Turiaf's intangibles making a difference
Ronny Turiaf of the New York Knicks reacts against the Portland Trail Blazers. (Oct. 30, 2010) Credit: Jim McIsaac
Donnie Walsh grumbled about the asterisks that were being attached to his team's recent streak of wins because of key players missing from a few opposing lineups, such as David Lee for the Warriors and Baron Davis and Chris Kaman for the Clippers.
"I'll say something that was never printed when we were losing: We didn't have Ronny Turiaf,'' Knicks president Walsh said. "Turiaf didn't play when we lost to Golden State at home, but you didn't print that.''
How could a player who statistically produces so little mean so much?
"He's not a guy that it shows in numbers," Raymond Felton said, "but Ronny Turiaf has been great for us defensively."
Starting center Turiaf did not play in the fourth quarter of the Knicks' 99-95 victory over the Bobcats Wednesday night because, Mike D'Antoni said, he was experiencing pain in his left knee, which has been protected by a heavy brace in the past two weeks since Turiaf missed three games with a sprain.
Turiaf said he could have played but considering his importance, D'Antoni said he didn't want to push it. Turiaf is expected to be available Saturday afternoon against the Hawks at the Garden, but he is not at full strength.
It's much easier, he says, to play through the pain when he hears the recognition he gets from teammates such as Raymond Felton. "He is so happy for me and calling me a warrior, because he knows I am struggling," Turiaf said. "And I said, 'I appreciate that and I'm going to play for you, because you understand what I'm going through.' So it's kind of those things that make us go in the same direction."
The gregarious 6-10 Frenchman with the trademark beard and engaging personality has made it a personal quest to bring together this team of so many new faces. He situates himself next to the team's two other international players, Danilo Gallinari and Timofey Mozgov, in an area of the locker room he likes to call "The U.N." And he's always quick to stifle any hint of negativity around the team, which, in the past, has been engulfed in it.
"I told you before and I wasn't lying to you,'' Turiaf said, "I really wanted to come here and change the mind-set of the organization and the people around it from being so negative, from what I've heard, to just being fair and being positive, almost overly positive."
Turiaf said the team needed to "have a bunker mentality to where it's just us in the room that matters." He added that there is a genuine trust developing among the players that helped them get through the frustration of the 3-8 start. "I know we've only been together technically for a couple of months, but it's like a band of brothers that believe in each other and just want to go out and win basketball games."
Even the effervescent Turiaf said it was difficult to keep positive during the six-game losing streak, but it helped that the team was on the West Coast and away from the outrage that boiled over in New York.
"One thousand percent yes," he said. "When you look at it before you get here, you think, 'Man, the schedule is hectic.' But it turned out to be very good for us."
As did Turiaf's return to the lineup, which came one game before the winning began.
Notes & quotes: The Knicks are below the .500 mark at home (2-4 at the Garden) but already are 6-4 on the road. Wednesday night's win in Charlotte gave them four straight road victories for the first time since the 2001-02 season.
