OFFICIAL NEW YORK KNICKS OFFSEASON THREAD: TRAINING CAMP

[flatbushfiyah23]

LOL @ Nates Jersey being retired.

As far as keeping Lee.....I am intrigued as to what some of you guys would want in return. If we can get a first round pick in next years draft along with cashconsiderations that is a trade I would do now especially if the Knicks know that they will not sign Lee.

 

[woodside718]

Originally Posted by nycknicks105

Im calling it now guys....Danillo will get injured in today's game or sometime during this summer league.

God, please dont let anything happen to this kid, and hopefully he turns out to be something good

this dude

 

[flatbushfiyah23]

^Word.....no negative energy here!!

 

[melovp]

iugb.jk

 

[nyk orange and blue]

[h1]D'ANTONI SET TO TAKE ON WORLD[/h1]
[h3]By MARC BERMAN[/h3]
[img]http://www.nypost.com/seven/07232008/photos/spo0e.jpg[/img]

MIKE D'ANTONIKnicks to Olympics.

Last updated: 7:27 am
July 23, 2008
Posted: 3:11 am
July 23, 2008

KnicksNew York Knicks

coach Mike D'Antoni switched rooms at the luxurious Wynn Hotel on the Las Vegas strip Mondaymorning, moving from one wing to another, from one basketball universe to another.

From guiding the Knicks' summer-league team to helping pilot the U.S. Olympic team, D'Antoni's exhausting offseason continues.

"When you're excited about something, it's not really work," D'Antoni told The Post yesterday. "I'm with the best team in theworld. The only time I get tired is if your team is not exciting. I'm in two great situations right now."

With D'Antoni just having sold his house in Phoenix and still looking to set up roots in Westchester, he now will be with Team USA as an assistant coachuntil - he hopes - after the gold-medal game in Beijing deep into August.

He goes from coaching Renaldo BalkmanRenaldo Balkman

and Mardy CollinsMardy Collins

to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

"I'll be back around Aug. 25," D'Antoni told The Post. "If I'm back before that, you can throw me in the Hudson River."

Knicks fans will want to throw D'Antoni into the Hudson if the club posts another 23-59 record. Summer league was a mixed bag. Second-year forwardWilson Chandler looked excellent and the Knicks discovered a new sharpshooter in Anthony Roberson, to whom they have given a guaranteed contract.

But 6-10 rookie Danilo Gallinari put a damper on the week when the Italian Stallion showed tons of offensive talent but a lack of durability in suffering aback injury in the opener and missing the final four games.

"I hated that," D'Antoni said. "He's the biggest reason why you have summer league. I'm glad I got to watch Chandler. Roberson Ithink will be a nice spot player. But it was a disappointment Danilo didn't play more. We did get to watch him in practice three days and play one game.But he was bored. He wanted to play."

Team USA began training camp Monday at Vegas' Valley High and leaves Saturday for China, where it will play a handful of exhibitions before opening upAug. 10.

[email protected]

 

[allen3xis]

I didn't know he was an assistant...good deal (LeBron

)

Assistant coaches can always play the good guy

 

[typerpinoy]

Originally Posted by allen3xis

I didn't know he was an assistant...good deal (LeBron

)

Assistant coaches can always play the good guy

really??

 

[allen3xis]

Yah..I'm not sure how I missed that.

 

[typerpinoy]

he's been an assistant on Team USA since after the last olympics...i think he got the job in 05
this is why i have no doubt that if we get under the cap we are signing at least 1 superstar...he's got the inside track and all the players on the teamlove him

 

[flatbushfiyah23]

^Good point. I have full faith as well the Knicks will stick to their plan and get a superstar here in 2010.

 

[nyk orange and blue]

Renovations for Garden May Include All-Stars
By HOWARD BECK

Published: July 24, 2008

The Knicks have not had an All-Star player since 2001, but they could welcome two dozen of them to New York in four years for the N.B.A. All-Star Game.

[h4]With a $500 million renovation planned for Madison Square Garden, the Knicks are preparing an application to host the All-Star Game at the earliest possible date. The renovated Garden is scheduled to be ready for basketball by the 2011-12 season.[/h4]

Garden executives have already made an unofficial pitch to N.B.A. Commissioner David Stern, who has embraced the prospect.

"I would say it's a very live possibility," Stern said Wednesday in a telephone interview.

The Garden has to file an application, and there will be competition from other N.B.A. cities, notably Orlando, Fla., which is building a new arena. But New York is likely to emerge as the favorite, given the Garden's history, the lure of Manhattan and Stern's enthusiasm for its bid.

Garden officials announced in early April that they intended to overhaul the arena's interior while preserving the outer shell. Changes will include a new, sunlit entryway off Seventh Avenue, the addition of luxury suites closer to the floor, wider public concourses and better sight lines throughout the arena.

Hank Ratner, the Garden's vice chairman, presented the renovation plans to Stern and the deputy commissioner Adam Silver about two months ago. Stern said the renovated Garden would essentially be a modern, state-of-the-art arena, albeit one housed within the old building. The current Garden opened in 1968.

"I can't speak as an architect or reviewer," Stern said, but the new Garden will be "quite extraordinary, quite commodious, and it's going to be quite a treat for the fans of New York."

The Garden has hosted the N.B.A.'s All-Star weekend once, in 1998, when the game turned into a memorable duel between Michael Jordan, who was in his last season with the Chicago Bulls, and Kobe Bryant, who was then a 19-year-old rising star with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The previous Garden, at 49th Street and Eighth Avenue, played host to the All-Star Game in 1954, 1955 and 1968.

The league has a history of awarding the All-Star Game to new arenas, as it did in 2002 (Staples Center in Los Angeles), 2005 (Pepsi Center in Denver) and 2006 (Toyota Center in Houston). League owners have lately shown a preference for warm-weather cities, placing the game in Houston, Las Vegas and New Orleans over the last three years. The 2009 game will be in Phoenix at the US Airways Center. Dallas is considered a favorite for the 2010 game.

Stern acknowledged that cities with warm climates and large convention centers have a distinct advantage in the bidding process.

"Without sounding too provincial, New York City has its own advantages," he said. "The 1998 All-Star Game here was a great success."

The N.B.A. offices are in Manhattan. Stern was born in New York and grew up in Teaneck, N.J.

Garden officials are looking at a number of major events, including an N.C.A.A. basketball regional, as they proceed with the renovations. The Garden has not hosted an N.C.A.A. tournament game since 1961. Award shows and presidential conventions are also possibilities. The construction will take place over the next three summers, during the N.B.A. and N.H.L. off-seasons.

"Madison Square Garden is really the family room for all of New York," Ratner said in a separate interview. "To attract the greatest events in the world, the world's most famous arena really needs to be the world's most state-of-the-art arena. That's what we're going to do."

More Articles in Sports »

Need to know more? 50% off home delivery of The Times.

 

[nyk orange and blue]

[h1]ROBERSON JOINS KNICKS' ROSTER[/h1]
[h3]By MARC BERMAN[/h3]
Last updated: 7:13 am
July 25, 2008
Posted: 3:44 am
July 25, 2008

The Knicks' roster officially ballooned to 16 players yesterday with the announcement of Anthony Roberson's signing, one over the maximum, leaving acertain point guard with a tattoo on his temple in official limbo.

Roberson, the undrafted former Florida guard who played for the Grizzlies and Golden State, is the Eddie House-like sharpshooter off the bench Donnie Walshwas hunting for. He signed a two-year deal with a second year team option. The first year is for the minimum for third-year players - $798,000.

"He's had a tough break in a couple of places," Walsh said yesterday. "He can spread the floor because of hsi shooting and that'simportant in Mike [D'Antoni's] game."

Roberson, a teammate of David Lee's at Florida, first impressed the Knicks when they held a secret free-agent mini-camp in early June. Then he waslights out during summer-league practices and they moved to sign him after he racked up 21 points in the summer-league opener, fearing other teams might try togive him a guarantee.

Stephon Marbury's status never has been more uncertain. He falls into the Jeremy Shockey category - a player who can produce but whose diva act hasgrown tired with the organization. The difference is the Giants won the Super Bowl without Shockey. The Knicks crashed and burned last season with Marburysidelined for all but 24 games.

"I'm not saying anything definitive about any player," Walsh said.

Marbury's latest quirk came when he showed up in Las Vegas two weeks ago with the Starbury "3" sneaker logo tattooed into the side of hishead.

[email protected]

 

[nyk orange and blue]

[h1]Lee hopes to be part of Knicks' future[/h1]
By Mike Dougherty
The Journal News • July 25, 2008

PLEASANTVILLE - After sitting down for a conversation with Knicks president Donnie Walsh this week, David Lee is almost confident he willbe part of the organization's ever-changing future, but the search for a new apartment in the city remains on hold.

Just in case.

They say it's the kiss of death," Lee said yesterday afternoon before he visited with 140 local kids attending the Knicks' summer basketball camp at Pace University. "They say you should just rent because when you go to buy, you're out."

While the popular forward was mentioned in several intriguing trade rumors prior to last month's draft, no offense was taken. He averaged 10.8 points and 8.9 rebounds last season, and numerous general managers around the league consider him the rare commodity on this roster.

Despite witnessing the constant upheaval here, Lee wants to remain in New York.

"I have seen a lot of drama in three years on and off the court," he said. "I've put in a lot of time and hard work here, and kind of built a niche, and I really would like to see this thing turn around and be a big part of what's going on here when things do turn around."

Lee is certain it will not be a long process.

Of course, optimism reigns every summer. The prospect of playing for newly hired coach Mike D'Antoni seems to intrigue a wide majority of the players who lost interest early on last season as the Knicks generated more controversy than confidence.

"I think any time there's change, and what people perceive as a change for the better, I think it's legitimate," Lee said of the optimism.

Lee got a chance to have lunch with D'Antoni while the Knicks were in Las Vegas for summer league. He spoke to Walsh on Tuesday after finishing up a workout at the MSG Training Center, hoping to get some clarification.

"I wanted to get a feel from those guys if they like me here as a player and they wanted me here," Lee said.

And?

"Mr. Walsh and Coach D'Antoni said, 'Let's not mince words, we want to have you here in New York and we love your game and how it's going to fit into the system,' " Lee said. "But we agreed on the fact that if your main goal is to improve this franchise, then you've got to listen to all offers that come through for every player at this point."

In other words, there are no guarantees.

Lee is a consistent jump shot away from being absolutely perfect for the up-and-down game D'Antoni prefers, but the Knicks have to consider the cost. He is eligible for a sizeable contract extension this summer, and Walsh is constantly scrutinizing the bottom line so the organization can make a play for marquee free agents in 2010.

So far, there have been no formal negotiations.

"There's no question, I think we're going to talk and see if there's a deal that works for both sides," Lee's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. "I would think it will be somewhere in the near future."

Note: The Knicks signed free-agent guard Anthony Roberson, who averaged 14.8 points in five games for their summer league team. He's guaranteed $797,581 next season, and the Knicks hold an option worth $855,189 for 2009-10.

 

[flatbushfiyah23]

I really hope :Lee can be here when we turn things around.

 

[the gr8]

Nasty Nate

what yall think about Josh Smith. He might be part of a sign and trade and he would be PERFECT for our system and he is an elite player already at such a youngage (remember he came out of HS so he is iike the age of a 1st or 2nd yar player. He can shoot, he is a deadly shot blocker and he would throw down dunks allday. He would be perfect in NY to get the fans excited and he wpuld be perfect for our system. I dont know how we would be abe to get him but i think we shoulddefinitley try. Hed be worth the $.

 

[true 3 blue]

Josh Smith is that dude, I've been a fan since his rookie season. Who would we be giving up for him though?

 

[flatbushfiyah23]

I wouldnt mind Josh Smith but I question his shot....it has gotten better but not consistent enough.

 

[Mister Meaner]

Josh Smith is my favorite young player. I would LOVE to see dude here. If the Hawks can't keep him, shame on them.

 

[nycknicks105]

I was actually thinking about Smith as well. We can give up Lee, and maybe someone else in turn for Smith. Atlanta seems to not want to spend any money rightabout now. Maybe we can do something to get him.

 

[typerpinoy]

looks like balkman might be on his way out
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/blog/2008/07/kberg_balkman_on_the_outs.html

 

[nycknicks105]

Balkman would be perfect for D'Antoni's system if he did have the IQ. We need to get rid of some people anyways. Considering he might leave, we canpackage him in with Lee and Randolph.

 

[Mister Meaner]

I agree, Balkman would be great in this system, but as of now, one cannot trust him to play winning basketball. He's just so raw. And I still say $#*+ theLee talks, and secure his spot on the roster for a long time.

 

[nyk orange and blue]

New York and Nuggets are discussing a trade that would send 2006 first-round pick Renaldo Balkman to Denver for point guard Taurean Green and small forward Bobby Jones, an NBA front-office source told Newsday last night.

The deal would mark the end of Balkman's mostly confusing tenure with the Knicks, who selected him with the 20th pick two years ago when Isiah Thomas said Phoenix would've swiped him if he hadn't. That scenario appears even more dubious now that the former coach of the Suns, Mike D'Antoni, is ready to ship Balkman out for little more than roster fodder.

The deal was proposed late last week and is being discussed internally by both clubs, the front-office official familiar with the situation said. If the two-for-one deal goes through, it would leave the Knicks with 17 players under contract, although Green and Jones - who have non-guaranteed contracts - expect to be waived. It would get the Knicks back to the 15-player roster limit and save them Balkman's $1.32 million against the salary cap.

Green, 23, appeared in only 17 games last season with Portland and Denver but is a ball-moving point guard who could add more competition at the position in training camp if the Knicks can create a roster spot by shedding another body.

The Knicks were high on Green (6- foot, 183) coming out of Florida, and were poised to select him in the second round with Portland's pick, but it ended up not being included in the draft-night trade for Zach Randolph. Portland selected Green and traded him to the Nuggets for Von Wafer. Jones, a 6-7 forward out of Washington, was with six teams last season.

The Knicks are overloaded at small forward with the addition of first-round pick Danilo Gallinari, and Balkman also became expendable because he lacks the savvy and quick decision-making required by D'Antoni's system. But are looking to shave a lot more salary. They are known to be looking to move Randolph's contract, and are involved in other trade discussions with several teams.
Ehhh, to me its like what's the point?

pointless tradein my opinion....

 

[justhotkicks]

Originally Posted by NYK orange and blue

Ehhh, to me its like what's the point?

pointless trade in my opinion....

Balkman would be much more valuable if he was packaged with someone else. We need to bring in impact players, not role players. I doubt all 15 of ourguys will get playing time. Definitely a pointless trade IMO. Then again, we don't know how the whole Marbury contract issue will play out, so maybe weneed another PG.

Also, Josh Smith to the Knicks is a bad idea. The only way it would work is if it's a sign-and-trade (obviously), and the only player leaving should beZach Randolph. Getting rid of him is still THE OFFSEASON PRIORITY. Adding Smith without getting rid of ZBo will create more problems, and I don't see Smithimproving our team that much anyway. He won't be able to play an Amare Stoudemire role in the offense.

 

[krazecraze]

The whole point of trading Balkman away is to save the $1.32 million. The Knicks will be waiving both Green and Jones. It would get the Knicks back to the15-player roster limit.

Josh for Randolph and Jeffries (To replace Childress).