New York Knicks Blog – Page 67 – NBA Blog

Nate Robinson would welcome a return to Knicks

Nate Robinson, who will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1, would be open to returning to the Knicks, according to his agent, Aaron Goodwin.

“Nate’s first thought would be to remain with the Bulls, but if the Knicks’ opportunity presented itself, I am sure he would appreciate an opportunity to play in New York again,” he told ESPNNewYork.com.

Robinson started his NBA career in New York, where he played four-and-a-half seasons before being traded to the Celtics in Feb. 2010. During his time with the Knicks, he averaged 12.5 points, 2.8 assists and nearly one steal in about 25 minutes per game.

Since then, Robinson has played for the Celtics, Thunder and Warriors, and he just wrapped up his first stint in Chicago, where he became one of the top playoff performers.

Reported by Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York

Nate Robinson would welcome a return to New York Knicks

Nate Robinson, who will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1, would be open to returning to the Knicks, according to his agent, Aaron Goodwin.

Since then, Robinson has played for the Celtics, Thunder and Warriors, and he just wrapped up his first stint in Chicago, where he became one of the top playoff performers.

Reported by Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York

Pacers coach takes shot at Knicks coach

In the wake of Frank Vogel’s decision to bench center Roy Hibbert for the final two defensive possessions of the Heat’s 103-102 win over the Pacers on Wednesday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers coach directed some criticism toward Knicks coach Mike Woodson following yesterday’s practice.

“They had a more intelligent plan against Roy Hibbert than New York did, and we’ve got to adjust,” Vogel said following his team’s practice in Miami ahead of tonight’s Game 2.

With Hibbert sitting on the bench for the final 2.2 seconds, LeBron James took the inbounds pass and, after Paul George closed out too quickly, blew by him for an uncontested layup at the buzzer to give the Heat a heart-stopping win and leave the Pacers wondering what might have been.

Reported by Tim Bontemps of the New York Post

Report: Carmelo Anthony has partially torn labrum in left shoulder, MRI reveals

Carmelo Anthony played 12 playoff games with a partially torn left shoulder, the Daily News has learned.

An MRI of Anthony’s shoulder revealed a partially torn labrum, according to a Knicks source and there is a possibility that Anthony may need surgery. The Knicks are hopeful that the injury will heal on its own and the club has told Anthony to rest for the next three to four weeks at which point he will be re-evaluated.

The Daily News reported on Monday that Anthony was scheduled to have his shoulder examined by team doctors after experiencing chronic pain dating back to April 14th when he originally injured his arm against the Indiana Pacers.

Anthony then re-injured it in Game 5 against the Boston and later reported that he was experiencing the sensation of his arm shoulder popping out of the socket which is common for someone suffering from a torn labrum.

— Reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News

Mike Woodson praises the Knicks season

Iman Shumpert called the Knicks’ season a failure earlier this week.

Head coach Mike Woodson disagrees.

He offered a very different definition of the Knicks’ season on Tuesday.

“Based on where we started and how we assembled our team, this was to me a wonderful season,” Woodson said. “It was a major step in the right direction, to win our division, to secure the second seed, when people didn’t think we could do none of those things.

“Some of our goals were met, so all wasn’t bad. I think we made a major step. I think we were able to win some of our fan base back and to me that’s what was more important.”

Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York

Madison Square Garden may have to move in 15 years

The world’s biggest stage may have to move in 15 years.

The city opted to renew Madison Square Garden’s lease for a mere 15 years Wednesday, signaling that the iconic arena is not a permanent fixture in midtown Manhattan.

“The best possible outcome would be a relocated Madison Square Garden,” said city Planning Commission chairwoman Amanda Burden.

The commissioners then voted unanimously to approve the 15-year permit.

The owner of the 45-year-old arena, James Dolan, had been seeking a renewal “in perpetuity” while he carried out $1 billion in renovations that upgraded seats, luxury suites and more.

“We are extremely disappointed in today’s vote, especially because MSG meets all of the requirements for the permit,” the Garden said in a statement.

Reported by Stephen Rex Brown and Jennifer Fermino of the New York Daily News

Knicks uncertain about role of Amare Stoudemire

Amar’e Stoudemire will go into next season with $45 million left on his contract and no guarantee of a starting job.

He also could remain a reserve who plays restricted minutes.

Searching for ways to improve next season, the New York Knicks could use a reliable second scorer and dependable low-post option. They have no way of knowing if Stoudemire can provide either because of his knees.

“He’s a heck of a player and I think we all know that. The question is his health and how much he can play,” general manager Glen Grunwald said Tuesday. “So we’ve got our medical staff and training staff working with him to design an offseason program that will get him to full health, and we hope he’ll be able to play significant minutes for us next year. How much that will be, we don’t know at this time.”

Stoudemire was limited to just 29 games in the regular season and four brief appearances in the postseason because of a pair of knee surgeries.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Jim Boeheim thinks Carmelo Anthony needs better supporting cast on Knicks

Knicks GM Glen Grunwald declined to fire back Tuesday at Jim Boeheim for the longtime Syracuse coach’s published comments eviscerating the team assembled around former Orange star Carmelo Anthony.

“Jim’s a great coach and he’s obviously very loyal to Melo,” Grunwald said. “So I understand where his comments came from.”

Boeheim, whose lone championship at Syracuse came with a freshman Anthony leading the way in 2003, took direct shots at Anthony’s coaches and supporting cast — including Tyson Chandler, Pablo Prigioni and Raymond Felton — in a story in the Syracuse Post-Standard.

Asked if he believes Anthony can win an NBA title with the current Knicks, Boeheim replied: “Not on that team. He did what he can do. He played very well the final game. Everybody’s killing him. … Carmelo gets turnovers and the announcers aren’t smart enough to even think, ‘Well, the guy should try to catch the ball.’

“Tyson Chandler claims he never gets the ball. He doesn’t try to get the ball. He had two points and Hibbert had (21).”

— Reported by Peter Botte of the New York Daily News

Carmelo Anthony to have shoulder examined

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will have his sore left shoulder examined by team doctors, the New York Daily News reported Monday.

The team is hoping that the injury is not serious and will not need surgery.

Anthony played much of the postseason in pain and it got worse during Game 5 of the first-round series against the Boston Celtics when Kevin Garnett pulled on his arm while setting a screen.

— Reported by the Sports Xchange

Expect big role next year for Iman Shumpert

Next season, Carmelo Anthony’s main sidekick could be a healthy, emerging Iman Shumpert.

One major issue with the Knicks’ roster going forward is its lack of upside: The team is ancient, and few players have real room for NBA growth. One of the exceptions is Shumpert, who just emblazoned his second year as a pro with an electric playoff run, capped by his 3-pointer binge in Game 6 in Indianapolis that nearly saved the Knicks’ season.

Shumpert, an athletic 6-foot-5 swingman, turns 23 next month. He flashed his promise during the postseason: a terrific Game 6 against the Celtics (17 points, six rebounds, two steals), a sensational putback dunk in Game 2 versus the Pacers and a 16-point third quarter (including a trio of 3-pointers in 64 seconds) on Saturday.

“I just wanted to win,” Shumpert said of his Game 6 eruption.

— Reported by Mark Hale of the New York Post