Knicks Snapbacks Bonanza

Due to the Snapbacks explosion this past spring/now summer I thought it would only be right to post some of my favorite Knicks editions out there...

TISA Knicks Snapback 

Knicks Marquee 2011-2012 Regular Season Games

The NBA released its 2011-2012 regular schedule this week and the New York Knicks have claimed an astounding 29 nationally televised games this season, a huge jump from the respected 18 last season. Madison Square Garden newly renovated home will be christened by a visit from the Big 2(Shaq said it) of Miami on November 2nd, talk about starting off the season with a bang.


Lets take a look at the Marquee match-ups:

Nov. 2  vs. Miami ... ESPN  8:00 p.m.
Nov. 12 vs. Indiana ... NBATV  7:30 p.m.
Nov. 16  at Denver ... ESPN 10:30 p.m.
Nov. 17 at L.A. Lakers ... TNT  10:30 p.m.
Nov. 28 vs. Washington...NBATV7:30 p.m.
Dec. 7 vs. San Antonio ...ESPN 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 15 vs. Philadelphia ... TNT 7:00 p.m.
Dec. 17 vs. L.A. Clippers ...NBATV 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 21 vs. Utah ... NBATV 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 22 at Boston ... TNT p.m.
Dec. 25 vs. Boston ...ESPN noon
Jan. 7 at New Jersey ... NBATV 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 12 at Memphis ...TNT 8:00 p.m.
Jan. 27 at Miami ...ESPN 8:00 p.m.
Feb. 2 vs. Chicago ... TNT 8:00 p.m.
Feb. 4 vs. New Jersey ...NBATV 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 8 at Washington ...NBATV 7:00 p.m.
Feb. 10 vs. L.A. Lakers ... ESPN  8:00 p.m.
Feb. 17 vs. New Orleans ...ESPN 8:00 p.m.
Feb. 19 vs. Dallas ...ABC 1:00 p.m.
Feb. 23 at Miami ... TNT 8:00 p.m.
Mar. 4 at Boston ...ABC 1:00 p.m.
Mar. 12  at Chicago ...ESPN 8:00 p.m.
Mar. 21 at Philadelphia ... ESPN. 7:00 p.m.
Apr. 5 at Orlando ...TNT  7:00 p.m.
Apr. 8 vs. Chicago ... ABC  1:00 p.m.
Apr. 10at Chicago ...ESPN 9:30 p.m.
Apr. 15vs. Miami ...ABC 1:00 p.m.
Apr. 17 vs. Boston ... TNT  8:00 p.m.

The games that really stand out for me is the early return of Melo to Denver, I wonder how he will be received by his previous fans, and it will also be interesting to see the new Knicks battle with the old Knicks.

Also pay close attention to the December back to back with the Celtics, this could be the battle for the early Atlantic division leaders.

And my sleeper marquee game to look out for is the February 17th match up with the Hornets, this could be the last game that CP3 plays in New York as an opponent, rather than a teammate. The trade deadline will be less than a week from then.

Which games are you excited to see?

Is Old Crazy Eyes Kurt Thomas returning to the Knicks?

Kurt Thomas, at 38 is now the oldest player in the NBA is not ready to hang it up yet. NYDailyNews is reporting that old crazy Kurt is willing to re-join the Knicks this season.

The Knicks make THEIR pick in the Draft, not yours

There were only four moments during the entire NBA Draft night where the crowd showed life: First was the Jan Vesely kiss from his hot blonde companion, second and third were the selections of New York's own Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette back to back selections at the 9th and 10th spot. But most importantly to the hundreds on Knicks fans in attendance was the 17th selection, with the highly touted Chris Singleton and Kenneth Faried available, the Knicks went their own route and choose Iman Shumpert, the 6'6 all-around guard from Georgia Tech.

During the course of the evening I ran into a few of Chris Singletons family members(Brooklyn Residents) and they were extremely excited of the possibility of Chris falling into the Knicks lap, they expressed to how much Chris would "love to play with Stat and Melo" and could add "exactly what they needed to the team". Ironically Singletons talents were taken by the Wizards with the very next pick(18th).

Most Knicks fans barely seen Shumperts game, and to boot he wasnt at the Draft, it was definitely a Air out of the balloon feeling in the Prudential Center after that selection. Iman Shumpert may very well turn into a great selection for the Knicks in the future but the most opinionated NBA fans(New Yorkers) were not agreement with Donnie Walsh's selection at that time. Only time can tell the stories of Shumpert, Faried, Singleton and the rest of the draftees, but if you watched the Knicks in the last three seasons then you already know what parts of the system is missing, rebounding and defense. Did they improve on that last night?


*Notable Mention: The Knicks traded cash considerations to the Hornets for their 2nd round 45th overall draft selection Josh Harrellson*

Knicks Are First Choice For Jimmer

We all know the knocks on Jimmer's game: no defense, undersized, one-dimensional, etc. But if you listen closely this kid is totally aware of his deficiencies and all of the criticisms that come with it and he seems prepared to work hard to prove everyone wrong, including myself.

Will Jimmer become another Adam Morrison, or can he mold himself into a great complimentary player on a very good team(e.g. JJ Barea.)?

Summer NYC/Knicks Gear

Individual “New Cement Kicks”

Donnie Walsh out as Knicks GM

Here's the statement from James Dolan:

"Following a long series of discussions regarding his future role with the New York Knicks, Donnie Walsh and I have mutually agreed that he will be leaving his position as president, basketball operations of the Knicks at the end of June. Donnie will remain with the team as a consultant for the 2011-12 season. In a relatively short time with the Knicks, Donnie made a tremendous impact, which will be felt for many years to come. We thank Donnie for his leadership, hard work and many contributions to the revitalization of the team.


"We will now begin an immediate search for a new president and general manager, but do not have a timetable for the decision. Glen Grunwald, the Knicks' senior vice president, basketball operations, will serve as interim general manager beginning in July, overseeing all player transactions. With some of the NBA's premier players, an outstanding coach and one of the league's most passionate and loyal fanbases, we are extremely confident about the future of the Knicks franchise."

This story is unfolding as you read this, more drama to come soon.

Throwback: Shaq vs The Knicks

There were many other nights when The Diesel performed tremendously in the Garden but this was by far his best season ever. Shaq announced his retirement via Twitter yesterday, The Big "Everything" dominated the Post-Jordan Era with four championships, three Finals MVP's, and one NBA MVP award. He was the biggest personality in the NBA, period.


Check out Shaq and Biggie story: HERE

Knicks Pick-Up Billups Option for 2012

No buy out for Chauncey here, Knicks have picked up the 1 year option worth 14 million plus.

via espn.com

"Chauncey, Amare [Stoudemire] and Chauncey [Billups] are a great nucleus, as we continue to look to improve our team going into the offseason," Knicks president of basketball operation Donnie Walsh said in a statement. "Chauncey is an extremely talented and experienced point guard -- we are very happy to have him back."

What does this mean for the Knicks front line help, only the new collective bargaining agreement can  answer that.

GAME 4's SWEEP LEAVES US WITH A WORLD OF QUESTIONS

The 2010-2011 Knicks took a page out of The Cohen Brothers film-making with this closing performance. This season had its great amount of highs and lows but the ending to this story was a complete failure. Some die-hard fans of the Knicks and Cohen Brothers films will always see the glass half-full in the end, but whether you were proud of this team or ashamed to be a fan were all left with many questions to be answered.
 

1. Is Donnie Walsh going to return?
2.  
3. Does Mike D'Antoni deserve another season with a complete team?
4.  
5. Will they pick-up the Billups contract option?
6.  
7. Which of the seven (ACarter, Shawne Williams, RMason, RonnyT, Sheldon Williams,Jared J, DBrown) Free-Agents this off-season should be re-signed?
8.  
9. What is the biggest roster need, C, PG, SG?

Knicks Lose Game 3:The Dreaded 3-0

Check out the MSG fellas breaking down the terrible loss.

The Curse of the Unlucky Tie

The Paisley Curse

   If your superstitious person like myself, then you should already have been thinking that all things from Game 1 and Game 2 should be discarded. Most importantly Coach D'Antoni's tie, while I may be a fan of the Paisley print in a fashoin sense, this back to back game night clothing accessory should be burned. After some *extensive research "The Curse of the Paisley" may just be a real curse, the Knicks have never beaten a team with a winning record this season while MDA wore a Paisley print tie. In the regular season everyone can overlook such a preposterous notion of a "unlucky tie" but not in the playoffs, every little thing counts. Hence the reason why teams rally up with the "grow the beard out" ritual and many others. Rumor was that the Knicks were all going to wear Orange socks this post-season, maybe they should have. I'm totally positive the Celtics are doing everything as they did in 2008 to reach the Finals again. So its that time for New York to scrap what ever little things that may have lingered from the first two games and go home clean. My mom used to always tell me to never bring the dirt from outside in the house, and I think the same should be said with the Knicks and Madison Square Garden.


Check out some Post-Game Interviews videos of MDA sporting those damn Paisley ties...

Game 1 , Game 2, Bulls 4/12

*google searching for hours

Knicks Lose GM2:Moral Victory or Heartbreaker?

If you didn't actually watch this game and all you were able to see was these highlights your initial reaction would be something like:"Damn the Knicks are always losing at the end". For the rest of the Knicks world that was glued to the television, they witnessed the true essence of playoff basketball. A battle from start until finish, key players going down, role players stepping up, every possession counts kinda game. Game 2 had every ingredient a MSG Classics Knicks game needed except for the win part.

No Billups, Amare with back spasms and the Knicks had a lead in the final minute of the game is a positive. I may seem like a "homer" right now but I was not this optimistic immediately after the loss. I took some time to gather my thoughts, rewound the tape about 500 times and watched the post game interviews. I realized that this team was not down, there spirits weren't broken, they were going to spin this into a motivation factor.


Backbreaking and season ending loss or the Motivation to see some Winning Knicks basketball friday?

YOU CHOOSE...

A Better Look At The KG "Trippin" of TD

I DVR the game like most so I was able to rewind and re-watch the clip from the live view but this is much easier to make a decision. What you think?

Assist credited to Barstool NYC

The Closer: Melo Edition

The Knicks Are Returning To The Playoffs!

Carmelo Anthony on SNL

Melo's smile may be more inviting than Stat's but his on screen performances are no match for the NY "MVP". None the less Melo is making his NY rounds...Good try

Herb Grows in the Garden

Most Knicks have came to the conclusion that Mike D'Antoni is not the coach for this team anymore. With nine games left in the regular season and most likely and first round match-up with either the Celtics, Heat, or Bulls Coach D'Antoni's tenure in NYC should be coming to a early end. Technically he has another year left on is original 4 year 24 million dollar deal, but in recent years we've seen James Dolan eat conrtacts with more money and years than that.

The general feeling is that the Knicks need a defensive minded coach to lead this team to elite status. While this maybe true, most blogs,fans, writers,and experts believe that person should be a veteran or big name New York guy i.e Phil Jackson, Doc Rivers, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson etc. I think most including Donnie Walsh are overlooking a great candidate in there own backyard, Herb Williams.

Herb joined the Knicks’ staff as an assistant coach on Dec. 29, 2001. Since then he's lasted within the organization through many coaching changes, Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas, and Mike D'Antoni. He's picked up a little bit of everything from each of the guys, as well as a short stint at head coaching going 17-27 during the remainder of the 2004-05 season. Herb has earned the respect of his colleagues as well as the players. He comes from the hard nose, gritty, rugged defensive 90's Knicks teams.

Promoting Herb to the head coach wouldn't be a popular one but it may be the right one. A growing trend in the NBA with successful teams is building from within with young coaches. Monty Williams(Hornets), Larry Drew(Hawks), Tyrone Corbin(Jazz), Lionel Hollins(Grizzlies) etc. The Lakers and Phil Jackson are contemplating handing over the job to Brian Shaw as well. Knicks fans demand a coach that can get the best out the team and Mike D'Antoni seems to be too stubborn to adapt to his new team make-up. We may be jumping the gun somewhat with D'Antoni's coaching of this team but like everything else in New York good results are expected quickly.

MDA may still be able to salvage his future in New York with a playoff series win, but that outcome seems extremely far fetched with the teams recent play. Maybe its time for the big guy sitting next to him to stand up and take over. We'll see...

A Month in Review of the Melo Trade

 

On February 21, 2011, the New York Knicks traded for superstar Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter. The Knicks also got Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves, but bought out his contract a few games later (so no need to mention him anymore). The Nuggets received Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks' 2014 first round pick, two second-round picks the Knicks received from the Golden State Warriors in the David Lee sign-and-trade, and $3 million. Since then, the Knicks are 7-9 and the Nuggets are 10-4. That’s not what anyone expected to happen.

The Knicks got off to hot start with the new look with a 6-3 record in their first nine games. Since then, they’ve dropped six of seven including two to the Pacers, one to Detroit, and one to Milwaukee. They also lost to the Celtics in pathetic fashion. What’s been a constant in all these games. 

Chauncey Billups has been lost on the court. Four games after the trade, Billups was knocked out for six games with knee and quad injuries. Toney Douglas played the point during those games and the Knicks went 4-2. Let’s compare their stats since Billups has returned. In the last six games, Billups has 28 assists, 22 turnovers, and 95 points, averaging around 31 minutes. Douglas has 34 assists, 8 turnovers, and 81 points, averaging around 28 minutes. Douglas has been far more efficient, so Mike D’Antoni has to realize this and start Douglas while Billups gains more chemistry in practice until he can step up and truly lead the Knicks. It’s not all his fault though, just a big factor on the offensive end.

 The other reason is the team is lacking defensive presence. The Knicks will play defense if Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony lead by example and play it. So far, that’s only happened in three games, against the Heat, Hawks, and Hornets. Not in the other 13 games, all those other teams scored at least 96 points.

How about the Nuggets? I personally have only seen highlights of their games since the trade. They’ve lost national presence when they lost Anthony, but they shouldn’t care about that with a 10-4 record since the trade. Looking at their roster, they have amazing depth now. Aaron Afflalo, Tyson Chandler, Nene, Ty Lawson, and Kenyon Martin have started most of their games with Danilo Gallinari, J.R. Smith, Al Harrington, and Raymond Felton coming off the bench. All four of those guys on the bench could break off to make another team and compete to be a playoff team. Ty Lawson has managed the transition to starting point guard with ease since Billups left, averaging around 8 assists and 35 minutes.

Nuggets coach George Karl was forced to play his offense through Carmelo Anthony since the Nuggets drafted him, but that’s not how he wanted to do it. He has nine guys who could start on his team. All I can say is, Karl is a coaching wizard for making this work so quickly.

 
The trade gives New York a bigger upside in the long run. When free agency starts, Donnie Walsh (or whomever is GM) can have their picking and choosing to new fits for this team. Also, a summer of training camp will give this team for more chemistry and schemes the Knicks can use to outscore their opponents on any given night.

@abadlani91

Knicks Top 5 Possible Center's Next Season

Even Ray Charles could see that the Knicks are lacking size in the front court, the addition of Jared Jeffries was nice and Ronny Turiaf is a poor mans Oakley but neither have legitimate size down low.