during the preseason. Even D'Antoni after the game admitted "concern" about the shooting woes.

I don't expect the team will be on the lookout to add some shooters via trade, unless someone wants to take Larry Hughes (DNP-CD, by the way) in exchange for someone who can make shots and also happens to have an expiring deal.

Other observations:

* - Darko Milicic made a couple of nice jump hooks early in the game and provided four points, seven rebounds and two steals in 16:55 off the bench. I can see his role expanding as he gets more accustomed to the system.

* - Gallinari clearly was rushing his trigger early in the game and you could see he was making a concentrated effort to look for his shot. He drew a foul and went to the line and seemed to get more of a ryhthm from there. There's no doubt the Knicks need him to start taking it upon himself to be a focal point in the offense.

* - Chris Mullin was at the game to attend the Tim Hardaway jersey retirement ceremony. Before the game, Mullin sat courtside with Donnie Walsh and the two spoke for a while. I've asked around and, while Mullin is very available and obviously very interested, it doesn't sound as if Walsh (in the second year of a three-year deal) is looking to make any additions to the front office staff this season. By the way, Walsh's crew -- John Gabriel and Glen Grunwald -- were also in attendance.

* - Sure, this game was awful. But imagine the sirens going off in Cleveland right now after an 0-2 start and an embarrassing loss to the Raptors. Take the Cavs without LeBron and play them against the current Knicks roster. Winner gets LeBron.

* - Programming reminder: We'll be hosting a live chat here at 1 p.m. Thursday (travel schedule permitting!). See you then, Fixers.

Up Hill climb for Jordan

Monday October 5, 2009 9:48 AM By Alan Hahn

Let's analyze the rookies in their first taste of live NBA action in Sunday's 115-107 win over the Nets in Albany:

Aside from shooting struggles (2-for-9 FGs) -- which is an area Toney Douglas knows he needs to improve as a pro -- the rookie guard had five rebounds, three assists and a steal with one turnover in 23:26. His defense was solid and, in fact, along with the steal I can recall he forced at least two other turnovers.

A couple of times he got caught over-dribbling and not getting the offense set, which led to the shot clock winding down. But overall there weren't many glaring mistakes to suggest Douglas shouldn't get a regular spot in Mike D'Antoni's rotation this season.

For the team's other rookie, however, it's clearly going to take a little more work and time.

Jordan Hill missed seven of his eight FGAs in 17:08. He had four boards and two steals, but overall wears the look of a player who might as well have taken a seat next to us along press row, because he spent most of his time on the floor watching everyone else play.

Time for one of my tangents...bear with me:

Hill has so much potential, so understand the genesis of this constructive criticism. If he had no chance, you'd know it right away. But with his length and athleticism and a nice touch -- plus a notable willingness to get after the ball -- there's so much there to suggest Hill can be a good player at this level.

What is most concerning right now are his wheels, and I mean the ones on his feet as much as the ones in his head. Did I really see him get beat down the floor twice by Josh Boone? I mean, Josh Boone!

Jordan needs to understand that when he gets into a game, he needs to go full throttle, and that means getting back on D. If the other team's big is jogging, that only gives you the opportunity to help out until your man lumbers in. And on the break? Man, if you're a rookie and want easy baskets, you haul it up the floor and make the Josh Boone's of the world look glacial.

Another concern is the penchant to watch, which is a typical rookie mistake. What he needs to do is watch some video of David Lee and imitate what he does on offense. Lee has become an expert at crashes and dive-downs and he gets a lot of points and rebounds that way.

In this system, the middle is often going to be wide open, but Hill on Sunday seemed to get lost in being a perimeter player. As guards would drive, either on the pick-and-roll or on blow-bys, Hill's feet remained planted with the lane wide open. He needs to develop a killer instinct to follow the guard for a potential lob, dish or put-back.

Jordan needs to get any thought out of his head that he should wait on the perimeter for a kick-out. Son, that's not your job. Doesn't mean you can hit those mid-range jumpers that are very much part of your skill set, but when the ball is going to the basket, you should be following with the ferocity of an eagle looking to pick off a field mouse. Easy stats.

Again, watch David Lee. Do what he does. Now, Lee does have that uncanny ability to read the ball off the rim -- used to drive me crazy when I'd run to a spot and the damn ball would bounce the other way...Reason No. 4,976 of why I went on to hold a pen and pad -- and he has great hands to finish around the rim. But for Hill to start realizing his potential, he needs to simply start thinking more aggressively. Work hard, but work smart.

He could be a very valuable asset in D'Antoni's rotation this season. He just needs to get himself plugged in. Let's remember, despite the fact that he was a lottery pick -- let the debate rage on as to whether this was the right choice -- Hill is still a very raw project. He has been playing organized basketball for only five years. Lots of learning still to come.

Oh and one more thing: someone needs to knock the fade-away tendencies out of his game, ASAP. Whomever taught him this -- or maybe didn't teach him to not do this -- needs his coaching license revoked. Dude has enough length to easily get shots over most bigs and yet all he does is fall backward on every attempt. He once in a scrimmage this week got a very strong offensive rebound -- very impressive -- and spun to the rim. All he had to do is power up for an easy two and instead he shuffled his feet, traveled and then fell back for a weird-looking corkscrew shot that, sure, went in but it was a terrible waste of energy. I mean, the carbon footprint on that move was equal to that of a NASCAR event.

Just bloggin.

* * *

* - How about Jared Jeffries' game? That first jumper, which drilled the side of the backboard, was such a painfully familiar sight. But as a credit to Jeffries, he didn't let it linger in his head as has happened in the past. The very next time the ball came his way he buried a long three. Then another. And then another. Jared had three from downtown in the game. He made just one (out of 12 attempts) all of last season and was just 4-for-25 the season before that. Not saying JJ is going to be a three-point specialist, but it would be helpful if he can consistently knock down some perimeter shots when opponents leave him wide open (as the scouting report often says to do).

* - I wouldn't get too used to Jeffries and Larry Hughes as starters. The Knicks looked at their best at the start of the second half, when D'Antoni put out Chris Duhon, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Al Harrington and Lee. That group turned a three point halftime lead to 10 in five minutes.

* - For more on Gallinari, the Knicks "redshirt rookie", check my story in today's print editions. There were plenty of positives there and, though Gallo only took six shots it seems there was a reason for it. His two second-half attempts were airballs, the sign of tired legs (which he has had the past couple of days). To his credit, after the second miss, the next time Gallo got the ball he drove it to the basket for a foul.

* - If you're the type that likes to watch for the bubble players, those who may be battling for the 14th and 15th spots on the roster, keep your eyes on Joe Crawford (good shooter, very solid fundamentally) and Marcus Landry (Carl's brother, tough and smart...and, yes, we were mislead: he didn't play center at Wisconson, but didn't play a lot of perimeter, either!). It doesn't appear that Sun Yue has what it takes to push for a spot and Gabe Pruitt seems very much out on the fringe, as well. At least they both have something most of the Knicks don't: a championship ring.

* - Speaking of championship rings, Darko Milicic (was part of Pistons title team) had a decent game, though he had to pull out after the first half because of knee pain. The team is calling it a sore knee and Darko said he woke on Sunday morning feeling discomfort. He ran with a noticable limp, but kept telling the coaching staff he was fine. He doesn't recall when he actually hurt the knee and insisted he'll be OK. The Knicks should hope so. Darko showed in his 8:39 exactly what a backup center should bring: very physical defense, no hesitation to foul, shot blocking and some offensive assistance, as well.

* - Things to look for this week: 

1. Eddy Curry is expected to be back on the court Tuesday, which would fall on the fifth day of the 3-to-5 day window for his calf muscle injury.

2. The roster will likely see some cuts by Tuesday, just to get down to some more workable numbers (It's not fair to publicly guess who, but let's just tell you who didn't get any burn in Sunday's game: Yue, Pruitt, Ron Howard and Chris Hunter).

3. Friday's preseason game at Boston against the Celtics. Sure, it's very early, but it'll be interesting to see how the starting five does against the Celtics' five. In the preseason it makes no sense to judge final score, but it is worth keeping tally when the rotation players go head-to-head.

4. Programming note: Live Chat here on Wednesday at noon!

5. By the way, Sunday was Day 90 for me in my first round of P90X (some of you may recall in the summer I mentioned my plan to start the program). I'm officially a graduate, baby! For the record, I went from 232 to 220, which is five pounds heavier than my college playing weight, but to be honest, I had a refugee physique back then (and the Vanilla Ice coif...don't hate!). The plan is to take a few weeks here focusing on cardio and core work and then start up another round -- upping the weights and target reps -- in the first week of the NBA regular season. The next challenge comes in the New  Year: a program called Insanity, which I hope to get for Christmas this year. Aw yeah.

Camp officially started tonight

Friday October 2, 2009 11:12 PM By Alan Hahn

Those tired legs got their spring back. The blood was pumping and the sweat was dripping. Mike D'Antoni let the dogs loose in Friday night's scrimmage here at Skidmore College and these guys got after it in a heated run that was the most entertaining segment of camp so far.

Nate Robinson has been letting everyone know how successful his squads have been in the scrimmages so far and it seemed Chris Duhon had heard enough. Duhon looked terrific running the blue squad and played with very noticable intensity. At one point, after excellent ball movement resulted in a three-pointer by Jared Jeffries -- no, that's not a typo -- and sent Robinson's white team to the sidelines in the "knock-out" format, Duhon barked to Robinson, "Go get some water! Go get some water and watch us play!"

Shortly after that, Duhon was about 10 feet off the three-point line and buried the long-range bomb from straightaway to send the gray team off. Before the shot, Robinson suggested Duhon was too deep to take the shot.

After he drained it, Duhon growled, "Don't worry about how deep I am!"

It was an impressive run for Duhon, who ran the blue team with a floor general's authority and worked very well with Danilo Gallinari at the two spot (yes, the two spot). The best lineup for the blues included a huge group of Gallinari, Jeffries, Lee and Milicic. That group moved the ball beautifully and seemed to have great chemistry at both ends of the floor. Milicic ran the floor well and, along with Lee, dominated the boards.

Milicic had a rough go, however. He pulled himself out of the scrimmage early on and saw a trainer, but got back into the game without any sign of trouble. Then in a battle with Toney Douglas he fell to the court and Douglas fell over him and landed on his head. He was down for a few seconds, but eventually got up and was fine.

Again, not to oversell it, but Jeffries has looked very good in camp. He is even finding some consistency and confidence in his previously wayward shot. Not to say he's a legit scorer, but Jeffries is trying hard to show he won't be a liability on offense.

The blue team's members weren't the only ones to stand out. Al Harrington seemed to set the tone for the scrimmage early on by bringing a serious competitive nature. Big Al knocked down open shots, competed on the boards with ferocity and even attempted taking a charge. He was whistled for a block by one of the local referees hired for the scrimmage and Harrington got up furious at the call.

The intensity never got out of hand, nor did it seem to be on the verge of it. Just a good, hard run that was entertaining and encouraging.

The team will have one practice tomorrow before Sunday's preseason opener against the Nets in Albany at 2 p.m. The game is on MSG Network.

* * *

* - Milicic doesn't accept the label of a lottery bust who hasn't lived up to being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2003 draft, which included LeBron James (No. 1), Carmelo Anthony (No. 3), Chris Bosh (No. 4), and Dwyane Wade (No. 5): "I didn't ask nobody to be the second pick," he said. "I didn't fight for this spot. [The Pistons] wanted me to be the second pick. They saw me at 7-foot, could shoot, run, dunk, all this stuff. They saw all this stuff and they never used it."

D'Antoni's plan is to try to use as much of Milicic's talent as he can and Milicic says he already sees what type of role he can fill.

"There's a lot of scorers on this team, scoring is not a problem here," he said. "So I will try to help in other ways; try to rebound, try to block shots. All of this stuff is going to make this team better and get a couple of more wins, maybe for a playoff spot."

* - The team used Skidmore College's pool for some water training after the morning practice. Eddy Curry was in the diving pool with strength coach Greg Brittenham for his conditioning work while he lets the calf injury heal. Nate, of course, had the most fun in the pool and did a flip into the water. He then wandered over to the diving pool and walked out onto the lower board with wide eyes. Man you knew something spectacular -- and funny -- was bound to happen.

But athletic trainer Roger Hinds advised against it and Nate wisely obeyed.

A brief look into tonight's workout

Thursday October 1, 2009 11:54 PM By Alan Hahn

Desperate to keep pace with the ever-advancing world of new media, we experimented with our new Blackberry camera phone for some video peekage into tonight's Knicks training camp workout.

On this short -- and very poor-quality -- video, you'll see rookie Jordan Hill make a post-up move and then Al Harrington drive and dish to Wilson Chandler for a three.

Look, I'm no Martin Scorsese so just be happy with the effort, my Fixer faithfuls.

The Harrington play isn't an anomoly for his camp so far. He has made a concentrated effort to make the extra pass and keep the ball moving around the perimeter. Last season, Big Al was all about the extra shots.

What stood out most in this fifth practice in three days was the onset of the dead-leg syndrome. The most fittest players such as Nate Robinson, David Lee and Jared Jeffries didn't show it as much, but everyone else was clearly feeling it. Shots were flatter and there were some sloppy plays.

Jeffries had a solid workout. He brought a lot of hustle and effort and showed off some of the versatility that Mike D'Antoni was able to tap into last season. One one play, Jeffries made a nice pass to a cutting Lee for a reverse dunk that I did not happen to catch on my nifty little camera phone.

Though his shot wasn't cashing in like it was on the first two days, Danilo Gallinari still, to me, is the most skilled player in camp. He made a nice dribble penetration move and when the help defense came, he slipped a nifty pass to Darko Milicic for what should have been an easy bunny. Milicic missed and he's happy that didn't make the camera phone, either.

Eddy Curry was back from NYC after he went down this morning to have blood drained from his calf injury. He was sporting a protective boot -- just a precautionary thing -- and again seemed confident he'd be back on the floor next week. In the meanwhile, they have him doing a lot of work in the pool to keep up some conditioning so he doesn't fall too far behind. If only I had an underwater camera phone.

Then again, better that I don't.

The defense focus continues at this camp. D'Antoni likes to play a lot of full court five-on-five during his practices, so during one segment of practice he had the teams playing a version of knock-out among three teams. But rather than keep score for made baskets, the teams earned points for defensive stops.

The team will have two practices tomorrow (Friday). Check in midday for the next update. Considering the quality of the above video, I think my days as a cameraman are over.Hold your applause.

Big questions for small lineup

Wednesday September 30, 2009 3:18 PM By Alan Hahn

Even before Eddy Curry's injury knocked him out of practice on the first day, Mike D'Antoni seemed already committed to returning to the plan that had 6-9 David Lee playing the center position. His blue jersey squad consists of likely starters, with Lee, Al Harrington, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Chris Duhon.

Lee accepted the job last season but was often overmatched defensively, especially against bigs such as Dwight Howard, Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal. The team did go out and trade for 7-2 Darko Milicic and the coaching staff is already in love with Milicic's potential because he can run the floor so well and is a willing passer. He can also block shots.

But D'Antoni seems to like this smaller group of five and made that point when he said, "We're going to play our best five guys."

The lineup does cause some matchup issues for other teams, especially against the pick-and-roll. Yao had a hard time with it, as did Shaq and it usually pulls the big away from the basket. But with a 6-9 center you know guards who can get penetration see a runway to the rim, which was a major Achilles Heel last season.

"We don't have a lot of shot-blocking, that's the only thing with that lineup," D'Antoni said. "But we can do other things. We've got Eddy coming back, we've got Darko, Jordan Hill. We have other answers. We'll see. We know that David and Al as a three and four are good and we have other possibilities . . . That's the great thing about our team, the versatility of it and I'm trying to get to a group of eight to 10 guys that I can put on the floor and are all good."

Milicic is intriging because, despite the fact that he stayed in Europe all summer and reported Saturday without spending any time at the MSG Training Center, he appears to be in excellent condition. He looks physically strong and fit and seems very comfortable with the up-tempo D'Antoni pushes in both drills and scrimmages. (By the way, to label Milicic is a lottery bust is unfair. He wasn't the one who picked himself No. 2 overall before Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. That's on Joe Dumars.)

It's up to Milicic to play well enough to motivate D'Antoni to move him into the starting five, but then what do you do with either Lee or Harrington? Perhaps D'Antoni sees it easier to bring Milicic in off the bench rather than move Lee or Harrington into a reserve role, which certainly wouldn't be received well by either player.

Within all of that, D'Antoni also will want to find minutes for 6-10 Jared Jeffries, who, if you remember, started camp last year as the possible starting center before he broke his leg. By the end of the season, however, Jeffries showed great value as a point guard stopper, which you can see being his role once again.

Hill is still very raw and I don't want to be unfairly critical too early in his first camp. Actually, it's probably better he has a few veterans ahead of him on the depth chart because it will allow him to develop at his own pace without the pressure that usually comes with a top 10 pick, to perform right away and push for a starting role.

* * *

* - Curry sat out the morning practice but our dear stationary bikes got no love from him. Curry was nowhere to be seen at the gym and was instead getting treatment on the strained right calf. D'Antoni said he couldn't predict if Curry would be able to play in Sunday's preseason game against the Nets (when we'll get to see replacement referees). The team will have one long practice tomorrow and then resume two-a-days on Friday. The guess is Curry gives it a try tomorrow but may wait until Friday.

* - In case anyone missed it, Joe Johnson pretty much confirmed he will be on the guest list for next summer's free agency party.

* - Toney Douglas looks physically ready for this level. The fact that he was a college senior means he already has that maturity and the guidance of his older brother, Harry, who is a wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons (and out for the season with a knee injury).That's a heck of an accomplishment for the Douglas family. It recalls a lyric by C.L. Smooth in "Take You There":

I'm living through my son so Daddy see it this way;

I want him in the NFL, his brother in the NBA . . .

* - There is another scrimmage tonight. Check back here later on for the usual and hit me up on twitter (twitter.com/alanhahn).

No hugs, just hope for new season

Monday September 28, 2009 3:48 PM By Alan Hahn

I had that "Sounds of Blackness" chorus in my head the entire time spent mingling in the gym on Media Day.

You can win . . . as long as you keep your head to the sky . . .

Optimistic. 

We had just entered the gym where the usual set-up of tables arranged around the floor with a player seated at each. Times scribe Howard Beck noted the place had a very clean smell.

No amount of Febreze could have cleared the air a year ago, when my former running mate Ken Berger made the back page when he got bear hugged by Stephon Marbury and there were still so many unwanted guests on the roster. It was a collection of players that Mike D'Antoni made reference to when I asked about the negative atmosphere that may have lingered from the previous regime and the penchant this team had for collectively going south when even the slightest controversy hit:

"I think we weeded out those guys," he said.

Hard not to wonder, however, with so many expiring contracts on the roster around several young players on a team that has such low expectations from outsiders, if this year's group can be a disastrous mix in it's own way.

But today that vibe didn't quite exist. At least not yet. Of course everything looks good on the first day.

That includes Eddy Curry, who spoke openly about his issues from last season and, of course, his weight. His shoulders looked huge, by the way. "Really?" he said. "A lot of push-ups."

He apparently did the Bobby Brady hang-from-the-closet-rod trick to get taller, because the Knicks now list Curry at 7-feet even. For eight seasons in the NBA, he's been 6-11. (The team also lists him at 295, 10 pounds more than the listed weight used over his career and yet 22 pounds lighter than what Donnie Walsh reported on Friday.)

Curry said his current condition "is the best I've felt in a long time," though, as we told you over the weekend, he did tweak his hamstring in a scrimmage last week. Pre-emptive strike for tomorrow's first day of training camp? Perhaps. From what I hear, with all of the hard work he put in to lose 40 pounds and get himself in good shape, Curry hasn't done a great deal of full-court work this summer. Now with the hamstring issue, it might still be some time before we see Curry ready to go 100 percent.

Al Harrington, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to go. He even had a basketball at his table, ready to jump out of his seat and into a drill at a moment's notice. Big Al looks lean, but he says he actually gained eight pounds from last season. It's just been reconfigured. He comes in at 260 pounds after an offseason that involved something new to his trainig regimen.

"I never really lift weights, but I lifted weights this year eight straight weeks, no basketball," Harrington said.

He started in mid-June and went through July pumping iron in a two-a-day schedule. Now he finds himself far more explosive than he was last season and feeling quicker.

"It's crazy, I thought you had to lose weight to feel quicker," he said. "But I'm just stronger. I can't wait to get on the court."

Nate Robinson showed off his new jersey number, which is No. 2, the number he wore basically all of his career until he joined the Knicks. The No. 2 is in honor of Deion Sanders, whom Robinson, a two-sport star in high school and college, idolized. I told Nate he needs to now honor Larry Johnson by flashing the "LJ" after he hits his first three of the season. He got the reference.

Darko Milicic sat at a far table across the gym and I didn't have the chance to make it to him before he left, but he did have this to say to AP's Brian Mahoney about Mike D'Antoni's system, which the Knicks expect to be a more comfortable fit for the 7-foot Serbian and former lottery pick.

"I don't know him personally, but I watch his teams," Milicic said. "He's great. It's great, the way he wants you to play with the freedom. You have the green light, you know how to do it, just do it . . . As long as you play right and as long as you play hard, you've got the freedom to play. Just enjoy. Go out there and enjoy. So it's a great, great, great way to play."

Uh, yeah . . .

Chris Duhon said he is much more prepared for the demands of the starting PG role this season than he was last season, when he admits his body broke down from the heavy workload.

"This year, I have a better feeling of what to expect, what it's going to take to maintain my body and what I need to do on and off the court," he said. "I'm more prepared for it. If that situation happens again, I really believe I won't break down like I did last year."

Everyone was quick to deflect the 2010 talk and say, as one would expect, that the focus at hand is this season. The best line of the day came from Curry, who was asked about the 2010 talk and how his contract is the biggest load (no pun intended) against the salary cap.

"If that's their goal, to showcase me or whatever to make my contract more attractive, then so be it," he said. "I still have to be able to go out there and play."

Then he added, "I hope they do get LeBron. I hope I'm here when he comes. If not, I think the city deserves a player like him."

I'll be leaving Greenburgh soon for the trek to Saratoga Springs. Check here every day for updates from training camp and also follow me on twitter (twitter.com/alanhahn).

Take a load off, Eddy

Saturday September 26, 2009 5:05 PM By Alan Hahn

I pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin' 'bout half-past dead...

When we prodding media types ask Eddy Curry the obvious questions Monday on media day, he may reply in figurative speech.

The discussion, of course, is about The Weight (bloghost note: the title of this blog post borrows from The Band's legendary tune. If you've never heard of The Band, then you haven't heard music. Netflix "The Last Waltz" now and get educated).

Regardless of what we see with our own eyes (how many 300 pounders ever actually look lighter?) Curry has to be lighter these days. How can he not be? But not just in pounds.

Donnie Walsh said Friday the last weigh-in registered 317, which is 40 pounds lighter than last season. That's an accomplishment. Some may want to bring a scale. See for themselves, but you have to believe it he isn't carrying the same weight he did last season.

Why? Because aside from the colon cleansing (yes, that's an automatic TMI) and broth diet and an offseason of -- eureka -- actual, legitimate conditioning and basketball training that melted away all those pounds of misery, Curry also was able to rid himself of the excess (and very public) drama that certainly weighed him down emotionally and spend the summer buried in family and, perhaps more importantly, in anonymity.

So will he look lighter? At 317 pounds, it's almost impossible to "look" anything associated to light. But feeling lighter is probably more important to him, not just in his movements on the court, but his mental state off of it.

So where is he right now? Here's a catch-up on a few of Curry's widely publicized issues away from basketball:

*- Remember the chauffer, David Kuchinsky, who filed that shocking sexual harassment lawsuit against Curry? After a judge in May ruled the case to be settled in arbitration -- as per the employment contract Kuchinsky signed with Curry -- Kuchinsky has yet to pay the expensive filing fee to begin the arbitration process. It's a very unheralded result to what had been a widely-publicized story. To be fair, Kuchinsky's lawyer has not yet responded to an email we sent earlier this week seeking an explanation.

*- The bank foreclosure on Curry's $3.7M Chicago home, which came public in late June, is in the process of being settled. A result of this, however, moved Curry to take action against his former agent, Lamont Carter, who handled most of Curry's financial affairs. (Sheriffs are apparently still trying to serve Carter with the lawsuit, while the rest of us wonder how the hell anyone in the mid-2000s ever would agree to a mortage rate of 10 percent. 10 percent!I guarantee that bank was never in trouble when the recession hit.)

As for on the court, we only know what we've been told by the people who have worked closely with him over the last three months: strength and conditioning trainer Tommy Weatherspoon and basketball trainer Jerry Powell.

Weatherspoon in August said Curry's weight was 318 pounds at the end of August, which was close to the playing-weight goal of 315 that Weatherspoon set. Powell said Curry was moving well and spent a great deal of time on his post moves.

Hold on, here comes the however . . .

Weatherspoon and Powell were hired to work only until Aug. 31, so the past 20-something days Curry has been on his own. One would think after three months Curry would know exactly what do to maintain the level of fitness -- if not improve on it -- between then and when camp opens on Tuesday. According to Walsh's number, Curry dropped one more pound since the end of August.

He has been at the MSG Training Center for about two weeks now and this week started participating in full court scrimmages with his teammates. I heard from several people within the team that Curry didn't spend too much time actually playing in the games. And he pulled out of one with a hamstring tweak.

There's little doubt, as I wrote in the Saturday editions of Newsday, Curry has a lot more work ahead of him once camp starts because, even if he's in great shape -- OK, let's just go as far as saying "good" shape -- he has to now learn how to play and fit into Mike D'Antoni's up-tempo, ball-movement system.

Mainly, he has to be able to run. That was a concept he didn't grasp a year ago, when he arrived in Greenburgh before camp looking slower than Jerome James on a stationary bike. Looking slower than Steve Francis to a loose ball. No wait, looking slower than LeBron James to the Cavaliers contract extension.

OK, that'll do.

Let's make one thing clear: forget what you saw in the second half of last season. That wasn't the true system and I've criticized D'Antoni for eschewing his principles and allowing so much undisciplined one-on-one play (Nate Robinson, Al Harrington) to happen for the desperate attempt to sneak into the playoffs.

What you should expect is that D'Antoni will get control of the offense again right from the start and demand the philosophy to return to what Red Holzman often ordered from his players: Find the open man.

(Uh oh, tangent coming up ... )

That means more than just breaking down your guy one-on-one and kicking it out, which so many people think is what the offense is all about. No, it's not and that's Reason No. 2,380 why Allen Iverson wouldn't work here, even as a one-year mercenary and yet why an intelligent, yet non-athletic guy like Chris Duhon can take his game to another level here.

It involves screens, rolls, motion and something most players hate doing even more than setting screens: playing a decoy role.

It also means busting out off the defensive boards, running lanes and finishing strong. It means running the other team's more talented veterans into the ground. It doesn't mean dribbling off 10 seconds just to make a crossover dribble into a fade-away.

But before we completely go off track, let us digress ... now back to Eddy.

His value could be at the top of the key in the pick and roll. You say that's absurd, because he's 6-11 and over 300 pounds and players that size don't belong 20 feet from the basket.

OK, just hold up a second, Dr. Naismith. If you remember one thing about Curry during his successful 2006-07 season -- before his knee problems and resulting weight gain -- was that the dude is ridiculously nimble for a big man. Sure, most of his work was done on the low block, but if you watch the tapes you will see that he can move very quickly and fluidly in a space no bigger than a square foot. If he truly is in shape and feeling strong, his knees won't take as much pounding and his body control will be better than it's been in years.

Also, recall the plays he would often make with Jamal Crawford off the pick and roll. The quick spin and unstoppable alley-oops. That bounce he once had left his legs and went to his belly over the past two years, but an offseason of work should have brought most of that back. In July we saw Eddy easily slamming the ball through the hoop, which, amazingly, wasn't such a common sight when he actually was on the court last season.

No one is expecting him to arrive looking like David Robinson. In fact, in this system, with the demands on running and constant movement (not to mention quick passing, which was never one of Curry's strengths to begin with), Curry may never be able to log more than 20 to 25 minutes a game in this style. It would just be nice to see him do it without having to drag his tongue down the court, too. Or waddle behind the other team's big.

It's similar to when Shaquille O'Neal went to Phoenix. Amar'e Stoudemire was far more effective at center in this system because he was an athletic big man who could run like a small forward. That's the type of center you need. Sure, Stoudemire is a freak of nature, so it's not his package of athleticism and power comes along every draft year (we'll try to ignore the comparison Mike D'Antoni made with Jordan Hill).

Stoudemire will be a free agent in 2010, so you never know, but then again, so will Chris Bosh, who would also fit as a center in this system.

Kwame Brown? Eh, not so much.

Realistically, the way D'Antoni plays it is probably better not to have a so-called "dominant" center that needs the ball, but more of a role-playing type that can defend the rim, be active, run the floor, set screens, make smart passes and knock down those mid-range shots when needed. Perhaps Hill will develop into that player and there won't be a need to spend cap space on a big. Time will tell.

The presence of 7-footer Darko Milicic puts less of a desperate need on Curry to give the Knicks the size they obviously lacked all of last season, with 6-9 David Lee starting at center. We really won't know where Milicic fits in until camp starts and we see what he does.

But those who have followed his career and have worked with him tell me Milicic will be far more comfortable with playing more of a mid-range, pick-and-pop style than when he was asked to be a post-up player in the more traditional sets in Detroit, Orlando and Memphis. Right now he's an expiring contract and a big body, two things everyone covets in the NBA these days.

But Curry isn't, mainly because of his hefty waistline and hefty contract. He's supposedly shed the former, but the Knicks still need to shed the latter. Make no mistake about it; if the plan is to make a huge, franchise-changing splash in free agency next summer, Curry's $11.2M salary needs to come off the books before 2010-11.

There has been recent optimism that the recession has quelled somewhat and the economy could be on an upswing, albeit a very slow one. That could change the NBA's previous doomsday forecast of a major dip in the cap for 2010 to as low as $50 million. If the cap merely holds at the current number ($57.7M) and Curry's $11.2M is moved, the team could have as much as $30M to spend in free agency next summer.

For now, however, the focus of the franchise has to be on getting the best out of Curry for the sake of his value. For Curry, obviously, it is for the sake of his career.

I'll leave you with something Eddy said in July, when we last saw him. He said he didn't feel he was at a crossroads. But he did acknowledge a need to change the path he was on.

"For myself, I want to make the best of this situation," he said. "I want to salvage these last two years. I really want to dominate and show the New York fans and the organization what they brought me here for."

With the excess weight off his body, and his mind, Curry's fresh start awaits in Saratoga.

Stories for the water cooler

Monday September 14, 2009 12:28 PM By Alan Hahn

Eddy Curry is back at the MSG Training Center, we're told, after completing an offseason committed to conditioning and nutrition. Curry has been on his own since the start of September because both trainers, Tommy Weatherspoon and Jerry Powell, had contracts with him that expired on Aug. 31.

The finished product will be officially unvieled on Sept. 29, the first day of training camp, but teammates are curious to see him run in pre-camp scrimmages.

So what will it be at the 5 spot for Mike D'Antoni? Will he try to shoe-horn Curry's lumbering power game into his up-tempo, spread offense? Or will he go with the more natural fit of Darko Milicic?

Meanwhile, David Lee is still not signed and neither is Nate Robinson. Knicks media day is in exactly two weeks. Camp opens two weeks from tomorrow. Lee has been working out at the MSG Training Center and Robinson is in Seattle with his girlfriend for the birth of their third child.

In case you missed it this weekend, the Knicks added three names to the training camp invite list: G Gabe Pruitt, G/F Sun Yue and F Warren Carter. Beat the rush and order your jerseys now.

* * *

So Kanye West created yet another stir, this time at the VMA's last night with his bizarre interuption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech. (Bloghost note: We agree Beyonce's video was better, but that's because of two factors: Beyonce and the outfit she was wearing). But Taylor's been through other humbling tribulations before. Matter of fact, one happened right here in New York.

When she was 12, Swift was a contestant in the Knicks Kids Talent search at halftime of a game. And she lost.

The contest winner is determined by crowd response. Perhaps it was an excusable oversight of legit promising talent, considering the Garden crowd hasn't really seen it in a long time.

* * *

Have you heard about one of the recent MegaMillions winners? Meet Jimmy Groves, a 49-year-old Harlem man who is a laborer at the Garden. Groves came away with $168 million, which means he may now be able to afford to take a seat along celebrity row.

But a few seasons back, Groves was the center of attention at the Garden, and by the celebrities along the famous front row, to attend to a moment anyone in attendance -- especially Allan Houston -- may have preferred to forget.

The video below explains it all. Groves is the man with the mop.

Follow me on twitter at twitter.com/alanhahn for the latest on the Knicks and the NBA throughout the season.

Looking for a mercenary? Here's one

Monday September 7, 2009 10:26 PM By Alan Hahn

With at least one roster spot still open, the Knicks have spent the past month going through the one-year wonders. They had a week of exclusivity with Jason Williams and passed. Williams eventually signed with the Orlando Magic. They had Allen Iverson desperately trying to include them in his very short list of potential destinations until it was made Cristal clear the Knicks weren't interested. AI is reportedly on the verge of taking a one-year, $3.5M deal to help the Memphis Grizzlies sell tickets this year (quick, someone shrink-wrap OJ Mayo).

Jamaal Tinsley appeared to be on the Miami Heat radar, but it sounds as if Pat Riley would prefer to find backcourt support in a trade. Tinsley talked to the Knicks, but there doesn't appear to be a great deal of interest at the moment. Jerry Stackhouse had a well-publicized workout in August, but little came from that, as well.

If there's an unsigned veteran free agent that may fit exactly what the Knicks could use -- a pro's pro, a terrific shooter and a competitor -- it's Wally Szczerbiak. A few weeks ago he seemed on the verge of being locked up by the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are still interested, but Szczerbiak is still available.

No doubt Wally World isn't the same player he was in his prime. But at the bi-annual ($1.99M), he's still a bargain for someone you can bring in off the bench as a shooter and a cerebral player who would fit well in Mike D'Antoni's spread offense. The greatest knock is defense and we don't deny the fact that one-on-one he just doesn't have the foot-speed. But in a team concept, he is actually an excellent positional and help defender.

He can play some at the 2 (sitting in the corner waiting on those kick-out threes) and also obviously can handle the 3-spot. His game would fit well with Danilo Gallinari and his no-nonsense, competitive approach to the game is the right kind of influence in a room of young players. And he doesn't have to be a high-rotation player, especially not at that price.

Szczerbiak would likely prefer to go to a contender such as the Western Conference Finalists (George Karl may see him as a possible replacement for the departed Linas Kleiza), but the Long Island kid would have to think highly of playing for his hometown team just once before he eventually calls it a career.

Just bloggin.

 * * *

A huge upset happened today in the European Championships, when Serbia knocked off Spain, 66-57, behind Nenad Krstic's 17 points. Spain had Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro and even Ricky Rubio, who had an underwhelming six points, three assists and two rebounds in 27 minutes.

The young Serbians had Krstic, but they didn't have Darko Milicic. Why? Well, there were some issues with Milicic on the international circuit in recent years. We can't post it here, but if you do a search on YouTube, you may discover why.

Morning buzz

Thursday June 25, 2009 9:32 AM By Alan Hahn

A few quick notes on what is already a busy day . . .

* - OKC has employed a lawyer in Spain to help expedite the Ricky Rubio buyout. Very interesting. They go for La Pistola and slide Russell Westbrook to the two, which means every backcourt in the NBA will consistently go under on every screen against these two non-shooters and you can give an arm's length to defend them. Gonna need it just to keep them in front of you.

At this point our coverage is going to be Knicks-centric, so I'm only going to focus on what moves will impact the Knicks. This move obviously does because if Rubio doesn't somehow get to Minnesota at No. 5 and 6, the Stephen Curry hopes are completely dashed.

* - Shaq to Cavs is a done deal and it'll be interesting to see how the egos work for a year. What it does is open up cap space for 2010 so Cleveland can make a run at Chris Bosh. Now to see how LeBron responds to this. Does he now take an extension this summer and put an end to the New Yawk tawk? (On a side note, Nash continues to talk about the Knicks and maybe New York is more attractive to him with the news that the Suns have dumped Shaq for essentially nothing and are reportedly also still shopping Amar'e Stoudemire). Nash wants to stay in Phoenix, but not with an empty lineup around him.

* - The Knicks are in play for some extra picks, possibly one of Minnesota's late first rounders at 18 or 28. I believe they'll also look for a second-rounder as well. If Curry or Evans does not come to fruition, the best-case scenario would be Gerald Henderson (I'm thinking a stronger Gerald Wilkins) and have him fill the hole at the 2 spot. Now you have 2 (Henderson), 3 (Chandler) and 4 (Gallinari) tied up for the future. Perhaps you then go after a PG in a trade this summer (Nash?) or attempt to sign one with the mid-level exception (Jason Kidd? Ramon Sessions?).

* - The Q-Darko deal not being done (I mean it's a no-brainer for both teams) suggests the Grizzlies aren't positive they are keeping the No. 2 pick to take Hasheem Thabeet. Perhaps this deal happens only if they make the pick at 2.

* - I'll be on 1050 ESPN Radio in New York with Brandon Tierney at 10:40 a.m. to talk draft and the latest rumors.

*- At 11 a.m. we'll host a Live Chat here. And be sure to keep it here during tonight's draft, as we'll have a host of staffers joining in to blog the draft and all the trade talks and rumors throughout the night. I'll also keep a-twittering throughout the draft, so follow me at twitter.com/alanhahn.

Afterward, be sure to catch MSG's Draft show at midnight for a wrap up of the entire day of events.

>> Click here to view photos of Gerald Henderson

Click here to view photos of Tyreke Evans

Click here to view photos of Stephen Curry

AP Photo

Pre-Draft Availability Notebook

Wednesday June 24, 2009 6:13 PM By Alan Hahn

Another crazy day of rumors, speculation and trade possibilities. Another day where it seems Stephen Curry is tantalizingly close to landing with the Knicks.

I even asked Steph today at the NBA Draft Presented by EA Sports Media Availability what I know some of you are thinking about incorrigible hacks like me your beloved bloghost: If you don't wind up with the Knicks, it is people like me who ruined it by writing about you too early in the process?

He laughed.

“I don’t know, It’s kind of funny because I came out thinking I would be in the seven to 20 range and then worked out with New York and everybody thought I was a lock," he said. "I worked out some more and I kind of jumped higher so it’s just a process. I can’t keep up with it anymore. I just try to do what I do in the workouts and let things happen.”

Easy for some, but we're not in the business of waiting for it to happen. We're the people who are paid to find out what could happen and how it may happen and why and then deliver it to you in some comprehensible form. (I just like to occassionally toss in a lyric or two.)

Here are some thoughts, observations and hearsay from the day-before-the-day:

* - Gerald Henderson bears a striking resemblance to Allan Houston. Sure, it would be great if he also had the sweet jumper, but it was an amazing likeness in mannerisms and inflections were dead-on H20. Pure executive material. But, again, if only he had that J. Still, Henderson would be a good pick to come away with, especially because he can fill that gaping hole at shooting guard. Henderson was lost in the shuffle of that June 10 workout that included Curry and Jrue Holiday, but he says it was one of his best, if not the best, workout he had in the pre-draft process. The Knicks came away very impressed.

"We had a pretty good group, but I thought I held my own and those guys did really well also," he said. "It was very competitive and challenging group.”

* - Ricky Rubio said he would be "excited" if the Knicks landed him. DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony -- who literally walked away in the middle of a videotaped interview with Hasheem Thabeet to take a call from an agent...talk about in the zone -- is floating the possibilities that the Knicks may offer up David Lee to OKC in a sign-and-trade for Rubio in July. A tad out-there as far as theories go, but Givony has proven to be well-connected this year.

* - Brandon Jennings has pretty much surrendered the idea of being a Knick: “I doubt if get picked by the Knicks, I think everybody knows who they’re trying to get," he said. "I’m not really going to talk too much about the Knicks. I would love to be there in NYC, don’t get me wrong, and play for D’Antoni. You see what he did for Steve Nash those two years. But I think any team I go to I’ll be ready mentally.”

Fixer buddy Andrew Marchand of ESPN Radio was stunned. He interrupted, "You don’t think there’s a chance?"

“Well, I mean there’s always a chance," Jennings said. "It just depends on what happens that night. With the trades, I think kind of shake the draft up a little bit. It all depends on those two picks from Minnesota I think.”

* - Timberwolves president David Kahn late this afternoon vehemently denied there was a deal in place with the Knicks for the 28th overall pick, as had been the hot rumor earlier in the day (when I was on the damn train and could only tweet that, after a little help from some insider friends, it was not, in fact, a done deal, amid swirling reports that it was). There was talk that the Knicks tried to get Memphis' pick at No. 27 but the Grizzlies declined.

Now it sounds like the Knicks are aiming for Minnesota's other pick at No. 18. Could be a cash deal or maybe it costs the Renaldo Balkman trade exception, which expires in July. Regardless, these are believed to be a few of many options Donnie Walsh and his staff are trying to set up going into draft night.

* - The rumored trade between Memphis and the Knicks is something I can't confirm, but if the Worldwide Leader has it, it's probably accurate because generally in the 48 hour range of the NBA Draft, the league ensures the TV rightsholder will get all the scoopage -- that would send Darko Milicic for Quentin Richardson (two expirings) suggests the Grizzlies are looking to rid themselves of a big, perhaps because they plan to take one in Hasheem Thabeet.

* - Mock Talk: Oklahoma City could go for Ricky Rubio at No. 3, but James Harden is just a better fit. The Thunder is one of the few drum-tight organizations in the draft. Absolutely zero is being leaked from their braintrust, so everything is pure speculation, but one thing we have consistently heard over the past few weeks is the Thunder are not interested in sliding Russell Westbrook out of the point guard spot. That leaves Rubio on the board for Sacramento at No. 4, but wait...the latest word is the Kings will pass on Rubio and go for Tyreke Evans. That sets up Minnesota, who targeted Rubio with the trade-up and they could get him at No. 5.

Which Momma Rubio won't like.

"My mom's worried because she doesn't like the cold weather," he said today sort of half-kidding. "She's worried about that. We'll see."

That leaves the sixth pick as a curious one. If the T-Wolves get Rubio, why would they draft another guard with the sixth pick? But they have an eye on Harden or Evans as shooting guards if they are there. If not, total mystery.

* - The Golden State Warriors were very close to moving Jamal Crawford to Atlanta for guards Speedy Claxton and Acie Law. This could have a major impact on the Knicks' plans for Stephen Curry because if the Warriors were looking for guards to support Monta Ellis, they just landed two guard, but, really, are they the answer there?

Claxton (another Long Island guy) has been riddled with injuries but is apparently working feverishly to be ready to go in the fall. He and his agent have been pushing for a trade to get out of Atlanta. Law is the former 11th overall pick just two years ago by the Hawks and has been a disappointment. Not a tremendous athlete like Claxton is, so I'm not sure he flourishes in Nellieball. But he is young, inexpensive and does have some usable skills as a depth guard.

If these two are considered the Ellis support system, then the Warriors go for Jordan Hill to fill the power forward spot.

As for Mally-Mal, good for him. Perhaps that dubious playoff drought will finally come to an end for him in ATL.

* - What else? Let's see...I asked Blake Griffin -- who worked out only for the Clippers and Mike Dunleavy is already diagraming plans for him -- if he was glad he didn't have to worry about all of the rumors and speculation like the rest of his draft classmates. “In my mind, anything can happen," he said. "Nothing’s set in stone right now. I wasn’t going all over the place working out, but still something could be switched around.”

Wait, I said, they didn’t give you a guarantee yet?

"Ummm," he said, with a smile, "until I sign on that line, I’ll look at it like that.”

* - Programming note: We'll do a LIVE CHAT tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 11 a.m. We'll go as long as it takes so bring your questions.

* - Also remember to follow me on Twitter (twitter.com/alanhahn) for up-to-the-minute notes and scoops throughout Draft Day and into the night.

Photo credit: NBA.com/Getty Images

Know when to hold em, know when to fold em

Wednesday September 10, 2008 6:09 AM By Alan Hahn

This one goes out to Donnie Walsh, the Gambler

(Give Kenny Rogers an old school beat...)

boom-tap-ba-boom-boom-tap

Now ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'

Is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep;

'cause ev'ry hands a winner and ev'ry hands a loser,

And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep....

Chris Wallace sure didn't put this much effort into the Pau Gasol trade. But with Donnie Walsh it's straight poker.

Donnie is insisting the conversations he had with Wallace regarding Zach Randolph are getting stale. But a trade scenario only expires when one of the parties says so and, so far, neither side has tossed their cards on the table.

Despite trying to shoot it down to our Fixer buddy Ho-Beck with the Times, he also said, “I can’t say anything is over” in regards to a potential deal.

Obviously Donnie doesn't feel Darko and Marko (essentially two reserve players on the Knick roster) are enough for Randolph, especially if the Grizz even want to entertain thoughts of also getting a first-round pick.

Quite frankly, do either of these guys make you better? Perhaps Darko gives you the shot-blocking you lack, yes. Jaric, let's be honest, he doesn't get minutes over the players you already have in Jamal Crawford, Wilson Chandler and Quentin Richardson.

Now, if you replaced Jaric with one of Memphis' glut of young guards -- say, Javaris Crittenton ($1.38 million this season, team option for $1.47 million next season) -- then you might get Donnie back on the phone. It's up to Wallace to change the offer if he actually wants Randolph (and we already know there is a need for a low-post scorer there).

Clearly the Grizz want to move more money than just Milicic's contract and a rookie contract, so that's where the first-round pick comes into play.

Walsh has made it pretty clear -- as much as we disagree with him -- that he has no problem going into the season with Zach and Eddy Curry as his frontcourt duo. But after missing out on the chance to dump all of Zach's remaining $48 million on the Clippers earlier this summer, can Donnie take the risk of losing another opportunity to clear some cap space for 2010?

And, after getting fleeced in the Pau Gasol trade, can Chris Wallace afford to walk away from the chance to get a 20-10 player to improve his very young, very shallow team?

So which is it, fellas...holdin' or foldin'?

Adriana Lima comes with the trade? Done deal.

Monday September 8, 2008 5:26 AM By Alan Hahn

Marko Jaric's fiancee is Brazilian Victoria Secret model Adriana Lima.

Welcome, Adriana. The Garden already looks better.

Now that I have your attention this morning, Fixers....let's get serious.

The latest I'm hearing on the Zach Randolph-to-Memphis talks is that the Grizzlies want a first-round pick from the Knicks. Getting a bit greedy, no? Donnie has countered by saying if he's giving up a first-rounder, he wants something more back with Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric.

Jaric, by the way, has to be stoked by these trade talks. He's spent the summer in New York -- his wife-to-be is a model, or did I not say that already? -- and I've heard he's been working out recently with possible future mates David Lee and Nate Robinson.

Darko is apparently pretty happy about it, too. Starberman caught Darko's agent, Marc Cornstein, at the US Open over the weekend and Cornstein said they would welcome the chance to play for Mike D'Antoni.

And there is a report in the Serbian media that claims Darko Milicic says it's "99 percent" he'll be a Knick by the end of the week.

- Sve će se znati do kraja sledeće nedelje, ali mogu da kažem da sam 99 odsto u Njujorku. To je slavan tim, koji u poslednje vreme igra loše, ali sa novim trenerom bi to trebalo da se promeni. U suštini, svejedno mi je gde ću igrati, ali činjenica je da je Njujork stvarno veliki grad. Verovatno me očekuju strahovite gužve na putu do dvorane, ali šta da se radi. Izvesno je da će mi društvo u Njujorku praviti i Marko Jarić, pa ću imati sa kim da se družim - zaključio je Darko Miličić.

You got all that, right?

Translated by tranexp.com, it comes out:

Everything će yourself knotkle in full following Sunday , but may yes kažem yes alone 99 stale from New York. It had brilliant crew , that lately game loše , but down late coach bi it is required yes yourself convert. FROM suštini , all the same me had where ću personate , but činjenica had to be New York really baggy town. Likelihood me očekuju monstruous gužve in the way until auditorium , but šta yes yourself on behalf of. Certainty had yes će me društvo from New York feign plus Marko Jarić , and ću have down cumin yes yourself družim zaključio had Darko Miličić.

Exactly.

If anyone can do a better job with the translation, please post.

Stay tuned . . .

Zach expects to be in Memphis this season (and Allan Houston hopes to be a Knick again)

Sunday September 7, 2008 10:27 AM By Alan Hahn

A lead note in my story today that might have gone unnoticed:

Zach Randolph is bracing himself for a second trade in as many years and a person close to the Knicks forward said he believes Memphis will be his destination. The Grizzlies and Knicks have had ongoing dialogue about Randolph over the summer and Walsh, who is still looking to add some shot-blocking to the roster, has interest in 7-foot center Darko Milicic.

We first reported that the Memphis Grizzlies were considering Zach Randolph on Aug. 30. As you might have seen today, the Daily News and NY Post have jumped into the pool as the waters start to warm.

Walsh would not confirm what Grizzlies beat writer Ronald Tillery reported on his blog last week, that the Grilzzlies want the Knicks to pick up the deferred portion of Randolph's contract. But where there's smoke, there's fire. And, as we reported today, Z-Bo is telling friends that he's expecting to be traded before training camp and the destination he believes it will be is Memphis.

Walsh likes the idea of getting Darko Milicic back in the trade because of Milicic's shot-blocking ability He has averaged 1.3 per game in the NBA and he does possess a good shooting touch. Could you play him at the four? Possibly. Could you play him with Eddy Curry? Here and there, maybe, but not often.

Randolph's departure could be a major bonus for David Lee, who could move into the starting position at the four. Lee and Curry aren't going to dominate anyone on the defensive end, but Lee's rebounding ability makes up for Randolph's departure. He's not nearly the scorer that Z-Bo is so Lee is aware he has to prove he can make that mid-range, baseline and elbow jumper consistently to be effective.

Another option is if Danilo Gallinari proves himself capable, the spot could be his with Wilson Chandler at the three. But that's why we have training camp, kids. Bottom line, Randolph's departure will open up the low blocks for Curry and, whether it's Lee or Gallinari, add another player on the floor who can move the ball on offense.

Milicic would likely come in and play the role Jerome James was supposed to play: shot-blocking big who can give you decent minutes and a different look (and not order fried fast food in the locker room before games). Marko Jaric is a big guard who is good in the open floor, has decent fundamentals (which means he'd fit in the D'Antoni system, too) and is a willing defender. Jaric would mostly play a reserve roll, but, again, it adds more of what D'Antoni wants.

The Milicic contract works with the 2010 plan because it expires after next season. But Jaric has one more year -- $7,625,000 in 2010-11 -- which the Knicks could try to trade.

But, if anything, the trade for Milicic and Jaric at least gives them almost a $10 million savings from the Randolph contract ($17.3 million) on the ledger in 2010-11.

As we told here before the weekend, the Knicks didn't want the Randolph trade talk to dominate during Patrick Ewing's Hall of Fame induction. Now that the Hall of Fame ceremonies are over, getting this deal done takes center stage.

Stay tuned.

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We also reported today that Allan Houston has talked to Donnie Walsh about making a second comeback attempt with the Knicks. All signs point to Houston being in training camp in Saratoga Springs to give it one more try at the age of 37.

Memphis mulling Zach Randolph

Tuesday August 26, 2008 10:58 AM By Alan Hahn

We discussed this scenario not too long ago and apparently it is something that has remained on the minds of the Grizzlies braintrust. According to Grizzlies beat man Ronald Tillery's blog, there continues to be some internal discussions about whether or not Zach Randolph could be a good fit in Memphis.

The Grizzlies have some cap space to take on Z-Bo's contract but they won't take it for nothing. They also won't give up any of their coveted pieces for him, so forget OJ Mayo et al. Kyle Lowry? That's where I'd start if I were Donnie.

But Tillery suggests Darko Milicic, who suffered an Achilles tendon injury earlier this summer. He may be damaged goods, but he's a big you can use off the bench (say good-bye Jerome James) while his contract ($7 million and $7.5 million) melts off the ledger in 2010. Memphis seems to be interested in the Iranian center named Hamed Ehadadi. They also have Marc Gasol coming in this season, so they don't need size as much as they need a low-post scorer.

The last I heard, Donnie Walsh was in Indianapolis last week with his family taking some R&R after a busy few months making the transition from Indiana to New York.

But we know Donnie has shopped Zach around and there are teams that have him in mind. It's up to someone to call DW to make a deal at this point, I would think.

Stay tuned....