By Jerald Hoover

New York Knicks center Eddy Curry should seize the moment, get his act together, get in shape and become a viable part of the rotation.

With the trade of Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill, the club was left devoid of bigs.  True, Jeffries nor Hill are what you would call “classic centers” but they were 6-feet-11 inches.

For all of Tracy McGrady’s  wondrous gifts and talents as a basketball player, the hot shooting that Eddie House can provide and for all of the flashy passes that Sergio Rodriguez can throw, there isn’t a real BIG MAN to provide lost post scoring.  Curry is a horrible defender and that’s well known but he is a huge seven-footer that could be a real BEAST down low.

If McGrady stays healthy and can play like a star, perhaps it’ll bring the best out in Curry, if he ever sees the floor.

Curry is talented, and if he needs to be coddled, pampered and consoled to an extent then do it, if you can get 20 points and at least five rebounds and a block or two.  That would allow Coach D’Antoni to move David Lee to his natural position of power forward and the Knicks can become a little more conventional.

Tough to say whether coach Mike D’Antoni will ever give Curry a shot, and no one is sure if Curry is in the type of shape needed to play in the first place.

Jerald L Hoover is a producer and director of a Mount V, NY basketball documentary: Four Square Miles to Glory.