Jeff Van Gundy gathered the shards of the shattered empire Pat Riley left behind in 1995, keeping the New York Knicks relevant for a few more years. The Knicks made one more trip to the NBA Finals in 1999.

Van Gundy, keenly aware of the increasing incompetence of the Dolan family (who owned the team), resigned as coach in 2001. And the Knicks have been irrelevant since, going winless in the playoffs for a decade.

Adding to the disgrace, the Knicks have flashed a phalanx of stars (Lenny Wilkens & Larry Brown) and scrubs (Don Chaney, Herb Williams, & Isiah Thomas) to coach and play for the team, often ravaging the salary cap with misguided drafts and free agent signings. Jerome James and Eddy Curry, anyone?

Despite the erosion of the NBA's signature franchise in the world's media vortex, the Knicks have sold season tickets for next fall at a faster rate than any in its history. They have done so, in Wall Street vernacular, "On spec." 

New York is the ancestral city of hoop dreams, and Madison Square Garden was once the grand canvas on which those dreams were painted. The simultaneous demise of the Knicks and St. John's have made Manhattan a graveyard for basketball fans. 

So why the rabid rush for tickets? New Yorkers long for a King. That would be LeBron James. While the Cleveland Cavaliers can offer James more money than any other NBA team, the Knicks are banking on cache and the myriad media dollars that sponsors will shower upon Mr. James should he migrate to Madison Avenue. 

If the Knicks don't secure LeBron James, there is a fertile free agent market this summer that includes Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, and Joe Johnson.

But perhaps not landing King James will be seen as another failure in a list of failures. In the city that never sleeps, the Knicks need to stalk LeBron with the power and patience of a leopard, giving New Yorkers a new reason to stay awake. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder spoiled the Knicks debut of Tracy McGrady, with a 121-118 overtime victory over the Knicks.  Kevin Durant scored 36 points for the Thunder, who have now won eight straight games.

McGrady scored 26 points in his first game since the Knicks acquired him Thursday at the trade deadline from the Houston Rockets.  But McGrady was on the bench for the entire overtime, perhaps tired from playing 32 minutes in his first game since December.

McGrady had his first 25 point game since January 9, 2009, when he had 26 against Oklahoma City, abut a month before he had season-ending microfracture knee surgery. 

A loud "We want T-Mac" chant broke out when McGrady was on the bench with about 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter and the Knicks trailing by five.  He entered the game about a minute later and helped the Knicks build a six-point lead.  Unfortunately he missed two costly free throws with 1:05 left.  Durant buried a three-pointer with six seconds to go to send the game into overtime. Then Durant hit the go-ahead jumper with 16 seconds remaining in overtime to seal the victory for the Thunder.  The loss was the Knicks sixth straight.

The Knicks acquired McGrady on Thursday in a three-team deal with Houston and Sacramento.  The primary reason for the acquisition of McGrady is the cap space that his expiring contract will afford the Knicks in an offseason when LeBron James and Dwayne Wade will be free agents.

The New York Knicks have acquired unhappy guard Tracy McGrady in a three-team trade with the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings.

The Knicks will receive Sergio Rodriguez as well from the Kings in the deal, but the bread and butter of the deal was McGrady and his colossal $23 million contract which will be expiring.

In return, the Rockets will get guard Kevin Martin and forward Hilton Armstrong from the Kings and forward Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries and draft considerations the next two years from the Knicks. The Rockets are relieved to have finally found a new home for McGrady, the arduous seven-time All-Star that they have been trying for almost two months to trade.

The Kings will get New York guard Larry Hughes and Houston forwards Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey.

The Knicks have been groveling over McGrady since last Christmas time when the Rockets announced that they were trying to trade him.

The most uncertain part of the deal for the Knicks is the future of McGrady because of injuries. He will turn 31 in May and he has played in only 107 games over the last three years.

His injury issues became a yearly problem in 2005-06, when he missed 34 games with back injuries that followed him into the following season. He missed 16 games when he hurt his elbow and his knee during the beginning of the 2007-08 season. He was in and out of the lineup during the 2008-09 season and finally decided to have the season-ending surgery close to the All-Star break.

The Knicks are very interested in dropping their payroll and becoming a major player in the free-agent sweepstakes this summer, as well as the financial benefits of McGrady’s contract.

Jeffries and Hill will make almost $10 million between the two of them next season so by including them in the trade, the Knicks will open enough salary cap space to be extremely active in the free agent market this summer, beginning with LeBron James.

According to reports, The Knicks and Rockets have been working on a deal for some time now, but the deal just could not get done without the involvement of another team.

The Rockets wanted to get as much as possible in return for McGrady and they ended up with two players that they have strongly desired in Martin and Hill.

Martin is the Kings' second-leading scorer with 19.8 points per game, and he will add some much needed perimeter shooting to the Rockets' roster.

And the 6-foot-10 Hill will take over for Landry and bring a lot of energy and rebounding skills off the bench.

The Knicks deny they are close to completing a trade with the Houston Rockets for Tracy McGrady.

But reports say the deal is imminent, with only a few details to work out before Thursday’s NBA trading deadline.

Yahoo! Sports reports that the Knicks will acquire McGrady, a former All-Star, and his expiring $23 million contract. Who New York will give up is still in question. Yahoo! Sports says it will be Jared Jeffries, 2009 first-round pick Jordan Hill and either Al Harrington or Larry Hughes. The Knicks would also swap first-round picks with the Rockets in 2011 and deal away their 2012 first-round pick.

But apparently, Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh thinks the price is too steep, and is trying to work Houston down a bit.

The Knicks would benefit in more ways than one from this deal. With McGrady, the team might sell a few extra tickets, maybe make the playoffs and then let him leave as a free agent. The Knicks would like to dump Jeffries because his contract runs through 2011. Trading him would enable the Knicks to wrangle enough room under the salary cap to sign not just one, but two maximum-price free agents this summer – when the possibilities will include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire and more.

Part of the cost would be almost all of the Knicks’ young talent. Hill would be gone, the Knicks’ 2010 first-round pick is owned by Utah and the Rockets would get New York’s 2012 top pick.

     Instead of taking Brandon Jennings with the eighth pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks chose Arizona forward Jordan Hill. On Friday night at the Garden, the Knicks got a taste of what they passed on, to the tune of 22 points and eight assists. The Milwaukee Bucks strolled into New York and left with a 114-107 win.

     In his first trip to basketball’s Mecca since being drafted, Jennings finally figured it out in the second half, scoring 19 of his 22 points. Ersan Ilyasova led Milwaukee with 25 points. David Lee paced the Knicks with 32 points and 15 rebounds.

     Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni went with an eight man rotation, which included Nate Robinson getting his first start at point guard this season. One of the seven players on the DNP list was first round pick Jordan Hill, who has struggled to get on the floor all year. He has played in 20 games so far, averaging just four points and two rebounds in his 195 total minutes.

     As the clock struck double zeroes, a chorus of boos reigned throughout Madison Square Garden. The Knickerbockers are currently 19-30 (12-15 at home) and five games out of the last playoff seed in the East, four back of the Bucks. Next up for New York, a date in Cleveland against the NBA’s best team.

 Walking into Madison Square Garden, most people notice the bright lights of Manhattan, or the Godzilla sized banner of Lebron  hanging down the side of the building, or the fact that hey, this is where they shot that movie Eddie with Whoopie Goldberg!  But if you are someone who appreciates basketball, sports, or generally someone who just has a pulse, you'll realize watching a game inside the Garden is far different than watching in lets say, Philips Arena in Atlanta.  

I've been a proud New York Knicks season ticket holder (don't laugh, I meant that) for many years.  I'm the small guy who kind of looks like a white version of Davis Wesley (or so I've been told) sitting in section 45, 3rd row, who chimes in on the "DEFENSE bum bum DEFENSE" chants in the first quarter when the score is 4-2.  Rarely am I not in attendance, but when I am, I get the same chills during introductions from opening night as I do when the 21-52 Knicks take on the Pacers later on in the season.  Looking around on just an ordinary night, I see Anthony Anderson kickin it with Spike Lee, I see Johnny McEnroe sitting courtside arguing 3 second violations with the officials, I see Jay-Z and Beyonce looking trendier than Lebron James during a press conference after hitting a game winner, I see screaming fans in the nosebleed sections who probably need binoculars just to see what sport their watching, I see little kids in Nate Robinson Jerseys and adults in Patrick Ewing jerseys, I see Hulk Hogan, Adam Sandler and FunkMasterFlex on the Jumbotron demanding fans to rise out of their seats and make some noise, while everyone follows as if their obeying an order from their commanding officer... and then I see the opposing team warm up.  The opposing team, whoever they may be on that particular night, has a look in their eyes, a look in their eyes that differs from the look they have when they warm up against the Portland TrailBlazers, or the Phoenix Suns, or the Toronto Raptors (all superior teams to the Knicks).  They know what stage they are playing on.  They know who is watching.  They know they are not playing in Oklahoma City, where fans cheer for effort and the biggest name in attendance is probably Joey Chestnut, world champion hot dog eater.  Their playing in front of the most passionate and knowledgeable fans in the world, fans who know that you missed your last jumper because your feet were not squared up to the basket, fans who will boo their home team if there is nothing to cheer about, and who will stay til the end of the 4th because they know any team, even the Knicks, are capable of making a run.  You feel the energy, the electricity...the Knicks feel it, I feel it, little Henry in section 312 feels it, the ushers and security guards feel it, and the opposition absolutely feels it... it's something you can only experience to understand.  And thats why on a Monday last year in the Worlds Most Famous Arena, Kobe Dropped 61, followed 2 days later by Lebron putting up 52 (11 assists and 9 rebounds).  The obvious rebuttal here is that the Knicks play no defense, and that's why players seem to shine at the Garden.  But what about the 50 point games Jordan used to put up at MSG  against the most tenacious and aggressive "knock you down" style defense in the league?  What about the Reggie Miller performances that prompted me to suggest to MSG management they install "barf-bags" on the backs of seats like they do in airplanes?  These guys were superstars, and it's the superstars who salivate in their team jets when the fasten seat-belt sign is turned on, marking their descent towards the glowing arena.

This coming Friday, the Knicks take on Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers at the Garden.  People from all over the world will be in attendance.  Last year you were not sure if it was a regular season basketball game, or an Olympic semi-finals matchup between 2 rival nations. The Knicks are the only mediocre team in history that capture the attention and share the spotlight with the greats of today.  New York has no superstars, and in the midst of the worst 10 year period in their legendary history, it seems like nobody in attendance ever knows or cares.

The Lakers are not looking at the game as an elite team versus an inferior, disastrous JV squad, and you know Kobe Bryant sure isn't either.  They are looking at this game the same way American Idol contestants look at their upcoming performances when they reach that nationally televised round on the big stage.  New York is watching.  Jay-z is watching.  Little Henry in 312 and myself are watching.  Everyone in attendance represents Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and whoever the third judge is- and the Lakers and Knicks are about to sing their hearts out.  

Stars rise to the occasion, and shine in the spotlight.  That spotlight beams down on 33rd and 7th, right above Penn Station where Knick jerseys flood the Long Island Railroads on game days.  That hardwood floor with the Knicks logo in the center is equivalent to the Coliseum field in Ancient Rome.  Your game is magnified in this place.  If you so much as throw a bad pass, fans will be on you faster than Tiger Woods decline from God to sex-addict.  Stars are not born in New York, but they are made here.  I think Ms. Keys says it best, "These streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you, lets hear it for New York".

Anyone watch the last 6 Knick games? I sure did.  5 outa 6? Everyone, including me suffers from the disease of S.T.M.L. (Short Term Memory Loss), but who cares! Tell you right now I'm a lot happier when I can't remember losing to the Pacers at the Garden.

Problem is right when you think they've got it all figured out, they deceive you harder than the kid who was never in the hot air balloon to begin with.  The Knicks are like my Ex-girlfriend.  Not only as a team, but each individual resembles my one and only who got away. (just by behavior- she definately does not look like Al Harrington). Lets take a deeper look..

Lets call my ex-gf "Linda".  Linda loves me.  I love Linda.  Yet tomorrow, she loves flirting with Big Dave in the corner of the bar.  But the next day, shes back in my arms, after I question and wonder how someone can be so inconsistant, show so much promise, and then completely forget how to be the perfect lover she was just 2 days before.  Sounds like when Al Harrington puts up 27 Monday night, 41 Wednesday night, and 6 Saturday night on 3-12 shooting with 5 turnovers.

Hey Jared Jeffries, your next! Not a very well-liked Knick, however underappreciated.  Thats how i feel about Linda.  Linda does the little things, she lets me sit by the window on the plane, she lets me get the first pick in the pizza slice draft, she even rubs my shoulders when they are tense.  However, when it comes to coming through for her man when he really needs it, she shoots a 3 when your down 2 and have an open layup.  Jeffries takes charges, Jeffries guards the 1 guard, 2 guard, small forward, power forward and center, Jeffries keeps balls alive and dives on the floor.  Jeffries shoots 30% from the field.  Jeffries is Linda, Linda is Jeffries.

David Lee, one of the mosts well-liked Knicks of the decade.  Linda, well liked amongst her peers.  David, has potential to be an all-star, a keeper for 2010 and the future.  Linda, has potential to be a great wife, and a lovely life partner- AKA my franchise player.  David, is white.  Linda, is white. David, no  tattoos.  Linda, clean skin as well.  Fact is, David Lee is a good player offensively, really contributes and puts up big numbers.  However, his lack of defensive awareness and his cross your fingers jump shot stop him from becoming the complete player all of us New Yorkers hope he would and still could be.  Just when it looks like Linda is the total package, she gets beat backdoor by Big Dave and a martini, right back in the corner of the bar.

We move on to Nate Robinson.  Wow can this guy entertain.  Ability to put up 25 in an single quarter, and marvel you with his 5'8 height and 5.8 second hang time.  He will blow your mind with rejections on 7 footers, and dunks that would make you think your playing NBA Live for PS3.  Linda is quite similar, in that she will rock your world with her spunk and witty personality, her aggressive yet sexy and composed bedroom behavior, and a look that would make any man fall for her with a crack of a smile.  And thats just it.  Nate loves to entertain- everybody.  He wants to be well liked, and won't change his ways.  Matter of fact he is well liked, just like Linda.  Linda wants everyone to want her.  Nate wants every fan and general manager to be baffled by his freakish abilities.  What both Linda nor Nate understand is that neither the NBA or our relationship is a show.  Its not about making people like you, its about performing, and doing whatever it takes to make the Knicks win, and whatever it takes to make her man happy. If Nate just slows his role, takes a step back, and looks at where he can improve the team instead of his reputation and numbers, he would be much more valuable to this organization.  If Linda just  tried to please me, hey, she'd be a winner in my eyes.

Bottom line is the Knicks are like a bad girlfriend.  The first week of the month their great, you love em, can't wait to see them again.  The next 3 weeks they cheat on you, and let you know it.  Keep your head up Knicks fans, our time will come.  Just as my friend Alex said to me after Linda broke my heart, over, and over, and over.  For now, enjoy the good moments, and expect the worst.  Like Vince Vaughn says in Dodgeball, " If you have no expectations, you can't be disappointed".

The NBA is about winning, just like every other sport. It is also about entertainment. You must entertain the people that decide to dedicate three hours of their life to watch your product. The 2009-2010 New York Knicks are as exciting as a Joe Lieberman speech. That’s why they swung and missed with free agent Allen Iverson.

The NBA is about winning, just like every other sport. It is also about entertainment. You must entertain the people that decide to dedicate three hours of their life to watch your product. The 2009-2010 New York Knicks are as exciting as a Joe Lieberman speech. That’s why they swung and missed with free agent Allen Iverson.
 
Team president, Donnie Walsh, confirmed the decision early Friday at the team’s training center.
 
The Knicks are not a very good team; the 2-9 start is not quite play-off material. The Knicks are already six and a half games back of the Celtics in the Atlantic standings. The Yankees have as many wins this month as the Knicks. The defense has been abysmal, giving up almost 110 points a game. I could go on but I’ll spare the Knick faithful.
 
In other words, the Knicks are going nowhere this season. It is painfully obvious that the front office is hoping to jump in a time machine and set the date to July 2010. They could also go the Austin Powers or Eric Cartman route and freeze Donnie Walsh till July. In other words, this is a complete throw away season.
 
So when a player like Iverson is coming off the scrap heap, eager to prove all the doubter wrong, you HAVE TO GET HIM.
 
The guy has been a top ten talent for the past decade plus in the league. His highlight reel is a mile long. A.I. plays with a fearlessness that anybody can admire. The Knicks are one of the only teams that could start him, something extremely important to Iverson.
 
Iverson would have been given only a one-year contract, probably for the veteran’s minimum of $1.3 million. His signing would have no direct impact on the Knicks plans to pursue a superstar free agent next summer.
 
But it’s more than that. The Knicks need a star, a recognizable name. It’s safe to say that most people could not name three players on the current squad.
 
The Knicks have few players on the team that excite the crowd. Maybe Nate Robinson, but that’s even a stretch. Putting a player like A.I. on the Knicks would insert some instant energy in the team and fans. If the Knicks didn’t play in Madison Square Garden, the team would be playing in front of half empty arenas on a nightly basis.
 
With Iverson drawing the attention of opposing defenses, there would be better scoring chances for Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and David Lee.
 
There would also be some short-term disruption. Either Chris Duhon or Toney Douglas would lose a starting job. Iverson would also cut into the playing time of Larry Hughes and Robinson. One of those players might fall out of the rotation entirely. Was this the reason they didn’t want to sign Iverson, so Hughes could continue to play? Garbage.
 
The team needed some sort of energy boost and declined.
 
“Our goal this year was to try to develop the young players and to see which of the young veterans we have could fit into what we want to do in the future,” Walsh said.
 
Way to waive the white flag in November Walsh, just remember that it’s going to be mighty hard to convince LeBron, D-Wade, or Bosh to come to a last place team that doesn’t even own a 2010 first round pick. It could get extremely ugly in the “Mecca of hoops” by the time Santa is making his rounds.

 They warn us to avoid MSG in our food. We certainly don’t want it in our sports. In 1995, Pat Riley faxed his resignation as coach and de facto czar of the New York Knicks. Lost in that transmission was the Garden’s epitaph.

Once the main nerve of sports, a basketball and boxing castle, Madison Square Garden has shriveled into irrelevance because of incompetence. The Garden, long pregnant with divine moments, from Willis Reed’s famous limp to Led Zeppelin to indelible fisticuffs to Hoya Paranoia and even a time of tennis stars (remember Virginia Slims?), has become a carcass of putrid athletics. In a city that demands tradition, effort and excellence, the Garden gives us Starbury. The most compelling action now comes from the Knick City Dancers. They even have a reality show. The other realities are too appalling. Rod Serling could summon a season of Twilight Zones from the ghosts hiding in disgust from the rafters.

When the neighborhood was at its worst – from 1968 to 1995 – the Garden was at its best. Seventh and Eighth Avenues were brightened by as many porno shops as pizza shops. Starlets and hookers claimed the night in equal numbers, as Hell’s Kitchen really began on 34^th and ran up close to Columbus Circle. On an island of renowned museums, graffiti was the art of choice. Travis Bickle’s New York, if you will.

It squats over Penn Station, where you emerged from the subway, clutching your wallet while wading through beggars, drunks, and pickpockets before climbing the wind-swept steps, dodging the frantic commuters dashing down to catch their trains to Long Island, into the wafting odors of boiled hot dogs and roasted cashews, to the crack and fizz of the night’s first beer, up toward the glowing doors of Mecca, to the authentic gravitas of the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”

For sixty winters, while a baseball cathedral hibernated in the Bronx, the old Garden (on 50^th & 8^th) roared with men like Joe Louis and Ray Robinson (the only Sugar). Then the newer, larger Garden (built in 1968) cheered Earl Monroe, Bernard King, Roberto Duran, and Mark Breland. Sports were laced with action, whiskey and cigars, where the smoke formed a circle that crowned the stage. Phil Jackson played there, extracting the lessons of Red Holzman and molding them into his bearded, Zen ethic that coaxed ten teams to basketball glory.

Walt Frazier, the marvelous guard and resident pimp (when pimping was cool), swapped his shorts for a sable coat while entering the gates to Ali-Frazier on March 8, 1971: The Fight of the Century, in the City of the Century. Whatever you were doing, whomever you were doing, stopped for fifteen rounds of grace and brutality and Americana.

Frank Sinatra was commissioned by Life to take pictures from ringside. The night was so important, the country so gripped by a fight that transcended the canvas on which two boxing artists painted, that The Voice surrendered his microphone for a Polaroid.

My parents told me the Knicks were great. I’ve seen some footage. They engaged in some arcane ritual called passing, rather than tossing the ball to Nate Robinson for a quick chuck before the clock expires. I turned four the year they last won a championship, in 1973. New York, New York, the city so nice they named it twice, the womb of the most fertile basketball talent on Earth, cannot field a competent team. It is not the home for basketball anymore – merely a parquet graveyard that treads on memories at courtside prices.

Apparently, the New York Rangers skate there, the team that has won one Stanley Cup since World War II. If they drop the puck and no one hears it, does it make a sound?

A few months ago I spent ten bucks to watch Notre Dame, Seton Hall, and other basketball paupers compete in the Big East Tournament. By the end of the games, there were more cheerleaders than patrons in the building.

St. John’s couldn’t even sell out the place this year for a game against Duke. Against Duke! Surely this leaves Lou Carnesecca puking on the puke-colored sweaters that were his trademark during Big East basketball’s singular reign in the 1980s. Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Walter Berry, Pearl Washington….all New York kids working their dream jobs in the palace of hoop dreams. It feels like a long time ago. It was a long time ago.

The Garden’s cable television network (MSG) is now resigned to reruns and syndication, flashbacks and snapshots. They pretend to win because they once won. With all due respect to Westminster, MSG already pays plenty of dogs to perform.

We long for those we hated – Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, etc., who shared the fans’ sense of history and brought their best to Broadway. Jordan was particularly juiced one night on his comeback trail, dropping the infamous “double nickel” on the Knickerbockers in 1995. Kobe and LeBron have done similar damage, but it’s an assumed outcome now, the Knick defenders running from contact like spectators in Pamplona, as fans now don enemy jerseys. Such treason was unthinkable twenty years ago.

The buzz over the hiring of Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh to restore the Knicks to decency has waned over the realities of their résumés. D’Antoni is hailed for winning a bunch of regular-season games in Phoenix, which basically means he gave the ball to the Steve Nash and said, “Have fun.” With the talent they had, Woody Allen could have coached them to 50 wins. Walsh’s greatest personnel move was drafting Reggie Miller in 1987. No titles, no trophies, just the GM whose team played the Crips to the Pistons’ Bloods during the “Malice at the Palace” – the ugliest brawl in NBA history.

I write this six blocks from the Garden, in the shadow of a place that has only shadows. Thesubstance left long ago with boxing, Isaiah Thomas, sexual harassment suits, and a man named Dolan, who spends daddy’s money like a spoiled Kennedy.

I was blessed to attend several championship fights at the Garden, as a reporter, at the dusk of the sport, just before its sun sunk behind the sporting skyline.

The last one I covered there was between Felix Trinidad and Bernard Hopkins, on the last night the building was important. The bout was postponed two weeks because Satan chartered two planes and crashed them into two buildings.

I beamed with a sense of civic honor, a press pass dangling from my neck, a New Yorker pulsing through Manhattan’s aorta, one of NYC’s sons doing what I love in a place of refuge from the horror burning a few miles south, a tin replica of Old Glory clipped to my chest.

The ring morphed into a classroom. It was a chilling clinic, as Hopkins’s grit and granite defense rendered the Latino legend helpless before knocking Tito into obscurity. The flying Puerto Rican flags were solemnly folded, the cowbells and salsa music muted. We were forced to acknowledge Bernard’s greatness, thinking there would be a rematch, here, in this fortress, once the flames were conquered and the dead were mourned, not knowing the curtain fell for the final time on an era.

Last year was a tough year to be a Knicks fan.  Just when it looked like they would be competitive (and exciting)under a new coach and were looking good, we traded Randolph and Crawford.  I like the uptempo system in place, much better than the Van Boring era.  Just need some players to make it work.  Let's get Allen Iverson for a year and let him shoot the heck out of the BB.  We need shooters to go along with Wilson Chandler, who is a keeper.  AI loves the Garden, bring him here.

If nothing is done and the cap drops to 53 we are looking at this for 2010:

Lee - about 9
Curry - 11.3
Jeffries - 6.9
Chandler - 2.1
Gallinari - 3.3
Hill - 2.7
Douglas - 1.1
-------------
Total - 36.4

The Knicks could only afford one max contract, so you would have to say bye to LeBron, Wade, and Bosh since those players would be intrigued to come play with another superstar. We would have room for one decent signing, plus next year's MLE along with this year's if we keep it. So now you are looking at an $8 or $9 million contract along with two MLE's if the Knicks play their cards right. That would bring the Knicks to ten players and $57 million. That would not leave any room, plus the Knicks would only be signing an exceptional player. The team would probably fill up with Crawford, Hunter, and whomever the 2nd round pick next year is. Not too appealing.

What I want, is for the Knicks to use Lee and Chandler to ship off Curry and Jeffries for expiring contracts (I sent you a list, from that point there are a myriad of trades possible).
If we lose those four, then we will have only 3 guarenteed contracts totaling $7.1 million: Gallinari, Hill, and Douglas. At that point the Knicks would have about $46 million to spend plus an MLE and a fine roster which would attract veteran league minimums. Say the Knicks sign two max contracts with $17 million first years. Now we are looking at two superstars (LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Stoudemire, Johnson, Redd or anyone else of your choice), the three young kids, an MLE, 2nd round pick, Crawford, Hunter and $9 million. Now they can split $9 between two decent role players. At this point, it would not be too difficult to sign one or two additional veteran seeking a championship.
PG: MLE / Douglas
SG: Role Player / Crawford / Veteran Minimum
SF: Superstar / Gallinari
PF: Hill / Role Player / Veteran Minimum
C: Superstar / Hunter / 2nd Round Pick

You can now plug away with these names

Superstar: Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce (very doubtful), LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Dirk Nowitzki (very doubtful), Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming (doubtful), Rudy Gay, Dwayne Wade, Jermaine O'Neal, Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire, LaMarcus Aldridge (very doubtful), Brandon Roy (extremely doubtful), Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer

Role Player / MLE: Jamal Crawford, Ray Allen, Raja Bell, Tyrus Thomas, Keleena Azubuike, Luis Scola, Marcus Camby, Quentin Richardson, Ricky Davis, Kwame Brown, Adam Morrison, Derek Fisher, Udonis Haslem, Luke Ridnour, Amir Johnson, Chris Duhon, Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Rafer Alston, Bobby Simmons, Josh Boone, Hilton Armstrong, Rasual Butler, Antonio Daniels, Peja Stojakovic, Darko Milicic, Thabo Sefolosha, Damien Wilkins, J.J. Redick, Sasha Pavlovic, Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, Sergio Rodriguez, Manu Ginobili, Ronnie Brewer, Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Dominic McGuire, Matt Harpring, Kyle Korver, Roger Mason

Vet Minimum: Tim Thomas, Speedy Claxton, Brent Barry, Brian Cook, Mark Blount, Bruce Bowen, Francisco Elson, Kurt Thomas, Brian Cardinal, Mike Madson, Craig Smith, Etan Thomas, Tony Battie, Trenton Hassell, Jarvis Hayes, Devin Brown, Mouhamed Sene, Chucky Atkins, Shaun Livingston, Anthony Johnson, Matt Bonner, Michael Finley, Quincy Douby, Devean George, Patrick O'Bryant, Antoine Wright

I am still missing names from possible player, team, or early termination options. Too many options.

There was been widespread speculation about the NBA Salary Cap for the 2010-2011 Season.

In a memo announcing next season's salary cap and luxury-tax threshold, sent out shortly before the league's annual July moratorium on signings and trades was lifted at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, NBA teams also received tentative projections from the league warning that the cap is estimated to drop to somewhere between $50.4 million and $53.6 million for the 2010-11 season.

A similar report from the Sacramento Business Journal citing another source states, The report came during a meeting of the NBA Board of Governors on Tuesday, according to SportsBusiness Daily, an online sister publication of the Sacramento Business Journal.

Stern said the league expects revenues to decrease during the upcoming season as teams are lowering ticket prices and sponsorship deals are being scaled back. Early estimates are that the league will see revenue decreases during the 2010-2011 season by as much as 5 percent. If you combine the information from these two reports, one can safely conclude that the NBA Salary Cap will drop to a figure between $50.4 million and $53.6 million because the NBA is expecting decreased revenue.

The first question that must be asked is : Is this for real?

Will the NBA income drop so significantly that each team will have to reduce expected player salaries by eight million dollars? If you multiply eight million by thirty (for each team in the NBA), the league is looking to cut two hundred-forty million dollars just toward player expenses. In times when basketball has recently expanded into the global frontier, could the NBA expect to lose $240 million? Yes, the United States is facing an economic recession, but there are still affluent and dedicated members of our national community that love basketball.

Plus, if the NBA burgeons its commitment to European and Asian markets (both of which have become fond of basketball and western culture), then it is possible that the league can harness loses and nullify debt ramifications altogether. Could this just be a vice by the NBA to encourage teams to spend available cap room this season instead of waiting around for next year. With Detriot sitting around with about $20 million and Portland with $8 million, could have the league been trying to hoax these teams into committing to players this year, so millions of dollars of cap room weren't sitting around.

The NBA could have well and away been looking out for the security of its players and its premier franchises. It is no secret that the NBA's main revenue sources are the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks. With the Lakers in fine grounds (they did just when the NBA Championship), the NBA may have been trying to winnow teams like Detriot, Portland, and Oklahoma City as possible destinations for next year's marquee free agents.

The league knows that the Knicks are trying to dump salaries in order to bring in two superstar players to the NBA's biggest stage and I am sure the NBA wouldn't mind having the best show under the biggest lights even if that means deceiving a small market franchise. The NBA would not seriously consider strangling their best asset.

The second question to ask is: How will this affect next year's free agency if this is serious?

Well there are two paths this scenario can follow. Ideally, NBA teams would reduce offers and proportionalize the player's productivity to a salary under the given circumstances. This would allow free agency to play out the same way as it would have no matter what the cap is set out since players are earning what they are worth under the given market circumstances.

For example, Carlos Boozer is asking for $14 million next year when he is worth only $11-12 million. In a tight salary year, Boozer would then be worth approximately $10 million for the season. However Boozer and his agents will not settle for this value which will likely force the second scenario.

The other possibility is that teams offers players contracts based on what they are worth in previous market years. With the world of agencies and player representative companies this is likely how free agency will play out. Under these Darwinist terms, the best free agents will receive maximum deals leaving little room for average and below average players. This will either force players to sign for the league minimum, sit out to preserve their value, or play over seas. In turn, this creates a large wage gap where you have elite maximum contracts players and then everybody else.

If this cycles for two or three more free agencies, then you are looking at a strained environment with pretentious elites and indifferent moderates. At this point organizations would be highly focused on preserving their elite players which will displease the moderate players and create a volatile locker room. That is a terrible manifestation. The NBA surely recognizes this ultimatum. Fans, league executives, and owners alike must be wondering how to discourse this route or compensate if reached.

This leads us to the third question: How can the situation be avoided or eased?

First off, fans can remain dedicated to their teams. The nation is in an economic recession, so all of the expendable cash available in previous decades is not available at the same magnitude. There are obviously fans out there in very difficult economic situation where themselves and their families face penury term. For those we send out our greatest praise and hopes. Then there are better off fans who can still afford a little bit of entertainment.

This middle-class of fans must decide what is most important to them. Is it watching their favorite team compete, is it going on vacation, or is it driving a nicer car? It is upon these fans by which the NBA stands by. The league knows it as affluent fans who will show up for their courtside seats twenty minutes late. The league also has struggling fans who will be glued to the television or sneaking down from the bleacher seats. The only uncertainty is what the middle-class fans will be doing. Will they be supporting the team or another hobby?

Their decision is their own and unfortunately for the rest of the league's fans, they will have to live with this decision - whatever it may be. Lastly, if the league does settle for a reduced cap, then you have to expect the league to encourage smaller, scaled back contracts that permit flexibility for teams. Brace yourselves we are in for an interesting ride.

Stan Van Gundy is having quite a season. Not only is he a logical candidate for coach of the year after steering the Orlando Magic into second place and a mere half game from the top spot, he is on line to become one of the leading commentators of the game.

Take for instance his remarks regarding how to stand tall in the paint when he felt that Shaq had flopped when facing up against Dwight Howard. His post game comments opened a can of ire for the Big Shaqtus and forced him out of his usual irreverent style of response. Shaq got mad and fired salvos back at Van Gundy questioning his leadership ability in the heat of playoff battle. In other words, you questioned my manhood on the court; I’ll question yours on the bench.

After exchanging a few rounds of less than friendly fire, both sides eventually went back to the task at hand. For Van Gundy it was topping the Celtics, both in the standings and on the floor and for Shaq it was proving he can still carry a team and twitter with impunity. By the way, Shaq, I love Cheryl Miller, too. Especially the afro sporting model who dominated the women’s game and set the stage for Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker and the current crop.

Still, Van Gundy seems to either like controversy, or simply has opinions that he wishes to share. His latest revolved around his assistant coach Patrick Ewing and the Big Man’s former employer the New York Knicks.

After a win over the Knicks on their home court, Van Gundy commented on the festivities that were held prior to tip off. Ewing was one of seven players that the Knicks chose to honor with a “legends award”. The Magic observed the ceremony to honor Ewing and Van Gundy spoke afterward. First, he voiced his appreciation for Ewing and reminded the press how he has lent to the maturation of Dwight Howard. Then, he questioned why Ewing has never been offered a head coaching job. In particular he sized up the Knicks who have changed coaches as frequently as shirts.

He stated that the Knicks pretend to honor and like Ewing. He feels they do it for the sake of the fans who appreciate the sacrifices the Big Man made for the organization. It is hard to argue with his statements and, as of yet, no one from the Knicks has tried to refute the claim.

If Ewing is not the best big man to ever play for the Knicks, he is second, or tied with Willis Reed. Ewing played hurt and was often required to carry his team to the playoffs. Not being able to get around Jordon’s Bulls is nothing to be ashamed of since no one pulled it off. Ewing was the prototypical warrior; he performed his duties without complaint and handled whatever came his way. When he was unceremoniously allowed to go to Seattle it was akin to the Yankees allowing Bernie Williams to finish out his career in a Royals uniform and just one more move symptomatic of a team that seems dedicated toward a century of stupidity. Once they allowed Isaiah Thomas to run free in the women’s lounge they sank faster than John McEnroe’s art investments.

While the culmination, to this point, was paying Stephon Marbury a fortune to be a distraction, sending Ewing away still ranks as the biggest in a long line of ill conceived offenses. Ewing finished his playing days in Seattle on a team that was already being packed up for a trip elsewhere. Again, he never complained, even when forced to wear that ugly uniform that the Sonics adopted for a brief time that was predominately a rusted red color and incorporated the Space Needle as the i in Sonics.

When that exercise in futility ended he was rescued by his former Knicks coach, Jeff Van Gundy, who saw the handwriting on the wall and beat it out of NYC to the Houston Rockets. Ewing went to work for Jeff Van Gundy yet again, only this time it was in a suit and not his sweat soaked uniform. Ewing’s task at hand was to convert Yao Ming from the international style of ball to an actual NBA center. Ewing inherited an 8 foot point guard who was content to stand at the perimeter and shot three’s and he taught him how to go to the post. There are nights when Yao still appears to be an 8 foot point guard, but there are also times when he goes in and uses his strength and size to take control of the paint. That was but lesson one that Ewing would impart in his Academy For Big Men tutorial.

All head coaches are either fired or one step ahead of the chopping block and as they survive and perish, so does their staff. Eventually Jeff Van Gundy left for the greener pastures of TV and Ewing went to work for the other Van Gundy. Arriving in the land of Disney and its oversized attractions Ewing was once again asked to work his magic on a big man with big expectations. At 6’11” and 265 pounds Howard isn’t the biggest of the big. Teaching him to stand tall while suffering the abuse of Shaq was a task that Ewing took to and, once again, rendered a successful finished product.

Ewing has proven himself to be capable as a player, team mate, coach, mentor and person. Still, when the Knicks cast their net for a head coach and tapped a former player they contacted Mark Jackson. While Jackson is great in the ESPN commercials, even though he grows tiresome as an analyst, he has no credentials as a coach. Ewing, on the other hand, appears ready to make that next step and hopefully he will. It is highly unlikely that it will be with the Knicks, but considering how they have entered the millennium he can consider himself fortunate.

By the way, none of the current Knicks bothered to watch the legends award ceremony.

Phoenix Suns: If the Suns make the playoffs Shaq is deserving of MVP consideration. Although it seems to be a race between Kobe and D-Wade with CP3 the dark horse, some love should be shown to the big men and both Shaq and Howard merit attention. On Saturday Shaq passed Moses Malone on the all time scoring list to secure the number five slot. Since he trails number four on the list, Wilt Chamberlain by slightly less than 4,000 points it is unlikely he will move further up the list.

Shaq was philosophical about the accomplishment. He talked about injury time missed and the number of free throws he had blown that would have pulled him closer to the man he referred to as his illegitimate father, Wilt the Stilt. Since Wilt claims relations with over 20,000 women it is possible we are all illegitimate off spring of Chamberlain. When that statement was first recognized it was estimated Wilt would have been having sex every 12 minutes. No wonder he couldn’t play defense and it explains why his 100 point game was not filmed; it was too risqué.

Portland Trail Blazers: Congrats to Joel “The Vanilla Gorilla” Przybilla. Przybilla refused to back down and let Shaq claim alpha dog status when the Blazers met the Suns on Thursday night. After being called for a foul, Shaq tossed the ball at the prone Przybilla. Przybilla regained his feet and his composure and cornered Shaq down court with the demand that he refrains from throwing a ball at him again. When Shaq was with the Heat he used Przybilla’s face for a knee rest and Przybilla was quick to make certain that he would not bow to intimidation.

They chatted again prior to the start of the second half, but it appeared to be less heated then the conversation that took place after the foul call. Shaq is the old dog who is going to mark his territory and Przybilla is correct in making certain he doesn’t get wet.

NBA: The Board of Governors has issued a rules change which becomes effective today, March 27. It involves too many players on the court. When the offense is whistled, the offending team will be assessed a technical and the opposition has the option of accepting the T, or nullifying the game action that caused the infraction. I don’t recall ever seeing a team called for having too many players on the court. Unlike hockey and football which has a steady flow of entering and exiting players, I’m not even sure how it could happen. But, if it does the NBA is ready.

I’m thinking that in some cases, for instance the Thunder and the Clippers, that teams be able to place seven players on the floor since they have only two good players on their roster. 
 

Photo Credit: Matt A. Brown / Icon SMI

It's been a long time since basketball has been relevant at The Garden. Mike Dantonis new style is bringing the fans back. You cant have 32 teams who all play up tempo but it sure is fun when your team is the one who does. Dantonis style has not only been more enjoyable to watch but also has shown a marked improvement in the team's performance and record.

After over a year of disagreements and turmoil, Stephon Marbury is official released by the New York Knicks.

  It took long enough for the Knicks to finally realize they were wasting time and money by paying Marbury to hang out. It's upsetting because Marbury was and still is a very good basketball player. If he would mature and grow up, he could have had a great thing with the Knicks. He was even putting up good numbers when he first came over. But, now it would be pointless to keep him with his contract considering the Knicks brought in Chris Duhon and the emergence of Nate Robinson who can very easily be starting for them. However, Marbury's contract is now gone and the Knicks have more money to work with for the blockbuster 2010. It seems all the teams that are looking to build and not contending for a championship only care about 2010. The Knicks are ready for 2010 with all the moves they made. However, all of their moves this year have been productive. All of the younger players are developing and are looking to be some very young productive players that will be fun to watch in future years.

            The New York Knicks are making themselves look very unprofessional and petty. I know everyone has been making this out to be Stephon Marbury’s fault, but I totally disagree. Marbury from day one of camp has been willing. He even stated so through the media when he said he would have no problem coming off the bench and backing up Chris Duhan, who we all know that he is much better than all around period. This situation may be something that he caused from the way he was earlier in his career.

When talking about the Knicks, the name Eddy Curry hardly comes up these days. So far this season, the man Isiah Thomas once wanted to build the Knicks around, has played in one game this season.

But Sunday, when I read what happened to his family, all those jokes I used to have about him playing like he's five feet tall went out the window.

On Saturday, Eddy Curry's 3-year-old son, witnessed what no kid should ever have to see. His own mother and baby sister were murdered inside their Chicago apartment. The killer is a "known acquaintance."

The facts were these: Authorities said that Nova Henry, 24, Curry's ex-girlfriend, and her 9-month-old daughter, Ava, were found shot dead by Henry's mother around 6 p.m. Saturday.

This terrible tragedy just adds insult to injury, as Curry is currently embroiled in a wild lawsuit filed by his ex-driver, David Kuchinsky. Kuchinsky is accusing Curry of making sexual advances, forcing him to perform demeaning tasks and twice pointing a gun at him.

I hope he can get past this tragedy and get back on the court soon.

After watching my belove knicks last night i realized that they are tanking games now and please don't get mad after reading this, it's only the truth. I totally support it so we can get a better draft choice this year.I totally believe we are heading in the right direction but its going to take at least two to 3 yrs thanks mr thomas ! watchin t he the game last night well the last 3 min i watched the knicks turn a 6 pt lead into an 8 pt deficeit. In the three 3min they turned over the balland took nothing but wild shots. The Eastern Conference is the CBA of the NBA with the exception of 2 teams. So really what's the sense? In making the playoffs when they know they will get knocked out in the first round. Why lose a draft choice? O how i miss the days of Fraizer, Monore, Bradley, Debushere, Lucas, but again I believe we will get there soon. SO KEEP ON TANKING KNICKS! 

Think of how the New York Knicks would have turned out if things would have went differently during the off season. What if the Knicks would have hired a different GM besides Donny Walsh? Like who was rumored to be for a while, Kenny Smith. What if the Knicks would have saved some money and hired Hometown favorite Mark Jackson as their head coach?

What if the Knicks would have made some key trades during the off season such as, Eddy Curry for Jermaine O'Neal and Zack Randolph along with Marty Collins for Ron Artest, who was begging the Knicks to make a play for him? What about the Knicks dumping useless Jerome James anywhere for anything. What if the N.Y Knicks would have not wasted another draft pick on another European player who has not played a game midway through the season. There were several guys available when they picked in the draft that are actually making noise in the league now. One notable is Oklahoma Cities now starting point guard Russell Westbrook. What if the Knicks would have given Stephon Marbury one last chance to redeem himself? I can not respect Mike D'antoni, due to the way he handled this whole situation with Stephon Marbury. It was not only unprofessional, but it was not warranted. What Marbury did in phoenix should have been old news. Marbury was asked by the Knicks GM and coaching staff to come to camp in shape and ready to play, which he did, and he would have a chance to play and prove himself. For D'antoni to hold a five year old grudge against Stephon Marbury because he thinks Marbury quit on the team in phoenix is ridiculous. This is a new team, a new year and a new situation. Think about going into this season with a starting lineup of Stephon Marbury at the point. Alan Houston, who I think looked good in camp and is still a deadly shooter at the two guard backed up by Jamal Crawford, who should not be starting. Wilson Chandler at the small forward position, who Isaiah Thomas should have played more last season. Ron Artest at the four position, and Jermaine O'Neal at the five. That to me is a professional lineup with veterans and leadership. Guys who can say hey, Nate Robinson that was a bad shot we need to move the ball. Quentin Richardson should not be starting on anyones team. Jarred Jeffries should not be starting on anyones team. Dantoni is an overrated coach who could not win in phoenix because he does not promote defense. It does not matter if a team scores one hundred twenty points a game if you cannot get stops in the NBA your success will be limited, especially in a five or seven game format like in the playoffs. Because none of these very logical moves were made by the NY Knicks organization they will continue the rest of this season with overrated bench players, and will continue to go in the wrong direction as an organization. The Knicks can forget about the playoffs for some time.

The differences start with the coach. Last year, the Knicks were led by Isiah Thomas in one of the most circus-filled seasons of NBA basketball I have ever known.

Last night the New York Knicks (11-13) traveled to Phoenix to take on the Suns (15-10). For a Knicks team that some could say have overachieved thus far, it was a chance to win back-to-back Western Conference road games for the first time in, well, a long time. The fact that the Knicks won zero games last season on the road against Western Conference teams says it all. Yet, strangely, I was optimistic last night. There is something different about this Knicks team.

From sexual harassments to much publicized spats with star players, the season was one to quickly forget. Soon after, Donnie Walsh was brought in to be the General Manager followed shortly by another fresh face. Knicks head coach, Mike D’Antoni, arrived from the Phoenix Suns – a perennial powerhouse in the Western Conference. The Suns have been in the playoffs the past four years and seven times in this decade alone. He helped bring Steve Nash to the Suns. He’s been hailed as an offensive guru. Essentially, D’Antoni was brought in as a savior to a franchise that badly needed one.