Knicks Lose by 29 after solid Home Win

After a solid five point home victory over the Heat, in which the Knicks scored 120 points, the Knicks went out and lost by 29 to the Phildelphia 76ers.

Interesting...tale of two teams...

Well, when a team that relies on jump shots is having trouble shooting, they are forced to drive the hoop.

When they are playing a team that defends the hoop well, the team that can't shoot, and can't score in the paint gets blown out, and that's what happened last night.

Jamal Crawford lead the Knicks with 14 points.

Sweet, leading scorer has 14.

Now, the biggest story of the night was disgruntled guard Stephon Marbury sitting on the bench in street clothes.

Marbury was placed on the inactive list prior to last night's game after having a conversation with Mike D'Antoni.

Marbury asked D'Antoni if he would play against the Sixers, and when D'Antoni informed him that he would not, Marbury asked to be put on the inactive list.

This, of course, coming after Eddy Curry, after not playing in the first half of the season opener, stayed in the locker room for the entire second half of the game, watching the game on a tv monitor and eating his sorrows away.

Mike D'Antoni is taking no BS from anyone, no matter how large their contract is, and that is whay needs to happen. This further proves why D'Antoni is the right man for this job. He is a hardass who takes no crap from anybody, and will bench you for poor performances and play you more for good ones, regardless of what you make.

The Knicks look to rebound from their loss next game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Knicks Cut Ewing Jr. in favor of Jerome James

Today the Knicks announced that their final roster will not include Patrick Ewing Jr. and instead will include Jerome James and Anthony Roberson.

Why Donnie, why...You had done so well up until this point...

I chose that picture of Jerome James because that is what he will look like on most nights this year. On the bench, being useless and out of shape.

In a preseason in which every player had an opportunity to show something to the new coach, even Jerome James managed to not do a single thing to catch Mike D'Antoni's eye.
You may be asking why I say this.

The answer is that James did not play a single minute, nay, SECOND in the entire preseason.

You could make a counter argument that James didn't get a fair shot, but I would make a counter argument to yours that points out had he been given time on the court there is a very good chance his heart would have stopped.

But, hey, look at it this way, why do the Knicks need defense and energy? It's overrated anyway, right? Jerome James can bring a lot to the table (6 quarter pounders with cheese, 4 large fries, 3 milkshakes, 3 apple pies, a 6-piece McNuggets and a big mac).

Like I said, a lot to the (dinner) table.

In the grand scheme of things, does it matter that much? No, because when Jared Jeffries and Danilo Gallinari get healthy, James would be in street cloths and likely so would Ewing Jr.

But still, score one for nostalgia, because I am sure there isn't one Knicks fan who wouldn't want to see the son of one of the greatest Knick's of all time put on the same jersey as his father.

Knicks Season Preview

This off season, the Knicks took big steps towards becoming a professional basketball team. Not only did they fire Isiah Thomas, they also...well...yeah that's pretty much it, they fired Isiah Thomas.

All kidding aside, it needed to be done, and bringing in Donnie Walsh to run the front office (President and GM) and Mike D'Antoni to run the team on the court were great moves towards making this one-heralded franchise a contender once again.

Immediately, they went out and got Chris Duhon, a pass first point guard, which the Knicks have been so desperately lacking since Stephon Marbury came home.

Speaking of Marbury, he has looked very good in this preseason, even after saying that he is, "a starter, period." Coming off the bench, Steph has combined his instant offensive ability with his long lost passing skills, and is looking more and more like he actually could be a contributor to this team (instead of just a locker room headache).

D'Antoni has been raving about David Lee, Nate Robinson and Zach Randolph, and feels that these three will thrive in his system, with The Lard Blunder Down Under (Eddy Curry) seeing very little playing time.

D'Antoni has called out Curry on being out shape and showing a lack of effort. Curry will be hard pressed to find a spot in D'Antoni's rotation due to his inability to play well...ever...

Watch for Wilson Chandler to have a very big year. He has shown a lot of improvement on his game, and looks to be one of the focal points in Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense.

Also, Patrick Ewing Jr., who was thought to be a long shot for making the team, might not be such a long shot after all...

As far as I am concerned, this Knicks team should be significantly better, winning around 35 games, which, while it will be an improvement from last year (23 wins) will still not be playoff worthy, leaving the Knicks playoff-less streak at 6 years.

On the bright side, the Knicks have some good, young talent in Wilson Chandler, David Lee and Nate Robinson, and a lot of hefty salaries will be coming off the books within the next few years. This year will at least be entertaining with the way D'Antoni runs his offense and his team.

Johan is the Dictator of the deal, and the Twins Can Decide Whether they want Draft Picks or Players

Enough already. I am sick and tired of hearing possibilities of Johan Santana going to Yankees...No wait...it's the Red Sox, Johan is going to pitch in Boston next year...No no no no, It's the Mets. Yeah. The Mets are the front runners now.

Make up your minds already, everyone is tired of this. Essentially, Johan Santana is the one who can force the deal, and here is why:

He is the one who has said he wants to be traded before Spring Training. All he has to do is say to Twins GM Bill Smith, "Listen, Billy, here's the deal. You offer me one, or you trade me now, because I am not talking contract mid-season, and I don't want to be traded mid-season, so if you don't trade me now, I will veto whatever deal you make at the deadline when the Twins are in last place and then walk at the end of the year."

Even though Johan Santana would never do that, because he is regarded throughout baseball as a stand-up gentleman who shows respect for his organization, this is clearly what he is thinking.

He has, in fact, expressed the feeling that is he is to be traded, he would prefer it to be done before he has to report to Spring Training.

Now that the Yankees have taken Phil Hughes off the table, and the Red Sox have taken Jon Lester out of the equation, that leaves the Mets and their offer of the good prospects.

It has yet to be determined the exact deal, but it has been reported that is something along the lines of Kevin Mulvey, Phil Humber/Mike Pelfrey, Delios Guerra and Carlos Gomez. The Twins, all winter, have wanted to get Jose Reyes, who was deemed untouchable, however once that was shot down by the Mets brass, they started requesting Fernando Martinez; the teen-sensation that is sweeping the nation.

Personally, I would acquire Santana with a deal of Mulvey, Humber/Pelfrey, Guerra and Gomez. Those guys, especially Gomez, have careers that look promising; however Santana already has a career that is established; a pretty good one, too.

That offer, while it may not be exactly what the Twins are looking for, is MUCH better than having Santana walk after the season, and then the Twins getting two compensation draft picks.

Boy would Minnesota fans be mad if that happened.

Bill Smith keeps mentioning Major League-ready talent, however, the Mets do not have much of that to offer, and the Yankees and Red Sox took the two most intriguing pieces of their puzzle out of the deal. So it is now up to Smith to decide whether he wants to take a little heat from the media now, and acquire the prospects from the Mets or get CHASTISED once they realize they cannot afford to resign Johan Santana next off season. That is essentially what would happen.

Personally, I would love to have Johan Santana pitching Queens, and I would love to wear my #57 shirt to Shea. However, if the Twins ask too much, i.e. include Fernando Martinez, I can just wait until we sign him this off season, and watch him pitch at Citi Field for 7 years after that.

The Knicks STILL Are Embarassed by the Celtics

Ok, so, with the Knicks winning four of five, you MUST have been thinking, 'wow, perfect timing, seeing as how we are playing the Celtics coming up....maybe now since we are on a hot streak, we can stick it to those jerks!'

Well you were wrong. The Knicks lost 109-93 at home.

Oh, and the best part, is Isiah Thomas, as usual, with his team getting killed at home, sitting on the bench, SMILING! I SWEAR, ISIAH, IF WE EVER MEET, I WILL HAVE SOME WORDS TO SAY TO YOU!

Kendrick Perkins went out, and just ANIHILATED Eddy Curry an Zach Randolph, scoring, not only a career high, but career high IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE GAME! KENDRICK PERKINS, WHO AVERAGES 6.8 POINTS PER GAME SCORED HSI CAREER HIGH, 22, IN THE FIRST HALF! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

"The Lard Blunder Down Under" (Eddy Curry) got absolutely burned every single time on defense, and didn't fight over a single pick, and rarely even contested a single one of Perkins' shots.

Ok, that was bad, we can all admit that, and we all know that Eddy Curry doesn't defend well...scratch that, Eddy Curry doesn't DEFEND, PERIOD!

But the worst of everything, the absolute WORST of everything is Jared Jeffries. He is the worst professional basketball player to wear a Knicks uniform since CHRIS DUDLEY! YES, I WENT THERE, CHRIS DUDLEY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!

I mean, my god! They RAVE about his defense, and how good it is, and maybe it is good, I won't take that away from him, but when you are a LIABILITY on the offensive end, it just doesn't balance out.

The Knicks were down by five in the second quarter, and were looking to get even closer, nearing half time. Right then and there, it became Jared Time; and THAT is when the Knicks lost the game.

Jeffries came down the court, and took a jumped, which he has yet to hit this season, and missed so short off front rim that it karimed out, and started a fast break for the Celtics. They would obviously score.

After that, Jamal Crawford dishes it to Jeffries down low, and everyone thinks it's an easy layup-to-be. No. Wrong. Not with Jared Jeffries. He dribbles, and it goes off his knee, and starts yet ANOTHER fast break!

Next possession, Jared decides "I'll toss the ball to that fan, over there, he looks like he is good at catching passes, better than I am at least." So he throws the ball, seemingly to no one on the court, and it flies into the crowd. He just stood there with a dumb look on his face, like he always does, looking like an ape.

So now the Celtics have moved their lead from five, up to 11, and you think, 'well...this is important, if they get it to 13 or 14 at half time, it's bad. We need to score here.'

Again, YET AGAIN, it was Jared Time.

Jeffries thought it to be a good idea to get a pass, not dribble, and take off from two steps in front of the free throw line. He got rejected by the rim, and it started ONE MORE fast break for the Celtics, that ended with Rajon Rondo hitting a shot at the buzzer to increase the half time lead to 14. That was it, the Knicks never REALLY recovered from that point.

They cut it to eight with four minutes to go, and then they decided to stop scoring. No big deal, we can win, especially against the Celtics, by playing 1-on-1, selfish basketball, and by taking horrible shots.

No, you can't. Morons.

Knicks suck, they are awful, end of story. I don't care how many they have won in the past 5 games, they are a dreadful team, they COULD be a good team, BUT THEY WON'T BECAUSE ISIAH THOMAS IS AN IDIOT.

I will stand by that until he is gone, Isiah Thomas, you are an idiot.

Hey Oh! That's 3 In a Row!

The NEW New York Knicks look awesome. I'll say it, they are even fun to watch! These last 3 games have been by far the most entertaining of the year. First the Pistons by 24, then the Wizards, and now the Nets?

WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!

Oh, I've got it: They are playing as a TEAM. A TEAM. Not 5 guys on the court, all looking to shoot the ball as soon as they get it, and are OK with the opposition scoring, because then the Knicks get another chance to shoot.

No. Not anymore.

It has even come to the point that ZACH RANDOLPH, the "black hole" of basketball, the "Stacy Patton" of this Knicks team, had a career high 4 assists in last night's victory on the road over New Jersey.

A week ago, Isiah Thomas Did what Eddie (Whoopi Goldberg) did to Stacy Patton in "Eddie". She pulled him off the floor, and sat him down on the bench until he was ready to become part of the "team."

Team...TEAM...it has a nice ring to it.

This Knicks TEAM is playing great basketball. The bench is being used perfectly, Team Energizer: Nate, Lee and Balkman, seeing significant minutes and really helping this team. They are playing hard, they are playing unselfishly and they are playing DEFENSE.

In a way, this Knicks team is exactly like the Knicks in Eddie. They have a bunch of ball hogs, with huge contracts, that aren't performing. They have a bench that can get it done, but just don't get their chances.

Instead, lately, all of that has been reversed; oh, and Jamal Crawford having back-to-back 30 point games has helped a little bit, too.

All I can say is, no matter how long this goes on, the Knicks are fun to watch, I will be tuning into every game during this streak, because you never know when they will lose another 12 in a row.

BREAKING NEWS! KNICKS TRYING SOMETHING NEW: WINNING

WOW! DO MY EYES DECEIVE ME? THE KNICKS, THE NEW YORK KNICKS, STILL OF NEW YORK THAT PLAY AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, HAVE WON TWO IN A ROW! AGAINST TWO SOLID TEAMS NO LESS!?

I'm in shock. So is the rest of the NBA and world for that matter. It seems to me that the only person NOT surprised is Isiah Thomas, "The Prophet." Apparently, Zeke knew that the Knicks would somehow pull off the miracle blowout, "Fluke of 2008", 24 point victory over the Detroit Pistons, and then even win the very next night against the ailing Wizards.

Let's be frank here: Both of those teams playing their 7-12 men on the roster could beat the Knicks on any given day, which is why these 2 straight wins are so special.

Could it be the correct usage of the bench? Possibly. Could it be that the Knicks are ACTUALLY moving the ball, (except for when it is in Randolph's hands)? It could be. Could it even be the fact that they are playing defense for the first time since Van Gundy was in charge of the team?

WELL HERE'S A HINT, IT'S ALL THREE!

The Knicks are moving the ball, getting open shots, playing defense, and for the first time in a while, are not only playing hard, but could actually be referred to as a "Professional basketball team."

I mean, about freaking time! Isiah Thomas, way to utilize the bench, and guess what? I AM NOT BEING SARCASTIC! I am one of the biggest Isiah Thomas haters, but lately, he has been utilizing his bench very nicely, giving hard workers such as Renaldo Balkman and Nate Robinson playing time, and it is ACTUALLY paying dividends! Who knew!

Now, for this team to climb out of the cellar, it is going to have to do a few things, the most important of which is to keep playing tough, hard nosed, TEAM basketball.

Another is split up Randolph and Curry for good. It's gotta be done. I'm sorry, they have failed. In theory, it was a good idea, but it just hasn't worked out. When Curry is in, the other man down low should be David Lee, who continues to contribute.

The same goes for Zach Randolph. His partner down low needs to be David Lee. Lee isn't a ball hog like either of the two I just mentioned, and is OK with not being the first scoring option. Curry or Randolph have to be dealt, for something, ANYTHING! GET A WATER COOLER! All I can say is the tandem has failed, and one of them needs to go.

Starbury, Q-Rich, who is just DREADFUL, and Jared Jeffries all need to go, as well. Starbury is...well he's Starbury, which is now being written into medical books as a type of Cancer. Q-Rich is just awful...he cannot shoot the rock any worse than he has this season without becoming Jared Jeffries, bringing me to why Jeffries must go...he is even WORSE than Richardson.

The other thing I want to see is Wilson Chandler, the rookie who seemingly never sees time, and Randolph Morris, the second year man who has played a total of 9 minutes this year, also see more playing time. Assuming Randolph is traded, because Isiah is in love with Eddy Curry, a rotation should consist of Nate, Crawford, Balkman, Lee, Curry, Chandler, Morris, Freddy Jones and on occasion when all else fails, Mardy Collins.

If you were not just listed, please vacate Madison Square Garden immediately, and please leave your jersey; it costs money.

Point is, the Knicks are playing hard, and Isiah Thomas is starting to realize who goes out to win, and who goes out there to just go out there.