Eight Is Enough Team identities are shaped in the fall, perfected in the winter and on full display in the spring. Through the first week of the NBA season, we see a promising Knicks team that is committed to owning the low post and crashing the boards. Eddy Curry & Zach Randolph have shown they can avoid collisions in the paint and score effectively from the high & low post.Jamal Crawford looks every bit an

All-Star in the making. Even the much-maligned Stephon Marbury seems intent on proving he is more than just a discount sneaker salesman & walking soundbite. Many questioned whether four scorers - not known for their defensive prowess - could play winning basketball. Based on the early returns, we see a team that can contend for a playoff spot if they keep it simple.

Most Knicks fans are infatuated with possibilities. I've heard many wonder aloud, "what if Demetrius Nichols becomes the second coming of Glen Rice? Did we release the next Steve Nash in Jared Jordan? Can Isiah redeem himself by bringing Kobe to The World's Most Famous Arena?" Sadly, these visions of grandeur (Clyde-speak) stem from an extended playoff drought. If Isiah's tenure as President of Basketball Operations has shown us one thing, he enjoys tinkering with the roster.

With the likelihood of Kobe wearing blue & orange a remote possibility, it's time for Isiah to focus his attention solely on making this team work. The team works best when fewer players check into the game. We saw this last season when Marbury woke up once Steve Francis became a non-factor. With word that Jared Jeffries may be back sooner than later, Coach Thomas must resist the urge to re-insert Jeffries (who GM Thomas grossly overpaid for because of their Indiana University roots) into the rotation and continue to play 8 men a night. Jeffries, Fred Jones, Malik Rose, Jerome James & Wilson Chandler are best served as understudies awaiting the call of duty in the event of an injury. As the team tries to define its style of play in a much-improved Eastern Conference, the coaching staff should work on developing offensive continuity and fixing defensive breakdowns with the top 8 guys.

Speaking of Jeffries, his arrival in New York seemed doomed from the start. Isiah Thomas introduced him with # 20 jersey in hand and proclaimed he was the defensive glue that would bring all his prized acquisitions together. Only Thomas could make a player with career averages of 5.7 ppg, 4.7rpg & 0.7 spg sound so enticing. As it turns out, Thomas ended up buying groceries he already had in the pantry. Enter Renaldo Balkman, who is fast becoming a household name in NBA circles. Many recall witnessing Balkman's high wire act at MSG during the N.I.T. championship game. Unheralded and booed at the draft, he has become defensive stopper & fan favorite and should keep Jeffries next to Jerome James on the pine. When Balkman & Lee step to the scorer's table, The Garden crowd braces itself for something exciting. Their energy is infectious. Eddy Curry seems to elevate his game when Lee checks in and Balkman has become the face of the Knicks fast break. Add Nate Robinson to the mix and

you are hard pressed to leave your seat for a trip to the concession stand. Hopefully Coach Thomas will realize how effective an 8 man roster can be. Sometimes less truly is more.

-Greg Hutchins