The Knicks Fix

Jason Kidd missed the big free agency class by one year, so there won't be too many teams in position to make a play for the 36-year-old guard who will be a free agent this summer. And the former Net left the door open for the Knicks, if there was any interest in him.

“Yeah, why not?" Kidd said. "I’m going to look and see. Coach [Mike D'Antoni] is great. I got to know him a little bit this summer . . . He has a great philosophy and I think people enjoy watching that. Even though they haven’t put up enough wins, they competed every night. That’s one of the differences in Knick teams of the past, they come to play every night.”

Kidd also said he expects the Knicks will be able to attract more than one of the big-name free agents in 2010.

"That’s one of the best stages in professional sports," he said of New York. "When you talk about the likes of those free agents, you couldn’t have a better situation. And being able to get not just maybe one but two and a half. So we’ll see.”

The "half" is likely an aging point guard that stars love to play with, such as Kidd or even Steve Nash, who has also openly talked about New York as an option for him in 2010. For the Knicks to get Kidd in 2009, he'd have to accept a mid-level exception.

He might also have to accept a reduced role. Chris Duhon owned him in the first half of the 99-94 loss to the Mavs here Thursday night. Duhon was 9 for 9 for 22 points in the first half. But Rick Carlisle moved the quicker Jason Terry onto Duhon in the second half and Duhon wasn't nearly as effective (and the offense suffered for it, as well). Kidd, meanwhile, who struggled with his jumper and did not show any of the floor general tendencies he had with the Nets, did manage to step up his game when it counted. He beat the shot clock with a jumper to give Dallas the lead for good at 87-86 with 5:45 left in the game and also nailed a three-pointer with 4:11 to go to answer a three by Nate Robinson that brought the Knicks to within 90-89.

So would he be worth a mid-level exception next season, at 37 years old?

* * * *

Better effort in the loss to Dallas, especially coming off the embarrassment in OK City. But no matter how hard you play, it's almost impossible to win a game when you shoot 41.6 percent from the floor and three players off the bench shoot a combined 13 for 46.

Robinson's touch continues to betray him. He was 4 for 16 and 1 for 9 from downtown. Al Harrington was even worse at 5 for 18. Tim Thomas was 4 for 12.

The only other player off the bench was Eddy Curry and at least he hit his only shot attempt.

* * * *

* - The sound system at the American Airlines Center went out for a portion of the first half of the game here against the Mavericks and I have to admit it was actually a pleasure to watch a game without the nonsensical, relentless noisemaking that goes on during NBA games around the league, including Madison Square Garden.

What a concept, to hear sneakers squeaking and players calling out screens, plays and assignments. To hear genuine cheers from the crowd, which in most markets around this league -- like here in Dallas and especially in New York -- don't need to be told when to chant "De-Fense" and when to clap.

I understand the added entertainment value of throwing t-shirts into the crowd (at the prices fans have to pay, it's an added bonus to get some clothing out of the deal) and to play music when the dance team performs (by the way, Dallas has some serious talent on their squad). But do we really need a constant soundtrack throughout the game. Why does every second need to be filled with some type of noise, whether it is a bass line or sound effect or an announcement?

Perhaps a classic, old school arena like the Garden can set a new precedent to get away from the MTV-inspired noise-driven lunacy that developed in the 1990s. Let's let the game be the show and leave the bells and whistles to the minor leagues.

Just bloggin.

* - Can you believe the Knicks haven't won in Dallas since 1999? More incredible is the Knicks haven't won a game in the state of Texas since they beat the Rockets in Houston in Feb. 2004. They'll be in Houston this weekend to try to put an end to the Texas Mis-step.

* - Gotta admit it was nice to get a break in the weather here in D-town, where it reached the 70s at mid-day. Had a great run along a path that was made from the arena and through the outskirts of town. Then hopped into my rental for a ride back to the hotel. OK, here's what I have to reveal, your boy drove a pickup truck while in town. The rental company was kind enough to upgrade me at a great rate and I took it. When in Rome, right? I did decline the GPS, but I couldn't pass on the gun rack option.

Alan Hahn is live in Big D and ready to answer your Knicks questions today in a live chat at 1 p.m.

So much for the afterglow of that scintillating win Sunday against the defending champs. As I said in the paper today, getting Thunderstruck in Oklahoma City last night makes that game seem more about where the Celtics are right now (by the way, they lost again last night, in OT, to the Bobcats) than where the Knicks may be headed.

The concern for Mike D'Antoni has go to be about the focus of a team that is now seven games under .500. If this team truly had playoff aspirations, as Al Harrington insisted after the game, how do you explain such a flatline effort against the league's worst team?

"Coming off a big game against Boston to have a let down like this?" Nate Robinson said as he dressed in a somber Knick locker room after the game.

The Knicks really felt the absnece of energy from Robinson, usually the Energizer Bunny off the bench. His shooting has been way off since Christmas and it is starting to have an impact on the other parts of his game.

“Everybody knows I work too hard on my jump shot to be missing like I am," N8 said after a 4 for 18 performance from the floor against OKC. "Things happen, you’ve got to bounce back.”

Bounce is the operative word. Robinson did pick it up late in the game when the Knicks mounted their furious, though fruitless rally, but he missed several open looks that he usually knocks down. And you know Nate, when he gets into a rhythm with his jumper the rest of his game goes into overdrive. The Knicks desperately needed that kind of night out of him.

He missed his first seven field goal attempts in the game. In six games since Christmas, Nate is shooting 29 percent (25 for 86) from the floor.

“It’s something I just have to get out of," he said. "When you miss shots, you don’t want to force them and keep forcing them. There’s other guys out there making good plays. But for the most part, I just have to be me, keep being myself and play basketball and not worry about misses and makes.”

The rest of the players are aware of Nate's struggles and try to stay in his ear about being aggressive and not letting the misses get him down. But it's not easy.

"They know I’m hard on myself right now," he said. "To me I feel I’m way better than to keep missing shots I’m missing. They’re easy shots, they’re just not falling. As a player, I’ll find a way.”

* * * *

On the road again. Headed to Dallas for today's practice. Will Rogers Airport here in OK City is flooded in a sea of red. OU sweatshirts and hats and signs everywhere.

Our most recent trade scenario discussion connecting David Lee to the Portland Trail Blazers and a possible Marcus Camby return to New York, which was also reported in the Daily News, is being hammered from all directions like a pinata.

Of course Starberman came roaring in a day later with his version of things, which has the Blazers interested in Eddy Curry.

The main thing to focus on is the clear need in Portland to do something before the trade deadline. They're looking for bigs and have coveted Lee for a while, as we've discussed here. The Knicks really like Travis Outlaw and Sergio Rodriguez and so far there has been no match. There was a suggestion about involving the Clippers to make a deal work so the Knicks could fill their shot-blocking need. Mike Dunleavey, who we all know, like most GMs, is always forthcoming about possible moves, mocked the notion he would consider trading Camby out of his overloaded frontcourt. Yes, what a ridiculous idea for a team that is 8-25 and basically got Camby for nothing and will lose him to free agency this summer.

And Portland is waving a hand at the talk that they're trying to engage the Knicks for Lee. The always-reliable Jason Quick of the Oregonian said the Blazers had a chance at Lee this summer, but passed on overpaying when the Knicks asked for Jarrett Jack and a first-round pick in return.

ESPN's Marc Stein in his Weekend Dime confirmed our Lee-for-Linas Kleiza report from last month, which, as we reported here, was turned down by the Nuggets because George Karl didn't want to give up Kleiza. Stein says Denver tried to counter with backup guard Chucky Atkins and a pair of first-round picks, which Donnie Walsh turned down at the time. But Stein says it is possible Atkins-to-the-Knicks could pick up steam again before the trade deadline. Don't know about you, Fixers, but two first rounders for David Lee is a decent price, though they'll likely be lottery protected in case the Nugs somehow go into the tank.

For now, I awake in Oklahoma City cold and ashamed of a busted scoop.

Oh and by the way, in my previous blog I said Donnie was staying back in New York. Guess who was on the team charter here yesterday?

Ugh.

. . . Dont believe everything that you breathe
You get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve
So shave your face with some mace in the dark
Savin all your food stamps and burnin down the trailer park

I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

Saw the weirdest thing at practice today.

A 6-foot-11 300-pound behemoth at the top of the key handling the ball, going behind his back (or attempting to) and dribbling down the lane en route to the basket much to the delight of his teammates. The culprit?

Eddy Curry. Yes, you read that correctly. Not only was Curry practicing for the second time in three days, he was working on his handles during a certain sequence as the Knicks were practicing the pick-and-roll. He wasn't doing it for show -- and it wasn't a great one anyway because the cat still has a lot of rust to knock off his game.

This is something, Knicks fans, you might be seeing in the near future.

"In our system, he'll have opportunities to handle the ball," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said after practice. "That's not something that will always be that way. We want him to be a basketball player. I think he'll like it. He'll have more opportunities. He's quicker than you think."

Curry, sporting a razor-stubble type short beard, seemed encouraged and happy. He said his conditioning wasn't as bad as he thought it would be and, believe it or not, he hasn't tired himself during practice because he's so genuinely happy to be back out there. So happy, in fact, that he'll gladly welcome any role D'Antoni has for him.

“Man, right now I’ll do whatever he wants me to do," Curry said. "If he wants me to run the point, I’ll run that. But I’m just going to try to be the best player I can be and just try to fill that void for us.”

And when should fans expect to see the beefy Curry? Sooner than you think.

“I think this week," Curry said. "Honestly, I think this week I’ll be back. Right now, it’s just a matter of me getting my wind back. If I can keep pushing myself harder and there’s no swelling and no setbacks, I think it should be this week.”

D'Antoni didn't rule out giving Curry some garbage time minutes against the Oklahoma City Thunder tomorrow night if the situation arises. He could make his season debut Thursday in Dallas vs. the Mavs, but Saturday in Houston against Yao is probably more likely. Either way, he's going to play on this four-game road trip and Curry is just pleased D'Antoni hasn't lost faith in him.

“It’s definitely good to know that coach wants me back, and I want to be back and the guys want me back," he said. "It’s a good feeling and right now I’m doing everything I can to get back and be 100 percent."

Curry's teammates are looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the table in D'Antoni's system.

“Definitely," Al Harrington said. "We’ll have that synergy of force down there. Guys, they are going to have to double team and if they don’t we are going to make them pay every time. So we are very exited to get him out there on the floor. Obviously, he’s got to get in better shape to run up and down with us. But I think he’s dedicated and he’s ready to get out there and contribute. So I think he is focusing on helping us.”

Things could get very busy again this week as we set to embark on another long road trip, this one an eight-day excursion through Tornado Alley. Donnie Walsh will remain back in New York juggling several issues, from pushing the NBA to rule on the Disabled Player Exception from the Cuttino Mobley situation, to getting back to the table to talk buyout with Stephon Marbury and to taking and making calls about potential trades to help the Knicks now and, of course, for the future.

We had a report in today's Newsday (as did Frankie Ice in the Daily News) about one possible scenario that could include the Trail Blazers and maybe also the Clippers. We've been hearing for a while now that the Blazers are very much interested in David Lee, but haven't been willing to part with anything substantial for him, aside from rookie Jerryd Bayless. The Knicks would love to pry Travis Outlaw from Portland, instead, or, at the very least, get Bayless along with backup guard Sergio Rodriguez.

The Blazers are also looking to give up Channing Frye, the former Knick who is headed to restricted free agency this summer. Frye was a bust as a lottery pick, but his outside touch and length are worth giving a look in this system. Bayless is a flat-out scorer and could fit into a two-guard role. Right now he is buried on the Portland bench.

It's still very premature and Knicks people I talk to say not much has been said about it internally, but if Portland can't work something out directly with the Knicks, it is possible a third team could be invited to the party -- hello Clippers -- and the Knicks could be enticed to give up Lee in exchange for Marcus Camby. The Knicks would also have to move other bodies, as would the other teams, to make the entire deal work. But this is all still very much in an embryonic stage.

Let me repeat, Fixers, this is very premature.

But if there is a scenario that makes the most sense for the Knicks, who are most likely not going to want to afford paying what Lee is probably could command as a restricted free agent this summer, it would be to somehow land Camby, who has an expiring contract and, of course, fits exactly what they are missing on the defensive end in a shot-blocking presence. Camby can also run and hit the mid-range shot, which also fits perfect into the D'Antoni offense.

Stay tuned . . . .

* * * *

* - Meanwhile, it sounds more likely that the Toronto Raptors are looking to sign Carlos Delfino, who is their own property as a restricted free agent playing in Russia. The Knicks had Delfino as an option, but according to the Toronto Sun, it appears if Delfino is going to return to the NBA this season, it'll be with the Raps.

* - Oh, and for you Fixers who lament the lack of defensive emphasis under Mike D'Antoni, give today's game story on the Knicks win over the Celtics a read. The coaching staff came up with a smart defensive scheme against Rajon Rondo, who shredded them in the previous game Dec. 21 up in Boston. Whaddaya know? Maybe Mike is starting to get into this New York attitude and perhaps he'll soon earn the 'D' back in his last name.

* - One more thing...having Al Harrington (30 points) come off the bench is another smart move. You get instant offense and the needed boost of energy with him and Nate Robinson as the first subs, while you get cohesiveness and better defense out of the starting unit with Jared Jeffries in there. And those games in which Harrington is killing you with bad shots, you can survive with him on the bench. Anyone who knows basketball can see this is the best rotation for the lineup right now. What happens when Eddy Curry comes back, of course, will be a new wrinkle to figure out.

* - Hot Rod Boone has practice today as I am heading to the airport soon for OK City.

The New York media wasn't a welcome sight in the Celtics locker room before the game here Sunday night. Rajon Rondo was asked his thoughts of playing at Madison Square Garden, the World's Most Famous, and Rondo flatly replied, "To me, it's just another arena. I'm too young to know about the tradition."

Gasp!

While The Big Three declined pregame interviews -- so did Eddie House, though politely -- Rondo did address the Stephon Marbury rumors.

“There wasn’t much talk, actually," he said. "We don’t make the decisions. There’s nothing to talk about, actually. It’s been speculated around the locker room, but we haven’t talked about it.”

Asked if he had any concerns about a player with Marbury's reputation joining his team, Rondo said, “I’m new in this league and I’ve heard a little bit about his reputation but I’m not going to judge him.”

The Boston Globe quoted Ray Allen at practice on Saturday discussing Marbury. "I think it is somewhat disappointing watching what has happened with Stephon," Allen said. "It's disappointing, because whatever is going on with the Knicks, I thought he could still help that team. It's not like he's a guy who can't play basketball anymore."

"We have to focus on what to do on the floor. And, if it does happen, we'll move forward," Allen also said about the situation. "Coming here, you get to fit in and be a cog in the wheel. You've got other players here who have won championships, All-Star players. We welcome the help. We are pretty selfless when it comes to sharing the basketball, and players we play against sense that. We beat teams together, we lose together, everything is together, and teams see that, players and coaches see that."

As the Knicks prepare to try and beat Boston tonight, there’s a whole lot of distraction from someone who isn’t even at Madison Square Garden. Then again, he may just show up. You never know.

All is mum on the Knicks front regarding Stephon Marbury possibly joining the Celtics. The Celtics, meanwhile, have been contacted by the NBA Players Association about Marbury.

This all surrounds two moves the Knicks (buying him out) and the Celtics (signing him) can't afford not to make.

The Knicks were not shy about their willingness to buy Marbury out of the $20 million+ he is owed in his last year as a Knick. If even an Eastern Conference team pushed Marbury to negotiate his buyout to the level the Knicks wanted, I find it hard to believe the Knicks wouldn’t be willing to talk.

The Celtics, however, are coming off a four-game road trip in which they went 1-3. Losing to the Lakers, Golden State and Portland, the Celtics lacked a scoring option/off guard that could come and in and give both Rajon Rondo and Eddie House a break from ball handling duties. The Celtics were much deeper last season, and an addition like Marbury, from a basketball standpoint, could be a huge boost. As for those who worry about how he will fit in to a team of veterans, Hahn makes a good point: Marbury will be looking for a decent contract this July. Why ruin it by being a less than stellar citizen?

But he simply hasn’t been bought out yet and, by all accounts, those buyout talks have not been rekindled.

As for the players actually on the court, the Knicks are coming off a 105-103 loss at MSG. Jarrett Jack (29 points) hit a jumper with less than a second remaining to end the game. They'll likely put up a good fight against the defending N.B.A. champions. These teams have characters who do not like each other. Couple that with the fact that, well, hey, this is a potential first-round (No. 1 versus No. 8) playoff match up, and there you have it. Should be a good one. Stick close for analysis, discussion and plenty of poll questions throughout the game.

First quarter: Welcome to the Al Harrington show. Harrington came off the bench with a spark with nine points for the Knicks, as they jumped out to a 25-24 lead. The Knicks starting lineups:

Chandler
Lee
Jeffries
Duhon
Richardson

Boston started Garnett, Pierce, Perkins, Rondo and Ray Allen.

Second quarter: The Celtics have taken a 53-50 lead into halftime in a game in which there have already been 10 lead changes. Mike D’Antoni has got to be pleased with his team’s effort, and also with the scoring and defense of Al Harrington. He’s got 20 points (8-of-12 shooting) and five rebounds – and that’s off the bench. Wilson Chandler has chipped in with 11 and Chris Duhon has eight. Paul Pierce leads the Celtics with 15.

The Celtics seem comfortable playing at this pace but it’ll be interesting what, if any, defensive adjustments the Knicks make at the half. They’re a perfect 11 of 11 from the free throw line, and the Knicks are 8 of 9.

Third quarter: Wilson Chandler channeled his inner Al Harrington and certainly heated up in the third quarter. He was fouled by Garnett as he attempted a three-pointer and the Knicks took a 66-60 lead with six minutes remaining. He took Garnett baseline and made an acrobatic lay up in traffic with just less than four minutes remaining to extend the Knicks lead 70-62. Chandler is also 9 of 9 from the free throw line.

Knicks grabbed their largest lead of the game when Harrington drained a three to make it 73-62. He made another three to push the Knicks’ lead to 77-66.

Knicks win 100-88 -- The Knicks got a well-deserved 100-88 win, perhaps this team’s best defensive and overall effort of the season. The Celtics fell to 2-4 in their last six games. Chandler finished with 31 and Harrington had 30 points. Chandler had 15 points in the third quarter in which the Knicks really pulled away from Boston. Judging by the way D'Antoni grinned when he said that Chandler is "only 20" during his postgame conference, you can bet that not only was he pleased with his performance, but that he figures into the Knicks plans both now and in the future.

But the Knicks defense was the key. They held the Celtics to 13 of 44 shooting in the second half. This was after they shot 19 for 35 in the first half. The Knicks deserve credit for stepping up the effort on the defensive end. Between Chandler and Harrington, neither seemed to be able to miss. That doesn't hurt either.

Here comes a four-game road trip. OKC, Dallas, Houston and New Orleans. If the Knicks can bring this kind of effort, it could be the start of something good.

Another monster game statistically from David Lee, despite what had to be a frustrating 105-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday. The restricted free agent-to be racked up 26 points, hit 12 of 15 from the floor, including several mid-range jumpers and big baskets inside, and hauled down 11 boards for his usual double-double (cha-ching).

Check the boxscore a little closer and you see he also had five steals, including that lifetime highlight film sequence in the first quarter when he picked off the ball, dribbled down the floor on a break, went behind his back and then took off for a stylish one-hand jam. He'll be showing that one to his grandkids, who'll surely make fun of him for playing in the baggy shorts era, or something.

But while five steals is five steals...reality is David Lee has more to give on the defensive end. But the Knicks aren't getting it.

There's no way you pin this loss on one man -- Chris Duhon played admittedly too far off Jack for the game-winning jumper with nine-tenths of a second left -- but while you have to take notice of Lee's terrific game on offense (from the continued development of his mid-range shot to his smart passing and good hands around the basket) you can't ignore his issues on the defensive end, which, as his importance to the team reaches an all-time high, only become more noticable.

The most critical play was with 24.1 seconds left and the Knicks trailing 101-100. Lee was supposed to switch on a screen to pick up Jarrett Jack but seemed to hesitate as if waiting for Nate Robinson to slide through. Jack used Lee's hesitation to blow right by him and down the wide-open lane for a layup to put the Pacers ahead, 103-100. Lee, who had three fouls at the time, could have tried to pursue and clobber Jack just to avoid the freebie, but instead he went matador and turned spectator.

David does this more often than he should. Yes, he's undersized at 6-9 playing the center position, but I don't know if that means it's OK to merely hold up two hands when an opponent is going up for an easy two. I would never think this of someone with Lee's character, but often it seems as if he's trying to avoid getting in foul trouble so he can stay in the game. Minutes equal stats.

But, no, that's not D-Lee's style. I believe the truth is that he's overly-conscious of how shallow his team is in the frontcourt and, therefore, does not want to hamper Mike D'Antoni's already short rotation (Tim Thomas didn't play because of the big toe injury). But when you have three fouls in the final minutes of the game, you can certainly afford to lay someone out in the name of the old Earn It At the Line philosophy.

Just bloggin.

* * * *

In a story I wrote for the Saturday paper, Donnie Walsh seemed to hope there was some truth to the ESPN.com-promoted rumor that had the Celtics interested in Stephon Marbury. "I don't know anything about teams that made offers as reported today at all," Walsh said. "If there is, then that would seem to be motivation to talk."

Walsh said he plan