Category: New York Knicks Blog

The New York Post (Marc Berman) reports via blog: Eddy Curry claims he’s in “good shape”, contrary from indications from D’Antoni. Curry is no given to start at center. “I’d be very disappointed,” Curry said. David Lee is a center candidate. “I”m excited about the possibility of playing different positions,” Lee said.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Curry is good for instant offense. If you feed him the ball down low and he immediately tries to score, over and over, he’ll be effective for that stretch. If the Knicks do bring him off the bench, he should get the ball 10 times in a row, try to score all 10 times (unless the defense simply refuses to allow a smart opportunity, of course), and then be sat down.

The AP reports — Stephon Marbury doesn’t care. He says the New York Knicks can get rid of him. In remarks filled with contradictions and accusations Monday, the point guard stressed that the team’s problems last year went well beyond him… “I was being blamed for losses and I wasn’t even playing,” Marbury said… “I have no feelings of what they’re doing, it doesn’t matter to me. Because once I get on the basketball court, I’ll show what I can do and that’ll be that. And if they feel like they have plans to do something differently, that’s OK. I understand that it’s a business and I’m not taking it personally at all.” … “I’m every disease that you could possibly think of,” Marbury said. “So for me, I just want to approach it with playing basketball at a high level and I want to be able to change the way people think.” … “I’m going to play basketball and I’m going to play at a high level,” Marbury said. “So it doesn’t matter to me. As long as I get on the court and once I get my opportunity, that’s it. Watch me play this year.”

Stephon Marbury will be a free agent after the upcoming 2008-09 season. Multiple local New York newspapers have reported that the Knicks would like to either trade the point guard or get him to agree to a buyout, which typically means taking less money than is owed for the right to be a free agent now, and sign elsewhere.

(Quick shoutout to New York Newsday, who I think first caught my attention with this news. Not sure who reported what first, but it may have been them.)

I say they should keep Marbury and simply part ways after the season when the contract runs out. It makes no sense to throw away huge money to make him go away sooner. He’s not hindering anything substantial at this point, and I could see him have his best season in years under the coaching of Mike D’Antoni.

The New York post said that Marbury is in his best shape in years and, if I remember correctly, around or under 200 pounds.

If D’Antoni does try to install a run-and-gun type of offense, Marbury could be a success. And while he’s really a shooting guard in a point guard’s body, he’s a good enough passer to hit Knicks who actually cut. But barely any Knicks have cut in recent seasons, ever. They literally just don’t. You can’t hit a cutter who doesn’t exist.

I think Marbury, along with Jamal Crawford, could benefit more than any other Knicks under an uptempo D’Antoni offense.

The Knicks should keep Marbury this season, roll the dice on him, and if they’re going to throw money away on buyouts they should do it on guys who don’t have expiring contracts in the summer of 2009.

–Jeff Lenchiner, InsideHoops.com editor

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that free agent guard/forward Dan Grunfeld has been signed to a contract. As per club policy, terms of the deal will not be disclosed.

InsideHoops.com editor says: This contract is so nonguaranteed it was probably written on a napkin. It’s a training camp signing. And here’s more on the news:

Grunfeld, 6-6, 215-pounds, was undrafted out of Stanford University and spent the last two seasons playing overseas. The River Hills, WI native spent the 2007-08 season in Spain, where he averaged 14.7 points and 3.3 rebounds for Aguas De Valencia. Grunfeld averaged 12.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for Oldenburg in Germany during the 2006-07 campaign. As a collegian, Grunfeld played four years at Stanford, highlighted by his junior season in 2004-05 when he earned First Team All-Pacific 10 Conference honors after averaging 17.9 points per game.

Grunfeld is the son of current Washington Wizards president, Ernie Grunfeld. The older Grunfeld was a part of the Knicks organization for over 17 years as a player (1982-86), broadcaster (1986-1989), assistant coach (1989-1990) and general manager (1991-1999).

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that guard Allan Houston has been re-signed as a free agent.

InsideHoops.com editor says: I’m assuming this is as nonguaranteed as a contract can get. Also, the Knicks don’t actually need Houston, since right now the best guard on the team who doesn’t seem likely to be waived or traded anytime soon is shooting guard Jamal Crawford. They need to clean house and move big contracts that aren’t expiring in the next season or two away. On the positive side, fans really like Houston (“H20”) and seeing him around, even briefly, is cool. He can wave at them a bit, and stuff. And, here’s more on the news:

Originally retiring on Oct. 17, 2005 following training camp three seasons ago, Houston is the team’s fourth leading scorer in franchise history during the regular season (11,165) and eighth leading scorer during the playoffs (1,139). Only NBA legends Patrick Ewing, Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Willis Reed have scored more points during their regular season careers with the orange and blue. On Oct. 4, 1999, he was named a team captain, and held that title for six seasons. He was selected to be a member of the 2000 and 2001 NBA All-Star teams and was a member of the Gold medal-winning United States team at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney.

On May 16, 1999, the Louisville, KY native authored one of the most memorable shots in club history with a game-winning runner at Miami in the closing seconds of Game Five in the first round of the 1999 NBA Playoffs. After defeating the Heat, the Knicks went on to defeat the Atlanta Hawks in the conference semifinals and Indiana Pacers in the conference finals to make their first NBA Finals appearance since 1994.

Recognized for his work through the “Father Knows Best” program offered under the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation, Houston was recently named as the national spokesman for the National Fatherhood Initiative. Houston will be wearing jersey No. 14 in honor of his father, Wade, one of the first African-American basketball players at the University of Louisville.

“My father has been a great model of a man, and hopefully I can continue to carry what he taught me back to the court with the Knicks. Off the court, this is also symbolic to encourage men to be committed fathers as their role remains one of the most important factors in the lives of our youth.”