NBA Draft Recap

Formula 50

Closing Cost

At the halfway point of the NBA season, the New York Knicks find themselves in 4th place in the Atlantic Division and 11th overall in the Eastern Conference. With a record of 21-31, Mike D'Antoni's team is far more competitive than last year's unit, but the team continues to struggle in several facets on the game. Offensively, D'Antoni's team is among the league leaders in points scored (105 ppg), due in part to their commitment to shooting the three-ball. At 29.3 attempts per contest, the Knicks led the NBA in shots from downtown. Unfortunately, they rank at or near the bottom in most defensive categories. Only Golden State and Sacramento allow more points to their opponents per ballgame. While the Knicks have been one of the more exciting teams to watch, their YMCA-like defensive effort continues to hold them back. In a season full of highs and lows, there's quite a bit to breakdown at the midpoint....FULL ARTICLE

Following Sunday's home loss to Denver Nuggets, Mike D'Antoni's team looked physically and emotionally exhausted. After starting the season as one of the league's surprise teams, D'Antoni's Knicks head into the New Year in an all-too-familiar position: last place in the Atlantic Division....FULL ARTICLE

With the Starbury Saga reaching its closing act, news of the controversial point guard's indefinite suspension comes as no surprise. Donnie Walsh's decision to banish Stephon Marbury from the sidelines was a necessary move, albeit several weeks late. Marbury and his union attorney have pressed for a buyout of the $21.9MM he's owed, yet Walsh and Marbury have failed to reach a fair and equitable agreement. Reportedly, the two sides are $3MM apart from a settlement....FULL ARTICLE

In two stunning moves, Donnie Walsh made it clear that the Knicks intend to sacrifice this season and next for a superstar run in 20 months. Lebron James is the marquee name on a free agent list that include Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire. By shipping out leading scorers Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph for Al Harrington, Tim Thomas & Cuttino Mobley, Walsh squashed the budding optimism that was building for Mike D'Antoni's team and replaced it with a vision of King James saving a basketball- starved city....FULL ARTICLE

The New York Knicks are ready to tip-off the regular season. Will Donnie Walsh & Mike D'Antoni restore pride to the hardwood at Madison Square Garden? The Garden Grasp staff weighs in on the keys to success....FULL ARTICLE

News of Patrick Ewing Jr.'s release has The Garden faithful up in arms and wondering aloud about Donnie Walsh's personnel decisions. Clearly, this decision was based upon waiving a player with the least amount of financial impact on the franchise. Ewing Jr. clearly outplayed Anthony Roberson in preseason, but Walsh elected to keep the backup PG citing his shooting touch as a greater necessity over Ewing Jr.'s defense, hustle and famous last name.....FULL ARTICLE

Coming into training camp, all eyes were focused squarely on Stephon Marbury. Coaches, players & reporters alike were uncertain if Marbury would buy into the new program or force his release. Marbury proved that he was still deserving of his starting position, but made this revealing declaration in a recent interview: “If the Knicks want me to come off the bench, that's what I'm going to do. I don't want to go through another year of distractions."....FULL ARTICLE

Coach D’Antoni’s first camp as Knicks head man is going according to plan. Players are practicing & training harder than they ever did under Isiah Thomas. D’Antoni’s emphasis on conditioning & tempo is just what this group needs to gear up for the new season. A few tidbits from camp include....FULL ARTICLE

Training camp is upon us and new head coach Mike D'Antoni appears ready for the challenge. Before the team heads off to Saratoga, D'Antoni took a moment to reiterate his game plan for the 2008-09 season. "I have a philosophy how I play and we're going to play that way" was his declaration last Friday. This statement is clearly a change from his original comments around adapting the offense to fit the roster....FULL ARTICLE

Basketball globalism is the new black and, for the most part, I'm quite pleased with that.  There's much more talent in the NBA than there was fifteen years ago, and the rise of international basketball has played a big role in that.  Who would have imagined that a soft, teenage German would turn into a 7-foot Mitch Richmond?  Or that a miniature Frenchman would dominate the paint and beat out the greatest player of this generation (a Virgin Islander) for Finals MVP?  Fifteen years ago, who could have predicted that the NBA would feature a dominant 7'6" center who’s unstoppable in the post, comfortable from 20’, shoots almost 90% from the line, and speaks Chinese?  And these are just some of the top foreigners in Texas....FULL ARTICLE

With less than 3 weeks before the start of training camp, Donnie Walsh & Mike D’Antoni find themselves in a bit of a quandary. Both men represent a clean slate for Knicks basketball, but baring a major trade, they will field a team virtually identical to last year’s 23-59 squad. The additions of Danilo Gallinari, Chris Duhon, Anthony Roberson & Patrick Ewing, Jr. are a plus, but the question remains: when will this franchise become respectable again?...FULL ARTICLE

After an illustrious 17 year career, Patrick Ewing can now add Hall of Famer to his resume. For 15 years, Ewing anchored the Knicks attack that kept The Garden faithful on our feet, chanting "de-fense" and waving playoff towels. As one of six new members enshrined at the Naismith Memorial, Ewing addressed a crowd full of dignitaries including several former teammates & coaches. His acceptance speech was a trip down memory lane for anyone who waxes nostalgic for the days of winning basketball at MSG. It was only fitting that his former coach Pat Riley was inducted on the same night....FULL ARTICLE

Like most Knicks fans yearning for a pro basketball fix during the summer, we turned our attention to USA Basketball. Assistant Coach Mike D’Antoni and the rest of the “Redeem Team” did not disappoint and proudly reinforced America’s dominance on the game. Many of you watched intently looking for staples of the D’Antoni offense in Team USA’s sets. Others paid special attention to foreign prospects – most notably Spain’s prodigious point guard Ricky Rubio & Australia’s Patrick Mills – whose names will be in heavy rotation during next year’s draft. For those of us eagerly awaiting the 2010 free agent class, we watched one player that could light up The Garden for years to come....FULL ARTICLE

LeBron James and Chris Paul were superstars almost before they could grow chin hair. Receiving contract extensions for the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, was a given. Josh Smith, as I wrote on Monday, is a little...flighty, but it was still no-brainer to invest in him long-term. It's not usually such an easy decision. In the case of Smith and Dwight Howard, their physical gifts are so extraordinary, elite among NBA players, that, barring injury, it's hard to imagine them not progressing enough to warrant big salaries. But most prospects have to match their athletic gifts with considerable skill development to be worth star money. And most haven't proven their mettle by the time they reach free-agency and ask for it. Teams are left to decide whether to make long-term commitments, for as much as a 6th of their team salary, to players who have yet to earn it on the court. Teams have to predict who's going to make The Leap to stardom. Making the wrong decision can screw up a team for years, typically by vastly overpaying for a bust. Since most teams have itchy trigger fingers, getting burned by letting future stars walk, is much less common. These decisions would be a difficult for any company to make, much less the inane legions who manage NBA teams....FULL ARTICLE

It's been just over four months since Donnie Walsh took over as Team President. After 24 years in the Pacers front office, Walsh has slowly begun to shape the future of the New York Knicks. Since being handed the reigns by Jim Dolan on April 2nd, Walsh has....FULL ARTICLE

This week, Atlanta restricted free agent Josh Smith signed an offer sheet with the Grizzlies for $58 million over 5 years, and the Hawks didn't hesitate to match the offer, retaining their forward. Smith's production thus far in his career, though not unimpressive, hardly warrants $11 million a year, but he's only 22, an elite athlete, and his talent has no ceiling. However, there are some reasons to have concerns about his future prospects. Despite his age, Smith is a four-year veteran, but he still looks like a rookie half the time....FULL ARTICLE

Madison Square Garden has long been recognized as the grandest stage for athletes to perform on. Many of today's NBA players are quick to point out that The Garden is their favorite arena. Some cite the glitz of Broadway or the glamour of celebrity row. Others gaze into the rafters & consider the privilege of playing on the same floor as some of the NBA's greatest. For the Knicks of past & present, they view The Garden as home and cherish the rich history associated with it. From Willis Reed's heroic walk through the tunnel to Larry Johnson's improbable 4-point play, MSG has longed served as the backdrop to some of the greatest moments in basketball history. Of all the Knicks to ever step onto The Garden's hardwood, no one showed a greater appreciation for the opportunity than John Starks....FULL ARTICLE

When the news broke that the Houston Rockets had acquired Ron Artest, I was ecstatic. I'm a huge Rockets fan, and acquiring Artest immediately makes them strong contenders. An All-NBA defender, Artest also gives the Rockets a scoring trio rivaled only by Boston, San Antonio, Phoenix, and the Lakers. My head is still spinning with the tactical merits of the deal, but I was also once the kind of kid who would take something from every container in the family bathroom, and half the stuff in the kitchen, stir it in a bowl, and hope for an explosion. As Ron Artest is the most batshit crazy player in NBA history, this trade is truly a frosted mini wheats experience for me....FULL ARTICLE

The headline on ESPN reads, "Report: Hawks nearing deal for ex-Magic G Evans." Apparently, signing Maurice Evans, a 29-year-old 20 minutes-per-game swingman, is the most exciting news in the NBA today, especially coming from mysterious unnamed "sources." Eh, I think this is just lazy journalism. I'm sure that somewhere there's an allstar forward who's experimenting with Thai cooking, or a big time point-guard who's having trouble getting cellphone reception-much worthier headlines. "6th Man of the Year Candidate Almost Slams Finger in Door, but Doesn't," would do nicely....FULL ARTICLE

Danilo Gallinari's NBA debut was largely an uneven performance. Fortunately for the Knicks rookie, his second half scoring outburst helped propel the team to a 97-94 victory at the Las Vegas Summer League. With all eyes on the Italian forward, Gallinari started off the game going scoreless for the first two quarters and committed several foolish fouls. Gallinari appeared hesitant to shoot from the perimeter or attack the basket. With his offensive game stuck in neutral, Gallinari moved the basketball well and played unselfishly. After a series in which he grabbed a defensive & offensive rebound within a short span, Gallinari's attempt at a dribble-drive that resulted in a wild layup attempt that confounded the coaching staff & his teammates. After being abused by Robert "Tractor" Traylor and fellow rookie JJ Hickson (26 points on 11-15 shooting), Gallinari was pulled by Knicks coach Phil Weber....FULL ARTICLE

Conseco Fieldhouse with a 132-123 loss to Donnie Walsh's former team. Unlike last year's regular season finale that ended with an Eddy Curry three-pointer at the buzzer for a road win, the 2007-08 Knicks capped off a second 59 loss season in three years by sending Pacers fans home happy. For Walsh, a season-ending loss to Indiana must have either motivated the former Pacers CEO to begin a clean sweep of Thomas' mess or question his decision to take on such a massive project. Knicks fans can only hope Walsh focuses his attention on the former and starts by giving Thomas a severance package and a one-way, American Airlines ticket back to Detroit.... FULL ARTICLE