While my blogging output dwindled, I remained just as dedicated to our Knickerbockers, and am very happy with the evolution of the team lookking toward the future. It all began with a momentous trade deadline, which saw the team ship out fan favorite Nate Robinson, fan least favorites Jared Jeffries and Larry Hughes, and enigmatic rambunctious rookie Jordan Hill. My thoughts on this were good riddance to Nate, Hughes, and Jeffries, but I was sad to say goodbye to Hill before he was given a real chance to shine.
For me Nate was always an entertaining player, but also eternally frustrating. I am happy that he was sent to Boston to play for a playoff team with a roster and a coach that may just whip his ass into shape, and also that he will get a million dollar bonus for making the playoffs. The return for the Knicks has been more than I ever expected. It was upsetting that they could not wrangle a 1st rounder in return for Nate, but I have been pleasantly surprised by what they did get. Eddie House is a good teammate and provides leadership, but he has mostly been relegated to the pine, so I'm not going to elaborate on him. Billy Walker was the real prize in this trade, and he will surely have a spot on the team next season. He is, simply put, a beast. He skies to the rim like no Knick I have ever seen before, slamming with abandon over all foes foolish enough to stand in his way. He also has an unorthodox, but sweet jumper (my friend Meiny played against him in highschool and told me he just rained 3's all day), can play some D, and has a knack for the game. Walker was a top prospect who was derailed by multiple knee surgeries, and was the 12th man for the Celtics, but given the opportunity with the Knicks he has showed that his athleticism has not been negated by his surgeries, and he looks like a real solid player for the future, and a cheap one at that. Walker has had four 20 point outings in March, and for the month is averaging 12 points and a steal in 27 mpg. Recently JR Giddens made his debut for the Knicks, and I also like what he brings to the table. I don't know much about his game yet, but I do know he is confident and fiery enough to talk trash to former teammate Paul Pierce after canning a jumper, and Mike Breen said he has the chance to be a Bruce Bowen level defender. Last night JR had 10 points and 9 rebounds (4 offensive) in the win against the Sixers. He is another player i would love to have back for next season.
The trade with Houston was more of a blockbuster, but all the Knicks received was a dilapidated Tracy McGrady,and the Spanish Fly, Sergio Rodriguez. I was a big fan of this trade, and when T-Mac exploded in his first game in the Garden, I was elated. Alas, he has sputtered lately. He looks slow, can't get by battered big men like Kevin Garnett off the dribble, and can't really hit jump shots. He is a ball stopper on offense, and unless he has a miraculous rehab program in the offseason, I can't see him being more than a bit part role player next season, but I believe in miracles, so let's hope for the best. The Knicks had to give up a 2012 draft pick and the right to swap another, but if they get LeBron and his sidekick, it won't really be an issue, and that was the point of the trade anyway. Risky? Somewhat, but the rewards outweigh the risks by a long shot. The Spanish Fly was brought in from Sacramento as part of the deal, and while he was given the reigns to the offense immediately, it didn't last. Sergio showed some positive signs, and was a very nice change of pace from the turtle like pace of Chris Duhon, but besides a case of cleptomania in one game that saw the Fly nab 8 steals against the Bucks, he didn't do much and also is now benched.
The best result of the trades has been the emergence of DWTDD, Toney Douglas, who has shown he can score, defend, talk a mean game, and elevate the play of his teammates. It seems like it should have been this way since day 1, but Toney is now the starting point guard, for what I imagine will be a very long time (unless we can nab Chris Paul away from NOLA in the future, of course) Last night Toney scored 14 of his 22 points in the 4th to drag the Knicks out of the jaws of defeat, and propel them to victory. At one point he scored 13 straight for the Knicks, and is averaging over 18 ppg and 5 assists in his last 5 games. Toney's heart, quickness, and dedication on the defensive end is what I love most about him, being a defensive minded point guard myself. With Gallinari, Chandler, Douglas, Walker and Giddens the Knicks have 5 youthful talents who all revel in mixing it up on the defensive end, and all have legitimate offensive games to boot. Throw in LeBron and Bosh and the Knicks would be a defensive big man short of a title. Maybe with a draft pick purchased in the late 1st round like last year, Donnie Walsh can find that Center the team needs.
The team was getting painful to watch, with Duhon slugging around, Jeffries missing layups, and Hill and Douglas languishing on the bench. Now it seems that the youth movement is finally in full swing, and the veterans on the squad like Duhon are helping the youngsters develop from the bench, instead of hampering them by playing undeserved minutes. While the playoffs are out of the question, we all watch with an eye toward the future. Now the future does not just mean twiddling our thumbs until July 1st, AKA LeBron Day, but watching the development of a couple legit NBA ballers who are hungry to play and win, and finally getting a chance to shine. It's good to be back on the blog, and believe it or not, it's a good time to be a fan of the New York Knickerbockers. Now that spring is in the air in NYC, my dark wintry view of the knicks present has transformed back into the sweet sunny optimism I am used to. The youth resounds and abounds, and everyone knows I love untapped potential.
1 comment:
Glad you're back
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