.500 And It's Nearly December, What Team Is This?

Having taken some time off from the blogging game, I've been able this season to watch these new-look Knicks with a new set of goggles, that's not faded from the lasting impressions of Isiah Thomas. No, this Knicks team is something we New Yorkers haven't seen for quite some time. Not since the days of Ewing and Oakley banging the boards down low have we seen such fire in a Knicks team.

Amar'e Stoudemire is the brand-new face that this team needed. He's like the repair man, if anything is going wrong, Amar'e is there to fix it. Need a big bucket? Amar'e will get it. Need a stop on D? Amar'e will get it (or at least has so far). But it's also the help he's gotten that has this team sitting at 9-9 with December right around the corner.

Raymond Felton has done what no Knick has been able to in the last 2 seasons: run Mike D'Antoni's offense effectively. After being in such a tight system such under Larry Brown in Charlotte, Felton has taken some time getting used to D'Antoni's free-flowing system. But it's one that is very similar to the one he played in at UNC under Roy Williams, and he is finally grasping the offense and how he can succeed within it. The man can shoot, penetrate, and dish, which is exactly the type of point guard this offense calls for (not to mention he's a very scrappy defender).

If Felton is Robin to Amar'e's Batman, that must make Danilo Gallinari Alfred the Butler. The third year Italian forward got off to a rough start this year, appearing stagnant on offense and sometimes out of place on defense. But over the last seven games, in which the Knicks are 6-1, Gallo has been not only an efficient player, but a clutch player making some huge shots down the stretch, such as the back-to-back threes he took to open the second overtime of Sunday's 125-116 win over the Pistons.

These Knicks are still a work in progress, but as long as the progress is noticeable, I can be happy with this team.

2009-2010 New York Knicks Season in Review

July 1^st can’t come soon enough. After last year’s 32-50 record, I felt the only place Mike D’Antoni’s Knicks could go was up. How wrong I was. Despite double-double machine David Lee becoming the Knicks first All-Star in nearly a decade, it was not a season to be proud of. An ever-changing rotation, along with inconsistent defense, and poor point guard play for most of the year led to an extremely disappointing 29-53 finish. Going into the season, Knicks faithful believed not only that this could be the season we could return to the playoffs, but that we could actually sniff .500 ball. Once again, oh so wrong.

In retrospect, this team was doomed from the start. Coach D’Antoni’s 7 seconds or less offense can be an extremely successful system… when run by the right point guard (ie. Steve Nash). The Knicks had no such guard on the roster. For much of the year, Chris Duhon held the reins at PG. And boy was it messy. After starting a franchise worst 1-9, the Knicks never seemed to have what it takes to be a contender, let alone challenge in the playoff race. After the dismal start, the closest the ‘Bockers got to mediocre was in January, when they sat five games under .500 at 15-20. It seemed like nothing but a freefall from there.

There was a light at the end of the tunnel however, and that light is now brighter than ever. July 1^st may go down as the most important date in Knicks history. That is, of course, if we can land a certain superstar out of Akron, Ohio, and the sidekick of his choosing. And this Friday, that light got a little brighter when the NBA announced that next year’s salary cap is projected to be about $56.1 million, which is still nearly a $2 million drop off from this year’s cap. But, in comparison to the $50-53 million cap that teams were expecting due to the down economy, Donnie Walsh’s job may have just gotten a bit easier. Now, as opposed to previously expected, the Knicks will have roughly $33-34 million of cap space as opposed to the $30-31 million expected at the beginning of the season. Since the annual salary of a max contract player is $16.6 million, the Knicks will now truly have enough space to sign two max level free agents. Such a thought was only made possible after trading for Tracy McGrady’s massive expiring contract (and giving up essentially 3 first round draft picks in the process- in 2011, 2012, and 2009 first round pick Jordan Hill). Needless to say, being able to grab LeBron James and either Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh would be an absolute coup. Nonetheless Donnie Walsh plans on doing just that, although he’s never mentioned any specific names, only that he will do his best to sign the best players available.

But as for this season, despite the record, there were a few bright spots. For one, Danilo Gallinari has proven he’s the real deal on both ends of the court, and will make a suitable sidekick, let alone 3^rd option to any superstar(s) that the Garden can snag. After Mike D’Antoni called him “the best shooter he’s ever seen” in the preseason, Gallo’s stroke didn’t disappoint: finishing second in the league in 3-pointers made with 186 while shooting 38% from behind the arc, nailing 2.3 3’s per game; in the meanwhile earning him an invitation to the 3-point shootout in Dallas during All-Star weekend. The Rooster, as he’s known in his native Italy, was also surprisingly impressive on the defensive end. On several occasions, Gallo asked coach D’Antoni for the responsibility of guarding the opposing teams top scorer, whether it be LeBron, Carmelo Anthony (which he was quite successful at), or Kobe Bryant. Although he didn’t always win these battles, he put up a good fight more often than not, and showed that European ballers can be tough defenders too.

Speaking of defense, notwithstanding D’Antoni’s general disregard for that side of the ball, the Knicks best defense came from maybe the most unlikely of sources: a rookie. Frosh point guard Toney Douglas out of Florida State takes pride in his defense, but we didn’t get to see just how special his tenacity is until coach inserted him in the rotation towards the end of the season. Douglas set the defensive tone on a regular basis, motivating his teammates to demonstrate the same effort. And surprisingly, Douglas was also able to take a firm grasp of coach’s high-octane offense as well, showing his skills as a scorer and a distributor.

Thankfully, both Gallinari and Douglas are two of the only four players with guaranteed contracts for next season (the others being scrub Eddy Curry and young wing Wilson Chandler). So, barring any unexpected trades, we can look forward to watching them both flourish and mature before our eyes in the coming years. But in regards to this season, I think we can safely say the T-Mac experiment was a failure on the court, but his $23 million expiring contract will prove to be quite valuable when the summer comes around. Although the other piece we received in that 3-way deal, Sergio Rodriguez, played respectably at times, I doubt we’ll see him in a Knicks uniform again.

The best acquisition of the year though was one of the least expected. After shipping Nate Robinson to Boston primarily for what was thought to be sharp shooter Eddie House (who never played a ton in New York), the afterthought of said trade, who was thrown in to make contracts match up, was former Kansas State star Bill Walker, who lit it up in his few months at the Garden. Walker surpassed the 20-point mark on five different occasions, recording his career high of 28 points on the last day of the season against Toronto. During his time in New York, Walker averaged just over 13 points per game, after sitting at the very end of a deep Boston bench to start his career. Although Walker’s contract isn’t guaranteed for next year, the Knicks do have the option of hanging on to him, depending on what else happens over the summer. But based on his impressive production with the team, they would definitely like to be able to keep him around.

Once again, it was not a good year on paper. 29-53 is not a record to strive for by any means. But realistically, we knew it was a rebuilding year going in, with only a slim chance at the playoffs. And those chances were null and void by January. Regardless of team record, the Knicks showed a lot of fight in them, and that every once and a while, they could not only light it up on offense, but they could make some critical necessary stops on defense (despite D’Antoni’s general on court philosophy). Granted, it was a disappointing season, but the Knicks future looks bright with the likes of Gallinari, Douglas, potentially Bill Walker, and maybe, just maybe an ever improving David Lee; who is about to get paid the big bucks no matter what team he ends up on. The only thing we can hope for is that some certain superstar(s) joins this young, talented bunch in rebuilding a proud, but struggling franchise. Only time will tell.

The NCAA's Sour 16- Ain't Nothing Sweet About It: SOUTH

SOUTH Region:

Duke: On an annual basis, Mike Krzyzewski somehow defies the stereotype that white men can no longer keep up with the superior genetics of African-American athletes, especially in basketball. With the exception of talented guard Nolan Smith, every one of the Blue Devils’ significant contributors are white: Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, Brian Zoubek, the Plumlee brothers, the list goes on from years past (JJ Redick anyone?). Despite that unique anecdote, the predominant race of a given team is completely irrelevant in the NCAA tournament. Duke is a talented, balanced team that can dominate the offensive glass and give its sharpshooters multiple opportunities on a given possession. I expect them to eventually fall to Baylor next round, but at the same time, Duke very well has the the personnel capable of winning the National Championship.

Purdue: By no means did I ever expect the Boilermakers to reach the Sweet 16 after their star player, Robbie Hummel went down with a season ending ACL tear. But Chris Kramer has established himself as the new leader of this team. His defense in particular has set the tone for Matt Painter's club during the tournament, and played a decisive role in securing their second round win over Texas A&M. Purdue is a particularly athletic team, and that is exactly the type of team Duke has traditionally struggled against. So if Purdue can set the tone of the game: run, and wear out the Blue Devils, the Boilermakers have a good shot of reaching the Elite Eight, if not the Final Four.

Baylor: I hopped on the Bears bandwagon early in the season and have followed them all this way to the Sweet 16. Their core, guard duo Tweety Carter and LaceDarius Dunn, along with forward Ekpe Udoh have propelled Baylor to competitive play in conference games, going 11-5 against the rest of the Big 12. That phenomenal play has carried into the tourney, and I believe they have the talent to reach the Final Four. The overall athleticism of this team is exactly what is needed to get by the cocky slow giant Omar Samhan of St. Mary’s, and then most likely the extremely talented but un-athletic Duke Blue Devils. If the Bears get consistent scoring from Dunn and Carter, and Udoh controls the paint on defense as he has all season, Baylor could be booking a trip to Indy.

St. Mary’s: The world seemed to be introduced to Omar Samhan for the first time when St. Mary’s put Richmond to shame in round one. But it was his 32-point dominating performance against heavy favorite 2 seed Villanova that put Samhan on the map. It seems everyone likes the big guy’s running mouth as much as his slow, but fluid post play (except for Villanova fans of course). Against Baylor, Samhan is going to have to stay out of foul trouble, and be able to run the floor to keep up with the speedy Bears. If that happens, and if Aussie guards Matthew Dellavedova and Mickey McConnell rain jumpers as well as they did in rounds one and two, the Gaels have a decent chance against Baylor.

The NCAA's Sour 16- Ain't Nothing Sweet About It: WEST

WEST Region:

Syracuse: The Orange are a tough bunch to figure out. Their biggest and best low post presence, Arinze Onuaku, could be out for the rest of the tournament, or, he could be back for the Elite Eight. But Jim Boeheim is preparing his boys for the worst. And Wes Johnson, Andy Rautins, and Scoop Jardine are going to bring their A-game regardless of whether or not their premier big man suits up. Johnson took over Cuse’s round two game against Gonzaga, going off for 31 points, 14 rebounds, and zero turnovers. In round one against Vermont, the balanced attack of the Orange put away the Catamounts early. Nonetheless, If Syracuse wants Onuaku to play again this season, they first have to take care of a pesky mid major Butler team. But if the big man comes back strong, look for the Orange to make a serious run at the National Championship.

Butler: In his third season as head coach of the Bulldogs, 33 year old Brad Stevens has already left his mark on the college game. Over a three year young coaching career, Stevens has achieved a record of 84-14, a .86 winning percentage. The two-time Horizon league tournament champ has taken his dog and pony show to the big stage, and with star forward Gordon Hayward leading the way, Stevens has his sights set on Indianapolis. But first the Bulldogs have to get by Syracuse, and despite a convincing win over UTEP in round one, unknown Murray State gave Butler a run for its money before losing by two. Assuming Arinze Onuaku does not play, Stevens’s squad has a shot. But they are going to have to penetrate Cuse’s zone defense to perfection to have a chance at the Elite Eight, let alone the Final Four.

Xavier: This will be Xavier’s third consecutive trip to the round of sixteen, and after a convincing win versus Minnesota and a strong showing against Big East beast Pittsburgh, they showed they belong. 27 points from Jordan Crawford (who is best known for dunking over LeBron James this summer), along with the 14 points and 8 rebounds from center Jason Love proved the underwhelming power of the Atlantic 10 Conference and propelled the Musketeers to the Sweet 16 once again. The question remains, is Xavier ready to show that they can match up with the nation’s elite teams?

Kansas State: The chinstrap is back my friends, thanks to Wildcats Junior point guard Jacob Pullen. K-State’s scoring leader at almost 19 a game, Pullen is an extension of Coach Frank Martin on the court, as a true floor leader. Along with fellow guard Denis Clemente, the Wildcats have a very talented backcourt to go along with powerful forward and Bronx native Curtis Kelly. If Pullen and Clemente’s shots are falling, Kansas State is an extremely dangerous opponent. They have a very good chance of reaching Indianapolis if they can get by the Musketeers first.

The NCAA's Sour 16- Ain't Nothing Sweet About It: EAST

EAST Region:

Kentucky: In two tournament games so far, Kentucky has beaten Eastern Tennessee State and Wake Forest by 29 and 30 points, respectively. The foursome of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Patrick Patterson have sent the Wildcats cruising into the Sweet 16 with great momentum, and a chance to knock of the Einstein of Cinderellas, Cornell. In the end, I doubt Big Red will have much of an answer to Cousins’s brute force down low, and Wall’s uncanny ability to take anyone off the dribble. Look for Kentucky to make it to AT LEAST the Elite Eight, if not further, with a team consisting of four potential lottery picks in the NBA Draft. John Calipari, exporting superstars once again.

Cornell: Two very impressive wins to open tournament play made Cornell the talk of the sports world this weekend along with fellow bracket buster Northern Iowa. But this is going to be Big Red’s first ever appearance in the Sweet 16, and in going against a Goliath in Kentucky, I wouldn’t expect much. Swingman Ryan Wittman is an amazing shooter, and may eventually get drafted in the second round. And Jeff Foote has an impressive skill set in the paint, but neither player will be able to match the pure talent of John Calipari’s Wildcats. This admirable Ivy League run will end fairly soon.

Washington: As an 11 seed, Washington is definitely viewed as an underdog against #2 West Virginia, but don’t let that double digit number fool you. Despite the fact that the Pac-10 had an off year, sending only two teams to the tournament (California being the other), the Huskies are a talented team from a major conference. The duo of Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with come tournament time after upsets of Marquette and New Mexico so far. West Virginia better bring its A-game.

West Virginia: The disparity between the college game and pro game is so massive. For proof, all you need to do is look at West Virginia. As a college player, very few others have the ability to take over a game in the closing moments the way Da’Sean Butler does. But, by no means is he the Mountaineer with the best chance of shaking David Stern’s hand come draft night. That honor goes to Devin Ebanks, who despite an up and down sophomore campaign, still projects as a firs tround pick should he declare for the draft this year. Nonetheless, both players will attempt to lead West Virginia to an inevitable Elite Eight showdown with Kentucky—if they can get past Washington. Despite losing starting point guard Darryl "Truck" Bryant for the rest of the tournament to a broken right foot, Bob Huggins has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. With Butler and Ebanks to go along with forwards Deniz Kilicli and Kevin Jones, The Mountaineers look ready for Indianapolis.

The NCAA's Sour 16- Ain't Nothing Sweet About It: MIDWEST

Every year, I go into tournament play with a great deal of confidence that only a small select group of teams will have a chance to make the Final Four. This year’s tournament has flipped that theory on its head. With the overwhelming favorite Kansas being knocked out by the newly minted Cinderella Northern Iowa, it seems that after a wild first round of play, we still have no idea what could happen in the coming weeks. Let’s take a look at the remaining teams, region by region, to see how they got here, and how they plan on reaching the 2010 Final Four in Indianapolis.

MIDWEST Region:

Northern Iowa: After taking down Mountain West powerhouse UNLV in round one, UNI’s shocking upset of top seeded Kansas has been by far the most impressive win of this tournament so far. Sharpshooter Ali Farokhmanesh nailed a 3-point dagger in the Jayhawks heart that buried the national title favorite. Out of nearly 5 million brackets filled out on ESPN.com, 48% chose KU to win it all. No more Rock Chalk Jayhawk. If these guys duplicate their shooting efforts and intensity against Michigan State, they have a very good chance of reaching the Elite Eight.

Michigan State: Kalin Lucas carried Michigan State with a career high 25 points in the Spartans 70-67 win over New Mexico State in the first round. But after going down with a ruptured Achilles tendon in Michigan State’s win against Maryland, Tom Izzo’s club is going to need Raymar Morgan, Durrell Summers, and round two hero Korie Lucious to step up and carry MSU’s scoring load against UNI if they want a chance at the Elite Eight.

Tennessee: Despite only squeaking by first round opponent San Diego State, Tennessee proved they belonged with the major conference big dogs in a 83-68 win against upset-minded Ohio, who took out 3 seed Georgetown in the first round. Bruce Pearl’s Volunteers have demonstrated elite athleticism night in and night out. However, it is a question of their maturity, poise, and demeanor-- particularly from seniors, Wayne Chism and JP Prince-- that have people second-guessing an upset bid against second ranked Ohio State in the Sweet 16.

Ohio State: Evan Turner is the heavy favorite to win National Player of the year. It’s not a frequent occurrence that the Player of the Year also win the National Championship, but I think there’s a damn good chance of it happening in 2010. Regardless of his no show in round one against UC Santa Barbara (which his teammates picked up the slack for), Turner decided to completely take over Ohio State’s second round matchup with Georgia Tech. Playing the entire 40 minutes, he finished with 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. Now that heavily favored Kansas is out of the picture, the Buckeyes become the natural favorite to emerge from the Midwest bracket and reach the Final Four. But there’s no doubt OSU’s got a big target on their back now, and its up to Turner to shoulder the load and lead his team to national prominence once again. With David Lighty, Jon Diebler, and William Buford anchoring the wings, and Dallas Lauderdale down low, Thad Matta’s boys look well poised to make a run at Indianapolis and the National Title.

MSG Already Preparing Fans for 2010-2011

As of March 9, the Knicks had already sold new season tickets for next season at a record pace. About 1,800 season ticket subscriptions have already been placed. According to MSG Sports president Scott O’Neil, “We didn’t hit this number until about August 15 of last year, which was a record year.” Needless to say, the pure speculation of who could be playing for the Knicks next season has paid great dividends to James Dolan’s wallet.

That number is quite impressive not only for the Knicks, but in terms of the NBA as a whole. LeBron’s current team, the Cavaliers, and the reigning NBA champions, the Lakers, are both members of the elite club of teams with 2,000 season ticket holders, and both tout a 90% retention rate of their season tickets. That means that in not too long, for next season, the Knicks, in the biggest media market in the world, will have more or less an equal number of season ticket subscribers as the two of the very best teams in basketball.

The question remains, will Knicks fans get their money’s worth come next season? It appears the dominoes will only start falling once LeBron makes his decision. So, come July 1, whatever LeBron does will inevitably determine whether or not Knicks fans cash in on their massive investment. In this economy, such a financial risk doesn’t necessarily seem like a wise monetary choice.

However, as a Knicks fan, simply thinking about the possibility of having the chance to see LeBron, and his sidekick of choosing tear up the league night in and night out makes me wanna throw money right at MSG itself. But, should Donnie Walsh’s ultimate 2010 Free Agency plan fail, then all those who invested huge chunks of change into the ‘Bockers will be pretty disheartened to watch nothing more than a re-signed David Lee play alongside some lower-tier free agent for the next half-decade.

Regardless, the Knicks are still making a strong marketing push to engage new and old fans regardless of team members. Using the sole moniker “DECLARE”, the Knicks are urging fans to declare their pride for the team. Whether a child only beginning to follow the game, or an old fan who had lost touch, MSG’s new campaign has proven quite successful already. Teaming up with CBS Outdoor’s text messaging platform ‘txt2go’, the Knicks launched an out-of-home media campaign. The campaign featured posters all over NYC subways, buses, and taxis urging fans to text in for a chance to win Knicks season tickets.

There were several other promotional offers included in texts, such as “digital couponing, sweepstakes, and customer loyalty” that were changed periodically during the month-long early season campaign, according to Howard Jacobs, senior vice president of marketing and ticket sales for MSG Sports.  In that month, over 3,300 consumers texted in to receive the promotional offers. Whether or not LeBron is a Knick next season, the organization is reeling in fans at an astonishing rate, and considering the current lack of success by the Knicks, that’s saying something.