The Knicks Fix

Isiah Thomas conducted his exit interviews with the Knicks players over the final days of the season. Now, it's my turn.

Eddy Curry - Please develop two things this summer, a 15-foot jumper and a mean streak. For instance, next season, picture every player you go up against as Scott Skiles. Maybe that'll help.

Jamal Crawford - Your game developed almost as much as Eddy's this season, but most people didn't notice it as much. I'm saying nice things to you because I hope you don't go public with the late reaction our medical staff had with your ankle fracture.

Stephon Marbury - Before your body broke down, you showed flashes of all-star talent. I don't really care to discuss the off-the-court stuff, because sneakers and TV shows may improve your image, but it ain't getting me a ring.

Quentin Richardson - My man, you could play hockey. And on my team, you'd have a "C" on your chest. That's the biggest compliment I could give anyone. And I need to compliment you because I hope you don't reveal the truth about the confusion surrounding your season-ending back surgery.

Steve Francis - Sorry we wasted your time. Enjoy Cleveland. Or, whatever.

David Lee - Um, great season until, well, you know. You're not going to sue, are you? Malpractice cases tend to get ugly. As a token of his appreciation, Mr. Dolan has this 2007 Escalade for you. And free Cable for life. What? You want a contract extension? Son, we don't just toss those things around here.

Nate Robinson - Look, you're a funny guy, but funny guys who can't play don't win. We'd consider giving you Ritalin, but we're afraid it'll make your feet even slower on defense. So all we can do is implore you to start taking this NBA dream more serious. If you don't, we'll see you on the Harlem Globetrotters tour, where they love people who clown around and where winning is not the purpose.

Channing Frye - Mr. First Quarter. You seemed to always disappear after that. You have more talent than perhaps you allow yourself to believe. Unfortunately this place may not have the right program for you to develop. Hello, Donnie Walsh please....yes, I'll hold.

Renaldo Balkman - Aw man. Crazy. You were better than anyone thought, yet let's not get carried away. Your career potential is an off-the-bench energy guy. But we dig that about you, baby.

Mardy Collins - Can I just say I called it from the start? No tattoos, no attitude, no B.S. Just a ball. You may be from Philly, but you were a born Knick and one of the few on this team who could have easily fit in on those teams from the 1990s. Welcome home.

Jared Jeffries - Just a suggestion, give up on the free throw practice. Spend more time on everything else. Oh, and thanks for not making a big deal out of the fact that we never X-rayed your injured wrist until after that first preseason game, when we realized you broke it. Oopsie!

Malik Rose - Pro's pro (another element we need more of around here). If Q gets the 'C' on my team, you'd definitely get one of the 'A's. For anyone who doesn't know what this means, ask someone in hockey. Malik I know you know, because you were a Flyers fan.

Jerome James - When you were asked to come to training camp in shape, we didn't mean "pear," man! (Seriously, was that the best shape you could get yourself in? At $5 million a year?)

Kelvin Cato - It's our fault. If we gave you some time to get in shape, maybe we should have pushed you into the lineup as the power forward, because at least you'd try to block a few shots and get a few rebounds. Instead, you sat the bench for a million bucks. Life's good, isn't it?

Randolph Morris -- Oh, hey. That's right, forgot about you in that last game. Uh, sorry. Was trying to win and, well...yeah. OK, you're free to get back to Kentucky and finish classes so you don't singlehandedly destroy the basketball program there by dropping out completely. We'll see you in summer league.

* * *
My mandatory summer league invites:
Balkman, Collins, Frye, Morris and Robinson.

My offseason targets:
Kevin Garnett - If he decides to opt-out, Minnesota should trade him first. I'd be first in line. Instant credibility and he can hit a short jumper. Doesn't need to be the focal point of the offense.

Jermaine O'Neal - If Garnett isn't available, O'Neal is my second choice. Has a history with Isiah with the Pacers and with assistant coach George Glymph, who coached him at Eau Claire High in South Carolina. O'Neal is younger, a good shot-blocker (which the Knicks lack) and is versatile enough to work with Curry.

Pau Gasol - Terrific scorer and underrated shot-blocking presence. A competitor, when he's healthy. If the Grizzlies consider dealing him, the Knicks have to look into it.

Rashard Lewis - Certainly worth looking at, but he's more of a small forward. Where would he fit on a team loaded with tweeners? He doesn't fill a more critical need, which is at the "four" spot.

Mikki Moore - He'll be a free agent and this season with the Nets showed an ability to hit jumpers, defend the post and even is strong on help D. Great energy guy and competitive.

Ron Artest - Why not? If the Kings are willing to move him, the Knicks might as well look to right a wrong from so many years ago, when a previous administration thought it best to draft an immobile European big man over the homegrown Artest. A return to New York might put a spark back into Artest, which would be a major spark for the Knick defense.

MSG chairman Jim Dolan was given the opportunity to show fans some appreciation by taking a moment after Monday's Garden finale to use the print media to thank the Knicks fans for their incredible show of loyalty to a team that hasn't had a winning season in six years. The crowds at MSG this season blew me away by their numbers and their passion. They sold out 9 of the final 10 games at the Garden. The Knicks lost 9 of their last 10 home games.

Yet even as the Nets were going through the motions en route to Monday's win over the Knicks, the Garden faithful were still cheering, roaring and chanting.

But when a few of us beat writers approached Dolan after the game, he had nothing to say.

"No boys," he said. "I've got nothing for you."

I guess he's saving it for his WFAN appearance this afternoon with Mike and the Mad Dog.

Still, his unwillingness to even offer a heartfelt comment -- especially a spontaneous one -- makes you recall the One Percent comment from earlier in the season, when Dolan revealed that the revenue for his two Garden teams only make up one percent of the Cablevision revenue. So, you see, the overwhelming loyalty is apparently lost on the owner because he doesn't feel it in his pockets, even though you feel it in yours.

But at 32-49, it was worth it, right?

* * *
Coming off the infamous "Big Mac Controversy" in Chicago, I was told a story by a former NBA executive whom I have known a while and for whom I have a great respect (even if he is a lawyer). He told me about a similar promotion in New Orleans, where the Atlanta Hawks used to play some games. The promotion was free fries if Dominique Wilkins had three dunks in the game.

So one game 'Nique has two dunks, but the Hawks are up big. So coach Mike Fratello takes him out of the game, which draws loud boos from the fans, who clearly wanted those free fries. Fratello decides to put Wilkins back in the game and he gets free for a dunk. The crowd rises in anticipation.

But he's fouled before he can get to the rim. No dunk. No fries.

More boos.

* * *

The Knicks Garden finale didn't have a celebrity row, it was Murderer's Row, I mean drop-dead gorgeous. Imagine this awesome foursome: Kimora Lee Simmons, Tyra Banks, Jessica White and Beyonce. Throw in Jessica Simpson and that's my T-Mobile Fav Five. My girl Daisy Duke can sing, we know Beyonce can dance and Ms White, Ms Simmons and Ms Banks? Just stand there and lemme just lookatcha...

...81 down, one to go. Rakim knows where I'm coming from:

I chill as they filled the jacuzzi
I said, Im tight from a real long flight, could you soothe me
Support my thoughts, cause I got a lot of writing to do
They said, cool, and just enjoyed the view
It aint hard cause its miles from the sidewalk
Im overlookin every borough in new york
The entire, empire, state to concentrate
For every rhyme I make
So at exactly noon they played my favorite tune
And just before they all cleared the room
They said, were glad youre home from tour, now we feel secure
We wish you didnt have to leave no more

I've been hearing a lot lately about how the New York media has gone soft on the Knicks. Even Scott Skiles hinted to it with his sarcastic post-game remark, “From everything I hear, the Knicks are on the verge of becoming a great team." In some cases there is some truth to it.

There's been a great deal of accentuating of the positives, whether it is Eddy Curry's so-called breakout season (as I've said before, it's been a grand arrival, let's hope the breakout one is a little more consistent and well-rounded) or Isiah Thomas' coaching (let's not forget this is the team he also built as the team president) or Stephon Marbury's metamorphosis, David Lee's development, improved selection on the MSG concession menu or maybe the pregame video, etc.

One point made that really concerned me was the idea that this team really gets along great. Really? Well, to me, a team that gets along despite being under .500 all season is a major concern. Where's the accountability? Where's the competitive fire?

Where's the leadership in a locker room that allows guys to not take the losses so seriously?

Isn't anyone ticked off about this?

Losing sucks. It absolutely sucks. It sucks to watch. It sucks to be around. It should make you mad. It should make you frustrated. It should make you want to call out the guys who aren't doing their part. It should create competition for minutes. It should make the guys who care separate themselves from the phonies who only care on the first and the 15th each month. Or when Slam Magazine's photographer is there or ESPN's camera is nearby.

Are we supposed to show sympathy for a team that right now is riddled with injuries and missing four of five starters? No. We're supposed to point that out and we do. But we can't point that out without also pointing out that while Isiah is starting an inexperienced backcourt of rookie Mardy Collins and second-year guard Nate Robinson, he's doing so with $15 million veteran Steve Francis, albeit hobbled some by an ankle sprain, sitting on the bench. He's doing it with his previous two mid-level exception signings, Jerome James and Jared Jeffries ($60 million in contracts between them), ready and able to play. He's doing it with the No. 8 overall pick in last year's draft, Channing Frye, ready and able to play.

But you've read about everything else. You've read that Isiah should "take a bow" after the Knicks got into the eighth spot after the buzzer-beating win over the Wizards. One usually shouldn't take a bow until the performance is over. But it was said. Take a bow, Isiah. You've done enough. Never mind the month or so games that were still left to play in the season.

I don't blame Isiah for any of this. It's his job to deliver the daily rhetoric. On game days, he has to talk with the media three times. Trust me, it gets monotonous for us, just imagine how it gets for him. Eventually, you just start spewing B.S. just to get through the day and the inane questions from people looking for stories to carry the early edition.

It's up to the media - Newsday included - to keep it real, sift through that BS and not allow the rhetoric to influence the coverage of a team that is 14-games under .500 and headed toward yet another season without a playoff appearance.

The fans shouldn't accept it, either.

Many times as a sportswriter -- or maybe just a Knicks writer this season -- you find yourself writing some of the most absurd material you can ever imagine for a basketball game story. The winner came Tuesday night in Chicago, when the Big Mac became the main course in a broiling controversy (sorry, that was lame) between the Bulls and Knicks.

You can't argue the fact that Chicago was breaking an unwritten NBA rule in the final minute of the 98-69 win. Proper etiquette in the final minute of a blowout is to kill the clock and, under any circumstances, do not shoot the ball.

But the 22,000 fans at United Center were begging for two more points. Two lousy points. My luxury suite for a free Big Mac! Apparently these people have never seen the documentary, Super Size Me.

Somewhere Ralph Nader is penning a letter of protest to the Chicago Bulls organization, for promoting fast food on its young fans. LeBron James, you're CC'd.

A free Big Mac is so hard to resist.

"Big Macs are tasty," Jerome James said in his honorable attempt to break the tension. "You ever have one of them things hot?"

Well, I certainly never was desperate enough to eat one cold.

The Bulls may have been innocently trying to give the home crowd a little extra something to go home with (hey, they had to sit through a 30-point blowout that had zero entertainment value), but they aren't totally innocent. If you just needed two points, why are you jacking up threes? And why was rookie Tyrus Thomas going for an alley-oop?

Why were the Bulls playing pressure defense in the third quarter up by 30?

Yes, the whole situation was absurd, but I like that the Knicks don't allow themselves to be punked. I would just rather see that kind of fire before the game instead of after it. Sure, it was the fourth game in five nights, but it was hard not to notice the pregame warmup (which is one of my favorite things because you can watch how guys prepare, what they work on, etc.), the Bulls had half of their team on the floor and most of the Knicks remained in the locker room.

* * *

Speaking of pregame, Isiah Thomas was bombarded with the typical questions that revisited the Eddy Curry trade. Considering Curry's arrival season and the fact he played for the Bulls and is from Illinois, that is a relevant topic. The pregame portion of media availability is for these types of questions. But during the postgame scrum, while Thomas was taking the high road about the Bulls' Big Mac quest, he then was blindsided with a question about his team's effort.

"Do you see any difference in effort by the way the team's playing since you did get your extension? Do you think they were maybe trying to save your job before? Notice any changes since that time?"

Thomas uttered a "No" and I tried to intercept with a quick question about the playoff race. Didn't exactly lighten the mood, but I just blurted it out. Isiah answered me, but you could tell he was working on his reply to this reporter, who probably should have first known that the Knicks record may be awful since Jim Dolan gave Isiah his extension (3-12), the Knicks are rarely blown out. In fact, most of their games go right down to the wire.

Thomas finished answering my question and then turned to the previous questioner.

"By the way, I'm pretty secure in who I am," he said. "And I've done all right in my life. So I don't need people to save me. But thank you."

The Eddy Curry trade has been a debate among the writers on the Knicks beat lately, especially after some recent stories promoted the idea that the trade can now be deemed a success for the Knicks.

Oh really.

Some of us like to let time take its course and view the entire body of work before we start promoting theories and ideas and even proclamations. Others like to jump the gun, from suggesting such things as Defensive Player of the Year consideration for Jared Jeffries (after one game!) to Coach of the Year honors for Isiah Thomas (for a sub-.500 record!). Why not Rookie of the Year for Stephon Marbury, while you're at it? I mean, if his game has been "re-born" then, technically, he's a rookie again, right?

It's absurd to say the book can be closed on the Curry trade after one season and before the lottery for this year's draft and before the Bulls select whomever they are going to select with the Knicks pick.

Fact: Curry has had a nice arrival season, not quite a breakout -- that should come next season, when he double-doubles every night and shows off an ability to intimidate on defense -- but certainly worth noting. Fact: He has yet to reach his potential, which is why he didn't get voted (by coaches) to the all-star team. Fact: He's got a terrific personality and the right demeanor to deal with the New York media and the annoyance it can be, which means he should be successful here. Fact: The Bulls traded away what is now their most glaring need: a big man. And they once had two of them (see: Tyson Chandler).

But what's also a fact is that for years the Native Americans who sold Manhattan to Dutch settlers for a mere pittance were mocked for being ripped off by the Europeans. Later on, however, we learn those Indians didn't own the land, nor even reside on what was Manhattan island. So they walked away with beads and trinkets worth $24 (which calculates to about $700 now) in exchange for something they didn't even own.

So who really won out in that deal? The Dutch are gone. The trinkets might have lasted longer.

Eddy's coming along great. Let's just let him develop before we make declarations. And let's just see what the Bulls do with the Knicks pick (it's a longshot they'll get No. 1, unless the Knicks really tank, so Oden and Durant might not be in the equation...exhale, Knicks fans), what comes of Tyrus Thomas, and revisit this trade when we know all of the facts.

* * *

* - Isiah Thomas appreciates what Joe Dumars did with the Pistons, bringing back the facets of the championship era, from the personality of the team to the uniforms. "They’ve gone back to their tradition," Thomas says. "We fought so hard to establish a tradition and a way of doing things in Detroit and for awhile they went away from their logo, they changed the colors, they did a lot of to go away from what Detroit really stood for . . . When he came back, that was the first thing that he put back in place. Now the players and coaches and everyone have a road map to follow and a certain style and a way to play. That was a culture that we fought hard to build and then it went away, and when he came back, that was the first thing he put in place. So the foundation is there for them to continue to have great success.”

So with that, we hope, Thomas' plan is to build the Knicks in the image of the Knicks tradition. But which one? Though both were built around a key centerpiece -- the big man -- Thomas seems to want to reflect the championship era teams from the 1970s, the Willis Reed/Walt Frazier group, more than the Patrick Ewing era of the 1990s, which was more of a revival but fell short of titles. Which era would you rather see the current Knicks emulate?

* - With the Islanders miraculous finish to the hockey season (Yes, I was watching. How could I not?), it means the New York metro area is 7 for 7 in playoff teams going back to last fall. The Mets and Yankees, the Jets and Giants and the Islanders, Devils and Rangers. Once the Nets clinch, that will make 8 for 8. But it looks like the Knicks are about to snap that streak.

Why not.

We've seen just about everything else this season. And some of it with less than a second left.

So after Ruben Patterson banked his prayer of a three with :00.9 left on the clock in regulation Saturday night in Milwaukee, I was curled up on my couch at home -- Easter holiday, so John Jeansonne was kind enough to make the trip in my place -- and decided not to change the channel over to Mad TV. Not yet. You don't change the channel on the Knicks. Ever.

Curry stood there like the Statue of Liberty. Dan Gadzuric seemed confused. Curry shot it like a free throw.

(Then again, considering his percentage from the stripe, I take that back.)

Splash.

Why not. I mean . . . why not.

Isiah said he drew it up for Eddy and I believe him. Who else was going to take that shot? Nate Robinson? At 5-9 against a double-team? Nah. Channing Frye? He was 0 for 3 and went scoreless for the first time since Jan. 23.

Once Eddy took his position behind the line, a little voice inside me said....Curry's taking this shot.

Ka-boom.

Useless clairvoyance. Story of my life.

I wrote this after the loss to Minnesota and I mean every word of it: If the Knicks accomplished anything this season, it is that they are watchable. It's been a few years since you could say that. It doesn't always end great and sometimes it can drive you insane, but you have to admit one thing, whether they are down by 20 or up by 20, you can't change the channel. And if there's less than a second to go and they have the ball...bet on something ridiculous to happen every time.

We were just talking about Curry needing to develop an outside shot to add to his repertoire. Let's hope he doesn't get all Manute Bol on us.

* * *

* - Yes it was overtime, but did you see Mardy Collins fall just two assists short of a triple-double? He had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists.

* - If Stephon Marbury hasn't decided to shut it down for the season after sitting out last night's game with the re-aggravated turf toe injury (along with knee tendinitis and a sore back), he should. Same goes for David Lee. It's a valiant effort, but at this point it might cause more harm than good.

* - The Knicks have seen more sellouts at the Garden in the second half of the season, but despite the late charge to the box office (11 of the past 13 games have been sold out), this could wind up being the Knicks' worst season at the turnstiles in five years. After 39 games, the Knicks are averaging 18,745 in attendance (19,763 is a sellout), which means they are around 94.9 percent capacity. Last season, the Knicks averaged 18,931 per game and were at 95.8 percent capacity. The best year in the past five seasons came in 2004-05, when they averaged 19, 515 and were at 98.7 percent capacity.

*- Sorry, I can't waste another Mike & the Mad Dog routine on six games to go and three games out. It stops right after this: Orlando plays at Milwaukee on Monday. The Knicks host Detroit. Moving on...

The boot was gone from his surgically-repaired right ankle and Jamal Crawford, for the first time since Feb. 26, was in sneakers, two of them, and on the Knicks practice court. He took the next step in his rehabilitation from an ankle fracture after he was cleared to begin light work, which included a slide-step drill across the width of the court and taking tip-toe jumpers.

When he was done, Crawford went to the free throw line. Cash. 15 straight before I lost count. He noticed me watching and went lefty. Splash.

Show off.

After a quick hello, Jamal said he expects to be ready to go by the playoffs.

"First round?"

"Oh yeah," he said.

It's been five weeks since the surgery and Crawford looks determined to play as soon as the doctors will let him. He had an evaluation on Wednesday. He's been running on the underwater treadmill. "Uphill," he added. Plenty of work being done to keep his wind up. And his shot?

"That's no problem," he said with a smile.

The playoffs begin April 21. The Knicks have eight games left to make up a 2.5 game deficit for that final playoff spot. If they do, who knows? With Crawford back, Curry has someone who knows how to get him the ball right where he wants it, especially that dynamic lob play for the alley-oop.

It's not as easy as it looks. Have you seen some of the attempts by other Knicks? Channing Frye tried one against Philadelphia that almost hit the shot clock.

You could see Curry look to the Knick bench after that one. Jamal, get your skinny butt out there!

He's coming, Eddy. But only if you get your big butt in gear and get the Knicks to the playoffs.

* * *

* - Why Tonight's Game Means Everything, Part. 74: This is the game-in-hand the Knicks have over the Orlando Magic. After tonight, each team will have 7 games left. We'll analyze the remaining games and maybe do another Mike and the Dog thingy in our Easter weekend blog. I know you can't wait. Neither can I.

* - David Lee spoke with the media this morning. He'll dress again tonight and might even play. He can't be anywhere near 100 percent, but his desire to play is not surprising. The Knicks need more of his type of intensity and competitive fire.

* - OK, Jared Jeffries doesn't go to the line much but earlier in the season it was often an adventure when he did. But you have to give credit where it's due, especially when a guy puts in the time Jared puts in after practice to work on his most obvious weakness. So we will here. Jared has hit 8 of his last 12 attempts from the line over the past nine games. Well done, Jared. Well done.

Down two-and-a-half games with 8 to go is not yet time to wave the white kerchief, but if you're desperate enough to want to believe in something as this Knicks season winds down, believe that the primo burn rookies such as Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins are getting lately is great for their development.

Balkman is giving you exactly what you love to have off the bench -- an energy guy who is not afraid to throw his maple tree body into the forest of oaks and grab rebounds and finish breaks -- and Collins is starting to show some confidence in his offense, especially with his ability to get into the paint and score. Both guys, we've already known, can defend.

But what about Randolph Morris? We know very little about him or his potential other than what we've seen while watching him work after practice with Mark Aguirre, whom I have quickly learned is an outstanding teacher of the low-post game.

Morris has a nice touch and has strength to bang. But he's probably not much more than 6-foot-9, which means power forward at best. Another one. Let's see, Morris, David Lee and Channing Frye. Which one won't be here in the fall?

After two years of watching Lee and Frye, we can list their strengths and weaknesses. Lee hasn't proven he can hit the 15-to-20 footer, but that's something he can develop with off-season work. His rebounding ability and his less-heralded but equally important ability to pass the ball and keep an offense in-flow are things you can't teach or develop over a summer. And that's what Frye is lacking, not to mention instincts as a help-defender. But Frye has a killer J. He makes the net splash. At his height, he is difficult to guard on the perimeter and I'd like to see the Knicks develop a way to utilize him on the weak side, especially if Eddy Curry is double-teamed by two bigs. A quick pass out to Frye on the weak-side perimeter would destroy that type of defense.

That doesn't help, however, if down at the other end neither he nor Eddy can do anything with penetrating guards. Two guys that are 6-11 and neither can block shots. Makes a coach not want to play them together.

And that brings us to Morris. We've seen his low-post moves. Good footwork. Nice soft touch. Strong on the post. He can hit the 15-to-20 footer. But can he rebound and defend? Can he read a play and slide over to help and maybe change a shot? Can he make up for Curry's slow instincts?

We don't know. And we probably won't know until the summer, because Isiah Thomas doesn't seem to want to play the kid right now as the Knicks playoff hopes are on life support. We asked Isiah how Morris is progressing today.

"He's gonna be great in the summer league," he replied.

I still think he could be a trading chip. Let's start the rumor mill now. If Jermaine O'Neal does wish to leave Indiana after this season, what better fit for him is there than here with the Knicks?

Here's your starting lineup: Marbury-Crawford-Richardson-O'Neal-Curry. Off the bench: Lee, Balkman, Collins.

Thoughts?

Isiah Thomas was hit with a $50,000 fine for his comments from Saturday night -- and probably for perpetuating it after yesterday's practice -- regarding Stephon Marbury and the Knicks perception that Marbury doesn't get the same calls as other guards. It appears Stu Jackson dropped the hammer on Isiah after letting him slide on some other controversial moments from this season (see: Bruce Bowen, Carmelo Anthony).

After practice today and before the fine was announced, Thomas said he was only doing what a coach should do when he used his post-game address after the overtime loss to the Hornets to as a forum to call out NBA referees on how they officiate Marbury.

“It's one of the job responsibilities I feel the coach should have and take on," Thomas said. " . . . My coaches did it for me, whether it be Coach [Bob] Knight or Coach [Chuck] Daly. They spoke our for me.”

Isiah spoke out for Eddy Curry earlier in the season, but he did it in a much more political way. His outspokenness for Marbury might have also been a sign of his frustration for a season that is slipping away.

Willis Reed is cool. He's got that bluesy drawl in his voice that is so deep south it might as well be served with Zatarain's rice and some gumbo. His smile is warm and real. His handshake is firm and genuine and, by the way, huge.

In my first year on this beat I looked forward to getting the chance to talk hoops with John Andraise, whom I grew up listening to and learning from on Knick telecasts. I had ambition to meet John Starks and Walt Frazier, whose respective games I admired. I was excited to meet Patrick Ewing, my all-time favorite Knick.

But I was in awe of The Captain. And yet he greeted me like an old friend.

Reed is retiring from his position as an executive with the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets after this season. The Hornets honored him at halftime of the game against the Knicks on Saturday night and one of his parting gifts was an ATV. An odd retirement gift for a 6-foot, 9-inch 64 year old man. But Reed is an outdoorsman, a hunter and a fisherman. He loved the ATV. And he plans to stay retired.

“This is it, I’m going fishing," Reed said. "I’ve got an ATV and a fishing rod and I’ve got three ponds on my property that I can go fishing on.”

He lives in north Louisiana, where Karl Malone, another well-known outdoorsman, also resides. One reporter joked that Malone isn't known to be a good shot.

“I watch everybody who’s got a gun," Reed said with a booming laugh. "I don’t care who they are. I generally walk behind the guy with a gun, not in front of them!”

Reed's property wasn't affected by Hurricane Katrina. But that doesn't mean Reed wasn't affected by the devastation to his beloved state. Reed got involved in the clean-up efforts and was an active part of the Hornets' "Hoops for Homes" initiative to help rebuild New Orleans.

In this photo, Reed (right) and fellow former NBAer Artis Gilmore are offering some hands-on assistance. Reed and Gilmore joined Bob Lanier, Bob Pettit and Bill Walton in the project.

Though Reed will be retired, he will be active in working with the NBA for next year's all-star game, which is tentatively scheduled to be in New Orleans. It's been a touchy subject this season and Reed doesn't deny it will be a challenge to get The Big Easy ready for such a huge event.

“New Orleans was not what it was, so you just don’t know what the outcome is going to be," he said. " . . . But there’s always tomorrow and tomorrow is always hope.”

We also asked him the obvious, what do you think of Eddy Curry, the next generation of Knick big men. Did Willis think he could be included in the prestigious club?

“As I’ve told you before and I’ll still tell you, Patrick’s the greatest center of all time for the Knicks; I was a power forward playing center," Reed said, smiling. "Patrick was a true center and I think Curry’s a center.”

As for Isiah Thomas, an outsider running the Knicks, Reed had only compliments to offer.

“I think Isiah’s done a nice job," he said. " . . . I think he’s done a pretty good job with the kids and if everybody was healthy I think it would be a different situation for them.”