The Knicks Fix

Sitting in a cab on the way to ‘The Q’ last night in Cleveland, I saw a gigantic billboard with LeBron James, a Nike Swoosh and the word, “Witness.” I like to mess with cab drivers – which probably isn’t a smart thing for an out-of-towner to do, but it’s fun to get the ones who are sports fans riled up about the local team – so I said to my driver, “Who’s that guy?”

“That’s the King,” he said. “And you’re about to go to his castle.”

Never heard of him.

He went on to tell me about LeBron James, this phenom. All that. So I said:

I only know of one king, and he has six rings.

“You mean the one from Chicago?” the driver replied.

Twice now I’ve seen this kid LeBron play. Twice I have come away thinking he’s a special player, but other than funny, hip commercials and a sense of celebrity – the mystical talcum cloud he tosses in the air before games is good theater – LBJ ain’t the second coming of MJ. In fact, Kobe Bryant, in my opinion, remains the only player in the NBA that has any reason to claim MJ’s throne.

Jordan wouldn’t have let the Cavs lose a game that was tied at 98 with under a minute left. Jordan wouldn’t have stayed on the perimeter down the stretch and deferred to the likes of Anderson Varejao and Donyell Marshall. Jordan wouldn’t have allowed Quentin Richardson to even be a factor in that game because Jordan would have looked at the Knicks bench and saw Renaldo Balkman as the next option and Jordan would have found a way to get Richardson into foul trouble as early as possible.

Jordan would have posted up a player smaller than him and go at him constantly until that defender was on the bench with six fouls. And Jordan would have hit 15-to-20 free throws if that’s what it took. Even on a bad shooting night, Jordan found a way at the line.

LeBron didn’t. He looked passive. He took just 11 free throws in 41 minutes of a game in which he knew he’d be playing against Richardson. Even before the game, LeBron said Richardson played him physical. So, you would think then, his strategy would be to attack that kind of physical defense with a few power moves and his superior body control and get Richardson in foul trouble. Get the rookie Balkman into the game and then blow the Knicks out to Lake Erie.

Instead, LeBron stayed on the perimeter and clanked all five of this three-pointers. And he missed a critical fingeroll by attempting to avoid contact from David Lee when he should have rose up over him and drew a foul.

Sure, he scored on a few drives and was, at times, overwhelming. LeBron has incredible physical talents. But his killer instinct is not where it needs to be for him to lay claim to being the “Chosen 1” as it is tattooed so arrogantly across his back.

Witness? What I witnessed is a guy who didn’t do enough to help his team beat the Knicks. Even with 27 points, he didn’t do enough to help the team win. Jordan defended, as well. He made life a living hell for guys. LeBron barely put up a hand when Richardson was bombing from three-point range.

Kobe is far more competitive by nature. Kobe gets to the line. Kobe attacks and Kobe takes over a game once it comes down to winning or losing. Kobe isn’t as great as Jordan was, either, but that’s why Jordan is what he is. There can be only one. Kobe comes closest.

If LeBron James to left the arena last night satisfied with his game – he said the shots just didn’t fall – then he has a lot more developing to do before he can be considered one of the game’s best.

That said, Cavs coach Mike Brown did an awful job. How he did not adjust the strategy to get LeBron into more post-up situations against Richardson is curious to me. How he did not instruct Varejao to hack Eddy Curry late in the game – because, if you watch film and read boxscores, Curry isn’t the best free throw shooter right now – is also hard to understand.

Larry Brown is available. The Cavs should make the move while the East is still sitting there waiting to be taken.

* * *

Isiah Thomas celebrated the fact that his team had a .500 road record, which is the best in the East, and also seemed relieved that the tough November schedule was completed.

“We’ve got a very resilient group because every time we’re supposed to get the knockout punch in November, somehow we just find a way to scratch out another win,” he said after beating the Cavaliers to run the Knicks record to 6-11. “This was a tough month for us, but it’s a good month for us because we’ve been challenged in every way possible and we’re still together. And I think we’re getting better.”

I expected to find champagne spray and cigars when I entered the Knicks locker room.

First of all, I’d be far more concerned about December if I was the Knicks coach. The team is 1-6 at home and clearly plays much tighter at the Garden than on the road, where, one might surmise, the pressure is off. But after tomorrow’s game in Detroit against the Pistons, the Knicks have a six-game homestand and play 10 of their next 12 in New York. From the way things are going, that might look more daunting than November.

Second of all, a coach really shouldn’t ever allow the team to exhale. I think it sends a dangerous message that they can now relax. Mike Milbury once told me a story about when he coached the Boston Bruins and the team was on a critical five-game road trip. The team was 3-0-1 in the first four games and had a big win in Chicago. They came into New York to play the Rangers and had an off-day and Milbury took the team out to a Manhattan steakhouse. The Bruins GM, Harry Sinden, called Mike and said, “So much for the winning streak.” Milbury asked why he would say that and Sinden said by taking them out to dinner and rewarding them for the good trip, he made them feel – if only subconsciously – that the work was done.

Sure enough, the Rangers blew out the Bruins the next night.

* * *

Something not everyone saw after Nate Robinson’s ill-advised bounce-to-himself dunk attempt was Thomas tearing into Robinson during the very next timeout. It was a short burst of anger by Thomas, who pointed to the bench as he delivered whatever message he had to deliver to Robinson, who walked away after Thomas was finished. Steve Francis then grabbed Robinson and spoke with him away from the huddle. I credit Thomas for two good coaching moves in that situation. The first was keeping Robinson in the game instead of yanking him. The second was to make sure the entire Knicks team huddled around him when he laced into Robinson, so cameras would not see. Thomas did not do anything to embarrass his young guard. The kid embarrassed himself enough.

Thomas has his coaching flaws, but he is very good at handling his players. He keeps everything within the group and that’s a good trait.

But I wonder if everyone would have been so outraged if Robinson pulled off the stunt without traveling?

* * *

It was a sportswriter’s caravan, as we drove from Cleveland to the Detroit area today to save ourselves from the airport grind and to save our newspapers some money. When I got into the car in Cleveland, it was cloudy, but a balmy 58 degrees. When I got out of the car at my hotel in Pontiac, Mich., it was 20 degrees colder and raining. Definitely soup weather.

It’s not a bad drive along I-90 through Toledo. But there’s not much as far as landscape. Corn fields. Cattle. Tony Packo’s Café (remember Klinger from M*A*S*H?). Then I-280 to I-75 into Detroit, past old Tiger Stadium and up through Eminem’s old neighborhood, through the mile-marker streets (Eight Mile, etc) and into the ‘burbs. Another Marriott. Another room number to remember.

One more road game and then it’s home for the holidays.

One more road trip before a long-awaited homestand in December. My corporate card is sizzling in my wallet. My heart is heavy for having to leave a home I’ve hardly been in since October and see my son’s eyes well with tears as I pulled out of the driveway.

Turn the page. Just turn the page.

But you're thoughts will soon be wandering
The way they always do
When you're riding 16 hours and there's nothing much to do
You don't feel much like [writing]
You just wish the trip was through

I think of a friend of mine who once quoted The Godfather while he scolded me for wallowing in similar self-pity. “This is the life we chose, Fredo,” he said.

So an early morning workout, a little deep-dish at Giordanos, a walk along Rush Street and the Miracle Mile and I’m rejuvenated again.

* * *

Quentin Richardson said he’s out for tonight against the Bulls. The hamstring isn’t ready to push and LeBron James awaits tomorrow night in Cleveland. That’s enough reason to rest it another day.

So that means the starting lineup tonight will be interesting. Thomas flinched when he broke up the bench last week by starting Crawford, but now he has no choice. David “Double-double” Lee should get the start at power forward that everyone (other than Channing Frye) has been waiting for. I know you shouldn't lose your spot because of an injury, but Frye might never see the starting lineup again, at least not in a Knicks uniform. Opportunity awaits D-Lee.

And rookie Renaldo Balkman could be among the starters, as well. Balkman is becoming one of my favorite players to deal with. He’s just a funny kid and I don’t think he even means to be funny. He’s just enjoying himself right now and that’s refreshing to see.

* * *

If I'm a Knicks fan, I’m furious with Stephon Marbury for sulking under his towel while the rest of the bench was up applauding a desperate comeback attempt by his team Saturday against the Bulls. I know the captain thing doesn’t mean in basketball what it does in hockey, but if I were Isiah I’d strip that title from him. That’s inexcusable. That is what gets you booed. Everyone misses shots. Only some people totally miss the point.

I’ve said it here many times before, I don’t think Marbury is the lone reason for the Knicks 5-10 record, but his presence on this team doesn't make sense right now. You can see that he's trying to make himself better in other areas, especially on defense, but he is what he is: an offensive-minded guard. Thomas and the Knicks don't want a load-carrying guard. That's what Marbury is. He's trying to become a more well-rounded guard. It's a tough adjustment for a guy who has played 11 seasons in the NBA.

If it's not working, it's not working. You don't keep ramming the square peg into the round hole.

In fact, I asked Thomas point-blank in Minnesota why he chose to keep Marbury in the starting lineup instead of keeping Steve Francis there. What was it about Stephon’s game that earned the right to remain a starter while Francis should be relegated to the bench? His reply: “We’re still a work in progress and we’re still trying to figure things out. We’ll see how this goes. But we definitely have to find a way to get these two guys untracked . . . We definitely can get a little more out of them than we’ve gotten.”

If you asked me, I’d start Francis and Nate Robinson. Let Stephon and Crawford, who like playing together anyway, come off the bench together. Hell, I might even give Mardy Collins more of a look. At least you know the kid can defend.

And I'd call Kevin McHale. At least once a day. The T-Wovles have to do something to keep KG happy and in Minnesota after this season. I'd pay half the freight in exchange for a second-round pick and Marko Jaric or Troy Hudson.

Eventually, Isiah will have to make a decision.

* * *

In watching the Knicks-Bulls game on Saturday, I came away with this: the exact reason why the Knicks won in Boston on Friday was why they lost to the Bulls on Saturday. Eddy Curry. He was still strong on the post and got plenty of shots. The difference was the shots he hit against Boston didn’t drop against Chicago. That and his free throw shooting was awful. But Curry had a poor night shooting and it hurt the Knicks, who went inside to him.

For a 6-11, 285-pound man, he fades away a lot. I wish he would power in more, but then again, he’s got this excuse. And I can’t totally disagree with his thinking.

I guess his tentativeness in the paint is in fear of being called for those ridiculous offensive charges, which are just ruining the game. Watch tonight, Andreas Nocioni, whom I love as a player for the hockey mentality he brings to basketball, will slide in front of anyone driving to the hoop and fall on his back. Nine times out of 10 he’ll get the call. Good defensive position? That depends on your interpretation of this game. I think it’s one thing to bowl a guy over who is standing in one spot. It’s another to be on your way with a good power move to the basket and have someone slip in front of you at the last second and taking a cheap foul. I hate it and it has to stop. This game is unwatchable with that rule called the way it’s been called. You should not be penalized for being bigger and stronger than someone else.

That being said, Eddy needs to get himself closer to the rim on some of those shots. Break me a backboard, baby.

* * *

Final thought: Ben Wallace could wear a headband on my team any day, as long as he gets 12 boards and defends big men the way he can. It’s not like the guy is dying his hair blonde and kicking cameramen in the crotch.

The decision to pull Steve Francis from the starting lineup – whether he did it voluntarily or whether Isiah Thomas ordered the move – was not the reason why the Knicks got blown out in Minnesota. And putting Francis back as a starter wasn’t why the Knicks blew out the Celtics two nights later.

Both results, along with most results this season, are products of the performance of the Knicks frontcourt, mainly Eddy Curry. The 23-year-old big man was a force against the Celtics because a. he wanted to be and b. his teammates allowed him to be. He was invisible against the T-Wolves because a. he wanted to be and b. his teammates allowed him to be.

I’ve said before that Curry is the one player on this team that could carry the bulk of the load. I’ve also said he’s not quite there yet and, possibly, might not ever be. All the evidence to support both theories came in the past two games. Against Minnesota, Curry was flat-footed and dispassionate. Passes slipped out of his hands. Short shots missed. Rebounds flew by him because his hands were at his sides. Against the Celtics, Curry had bounce in his step, he was moving and he was involved.

Why the difference? Mainly, it was his attitude. When he stops getting him the ball on the low post, Curry tends to get a glazed-over look in his eyes. He loses focus and loses intensity. It’s up to his teammates – and Isiah Thomas – to get him the ball and keep him in the game mentally and physically. However it is also Curry’s responsibility to keep himself mentally and physically in games by concentrating on other things (rebounding, defense, setting a good pick) when he’s not getting the ball. That’s a maturity factor.

But the Knicks almost have to start force-feeding Big Eddy the ball, especially early on, and establish him. When he’s doubled, Curry needs to make smart and quick decisions with the ball. Guards need to cut, give him options or give him space to work on the low block.

Same goes for Channing Frye. He might have had his best game against the Celtics and he only had 13 points. I liked his game on the post – he made crisp decisions and showed off a soft touch with the jump hook – and I especially liked his five fouls. He denied an Al Jefferson dunk attempt that drew a foul, but still almost had me up and clapping. Nothing should come easy in the paint. Frye’s foul on Jefferson sent that message.

Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury both have the ability to score in spurts, but the Knicks aren’t going to the playoffs with the offense going through either of them (it’s already been proven). So let’s see if the Knicks continue to go down to the post and work their offense through their bigs. And let’s see if that lights a fire under Curry.

* * *

I’m not a big fan of zone defense because it’s basically admitting you are a poor man-to-man team, which the Knicks are. It is a good strategy for the Knicks because of how deficient they are on help defense and guarding the pick-and-roll. It helps Curry not get caught in no-man’s land on high screens. It also keeps Frye down low so he can use his length to rebound. They got away with it against a cold-shooting Celtics team. It might not work as well against a team that gets hot from downtown.

* * *

I’ve been to Boston more times than I can remember over the past 12 years and I can remember the city when “The Big Dig” was just a concept under discussion. They’re still only putting the finishing touches on it, but moving I-93 under the city made a dramatic aesthetic difference to the city. Instead of being shadowed by rusted, dirty elevated highways, you can now stand outside the Garden and see the city skyline. And if you look toward the Garden, you can see a lot of perennially-disappointed Celtics and Bruins fans.

* * *

A fellow member of the media paid a nice compliment for a sport jacket I wore to the game in Boston. He then asked, “Joseph A. Bank?” I had to laugh. Though I pride myself on looking professional and neat, my wardrobe is nothing extravagant. It’s more like Joseph Ain’t Got No Bank.

Take a moment to recall a blog from the night before the season opener in Memphis. Never mind, I’ll just give you the part to remember:

“My guess is they head into the Minnesota game 4-8 at best. That might even be an optimistic outlook.”

Nostradamus ain’t got nothin’ on me.

Of course it was an educated guess. If I could have that kind of luck with the lottery, this would be my final blog.

(Hold your applause).

* * *

I wasn’t there on Monday, but I was told Isiah Thomas tried to compare 23-year-old Eddy Curry to a 23-year-old Patrick Ewing. “I remember Patrick at 23,” Isiah said. “Do you remember what the Knicks' record was when Patrick was 23? . . . I'm just saying, it takes a while.”

The Knicks won 23 games when Patrick was 23. But he averaged 20 points and 9 rebounds per game and was the Rookie of the Year. That’s right, it should be pointed out that Patrick, at 23, was a rookie.

Curry is 23 and in his fifth NBA season. When Patrick was in his fifth NBA season, he was an all-star. He dropped 28.8 points per night and grabbed 10.9 rebounds. He was the Knicks best player, the guy who accepted the weight of the franchise on his shoulders.

Curry is nothing like that yet . . . and there is little evidence that suggests he will ever come close to being that kind of player. As Bill Parcells once said, “If a dog won't bite when he's a puppy, he definitely won't bite when he's a big dog.” That quote has been attributed to Curry before, so I won’t even try to pretend I came up with that all on my own.

I'm not totally down on Curry at all. In fact, he has major potential. But he clearly needs some serious mentoring, something he never really had because he jumped right to the NBA and never spent any time in a college program, where some necessary coaching and mentoring takes place.

Ewing would be perfect for Curry, who is genuinely a nice guy and I believe he wants to be good. He just needs direction. Look at the job Ewing did in helping Yao Ming develop (Yao loved working with Ewing and Jeff Van Gundy tried to talk Ewing into staying on the Houston staff). Curry could also learn something from Ewing’s work habits and dedication to conditioning. And how to handle the officials.

Look, there’s no hiding it: Ewing was my favorite Knick. That was my guy. And I used to defend him to anyone who would try to say he wasn’t a great player. So maybe he wasn’t better than Olajuwon for most of his career. But even when it seemed he was catching up to Hakeem, David Robinson and Shaquille O’Neal came along and Patrick’s opportunity to be considered the best center in the game was gone.

Still, he was named one of the top 50 players of all time. That’s a hell of an honor for a guy who was often the target of the Garden fans – and that’s when his teams were winning.

I got the chance to meet him Saturday night after the Boston game at the Garden. I rank him up there with my other sports favorite, Bob Nystrom of the Islanders. When you meet a childhood hero, you hope they don’t disappoint you. Nystrom never did; great guy. I’m glad I can say the same about Patrick. Makes me feel like I didn’t waste my time all those years rooting for him.

It would be great to see him back in the Knicks organization again. He has plenty to offer and the Knicks need his experience, expertise and, most of all, his presence.

Yes, we’re in Miami. But there’s no need to hate. It’s overcast and muggy. A Heat PR guy met us with the teasing accusation that we brought the “doom and gloom” weather down with us.

That was moments before they kicked us out of the hallway for loitering outside of the Heat locker room, where the walls are covered with life-sized photos of stars from various parts of the entertainment industry. I’m telling you, if no one was looking, Mariah Carey was going home with me.

* * *

No word on Jerome James, but he was putting in extra work at the end of the shoot-around, which suggests he’s close. Shaq’s availability for tonight is unknown – he has a bruise and a hyperextension of his knee – but if he does play, having the 7-1, 280-pound James and his six fouls will help Eddy Curry.

It has to be said that for a 23-year-old, Eddy Curry handles the media as well as any young man can handle it. He must know how often the scribes pan the trade that brought him here from Chicago. Or how often his play is criticized. But Eddy is always cordial and tries to offer thoughtful replies. After getting dominated by Yao Ming last week in Houston, Curry was front-and-center and offering respect to Yao. You have to appreciate a young player for having the maturity to handle these kinds of moments.

After the shoot-around, Curry was asked for a second straight day about Shaq, whom Curry was compared to early on in his career. Curry smiled and, again, spoke respectfully about The Diesel. And when one of us tried to toss in the notion that Shaq might be slowing down, Curry shook his head and didn’t take the bait.

Nearby, David Lee overheard it and jumped to his teammate’s defense.

“Look at you trying to set my man up,” Lee said.

Curry is smarter than that.

“You get stronger as you get older,” he replied.

* * *

Speaking of Lee, I read somewhere that he kind of liked the Knickname, “The Hard Core,” suggested as a label for the Knicks energizing bench players. It’s not a bad idea, but maybe we can come up with something better than that.

Plus, the Hard Core should actually be “The Hard Corps,” as in military reference.

How about a rip-off from that Golden State Warriors nickname from the past?

"Run-D.N.C." (David, Nate and Crawford).

Well I stomp and chomp, all competition
Make break and take you cold on a mission
Raise hell, excel, and tell you who's winning
I'm boss, you lost, before the game, first inning
-- "They Call Us Run-D.M.C."

OK, enough of that.

I’m done like my lunch from Miami Subs.

I was nodding along with Isiah Thomas’ media address today like a devoted member of an evangelical’s flock as he spoke about the importance of team, the lessons he learned from Pat Riley and other things.

Here’s a sample:

“One of the main problems in America has been [that] we’ve individualized the sport to the extent that we really only cover it from an individualistic standpoint, which, consequently, confuses our younger players and confuses some players in the league about what does it really mean to be a teammate and what does it really mean to play as one and win as a unit,” he said. “Where, overseas, they don’t have that problem because they don’t individualize their players like we do here.”

Can I get an Amen?

I’m absolutely with Isiah on this one, though it is a well-worn lament in sports since, well, since ESPN’s arrival. I guess that’s what always made Princeton such a fun team to root for in the NCAAs. We didn’t know any of their names and they could back-door the big schools into a first-round upset. Gonzaga and Valparaiso had that charm until, again, ESPN turned them into a cliché. And then newspapers demanded access and started interviewing the players’ parents and high school coaches.

It’s funny how we love these committed, no-names-on-the-back teams until we analyze them into whatever the negative opposite of obscurity is.

It’s one thing if Thomas was trying to do this in Sacramento with a team of players you’d only know because you’re a basketball junkie. Put together a lunch-pail group in that town and see five players a night hit double figures in scoring but rarely have anyone over 25 and you have a nice story. Admirable, we’d say. The way it oughta be. Why can’t the Knicks play that way?

But do it in New York with players such as Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis – once load-carrying scorers and Exhibits A and B of the individually prolific modern NBA player – and you will be met with cynicism. No way it’ll work, we say. Not with this roster. Why even bother?

I believe Thomas has the right message, but I’m only skeptical of the cast he’s trying to do it with. It’s one thing to do it with players who have been accustomed to playing within a team-oriented system or have dealt with playing a role instead of dictating the offense. But some guys just aren’t made that way.

So you have to wonder: how long will the players listen to it? How long before Marbury has heard enough boos and read enough about how he is not longer a great scorer in this league and decides it’s time for him to go back to being Starbury? (We’ve heard that before). How long before Francis realizes that 10 points and 5 assists per game isn’t going to attract interest from another team looking to trade for him?

The challenge isn’t selling the team-first concept. The challenge is keeping the sale going even when the returns aren’t good.

* * *

I also enjoyed Isiah telling the tale of that 1988 Eastern Conference Final, when the Celtics walked off the court at the Silverdome with over a minute left in the clinching game for the Pistons. Thomas said he was at halfcourt while Adrian Dantley was on the foul line and noticed several Celtics starters heading his way. His initial reaction was that a fight was about to break out. But, instead, the tired Boston stars were headed for the locker room, to avoid the wild celebration that was about to take place at their expense. They probably didn’t feel like witnessing their own funeral, either.

And as they walked by, they offered congratulations to Thomas and the Pistons. I’ll never forget the image of Kevin McHale, who was a warrior in that series, stopping by Isiah and offering his hand. “Beat those Lakers!” I remember reading his lips saying as Thomas returned the hearty handshake.

What a moment of sportsmanship and respect. I also loved that, even in defeat, McHale still had some fire in him to want to see the Pistons take out the rival Lakers.

Thomas said that series, and the following year when the Pistons knocked off the Lakers to win their first championship, was somewhat bittersweet. And he used a reference – the Larry Holmes-Muhammad Ali fight – to explain it.

“I couldn’t understand my feelings with the Lakers and the Celtics until I heard Larry Holmes talk about having to hit Ali and to punch him,” Thomas said. “And this is the guy who taught him. He was his sparring partner and everything else. And how he had to do what he had to do. But every punch that he threw was painful for him to throw it. And that’s kind of the whole Lakers, Celtics, Pistons thing. As fierce of competitors as we were with each other, we really were extremely close.”

That era, to me, still remains the best years the NBA ever had.

* * *

As I wrap this up, I’m watching an electrical storm in the distance while seated on a quiet Delta Airlines flight to Miami. Sometimes nature can put things into perspective. My perspective is that our pilot chose the right flight plan this evening.

I’m done like Kenyon Martin’s season. But hopefully not his career.

With so much travel already done and more coming, I got a needed break the past two days. On Tuesday I waded through piles of receipts to input my expenses. This morning I kept my son out of preschool to take him to a local rink for some father-son hockey. This afternoon, it’s a date on the swings with my daughter.

And tonight I’ll be watching the Knicks take on the Wizards tonight on MSG Network, just like most of you, while Ken Berger covers the game for Newsday (hold your applause).

I’ll also be watching to see how Stephon Marbury rebounds from Monday’s 0-for-6 outing against the Cavaliers. Quite frankly, I don’t think he played as poorly as people would like to say he did. I recall he took the assignment to cover LeBron James late in the fourth quarter, when Quentin Richardson was on the bench in foul trouble. Marbury was able to handle James physically and even stripped him as James attempted a spin off a post-up. The Garden crowd sure didn’t boo that play. They also didn’t boo his terrific zip pass into the paint for a Channing Frye dunk.

Yes, he had a wide-open look from downtown that could have tied the game, but he missed it. And it’s hard to argue when one of my colleagues barks “Un-clutch” every time he misses these kinds of shots, like he did against the Spurs on Nov. 6 at the Garden.

Stephon can say all he wants that he’s holding himself back. I’m not sure that’s really the truth as much as maybe his game is no longer what it used to be, just like Steve Francis is no longer as explosive as he once was. It takes a lot out of a 6-2 guard to continually drive to the rack like Marbury has done in his career, take a pounding from big men and then go to the free throw line. Marbury will be 30 in February. This is his 11th season. That’s a lot of miles. Even if he goes for 30 in one night, it’s asking a lot of a small guard to do it 82 times in a season. Even Iverson breaks down physically.

There’s also the Garden factor. Maybe it is in his head now. He can pretend to be as apathetic as he wants to how he’s received at home, but it’s hard to believe that the kid who once used to go to games there as a fan doesn’t feel any pain about not being loved at home. He was a New York son that came along at the wrong time and was asked to be the savior he just couldn’t be. No one could have been. It was going to take someone special – Bernard King special – to lift this franchise out of the depths it has reached. I don’t hold that against Marbury. No Knicks fan should.

I also think people need to get over how much he gets paid – that was a contract someone else gave him and the Knicks took a gamble on picking up – and realize he isn’t the franchise player the contract suggests he is. It doesn’t mean he can’t be a useful or productive player -- he probably could run more pick-and-pops with Frye and Quentin Richardson -- but let’s just get over the idea that he should be dropping 25 a night and carrying the load.

He needs to get over it, as well. And maybe show a little more humility and lot less petulance. The David Cone approach is always a better option than the Barry Bonds way.

* * *

A San Antonio newspaper claims Newsday misquoted Isiah Thomas saying “[expletive] murder him” when he talked about how he’d react if someone came under him like Bruce Bowen came under Steve Francis. The San Antonio newspaper is saying Thomas said “That’s murder.” The San Antonio newspaper is wrong. And, by the way, that reporter wasn’t there when Thomas said it, nor did he bother to check with me. Instead, he took it from another paper that covers the Knicks and, in my opinion, got it wrong. The Knicks and Thomas never said a word to me about it and, when I asked a team spokesman today, he said the misquote claim was “news to me.”

* * *

I’m digging the MSG’s 50 Greatest Moments documentary. It’s definitely worth checking out if you just want to enjoy some of the good old days you grew up with. If you’re just looking to see the Garden for being the cold, detached and paranoid corporate board room it is today, then don’t bother.

* * *

Gotta go rake leaves. Swing with my daughter. Get a haircut. Something about renting a steamer so my wife can clean the rugs. Get my car inspected.

Like Kanye says in "Touch the Sky", Feels good to be home baby, feels good to be home.

I’ve hit a bit of a wall right now. Call it blogger’s block. Or maybe things haven’t been interesting enough to write. OK, if you saw the Spurs game Saturday, you know I'm lying. I get post-practice wind-sprints for being lazy. I blame the road. Go ahead and kill me for it.

I came home from the trip on Sunday and spent whatever time that was left in the day with my son. We watched Cars. Awesome movie. Tractor-tipping seems like fun. Now I've got reason to look forward to the Oklahoma City trip.

So you want my take on Isiah vs. Bruce? I honestly believe Isiah Thomas’ outburst at Bruce Bowen was calculated and intentional more than anything else. Honestly, he was waiting for Bowen to do his notorious step forward under a shooter. It happened right in front of him and, while everyone else was watching the ball leave Jamal Crawford’s hands -- check the rotation, always check the rotation -- Thomas was looking at Bowen’s feet.

It’s kind of a desperate move, but you have to admire a guy who is willing to make himself look like a lunatic just to fire up his team. It’s not like Steve Francis was that angry with Bowen. Crawford didn’t even notice it. Stuff happens when a guy is D-ing you up the way Bowen D's up. Stuff also happens if you don't like the way a guy D's you up like Bowen D's up.

"That wouldn't happen in the park," Thomas said to us this morning.

That's an accountability issue he needs to take up with the NBA, not Bowen.

But while I can understand his desperation right now, I think Thomas needs to check himself a little bit here. He does have an image as one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all-time, and an NBA champion and a Hall of Famer, to protect.

Quite frankly, I’m a bit surprised he even stayed with the Knicks after Jim Dolan’s “significant progress” edict from last summer. What legend would want that hanging over his head, especially knowing that this season would take some major steps for this team to show “significant progress”? To hell with that. Thomas might have been better off walking away once Dolan said that. No one should work under that kind of threat.

I guess walking away would make him a quitter in his mind and maybe in the minds of some others. But in my mind, it would make him better off in the long run to get out before he is thrown out. His stature in this game was once too great to allow himself to get to this point now.

By the way, Tim Duncan’s disdain for Thomas’ actions on Saturday speaks greater volumes than I ever could about the situation.

* * *

Francis could be back in the lineup tonight. He went through the entire shoot-around, which seemed to involve more work than usual after a day off on Sunday, and Thomas said he wants to see how the ankle responds before the game tonight. If the ankle swells up, Francis will be out for a fourth straight game.

* * *

After what Yao Ming did to Shaq and the Heat yesterday, maybe Eddy Curry shouldn’t feel so bad. But it’s not like Curry has got it easy any time soon. He’s got Shaq in Miami on Friday and then Yao comes to New York for another go-round. The big boy has to start learning from these beatings. Those guys put in a lot of work to get to where they are. Curry's footwork needs some serious offseason training. And Curry's overall game needs Patrick Ewing's assistance. Curry is the one guy on this roster who could be someone to carry this team every night. He's just not there yet.

* * *

I’m looking forward to tonight’s game because I’ve only seen LeBron James play live once – against the Nets, which is a far cry from seeing him at the Garden. I’m also looking forward to see how Quentin Richardson D’s him up. I might even try Renaldo Balkman on him. But in short spurts.

* * *

I gotta give props to Tom Rock for his Jets game story in the paper today. Might be the best gamer I’ve read in a long time. The material certainly helped, but T-Rock is a heck of a writer, man. Woo!

* * *

After this morning’s shoot-around I’m headed right into Manhattan to hang out before the game. It’s too far to drive back to my house and then head back to the Garden for the game. So I’ll get some work done there and maybe go for a walk with the MP3 in. Jay-Z’s got my attention.

Give the drummer some
I already gave the summer some
It’s the winter’s turn
Hovie Hov is the coldest
I’m just getting better with time
I’m like Opus…One
Young, no two alike like a snowflake
Ok, Show Me What You Got baby . . .

I’m out like stonewashed jeans.

Yao Ming is one tall dude. At 6'6", I usually stand out among the media scrum, so it kind of freaked me out when I felt a shadow looming over my shoulder as this 7-6 giant approached a group of us standing around Jeff Van Gundy. Yao listened in a moment and when Van Gundy stopped to acknowledge his big center, Yao grinned and said, "Hey coach, do you miss New York?"

* * *

Van Gundy was in his element with this large crowd around him, six of us from New York, the rest his usual media from Houston, a one-newspaper town that also has a hardworking television reporter who gives the paper competition. I was watching him while I listened and couldn't help but recall when I knew him almost 20 years ago.

Damn. Twenty years ago.

I was a junior in high school in the summer of 1987 and attended the Providence College basketball camp, which was run by Rick Pitino (who, as I would soon find out, was preparing to leave to become the Knicks head coach). Jeff was a graduate assistant at the time and looked pretty much the same as he does now, with slightly more hair on his head. But he was the same person, funny, blunt and devoted to basketball. I went back to the camp the following summer and we met again. I also saw him a few times around basketball and he'd always say hello. I was happy for him when he got the Knicks job. I was worried about him when he was grabbing Alonzo Mourning's ankle.

So it was kind of cool to see him again, though I'm not going to claim we had some kind of long-lost reunion (Once he told my fellow reporters that I was "a great player," I knew he couldn't possibly have rememberd me). Steve Clifford, the former Adelphi coach I used to cover back in my days as the local college writer for Newsday, is an assistant with the Rockets. Andy Greer, who I remember at Kings Point, is also here.

Spend enough time in this job and you'll see people emerge from some of the most unlikely places. And you never know when you're going to run into them again, so it's always good to leave relationships on a positive note. Which means there are a few coaches I played for (and covered) that I hope I don't have to run into again. I think my old college coach, Tom Galeazzi, still believes I owe him back some scholarship money.

* * *

Steve Francis worked out with the team during the shoot-around, but Isiah Thomas still says he'll be a game-time decision.

The Knicks finished what Isiah Thomas labled a “light” practice at the Toyota Center and while Thomas was talking with the Knick reporters, a few players were placing friendly wagers on shots from various places on the court. No doubt a relaxed atmosphere for a team that stole a win from the Denver Nuggets the night before.

But down the other end of the floor, Channing Frye was all business. He was dripping with sweat as he went through various shooting drills with Mark Aguirre, whom I now have named in this blog more times than I have ever spoken with him. But you think Frye is feeling a sense of urgency after going 2-for-11 against Denver?

“If he makes a couple of shots, I think he’ll feel better,” Thomas said. “Everybody kind of feels bad for him now, shoot, he shot an airball the other night!”

It’s more than that with Frye, who, of course, is a much better shooter than the 9 for 43 (20.9 percent) he’s shooting from the floor so far this season. I still can’t get over how passive he plays for a man of 6-11 and a solid 245 pounds. A microcosm of his season to date came early in the first quarter against the Nuggets, when Frye made a great block against Carmello Anthony and grabbed the ball, but then had it taken right out of his hands by a more aggressive Eduardo Najera, who made the layup and was fouled by, yes, Frye.

I know Frye isn’t a typical power forward and that position has probably changed since the days of Charles Oakley, Karl Malone and Antonio Davis (when he was with the Pacers). But when you consider that Eddy Curry isn’t going to get you 10 boards a night – no reason he shouldn’t, he just doesn’t – the Knicks need their power forward to be their best rebounder. Right now, David Lee is their best rebounder. And he comes off the bench.

Last season was last season. Curry wasn’t the first option on the low post like he is this season, so Frye had more looks and more opportunity. But he can’t just live off a long-range jumper and turn himself into Sam Perkins (that’s not my line, I stole that from someone). The Knicks need more out of that position.

* * *

I know it’s been a while since I paid close attention to the NBA, but what has happened to the physical part of the game? It seems no one can make a power move to the basket anymore because all a defender has to do is hold his ground and flop and draw an offensive charge. And, conversely, the slightest bump from a defender draws a blocking foul. Can we let the big boys play a little?

* * *

I thought it was a treat to get to actually watch the Denver Nuggets shoot-around on Wednesday. Why? Because the Knicks don’t let you watch anything. Ever. But this shroud of secrecy isn’t something new or something I can flippantly blame on the paranoia that exists within James Dolan’s Garden. I was told closed practices go back as far as the Red Holzman era. All due respect to The Coach, but how does that make it right? And you wonder why the New York media is filled with speculation and conjecture. Most days that's all we're left with.

* * *

By the way, the previous post I sent was to offer a look into the life of this job. I’ve been approached by more than one aspiring young sportswriter who said they enjoy these occasional peeks into the life to see what it’s like after the game and what it takes to do the job. No, it’s not physical labor and I don’t feel the need to apologize for that. But it can be mentally exhausting and, like anything, it has its moments that can wear you out.

But if it wasn’t fun I wouldn’t be doing it.

To all you kids who dream of being a sportswriter, of being the traveling beat writer for your favorite team, I offer you this peek into the reality of this glamorous life, in which you have to take the good with the bad.

Jamal Crawford capped a stunning finish to the Knicks 109-107 win over the Nuggets in Denver. With the two-hour time difference, that made deadline a major challenge. My editors wanted to get the game story in the first edition, so I filed seconds after the Knicks sprinted off the floor in celebration.

I have to admit, it was an exciting ending and a fun one to watch. These aren’t two very good teams, but they went at each other, especially in the second half. Carmello Anthony is a major talent, I’m not breaking any news there. And the Knicks seem to be developing a nice core of hardworking players who seem to have no quit in them. I’m talking about determined players such as David Lee, Quentin Richardson, Nate Robinson and Crawford. I was thinking during the game that the Knicks, at least, have a strong supporting cast. Now what they need is a star-quality player, such as ‘Mello, who could carry the load.

After the game is the usual mad-dash. Down to the locker room, get Isiah. Then into the room to speak with players. Crawford was waiting and, as usual, willing to answer every question. Stephon Marbury? Not as accommodating. Some guys just take a little longer in the shower. Assistant coach Mark Aguirre teased Marbury for being too meticulous with his grooming. Most of the rest of the team was already on the bus and waiting to get to the airport. “Us old guys need to get our sleep,” Aguirre said.

They fly charter. They'll be in their hotel beds in Houston in two hours. We fly commercial. We'll get there the next day.

Stephon finally did emerge and did his thing with the media and then left. Back to the press room to file for the final edition, which was due at 12:30 a.m. New York time.

We wondered if the Knicks would practice today in Houston. We weren’t given a definitive answer last night. So there was the issue of flights. If the Knicks did practice, the early flight was the way to go. If not, we could sleep in.

The Knicks are practicing. So after a light post-game snack, I hit the pillow at midnight. I set a wake-up call for 4:30 a.m. “Would you like a follow-up call at 4:45?” the pleasant hotel operator asked.

Yes. Definitely.

The glamorous life. Still half-asleep and heading to the airport in the dark. Check-in, go through security and call home to say hello to the family. It was almost 8 a.m. in New York, but 6 a.m. in Denver.

A really bad bagel and a bottle of water made for breakfast. And an exit row seat made for nap time. I never bothered to look out the window to see the sun rise. I trust that part of nature.

And now, somehow, I’m in Houston. And somehow I’ll make up for the lost sleep, not to mention the lost hour in time difference between Denver and Houston. But right now there’s a practice to get to. And maybe a quick lunch to grab on the way.

I’ll check back in with basketball-related material later. I just thought I’d share this look into the life of a beat writer.

The weather couldn’t be any better than it is today. Feels like 80 and very dry. So nice some of us decided to walk from the arena to our hotels instead of taking a cab. We have to soak it in while we can. I doubt it’ll be this nice on that Chicago-Cleveland-Detroit swing we do at the end of the month.

One of those afternoons. Not much downtime, so I’m glad I worked out in the morning before the shoot-around. This afternoon, I kept checking until Cablevision’s quarterly report was filed with the SEC, because we were hoping the top secret Larry Brown settlement amount would be on there. It was. He got $18.5 million out of the $41 million he was owed on the contract. I’d say Cablevision/MSG/Knicks got off easy. But then again, Brown got $27.5 million to coach one season.

Though we can’t really claim it as a scoop – though some newspapers like to claim things as scoops even if they aren’t – there was some pressure to bang out a quick story for the website and get it up. It’s just this thing about being first to report something, even if it’s public knowledge. Editors and publishers love seeing Newsday.com credited on the ESPN ticker. I have to admit, it’s cool for a reporter to see it, too.

As far as the shoot-around goes, Isiah Thomas said Steve Francis (sprained ankle) probably won’t play tonight against the Nuggets. In fact, he might not play at all on the trip. Jamal Crawford slides into the starting role. Thomas asked if not having Francis in a way made things easier for him, considering he didn’t have to force feed the Stephon Marbury-Steve Francis backcourt.

Thomas didn’t agree.

“Right now, we’re all looking for if they have like great explosions together or if they don’t play well,” he said. “That’s what we’re looking for. And during the course of a game, if you’re looking for something, over a 48 minute game, two and a half hours in the arena, eventually you’re going to see things that kind of fits what you’re looking for. But I’m not necessarily looking for if they can have success or failure together, I’m looking for if our team can play at a high level and sustain playing at a high level. What I sense from our team, we haven’t gotten to the point yet where we can sustain playing at a high level for 48 minutes.”

I'll check in tomorrow from sunny and warm Houston.

Somewhere over the southern mid-west, en route to Denver and in the midst of some annoying turbulence that has the pilot continually apologizing. He says we might dip down to 12,000 feet, so that means I might have to change the title of this entry. Or assume a crash position.

That’s a hilarious scene in Airplane.

Here’s another:

Ted Striker (Robert Hays): Surely you can’t be serious.

Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielsen): I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.

OK, enough. During Islanders games and practices Peter Botte of the Daily News, Evan Grossman of the Post and I would shout out movie lines and bust into laughter. It always was the best way to get through the monotony of a long season.

OK, focusing back on the Knicks. . . .

We start another road trip, the second of four this month, with three games over the next four nights. I guess we’re not supposed to expect the Knicks to win any of these games, at least that’s what Isiah Thomas continues to suggest. It’s kind of infuriating to hear a coach already giving his team an out. And that’s why you have what happened in the first half of Monday’s loss to San Antonio, a passion-less performance by the home team against an NBA elite. It should have been viewed as a challenge. Let’s try to knock off the Spurs. Instead, the Knicks regulars hardly competed and can you blame them? When your coach is suggesting you probably won’t win, what makes you believe you can?

To be fair, Thomas did also say that the Spurs are “a good basketball team” and paused before adding “they’re not unbeatable.” But that’s hardly a motivating battle cry before a home game that followed a clunker of a home opener.

Look, I know my stuff in the paper today was garbage. I had a bad night, too. I don’t think I told a good story and I know my sidebar was weak (thanks to veteran editor Greg Gutes for picking up the slack). I guess I was distracted by the one thought kept coming to my head as I watched (and typed and took notes) the game. Maybe I should have hammered it home more than I did:

Benching unproductive players. What a concept. Accountability. Why is this not a given around here? Why are we talking about this three games into a season?

Thomas sure talked the talk after the Spurs game, when he said, “if you’re not going to fight and compete, then I’m the president. We can give you a pink slip too.” He reiterated it today at practice.

But my question is, when it comes down to it, will he? And, more importantly, why hasn’t he already?

To me, success and failure always start at the top. Always. So my point is this: What type of precedent are you setting for the game if you’re not starting your best and most cohesive five-man group, not a backcourt that you feel compelled to start no matter how much it has forced Stephon and Steve to change their games? And what about the message you send before the game when you talk as if you’re conceding the victory to a better team? Thomas did this before the Spurs game and also talked about possibly not having legs for the home opener – not being up for the home opener?? – even before the team played the second game of the season at Atlanta.

I just find it confusing that the team is supposed to be trying to win – that is the idea of sports, correct? –
yet the coach has not developed an environment where the expectation is to win.

It’s the culture around the Garden that needs to change more than any player or coach (or president of basketball operations, for that matter). Gregg Popovich made reference to how the Spurs are working with former Knicks center Jackie Butler to “show him what it takes to compete at the highest level.” With that comment, Popovich suggests that Butler clearly he didn’t get that in New York.

Hard to argue.

I spent about a half-hour before Saturday’s game standing on the Madison Square Garden hardwood, a court I often dreamed about as a kid. Some moments make you feel small. Like the one and only time I ever walked on the field at Yankee Stadium. These are times when you are supposed to feel humble. There is history here.

Unfortunately, I don’t expect too much history to be made here right now. At least not by the Knicks.

I meant to file something before the game, a little scene-setter I wrote when I was still buzzing about my first Garden opener, but the wireless at MSG was as offline as Jamal Crawford’s shot right now. Hopefully both will be back in working order in time for Monday’s game against the – ugh – Spurs.

My amateur analysis of the Knicks after three games:

1 - We can talk all we want about Stephon Marbury’s low production or Channing Frye’s struggles, but the Knicks collectively are a bad defensive team and that – and only that – is what’s hurting them the most. Very few players in this league can guard an opponent one-on-one with consistent success, so help defense is so critical. With the Knicks, they are too easy to break down and their interior defense is non-existent. I made a point in today’s game story to point out how Frye had zero fouls in 24 minutes. Neither he nor Eddy Curry recorded a blocked shot, yet the Pacers got several layups and tip-ins and short-jumpers.

Can we see one hard foul? What is Kelvin Cato’s role on this team? If he has six fouls to give and is only expected to play five minutes a game, he should use every foul he’s allowed. Same goes for Renaldo Balkman. I can understand Curry being concerned with conserving his fouls because the big man does get called for some questionable ones just because he’s so big and brutal, but Frye has no excuse for leaving that game without a single foul. Standing with his arms extended when someone drives the lane is useless.

I’m not saying the Knicks should hack-and-whack at every opportunity. But, man, send a message. And I’ve seen how NBA players shoot free throws these days. I’d take the chance on giving up one point instead of two any day. Thomas needs to institute a no-layup rule. I don’t mean flagrant fouls, just make em count.

2 - The Knicks need to feature Curry as the centerpiece of the offense. I know he’s not the best passer out of the post, but he is showing that he can take just about anyone to the basket. They should ride the big cat early in games and establish him and then as doubles come down, that’s when guys like Steve Francis and Marbury should slash and cut and Quentin Richardson can be an outlet for a three to keep the defense honest.

3 - As I said back in one of my early blogs, Frye needs to sit. David Lee is a better fit with Curry because he attacks the boards – something Curry just doesn’t do – and Lee doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. He’s a smart player, a good passer and a better defender. Frye might put less pressure on himself if he’s coming off the bench.

4- And my last point is, quite honestly, I don’t think this team is that far off. They need to develop an attitude on defense, especially the guys inside. Isiah Thomas came from the Bad Boys days when Bill Laimbeer used every foul he had, John Salley had the length and athleticism (like Frye) to deflect and deter shots and Dennis Rodman (Balkman) was harassing people on the court and in the first row. The Knicks don’t have a great amount of talent – Francis and Marbury just aren’t the players they once were, deal with it – so they need to find other ways to win games. Leaving the paint more open than the HOV lane is not the way to do it.

* * * * *

It’s been a whirlwind few days to open the season. Memphis on Wednesday, Atlanta on Friday and I went straight from LGA to MSG on Saturday. With back-to-backs – we have five straight Friday-Saturday games to start the season – you don’t have much time to reload. So you rest your brain when you can between stuffing it with as many facts, quotes and anecdotes possible. On the plane from ATL to LGA, I popped in some John Coltrane on the MP3. “A Love Supreme.” You’d be amazed how thoughts can somehow flow into a rhythmic stream when Coltrane (or Miles) is playing in your ears.

I know I’m gonna need more this week. There’s a lot to digest in such a short period of time.

This week, after the Spurs game, we go to Denver (Wednesday), Houston (Friday) and San Antonio (Saturday). That will make five cities in 11 days. Six if you include Manhattan, which, for those of us who live out on the Island, it’s an all-day trip unto itself (and one I love making!).

I have to be honest, I actually enjoy this part of the job. I love the action, the movement. I love different venues, different places. I’m not one to sequester in my hotel room. I get out and feel the town. Some places get you hyped up, like Chicago or Boston of Philly or, of course, L.A. You’ll never hear me complain about traveling. The only thing I don’t like about it is being away from my family. But being away also makes coming home more special. There’s nothing like a tight hug from your kids when you walk in the door. Plus, after a summer of being home every day, I’m sure they don’t mind getting me out of the house for a while!

Speaking of family, I’m off today for a reason. It would have been my dad’s 61st birthday. A year ago today we had a great party for him, a surprise party. He was going through some tough things medically, but his smile that day was unforgettable. We lost him in July and, as expected, it still hurts. It always will.

I woke up to blinding sunlight shining into my hotel room and realized I fell asleep watching TV and SportsCenter was now on. I heard a familiar voice from the past: it was Barry Melrose. He was saying something about first place and the Islanders. And then added, “The Islanders are for real.”

I must have been dreaming. ESPN talking about hockey? The Islanders in first place? A mullet on TV in 2006?

What’s next, the Knicks heading into their MSG opener tomorrow with a 2-0 record? Do I now need to look up the last time this team was two games over .500?

We’ll see about that. First they have to deal with yet another home opener on the road, this time here in Atlanta against the improved and very athletic Hawks.

Lots of side drama, with Larry Brown’s brother, Herb, working as an assistant coach on the Hawks bench. Expect to read in tomorrow’s papers plenty of Herb Brown offering some insight on his brother. Herb pointed out that this is the first time Larry has started a season without a team.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson is a Larry Brown pupil who coached under Brown with the Detroit Pistons. Yet he was also Isiah Thomas’ teammate for one season at Indiana and they have remained friends. Woodson said it is a bit awkward, but he’s not involved in the soap opera between the two.

Tabloid drama aside, the Knicks face a difficult defensive challenge tonight against the Hawks, who have dynamic Joe Johnson, perhaps one of the most unheralded players in the NBA. Josh Smith is electrifying. Speedy Claxton, the former Hofstra guard, is very tough to defend but even tougher when he’s defending you. And if you run-and-gun with this team, it could get ugly. Sloppy and yet spectacular all in the same play.

Thomas said he’ll either put Steve Francis or Quentin Richardson on Johnson, but their job isn’t really to stop him. “He’s going to get 25-to-30 regardless of who we put on him,” Thomas told me. It’s just a matter of making him work for it.”

Thomas said his bigger concern was “Who the hell you put on Smith?”

I suggested rookie Renaldo Balkman, who is very athletic and perhaps is the one healthy player on the roster that could keep up with Smith.

Thomas didn’t seem too comfortable with that idea.

“For a minute, but it really depends on the energy of the game,” he said. “It’s either all or nothing at that time.”

Watch tonight for Channing Frye. Let’s see if he can rebound – literally – from his unimpressive performance in the opener. Frye needs to put more attention on the glass, especially on the offensive boards. Tonight he’ll need to jump with the Hawks’ athletic frontcourt and keep them from dominating the boards.

With a back-to-back situation, expect to see more substitutions and more rest for the regulars when Thomas can afford it. Balkman, David Lee and even Kelvin Cato (who played 11 seconds in the opener) should all put in some extra work, especially if the Knicks can get themselves a decent lead.

Speaking of which, we teased Thomas this morning about avoiding any drama tonight. No overtimes, no blowing big leads. None of us want to go through that again any time soon. He laughed.

“I’ll take the 19 point lead right now,” he said, “and I’ll do my best to hold onto it. But I’ll take the 19!”

Probable starters:
Knicks – Marbury, Francis, Richardson, Frye and Curry
Hawks – Claxton, Johnson, Smith, S. Williams and Pachulia

Last night’s triple-overtime roller-coaster was one of the wildest experiences I have had as a sportswriter. When you’re watching the game at home, it probably doesn’t dawn on you – nor should it, really – that as the game went from a 19-point Knicks lead in the fourth quarter to a collapse that led to overtime after overtime after overtime, there were six beat writers sitting just to the side of the Knicks bench, behind the broadcasters, furiously pounding their keyboards changing a story that was changing right before our eyes.

One of my colleagues joked to me that he probably lost the Pulitzer last night. No kidding. My story for our first edition, which was originally due at 11:15 p.m. New York time, was shaping up rather well when the Knicks seemed to be cruising toward a 1-0 start to the season. At this point, you’re rooting for the story, just hoping the Knicks stay far enough ahead that all you need to do is plug in the final score and hit the send button.

But then the lead shrinks to 10 with five minutes to go. Then it’s 6. Then 4. Then 2.

Then it’s tied. Then Jamal Crawford misses a three-pointer just before the buzzer. And you think . . . uh oh.

The 650-word story you had crafted is now useless, especially if the Knicks somehow lose the game in overtime. So you edit and update, all while keeping one eye on the court to follow the play. It’s intense. The crowd is louder. Your heart races. Your wrists are sore from leaning on the laptop, which is alarmingly hot. You try to proofread, doing your best to make sure there are no mistakes. An editor will check for spelling errors and typos, but at that late stage of the night, he or she can’t look up facts.

You check things such as: the last time the Knicks won a season opener (five years ago, under Jeff Van Gundy). The last time the Knicks were over .500 (Jan 6, 2005, when they were 16-15 under Lenny Wilkens). Did the Knicks ever blow a 19-point fourth-quarter lead under Larry Brown?

And, as you repeatedly look over your shoulder, what is owner Jim Dolan’s reaction to all of this?

We coach a little, too. “Jamal – NO!” We growl about Crawford taking the final critical shots when Quentin Richardson clearly was in the zone all game. It’s now past 11:30 p.m. in New York. The editor says to hang in there and send once the game is over. But it seems like it’ll never end. A third overtime begins. Now just about everything I wrote in the fourth quarter is useless.

So much for the Pulitzer, indeed.

Finally a winner. Richardson sinks the free throws. Crawford redeems himself by making a clean steal to set up the winning points. Isiah Thomas has his first win as a Knicks coach. The Knicks celebrate and we wonder why they’re so happy. They blew a 19-point lead to a team that was without it’s star player, Pau Gasol. Had he been in the lineup, who knows what the outcome would have been?

Hit send. Hustle to the press room to put the laptop down and grab a notebook. Off to the locker room. Editor says you have about 20 minutes until the final edition story needs to be filed. That’s not as much time as you think. Thomas is beaming and proud, which again leaves us a little confused. In the room, the team seems relieved, but defiantly upbeat. Very united. Crawford is enjoyably candid. “Could I miss another shot?” he asks me. “Man, I had to do something defensively.” He did and it is well documented. Of course, so is his 4-for-22 effort from the field. Some things you just can’t overlook.

Back to the press room to try to make a more readable version of the story, with quotes. Editor calls, “Sending yet?” I glance at my watch. Damn, I forgot we’re in the Central Time Zone. I promise him it’ll be there in a minute. A quick proofread and send.

And then . . . exhale.

It’s 12:30 local time – 1:30 a.m. in New York – when we finally leave the arena. Ken Berger is hungry. I am too and still too wired for sleep. We find the one place that is still open and still serving food. Westy’s, it’s called. Two other writers join us and we eat and talk about what we just witnessed and lament the things we might have forgotten to mention in our stories.

One of us orders cheese-covered tater tots. It wasn’t me, nor was it Ken. But it’s a good example of why most sportswriters look the way they do. We’re wired, it’s late at night and we’re eating cheese-covered tater tots. It’s the life. Not always a healthy one, but it’s the life.

Finally back in my room with heavy eyes and a full stomach, yet with my mind still racing. I put in my MP3 earbuds and choose a little meditation music. George Winston. No lyrics, just relaxing.

My mind goes to a moment when Knicks radio commentator John Andriese walked by me and smiled. “Your first game, right?”

They sure made it memorable for me.

Jim Dolan popped his head into the Knicks locker room to wish the team good luck. Lineups are what we expected. A giddy atmosphere around the Knick locker room, typical of the first game of the regular season. Quick correction from my shoot-around post: Renaldo Balkman was not wearing leggings (stockings). He said he just had his black socks pulled way up, over his knees.
Jared Jeffries told a hilarious story about being under anesthesia yesterday for his wrist surgery. Can't share it here. Gotta read Newsday tomorrow!
Malik Rose is in. Knicks will have a full 12-man bench.
Enjoy the game.

After a delicious meal at Issac Hayes’ restaurant – none of Chef’s trademark specialties from South Park, if you know the reference – last night and a walk around town, Beale Street and all that, I woke earlier than usual ready for the start of the season.

On the MP3 as I got ready, a little Iron Maiden:

Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines
Remove all the wheelblocks theres no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway
Gotta get airborne before its too late.

I arrived at the FedEx Forum to find Isiah Thomas leaning against a wall along a corridor that leads to the court. He was in a black adidas sweatsuit with a black Knicks t-shirt underneath and his Autism Speaks pin, an omnipresent part of his daily wardrobe. Thomas was smiling and calm. Jitters don’t normally start until just before gametime, which is 7 p.m. here, 8 p.m. New York time.

“I’ll probably start getting a little intense about the situation and probably start feeling whatever I’m going to be feeling at that time,” he said.

It’s not his first time coaching an NBA game, so it’s not those kind of nerves. Rookie Mardy Collins admitted quietly to me that he had that kind of feeling too. Not worried, just anxious. The other rookie, Renaldo Balkman? His expression, which rarely changes, suggests none of this impresses him one bit.

He’s wearing black leggings by the way.

The team is going with black sneakers. I’m new here, so I asked why. I recall back in the day the Knicks wore black sneakers in the playoffs. Nate Robinson explained it’s just what they do on the road. It looks cool, but Nate knows white sneakers make you look faster. David Lee looked at his pale legs and lamented how bad black sneakers look on white guys. I once had those black Cons, the Larry Bird ones. Twisted my ankle in them. Went back to Nike. Still waiting for my endorsement check.

Quick observations: Stephon Marbury’s Starbury One sneakers look better in black, which weren’t previously available at Steve & Barry’s until now. In my opinion, Eddy Curry has the best-looking ones: black, blue and orange Nikes. I’m into sneakers. Not a big fan of Jamal Crawford’s Reeboks.

Moving on.

It’s possible the Knicks will have the maximum 12 healthy players available tonight because Malik Rose said he’s going to give it a go. After Jalen Rose was waived, the Knicks roster was down to 14, one under the limit, but Thomas doesn’t seem interested in adding another player just to sit the bench.

Probable Starting Lineups:
Knicks: Francis, Marbury, Richardson, Frye and Curry
Grizzlies: Stoudamire, Jones, Miller, Roberts and Tsakalidis

For Memphis, swingman Stromile Swift is probable. He was nursing a sore knee in the preseason. They’re already without Pau Gasol (broken foot), so losing Swift, an athletic wing player, is another blow.

Watch for: Curry vs. Tsakalidis. I’d like to see how Eddy handles himself against a bigger body. Tsakalidis is almost immobile, but he has had good games against Shaquille O’Neal.
I’ll check in before gametime if there’s any updates. If not, enjoy the game.