You must love those all-caps emails. Who doesn't? They're so motivational, like a drill sergeant. Like this email I received this morning as I awoke amid the tranquil mountain ranges of Utah.
ALAN, FOR THE RECORD AND TO SET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT, BALKMAN'S ELBOW IN THE UTAH GAME WAS CALLED A FOUL BY THE OFFICIAL. THE LEAGUE INCREASED THE PENALTY AFTER
REVIEW OF THE GAME TAPE.
Pow!
Wake up Maggot! You are a disgrace to yourself, your momma and the corps!
I hate mistakes. Hate them. Hate them even more when I don't realize them until they're already in black-and-white, with no chance of erasing, deleting or grabbing every newspaper off every driveway on Long Island and burning them so no one gets to see my stupid mistake.
All I could do was run to the top of the Park City mountaintops and scream.
Drah-gohhhhh . . . .Drah-gohhhhhh!
(No, not that. Nevermind.)
As some of you might have read in my story about Renaldo Balkman's one-game suspension, I wrote: "Vujacic fell immediately to the floor, but no foul was called."
It should have read, "Vujacic fell immediately to the floor and a foul was called, but no flagrant foul was called."
Of course it didn't say that.
Idiot.
*
On the same night Isiah Thomas admitted he was starting to consider moving Nate Robinson into the starting unit, Thomas saw the exact reasons not to heap too much responsibility on him. I've been beating N8's drum for a while now, but I think I'm going to actually agree with Isiah on this one. It wasn't about Nate struggling to defend Deron Williams, but more about Nate not yet understanding that there are some nights he can be the shooter and some nights he has to settle with being a facilitator and, most importantly, a defender.
Last night's game, for Nate, should have been all about stopping Williams. Using quickness, tenacity and good video scouting that is provided for him. Nate doesn't buy the size issue that Isiah mentioned after the game, when we asked him why Mardy Collins was in down the stretch instead of Nate.
“He’s a good player, but size has nothing to do with it," Nate said as he slowly dressed after the loss to Utah. "Every guard is taller than me in the league.”
I think the mental approach had more to do with it. Nate started to unravel again in this game and I think Isiah was concerned. Late in the Lakers game, you could see Nate losing his composure and against the Jazz he was at it again, arguing with Thomas and his teammates. He gets fired up. I like to use this line about Nate, which Mike Milbury once said to me about one of his antagonistic (and annoying) wingers: "What makes him an a--hole is what makes him good."
But it's that line he walks that makes him so dangerous to a team that needs wins right now. There were some timeouts where Nate was paying attention, though he wasn't in the game. And there were others when he had a towel wrapped around his head and his arms folded and with a disgusted look on his face.
You want him fiery. You want him on the edge. But until he matures enough to understand how to channel these emotions, you don't want to have to rely on him. You can't afford to.
This is perhaps Nate's critical step into becoming a legit starting player in the NBA.
*
One thing I can tell you about the postgame locker room -- and probably evident if you stayed up to watch the second half -- is this is a tired group. To play in this altitude on the second night of a back-to-back, with heavy minutes for several players -- Jamal Crawford played 45:01 last night, Zach Randolph played 44:48 -- is exhausting. You feel a little extra soreness a little more worn down than usual. And that's not a good combination when there's a flu bug going through the team.
Fred Jones is playing through it after dealing with a few days of a 103-degree fever. now Eddy Curry and Quentin Richardson are sick. Jared Jeffries kept covering his mouth on the bench, just to be careful.
And probably to bust a few chops.
*
En route to Portland right now for an offday. Z-Bo says he isn't planning anything crazy for his return to the Rose City. He said he doesn't really have any friends there anymore (that infamous Hoop Family we heard about must have moved out) and said he would hook up with a few of his former TrailBlazer teammates.
*
Magic Johnson is going to get an earful from Charles Barkley the next time they're on together for a TNT broadcast. As most of you I'm sure read (it was buried at the bottom of my story...where it belonged), Magic predicted the Knicks will make the playoffs with the 7th or 8th seed.
Somebody throw Magic a life preserver. He's floating away.
Truth is, Magic Johnson knows he has some dirt on his hands. It was his advice to Madison Square Garden president Steve Mills that led to the hiring of Isiah Thomas as president of the Knicks. Four years later, Johnson said the foundering condition of the Knick franchise has taken it’s toll not only on his old friend Isiah.
“It’s taken its toll on me too,” Johnson said in Los Angeles before the Knicks crumbled again down the stretch in a loss to the Lakers.
He may own a minority share in the Lakers, but Magic says that he roots for the Knicks and “cringed” at the backlash Thomas received from the Garden crowd when he attended a game earlier this season. “I have friends over there,” Johnson said, mentioning assistant coaches Herb Williams and Mark Aguirre. “I root for Steve Mills. I root for Isiah.”
Though their relationship is not believed to be as tight as it was during their playing days, when the two would famously exchange kisses at center court before tip-off, Johnson spent some time with Thomas before Tuesday’s game. “I came in to give him a big hug,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t want that on anybody. But I know this – he’s never going to quit. It’s not in his DNA.”
Comments (15)
hope the Knicks stay right were they are, so that we can get that nice high draft pick, and I hope that Isiah makes no trades or moves of any kind until the summer so that we can get situated to get Marbury off of our books somehow, so that we can get closer to being under the cap so as to possibly go after Lebron or DWade when they become available.
After that we could possibly trade Eddy Curry (i'm convinced that he'll never dominate both ends of a basketball court) let alone be average on defense, for some more servicable players or better yet Ron Artest!
If that trade couldn't happen, or if money is not the most important thing to him, (and I don't believe that it is) maybe we could sign Ron Artest with the mid level exception.
Actually,I would probably trade Curry right now for Artest because, I believe that that trade would serve us well, and I believe that without researching it, that their salaries are close, and if Sacramento does not trade him before the deadline, they'll get nothing in return but cap space.
Maybe they want cap space?
Any opinions?
Alan - Thanks for the insight into Nate and his emotional state - I remember that his inability to control himself was a big problem in his first season or two, and while he is making progress, he still has a ways to go, I guess. Here's hoping he gets there.
Having said that, Collins is just awful. Tired and flu-ridden or not. If Isiah is trying to shield Nate from the extra pressure and responsibility of starting, then why not try Jones? He may not be a pure point, but at least he can play basketball on an NBA level. Besides, Jamal was initiating the bulk of whatever "offense" the Knicks were running last night. The team is thin at the 1 since Isiah the GM had figured Marbury to be the starter this year, and when that imploded, guys have had to play more than planned. But Collins stands out (not just last night either) on the court as being way out of his depth, and shouldn't be playing, let alone starting, so long as there are two other healthy guards available.
Someone should tell Magic that refusing to quit if you haven't a clue what you are doing is not necessarily a good thing.
Alan,
Don't feel too bad about your glaring gaffe.
Ever since that Jessica Simpson tripe, the few intelligent readers who occasionally peruse your blog have known you to be a glaring idiot and imbecile of the lowest order.
That's why Peaceman and his loyal followers so adore you.
Is it me, or does this Friday game in Portland have all the makings of another embarrassing "new low" of the season for the Knicks. I'm thinking it will be typified by a Channing Frye block on one of Randolph's many forced shots and that the next day will bring a bunch of articles digging at Zach and how much better the Blazers are without him.
I hope it's not the case, because this team has shown some signs that they can learn to play together. But coming off of 3 losses, going into a hostile environment against a Blazers team that will be extra fired up against Z-Bo, having the flu... This is the type of game the Knicks give up on after losing the opening tip.
And if I'm wrong, then maybe they've finally found some heart.
I say the Knicks win the next two...why you ask?
- Brandon Roy and Jamal Crawford are best friends. Nate played in college with Roy as well. If you recall last year, Jamal destroyed Roy. I think the personal competition between these guys will light a huge fire
- Zach is going to man up. He is the type that gets fired up. He is aware that Portland is doing way better without him and people attribute that to him being traded
- Channing vs Lee: best friends on the Knicks. Lee will be pumped for this match-up.
- Fred Jones is from Portland.
- SEATTLE: Nate and Jamal, nuff said. They supposedly bought a boatload of tickets for everyone they know to help fill up that arena (obviously, its their homecoming and they are also Sonics fans that don't want to see the team go). As Walt says, the "Seattle conncection."
After that, we have the LA CLippers and Indy coming up. There is a potential 4-game streak that can unfold.
Call me an optimist, but I think this team has major heart and is playing it a-- off of late.
@ zippy - The team has been playing with a little more fire, but by no means would I say that they have "major heart." Teams with that level of desire close out tough games on the road. They don't lose them in bulk, like the Knicks do.
Also, I think that the fact that Z-bo will be trying to prove something against the Blazers will hurt the Knicks. He already takes too many forced shots. I have a bad feeling that in Portland, especially with a sick Curry getting limited minutes, he'll be barking for the ball all game, disrupting the flow of the offense, throwing up bad shots, and turning the ball over.
I hope I'm wrong.
Hey Alan (or anyone who knows): This might've been answered already, and I feel dumb for not knowing, but what is that sponge-like bandage that Jamal keeps wearing on his shoulder. I know he had shoulder problems, but I can't figure out what it is or why it's still there. And isn't his shoulder better by now? Is it Jamal's version of Rip Hamilton's mask, a bandage that he doesnt need but will be wearing the rest of his career?
Matt B, the bandage around jamal's arm was from a shoulder strain and he doesn't need it any more. Your right with the comparison to Rip, ever since Jamal's worn it the knicks have been playing better.
Alan. I agree with you nate needs to know that last night he has to work on defending Deron as his #1 priority. But last night he only took 5 shots, and didn't push the ball and make as many things happen as he usually does. I don' think once that entire he game he triied to attack on a fast brake. And even on a bad night for nate, do you think it shows his improvement that he had 6 assists on a night like that? In the past he would have had 1 assits and 3 or 4 turnovers
I just checked it out, and any of these trades could work.
We could trade Eddy Curry straight up for Ron Artest, or we could trade Eddy,Q Rich and either Nate,Renaldo or DLee for Artest and Brad Miller.
Any opinions?
Sorry, but I forgot one thought.
Since Miller can play away from the basket, he could probably play alongside Zach.
He also averages 9 rebounds per game and isn't as soft as Eddy "Carvel" Curry.
I would prefer to give up Balkman in this trade because we would be getting Artest, but sometimes you must give to receive.
Scott D - I don't think Artest is the answer. And I certainly wouldn't want to give up one of our young guys for him when he's a free agent next season.
Artest is the guy you bring to a winning team that needs that final piece to the puzzle. You bring him to a team with an established culture.
The Knicks are a mess. I agree with you trading Curry for someone who can defend would be a good thing, but I just don't see the Kings making the trade. And again, I don't think Artest will magically turn things around here. I think he'll just be another big-name, bad chemistry guy that will hurt them in the long run.
I'd rather trade Curry, if possible, for expiring contracts and draft picks.
Matt, I don't think that Artest is the answer, just part of the solution.
We stink at the three.
And if he wouldn't resign, we would be getting a little cap space, plus getting a more servicable five in Brad Miller.
As far as Sacramento making this trade, I do agree that it might not be what they are looking to do, however, that's why I threw DLee into the equation.
And remember it fun to fantasize when you not getting what you need at home!
just when you thought the nightmare might end....
THANKS, ST. KNICK” Utah fans had extra incentive to root against the Knicks on Wednesday, and every day for the next two years. The Jazz will claim the Knicks’ first-round pick in one of the next three drafts, probably in 2010, regardless of where the pick falls that year.
Phoenix acquired the pick as part of the Stephon Marbury deal in 2004, and later sent it to Utah. The pick is protected through 23 this year and through 22 in 2009, but becomes unprotected in 2010.
Im a big Knick fan. I dont know where to start. The Knicks coach sucks he got to go. The team was not built for defense. I dont remember any championship team that played no defense. No defense means not a good team. Some people hope they make the playoff, 8 spot I hear. What a joke. If they get that lucky. They will have an early exit. But thats what the coach wants that way he dont get fired.. The best thing to do now is STAY LOOSING. GET A BAD RECORD THAT WAY MAYBE WE CAN GET A GOOD DRAFT PICK. The team we have now is a joke. They fool me at the beggining of the season, I though we were good better than last year but we took a few steps back. If we make any trades please someone tell IT to get as much first round draft pick as possible. Curry he got to go. Randolf playes hard but no defense. He could be traded for some young players and draft pick. Jerome James what joke he robe the knicks with out a gun. And he took the money and walked to the closest Burger King. Too bad Malick Rose dose not have the offensive skills that Curry has. If you put them both together you get a pretty good all around player with heart. Thats what curry is missing. I know that Marty Collins has not played too many minutes but I dont think you will ever get more out of him. Why IT does not play the 2 rookies. Lets see what they can give us on a nightly basis. What a joke the KNicks have become since Patrick Ewing days. What a joke the Knicks have become under James Dolan. What a joke the Knicks have become since Isiah Thomas took over. I think we turn into the LA Clippers in the 80s. Im just upset. Is time to turn to a new GM new Coach. New team. Keep some of the young and turn us back into what we deserve. This is NEW YORK. The best city around. Trust me. We need New everything.
This is off topic, but I noticed this on the Knicks' website:
"For the third time in as many games on their five-game road trip, the Knicks were competitive against one of the Western Conference's best but came up empty."
Wow. You know the standards have dropped to a new low when they're proud that they were competitive in 3 straight losses.
I hate this team.
I can't remember who but someone once said we should trade for dalembert and miller. I agree now. Curry, Malik, Randolph Morris and Collins works. Oh wait...Brown is still in Philly.
No matter what the turn out the game the comparisons to portland will be horrible afterwards.