Category: New York Knicks Blog

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LeBron James done talking about 2010 free agency

The AP reports:

Frustrated by the repeated questions about his future, LeBron James said Wednesday that he won’t talk about his possible free agency next summer until after this season.

The Cleveland star and reigning NBA MVP said before the Cavaliers’ game against Orlando that all the talk is “getting old.”

“This free agent talk is getting old. It’s getting old and I think I’m going to stop. Tonight will be the last time I answer any more free agent questions until the offseason,” James said.

“I think I owe it to myself, and I owe it to my teammates. It’s just getting old. I’m focusing on this season, and this is going to be a really good season for us. I don’t want anymore distractions for my teammates, for my organization, for my family. This will be the last time I answer a free agent question for the rest of the year.”

The official InsideHoops.com opinion is that it’s most likely LeBron winds up re-signing with the Cavs in 2010. Talk of him going to the Knicks, or maybe the Heat or elsewhere also could be legit. But there’s no reason to think LeBron knows for a fact where he’d go. It makes sense to wait until the time comes and see the roster situation on all these teams before having a sure opinion. He’d probably love to star in New York’s Madison Square Garden, but only if he’ll be surrounded by real ballers, not fill-in guys that drag him down.

Eddy Curry slims down

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reports:

Eddy Curry might never be cut out for Mike D’Antoni’s open-floor style of basketball, but at least the Knick center finally looks like he can get up and down the court without any difficulty.

Looking nothing like the slow, burly player with a history of weight and conditioning problems, a streamlined Curry returned to practice Tuesday and took the first major step toward resurrecting his disappointing career.

From the looks of it, he’s considerably lighter than he was when he left the team with a knee injury on the first day of training camp. So how much weight did he lose while working out with the Knicks’ conditioning guru, Greg Brittenham?

“I didn’t keep track of it,” said Curry, who was believed to be around 320 pounds when he reported to camp and is now listed at 295. “I just know I look different. Everybody says I look different.”

Brian Lewis of the New York Post reports:

After a knee injury limited him to just 12 minutes last season, Curry’s weight ballooned to 365 pounds. He worked out away from the team over the summer, showed up weighing 317 pounds but having already tweaked his calf and hamstring, then tore his right plantaris muscle on his first day back.

Curry was banished from the team last month until he got down to a certain weight. The Knicks won’t say how much he lost, but assistant Greg Brittenham’s regimen clearly worked.

It’s common knowledge that the Knicks want to clear salary cap room, and trading Eddy Curry would greatly fasciliate that. But, even if they can’t deal him, if he’s actually in shape it’s possible he’ll emerge as a real basketball player again.

When at his best a few years ago, Curry wasn’t a great player but was very functional as a rugged inside scorer.

Basketball Hall of Famer Al Cervi dies

The AP reports:

Al Cervi, a pro basketball star who coached the Syracuse Nationals to the 1955 NBA championship, has died in upstate New York at age 92.

The 5-foot-11-inch Cervi was one of the strongest backcourt players of the 1940s and 1950s. Nicknamed “Digger,” he was the 1947 National Basketball League scoring champion and MVP as a guard for the Rochester Royals.

Channing Frye now a three-point shooting threat

Channing Frye now a three-point shooting threat

New Phoenix Suns center Channing Frye began his NBA career in 2005-06 with the New York Knicks.

His rookie year was solid. Playing 24.2 minutes per game, Frye averaged 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds on good shooting, looking versatiel and talented.

Frye stayed with the Knicks for his second season, then spent two years with the Portland Trail Blazers. But of his first four seasons, his rookie year stood out the most.

Now with the Suns, something crazy has happened. The 6-11, 245-pound big-man has become a huge threat from three-point range.

In his first four seasons, Frye’s three-point shooting totals were: 3-of-9, 3-of-18, 3-of-10, and 11-of-33.

This season, in the six games Phoenix has played, Frye has fired 33 three-pointers and hit 16 of them; a 48.5% clip.

The team, meanwhile, is off to a great 6-1 start.

Playing a faster style of basketball now that Shaquille O’Neal is gone, the Suns are playing fun, winning basketball and are worth watching. Steve Nash is playing great. The fans are entertained. And Frye has been a great surprise.

Have an opinion? Share it in this forum topic.

Knicks exercise options on Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that the team has exercised its fourth-year option on forward Wilson Chandler and its third-year option on forward Danilo Gallinari.

Chandler, 6-8, 225-pounds, has averaged 12.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 117 games over his first two NBA seasons. The Benton Harbor, MI-native enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign last season, averaging 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds while playing in all 82 games and was also selected to play in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge at 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix.

Gallinari, 6-10, 225-pounds, averaged 6.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 28 games as a rookie in 2008-09. The Milan, Italy-native was selected by New York with the sixth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Knicks banish Eddy Curry until he gets in shape

New York Knicks center Eddy Curry was once considered a good young talent and a solid inside offensive force. Now he’s simply a huge, out-of-shape, financial burden who can’t help the team.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

eddy curry

Curry, the team’s out-of-shape center who was banished from practicing with his teammates two weeks ago, must meet a certain weight before he will be allowed to rejoin the Knicks. According to a source close to the team, Garden Chairman James Dolan was involved in the decision to keep Curry away from the Knicks until he improved his conditioning.

Curry does not practice with his teammates or attend preseason games. It is unlikely that he will accompany the Knicks to their Oct. 28 season opener in Miami. Curry suffered a leg injury on the first day of training camp, and the club claimed that he would be out three days.

But Knicks president Donnie Walsh later said that Curry wasn’t fit enough to practice. Walsh said the plan to ban Curry had nothing to do with the center’s weight, which now appears to be a way for the Knicks to protect him.

The Knicks still want to trade Curry and free up more future salary cap space.

NBA tells bench players stay seated so fans can see

Good NBA seats are expensive. Fans shelling out big money to sit near the court should expect a good view of the action.

But what about when players get off the bench and remain standing for a while? On the one hand, it’s nice to see guys cheer their teammates. On the other, these giants prevent fans from seeing what they paid to see.

The Cavs are one team with players who remained standing a lot, and now the league office has reportedly taken action.

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

The NBA has issued a memo to its teams directing players on the bench to remain seated during games. Game officials will be keeping a closer eye and will issue faster warnings and possible technical fouls if not followed. Players are permitted to cheer, but standing during regular-game action and blocking the fans’ views apparently isn’t going to be allowed.

That goes for Tuesday night’s first preseason game at The Q, where the Cavs will host the Charlotte Bobcats in the first of eight practice games before the season opener.

The Cavs weren’t exactly thrilled that their custom has been legislated.

“It is hard to take that out of the game,” LeBron James said. “Part of the game is emotions, your teammates are all you have. That was part of the reason we played great basketball, because we cheered each other.”

I support the league protecting the paying fan’s view.

Oct 4: Knicks 115, Nets 107

The AP reports: Al Harrington scored 23 points and Wilson Chandler had 21 to help the New York Knicks beat the New Jersey Nets 115-107 on Sunday in the preseason opener for both teams. David Lee added 20 points and nine rebounds, and New York made 13 of 31 3-pointers. Chris Douglas-Roberts led the Nets with 21 points, and Brook Lopez had 19, and Bobby Simmons added 16… Newcomer Darko Milicic was 1 of 4 from the field in limited action for the Knicks. Danilo Gallinari had nine points in 26 minutes after playing only 28 games last season in an injury-plagued rookie year.

Glancing at Eddy Curry

eddy_curry

Eddy Curry showed nice potential offensively as an inside force with the Chicago Bulls and early on with the New York Knicks, but things have gone downhill since 2006-07. In 2007-08 Curry played just 59 games and averaged an unimpressive 13.2 points and 4.7 rebounds. Last season he didn’t really exist, registering a mere three games played and spending the season an injured, out of shape mess.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

Curry is also one of the highest-paid Knicks despite never appearing in a playoff game. He has two years left on his contract and his future in New York is shaky at best. Curry was never in shape last season and quickly fell out of favor with D’Antoni. It began when he missed camp with a stomach virus. His year was further derailed by a series of events off the court, including the murder of his infant daughter, which set him back emotionally as well.

Curry dropped 40 pounds but he’s not 100% fit. He already has injured his left hamstring and right calf during scrimmages last week but plans to practice with his teammates today at Skidmore College. It’s not much but it’s something.

The Knicks, in full rebuild mode, still look to deal Curry for expiring contracts.