Knicks-Hornets: D'Antoni shuffles lineup again

Monday November 2, 2009 7:13 PM By Alan Hahn

The Knicks will have yet another change in their starting lineup for tonight's game against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets. Mike D'Antoni before the game announced that Larry Hughes, who is coming off a strong 18-point performance in Saturday's overtime loss to the 76ers, will start at the shooting guard position and Jared Jeffries will move to the bench.

The change, which is the third in four games this season, will also allow D'Antoni to move Wilson Chandler out of the two-spot -- where he clearly isn't comfortable -- and put him back to where he was used most of last season: at the four.

The Knicks will start Chris Duhon, Hughes, Danilo Gallinari, Chandler and David Lee.

Hughes will get the defensive assignment against Chris Paul. And with Nate Robinson out with the ankle sprain, you can expect to see more of rookie Toney Douglas, who did not play in the home opener Saturday. It will be interesting to see Douglas go up against CP3, as well as fellow rookie Darren Collison, the former UCLA guard.

Another matchup to watch is Peja Stojakovic against Danilo Gallinari.

Use the comments section to share your thoughts with fellow Fixers throughout the game and, as always, follow me on twitter (twitter.com/alanhahn) for in-game observations and random musings.

Enjoy the game.

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.

Gallo starts on the bench

Tuesday October 27, 2009 4:37 PM By Alan Hahn

Before the Knicks departed on their private chartered plane this afternoon headed to Miami, Mike D'Antoni confirmed that his starting lineup for tomorrow night's season opener against the Heat will not include Danilo Gallinari.

But D'Antoni was quick to say that Gallo should not accept the reserve role for long.

"He shouldn't consider himself anything but a starter," D'Antoni said.

Gallinari's lack of experience, not to mention his underwhelming preseason, makes this an obvious move. But there's no denying that the 21-year-old Italian needs to be a key player for this team if their playoff aspirations are going to be realized.

Gallinari will join Nate Robinson as the first off the bench around the first timeout of the game. The starting five will be Chris Duhon at the point, with interchangeable parts -- Wilson Chandler, Al Harrington, David Lee and Jared Jeffries -- around him. Jeffries gets the nod over Gallinari in the starting five for his versatility on defense.

The Heat will start Mario Chalmers and Dwayne Wade in the backcourt and Michael Beasley and Jermaine O'Neal in the frontcourt. The interesting piece of the Heat's starting five is former Knick Quentin Richardson, who will start instead of Udonis Haslem (Beasley at the four instead).

So the curtain goes up on a season most of us consider a formality before the real compeition begins next summer in free agency. But don't tell D'Antoni that.

"We're not even close to having this be a throw-away," D'Antoni said. "We're ready to try to make the playoffs and have a great season . . . We're here to make the playoffs and anything less would be disappointing."

* * *

* - The Heat will retire Tim Hardaway's No. 10 jersey before the game, so it's fitting the Knicks will be in town to see it. Hardaway was a major part of those epic battles between the Knicks and Heat in the late 1990s.

"You remember those guys who were just absolutely fearless of the big moment and actually loved it," Allan Houston said of Hardaway. "He just loved making game-winners, he loved taking the big shots."

As Garden villains go, Hardaway wasn't at the same level as Reggie Miller, mainly because he was only able to beat the Knicks once in four straight post-season meetings. But he was a great rival.

* - Eddy Curry won't be with the team as the regular season begins. The Knicks still have him working on his own to cut down more weight and get him able to be able to play at the speed the Knicks want him to play without getting hurt. It seems pretty obvious the franchise views Curry as too critical a piece to just give up on him. But I wonder how much longer this goes on before they push him into the lineup just to get him on the court and showcase him for teams searching for a center.

As we said before, the reason the Knicks are going with just 13 players on the 15-man roster (Cuttino Mobley will be waived in November) is more than just about saving luxury tax money. The open spots allow for a two-for-one, which may be one way to move Curry's contract.

* - Check here tomorrow and every game day for updates after the morning shoot-around and for pre-game notes. We'll also host a live blog for every game this season, with an open forum for fans to interact during the game. We'll then host a chat here Thursday, live from Charlotte.

And, as always, for regular updates, follow me on twitter at twitter.com/alanhahn.

Photo credit: AP

Shoot the puck, Barry!

Saturday October 17, 2009 1:32 AM By Alan Hahn

Remember ol' Bubba Beck? Drove my parents crazy when he'd be at the point and the puck would come to him and he had this howitzer of a shot and dude would hesitate and pass so often the Garden crowd would sing it to him (after much provoking by former announcer Bill "The Big Whistle" Chadwick.)

[This is a hockey reference, but bear with me, Fixers.]

Watching Danilo Gallinari tonight at the Garden reminded me of Barry Beck's hesitant trigger. In the first half the kid showed glimpses of a scorer who was ready to catch-and-shoot or pump fake and drive. He hit three of four shots, including two bombs from downtown and another on a three-point play. His defense was lively and he ran the floor hard.

But when he got into the game in the second half, things changed. He missed his first shot attempt and then another. He clapped his hands in frustration as the second three caught front rim. He suddenly lost the killer instinct.

The next time he touched the ball I thought, "Shoot the puck, Barry."

Shoot the rock, Gallo!

Initially, there was a thought that his teammates weren't getting him involved enough in the offense. But on the contrary, his teammates agree that he just doesn't shoot it enough. Gallinari passes up shots and will hang in the corner as the kick-out option. Truth is, everyone is saying it: Shoot the rock, Gallo.

"Coach lets him know during film and we let him know on the floor," David Lee said. "Every time I'll throw it to him and he's got to catch-and-shoot. And he'll put it on the floor or swing it and I'll just look at him and say [Lee mimicks a shooting motion] 'Just let it go'."

Chris Duhon said as the point guard, he needs to be more vocal about it with Gallinari.

"He's already an unselfish kid and a guy with his shooting abilities, there's times where we feel if he's wide open, those are layups," Duhon said. "That's the better play than him being unselfish and making the extra pass. That's something that may get through and may not, because of the type of person he is. So we've got to keep encouraging him that we want him to take those shots."

Gallinari finished tonight's game 3-for-8 from the floor in 23:46. Six of the eight FGAs were from three-point range. So far in the preseason, Gallinari is 7-for-27 (25.9 percent), with 6 of his makes from beyond the arc. He's made just 1 of 9 from inside the arc.

One thing that is abundantly clear about the Knicks this season is they don't really have a bona fide offensive threat on this team. The system will provide open shots, especially against a weak defensive team like the Nets, but they continue to struggle in knocking down these open looks. The team finished the game an awful 37-for-92 (40.2 percent) from the field and barely hung on for a 93-89 win that once saw the Knicks ahead by as many as 19 points in the third quarter.

But as Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press pointed out in his game report, the Knicks were 22-for-40 from the floor in the middle two quarters, which is much more like it. They also didn't play without their leading scorer, Al Harrington (18 ppg), who had a bruised knee. Harrington banged knees with Jordan Hill during a post-practice one-on-one on Thursday. If it were the regular season, Harrington could have played, D'Antoni said. But with three games in four nights starting Sunday, it wasn't worth pushing it.

Nate Robinson, who doesn't need encouragement to shoot, had another tough night (6-for-16) and is now shooting 35.6 percent from the field in the preseason. The Knicks' team percentage is a frigid 37.9 percent, with only three players above the Mendoza line of 45 percent (Harrington, Lee and Wilson Chandler).

You don't expect this trend to continue. Robinson is a scorer and will eventually recover his touch. Chandler has the ability to get hot but teams are starting to defend him more purposefully this season after his arrival last season. Harrington will get his points, but for the Knicks to have any chance this season, they need to get something from Gallinari, who should be their most talented offensive player.

It will take a lot more than 6.75 shots per game. Gallinari is clearly deferring too much and hesitating when he starts to miss. But to think it is natural for a young player to have this tendency in his game, keep in mind Gallinari was the go-to player for his veteran-laden AJ Milano team in Italy. As a 19-year-old, he was the one the team went to in the clutch. What Gallinari needs to do is understand that he needs to take on that role here, too.

Now can he be that type of player in the NBA? That's a completely different question. Of course we can't answer it until he tries. But players usually know right away about other players. And all I've ever heard from people who have played with Gallinari is that he has special talents.

"Gallo's going to be fine," Lee said. "Eventually it evens out. I'd rather he has a couple of games where he doesn't shoot it well now so it means he has a couple of games where he's on fire at the start of the season."

* * *

* - Wilson Chandler had a quietly strong game with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. But it's becoming increasingly clear he's really not suited to play in the backcourt on offense, especially if he has to handle the ball. Wilson is a slasher and a catch-and-shoot threat. When you ask him to make decisions with the ball, you're asking too much.

* - The Knicks had 21 assists as a team in this game but are averaging just 17.75 assists per game in the preseason, which is an indication of the poor shooting and the lack of congruence in an offense that should result in high assist totals. Duhon finished with 7 in the game but is averaging just 3.75 per game in the preseason. He said it's been a matter of getting reacclimated with the system and the players. "That's why we have preseason games," he said.

* - Larry Hughes didn't get off the bench in the first half, but played 14:54 in the second half and missed all three of his attempts. That makes him 0-for-17 for the preseason.

* - The Nets played without Devin Harris (groin), so they were missing a key component. But they really looked bad in long stretches of this game. Yi Jianlian had 21 points and 11 rebounds, but also had five turnovers. It appears as if he really doesn't know what type of player he should be. He's not skilled enough to be a wing player and yet not rugged enough to be a power forward, though with his size and strong build, that seems to be where he belongs. Still, he showed he can find ways to score and is making a determined effort, which you couldn't always say about the former lottery pick in past seasons . . . Chris Douglas-Roberts is extremely active and really knows how to get to the rim and rookie Terrence Williams had many eye-opening moments en route to a 21-point performance. Nate Robinson says T-Will could be a future Slam Dunk contestant.

* - Speaking of rookies, while Toney Douglas continues to be steady, Jordan Hill -- who had been showing signs of life earlier in the week -- looked completely lost for most of his 13:48. He had a chance for an easy alley-oop dunk, but his lay-in attempt missed. He lost the ball on one ugly possession and then had his shot stuffed by Brook Lopez on another. Hill finished 0-for-7 with two rebounds and a blocked shot.

* - Saturday is the open practice for fans at Fordham University's Rose Hill Gym. The doors open at 11:15 a.m. Admission is free but keep in mind seating is first-come, first-served, with only a limited amount of seats reserved for season ticket holders.

Where's the fire?

Saturday October 10, 2009 12:39 AM By Alan Hahn

The Knicks were ice-cold in the first half of tonight's 96-82 preseason loss to the Celtics, but Mike D'Antoni was more concerned with the lack of heat in his team. They played like it was a preseason game while the Celtics core -- even the hobbling Kevin Garnett -- brought a little more juice to their game.

"We just have to keep our intensity up and take the fight to them," D'Antoni said. "We were a little bit on our heels tonight."

David Lee noticed it was similar to a trend last season: The old self-pity mode.

"Sometimes when we don't hit shots, we tend not to do as well intensity-wise," Lee said. "That's something we need to correct."

Though the Knicks got off to a ribrickulous 3-for-25 start from the floor (and 2-for-20 from downtown), the Celtics weren't any better with their shooting. In fact, the Knicks were only down six in the second quarter, which was a miracle if you consider they only scored eight points in the entire first quarter.

So how do both teams spin it? Credit the defense.

Yes, the C's defense held the Knicks to 37.7 percent from the field. The Knicks D held the Celtics to 43.9 percent. Brilliant!

But really the Celtics main rotation players ran their offense well against the Knicks and found many open shots. They just didn't drop. Paul Pierce was 4-for-12. New addition Rasheed Wallace missed six of his first seven shots and finished 5-for-12.

The Knicks saw two of their most important players struggle mightily from the floor. Danilo Gallinari's stroke has disappeared. He was 1-for-7 against the Celtics and is now 3-for-13 in two preseason games. Wilson Chandler made just 1-of-5. Even Nate Robinson was 3-for-10.

* * *

* - Pierce caught David Lee with an errant elbow on a pass and Lee needed five stitches above his left eye to close the gash. Pierce, who has had run-ins with the Knicks in the past, went over to Lee on the bench to apologize.

* - Chandler fell hard when he collided with Kendrick Perkins under the basket in the third quarter. He was down for a few minutes but eventually got up and was able to finish the game with no issues.

* - Jordan Hill, who has been spending a great deal of time with the sage Herb Williams, had a much better outing in 12 minutes of the second half. He made four of five from the floor with nine points and four rebounds. Toney Douglas continued to struggle with his shot (3-for-8) but did fill the box score columns: 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 4 turnovers along with 11 points in 22:44.

* - Eddy Curry did not make the trip with the team. Instead he was left back at the MSG Training Center to continue his conditioning workouts. It's a change from last season, when Curry would be allowed to make the road trips with the team and spend practices and games sitting around watching.

* - Speaking of Curry, man Michael Sweetney looked huge in his jersey, which barely fit him. He played the final 4:37 of the game and was 1-for-2 with a two rebounds and three fouls.

No surprises in starting five

Friday October 9, 2009 12:23 PM By Alan Hahn

Mike D'Antoni revealed his starting five for tonight's preseason game at the Celtics here in Boston. No surprises:

PG-Duhon

SG-Chandler

SF-Gallinari

PF-Harrington

C-Lee

There was some thought that D'Antoni might keep Jared Jeffries in the starting group, but D'Antoni decided to stay with the group that he had gone with most of training camp (and for the second half of the preseason opening win over the Nets). He said of his decision, "No reason, just want to look at it."

Along with Jeffries moving out of the starting five (from Sunday's game) is Larry Hughes.

* * *

* - Interesting story from Frank Isola today about rookie Marcus Landry's determination to make the Knicks roster. Carl's younger brother had to pay his own way to New York for a tryout.

Will Al take the sixth?

Thursday October 8, 2009 3:11 PM By Alan Hahn

Mike D'Antoni's greatest challenge this season won't be to get his team into the playoffs. The greater task is to get everyone -- veterans included -- to buy into roles that may not be very popular at first.

Al Harrington, for one, has done everything to prove he is committed this season. He showed up in great shape with a very positive attitude. He is trying to be a leader on the court and off of it. He has showed intensity in practice and has been encouraging. He's also a terrific quote and easily the representative go-to guy for the media, which every team needs.

But is he really the best fit among the starting five?

D'Antoni is mulling that right now.

The Knicks will have a different starting five for tomorrow's preseason game in Boston against the Celtics. D'Antoni would confirm only that. But he would not reveal which five.

You can take to the bank that Chris Duhon (who missed practice today for personal reasons, but will play, we're told) and David Lee will be in that group. And it seems like Jared Jeffries is playing his way into a starting role and perhaps at center, where he would move Lee to his more traditional spot at power forward.

So what does that mean for veterans such as Harrington and Larry Hughes? Do you leave Hughes at the two and bring Wilson Chandler off the bench? Do you move Harrington to the three and sit Danilo Gallinari?

Chandler is young, but a better defender and a better athlete than Hughes and Gallo clearly still has some catching up to do physically but is also a dynamic player with the ball. The five of Duhon-Chandler-Gallinari-Lee-Jeffries is a pretty solid group that can run, can defend and, most of all, that's a lot of basketball IQ on the floor at one time. Of course the question with this group is pretty simple: who will do the scoring? The answer is they'll do it by committee.

Harrington off the bench isn't a terrible idea, really, because you can come in with two major scorers in he and Nate Robinson. Put them against subs from most other teams and the Knicks have a rare upper-hand. But for a 29-year-old veteran in a contract year, who led the team in scoring last season at 20 points per game, a reserve role may not be such a welcome idea.

"I think they think they should all start," D'Antoni said. "I did when I was the 15th guy, so I don't mind that. But I think they'll buy in. You don't think it's a problem as long as they're contributing. There'll be games where they didn't play in the last five minutes and we lose and they thought they should have played. That's every team, every season. But we do have good guys and we'll keep talking and work through the issues. I don't think there's ever a team that never has issues."

D'Antoni also said the starting five is not about who is better, "it's who fits that group." For example, he said, Manu Ginobili "has been a sixth man for a lot of years and a lot of those years he's been an all-star."

Another? Kurt Rambis "started for the Lakers and they had Bob McAdoo coming off the bench. And he was a Hall of Famer."

So reading into those quotes, it seems more that Harrington might be the guy the coaching staff sees as a better fit to come off the bench to allow Jeffries to start at center. You wouldn't need to explain that much if the plan was to bring the 21-year-old Gallinari in as a reserve.

Perhaps the strategy is to go with a cohesive five that can run and defend to start the game and then when its time to go to the bench you bring in two players that create matchup problems for other teams.

"There's a lot of questions we'll go through and that's why in practice it's important to see everybody. Then I'll just have to do a guy feeling and that gut feeling might be something on Oct. 30, but Dec. 2 might tell me something else. I think it's always a fluid situation."

He then added, "My job is to get them comfortable in whatever role I think they should play . . . We'll just try to figure out what's best for the New York Knicks and the players need to buy into it. Hopefully they will."

Youth won't be served right away

Saturday October 3, 2009 10:03 PM By Alan Hahn

Larry Hughes wore that knowing smile when I asked him if he wondered coming into camp what his role would be on this team, which was going through an obvious transition.

"Not really," he said. "We kind of waited all offseason for different moves to be made and different guys to be signed and free agents to come in. I just prepared myself to go through camp."

Recall that in June, the Knicks had talked to the Washington Wizards about several trade scenarios, one of which involved Hughes. And after he shot 39 percent from the floor in 25 games as a Knick last season, his value was believed to be more about his expiring contract than what he could bring on the court.

But Hughes has played well enough to retain his starting spot in Sunday's preseason opener against the Nets in Albany.

Mike D'Antoni said not to read too much into the lineup he chose to go with for the game, which will be Hughes with Chris Duhon in the backcourt, Jared Jeffries, Al Harrington and David Lee up front.

For most of the week, D'Antoni had kept together a five-man group of Duhon-Wilson Chandler-Danilo Gallinari-Harrington-Lee.

D'Antoni said the choice to "go with age" tomorrow has "no real reason."

But there's always a reason. Gallinari had a great start to camp but seemed to fade as his legs got tired from the two-a-days and full-court running. Chandler hasn't stood out much until today's workout and it seems he's still recovering from missing time this summer because of the bone spur surgery.

Meanwhile, Hughes has been in terrific shape and Jeffries has consistently been one of the standout players during each scrimmage.

There's little doubt that Gallinari and Chandler will be key pieces in D'Antoni's rotation - likely as starters - before the preseason ends. D'Antoni is trying to figure out where Hughes will fit, if at all, considering his backcourt is already loaded with Nate Robinson in his usual spot as the first guard in and rookie Toney Douglas pushing for playing time, as well.

D'Antoni could consider sliding Chandler out of the two-spot and working him in among the forwards, which is also packed with players who are commanding burn.

D'Antoni wants to get down to an 8-to-9 man rotation by the preseason finale. Someone is going to be the odd-man out. These next seven games will decide who that will be.

* * *

* - We say good-bye to Saratoga after a fairly quick week of camp. We're expecting to be in Italy next year, which should be interesting. The question is, of course, who will be wearing No. 23 then?

* - Nate Robinson is talking with Sirius satellite radio about having his own show. He says it'll be about basketball, music and life and he will take calls from fans. Really, this dude should have his own reality show. KryptoNate Plus 8.

* - Tough start time tomorrow (2 p.m.) going up against the Giants game. IT sounds like plenty of seats are still available so if anyone wants to make the trek up to Albany . . .

Postcard from vacation 2.0

Tuesday July 21, 2009 10:56 AM By Alan Hahn

I'm out of it for a little while, and everybody gets delusions of grandeur -- Han Solo

You knew once I punched out the time clock all hell would break loose ...

According to Frankie Ice, the Knicks had Andre Miller in for a quiet visit to the MSG Training Center on Monday. There was no need for pretense here, both parties know what this mutual interest is all about. Call it symbiosis. The Knicks clearly want to upgrade their PG position without compromising their salary cap space in 2010 and Miller would gladly play in this PG-friendly system, pad the heck out of his stats and jump back into the free agency pool next summer, when more than half of the league will have cap space to spend.

The caveat remains, what else, but money. Miller has also visited with the Trail Blazers, who are apparently taking another long look at their PG spot after failing to upgrade the frontcourt with Hedo Turkoglu and Paul Millsap. Portland can come in much higher ($9M per?) than the Knicks mid-level, but what if the Sixers would take a sign-and-trade situation here?

I don't see why they would want Chris Duhon here when they have Miller's heir apparent, Lou Williams, and first-round pick Jrue Holiday. It might cost more than just Duhon to get this done.

On the other side of the city tabloid rivalry (doesn't anyone take vacation anymore?) is Starberman with his report that Ramon Sessions' agent is telling anyone who will listen that the Knicks are preparing an offer sheet at the full mid-level for his young, athletically-gifted client.

The Clippers were also believed to have heavy interest in Sessions (once the Allen Iverson idiocy subsided) and they had the cap-space ability to make a higher offer than the MLE. But they just flipped Q-Rich to Minnesota for three players, including Sebastian Telfair. With Baron Davis and Telfair, there really isn't a place for Sessions anymore.

The Knicks have coveted Sessions since last season and checked in on him early in the free agency process. At the time, the vibe was that the Bucks were planning on keeping him, even after they drafted Brandon Jennings at 10th overall. But things have changed.

In fact, if MIL is so enamored with Jennings after a pretty solid summer league (14.6 points per game, 8.2 assists), perhaps they go with the younger, cheaper version and pass on paying out for Sessions (12.4 points, 5.7 assists in 79 games this season).

Here's one angle to consider: Chris Duhon in a sign-and-trade. Why? Skiles and Duhon had a strong relationship when they were in Chicago and Duhon can provide the type of veteran presence at the PG position to allow Jennings to develop at his own pace. Plus, it is hard not to overlook that Duhon at his charity golf outing in Slidell, La. mentioned several coaches who have had an impact on his life but Mike D'Antoni -- the man who gave him a second chance to be a starting PG in the NBA -- was not among the list. Skiles, however, was. (head nod to "s0li" for the catch and twitter link).

If the Knicks go in this direction -- and it appears they will -- the obvious will be stated: they will go into the new season against an improved Eastern Conference as the Young Guns. Sessions is 23 and, along with Toney Douglas (23) is the oldest of the young core, which will include Wilson Chandler, 22, Jordan Hill, 21, and Danilo Gallinari, 20. What will it mean for graybeards David Lee (26) and Nate Robinson (25)? Lee appears to be still in the mix, but if Sessions is acquired that would pretty much signal the end of KryptoNate on Broadway.

As always, stay tuned . . .

Not taking the fifth, but perhaps some other Wizardry at hand

Sunday June 21, 2009 10:32 PM By Alan Hahn

Following up on that Knicks-Wizards rumor involving the fifth overall pick:

There have been recent conversations between the teams about players, mainly ones the Wizards are interested in on the Knicks roster. But what may come as a surprise is that Wilson Chandler doesn't appear to be the main ingredient here. In fact, from multiple sources with knowledge of the Wizards' strategizing, they're the ones who have inquired about two former Wiz players, Larry Hughes and Jared Jeffries.

The Knicks are all ears.

Washington tried to trade for Hughes (for Mike James and Etan Thomas) during the past season, when he was still with Chicago and they asked about Jeffries before the trade deadline. Both were key members of the 2004-05 Washington team that reached the second round of the playoffs. Hughes and Gilbert Arenas were a strong backcourt and some within the Wizards braintrust feel they missed Jeffries more than they thought they would after he took that mid-level exception offer sheet from Isiah Thomas in 2006. The Wizards feel they have a small window of opportunity with their core of Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison and want to build a strong supporting cast of veterans to make a run.

The Knicks wouldn't mind shedding Hughes' contract, though it has one year left with a team-high $13.6M pricetag. They could consider th at same James/Thomas scenario because both players are also in expiring deals. James ($6.4M) is a shooter (and a Long Islander) whom the Knicks could use and the 6-10 Thomas ($7.3M) provides size, grit and rebounding depth in the frontcourt.

Jeffries, of course, is the big one to move, with $6.4M next season and a critical $6.8M against the salary cap in 2010-11. The Knicks almost moved him to the Kings at the trade deadline and, according to a source, recently were close to something with the Toronto Raptors that fell through when the Raps turned it down.

And, aware that the Wizards aren't that excited about anything they see at No. 5, the Knicks too the opportunity ask about the pick. It may have been suggested that Chandler is the only young asset the team could offer in return that may interest Ernie Grunfeld for the pick, but it was not something the Knicks offered. At this point, it doesn't appear to be anything more than a speculative scenario.

But that five-spot is valuable to the Knicks because, presumably, they would snatch Stephen Curry there before anyone else gets their grubby hands on him. But we're starting to get skeptical here, mainly because of Curry's quick about-face when it comes to workouts. Initially, after his workout with the Knicks, Curry's father said his son was shutting it down. Then within a day it was decided that he will, in fact, participate in more workouts.

Why the sudden change of mind? Did he not get the guarantee from the Knicks he had hoped to get? Perhaps without a guarantee at No. 8, Curry didn't want to give up potential opportunity -- and money -- from interested teams in the top five. So off to Sacramento he went this weekend.

Just bloggin.

As Starberman predicted, UCLA's Jrue Holiday will be back for his second workout with the Knicks on Monday, among a five-player group of second-round/summer league invite types. Instead of Curry, this time Holiday will go up against Miami senior Jack McClinton (6-1, 185). Others in the group include Gonzaga center Josh Heytfelt, Santa Clara center John Bryant and a pair of swingmen in Rodney Alexander (Oklahoma City University) and Lorrenzo Wade (San Diego State).

The second look at Holiday should be noted, because the Knicks were high on the 6-3 freshman, but he had an admittedly underwhelming workout on June 10. You generally bring a kid back to make sure you're ready to pass on him, in case you have to decide. And right now I would venture a guess that Tyreke Evans is ahead of Holiday on the Knicks draft board. Evans is solidly-build, should be able to defend and can play the pick-and-roll real well. One thing the Memphis guard did during his workout on June 15 was prove he can shoot the rock. If Holiday continues to struggle with his stroke and leaves enough doubt, Evans and Curry would be my best bets as favorites at No. 8.

I've consistently touted Curry as the best fit in this draft for the Knicks needs in the system Mike D'Antoni runs. While Evans has serious potential, he's just too ball-dominant. But perhaps as a two-guard, once he learns the philosophies of quick decisions, constant motion and catch-and-shoot mentality, he will fit well.

It is highly unlikely both he and Curry will be there and, of course, very possible neither will be available by the 8th pick. Another reason to give a second look to Holiday. And don't overlook Ty Lawson here. If neither Curry and Evans are there and Holiday continues to underwhelm, Lawson, the true floor general and proven winner who has scored so highly in the statistical analysis of all of the draftees, may be in play.

Ricky Rubio and his camp were reportedly finalizing a buyout agreement with his Spanish team, DKV Joventut, which places in bold letters Rubio's intention to play in the NBA next season. Very interesting development there, as he will be the focal point of some serious debates in the war rooms for Memphis, Oklahoma City and Sacramento.

Much more to come on Monday . . .

Remember to get your Fix on twitter by following me at www.twitter.com/alanhahn.

Photo credit: dcprosportsreport.com

Smokescreens and speculation

Sunday June 21, 2009 7:45 AM By Alan Hahn

The NBA loves the buzz that has been generated over the past two to three weeks. What more could the league ask for? Especially in a draft that lacks serious star power. But the fact that you have so many question marks from picks 2 through 7 is intriguing. And how about this one: the Wizards are getting the word out that they are mulling between seven -- yes, seven -- players to take at No. 5.

Seven players. Seriously?

That would suggest two things: 1. this is a really deep draft and you can't go wrong with any of these players in the top 10 (survey sez? Bzzzzz!) or 2. the Wizards absolutely do not want this pick and are trying to scare someone above them into trading down.

[There was one rumor that caught some internet buzz but has not emerged anywhere else. The website NBADraft.net suggested the Knicks were pushing Wilson Chandler to the Wizards for the No. 5. I asked around. Heard nothing but crickets. Since neither David Lee nor Nate Robinson can be moved in draft night, reality suggests Chandler may be the lone chance for the Knicks to move up, if that's the plan.

But we're telling you now that the Knicks aren't "shopping" Chandler. If a team asked, they would obviously have to consider, but this is something you only seriously consider it if you can also keep the No. 8 or dump off a big contract. It would be hard to imagine the Knicks -- let me clarify, Donnie Walsh's Knicks -- would castaway a young, relatively inexpensive (not to mention promising) talent such as Chandler just to move up three spots. Walsh and the coaching staff loves the kid too much.]

What we're hearing is the Wizards are having trouble moving this pick, mainly because as they hoped to package it with Gilbert Arenas or Antawn Jamison to get some salary cap relief. But teams are only asking for Caron Butler. He, however, is as untouchable as it gets.

So for now Washington can only play the poker game and let the rest of the draft know they could spoil someone's plans by choosing one of the following players: James Harden, Jordan Hill, Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, Jonny Flynn, DeMar DeRozan or Brandon Jennings.

Meanwhile, BJ's expanded his workouts to outside the top 10, which suggests he's not getting any guarantees (in fact, no one is this year). Jennings was in Milwaukee (no way he's a Scott Skiles PG) and will work out for the Nets (11th) and possibly the Suns (14th), too. Jennings might be a good fit for the Nets behind Devin Harris.

Oklahoma City now picks up the Ricky Rubio hype, after Rubio's visit to Sacramento fizzled into a fever that kept him from participating in a light workout. Or did it? Rubio's only visit to an NBA team was in Sacramento, where his agent, Dan Fegan, has a friend in former agent (and current Kings executive), Jason Levien. The Kings made sure reporters knew a team doctor attended to Rubio and this sudden illness that kept him from a workout.

The Kings now are hosting a guard-heavy workout that includes Knicks hopeful Stephen Curry. This is one of those "just in case" scenarios, but Rubio has been in control the whole time and it is doubtful he isn't on the board when the Kings select at No. 4. The Grizzlies shouldn't waste the pick by taking him at No. 2 when they know he won't report. And it makes no sense for Sam Presti and the Thunder braintrust, who apparently met with Rubio and his camp in LA, to grab Rubio at No. 3 and slide Russell Westbrook to the two. That backcourt could be a nightmare because they would have the poorest-shooting guard duo in the NBA.

I believe Thunder will go with a guard here (I still say Harden) because the Grizzlies, at this point, appear locked on Hasheem Thabeet at the 2. With Mike Conley and last year's first-rounder O.J. Mayo, it would be redundant for the Grizz to take yet another guard in the first round.

The Thunder can make a trade for the big they need by acquiring Marcus Camby from the Clippers.

We'll find out later today if Jrue Holiday is among the group of players the Knicks will bring in for a workout on Monday. Holiday was in two weeks ago but had a poor workout. He's been a mercurial prospect in this draft, once red-hot and talked up a great deal at the No. 4 spot by the Kings, and now, though basketball people love his upside, his rank has fallen considerably behind more established PGs such as Flynn and Ty Lawson.

It appears the UCLA freshman is the fallback choice for the Knicks if Curry is, in fact, swiped by someone else before No. 8.

* * *

Happy Father's Day to the Daddy Fixers out there. I'm trying to keep the blog poppin' this weekend with all of the draft stuff and other rumors, but there comes a time when a man takes a day to visit his own father at the cemetary and spends time with his kids. That'll be my day today. Hope yours has a similar vibe.

My son turned ten just the other day

He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play.

Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today

I got a lot to do"; He said, "That's OK"

And he walked away but his smile never dimmed,

and said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah,

You know I'm gonna be like him

Spurs get Chandler

Wednesday June 3, 2009 10:31 AM By Alan Hahn

No, not San Antonio. Those bone spurs in his ankle will, indeed, require surgery. He will go under the knife today. The team is saying there is a four to eight week recovery period, which means Wilson will have all of August and September to prepare for training camp.

Chandler has bone spurs

Tuesday June 2, 2009 9:37 AM By Alan Hahn

Tip of the cap to Starberman for reporting today that Wilson Chandler will have to undergo surgery to repair bone spurs in his ankle.

I can confirm this is accurate from a person I spoke with about it last week. The way it was presented to me, surgery was a possibility, but nothing had been determined yet.

Chandler had the ankle problem checked out in April and it became a situation that wouldn't go away. He'll be ready in plenty of time for training camp, but it is a concern mainly because the 22-year-old will spend most of his summer with rehabilitation rather than playing basketball.

Despite the injury, Chandler has been working out regularly at the MSG Training Center since the end of the season.

He had an eye on playing in the summer league in July, but unless you are Nate Robinson, there aren't many players who participate in three straight years. I wouldn't view missing a week of summer league as a major loss.

Where's Wilson? (UPDATE on Curry)

Monday February 23, 2009 3:45 AM By Alan Hahn

Lost in the outrage over Danilo Gallinari's benching and Larry Hughes' chucking was the invisiblity of Wilson Chandler, who went from a career-high 32 points on Friday to a mere 2 points on Sunday against the same team.

And in the same span, Anthony Parker went from being overwhelmed by the second-year forward to completely outhustling him. The two weren't always matched up mano-a-mano, but you have to look at them individually for what they bring to the team: energy, athleticism and transition offense. Parker had his motor running in high gear on Sunday. Chandler did not.

That's been the consistent concern about Wil all season. One night he looks locked in and runs the floor with purpose and determination. Another night he jogs among the pack and plays very below-the-radar (not to mention the rim).

We talk a lot about the "veterans" on this team and there was plenty of blame to go around on Sunday (Mike D'Antoni had a bad game with his rotation decisions...aside from the Gallinari benching, there's just no way you put Hughes and Chris Wilcox on the floor at the same time in their first game without any practices...especially in the third quarter!), but if the Knicks are going to have any shot at clinching a playoff berth, Chandler is going to have to be at the forefront.

Yes, he's young and still learning. He's also a great kid who you want to see do well. But at this point in the season, especially after the minutes he has played and the milestones he has accomplished this season, it's time for the nipple to come off the bottle.

Just bloggin.

* * * *

* - After deplaning at LaGuardia last night, Steve Adamek pointed to a large figure walking the opposite direction through the security gate. It was Eddy Curry, headed to a 9:30 p.m. flight to Chicago. Why? That's what we were wondering. An arrest was made in the double-murder of Curry's ex-girlfriend and baby daughter in Chicago, so perhas he was returning to handle that business.

UPDATED 11:01 a.m. - Curry was excused from the morning shoot-around for "personal reasons," the Knicks said. He is expected back this afternoon. The Knicks wouldn't say more than that.

But one thing we can say is it seems clear Curry's plan to be back on the court after the all-star break didn't mean right after the break. Curry has only joined the team in practice for walk-through stuff. But for some reason he did make the trip to Toronto, even though there was no shoot-around and no real time to get in a workout of his own with the staff, considering the noon start.

And if you ask anyone on the Knicks staff if Curry was at the MSG Training Center getting treatment and conditioning work in over the all-star break, you generally get an uneasy smile and silence.

* - Tonight's game against the Pacers should be viewed as a must-win (they all are when you're battling for a playoff spot), but don't look at it as a gimme. Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy may be out with injuries, but the Pacers beat the Bulls on Sunday without them and Indiana is now 4-1 without those two this season and 5-1 without their all-star, Granger. And if the Knicks lose, the Pacers jump over them in the playoff standings.

* - By the way, can we just hand the Coach of the Year to Scott Skiles? Look at the roster he's playing with right now -- and what he's getting out of Charlie Villanueva -- and the fact that the Bucks (28-31) just hold on tight to that 8th spot with an impressive win over the Nuggets. Remember, Milwaukee already holds the season-series tiebreaker over the Knicks.

* - As the Daily News reported over the weekend, the Knicks will hold a workout today for Quincy Douby and some D-League prospects (former Knick Demetrius Nichols could be among the group) who may be considered to fill out the two open roster spots. The players chosen, if there are any, will mainly be there for practice purposes and not expected to play a role. We're hearing the Knicks are not in on landing Mikki Moore, who was put on waivers by the Kings.

* - Starberman reminds us today about Tuesday's arbitration hearing for the $400K the Knicks fined him for allegedly refusing to play in Detroit on Thanksgiving Eve, which led to his banishment. He also says Walsh and Marbury will meet before the hearing to see if they can work out a buyout agreement so Marbury can get free in time to be eligible for a playoff roster. He must be waived by Sunday (March 1) to retain his postseason eligibility.

* - Loyal Fixer, ESPN Radio host and MSG basketball analyst (and college basketball encyclopedia) Jon Rothstein had a one-on-one interview with Duke coach Mike Kry...Kr...uh, Coach K...on MSG. JR talked college ball, but also got into the Olympics, Mike D'Antoni and former Dukie Chris Duhon. Have a look here.

* - The infamous Hey Larry Hughes website has been updated since the trade. The new post is simple and to the point: "Welcome Knicks Fans: Tag, you're it!" Enjoy and rant away.

Gallo Starts; D'Antoni: 'It's time'

Sunday February 8, 2009 12:30 PM By Alan Hahn

Rookie Danilo Gallinari is getting the first start of his NBA career Sunday in Portland against the Trail Blazers (the game starts at 6 p.m. New York time). Mike D'Antoni announced the move before the game and said, simply, "It's time."

"It’s time for him to expand his role a little bit," D'Antoni also said in his pregame address. "But at the same time, it’s not written in stone.”

D'Antoni pointed to Gallinari's team-leading plus-63 rating, which is the best on the team, as one of the determining factors for the move.

“It’s not everything, it’s a tool that we use," D'Antoni said of the stat. "I think a coach has a better sense of who plays better, but when a guy goes into a game and the team perks up and you either lengthen a lead or you’re closing the gap, it does mean something.”

It also helps that Gallo will go up against a fellow European rookie, Nicolas Batum.

Along with Gallinari, second-year player Wilson Chandler was also moved back into the starting lineup. The two kids replaced veterans Quentin Richardson and Jared Jeffries, who will now come off the bench in pretty much the same nine-man rotation D'Antoni has used over the past month.

The starting lineup against the Blazers (30-19) will look like this:

Chris Duhon

Wilson Chandler

Danilo Gallinari

Al Harrington

David Lee

“There are a couple of reasons," D'Antoni explained. "We want to get more scoring on the floor and try different combinations. Will, I thought, his athleticism gives us a little extra pop. We don’t sit Gallo for a whole quarter. He warms up and then he sits for a whole quarter so why not go ahead and play him and spread his minutes out over 48. And then we’ll see what happens.

"As I told the team, I don’t know if this changes a whole lot," D'Antoni added. "Just different combinations are going to play at different times. The minutes are going to be more or less the same. We’ll finish games how I feel each guy is playing and the combo that works the best.”

Growing Gallo

Friday February 6, 2009 8:39 PM By Alan Hahn

Ray Allen had just drained two three-pointers in the fuzzy-cheeked face of Danilo Gallinari and at the next stoppage of play, Mike D'Antoni called the 20-year-old rookie out of the game. It was crunch time in the fourth quarter of a hotly contested game between the Knicks and Celtics at the Garden. This was more baptism for Gallinari.

And as the young Italian strode by, D'Antoni slapped his hand and said, "Don't worry about it."

With all the noise that blares out of the Garden speakers during a game, here was a perfect moment for a little something from The 5 Stairsteps:

Ooh-oo child, things are gonna get easier

Ooh-oo child, things'll get brighter

Ooh-oo child, things are gonna get easier

Ooh-oo child, things'll be brighter...

Allen's threes were a critical moment in a game eventually lost by the Knicks. The all-star had been in foul trouble all night, but suddenly exploded for 11 straight points in the fourth to give the Celtics just the spark they were looking for to finally put away the pesky Knicks.

Perhaps one day Gallinari will be able to play that shot-for-shot game with an opposing star and keep the Knicks in these games that they, for now, wind up losing because they can't find a go-to scorer. Al Harrington, for all of his bucketloads of points in the first three quarters of games, just isn't that kind of scorer.

D'Antoni and the Knicks are trying to bring Gallinari along slowly and carefully. But Gallo's minutes last night in the early part of the fourth quarter of a physical and heated game are a clear indication that the kid gloves are coming off.

“I want to win and I think you owe it to everybody, the fans and the players, to try to win," D'Antoni said. "At the same time, I think Gallo helps us do that. He’s going to get some mintues. Now, as we go forward, if he continues to get a little bit better, I’ll have to expand his play and I’ll want to expand his play."

D'Antoni also pointed out that Gallinari's numbers proved he belonged in the game at that point (at the start of the fourth, the Knicks led 76-72). He entered the game leading the Knicks in plus-minus with a plus-68. He ended the game with a minus-5, but still leads the Knicks with a plus-63 in 12 games. Nate Robinson, who was minus-6 in the game, is second behind Gallinari at plus-49.

And while Gallinari clearly has some growing to do in his body, especially in strengthening his base, he plays the game undaunted.

“I was not nervous," he said afterward. "I was feeling the moment. It was a tough game, an important game and an important moment in the game. But I was feeling good.”

He scored on a layup and drilled a three in the fourth, though he missed short on another. He had five points and four rebounds in 14:22. And while Ray Allen had his way with him, D'Antoni has been impressed with Gallinari's smarts on the defensive end. Right now teams are going after him, challenging him, as teams do to all rookies.

“Ray Allen took him off the dribble a couple of times,” D’Antoni said, “but that’s not the first time Ray Allen’s ever done that.”

How quick is Ray Allen's release? Gallinari smiled.

"It's quick," he said. "It's tough to guard. You can not give him a second, because if you lose a second with him, he's going to shoot the ball and score."

The Knicks find themselves a game-and-a-half out of the final playoff spot with 32 games to go. There is plenty of time to make a run at a playoff berth, but if they're going to get there, they are going to need contributions from Gallinari, who is one of the few legit scoring threats on this team.

"I want to play," he said. "I will do everything the coach asks me. The coach will use me like he wants and I will be fine with that."

* * * *

* - Did anyone notice Lil' Penny sitting courtside (directly across from the Celtics bench) next to a fetching young lass? She spent most of the game texting on her phone and giggling at the responses, but Lil' Penny -- no really, it was him -- stayed focused on the court. In the second half, however, he apparently had to give up his seat for another woman. So he asked me to tell KG that Lil Penny from the Science Club said Ha-lo.

* - You love Al Harrington's enthusiasm, but the stuff he says after L's are tough to swallow. Following the Cavs game, Al called it "a feel-good loss." When it was relayed to D'Antoni, the coach frowned and said, "He had 39 [points], right?"

After the Celtics loss, despite an 0-3 record in Dream Week, Harrington said, “I think that, believe it or not, we got better. If we can find a way to play as hard as we did these last three games on this three-game trip, we’d go 3-0 . . . I think if we can play at this level, we can be fine.”

* - The Knicks lost a member of the family on Saturday when Original Knick Ralph Kaplowitz died. The former NYU All-American was just three months shy of his 90th birthday. Kaplowitz joined Leo Gottlieb, Ossie Schectman, Stan Stutz and Forest Weber as the first starting five for the Knicks, who beat the Toronto Huskies, 68-66, on Nov. 1, 1946 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. It was the first NBA game, though at the time it was known as the Basketball Association of America.

"Kappy" was a 6-2 guard who played 27 games for the Knicks in that inaugural season. He averaged 7.2 points per game.

* - Making the cross-country trek to Portland on Saturday, so, Fixers, we'll catch up from there. For the time being, enjoy Wilson Chandler's latest poster . . .

Gameday Live: Knicks vs. Cavaliers

Wednesday February 4, 2009 1:21 PM By Admin

Good evening Fixers! I'm Chris Mascaro and I'm here at Madison Square Garden tonight to be a witn ... I mean to bring you all of tonight's live game action, as the Knicks (21-26), fourth place in the Atlantic Division, take on LeBron James and the Central Division-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (38-9).

This is the middle game of what King Fixer Hahn described as Dream Week with the Lakers (Monday), Cavs (today) and Celtics (Friday) all descending on the Garden.

The first game turned out to be a nightmare for the home team though, as Kobe Bryant dropped 61 points, breaking Bernard King's record for most points scored at the new Garden (60) set on Christmas Day 1984.

As Hahn's article mentioned, James has one of his five 50-point games at the Garden, as he hit the mark on the head in a 119-105 win on March 5, 2008. But James, the second-leading scorer in the NBA at 28.0 points per game, noted he's only here to win tonight and not to pad his stat totals.

Said James to reporters after a win over Toronto last night in which he became the youngest player to reach 12,000 career points (he's 24): "I'm not a video game where you can expect me to go out there and score 60 or 70. I play the game and I'm not about individual accolades. Kobe Bryant's performance was unbelievable, I watched every last second of it and he won the game. But it's not about individuals in this league; it's about the basketball game. I'm not trying to outdo Kobe or anybody on their team. I'm just trying to win the game."

Kobe mentioned on Monday that James may go for a quadruple-double tonight. Either way, it's better than more talk about 2010, right?

Let's talk a little about the teams before we get to tonight's starting lineups.

The Cavs come in winners of seven of their last eight. They are an astonishing 23-0 at home this season, but a mortal 15-9 on the road. The Cavs have won both meetings between these two teams this season — a 119-101 decision at the Garden on Nov. 25 and a 118-82 drubbing in Cleveland on Dec. 3.

The Knicks (14-10 at home) came into Dream Week playing their best basketball of the season, riding a 6-1 streak into Monday's game against L.A, including wins over Phoenix, Houston and Atlanta. David Lee was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week from Jan. 26-Feb. 1 and has a streak of 11 straight double-doubles.

With that said, let's get to the starting lineups:

Cavs

Mo Williams, PG

Wally Szczerbiak, SG (Cold Spring Harbor alum)

LeBron James, SF

Ben Wallace, PF

Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C

Knicks

Chris Duhon, PG

Quentin Richardson, SG

Al Harrington, SF

Jared Jeffries, PF

David Lee, C

Okay, that's all for now. I'll be back after each quarter with updates.

Plenty more to talk about tonight, though, so let's get the conversation going in the chat box below! And be sure to vote on all the poll questions.

We're just minutes from basketball at MSG.

End of the 1st Quarter:

Cavs 36, Knicks 24

Leading scorers: James, 20; Lee 8

What's happening: The Cavs started the game on a 10-0 run, seven by James, including a jam, prompting a Knicks timeout just 2:46 into the game. David Lee finally put the Knicks on the board about 4:30 into the game, but James scored the next four points to make it 14-2.

Richardson hit a three-pointer to make it 18-11 Cavs before James hit a pair of free throws to make it 21-13. Then LeBron put a shake-and-bake on Lee (smiling in the process) before draining a 3 over his head, but Lee atoned with a dunk at the other end. However, at the 2:35 mark, it was LeBron 18-Knicks 17.

Back-to-back 3s by Boobie Gibson and Wally's World made it 32-17, and then a shocking development occurred ... James missed two free throws.

Later, Harrington converted an old-school three-point play and hit two free throws and Tim Thomas had a dunk, but James (who else?) hit a jumper at the buzzer to make it 36-24 Cavs.

What to watch for in the second quarter: Will LeBron hit 30 by halftime (like Kobe did on Monday)?

End of the 2nd Quarter:

Cavs 57, Knicks 52

Leading scorers: James 28; Harrington 19 (14 in the second quarter)

What's happening: LeBron didn't score in the second quarter until the 8:00 mark, when he had a nifty spin move and a layup.

The Knicks kept the lead between seven and nine in the beginning of the period, but closed it to one (43-42) with a 10-2 run (all the Knicks' points were scored by Harrington), prompting Cleveland to take a timeout. James put an end to that right out of the break, soaring for an alley-oop.

Later, Danilo "The Rooster" Gallinari hit a 3 to pull the Knicks within one again at 46-45, but the Cavs went back up by 3 on a layin by Gibson. Duhon made it 48-47 by tipping in his own miss, but James gave himself 26 and the Cavs 50 with a long jumper.

A Rooster runner made it 50-49, but Ilgauskas hit a corner 3 and James hit a long jumper to make it 55-49. Duhon hit a 3 with 3.7 seconds to go, but the Knicks allowed a cheap Ben Wallace layin to end the half.

What to watch for in the second half: Can the Knicks actually beat the team with the second-best record in the East?

End of the 3rd Quarter:

Cavs 82, Knicks 78

Leading scorers: James 39 (11 in the quarter); Harrington 31 (12 in the quarter)...Nate had 7 in the quarter after a scoreless first half.

What's happening: The Cleveland lead was between five and seven for the first 3:30 of the quarter, but then Harrington pulled the Knicks within one at 65-64. Back-to-back 3s by Mo Williams and Wally's World put the Cavs up 71-64, prompting a timeout from D'Antoni at the 7:19 mark.

Later, Nate Robinson hit a 3 to make it 73-69 near the 5:00 mark, but Big Z hit two free throws on the next possession to stretch it to 75-69. James hit a pair to put the Cavs up 77-69, but Robinson had a couple nifty moves for layups to make it 77-73 (he was called for an offensive foul on his third drive, though).

Harrington hit a jumper with 2:00 to go to pull the Knicks within two at 77-75, and then Tim Thomas hit a 3 to give the Knicks their first lead of the night.

But the Knicks' advantage was short-lived after James made 1 of 2 from the line and J.J. Hickson hit a layup.

What to watch for in the fourth quarter: The Knicks have to get Gallinari in act against slower defenders (Ben Wallace, Big Z).

End of Game, Cavs win, 107-102.

Cavs: 39-9

Knicks: 21-27

Scores by quarter for the Cavs: 36, 21, 25, 25

Scores by quarter for the Knicks: 24, 28, 26, 24

Here are your three stars for tonight's game:

1. James: 52 points (season high) on 17 of 33 shooting with 10 rebounds and 11 assists for his 21st career triple double (James went hard for a rebound at the buzzer). It was the most points in a triple double since the ABA-NBA merger in the 1976-77 season.

2. Harrington: 39 points (tying his season high) on 16 of 24 shooting with 13 rebounds.

3. Ilgauskas: 15 points, eight rebounds

Here's the complete box score.

What happened down the stretch: A Mo Williams 3 made it a seven-point game at 89-82 with 10:01 to go, but Wilson Chandler answered with one of his own out of the break to make it 89-85.

Chandler made a layup with under 9:00 to go to make it 89-87, but James had a gorgeous runner into the lane and then Boobie Gibson made a 3 to take the Cavs up by seven (94-87).

After nearly three minutes without a score, Tim Thomas hit 2 of 2 from the line. Then Harrington made 1 of 2. But James made a 94-90 lead a 96-90 advantage at the line with 5:35 remaining.

Harrington nailed a 3 to send the Garden crowd into a frenzy, then after a LeBron miss, Nate's jumper made it 96-95 Cavs with under a minute to go. James came down and drove for a layup before Harrington answered back with a short "J". But then James hit two more free throws to make it 100-97.

Lee was fouled fighting for a rebound and hit two FTs (the Cavs were over the limit) to pull the Knicks within one yet again (100-99), but again, James went to the rack to make it a three-point lead with about 1:30 on the clock.

Duhon was fouled and made 1 of 2, but LeBron found Big Z for an easy bucket with under 1:00 to play.

The Knicks swung around to Harrington for a 3 with about 40 seconds to go — he missed and that was that.

Okay, that's all for tonight. As always, it was my honor and pleasure to bring everyone all of tonight's live game action. See you Friday vs. the Celtics as Dream Week concludes.

Goodnight everyone!

(Photo by Eric Gay/Associated Press)

But can they finally get someone involved on Sunday, too?

Wednesday January 28, 2009 9:31 AM By Alan Hahn

Wilson Chandler was named today among the players to participate in the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge on All-Star Saturday. He'll be on the Sophomores team with Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Al Horford, Al Thornton, Thaddeus Young, Rodney Stucky, Aaron Brooks and Luis Scola.

You know, I kind of like the Rookie team this year, with Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, Rudy Fernandez, Greg Oden, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Michael Beasley, Brook Lopez and Marc Gasol.

Along with Wilson, the Knicks will be well-represented on All-Star Saturday, with Nate Robinson back in the Slam Dunk contest.

Nate talks about his plans in this year's contest, shows off the chicken noodle dance and plays a violin (sorta) in this promo vid here. Don't you wish you could have this much fun at work?

The NBA also released its list for the most popular jersey list for 2008-09. N8 the Gr8 ranks 10th in the league with David Lee close behind at 14. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James are the top three.

Just wondering: would LeBron overtake Kobe if he played in New York?

The Knicks rank third among most popular jerseys, with the Lakers at No. 1 and Celtics at No. 2. The Cavs? Fourth.

Just bloggin.

Speaking of David Lee, we had a story in our print edition today about Lee's chances to make the all-star team as a reserve. The reserves will be announced Thursday night on TNT.

We broke down where Lee stands statistically in a previous blog, but I wanted to continue the thread here.

Thoughts, Fixers?

Wilson gets filthy again

Monday January 26, 2009 8:15 PM By Alan Hahn

Luis Scola is the newest member of Wilson Chandler poster club....

As you can see at the end of the video clip, the effervescent Nate Robinson seemed to get more fired up about the dunk than the usually stoic Chandler. I asked Nate about it after the game.

“Sick," he said, "that was sick."

"If I made that dunk, I probably would have gotten a tech," he then added. "I’m just going to tell you now, I would have gotten a tech.”

Of course we're talking about a dude who gets hyperactive on the back-pedal after a three-pointer when he's down 20. Ignorance may be bliss, but obliviousness is the ultimate high.

Anyway, it's good to see signs of life out of Chandler after he went mentally AWOL for a few games there. I didn't agree with Mike D'Antoni's decision to send him to the bench in favor of Al Harrington, but I understood the thinking. It worked out anyway because the Knicks won and Wilson's 18 points helped the bench keep up their streak of 50-plus point games. This time it was 52 points out of the 104-98 win over the Houston Rockets.

Chandler seemed to respond more from the benching Saturday in the second half of the loss in Philly than anything. While the team was off Sunday, Chandler went to the MSG Training Center and got some work in anyway. Whatever he did, it seemed to work.

“I was in there for a few hours," he said. "I worked out the whole time and my body just felt good.”

D'Antoni just needs to figure out how to keep this kid's pilot light burning bright.

* * * *

Quentin Richardson lives in the same Westchester apartment complex as Eddy Curry and his family and Q wasn't happy to run into a horde of photographers and camera crews waiting outside.

"I don't think that's right," Richardson said. "People outside taking pictures and trying to catch his family or him. It's ridiculous . . . They had been there last night and today when I left to get down here for the game, they were snapping pictures of me getting into my car. I know they're trying to catch him."

It recalls the Don Henley song, "Dirty Laundry"...

Can we film the operation?

Is the head dead yet?

You know, the boys in the newsroom got a

Running bet

Get the widow on the set!

We need dirty laundry...

No one knows for sure when Curry will be back with the team after this latest personal situation. Donnie Walsh before the game said he told Curry to "take the time that he needs" and left it open-ended. It is believed that Curry went back to Chicago to be with his three-year-old son, whom police -- along with a child psychologist -- are trying to question to get as many details of the murders as possible.

Just imagine, though. A three-year-old boy. He saw -- or at least heard -- someone fire multiple shots into his mother and baby sister. And now he has to try to remember as much of it as he can . . . and then spend the rest of his life trying to get those gruesome images out of his memory.

All thoughts should be with this young boy and a father who needs to be at his side. We can talk about Curry's career, his future and everything else some other time. Curry has some serious off-the-court issues to deal with. Pretty soon his lawyer is expected to file a countersuit against the former limo driver who dropped that bombshell sexual harrassment lawsuit on him two weeks ago.

Sore right knee? Poor conditioning? Plummeting trade value? All back burner issues right now.

* * * *

The Garden attempted to use the timing of the Rockets' visit – and Yao Ming’s only appearance of the season in New York – to celebrate Chinese New Year (Year of the Ox, Newsday's crack veteran editor Jeff Weinberg -- we could call him J-Berg, maybe -- informs us). But Yao did not play because of a sore right knee. And people were bummed.

But the show went on. The Knicks had Chinese broadcasting personality, Chen Don, announce the pregame lineups in Mandarin and the New York Chinese Cultural Center performed a dance routine at halftime.

* * * *

* - Walsh also said he knows nothing of any agreements Stephon Marbury has with other teams. The Boston Globe cited sources saying the Celtics have talked to Marbury and are interested, but there are no agreements in place. In fact, the C's are said to be looking into talking Reggie Miller out of retirement as another option to get guard scoring off the bench.

* - Danilo Gallinari had his first relatively uneventful outing of the season on Monday night after he sat out Saturday's game, which was the second of a back-to-back. Gallo had four points, two rebounds, one assist and one turnover in 13 minutes and missed both of his field goal attempts. He hardly touched the ball and it was noticable how little he was involved in the offense when he was on the floor. He spent a lot of time on the weak side, spotting up in the corner.

* - David Lee churned out his league-leading 33rd dubba-dubba (17 points, 13 rebounds) and will have one more game -- Wednesday versus the Atlanta Hawks -- to make a case for himself as an all-star reserve on the East squad. The reserves are announced on Thursday. Lee should at least be among the forwards under consideration, but the competition will be tough when you consider the following players: Chris Bosh (23.3 ppg, 9.8 rbs), Danny Granger (26.1 ppg), Rashard Lewis (19.2), Paul Pierce (19.1). If you include Lee among centers, which is where NBA.com has him in the statistical listings, Lee is statistically right behind All-Star starter Dwight Howard, with no healthy players even close in comparison.

Wilson Chandler has a blog

Thursday January 22, 2009 4:03 PM By Alan Hahn

The quietest Knick has become the latest to join the blogsphere. Wil never checked with us to take over Jamal's now defunct spot on Newsday.com (we need closure, Mally!), so I guess the scratch he's getting from nyknicks.com is better.

No worries. Check out Will the Thrill here.

One digit closer to 2010

Wednesday December 31, 2008 5:10 AM By Alan Hahn

Welcome 2009. If anything, because 2010 now doesn't look two years away. And you may now officially say "wait 'til next year."

"Everybody is looking to help themselves by 2010 because there are a lot of pretty good players out there. How many franchises can guys look at and say, 'I want to go there'? There’s not very many like New York." -- Larry Brown

(Thanks to Fixer "Lee" for the effort...)

* * * *

How many of you are feeling like there's more in Wilson Chandler than the kid might even know right now. I asked Wilson's big brother on the team, Quentin Richardson, who is constantly in Chandler's ear.

“I think the biggest thing is Will doesn’t really understand how good he is or how good he could be," Quentin said. "When I’m out there I can see it, everybody can see it. Will’s an interesting kid. He always listens well, he tries to do everything the coaches tell him, even when I’m talking to him he’ll try to do what I’m talking about. I try to encourage him at different times, like, yo, be aggressive. Go do what you do, get to the rim. When he does his thing, it helps us.”

When he does his thing...it's nasty.

* * * *

* - I am feeling so warm and fuzzy this holiday season that I even offered the space as a guest-blog spot to Starberman, whose fingers were aching to blog. But he held to his boycott -- the internet never felt so uncluttered -- and then took my suggestion to have Stephon write a guest blog instead.

(Note the photo they used. Quite fitting.)

* - ESPN's Bill Simmons did a good read on Mike D'Antoni's system and its overwhelmingly positive impact on players. Larry Brown said it best when he talked about the D'Antoni philosophy's popularity with players:

"I don't think there's a guy in my locker room that wouldn't mind playing that style," LB said.

Chris Duhon's numbers are career-best. David Lee? Every double-double comes with a dollar sign. cha-ching! Al Harrington and Nate Robinson have come back to earth a little lately, but overall they're still going to have great stats in the end.

Simmons brings up a very interesting point: if average players are putting up career numbers, what kind of production could you expect out of a player such as LeBron James or Dwyane Wade?

* * * *

Stuck in an awful delay here in Charlotte. Just get me home before the ball drop.

Have a safe and Happy New Year, Fixers.

Mobley situation should be settled tomorrow

Wednesday December 10, 2008 1:57 PM By Alan Hahn

Donnie Walsh met with Cuttino Mobley and his agent, Andy Miller, on Wednesday to go over the results of the battery of tests on his heart condition and discuss the next step in the process. Mobley may have to retire -- a devastating result for the 33-year-old veteran -- and the Knicks would be without a key component of the Zach Randolph trade.

Walsh did waive the physical just to push the trade through, but he made it clear that Mobley wasn't thrown in the deal just because his contract expires in 2010. "We wanted him," Walsh said of Mobley, who was supposed to slide right into the starting shooting guard spot vacated when Jamal Crawford was dealt for Al Harrington on the same day. The Knicks also got Tim Thomas from the Clippers in the Randolph deal, but Thomas, you can argue, was more for contract and depth. Mobley was supposed to provide defense and long-range shooting and play a lot of minutes.

The Knicks had nothing to announce before Wednesday's game against the Nets, but it is possible something could be revealed Thursday. The Knicks have already scoured the NBA for possible moves to fill the potential roster spot vacancy and don't be so sure that Patrick Ewing Jr., who is finally jumping into the D-League, will be the player the Knicks sign. If a two-for-one trade or a deal involving the $1.4 million trade exception is out there that would help the team immediately (and, of course, not compromise the 2010 plan), then Walsh may go that route instead.

I believe Ewing's spot will come when the Stephon Marbury buyout is finally completed. Walsh is handling one matter at a time, so Marbury has been pushed to the backburner this week.

Stay tuned . . .

* * *

Mike D'Antoni had to have groaned when he heard about the Suns-Bobcats trade, which sent Jason Richardson to Phoenix for Boris Diaw and Raja Bell.

Both players had major roles in D'Antoni's run in the Sun. And considering the Knicks' desperate backcourt needs -- especially after the Mobley issue is settled -- Bell would have fit so well at the two-spot with Chris Duhon.

Bell would have given the Knicks that lock-down defender (and how perfect would it have been that the Knicks play Bell's favorite opponent, Kobe Bryant, next Tuesday in LA?) and a player who can hit the three and has a keen understanding of the system.

And, of course, Bell's contract expires in -- all together now -- 2010.

Ah but the caveat: no way in hell Robert Sarver and Steve Kerr are making any such trades with D'Antoni's Knicks. Not that we can find a reasonable match from the Suns point of view at Bell's $5 million-per salary. So there was never really a match to begin with, unless you involved a third team.

I'll tell you what, I like the trade for the Bobcats (7-14), who obviously see how wide-open the East looks after the top two (Boston and Cleveland) and want to make a run at the playoffs before they fall too far behind. Honestly, every team after the Celts and Cavs have major flaws. Atlanta and Orlando are second-tier. Detroit appears to be on a steady decline. Jersey and Miami are making nice rebounds after bad seasons. But with Philly and Toronto stumbling out of the gate, that eighth spot is definitely up-for-grabs.

Now, considering the deal from the Suns (13-9) POV, what the hell is Steve Kerr thinking here? Jason Richardson is a heck of an athletic talent, but considering Terry Porter's defensive demands, I have to question the fit. J-Rich is always explosive, but he can disappear. Perhaps playing with Steve Nash will give him a boost, as playing with Baron Davis in Golden State did. But, still, that's a monstrosity of a contract ($12.2M, $13.3M and $14.4M) to take on for a team that was going to be under the cap in 2010. Now they'll be dangerously close to going over with Nash and Amare Stoudemire heading into free agency.

Just bloggin.

* * *

The Thrill is Gone? -- Watching Wilson Chandler lately has been tough (1-for-7 from the field vs. Chicago). It's all the learning process of a second-year player whose warts are starting to show from playing a heavy workload of minutes.

But Chandler's issues are very fixable because they are either mental or fundamental. Stepping out of bounds for the second time in as many games and fouling late in the fourth quarter of a one-possession game (Tuesday vs. Bulls) are mental errors. Experience will correct these.

"Those are the things that we want to be sure this year we get some experience and time to gues that normally wouldn't have it and let them mature a little bit quicker," D'Antoni said before the game in Jersey.

Chandler's poor ball-handling ability is clearly an area of the game he needs to work on. Will also needs to grasp the offense from the point of view of the other four players on the court. Too often he'll go into a move and when a double comes, he can't make an instinctive pass because he doesn't know where the other players are. Eddy Curry has this problem, too (you remember Eddy Curry, right? He used to play center for the Knicks).

Chandler can be a streaky shooter, but despite this his athleticism should allow him to be a consistent scorer because he should be able to get to the rim and draw fouls when his jumper isn't falling.

He'll get plenty of time this season to figure all of this out. Until then, there's gonna be nights like Tuesday in Chicago.

Perhaps Wednesday in New Jersey he'll bounce back. That's what's great about the resiliency of youth.

* * *

Hot Rod has the coverage from Da Swamp. Enjoy the game.

No KG?

Monday November 17, 2008 9:51 AM By Alan Hahn

The Knicks might only have to face two-thirds of the Celtics' Big Three on Tuesday because the league is reviewing the altercation Kevin Garnett had with Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut in Saturday's overtime win over the Bucks.

Both players took swipes at each other and the question the League has to determine is if Garnett connceted on his open-handed swing made contact. If so, history suggests the NBA will give at least a one-game suspension to the all-star forward. The Knicks play the Celtics Tuesday night in Boston in a matchup of the NBA's top offense (105.7 points per game) against one of the league's best defenses (89.7 points per game against, third-best).

But it's a little early for the Knicks to bill this as a measuring stick game.

“I don’t know if we want to measure against the World Champs on the road just yet," D'Antoni said.

The Knicks (6-3) would certainly welcome facing Boston (9-2) without KG, but it's not as if the Celtics don't have enough to win without him. Last season the Knicks were 0-4 against the Celtics and Garnett sat out two of those games.

If Garnett does play, Wilson Chandler will draw the responsiblity. He was overwhelmed by Dirk Nowitzki on Sunday (David Lee also spent some time guarding Dirk), but Chandler has the quickness and strength (not to mention willingness) to defend the likes of Garnett and did so well enough in the preseason to convince Mike D'Antoni that the team could go with the 6-8 forward at the four spot.

“It’s definitely a challenge," Chandler said. "Coach put me in a starting position where I had to do stuff like that. For me to stay in the starting position, I have to go out and play harder every day.”

The matchup that the Knicks need to try to exploit is Zach Randolph vs. Kendrick Perkins. Randolph doesn't mind banging on the post, but he can pull Perkins away from the basket by working the perimeter. Chandler should do the same with Garnett, which should open the lane up for the guards to penetrate. Quentin Richardson is always a willing defender, especially when it's one of his favorite subjects, Paul Pierce. Let's see if Q has enough energy to play Pierce tight and tough.

* * *

Relatively quiet practice today. Some talk about "learning" from the overtime loss to the Mavs but let's be honest: what we learned was the pace of this system is catching up to the Knicks here 10 games into the season. As Herb Brooks said, The legs feed the wolf, gentleman. When fatigue sets in, the shots stop falling. When the shots stop falling, the Knicks are dead.

Nothing new to report on the Marbury front, aside from one potential interested team's owner, Mark Cuban, suddenly has more important matters to deal with than whether or not to sign Stephon once he clears waivers.

He put in some extra shooting with Nate Robinson and assistant coach Kenny Atkinson after practice and I thought Starberman was going to lose his mind when he saw Atkinson running at Marbury with a broom as Marbury attempted to shoot.

OK, we're kidding. But, still, I had to offer a potential headline: SWEPT AWAY: Practice-hungry Marbury Chased Out of Practice By Evil Broom-Wielding Coach

We got a good laugh out of it: All the poor guy wants to do is get some shots in and the Knicks just shoo him away with a broom, like a mouse in a kitchen looking for scraps. Will the Knicks ever stop this senseless persecu---- Huh, what's that?

Oh, it's a drill?

Chandler has 'mild' sprain

Wednesday October 22, 2008 4:23 PM By Alan Hahn

MRI today revealed a sprain that the medical staff deemed "mild"....he's listed day-to-day (aren't we all...ba-dum-dum-chhhh).

No official word, but since it's the same knee (left) he sprained in the second-to-last game of the regular season last April, it would likely make sense for Chandler to sit out Friday's preseason finale against the Nets -- redemption minutes for Eddy Curry, woo-hoo! -- to make sure he is 100 percent for next Wednesday's season opener against the Miami Heat.

* *

There's a welcome party for Chris Duhon tonight at the mid-town Pop Burger, hosted by Gotham Magazine, p.i.n.k. Vodka and Chief Executive Air. The event is mainly to celebrate Duhon's Stand Tall Foundation, which intends to refurbish 21 outdoor basketball courts in the New Orleans area that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Duhon is from Slidell, Louisiana, which is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area.

Duhon's foundation has continued to raise money and donate products to the area after the hurricane hit.

PreGame: Knicks at Nets (preseason)

Monday October 20, 2008 3:40 PM By Alan Hahn

David Lee will take the night off to rest a sore ankle. He could have played if this were a regular season game and we'll likely see him tomorrow night at the Garden against the Celtics.

Wilson Chandler gets the start at power forward. Seems like Mike D'Antoni wants to avoid the Zach Randolph-Eddy Curry tandem, though D'Antoni said he may take a look at it.

"I might," D'Antoni said. "If Eddy gets his game up to where it can be I wouldn’t because I think Zach, they should be able to, in theory, play together. Zach can play outside, Eddy inside. It shouldn’t be a problem if they both play at a great level."

Be very afraid.

For a good preview read, check out RealGM.com's Knicks advance.

STARTING LINEUPS

KNICKS

Richardson

Chandler

Randolph

Crawford

Duhon

NETS

Simmons

Jianlian

Lopez

Carter

Harris

This game will have a lot more buzz once it's played in Newark....

The Son Rose...up over Glen Davis

Friday October 17, 2008 7:14 PM By Alan Hahn

Patrick Ewing, Jr. heard his named called and the entire Knick bench erupted. A short while later, after a few nervous mistakes, Jamal Crawford went up to Ewing durng a timeout.

"You've got to get me at least one dunk tonight," Crawford said.

Almost immediately, Ewing came through.

The Legacy leaped up over Glen "Big Baby" Davis to slam home a rebound with 3:28 left in what became a 104-97 preseason win over the Celtics. The TD Banknorth Garden crowd let out a synchronous "oooh" and Ewing took us all back in time a moment when he landed and roared to the ceiling, just like Dad used to do it.

[Bloghost note: Thanks for the link Jeremy!]

"It was good, man," Ewing Jr. said of his first taste of NBA action. "It was good."

It was somewhat of a surprise to Ewing, who, despite having about 20 friends and family members in the crowd (remember, he was born in Cambridge), didn't expect to play.

"Then Coach came down and called my name and I was like, ‘Oh, all right,’" Ewing said. "I didn’t have any time to be nervous because you’ve got to run and check in before it’s too late.”

Ewing, who is very popular among his teammates, was recieved with hugs and high-fives in the timeout following his impressive dunk. What is lost among his performance is a pair of free throws late to essentially seal the win. Ewing finished with four points, four rebounds, a steal and three turnovers in 9:46.

“I felt all right," he said afterward. "It takes some getting used to. I felt when I first got out there I was overanxious. That’s why I had quick turnovers and stuff. But it comes with repetition, I think. The more I get out there, hopefully, the more I’ll get used to it.”

The elder Ewing is in Jacksonville with the Orlando Magic, who play the Miami Heat in a preseason game there on Saturday. The son was expecting a call from the father at any minute. The two talk regularly and Ewing, Jr. says his father understands why his son hasn't played until now. Someone joked that perhaps the Hall of Fame dad put a call in to Donnie Walsh.

Earlier in the day, D'Antoni suggested various options for Ewing, Jr., including sending him to Europe for a year or keeping him on the roster and having him get extensive minutes with the Knicks' D-League affiliate in Reno.

“We watch him every day and I think we’ve got a pretty good handle on who he is, which is good," D'Antoni said. "He’s impressive. I think he can make the league. Again, I’m not ready to say it’s going to work out here, I don’t know for sure. But I think there is some place for him at some time, whether it’s now or whether he has to go to Europe or the D-League. I don’t know 100 percent, but I do think he is a talented player.”

If Ewing Jr. goes to Reno, of course it means he made the team. D'Antoni even hinted that lottery pick Danilo Gallinari could wind up there for a short stint to get himself in game shape and play tons of minutes. Unlike Isiah Thomas, D'Antoni won't hesitate to use the D-League, especially with Jay Humphries coaching the team. Humphries was on D'Antoni's coaching staff in Phoenix last season and will be running D'Antoni's system.

* *

* - Wilson Chandler had some impressive minutes at the four going toe-to-toe with Kevin Garnett. He forced Garnett into a few turnovers, rebounded and defended him well. D'Antoni raved about Chandler after the game. For all of you who want to see him starting at the three over Q, the coaching staff loves Chandler more as a four. It wouldn't surprise me to see them use him as a four and Gallinari (when he's healthy) more at the three.

* - You can see this system isn't for everyone, even players you might think are perfectly suited for it. Stephon Marbury was a little more aggressive offensively tonight -- he shot only five field goals but got to the line nine times and finished with 12 points in 19:09 -- and Jamal Crawford continues to search for his rhythm while staying in the flow of the system. He took just four field goals (made three) and didn't take a single three-pointer. Very un-Crawford-like.

* - Speaking of people who just don't fit, Eddy Curry continues to look out of place as he cuts and spins from elbow to post and tries to be active. A few times D'Antoni allowed him to go straight to the block and post-up and Curry still didn't look comfortable. He missed all four field goal attempts he took and finished with three points and four rebounds in 20:10 (amazingly, 5-9 Nate Robinson outrebounded him by one in less time). D'Antoni won't completely give up on finding a way to get Curry involved, but once Gallinari and Jeffries return to the lineup, it will be awfully hard to find minutes for Big Eddy.

* - Donnie Walsh spent some time chatting with Danny Ainge during the pregame warmups. They shared a laugh, so perhaps Donnie asked if Ainge would consider a Garnett-for-Curry deal. By the way, the idea that the Celtics might be interested in bringing Marbury -- on a veteran's min contract as a free agent, not via trade -- in to back up Rajon Rondo (he sprained his ankle in the game by the way) was squashed by a few people I spoke with today at the Gah-den. Sam Cassell is there, though he seems more like an assistant coach at this point of his career.

* - K-Berg has practice tomorrow and Arthur Staple is at the open practice on Sunday. It's preview-writing time for me. Have a good weekend.

Dee-Ffffff...fughettaboutit

Tuesday October 14, 2008 9:13 PM By Alan Hahn

The preseason continues to show what the Knicks can be and what they are right now. Offense? Oh there's plenty of that. After the 116-109 loss to the 76ers they are averaging 110 points per game after three preseason games, which is almost 14 points per game higher than last season's average.

But they're also giving up 111 points per game, which is just under 8 more than last season's average. Of course we understand the formula that comes with this system: more shots = more possessions; more possessions = more points.

And the players have said that Mike D'Antoni has put so much of the focus on getting the team to understand the system in these preseason games that there has been very little scouting report-wise done in their game prep. The coaching staff gives them basics to concentrate on and then they make adjustments -- doubling-down on Elton Brand, for instance -- on the fly. Come the regular season, there expects to be much more emphasis on the other team in the game prep.

But it doesn't take a scouting report to put a hand up on the perimeter. The Knicks are still as brutal as ever when it comes to defending the outside shot. But it's not just the three-point line. They've been getting murdered with mid-range jumpers in the first three preseason games.

And interior defense? The Sixers scored 56 of their 116 points in the paint.

Lots of work still ahead.

* - Speaking of lots of work still ahead....Eddy Curry finally saw some action, though it was brief. He came in late in the first quarter and gave it a go for 6:21. He missed three shots, including a dunk attempt that was blocked by Theo Ratliff, but did grab three boards and drew two quick fouls on Brand. I thought Eddy tried to be as active as possible, picking and moving and flashing when he could. One mistake he often made was he would pick and then roll, but turn his back to the ball in the process. But it was good to see Eddy darting out at shooters in the paint and even using his fouls (he drew three) instead of giving up layps.

Eddy came out of the game early in the second and remained on the bench until halftime. He then proceeded to vomit in the locker room and never made it back out for the second half.

We can make a joke of Curry right now, but I think there should be more concern than anything. He had a bacterial infection (which is no joking matter) that knocked him out of training camp for the entire week. And as he desperately tries to get himself caught up, he is still having issues with his stomach.

D'Antoni has almost surrendered the idea of ever having Curry in the condition he needs to be in to be an effective element in this system. It's like when Shaq joined the Suns late last season after loafing it for most of the year in Miami. Eddy had all summer to prepare for the kind of running and movement that was going to be demanded of him. One week should not have set him back so dramatically.

"It's going to take him a while," D'Antoni said after the game. "I didn't really expect for him to be able to run after a couple of practices . . . He can't do it, not what we're trying to do. You have to have a little patience with him and every practice he has to get a little better in shape."

* - Teams are going to have to start paying attention to Wilson Chandler. He scored 10 straight points in the third quarter and went on to have a monster second half and finish with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Will hit 5 of 6 from downtown and many of them were simply by spotting up either in the corner or on the wing, awaiting a kick-out.

Chandler took it strong to the basket, too, and had no trouble banging down low with Brand and Reggie Evans. This kid looks like he's on the cusp...just needs that one breakout game to make him realize he can score at will in this league with his athleticism, strength and very good shooting touch.

The guy ahead of him in the starting lineup, Quentin Richardson, had another poor shooting night (1-for-7 from downtown), but I think it will take more than just some preseason games for D'Antoni to sit the veteran in favor of the young player. Right now the rotation looks good with Nate Robinson and Chandler coming in with energy.

* - Chris Duhon had 6 assists but also had 4 turnovers, still, he had flashes in the game where you can see he is starting to get a feel for the offense and where players should be. He had one nifty behind-the-back pass to David Lee for a fast-break dunk. Duhon also hit both of his three-point attempts.

* - After the game I wandered into the Sixers locker room to get a sense of what they thought of the Knicks after playing them twice now in the preseason. Andre Iguodala was respectfully candid when he said in the recent past, opponents looked forward to a game against the Knicks.

"I think some teams had that impression," he said, "it was like, just come in here and get a win."

"I feel like they're going to be one of the improved teams," Iguodala added, "and it's just not going to be an easy walk in the park when you come to play here."

Posterized!

Wednesday October 8, 2008 8:04 PM By Alan Hahn

Wasn't a W, but not a bad start for the new-look Knicks. Too many turnovers and the Knicks shot poorly from three-point range, while the Raptors were exactly what you would expect them to be: an excellent shooting team.

Lots of positives to take out of the game, but for now let's enjoy two memorable moments:

Wilson Chandler elevates over J.O....

...and Nate Robinson goes baseline like a possessed Chucky doll.

Going to get some sleep. I'll check in tomorrow for thoughts on the game.

The Q-Rich Chronicles

Thursday August 7, 2008 11:29 AM By Alan Hahn

Some MSG.com stuff from Vegas....