New York Knicks Blog – Page 125 – NBA Blog

Stoudemire scores 41 on Sixers

The AP reports:

Apparently not getting enough of a workout, Amare Stoudemire did a few push-ups before heading to the line for some late-game free throws.

Stoudemire wants the New York Knicks to be tougher, and on Sunday he simply overpowered the Philadelphia 76ers.

The All-Star forward matched his season high with 41 points on 17-of-21 shooting in the Knicks’ 117-103 victory, which gave them a split of an important home-and-home series.

“He understands the big moment and the stage,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “That’s why he came to New York.”

Rookie Landry Fields added a career-high 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Knicks rebounded from a 100-98 loss Friday night in Philadelphia to snap a two-game losing streak and win for just the fourth time in 13 games.

Chris Sheridan of ESPN reports:

The only downer on a day of domination for Amare Stoudemire was the technical foul he picked up from referee Bob Delaney for skipping in frustration after he was whistled for a reaching-in foul.

To Stoudemire, it was like being ticketed for driving 56 mph in a 55 mph zone.

To Delaney, a former New Jersey state trooper, it was a violation that probably only merited a warning.

At least that’s what Stoudemire said Delaney told him.

“After talking to him, he really didn’t think that was a bad play on my part. He felt more lenient, toward I might get that one taken away. So I’ll see how it goes,” Stoudemire said after scoring 41 points on 17-for-21 shooting in one of the best games he has played all season, a 117-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers that kept the Knicks from falling to .500.

The technical he picked up Sunday afternoon was Stoudemire’s 14th of the season, moving him within two techs of the dreaded No. 16 — which brings with it an automatic one-game suspension, as would technical fouls No. 18, 20, 22, etc.

Knicks hire Mark Warkentien as director, pro player personnel

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that the team has named Mark Warkentien as director, pro player personnel. In this role, Warkentien will consult Walsh on preparation for the NBA Draft, have scouting assignments and will advise on personnel moves.

“Mark is an excellent basketball operations executive and we are pleased to add him to our staff of highly accomplished executives and scouts,” Walsh said. “Mark will serve as a consultant and adviser and I look forward to working with him.”

Warkentien most recently served as vice president of basketball operations for the Denver Nuggets, where he was named NBA Executive of the Year following the 2008-09 season. He joined the Nuggets in 2005 as director of player personnel and was elevated to vice president of basketball operations in 2006. Prior to joining Denver, Warkentien spent 14 seasons working in various front office positions for the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Seattle SuperSonics. Warkentien also spent 11 years in the basketball operations department at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas.

NBA fines Knicks $200,000 and scout Rodney Heard $20,000 for prohibited workouts

The NBA announced today that New York Knicks scout Rodney Heard has been fined $20,000 for violating league rules restricting contact between NBA teams and players eligible for the NBA Draft. The Knicks’ organization has also been also fined $200,000 for Heard’s actions.

Heard violated NBA rules on two occasions, once in May 2007 and again in May 2010.

Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times reports:

The punishments stem from workouts conducted by Heard in Atlanta in May 2007 and May 2010.Heard, who has been with the club since 2006, is the Knicks’ East Coast scouting director. The punishment is generally in line with previous cases that involved violations of draft workout rules, although some team executives had expected the Knicks to be forced to forfeit future draft picks as part of any punishment.

The Knicks were perhaps lucky to only get fined and not suffer any additional penalties.

NBA suspends Marvin Williams and Shawne Williams for punches

The Atlanta Hawks’ Marvin Williams has been suspended two games without pay for throwing punches and fighting with the New York Knicks’ Shawne Williams, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations. Shawne Williams has been suspended one game without pay for throwing a punch during the altercation.

The incident occurred with 43.7 seconds remaining in the fourth period of the Hawks’ 111-102 win over the Knicks at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Marvin Williams will serve his suspension during the Hawks’ next two games: tonight at the Dallas Mavericks and Wednesday, February 2 vs. the Toronto Raptors.

Shawne Williams will serve his suspension tomorrow when the Knicks play host to the Detroit Pistons.

Kidd says players need to see arena in Brooklyn

The AP reports:

Jason Kidd says the Nets will have to finish building their arena in Brooklyn, N.Y. before free agents consider joining them there in 2012.

Kidd, who led the Nets to consecutive NBA finals in 2002 and ’03, says not having a building causes players to wonder whether it will ever be completed.

Kidd made his comments before his Dallas Mavericks played the Nets on Saturday night.

InsideHoops.com editor says: At the very least, free agents would probably want to be one hundred percent convinced that the building will be completed on time and the Brooklyn move is happening as scheduled. So far everything seems to be a go.

NBA rescinds technical foul on Amare Stoudemire

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

Amar’e Stoudemire scored a minor victory Sunday when the NBA informed the Knicks’ power forward it had rescinded his technical foul from Thursday’s game in Orlando.

The ruling is important because once a player accrues 16 technical fouls he must serve a one-game suspension. Stoudemire’s total, which was 10, has now been reduced to nine.

Stoudemire was penalized for shouting “get that mess outta here” after blocking Gilbert Arenas’ shot.

Knicks defense is improving

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

The Knicks have risen to 18th in what the coaching staff views as the most important defensive stat — points per 100 possessions. (The Knicks were 28th during their 3-8 start). The Knicks are second in the NBA in blocked shots, with Stoudemire setting a ton of toughness.

“We’re playing better team defense, we’re playing better help defense,” said Felton. “Amare getting six blocks [on Christmas] was big, just helping weak side and cleaning up. It makes me and Toney [Douglas’] job much easier pressuring the ball because we know we have guys who are going to clean things up when we make mistakes.”

The Knicks have the makings of a competent defensive club. Felton, Douglas and Turiaf breathe and sleep defense. Wilson Chandler is an active defender. Rookie Landry Fields rarely makes a mistake. Danilo Gallinari, despite some inconsistent offensive nights, has been tenacious on the other end, among the league leaders in charges drawn.

Kings coach mad at DeMarcus Cousins again

The Sacramento Bee blog reports:

DeMarcus Cousins has his anger issues, but apparently, so does his coach. After Wednesday’s practice – which I missed while monitoring a live chat for the Bee – Paul Westphal announced that his rookie center had been fined and removed from the starting lineup for making a right-handed choke sign during Wednesday’s loss to Golden State. At the time, the Kings led 98-93, were 19.3 from a victory, with Warriors swingman Reggie Williams at the free throw line. Cousins, who was fined Nov. 12 after clashing with an assistant and team trainer, flashed a grin and placed his right hand around his throat. Williams missed two of his three attempts.

The punishment is reminiscent of Westphal’s benching last year of Spencer Hawes. The former Kings center had publicly complained about the player rotations, and when he arrived for the next game, discovered he had been de-activated and his uniform removed from the locker room.

Opinion: Landry Fields is steal of 2010 Draft

By Jerald L. Hoover

New York Knicks Landry Fields drives to the basket in the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 8, 2010. UPI/John Angelillo Photo via Newscom

The power of advance scouting took a turn for the worse as 29 teams didn’t get the memo on Knicks rookie Landry Fields. Mysteriously picked in the second round with the 39th pick, he wasn’t even on the radar as a potential draft candidate. And this despite averaging 22 points and 9 rebounds his senior year at Stanford University. True, the Pac-Ten Conference was rather weak this past year, but Fields has had some monster games against serious competition.

Case in point: Against the John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins-led Kentucky Wildcats, Fields notched 25 points and 12 rebounds. Albeit it was in a losing effort but as Cousins admitted, “we couldn’t do anything with him.”

A lot of NBA teams are drafting on alleged potential, and they seem to think if a person stayed for four years in college, something must be wrong. It’s that type of imprudent thinking that sets some franchises back or even gets coaches fired. Many ‘one and done’ players aren’t mentally or physically strong enough for the riggers or strategies of the NBA.

Fields, on the other hand, after spending four years in college was more NBA ready. In fact of the 38 players selected before him, only the aforementioned Wall and Cousins were in the opening Night starting lineup for their respective teams. And Cousins only started because of an injury to veteran center Samuel Dalembart. And only second-year Rookie of the Year candidate LA Clippers Blake Griffin has more double-doubles than Fields. But, Fields was able to win Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. That feat hadn’t been done in New York since former Knick Channing Frye won it in November of 2005.

Talk about being a steal of the draft: at present Fields is the NBA’s leading rebounding guard. That’s right; all guards — not just rookies — at a rate of almost eight per game. And once he gets his jumpshot more sound (he will however chuck up a few threes per game) he’s going to be even more dangerous.

If there’s a player that Fields may be compared to, it would be Houston Rocket and former Duke Blue Devil Shane Battier. Battier also stayed in college for four years, but he played on the highly ranked Duke team and was much more of a high profile player in college. But, his impact as a rookie wasn’t as high as Fields’ is at this point.

Fields should keep improving, and barring health issues he should be playing in this season’s NBA Rookies vs. Sophomores game during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. That’s not bad for a guy not even thought of by 29 teams on Draft night.

Have an opinion on the team? Share it on the New York Knicks forum.

You can follow Jerald Hoover on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jerryhoover65

LeBron James throws party in NYC at 1OAK

LeBron James didn’t sign with the New York Knicks, but like everyone else on the planet he knows that when you visit NYC, a party is in order.

On Thursday, December 16th, the Miami Heat superstar hosted a “One of a Kind” evening at Chelsea hot-spot 1Oak joined by fellow teammate Dwayne Wade with gal pal Gabrielle Union, New York Knicks superstar Amar’e Stoudemire with model Amber Rose, Jersey Shore’s Ronnie Magro, New York Jets’ Braylon Edwards, record executive Steve Stoute, DJ Clue, and 1Oak owners Richie Akiva and Scott Sartiano.

Guests were treated to DOBEL Tequila, and the music was run by DJ’s Jus Ske and SussONE.

Tonight Madison Square Garden will be filled as New York basketball fanatics cheer on the hometown New York Knicks against the Heat.

LEBRON NYC 1Oak PARTY PHOTOS

LeBron James, Richie Akiva and Maverick Carter

lebron james nyc party photo

Amber Rose

lebron james party new york

Ronnie Magro

lebron james partying new york 1oak

Have an opinion? Fans are discussing their take in this forum topic.