Knicks-Hornets Re-cap 11/2/09
On nights like this, no one except for me, John and all the other blatantly dedicated basketball heads in the world truly care about a game like this. It’s the fourth game of the season, the Knicks are 0-3, the Hornets are 1-3 and the Yankees are a victory away from winning a world series, what really matters here? I even had a friend bail on a ticket just to go all the way to Philly for game 5. Well, if you’re like me, you find baseball to be boring, annoying and stupid, you think Chris Paul is the bee’s knees and you equate the Garden*** to holy ground and being there to a religious experience then you know what really matters. Besides, even someone as willingly ignorant about baseball as me knew Cliff Lee would at least prolong the series one more game. So here’s a tidy re-cap of the game as viewed from the first row of the nosebleeds, mid-court (for the price and the view, if you can get the first row, those are the best seats in the Garden) on Monday night.
-To the victors, the Knicks, not only for getting your first W of the season but doing it against superior opponents after a rough start your first three games. Now just work on that consistency thing. Counting last season, you’ve beaten the Hornets three times so far and other good teams like the Hawks twice while losing to the Clippers twice and the Bobcats in double OT. Against the Hornets, you nearly gave up one lead, choked up another and still managed to have a ten point lead with two to go in the fourth by playing strong defense and moving the ball on offense. Let’s try keeping that up. Individually, I would like to thank…..
-The Rooster- If Greg Oden was showing the flashes of greatness that Galinari is, the city of Portland would need the world’s largest box of tissues. New York’s almost at that level with the Rooster but we’re restraining ourselves after other European disappointments (read: Lampe) but anyway, he’s active on both ends, isn’t afraid to take a big shot or look for the open man. Not ready to sign him up as an All-Star starter but we’re getting there.
-David Lee- He’s starting to hit that 15-20 footer consistently enough to make it a legit threat and thanks to Darko, he’s not an abomination on D. He should never be asked to play center either. So here’s hoping you earn that million if we get to the playoffs and here’s hoping that becomes a regular trend with all NBA contracts.
-N8 the Great- stay injured, Toney Douglas is maturing well, Larry Hughes is out of his shooting slump and they both play better D than you while you’re becoming a cancer. Thanks!
-Jared Jeffries- Unlike Curry, you’re earning your paycheck. Your ability to guard elite PGs and SGs like Paul helps us greatly (and people say D’Antoni doesn’t know D), but in this system, everyone should have carte blanche to shoot except for you! Unless you’re completely wide open and you have a gut feeling about it.
-On the other end, if Emeka Okafor continues to prove that Tyson Chandler was just a thin man’s Eddy Curry lucky enough to play with Chris Paul, I will continue to look like I know what I’m talking about. It’s hard to believe there are so many people who think a guy who can block some shots and catch an alley-oop is some sort of God of the hardwood. Okafor was pulling off post moves Tyson couldn’t do in his dreams and without any assistance from Paul. He’ll be the reason the Hornets limp into the playoffs. Honorable mention goes to Darius Songalia, another key off-season addition
-Finally, the Standard. Going into the third, 5 points, 11 assists. End of the game, 32 points, 14 assists. I don’t disrespect the Garden by wearing any visiting player’s uniform but I was proud to wear #3 to work the next day, even if it made no sense whatsoever.
In the end, my Yankee-fan friends only missed 6 innings of what would turn out to be a loss and instead got to see an entertaining game of basketball. On that note, screw the fall classic.
One Last Thing….
Rudy Gay declined to sign an extension with the Grizzlies on Monday night, thus making him a restricted free agent next summer. I’m stealing the basis for this idea directly from The Sports Guy but elaborating on it as a prospective Knicks trade. This is the one situation where I would be willing to give up Wilson Chandler: Rudy Gay comes to the Knicks along with one bad Grizz contract (Marko Jaric or anyone other than Z-Bo) for Wilson and Cuttino Mobley’s expiring deal. Tell your friends, spread the word, if you see Donnie on the street, propose this trade. It saves us the trouble of getting another star to go with whatever prospective player we get in 2010 and makes us better in the short term. Moreover, we could probably re-sign Rudy for less money because he’ll be so happy to be out of Memphis. If the Lakers can get away with fleecing Memphis, why can’t we?
***I will call MSG the Garden in this column. Why? Because it’s my column. Take that Simmons!
-To the victors, the Knicks, not only for getting your first W of the season but doing it against superior opponents after a rough start your first three games. Now just work on that consistency thing. Counting last season, you’ve beaten the Hornets three times so far and other good teams like the Hawks twice while losing to the Clippers twice and the Bobcats in double OT. Against the Hornets, you nearly gave up one lead, choked up another and still managed to have a ten point lead with two to go in the fourth by playing strong defense and moving the ball on offense. Let’s try keeping that up. Individually, I would like to thank…..
-The Rooster- If Greg Oden was showing the flashes of greatness that Galinari is, the city of Portland would need the world’s largest box of tissues. New York’s almost at that level with the Rooster but we’re restraining ourselves after other European disappointments (read: Lampe) but anyway, he’s active on both ends, isn’t afraid to take a big shot or look for the open man. Not ready to sign him up as an All-Star starter but we’re getting there.
-David Lee- He’s starting to hit that 15-20 footer consistently enough to make it a legit threat and thanks to Darko, he’s not an abomination on D. He should never be asked to play center either. So here’s hoping you earn that million if we get to the playoffs and here’s hoping that becomes a regular trend with all NBA contracts.
-N8 the Great- stay injured, Toney Douglas is maturing well, Larry Hughes is out of his shooting slump and they both play better D than you while you’re becoming a cancer. Thanks!
-Jared Jeffries- Unlike Curry, you’re earning your paycheck. Your ability to guard elite PGs and SGs like Paul helps us greatly (and people say D’Antoni doesn’t know D), but in this system, everyone should have carte blanche to shoot except for you! Unless you’re completely wide open and you have a gut feeling about it.
-On the other end, if Emeka Okafor continues to prove that Tyson Chandler was just a thin man’s Eddy Curry lucky enough to play with Chris Paul, I will continue to look like I know what I’m talking about. It’s hard to believe there are so many people who think a guy who can block some shots and catch an alley-oop is some sort of God of the hardwood. Okafor was pulling off post moves Tyson couldn’t do in his dreams and without any assistance from Paul. He’ll be the reason the Hornets limp into the playoffs. Honorable mention goes to Darius Songalia, another key off-season addition
-Finally, the Standard. Going into the third, 5 points, 11 assists. End of the game, 32 points, 14 assists. I don’t disrespect the Garden by wearing any visiting player’s uniform but I was proud to wear #3 to work the next day, even if it made no sense whatsoever.
In the end, my Yankee-fan friends only missed 6 innings of what would turn out to be a loss and instead got to see an entertaining game of basketball. On that note, screw the fall classic.
One Last Thing….
Rudy Gay declined to sign an extension with the Grizzlies on Monday night, thus making him a restricted free agent next summer. I’m stealing the basis for this idea directly from The Sports Guy but elaborating on it as a prospective Knicks trade. This is the one situation where I would be willing to give up Wilson Chandler: Rudy Gay comes to the Knicks along with one bad Grizz contract (Marko Jaric or anyone other than Z-Bo) for Wilson and Cuttino Mobley’s expiring deal. Tell your friends, spread the word, if you see Donnie on the street, propose this trade. It saves us the trouble of getting another star to go with whatever prospective player we get in 2010 and makes us better in the short term. Moreover, we could probably re-sign Rudy for less money because he’ll be so happy to be out of Memphis. If the Lakers can get away with fleecing Memphis, why can’t we?
***I will call MSG the Garden in this column. Why? Because it’s my column. Take that Simmons!
posted by Gen at
11:37 AM
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