12/21/2010

Donnie is Assessing the Knicks Depth


via NYDailynews.com


"I'm tired of watching games on TV," said the Knicks' team president, who has been unable to attend home games since having hip replacement surgery on Nov. 16.

Article After the Jump

But there's another reason for Walsh to return to his seat located about a half-dozen rows behind the Knick bench. He wants to continue to assess if his team, which has lost three straight games, has enough depth to continue on a path toward the playoffs.
"I don't know because all the depth hasn't played," Walsh said after watching practice Monday in Greenburgh. "So you don't know. We played a short rotation, understandably, because we were trying to win games after starting off 3-8. By shortening the rotation, that worked."
But Mike D'Antoni's short rotation also has put Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton on course to set personal highs for minutes played. Stoudemire has been averaging just under 38 minutes a game, while Felton is averaging 39 minutes. Neither is logging that much more playing time over his career high, with Stoudemire twice playing 37 minutes a game in Phoenix, and Felton twice playing around 37 minutes for Charlotte.
Both players said Monday that they can continue to play extended minutes if asked, with Stoudemire saying his minor neck injury won't deter him from playing his normal minutes. D'Antoni also says he'll try to use more of his reserves, but that could be difficult because he's still in a win-now mode with the Knicks' skid dropping them to 16-12.
"We want to make the playoffs right now," he said. "That's the number one thing."
The Knicks are mindful that Stoudemire and Felton have to get more help to avoid possibly burning out. The question is whether it's with the players they have now or if they'll need to import some new ones via trades.
The Knicks are said to be interested in Portland backup center Joel Przybilla, while they're also looking at Minnesota reserve playmaker and Brooklyn product Sebastian Telfair. An Internet report said that the Magic offered ex-Knick point guard Chris Duhon for Ronny Turiaf, but that the Knicks were not interested. After signing last summer with the Magic, Duhon is now available after the Magic acquired Gilbert Arenas last Saturday. The Magic is seeking a big man and apparently is seeking the Sixers' Tony Battie.
"Look, we're trying to make the playoffs," Walsh said. "There's no doubt about that. If there's something out there that can help us make the playoffs, you do it. We're on the phones and we know what's out there for us."
Walsh made one thing clear: The Magic's decision to blow up their team and remake it with Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark, obtained in deals last Saturday, is not going to force his hand.
"It doesn't make me feel like we should do something because of that," he said. "When you think that way, you make bad mistakes."


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