Crawford's 7th Blog Entry

Finally!!

Sorry I missed a week, just had to finish up preseason and get a few more practices in before tonight. First off, I want to give a shout out to Patrick Ewing Jr. He's a hard worker, he's really talented and is a scary athlete. He will have a future in this league.

Honestly, I was really surprised by him getting cut, but I'm just hoping there's a bigger plan for him. I trust Mr. Walsh -- he's smart like that, so hopefully we'll see him again!

I watched all the games last night. Boston vs. Cleveland was a good game. I thought the Cavs had them, but Boston was able to just hang around and keep the pressure on those guys all night. The one thing about Boston is they really cover for each other and they play so hard. That's why they won...

The next game was the Lakers and Blazers. I watch the Blazers more then any other team in the league (because of my friendship with Brandon Roy). They have expectations on them now, but they'll be fine......

All summer this is what you workout for.....this what you train for....this is it...another chance at redemption!

It's time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crawford Files

D'Antoni's Reaction to Marbury Chants....Fans Should Lay Off

It was a dumb chant to begin with. Knicks were up double digits and the chant solely came from cynical a$$hole in all of us Knick fans just like Coach was caught on TV saying. The NyPost reported that he was caught on camera saying,

"You've got to be (bleeping) kidding me. You've got to be (bleeping) kidding me. What a bunch of (bleep) holes."

Coach D'Antoni didn't back down from the media either when he was confronted about this, he said it was basically a knee-jerk reaction.

"Did I look exasperated?" D'Antoni added. "I was into the game. You get so much adrenaline at that point and you react. I'm into the game, into the moment. Sometimes I can be better than that. I'll make mistakes. I'll do better."

D'Antoni has a reputation of being an animated coach, after three straight poor offensive possessions he called timeout and while the players walked into the huddle, he became enraged and barked out some expletives (in a motivational way it seemed).

This entire story is less important than Marbury is to the Knicks and I really hope no fans are sour on Mike D'Antoni. Let's not rock the boat, he seems to have put a new personality into the locker room and players seem happier. Let him continue his work and hopefully, sooner than later, he will build a winner here.

Spike Represents Obama at the Knick Game

Check Out Spike's Sweatshirt From Opening Night Vs the Heat:

it's an illustration of Vince Carter's monster dunk literally over French Center, Frederic Weis, where Obama dunks over McCain. Way to go Spike!!

'New' Knicks Beat Over-WADE-ed Heat 120-115

BOXSCORE

It was an eventful night at the Garden tonight, and the Knicks (1-0) got their season started with a victory. Q-tip performed the new "GO NY GO" song and the crowd was electric for the whole 48 minutes. Jamal came out and nailed his first three jumpers and got the Knicks off to a quick 9-3 start. Scoring came easy to the Knicks tonight as they put up 120 points and shot 48% from the field. Crawford would finish with 29 points 4 rebounds and 4 assists, an answer to those who said he would not perform well in the new system. As far as my critique, it was solely based on his nonchalant comments and I made sure to state that I trusted he would play well. Chris Duhon looked comfortable with the ball in his hands and he continues to grow and make his teammates better. Front court which consisted of Randolph and David Lee was great. Together they combined for 36 points 20 rebounds and 7 assists (5 from Lee). Wilson Chandler showed us what he could do scoring 17 points in many different ways and also grabbing 9 rebounds. Most of the Knicks' turnovers came in the sloppy 4th quarter in which they squandered what was once a 23 point lead and they only had 15 for the entire game. Low turnovers and good free throw shooting were keys for the Knicks tonight as well as the 27 assists on 42 made baskets. It certainly looked like a rejuvenated group. For some reason, Jamal Crawford gives Dwayne Wade nightmares. He didn't drop 50 on his head tonight but he made wade look foolish on several plays, including drawing two fouls on wade on three point attempts, the second leading to Wade's early exit to the game as he collected his 6th and final foul. Beasley did what he does and did all he can do, which is score. He is an undersized forward with a nice jump shot and not much defensive intensity.

"We started the game so slow. By the time we woke up, it was too late," Beasley said.

To cap off why I chose the headline of 'Over-WADE-ed..Shawn Marion, perfect example of a Steve Nash, hand made product. Marion had 14 and 11 but for much of the time was a non factor. My hunch is that he will not be anywhere near the same type of player that he was in Phoenix.

Eddy Curry did not play at all, nor did Marbury despite loud chants of "we want Steph."

"I just liked the overall play," D'Antoni said. "There's certain guys I want to see and make sure and it's a delicate situation. Steph's been great. It hasn't been his fault," D'Antoni said. "I know he's not going to be happy about it and I wouldn't be either, but the team goes on two different tracks. One is for the future and one is for trying to win now."I know it's not a great situation for him and so is Eddy, it's not a great situation. But nothing is closed. No door is closed. We'll see how it goes forward.""I think those last five minutes ... we kind of shut it down. We can't do that. We're not that good to be able to do that."

Some of my personal game notes I thought were worthy of telling you:

-Funny quote that came from a fan in my section during the 'we want Steph' chant was, "You want Steph....Go to Isiah's house." Also while the chants were going on David Lee hit Wilson Chandler for a nice back door bounce pass for a dunk and a fan said, "You see that's a play, Steph can't run that."

-The chant was surprising, very in fact. I thought to myself why would they want Steph, especially since the Knicks were winning. maybe it was because they had nothing to boo and they are so accustomed to booing at Knick games. They kept getting louder and louder and soon the whole arena was chanting it. A few fans tried drown out the chant with boos but they were more than unsuccessful. Head coach Mike D'Antoni actually looked to the upper deck of the arena during the chants and sort of nodded his head as if to say, "yeah right guys, Steph isn't playin' tonight."

-Usually I arrive for a big game in time to see both teams leak out of the locker rooms for pre game warm ups. It's special to me and always has been, I love when the visiting team comes out in the road colors and the crowd slowly begins to boo. Then comes the home team Knicks in there home threads and the crowd cheers and the music gets loud. Tonight was different though. when the Heat came out for warm ups, the public address announcer told everyone, "here are the Miami Heat." I was like, "What??!!?" Part of the whole charm of being a New York sports fan is that we can figure out almost anything on our own. I already know that the visiting team comes out first with about 19 minutes remaining on the warm up clock followed shortly by the Knicks with about 17 minutes and change. Do away with the carnival-like announcements please, it's very Western Conference.

-Just before tip-off, the Garden was pumping to the sounds of Kanye West's hit song, 'I put on for My City." Nice Touch, the Knicks are really trying to win the respect of New York City back and I like it.

-Phil Collins got an extremely loud ovation when he was shown on the Gardenvision.


More Knicks/Heat Recap

Knicks Season Home Opener Preview

by Mike Slane, NYKnicks.com

A new coach. A new high-powered offense. A new season.

The new era of Knicks basketball is set to tip off tonight as New York hosts Michael Beasley, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in the 2008-09 season opener at Madison Square Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET.

After finishing the preseason with a 3-4 record, which included a victory over the defending-champion Celtics in Boston, the Knicks are ready to run and run some more, as they play a regular-season game for the first time under Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, who is known for his fast-paced, up-and-down offensive system.

D’Antoni, who left Phoenix for New York last spring, led the Suns to an average of 58 wins while averaging 110 points per game over the past four seasons. And while he doesn’t hesitate to say the Knicks have a lot of room for improvement, D’Antoni believes his team is headed in the right direction for the start of the 2008-09 season.

"I think everybody should come to The Garden, and it is a journey and we're not even halfway down the road, but let's all take the first step together and let's do it," D'Antoni told The Associated Press. "We're going to play as hard as we can play and understand every night we're going to try to win, and I would love to have everybody get behind us."

New York, which averaged 96.9 points last season, posted 106.9 points during the preseason and only failed to reach 100-point mark once in seven exhibition games.

Looking for the right pieces to fit his run-and-gun offense, D’Antoni experimented with three different starting lineups during the preseason. But after going extremely small with a three point guard set in a home loss to the Celtics on Oct. 21, D’Antoni switched back to the lineup that he began training camp with in the preseason finale and will likely use the same lineup on Wednesday -- a backcourt of newcomer Chris Duhon and Jamal Crawford and a frontcourt of Quentin Richardson, David Lee and Zach Randolph.

Wilson Chandler, who missed the final tuneup against the Nets with a sprained left knee, will be ready to go and will likely come off the bench tonight despite starting one exhibition game in place of an injured Lee. Chandler, the Knicks’ first-round pick in 2007, is expected to play a major role in D’Antoni’s rotation, which will include eight to 10 players. Stephon Marbury, Nate Robinson and Malik Rose are also expected to play significant minutes early in the season.

The Knicks had 16 players with guaranteed contracts during the last week of the preseason before Patrick Ewing Jr., a rookie out of Georgetown, was released to reach the mandatory 15-man limit. Anthony Roberson, Jerome James and Jared Jeffries, who will miss the first three to five weeks of the season with a broken left leg, will begin the 2008-09 campaign on the inactive list.

Danilo Gallinari, the sixth overall pick in June’s draft, missed the entire preseason after suffering a back injury last July and will be available tonight; although it’s unlikely he’ll play.

“I want to get him out sooner than later,” D’Antoni said. “We’ve got to know about that piece, and that’s a big piece for us. We need to start nurturing that.”

The Heat, meanwhile, will likely debut with a lineup that features rookies Mario Chalmers and Beasley alongside Udonis Haslem, Shawn Marion and Wade, who played under D’Antoni, a U.S. assistant coach, at last summer’s Olympics in Beijing.

The Heat finished with a league-worst 15-67 record last season, helping their chances of securing the second overall pick in the draft and selecting Beasley. But that record has no bearing on where the team could end up this season.

With a healthy Wade, an upgraded frontcourt and new Head Coach Erik Spoelstra leading the way, many experts predict the Heat to make the postseason. But their quest back to the league’s elite begins against a Knicks team that defeated them in three of their four meetings last season.

This is the only meeting between the teams this season at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks are 31-30 in home openers. They will meet again at the American Airlines Arena on Feb. 28 and Apr. 12.

NYKNICKS.com

2010 NBA All Star Game Location Announced

Marc Stein reports:

The Dallas Mavericks and the NBA, in a joint venture with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, will announce Thursday that the league's 2010 All-Star Game will be played at the new stadium soon to be opened by the Cowboys in Arlington, Texas.

Sources told ESPN.com that a formal announcement has been scheduled at American Airlines Center before the Mavericks' season opener Thursday night against the Houston Rockets.

The league office declined comment Tuesday.

Said Mavericks owner Mark Cuban when reached by e-mail: "You will just have to show up and find out."

Word emerged during last season's NBA playoffs that the two Dallas franchises were interested in co-staging the event at the Cowboys' new $1.1 billion facility in Arlington, which is scheduled to open in time for the 2009 NFL season.

Cuban had maintained for years that he had no interest in the Mavericks serving as All-Star Game hosts because so many of his season-ticket holders would lose their seats to league control, as the NBA has historically used All-Star Weekend to entertain various sponsors. But in a football-sized stadium, those reservations wouldn't apply.

"It's important to me to find a venue that can support all of our season ticket-holders and all of the visitors who would come to Dallas for the game," Cuban told The Dallas Morning News in May. "We are exploring all of our options."

The Phoenix Suns will host the NBA All-Star Game this season. The league has not chosen a host city for any other games beyond 2010 and NBA commissioner David Stern recently backed off on the league's interest in staging an All-Star Game overseas.

"It would be neat from a player perspective, really neat, to play in either Paris or London or Berlin," Stern said last week of an All-Star Game in Europe. "But the logistics of it ... is at the moment causing us not to rush out and make plans.

"I'm not saying never, but we have sort of a domestic agenda to burn off for the moment in a positive way. So I didn't want to sort of suggest that something was in the offing that wasn't.

Dallas last hosted the All-Star Game at the soon-to-be demolished Reunion Arena in 1986. The last NBA All-Star Game to be played in a football-sized venue was in 1996 at San Antonio's Alamodome.

ESPN.COM

New York Knicks 08/09 Season Preview

After a 3-4 preseason the Knicks are set to open the regular season tomorrow night against the Miami Heat. The Heat actually finished with a worse record than the Knicks last year, winning 15 games but tomorrow will certainly be a test for the Knicks. New York fans are dying to see something different from their beloved team and another bad loss against a strong team could bring back memories of the losing Isiah era. Although this isn't completely fair, that's the way New York fans are. Throughout the preseason the team proved that under its new leadership, attitudes and efforts would be different. Only question is, how many people were actually watching the preseason to see this.

Coming into tomorrow night, there are some positives and some negatives, let's start with the negatives. First we have, the disappointment in Eddy Curry. Once labeled as the future of the franchise, Eddy came into camp, late, out of shape, and consequently, out of the rotation. He is apparently so heavy that he destroyed an exercise ball a few weeks back by sitting on it. Curry seems to think that since he has been a starter his whole career that he is entitled to a starting role no matter what, fortunately for Knick fans, new Head Coach Mike D'Antoni thinks otherwise. Coach has repeatedly said that Eddy Curry simply has not played his way into the rotation, let alone the starting role. First round draft pick Danillo Galinari has also been a disappointment. The rookie didn't play a single minute of preseason and just started practicing with full contact last week. I say, give him sometime, but i also am pretty frustrated with his unidentified injury.

Now for the good news where the biggest factor has been simple changes. No huge free agent signings or trades, just a few changes on the pecking order. New head coach Mike D'Antoni, whose lite sense of humor and commitment to an up tempo system has the players very motivated and upbeat. Donnie Walsh seemingly has instilled a no-nonsense attitude toward running the team and it's components. Lastly, Stephon Marbury is no longer the child who could do no wrong. He has been public enemy #1 to the Knicks the past 2 years and has fallen to a reserve role. Troubled forward Zach Randolph has also looked rejuvenated and had himself a very impressive preseason. He not only put up his usual stats, but he played within the team chemistry and was one of the few Knicks who looked comfortable in the new system. Another Knick who looked great as always was David Lee. Lee is now the starter and is looking for a break out contract year.

The growth of Wilson Chandler and Nate Robinson will also be key to whatever success may lie ahead for the Knicks. The roster is coming around, and I expect a less disappointing year than the last. No predictions from me, other than I forecast them winning something in the 33-38 game range barring any drastic injuries or soap opera-like altercations.

To open the season the Knicks have a fair mix of home and road games against elite and under average teams. This gives them a shot at having a decent record for the first month of the season, something they have not done in quite some time.

Crawford's 6th Blog Entry...But first Some of My Thoughts

Earlier this week, Jamal was ask about his surprisingly poor shooting performance in the preseason. His remarks made me quite upset.

“Last year I averaged 5 points and shot 32 percent” in the preseason, Crawford
said. “I don’t take it that serious. Obviously, other people do. But whatever,
I’ll be ready when the season starts.”

This type of attitude is something I should be used to, given the roster for the last few years, but it is something I refuse to accept. Players that always care, are winners. What pissed me off was the fact that he said he doesn't take it that serious. Why not, Jamal?! Currently you own the longest streak of active players who have never set foot in the postseason. Maybe you shouldn't be the one cutting corners, ever!

Crawford has grown into a better player each of his four seasons as a Knick, last year being his best averaging 20 per contest. While I trust that Jamal will have a good season and I'm willing to take his idiotic comment with a grain of salt, I think it's still worth mentioning. It really puts a shining light on what is seemingly the curse of a losing organization. I want players who always take it seriously. Former Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy said it best when he stated that 'it's not about having the most talent, it's about having the most amount of players who understand the preparation of being a winning player.'

Let's not dwell on this ( I say to myself) and hopefully Jamal makes it easier for me to move on. Here is his 6th blog entry.


Getting the story straight

First things first . . . let's talk about the report that's making some national
headlines.
The headlines read, "Crawford Doesn't Want Marbury Around." So if
you read the story that came out in Marc Berman's blog, he goes on to say that
while a writer was in front of Stephon's locker when Steph got out the shower,
that there was some sort of argument and I'm in the background telling people to
watch those guys argue.
Problem is the story WASN'T TRUE!!!
When Steph
came out of the shower I was already gone out of the locker room! I did come
back in the locker room to get my cell phone that I had forgot. I saw a lot of
reporters around Steph's locker (they are always there) and I picked up my cell
phone and left...So when I heard about this the next day, I went and told Steph
about what Berman had wrote and told him that it wasn't true. Steph wasn't
worried about it, but I didn't want him to have to read something like that
before I could talk to him. That's how teams fall apart.
So after practice on
Wednesday I planned on asking Berman about this blog or whatever he wrote. In
typical Berman fashion after he writes something like this, he doesn't come the
next day...LOL. And Berman is actually a good guy, but I guess he needed
something to write.
But, anyway, today Berman does come to practice and
afterwards he's interviewing Coach Dantoni and I go up and tap him. He stayed
with his interview, so our PR person goes and tells Berman that I want to talk
to him. So when Berman's finished, he comes over and the first thing he does is
apologize.
I say, "Marc, you can say I'm terrible, I'm weak, I'm a bad
player...anything.You have that right. But don't lie on me."
I explain the
situation to him and the same story from the locker room that night that I just
told you guys and he says, "I was told that's what happened." I said, "So you
didn't actually see it? This is just what you've been told. You've been around
me four years, have I EVER did anything like throw a teammate under the bus?" He
says "No," so then I said, "So why would I do it now? Why, when were trying to
build team chemistry, do something like that?"
He couldn't really answer me,
so I said, "Well, now I'm going to have to write about you on my blog." So there
it is! Haaa...
Other than that, let me answer some of your questions and the
comments that I've seen:
I think I'm going to be a great fit for the system.
It's a lot of catch and shoot and that's fine, but I'll be able to make plays
for myself and other people at different parts of the game...You guys shouldn't
get to uptight by what your seeing now. It's PRESEASON!!!!. If we went 7-0 right
now, that doesn't mean we're gonna be in the playoffs and if we go 0-7 that
doesn't mean we won't....We will be exciting and we will win our share of games,
but right now coach is trying to build everyone's confidence. So you'll see
everyone taking shots or doing things that you're not used to seeing. But.Oct
29th things are for real...Judge us from there.
Oh yea, Baby Creezy, thanks
for the YouTube mix you did. I had already checked it out and it was one of my
favorites from before.
JC

The Crawford Files

Knicks Beat Nets as Chandler Continues to Impress

Boxscore
As he slowly becomes one of my favorite current Knicks, Wilson Chandler had another impressive game tonight scoring 22 points and 8 rebounds (3 on the offensive glass). Knicks led the whole way by as many as 18 at one point and came away with the 114-106 win. The shooting was very impressive as the team shot 50% from the floor.

The Knicks seem to be loving the long distance shot a huge part of D'Antoni's system as they jacked up 25 more attempts tonight, making 12 of them at a 48% clip. Quentin Richardson ended his dreadful shooting and hit 5 three-pointers tonight. Knicks Scored 114 tonight and they average 109 point per contest way up from last years 96 points per game. David Lee sat out tonights game, but is expected to play tommorow night against Boston at the Garden. The best line up tonight was when D'Antoni used Marbury, Nate, and Chandler on the floor together. Steph was efficient tonight with 6 assists in 16 minutes.

"Nate is an energetic player and Marbury's a scorer, so we can't lose with that lineup," Chandler said. "I just play off them. They're going to get all the looks, so when they're double-teamed or they're focusing more on them, I'm open." "I thought Nate Robinson was tremendous. Chandler was very good for them early," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said. "They have a lot of shooting on the floor. Mike has done a phenomenal job. They brought a lot of energy, they're really sharing the ball." "We're the energy group so we've got to bring energy ... to help this team get to the next level," Robinson said.

ESPN Recap

As expected, at times the Nets looked extremely messy committing 22 turnovers which led to 26 Knick points. The Nets only have 3 returning players from last seasons rotation. "I believe in this team and I'm going to continue to believe in this team," Carter said.

Eddy Curry, formerly the Knicks' starting center but now seemingly buried deep on D'Antoni's bench, made his first field goal of the preseason in the first quarter. Curry fell behind after missing the first week of practice with a bacterial infection and had played in only two of the first four games.

Knicks vs Suns Brawl From 1993

I love how the Suns' announcer really gets into this fight. Listen to how excited he gets when Rivers charges at KJ. The best is his line about not being afraid of New Yorkers. Unfortunately, Knicks lost this game by about 30 points, but it was still a great brawl.

Knicks @ Celtics (Preseason) Preview

Last year, when the two teams met in the Preseason there were technicals and a lot of shoving. I don't expect this year to be any different, aside from the fact that the Celtics earned themselves a ring.

The New York Knicks look to make a statement tonight when they travel to Boston to take on the defending NBA champion Celtics.

Despite a 1-2 record in the preseason, the Knicks have been very impressive under new head coach Mike D’Antoni. Another strong showing against Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and company will go a long way to proving to skeptics that the first three games haven’t been a fluke.

“The talent is a lot better than I expected, and I’m excited about it,” said D’Antoni. “Obviously there is some stuff we’ve got to do, and we’ve got to get a lot better defensively, but we have enough (talent here).”

Offensively, New York has been superb, averaging 110 points per game with six players in double-figures in scoring. Leading the charge has been David Lee, who projects to crack the starting lineup after being a key reserve for the majority of his three previous NBA seasons. Lee is averaging a double-double in the preseason with 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, along with 3.3 assists in 33 minutes of action.

Joining him up-front is Zach Randolph, who has also thrived in the team’s new fast-paced offense. The 6-foot-9, 260-pound forward averages a double-double as well, posting 18 points and 10.7 boards to start the preseason.

Together, Lee and Randolph will have their hands full guarding Garnett, a former league MVP who finished last year averaging 18.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals in his first season in Boston.

In the regular season, the Knicks have struggled against the Celtics lately, dropping six straight to the defending champions, and they haven’t won in Boston since 2006.

Nonetheless, D’Antoni isn’t worried so much about history or the opponent as much as seeing the Knicks continue to improve with each game.

“I thought we’ve done some really good stuff,” said D’Antoni following the team’s narrow 116-109 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night at The Garden. “Obviously down in the end, we haven’t been together long enough and I haven’t been with them long enough to be real smooth. But we’ll figure it out, and we will as we go forward.”

Knicks @ Celtics Preview

Eddy Curry is Pathetic

It took 6 minutes of playing time to remind all of us Knick fans how pathetic Eddy Curry has been as a Knick. Just two years after his best season ever, averaging 19 points and 7 rebounds a game, Eddy Curry remains grossly out of shape and seemingly unmotivated. Eddy missed all of training camp with something that hasn't proven to be any worse than a bad cold and left last nights game early with a stomach ache. Every day, Eddy falls lower on the pecking order of D'Antoni's rotation and he should.

Clearly Eddy has proven that he wasn't worth the two draft picks that Isiah and the Knicks parted with to bring him to New York four years ago. Skipping college was a huge mistake for Curry fundamentally speaking. His footwork is awful as is his overall basketball IQ. At 300lbs. his inability to recognize a double team and make the correct decision, which most of the time is as simple as a kick-out pass, eddy has really put the team in a stagnant position. By no means have the Knicks surrounded him with sharp shooters but almost 4 turnovers per game is....I don't want to over use my favorite word, but...Pathetic.

At 6'11 last year eddy averaged below 5 rebounds per game, that's 2 more than 5'9 guard Nate Robinson. eddy Curry blocked 29 shots last season and has blocked a total of 381 in his career. last season alone, Marcus Camby blocked 285 shots and 231 the year before. One would have to combine 3 of Eddy's seasons in order for him to even break 100. Thus far, Curry has gotten by on his huge body allowing him to get great position in the paint and make layups. But not the task is taller and New York expects more. Mike Breen said during a telecast that the fans don't expect to see "John Starks-like intensity" but we still expect more from Curry, we want to feel like he cares, beyond the vouch of his fellow teammates. In his time as a Knick, he has failed to report to two consecutive summer leagues in which he promised to attend and has reported to camp extremely out of shape.

It just seems as if he doesn't get it and at age 25 Donnie Walsh has to wonder if he ever will get it. Eddy won't be easy to trade, but I definitely think the front office should look into it. He is over sized, overweight, grossly overpaid, and apparently overrated. All of those aspect spell that he will be a Knick for a good while. Let's just hope he snaps out of his carefree funk sooner than later.

76ers vs Knicks: New Knicks to Make MSG Debut Tonight

Namely Chris Duhon and new head coach mike D'Antoni will be the main attractions as far as debuts go, but perhaps a new look team debuts itself as well. Newly awarded 'starting' point guard Chris Duhon will play his first game at Madison Square Garden as a Knick. Fans will be eager to see improvements in front of their eyes and I think in many cases they will.

“(It’s going) to be great,” D’Antoni said in a recent interview about the first time he will coach the Knicks at The Garden. “Obviously I will be proud, and feel a rush of adrenaline going on.”

Tonight will be a rematch against Philadelphia which they defeated last Friday 110-104.

Despite the feel-good atmosphere following Friday’s win, where six players finished in double-figure scoring, there are still areas for improvement in Tuesday night’s rematch.

Overall, however, it will be a festive atmosphere on Tuesday night as the new era of Knicks basketball makes its official debut at Madison Square Garden. Furthermore, Eddy Curry is expected to make his preseason debut after missing the first two games recovering from a bacterial infection, and D’Antoni has also said he wants to get a look at young Patrick Ewing, Jr.

I will not be in attendance which is a rarity in my case, due to my participation in a basketball league of my own. I hope to catch the game in it's entirety on Knicks in 60.

Sixers @ Knicks Preview

Jamal Crawford Makes His Fifth Blog Entry From Preseason

Fresh start

What's up you guys! Sorry I took a week off from my blog, but things have been speeding up with training camp,and preseason games coming up! Let's recap . . .

Media day:

Media day is always fun It's about 3 hrs long total, there's two parts of it. The first part is you always get in your uniforms for the first time and do all the pictures and stuff they want you to do...do all the tag lines and things like that they'll use in the arena when the season starts....That's the fun part. The second part of media day,is actually dealing with the media, they ask questions about the season, different players, coaching change, all the stuff you guys want to know...This year was different because the whole media day was about Stephon and if he wants to be here, does he want to be bought out,etc....They asked me about the situation and I said that it's not about if Stephon or me or whoever is here or not. The Knicks organization is bigger then any one player or person and ALL of our focus needs to be on making this team relevant again. I get along with Steph like I do all my teammates and as long as we all have the same common goal then we'll be ok....

Training camp:

I don't care what you do in the offseason to prepare for camp. That night before EVERYONE is nervous! It's just the nervous energy, not knowing what to expect. Different drills you will be doing; its hard work but it's cool! Our camp is different then anything I've ever seen....As you guys might expect we do alot of running, I mean ALOT. It's not punishment running, where you run 17's or suicides. It's all basketball-related...One drill we had to do was full court lay-ups and shoot jumpers in 2 minutes .Almost like a "weave"-type of drill but accelerated...Coach said we had to get over a 100 pts in 2 minutes. We were looking around like, 'Is he crazy?' LOL...The first time we did it we scored like 76, so he had us do it again and we saw how much harder we were gonna have to run and we got 106! It was good because your only as strong as the guy next to you. Everyone needs each other. Coach and his staff are really stressing teamwork and not caring about who gets the credit...

Preseason:

Some teams and players approach preseason differently. Usually with most teams they're trying to figure out who they're gonna keep or cut or what they'll rotation will be, so everyone uses it differently..Right now were just using different combinations. Coach is getting a feel for what works, what doesn't and what kind of talent he can utilize in his schemes...Me, personally? I'm just trying to get my timing back, get my legs underneath me, get use to playing in this new system and pick my spots. Work on defense, setting my teammates up...I'm not worried about shooting or scoring right now. I'll worry about that on Oct. 29...haha.....I was looking around the Toronto arena yesterday before the game started and playing in front of 20,000 fans every night is what I dreamed about as a kid. For some reason, just looking around brought back thoughts I had when I was a kid.. I would gave anything to be in the NBA playing at the highest level....sometimes when you're actually going through this you don't get a chance took take a step back and reflect. You think of the negative stuff that comes along with being in this position, what people expect from you, the many people you try to please...life is too short... God choose me to be in this position, he gave me the talent and it's up to me to do something more with it. You only go through this once, so I'm gonna make the most of it........

JC

The Crawford Files

Kenny Smith Says No to Pay Cut and Leaves MSG Network

The way Kenny (The Jet) Smith sees it, a difference in philosophy is reason enough to exit the Madison Square Garden Network and his Knicks analyst role.

“They told me they want the telecast to have a local feel. After doing TNT (where he works the NBA pre- and postgame shows with Charles Barkley) I can’t do that,” Smith said. “I don’t want to go backwards. That’s not me. That’s not really what I want to be part of. No hard feelings. None whatsoever.”

When a voice starts talking about “local” this or that, he might be referring to the overall quality of the telecast and a conscious decision to spend less on a production - do it on the cheap. More likely, he is talking about “national” money, which - for a sports broadcaster - is a significantly bigger payday than a “local” check.

When it comes to the Knicks, it’s no secret Garden boss James (Guitar Jimmy) Dolan has not been reluctant to spring for stupid moolah. The man don’t just pay, he overpays. Larry Brown and others (who still may be cashing Garden checks) can attest to this.

Now, it appears Dolan, through his MSG Network robots - prez Mike Bair and executive producer Lydia Murphy-Stephans - has decided to go scroogie on MSG mouths.

Smith, who was brought in with much MSG fanfare in 2005 to back up Walt (Clyde) Frazier, was now looking at a major pay cut. Garden Weasels say Smith was getting paid $10,000 per game to yack. He worked about 20 games per season. Going into the 2008-09 season, Smith was offered $3,000 per game.

That ain’t no trim. That’s a shaved head.

Mr. Smith just chuckled when asked if “local” economics played a part in him leaving MSG. Yet, he did say at TNT “everything that surrounds the production” has a “national” feel.

“Look, I liked being part of the Garden,” Smith said. “But when they decided to take different directions, different steps, I couldn’t be part of that. I want to be part of something that has, at least, a delusion of grandeur. I guess MSG now has a realistic view of who they really are.”

I liked having Kenny Smith, A New Yorker, on the broadcast team, i thought he brought a good sense of humor with a nice touch of experience to the Knicks' broadcast. According to the details here, Kenny is right for leaving. Taking a $7,000 pay cut is a waste of his time. I guess this is just another example of the MSG alienating people.

How the NBA's First Outdoor Game in 36 Years Failed Me

As I sit here and watch the NBA's first outdoor game in 36 years, I desperately try and find something to keep me from changing the channel and watching the baseball playoffs on TBS. I actually just texted a friend of mine telling him that i thought this game had absolutely no outdoor aura to it, he replied, "I know, I'm watching MLB." So as i continue to struggle to even get through the first quarter of this game, I decided to gather my thoughts on it.

First and foremost, the NBA couldn't have selected two better teams to have play the outdoor game, so I must commend them on that. When I first heard that this game was going to be played, I thought to myself that it would be great to see sunlight, a blacktop and maybe an announcer running up and down the court with the players, handing out nicknames and hyping up the crowd. After I came to my sense and remembered that the NBA is a huge business I realized that the blacktop was out of the question in order to protect those million dollar pairs of knees running up and down and the announcer...well that would be just too ghetto for David Stern to allow.

But what about the sunlight? Where is the outdoor feel? That playground in the park feel. Instead the game is being played at 7pm west coast time and the court is at least 25 feet from what would be court side seats. The best basketball atmospheres are those where the fans seem in the game, this seems more like Mixed Martial Arts as if the game was being played inside a cage. Reggie Miller just told Charles Barkley on the air that he got a better education at UCLA than Charles did at Auburn and this led into a conversation about Barack Obama, so clearly even the announcers are having a hard time staying focused.

As nice as it is to hear Charles, Ernie, Reggie, Marv and the guys again, I must say that the league really shit the bed on this one. Other than a Mateen Cleaves sighting for the first time since Michigan State won the National title, there was nothing interesting to talk about or admire. Carmello and Iverson in street clothes and a quiet crowd of what seems to be honorary basketball fans. As if the real fans who initially had the tickets gave them away to their cousins from Europe who have no idea what game they are watching. Better promotion and a bit more of a street feel to the game itself without jeopardizing the health of any players and this idea could draw millions and be a huge success for the league.

Check out what fellow blogger Craig Kwasniewski had to say back in Febuary regarding this same topic : Click Here

Knicks Dominate 2nd QTR and Hold off Philly 110-104

BOXSCORE

Knicks looked pretty impressive and ended an ugly skid in Philly. with a 110-104 victory over the Sixers, it was good to see Chris Duhon bounce back nicely from his putrid performance in Toronto.

“I had to make up for my first showing,” he said following the game. “I worked too hard over the summer for this, and I’m excited for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to making the best of it.”

David Lee made another effort to prove he should be in the starting lineup and recording yet another double-double.

“Obviously, (it was) a big second quarter,” said D’Antoni. “At the start of the game, we weren’t really prepared for their speed. It’s like stepping up to the plate and the fastball is a little faster than we thought. But I thought our guys adjusted, and played well from the first quarter on. I’m really happy with the effort, and obviously some guys played some big minutes.”

Mardy Collins seems a lot lighter and quicker on his feet and was able to make some impressive moves going to the basket in his 19 minutes last night. Solid play from him off the bench could be a nice bonus to the team. Knicks jacked up 24 more 3-pointers in the game, but made 9 of them earning them a 37% clip from downtown. Houston didn't play again and seems to be coming closer to being waived by the day. The Knicks have scored at least 110 points in each of their first two preseason games so far.

Next the Knicks (1-1) come home to the Garden for a rematch against Philadelphia (1-1) on Tuesday night @ 7:30pm EST

David Lee had 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the New York Knicks to a 110-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in a preseason game Friday night.

Chris Duhon added 19 points and Zach Randolph had 18 to lead six Knicks players in double figures.

Elton Brand led the 76ers with 24 points, Andre Iguodala added 16 and Andre Miller had 12 points and 12 assists.

After struggling in his first preseason game, Brand was dominant in the first quarter, scoring 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting to give Philadelphia a 38-22 lead at the end of the quarter.

The Knicks opened the second quarter with a 23-6 run to take the lead with 4:41 remaining and built a 60-51 edge at halftime. New York extended its lead to 87-77 after three quarters and built an 18-point lead in the fourth.

Sixers starting forward Thaddeus Young left the game late in the third quarter with a left-eye corneal abrasion and Lou Williams left in the fourth with a lacerated chin that required three stitches. Neither returned.

New York played without several key players, including first-round pick Danilo Gallinari (lower back), Allan Houston (quadriceps) and Eddy Curry (coach's decision).

Knicks Recap

D'Antoni Gives Isiah's Dress Code the Ax

Eliminating the stench of Isiah Thomas by the second, the latest execution of his regime was the death of the dress code he implemented in addition to the leagues dress code regulations. The NBA states that players must wear and jacket and tie while sitting on the bench as well as walking into the Arena, home or away. For the last 3 seasons, the Knicks also had to fly in a suit and tie. That will not be a rule any longer.

The Knicks are no longer dressed for failure.

Isiah Thomas is out and so too is the dress code that the former Knicks president and head coach instituted when he replaced Scott Layden. Under Thomas’ watch the players were required to wear a suit and tie to every game. If nothing else, the Knicks at least looked professional.

(It wasn’t a bad rule except it was silly for the players to wear a jacket and tie when they had to fly cross country. Even the coaching staff was required to wear the same shirts for practice.)Anyway, sneakers and jeans are now back in style. Zach Randolph wore a polo shirt, blue jeans and green sneakers following Wednesday’s game in Toronto. Stephon Marbury, the last to dress and leave the locker room (some things never change), wore black leather boots, jeans and a leather jacket. He looked very European in a Cristiano Ronaldo kind of way.

Article courtesy of Knicks Knation

New York Knicks @ Philadelphia 76ers Preview

This will be the first of two preseason meetings between the Knicks and Sixers and then the division rivals play each other four time during the regular season. Eddy Curry is supposed to be available tonight but will not start. The Knicks will be opposed by a Philly team with a revamped front court since the acquisition of Elton Brand from the Clippers. Brand is career 20 point 10 rebound per game player and has always fared well against the Knicks.

Brand brings a solid half-court game to the Atlantic and will match up well against the Knicks' big men if the pace slows down. But the Sixers like to run as well, so there is a good chance a track meet could break out between the two teams this season. Philadelphia picked up right where it left off last season on Wednesday as it won the first game of its preseason opener. Louis Williams, coming off a breakout season where he averaged 11.5 points and 3.2 assists, scored a game-high 27 points to lead the Sixers to a 98-92 come-from-behind victory over Boston.

Look for the Knicks to continue to improve and look more comfortable in D'Antoni's new system. Eyes will be on Duhon as he'll aim to impress after his horrible debut.

Experimenting with several different lineups, New York put up 88 shots, making 39, and dished out 29 assists. But as expected, there was also a learning curve as the Knicks were off from three-point range, shooting just 8-for-34 from beyond the arc, and turned the ball over 20 times.

Catch the game live from the Wachovia Center on MSG II, tonight @ 7pm EST

Knicks Game Summary: Knicks Lose to Raptors 113-111

BOXSCORE

In what was the very first showing of new things to come, the Knicks came up short with a familiar result. There were definitely bright signs early on in the game and the Knicks proved that they could consistently score throughout. Lineups were mixed and matched as D'Antoni used 10 different players for at least five minutes a piece. Last night might have been the most unorganized 111 points scored I have ever seen. In the first half the Knicks had under 5 turnovers but finished the game having committed 20. The Knicks began to struggle in the 2nd half when they had possessions in which scoring was crucial. When they needed a basket they simply did not know whom to get it from. These are problems that plagued them last year, but there seems to be one main difference; the teams attitude.

"Everybody is really positive, really upbeat," said guard Jamal Crawford,"It's just a fresh change for everybody. Everybody is tired of what's happened in the past. Everybody is tired of what's happened the last three or four years and it's time to break the mold."

As I said earlier, the Knicks scored 111 points despite their horrendous three-point shooting. Long-range shooting was a huge aspect in the success to D'Antoni's Suns' teams but he will not find that sort of strength here in New York. With Allan Houston only being a relic of his old self, there is really no other consistent shooter on the roster, such as a Steve Nash or a Raja Bell. Last night was proof, the Knicks shot a dismal 23% from downtown (8-34). We can expect the three-point attempts to go up from last year but 34 is a bit crazy. The Knicks played without Eddy Curry and Allan Houston last night so that could have something to do with the settling for outside shots as well as the low percentage.

"I didn't know what we would have," D'Antoni said. "I thought they competed and did a lot of things we were trying to do all week (in training camp). I was pleasantly surprised. If we keep playing like that, we'll be OK."

In more positive news, David Lee looked great as it's evident that he has really worked hard on his offensive game. Lee had 22 points and 9 rebounds in 30 minutes last night, and was extremely efficient shooting 9-13 from the floor. Randolph led the Knicks in boards, grabbing 13 of them while scoring 19 points and for some odd reason he attempted four three-pointers.

"Like coach said, anybody can play in this system," Randolph said. "If Shaq can play in this system, anybody can play in this system. It's about playing basketball and making smart decisions."

Chris Duhon was not impressive at all. Despite a nice effort on the glass (10 rebounds), he was unable to get any kind of flow in the game going. He dished out 6 assists but had a disgusting 7 turnovers in 31 minutes. Marbury came off the bench and played 22 minutes but had no real effect on the game, he scored 10 points and looks as if he is in great physical condition, but I am sure he will be starting this year.

The next game will be at Philadelphia on Friday 7pm EST on MSG II

Knicks @ Raptors Preview

Preseason Game 1

Tonight the Knicks begin a very curious road to only God knows where. In Toronto against a revamped Raptor roster which seems to be playoff bound.

“Everyone worked really hard and everybody played together,” said Allan Houston, who is attempting a comeback after retiring three years ago. “We did a lot of running and everyone is staying in shape.”

I am most curious to see the guard play in D'Antoni's system, namely Nate and Jamal. The extreme weight loss from Quentin Richardson is also interesting considering he had his best season even under D'Antoni. Lord knows the Knicks would use some solid play at the small forward position.

During the two-a-day sessions, D’Antoni began establishing his rotation for the upcoming season. However, he likely won’t announce his starting lineup for a few weeks and told reporters that he wants to "see certain combinations" on the floor.

Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, David Lee and newcomer Chris Duhon ran with the first team for most of the week, while Zach Randolph spent the final two days working with the first unit after Jared Jeffries suffered a fractured left fibula on Thursday.

"Obviously, you have to get used to playing with a certain group of guys," Richardson told the New York media. "And I think I got a chance to play with a group that I'm going to play with a lot."

Stephon Marbury and Wilson Chandler also played with the first group during camp and are expected to play major roles in D’Antoni’s rotation, which could include eight to 10 players.

Jeffries will watch tonight’s game from the sideline alongside rookie Danilo Gallinari, who will likely miss the entire preseason with a bulging disc in his back. Gallinari, the sixth overall pick in the 2008 Draft, suffered the injury after colliding with a Cavaliers player during his first and only NBA Summer League action last July.

Marbury Agrees to Come Off the Bench

Marc Berman reports:

Sounding unusually contrite and un-Starbury-like, Stephon MarburyStephon Marbury said last night he'll be happy to come off the bench this season and promised he won't cause a "distraction" if Chris Duhon is named the starting point guard.

One day after predicting he would be the opening-night starter and one week after he said he would be OK if the KnicksNew York Knicks cut him, Marbury backed off after an epiphany following yesterday's practice.

Marbury said he's been wrestling with this issue for several days on whether he could live with being a reserve for the first time in his career and playing shooting guard.

"I don't want to go through any more distractions," Marbury told The Post. "I want all of us to concentrate on winning and not if I'm going to start or not. I want us to be able to go forward. If the Knicks want me to come off the bench, that's what I'm going to do. I just want to win a championship in New York because we as New Yorkers deserve a chip."

Marbury said he had no conversations with Knicks brass and was not speaking under pressure from management. Indications are Mike D'Antoni is leaning toward starting Duhon and having Marbury in a sixth-man role, off the ball. The Knicks open their preseason schedule tomorrow in Toronto.

A showdown between Marbury and management potentially was in the offing if Duhon were named starter before the regular season. Marbury and Isiah Thomas warred famously last November when Thomas benched him for Mardy CollinsMardy Collins on the Phoenix road trip that turned into the beginning of the end.

Though Marbury is the more prolific scorer and more talented player, D'Antoni apparently sees Duhon as the better fit as the floor general running a high-tempo attack.

"I don't feel Duhon should have to go through that," Marbury said last night. "I don't feel D'Antoni should have to go through that. I don't want to go through another year of distractions. I just want to kill it now."

Knicks president Donnie Walsh is against waiving Marbury, though D'Antoni is concerned whether Marbury will be the consummate team player he demands of his rotation guys. There's an undercurrent among the players Marbury has become too self-absorbed in recent years.

In what appeared to be an apology to his mates who feel that way, Marbury said, "Jamal Crawford is right. No one person is better than the organization. I have faith in us playing better than the last two, three years."

Marbury, 31, in the best shape of his career, has been hurt by suggestions his teammates don't want him around. In fact, he has asked several of them during training camp if they had a problem with him. Marbury hasn't received any negative responses.

"I know how sweet it would be if we ever win a championship in New York, or even how sweet it would be going to the playoffs," he said. "I love New York with everything I've got."

I must say, that since training camp, Marbury has said nothing but the right things. Promising not to be a distraction might top them all. His motivation seems high right now and that could be a great sign for the Knicks. The bottom line is that he is a lot more useful to the Knicks on the floor than off, that doesn't mean he should start, it just means that maybe cutting him and letting him play for the Heat or the Celtics wasn't the smartest thing to do. We can wait until next year to see that. In a 6th man roll, Marbury can focus more on what he does best; scoring. I see him being used effectively in such a way that D'Antoni used Barbosa for the past 3 seasons. 25-30 minutes a game, maybe even more and just being able to flat out score in the open floor. No more dumping the ball into Curry and waiting for him to make a move or throw one of his weak lob-like kick outs with less than 5 seconds remaining on the shot clock. players need to be used properly in order for a team to win, that's why coaches are important, so far I like what i am hearing from training camp. I hope Marbury and the Knicks stay on the same page for the whole year. "No Distractions."

Jefferies Hurt in Knicks Scrimmage; Out 2 Months

Jared had a chance to crack the starting lineup this season but now that's looking pretty grim and for the second time in three seasons with the Knicks he will miss ample time at the start of the season due to an injury. Missing time in the beginning of the year is probably the worst thing possible for a basketball player. Not having a similar outlet such as a minor league rehab situation, players are forced to jump into action rusty against players that have been playing for weeks upon weeks. So despite Jefferies' poor statistical out put, this is indeed a setback. Let's just hope that someone else fills in his roll adequately. Patrick Ewing Jr would be my first choice.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- New York Knicks forward Jared Jeffries fractured his left fibula at practice Thursday and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

Jeffries, a 6-foot-11, seventh-year pro, pulled up in the backcourt during a scrimmage and was immediately waved off the court by coach Mike D'Antoni. Jeffries' lower leg was wrapped in an ice pack as he sat out the rest of practice until some light shooting at the end.

Espn.com

David Lee Should Start

This is an easy choice. Eddy Curry is irresponsible and ineffective entirely, Lee is by far the best rebounder on the team and he fits the mold of a D'Antoni offense better than almost anyone on the roster. He's been here long enough and he's earned the right to start, so start him, end of story

Knicks Miss Ew..As Big Man Woes Continue

Like the Janet Jackson song from the late 90's, 'You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone'. The Modern Knicks can't seem to get a Center into shape or even on the floor. I'm talking about Jerome James and Eddy 'the future' Curry. The recent news states that Eddy Curry, not only came to camp completely out of shape after having surgery, but is also dealing with an 'apparent bacterial infection' which may keep him out of the entire training camp. Not good news. for the second straight year, Curry, failed to keep his word that he would participate in the Summer League enabling him to jump into the season in good shape, with all of his tools sharpened. Instead, he was a no show in Vegas this summer all together not even showing good face to support some of his younger teammates, who happen to be extremely important to this years team. The best news of all of this just might be that he probably has lost his starting job for the upcoming season to David Lee.

NYpost.com said

Mike D'Antoni's speedball offense may not suit Curry anyhow. Curry came into camp in mediocre shape and is no lock to be the starter.

Using his trademark gallows humor, D'Antoni said: "It might've been lucky for him [missing practice]. He might've died otherwise. He was throwing up and everything. It's a great way to lose weight."

Doesn't really sound like Curry is the type of Center coach is looking for to suit his run and gun style. In more Big-Man-bad-news, Jerome James has apparently opened his mouth and claims he wants to earn some sort of respect from the New York fans.

"I am going to retire some day," he said, "but when I'm finished, I want to be able to say I did my thing in New York. I want New York to say, 'Jerome James, that cat could play.' I don't want to sit out and take my money."

Good Luck Jerome, I'd say you have a slightly better chance than Isiah running for the Mayor of New York City.