KNICKS BLOGGER

"LinSanity" at MSG calls for optimism among NY fans

2012-02-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

After two thrilling back-to-back victories at the Garden, led by the unforeseen heroics of our rosters latest addition Jeremy Lin, Knicks fans around the country are thrilled the organization has found their savior. New York(10-15), currently out of the playoff picture, has struggled mightily over the course of the season and has been labeled a disappointment thus far.

26.5pts & 7.5asts in two consecutive victories led by a D-League player with an unguaranteed contract seemed to change things in a hurry.

Mike D'Antoni's scorching coaching seat of the last few weeks seemed to have cooled off for the time being, the depleted post-Melo trade roster now seems like an efficient supporting cast and the "system" that failed so much early on now seems to click.

All of this is evident and fans have the right to be optimistic but the results we have seen is due to adequate point guard play, not an Asian Messiah garbed in a no. 17 jersey.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Jeremy Lin's extraordinary play is likely to come down to earth, which will in turn cause the Knicks' sporadically ever-loading bandwagon to unload- which is typical after a few consecutive losses. But there are some things, that I have eluded to in the past, to take away from his recent play.

Barring a capable point guard, the Knicks will be fine.

The value of a distributor that can read offenses, react accordingly, get into the paint with a live dribble to add pressure, give our stars the ball in comfort zones and heave the ball to the rim for Tyson Chandler to finish, has been underrated by the media. I've constantly watched commentators like Hubie Brown, that don't analyze Knicks basketball on a consistent basis, take the easy route and point to the lack of chemistry between the two $100 million men. Other "analysts" that obviously don't analyze point to the lack of an improved defense from this years team, which is inaccurate. All of these excuses are poor ones that don't point to the obvious and don't give Mike D'Antoni, as well as his players, the benefit of the doubt.

A point guard that controls the tempo, initiates and reads the Pick n Roll and it's many options effectively, and takes the load off Melo propels, this team into contention, in my opinion. Yes it's unfortunate that from game 1 of this shortened season NY hasn't had a consistent, reliable PG, but it doesn't mean success is not within reach. Baron Davis is obviously a more skilled, experienced and savvy guard than Jeremy Lin at this point in his young career, yet we already see the difference he's making on this teams performance.

With a return to the roster, even a 70% healthy Baron Davis can provide the same difference we've seen from Lin, but at a more consistent rate. Combine that with the fact that our depth from the guard spots will be exceptional (even before a potential J.R. Smith addition) and good things will transpire towards the end of the season.

Calls to blow up the team and make colossal trades are not what Knicks fans need, especially since the opportunity to see this roster at full strength hasn't been given. With time, things will get better.

"LinSanity" at the Garden over the last few games has been pleasing, but it's only a sample size of good things to come.

Analyzing NY's Early Struggles

2011-12-30T12:05:00.000-08:00

The NY Knicks have started out their 2011-12 campaign a mediocre 1-2, good for third in the Atlantic Division behind the dreadful Toronto Raptors. In observing the first three games, and critically analyzing NY's play, we have compiled a list of factors that play into the Orange & Blue's most recent struggles.

1) Injuries
Yes on paper the injuries to Jared Jeffries and Iman Shumpert don't sound as relevant as Paul Pierce out for the Celtics, but the lack these two cause problems within the NY rotation. While Jeffries isn't an offensive catalyst, he is highly efficient when on the court and is a good complement to Chandler's defensive prowess.

Jeffries brings a good defender that rotates well, sacrifices his body and would spell Chandler effectively (especially with Chandler's foul prone play). Shumpert, although comes with the of NBA experience, before suffering the MCL injury showed good flashes. Very trigger happy, yes, but his pros outweighs his cons. Shumpert's athleticism and length allows him to defend either guard position adequately providing for more versatility at the guard spot. Shumpert also breaks down the the defense and gets into the paint very well, something TD hasn't shown signs of doing. Although, his decision making when reaching the paint has been questionable, Shumpert has shown the ability to do so and it allows for open perimeter looks and/or more space for Melo & Amar'e to operate. The injury to the Georgia Tech rookie also makes the Knicks more dependent on Mike Bibby for more minutes and doesn't allow TD to move to his more natural position occasionally. You can't downplay the effect this might have.

2) The Point Guard Soap Opera

What many people don't understand, and Kenny Smith eluded to last night on TNT, is that a true point guard doesn't have to be a big name, All- Star worthy player to make a colossal impact on their roster. Efficient point guard play has to do with controlling the pace/tempo of the game, recognizing defenses & mismatches, getting the ball to your superstars in comfortable spots, etc. No matter how strong or talented your frontline is, without an orchestrator to do all of the above, you will struggle.

Five games in, preseason included, it is evident that Toney Douglas doesn't do many of this well and to his defense, he was thrown into this situation. Douglas is trying to be molded into PG form and is struggling early. Like Clyde Frazier always eludes to, Douglas picks up his dibble way to early in possessions. In turn, we see him making passes to his big men 30 feet away from the basket. Guards are suppose to put their big men in positions to score the ball. Giving them the rock that far away forces them to create and almost certainly leads to a turnover or One-on-One play.

Douglas also makes his defender's job easier by swinging the ball around the perimeter and rarely breaking down the defense. Entering the paint, what Shumpert does well, causes a collapse in defense and either will lead to closer, more accurate field goal attempt or other good things that result from defensive lapses.

3) Amar'e's Early Struggle
Stoudemire has been really bad offensively in his first three games and his play seems to be too predictable and easy to defend. Yes we know Amar'e is channeling his inner Karl Malone (TKB) and trying to use jump shooting to help preserve legs and prolong his career. The problem here is that Melo is already a ball stopper. Another mid range jump shooter slows down continuity. Amar'es bread and butter his whole career has been the pick n roll and a lack of a capable pick n roll guard is limiting Amar'es offensive efficiency and also slowing down the offense.

If you recall the days pre-Melo, Ray Felton & Amar'e used the pick n roll on most possessions. This play allows for many good things to unfold. It makes the defending big and guard uncomfortable, forces them to make quick decisions, forces other defenders to pay attention to a rolling Amar'e and eventually frees up the perimeter (corner) for the 3pt field goal. This also promotes ball movement, continuity and puts Amar'e in a better situation to get going (freeing up the elbow jumper in later possessions).

So far, this seasons version of Amar'e is too predictable & easier to guard. STAT no longer poses a threat.

4) Mike D'Antoni, Offesive Genius?

Yes I understand D'Antoni has had at least 4 different rosters in 4 seasons. I understand he has had ONE suitable SSOL point guard for only 5 months of his NYK tenure (Felton).

It just doesn't make sense that an offensive genius, that many label him, can't find a way to incorporate everybody or draw up effective plays. His trademark SSOL system seems nonexistent, the pick n roll play that helped make Amar'e become an early MVP candidate is non existent. Many of this can go back to the point guard or lack their of, understandable, but if he truly is an offensive juggernaut, I assume he'd be able to __________ for the time being.

If you know your point guard can't traditionally create and make plays on his own, that's the more reason why plays involving ball screens and cuts are instrumental to team success. Maybe he has and TD and the guys have not been able to run them. Maybe D'Antoni is letting the offense flow by using Melo in the point-forward mold and hoping that all turns out well.

Only those in practices & huddles know.

Whatever the case may be, there is no excuse for this team to average 89 points over three games when the most innovative & offensively outstanding coach is manning the sidelines. Adjustments must be made, changes must be put in place and this offense needs to be figured out. Soon.

Stay optimistic

In a marathon 66 game season, losses are magnified and look worse than they really are. You shouldn't compare yourself to more unsuccessful teams, but the silver lining is that the defending champions are 0-3. The Boston Celtics likewise sit winless at 0-3, and the Lakers are a mediocre .500. The Spurs beat the new look Clippers by 25 one night & get blown out by 20 a night after.We're all pretty sure that these early struggles will eventually get figured out with time.

This is the NBA, and in a compacted season things happen, teams are still familiarizing themselves with their current rosters, and gaining chemistry. As Alan Hahn brought up, this is essentially still the preseason.

After NY gets healthy and brings in Baron to run the show, a lot of the aforementioned problems should vanish. Players will better understand their roles and this Free Agency compiled team will have more time to get acclimated with one another.

It's a learning process, so it's too early to overreact. In a season where this organization has finally aimed for the win NOW approach, its only a matter of time before this ball club improves and is primed for success.

LA is now "Lob City"

2011-12-14T22:21:00.000-08:00

Upon hearing the news of their most recent teammate heading to the City of Angels, C DeAndre Jordon and PF Blake Griffin show excitement at the prospect of bringing in CP3!

<a href='http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?UUID=f65dd4c0-64d9-492e-9b4f-7a1be9c54874&src=FLPl:embed::uuids' target='_new' title='Lob City' >Video: Lob City</a>

Anticipation Mounts..

2011-12-13T16:54:00.001-08:00

Lakers in for a lot of readjustment

2011-12-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

Via Yahoo Sports

"The Lakers? I hate to be the cold water guy, again, but Chris Paul dominates the ball. I mean, he reallydominates the ball. Those who are about to compare this deal to the one that sent Earl Monroe to the New York Knicks nearly 40 years ago need to step off, because Chris Paul makes Walt Frazier look like, well,Derek Fisher in terms of dominating the rock.

Which wouldn't be a big deal on most teams, because you have the best point guard in the NBA dominating the rock. But the Lakers have one of the best shooting guards of all time looking to make his moves as well. All while Kobe Bryant attempts to play out of a triangle offense that, save for one truncated season in 2005, he's been working in exclusively since 1999.

That's significant. Bryant was in for a massive re-adjustment as it was, and now he has to give up the rock? This isn't to say Kobe can't drop 50 in any system, but there will be a lot of instincts to overcome for even a player as smart as Kobe. And Mike Brown is going to be coaching this thing?

That's the worry. The luxurious, leaving-Laker-fans-giddy, worry.

For now the Lakers get to field a terrible frontcourt and the NBA's best backcourt, and that's with an All-Star level center in Andrew Bynum on board. Ron Artest struggled mightily last year, Pau Gasol and Odom are gone, and Luke Walton's body is shot, and … the Lakers don't mind. They have Chris Paul, assumedly for many years beyond this season. This could be spectacular, if the two can find chemistry."

MSG to Broadcast "Knicks Midnight Madness"

2011-12-07T15:30:00.000-08:00

Exciting, good way to gain anticipation before Xmas.

“Starting tonight, MSG Network will telecast a "Knicks In 60" of the best games from the 2010-11 New York Knicks season after the team's acquisition of All-Star Carmelo Anthony at midnight every night through Tuesday, December 27.

"Knicks In 60" is an hour-long cut-down version of a game telecast that features the most important parts of the matchup. Tonight's "Knicks In 60" is from February 23, 2011 when Anthony made his Knicks debut. New York defeated the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden as Anthony scored 27 points and collected 10 rebounds.

Below is a list of the 12 games that will be included in the special midnight programming:

February 23, 2011 (vs. Milwaukee) - Anthony scores 27 points in Knicks
debut

February 27, 2011 (at Miami) - Anthony scores 29 points and the Knicks win with a key block by Amar'e Stoudemire in the closing seconds

March 2, 2011 (vs. New Orleans) - Anthony nets 22 points in 29 minutes and holds Chris Paul to four points

March 9, 2011 (at Memphis) - Anthony hits a game-winning jumper

March 28, 2011 (vs. Orlando) - Anthony scores a game-high 39 points

March 30, 2011 (vs. New Jersey) - The second of back-to-back game-high
39-point games for Anthony

April 3, 2011 (vs. Cleveland) - Stoudemire scores 28 and Anthony goes
for 25 in win

April 5, 2011 (vs. Toronto) - Anthony scores 23 points in blowout

April 6, 2011 (at Philadelphia) - Anthony scores 31 points and grabs 11
boards in road win

April 8, 2011 (at New Jersey) - 25 points and 14 rebounds from Anthony
as the Knicks clinch a winning season record

April 10, 2011 (at Indiana) - Anthony hits the game-winner and has a
game-saving block

April 19, 2011 (at Boston, Game 2 of Eastern Conference Quarterfinals) -
Anthony has his best game as a Knick with 42 points and 17 rebounds

Knicks offer C Chuck Hayes MLE

2011-12-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

According to the NY Post, the NY Knicks reached out to Chuck Hayes' reps regarding interest that they have for the undersize big man. Yes Hayes isnt a big name but that doesn't mean he would not be of great help to our frontline and doesn't mean he's not worth the $5million.

Amar'e knows this best..

Also in other NY Knicks news, Grant Hill & Jeff Foster are also on their list of available FA's. Both would provide resiliency and a veteran presence to NY's locker room.. Stay Tuned

TKB.tv 's Latest: Basketball is Back !

2011-11-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

Say Bye to the NBA's Nuclear Winter

2011-11-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

My contribution via Moment4Life.net

Starting July 1st, 2011, millions of fans with time investments to the NBA and its brand have been held against there will & taken on a 149 day roller-coaster ride. After 4 months of trading demands, the players and owners have closed the extraordinary gap and reached a tentative agreement this morning around 3 a.m. making a 66 game schedule a possibility. According to NBA.com, this tentative agreement still has holes in it that need to be resolved ( and also needs to be ratified by the 400+ players it will govern).

Both parties, however, are optimistic that this agreement will push through within the next few days allowing a December 25th Christmas day start with training camps and free agency starting on December 9th. According to many of my sources, the issues that held this deal back when both parties were close weeks ago were free agent restrictions that the league were trying to impose. This past summer, the NBA experienced a plethora of player movement and this go around, owners wanted to make it more difficult for their franchise players to depart. Basketball Relate Income, another focal point in negotiations, was apparently resolved as well.

Commissioner Stern, in a brief conference following the meeting this morning, stated that their will be a triple header Christmas day, Miami/Dallas, New York/Celtics, and Lakers/Bulls. It'll be interesting to see how each team has revamped over this off-season. Let the anticipation mount!

Check out player reaction from today's good news:

Top 20 Free Agents:

1) Nene (Denver Nuggets)

2) David West (New Orleans Hornets)

3) Tyson Chandler (Dallas Mavericks)

4) Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies)

6) Jason Richardson (Orlando Magic)

7) Jamal Crawford (Atlanta Hawks)

8) Nick Young (Washington Wizards)

9) Tayshaun Prince (Detroit Pistons)

10) Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies)

11) Coron Butler (Dallas Mavericks)

12) Kris Humphries(NJ Nets)

13) J.J. Barea (Dallas Mavericks)

14) Aaron Afflalo (Denver Nuggets)

15) Deandre Jordan (LA Clippers)

16) Marcus Torhnton (Sacramento Kings)

17) Luc Mbah A Moute (Milwaukee Bucks)

18) Samuel Dalembert

19) Andrei Kirelenko

20) Yi Jianlian (Golden State Warriors)

For more CBA and season updates, click here..

Details from the handshake agreement leaked out via SI.com this afternoon.. This PDF includes details of the main issues and doesn't include the "B" list issues.

Click here to read the Official terms from November 26th...

My Open Letter to the League

2011-11-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

Featured on NBAFanifesto.com - a site devoted to fan expression of their disapproval of the collective bargaining process.

" Unlike most 18 year old fans, I'm very informed on the lockout issues and have dedicated a lot of my precious time to researching this negotiating process. Many fans describe the lockout as "millionaires fighting over billions of dollars against billionaire owners". They make sure to highlight the fact that greed and pride are the main factors as to why the lockout is still in progress. I understand both sides of this everlasting quarrel- the owners are looking to exploit the players by making them pay for stupid mistakes made by billionaire businessman while the owners are losing money are in need of a way to protect themselves from themselves. Understandably so. My anger and rage comes from the fact that these two parties fail to realize that the main form of revenue comes from the people that have no say in these lockout negotiations- the fans. I feel like rather than tying emotions into a business situation, both parties owed it to the fans to have an organized and concise plan of action to take as soon as the clock hit "12:00am" on July 1st (like NFL negotiations). It took at least a month to get to the negotiation tables, which is unacceptable and disrespectful to us fans.

Both parties knew about the possibility of a missed season for two and a half years and there's no way you anticipate such a colossal event, yet take the correct for of action (anti-trust lawsuit against NBA) 5 months after the fact. The whole process is a joke, timing is horrible and it reduces the chance of a season drastically, and adds to the catastrophic economic state that our country already faces. Pride and Ego's can never be present when discussing business proposals and ideas. I'm ashamed at the league I've loved so much over the years and invested so much time in. Lastly, due to the fact that I've been a die-hard NY Knicks fan my whole life, witnessed losing as well as the the recent renaissance and resurrection to prominence, it kills me to witness what can be a lost season. This was suppose to be our year and our return to respectability.

Owners, your up by 40, stop running up the score. Pick up the phone, get something done; for the sake of the millions without an income, for the sake of the pocket's of the players, for the sake of the popularity of your league and for the sake of the third party affected as much as the other two- the fans."

Ex- Knick F Wilson Chandler's Monster CBA Debut

2011-11-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

Via RotoWorld

"Wilson Chandler dominated in his debut for the Zhejiang Guangsha Lions, posting 43 points, 22 rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Chandler's team won a thriller, 118-115, and he's not having any difficulty adjusting to his new league. He's probably feeling pretty good about his decision to sign in China, as he's in shape and making a few million dollars while his fellow NBA players ball for charity, take college classes, release rap albums, and generally find ways to kill time until the lockout ends."

5 reasons lockout will end in negotiations

2011-11-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

Interesting piece by ESPN "True Hoop" writer Henry Abbott :

"When Billy Hunter says that "collective bargaining has completely broken down" it's easy to believe.

The union is lawyering up. The league is lawyering up. The players will not be shoved around and are willing to walk away from vast piles of cash to prove it.

David Stern has an enormous collection of scary phrases at his disposal, and he rummaged through them to come up with "the nuclear winter of the NBA."

The idea of these two parties sharing a conference table and ironing out their difference seems foreign.

But that's precisely what will happen and here's why:
The two sides are incredibly close to a deal. The fight is over things that -- compared to what has been agreed to -- are trivial.

NBA has billions in revenues -- more than just the $4 billion that makes up basketball-related income (BRI). The league drives further value to broadcasters, corporate partners and the like. There are big economic forces in play, and they all prefer that the league be operational and driving those revenues.

The players are losing huge amounts of money that they won't ever get back, even if they get everything in their last proposal.

The money-losing hardline owners can complicate things. But their influence would seem to be finite now that the league and players have traded offers at 50 percent of BRI for active players. More revenue sharing is on the way. Barring a vast new effort by owners to get players to knuckle under -- an effort by the way, that would undermine the league's claims of bargaining in good faith -- the relief for those owners would seem to be set. In other words, the increased money the owners want is not on the table anyway.

The strident agents had a big hammer over Billy Hunter and the union. If they decertified the union, the union would disband and Hunter would lose his salary. By disclaiming the union, the Hunter has removed the agents' ability to affect things much. Now agents will have to exercise their influence through their clients, presumably by having them named as plaintiffs.

It would be an understatement to say the NBA anticipated this move. Indeed, they filed a lawsuit in August predicting it. That suit, however, has no chance of winning a new CBA for the league. Instead it is designed to minimize the leverage players could gain from such a move. In other words, the NBA always expected this as a negotiating tool, not as a permanent shift in the nature of the debate.

Seeing an antitrust matter all the way through to its final resolution could take years, costing players $6 billion or more in salary if it lasts three years. It makes little sense that this would be the players' plan. On Monday their new attorney, David Boies, seemed to confirm that the players envision a quicker resolution. He said that his clients were not going to seek an injuction because that would take a long time and "what the players are focusing on right now is what is the fastest way to get this resolved." Similarly, Derek Fisher says "we continue to want to get to work, to get back to work, to negotiate, but that process has broken down."

There is no other way for it to end. Even if the process does reach the point where a judge makes a ruling, the judge is still not going to write a new agreement to govern the operation of the NBA. That will be negotiated sooner or later, as all parties involved know. "

Players stand to lose $220k/Pay Check on average

2011-11-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

Via ESPN.com

"Tuesday was the day NBA players were to have received their first paychecks of the 2011-12 season. With no games being played and no collective bargaining agreement in place, that didn't happen.
According to CNBC, the average NBA player lost $220,000 as a result of the stalemate with the owners.
Tuesday was also the 138th day of the NBA lockout and the day after the players' union rejected the owners' offer, and announced its intention to disband and file an antitrust lawsuit against the league."

NBPA Meeting Update 11/14

2011-11-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

11:53am: Stern holds firm to his ultimatum..

12:31pm: According to Sources, both the Knicks and Magic player reps choose to vote yes to the owner's latest proposal.. Stay Tuned

1:11pm- Stephen A. Smith tells players it's time to say Yes!

1:13pm- Cap guru, Larry Coon, breaks down the Union's options and what each decision would mean..

1:41pm- Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports meeting is over , awaiting news..

1:47pm- Watch NBPA Press Conference LIVE here.

1:59pm- NBA players reject most recent deal, and choose to file anti-trust action against the league.

PR War: Another Fight Player's Cant Win

2011-11-13T23:42:00.000-08:00

Stern and the NBA owners seem so concerned with setting the record straight regarding proposal details that they recently conducted a lengthy Twitter Q&A with fans, released a proposal Powerpoint video listing key facts and even sent a memo to the players at 1 AM to try and sell their concepts. All of this is in response to reports that Players were agreeing to vote against the latest proposal before seeing its details, due to misinformation.

Getting bullied in negotiating rooms is the first reason but the PR war is another reason why I pity the player's. No matter how unfair it may be, they won't look good if they reject the offer. The has made it clear to fans that this deal is somewhat favorable and even gave us a date to look forward to for the start of the season. Good tactic that puts tremendous pressure on the Union.

Have a look below:

11/11 Proposal Details

2011-11-13T23:19:00.000-08:00

Via Sheridan Hoops; the NBA's Official Labor Twitter page

"The new labor proposal includes:

1) More mid-levels than 2005 CBA: $5M for non-taxpayers, $3M for taxpayers, $2.5M for room teams

2) More cap exceptions for teams who are not taxpayers…

3) Projected tax level ranges from $70M-$85M over next 6 years; more than enough money to keep teams together.

4) New trade rules to promote more player movement.

5) Projected max salaries range from $13M to $19M and growing.

6) Increased minimum team salary – from 75 percent of cap to 90 percent.

7) Player-friendly changes 4 restricted FAs: qualifying offers higher & 100% guaranteed, shorter match period 4 offer sheets.

8) Ability to stretch waived player’s salary frees up more money for teams to spend on FAs.

9) Players retain full Bird rights.

10) Repeat tax rates apply only when team is taxpayer 4 out of 5 yrs (not 3 out of 5)"

I keep hearing the same things from knowledgeable reporters and basketball enthusiasts around the way. Before this 136 day lockout began, the consensus was that the owners were willing to lose a season to strike a favorable deal and with Stern on their sideline, they were going to win this game.. without a doubt.

As spectators we've witnessed their authority throughout this whole process. The player's have been asked to save the owners from themselves and are helplessly being forced to do so. This is where emotion, pride and ego normally come into play BUT can't. Rather than whine on Twitter about their feelings, the players as well as Union executives need to be realistic and ask themselves "Do we risk more missed games or a lost season to end up getting the same deal or something significantly worse 6 months from now?".

Kevin Garnett's locker room- esque presence earlier in the bargaining sessions spoke volumes of the players competitive nature; they don't want to lose or get belittled but that ship has already sailed. According to the NBA, the tweaks (shown above) are included in the latest proposal that will be reviewed and voted on by player reps tomorrow. No I was not as in tuned with the 2005's CBA discussions but I do believe that the snippet of the 11/11 proposal is reasonable and would help the players out (And many seem to agree).

"They were always going to win the game; Now there running up the score"

2011-11-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

TNT Roundtable: Labor Talk Parts I & II

Can You Imagine?

2011-11-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

Dwight. Amar'e. Melo. Nash? Wow.

"The latest out of Gotham suggests that Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are at odds because Carmelo wants Chris Paul in New York, while Amar’e wants Dwight Howard. Amar’e believes that Steve Nash will come play for the veteran’s minimum if it meant he got to toss the ball to Melo, Stat, or Dwight. While Knicks fans obviously drool at the thought, here’s the question:
How the hell would the rest of the league compete against THAT? And if you’re the Knicks and owner James Dolan, why would you care? Small market owners would accept the revenue from the advertising and television dollars that the Knicks would create, but not at the cost of knowing they probably could never compete at a championship level…"

Meeting Scheduled for Saturday

2011-11-03T13:05:00.001-07:00

New Garden- Phase 1

2011-10-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

CEO Hank Ratner shows Madison Square Garden after crews worked 24/7 through summer on the $975 million phase I of the remodeling .

Photos from Phase 1...

"World Tour" Looking Like A Go

2011-10-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Via ESPN.com

Details of the six-game, four-continent exhibition tour by NBA players set to begin at the end of October have not been finalized, but 14 of the 18 players approached have contractually committed to the tour, sources said, and deals with all 18 are expected to be completed Sunday night.
The list of players approached by Atlanta businessman Cal Darden include reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, sources said.

Since news of the tour surfaced last week, nine more players have expressed interest in taking part, a source said, and two more may be added.
A couple of agents with players committed to the tour said on condition of anonymity that they are curious to see how Darden will make good on the contractual promises made.
The players will be paid salaries ranging from six figures up to $1 million, sources have told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.
Those fees would have to be covered above and beyond insurance, travel and security costs in four foreign locales.
But a source close to the organizers said a news release officially announcing the tour could be distributed as early as Monday.

A Diss Overshadows a 'Magic' Assist

2011-10-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

Statement Highlights the Night, But Students Take Home Magical Message

By: Idia Ogala

His illustrious career came to an end nearly 20 years ago, yet at 52, Magic still finds ways to dish out much needed assists.

Typically during a lockout, sports fans and media personnel affected by the work stoppage of their respective sports, tend to cling onto, magnify and over-analyze anything to satisfy their competitive needs.

Fair enough.

Saturday was a prime example of this as the media pounced on an opportunity to talk hoops, and for the bitter ones, found an excuse to re-bash the beloved LeBron James. As a keynote speaker for the 5th installment of the "World Within Reach Speaker Series" held on the campus of the University at Albany, 12 time All-Star Earvin "Magic" Johnson, treated the 4,500 capacity SEFCU Arena like his court- and went to work.

Surrounded by a sea of students, administration and special Albany alumni members, Johnson addressed many issues, answered various submitted questions and uttered the comments that would resonate to NBA fans for days to come.

"There are always going to be guys who win championships in the NBA, except LeBron. Everyone always says 'who's better, Kobe or LeBron?' Are you kidding me? Kobe has five championships, LeBron zero."

When these words were projected, the crowd of inspired students responded with loud cheers, and a substantial round of applause that was well suited for the moment. Johnson was quick to let everyone in the building know that he had no negative personal feelings towards James and that his statements were just a form of constructive criticism talented superstars need to succeed.

Now LeBron, although he shunned my favorite sports franchise, has always remained at the top of my list based on raw, physical talent and skill- there's no debating this in my eyes. But some of James' actions that I've 'witnessed' in the last few years are unjustifiable, can't be defended and are outright discouraging to supporters. Johnson was 100% right with the nature of his comment and his criticism is needed for players of James' caliber to keep working and reach unreachable levels.

ESPN made Johnson's comments the focal point of this morning's "First & 10" NBA segment, sparking debate between the infamous Skip Bayless and the strong minded Stephen A. Smith. "WorldStarHipHop", an urban entertainment site, made sure to broadcast footage of the Speaker Series labeling it, "Magic Johnson Goes In On Lebron James At The University In Albany!", and the Washington Post escalated the intention of the comments as "ripping" James.

Although these media outlets took away so much meaning behind those particular 33 words, the students and future world leaders took away so much more.

Sitting in the crowd, I listened as Johnson talked about things a basketball junkie like myself would already be aware of- his epic battles with Larry Bird, multiple championships on different platforms, his battle with AIDS, Magic Johnson enterprises, etc. Things I wasn't so certain about like his childhood and what he's currently investing his time in, engaged me further and had others around me surprised. A point Johnson was trying to stress throughout the talks was that he, like many of us in the room, has been through tremendous obstacles or have yet to face them. How you maneuver through these situations and the amount of determination you exhibit will determine how successful you grow to become.

No matter your skin color, where you reside or your financial status, the one factor we all can relate to is struggle. Understanding that someone of Johnson's stature had to overcome similar issues that I can relate to, took him from the polarizing figure that he was at the start of the show and brought him "down to earth" to many of us, in a sense.

Whether a Business, Art, Africana Studies or even Undecided major, the message students like myself received Saturday night will continue to inspire us and will live in us. Five years down the line, as LeBron holds up his first Wade-aided Larry O'Brien trophy in front of millions, Magic's infamous UAlbany statement will be irrelevant and gone like the wind.

The message gone unpublicized, however, will not.

Johnson has dished out 10,141 NBA assists. Number 10,142 will have thousands of students scoring buckets for years to come!

Follow me: @OgalaKXP

Email: IOgala16@aol.com

My personal site here..

NBA Bargaining Session: 14 Hours & Counting

2011-10-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Via Chris Sheridan

"Owners and players held their longest bargaining session since the NBA lockout was imposed July 1, breaking the 12-hour mark — and continuing to talk — as the clock hit 10 p.m. EDT Tuesday night.

Federal mediator George Cohen was presiding over the meeting, which included the owners’ and players’ full bargaining committees. There were no details being released regarding what was transpiring in the bargaining room, but the very fact that the sides were spending so much time together was hard to view in a negative light.
Previously, the longest the sides had met in a single bargaining session was 7 1/2 hours. And as the clock kept ticking, the word on the street (or, to be more accurate, in the hotel hallway) was to prepare for a long night.
There was pressure to make measurable progress Tuesday night for two reasons:
_ Commissioner David Stern said last week that his gut was telling him there won’t be any NBA basketball by Christmas if the sides didn’t make a deal by Tuesday.
_ The NBA’s Board of Governors, with one representative from each of the league’s ownership groups, is meeting Wednesday and Thursday at a hotel just a few blocks from where the negotiations are taking place.
Representing the owners were Peter Holt (San Antonio), Clay Bennett (Oklahoma City), Mickey Arison (Miami), Mark Cuban (Dallas), Jim Dolan (New York), Dan Gilbert (Cleveland), Wyc Grousbeck (Boston), Larry Miller (Portland), Robert Sarver (Phoenix), Glen Taylor (Minnesota) and Bob VanderWeide (Orlando).
Representing the players were Derek Fisher, Maurice Evans, Chris Paul, Theo Ratliff, Etan Thomas, Matt Bonner, Roger Mason and James Jones.
As I reported on this site Monday night, these are the main issues that have been keeping the sides apart.
1) The split of basketball-related income (BRI)
You hear different stories from different sides about who knocked on whose door two Tuesdays ago when a 50-50 split of revenues was thrown out there as a compromise concept, and Stern has gone on record recently as saying the owners are formally offering 47 percent, while the players are asking for 53. The settlement number is going to be somewhere in between, with each percentage point of BRI representing roughly $45 million of player salaries per year. The more militant players have told union director Billy Hunter he has already gone far enough by offering to reduce the players’ share from 57 percent to 53 (players haven’t been below 57 percent since 1995). But Hunter knows he’s eventually going to have to give ground on that number and put the deal up for a ratification vote, and anything less than 51-49 is going to be a very tough sell. Problem is, this week might be Hunter’s last chance to get something close to a 50-50 deal, because Stern might not go that high if the lockout lingers into the winter.
2) The punitive nature of the new luxury tax
The union has agreed in theory to a higher tax rate for teams that surpass the tax threshold, but the sides are in disagreement on the size of those tax rates (The old luxury tax was dollar-for-dollar. The new tax would be between $1.25 and $1.75 under the union’s proposal; The owners are asking for a tax beginning at $1.75 and rising to $2.75 for teams more than $10 million above the threshold). The owners are also asking for other restrictions on tax-paying teams, including a prohibition against signing mid-level free agents, a penalty provision that would triple the tax rate for any team that surpassed the luxury tax threshold three times within the upcoming six seasons, and a restriction that would prevent teams from having more than three players with Bird contracts on their roster.
3) Contract lengths.
Under the old system, a player could sign for no longer than five years unless he was a free agent and signed under the Larry Bird exception, which allowed for a six-year deal. The owners want to reduce the maximum contract length to four years for Bird players and three years for others, while the union wants five-year deals for Bird free agents and four-year deals for other players. The owners have also proposed a “SuperBird exception” that would allow a team to designate one player worthy of receiving an extra year on his contract. The union has accepted the concept to a certain degree, but the sides differ on the length of the contract that SuperBird player would get.
4) Maximum annual raises.
Under the old system, players could receive 10.5 percent annual raises if they had Bird rights and signed with their old team, 8 percent raises otherwise — a system that caused most big free agent transfers to be executed through sign-and-trade deals. The owners have asked to eliminate sign-and-trades of Bird players by tax-paying teams, and to reduce the maximum annual raises to 4.5 percent and 3 percent. The union wants to keep the current 10.5/8 system but would allow for a smaller annual raise (9 percent) in the fourth and fifth years of contracts signed under the Bird exception.
5) The mid-level exception.
The sides are actually relatively close on this. The owners want the maximum contract value to be $4.8 million in the first year, while the union wants it to be $5 million. The owners want mid-level deals to be for a maximum of three years, the union wants the maximum to be four."

Via SheridanHoops: Lockout meeting Update

2011-10-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

Via Chris Sheridan's personal site, SheridanHoops.com

"NEW YORK — It’s a full house here at the NBA lockout talks, with every member of the owners’ labor relations committee and every member of the players’ executive committee in attendance (with the exception of Keyon Dooling), along with a federal mediator. We’ve even got an extra Buss, with both Jerry, and his daughter, Jeanie, sitting in the negotiating room.
As the clock neared 6 p.m., the sides had been meeting for almost eight hours. The most colorful anecdote from the press room was when the union, upon hearing the league had send cookies to the media room, responded by sending ice cream bars.
Representing the owners are Peter Holt (San Antonio), Clay Bennett (Oklahoma City), Mickey Arison (Miami), Mark Cuban (Dallas), Jim Dolan (New York), Dan Gilbert (Cleveland), Wyc Grousbeck (Boston), Larry Miller (Portland), Robert Sarver (Phoenix), Glen Taylor (Minnesota) and Bob VanderWeide (Orlando).
Representing the players are Derek Fisher, Maurice Evans, Chris Paul, Theo Ratliff, Etan Thomas, Matt Bonner, Roger Mason and James Jones.
Mediator George Cohen met with the sides separately on Monday, and commissioner David Stern has said Tuesday’s talks were crucial.
The league’s Board of Governors, with one representative from each of the league’s ownership groups, is meeting Wednesday and Thursday in New York.
For a rundown of where the sides began the day, and the details of what they are fighting over, click here for yesterday’s column on that subject."

8 hours and counting. Not sure how confident I am that the groundwork of something gets done today, but as usual, I will remain optimistic. Stay tuned.

Stern on NBC Sports: "Crucial Week"

2011-10-18T11:15:00.001-07:00

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.