"Where 2010 Happens" - NYK

[Drausus]

New York Knicks
"Where 2010 Happens"


Team: New York Knicks
Game: NBA 2K9 (PS3)
Season: 29 Games
Year: 2009/2010 Season
Quarter Length: 8 Minutes
Sim Length: 12 Minutes
Playoffs: 7-7-7-7
Difficulty: Superstar


Foreground
During the 08/09 season, the Knicks showed some promise. Star's like David Lee and Nate Robsinson were born and the Knicks made it back to the playoffs as the 8th seed. Although they were bounced in 4 straight games by the Finals bound Orlando Magic, New York Fans once again found enjoyment in the Knicks and have high hopes for the 09/10 season. Fans know that another playoff year could lure some big free-agents over in the 2010 off-season. Now with the stage set, the '09 off-season kicks off......

1st Year GM : Eric Blanch
2nd Year Coach : Mike D'Antoni

Transactions
Waived (Player Option) : Wilcox, Curry (Both Players wanted more playing time and were unhappy with the D'Antoni System.)
Waived (Team Option) : Ewing Jr, Lee (It came down to Lee vs Robinson. With only being able to sign 1 and stay within the salary cap, Lee was sent packing his bags)

Resigned : PG N.Robinson 3yr + 1yr Player Option

Signed : SG K.Rush 1yr + 1yr Team Option

Trades : 3 way Trade with Golden State and OKC.
GS Gets - SF Gallinari (Knicks)
OKC Gets - SG Hughes (Knicks)
Knicks Get - SG Azubuike(GS) and 1st Rnd, Pick 25 (OKC)

Knicks Latest Transaction Report
League Rosters/Transactions

'09 NBA Draft
Rnd 1 / Pick 18 - PF R.Couto - Brazil
Rnd 1 / Pick 25 - C S.Grimes - Australia
Rnd 2 / Pick 15 - C S.Hurley - Australia


Tony Bash 910 AM Brooklyn
"Listen Up Knick Fans, right when you thought the Knicks off-season couldn't get any worse, they participate in the NBA Draft. Seriously, why show up at all? Did you see their picks? I have never heard of any of these guys, and Im not the only one lost here. ESPN was having trouble finding highlights for these guys on the Post Draft show. Let me give you some advice Eric Blanch and D'Antoni.... Theres a system in place called the "NCAA"... how about trying to find players from there instead of wasting New York Knick money on these unknown players. And I thought waiving David Lee was the worst It could get.... "

GM Eric Blanch w/ a response
"We feel our new rookies will contribute greatly to the teams success this year and in future years to come. I don't expect a radio talk show host to know anything about what it takes to be the GM of the Knicks, and I surely don't expect him to know anything about the NBA Draft or the salary cap. As hard as it was to let a player of Lee's caliber go, It was needed to make room under the salary cap for this year, and 2010."

SI.com
"With the Knicks Officially in the running for top FA's in 2010, we list some of the players we might see in a knick jersey next season."


Top FA of 2010

W/ Player Option
Lebron James
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Micheal Redd
Amare Stoudemire

W/O Player Option
Kobe Bryant
Brandon Roy
Lamarcus Aldridge
Rudy Gay
Joe Johnson
Rip Hamilton
Tracy McGrady
Manu Ginobili
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
09/10 Schedule

Next 5 Games
Minnesota (Recap)
@New Jersey (Recap)
Cleveland (Recap)
@Boston (Recap)
Utah

Previous 5 Games
@OKC (Recap)
@New Orleans (Recap)
@Dallas (Recap)
Orlando (Recap)
@Atlanta (Recap)

Overall Record : 7-7

'09 Current Depth/Roster
PG N.Robinson/L.Williams
SG K.Azubuike/G.Green/K.Rush
SF T.Young/N.Batum/N.Afolabi
PF R.Couto/J.Jeffries
C B.Wallace/S.Grimes/S.Hurley

[Drausus]

Knicks @ Lakers

The '09-'10 Season is officially underway for the Knicks and they start off by taking a trip to LA to battle the Defending Western Conference Champs. Al Harrington started off early for the Knicks scoring 8 points in the 1st qtr, but Kobe Bryant matched his 8pts in the 1st and the Lakers were up 26-25 after 1 qtr of play. In the 2nd it was close up until the 2:30 mark, where LA went on a 8-0 Run sparked by 2 Jordan Farmer 3's to take the Halftime lead 57-44. The rest of the game New York struggled getting their offense going and LA capitalized on good rebounding and Fast Breaks.

Stat Breakdown
Harrington had 13 at Half but was only 1-6 in the 2nd half. Leading scorer for the game was Kobe Bryant, scoring 25 pts and adding 3 assists and 2 blocks. Leading all scores for the Knicks was K.Azubuike with 19 pts on 7-12 shooting. Leading in Rebounding was Lamar Odom w/ 8rebs, he also added in 13 pts on 4-8 shooting. Leading rebounder for the Knicks was Harrington with 7rebs, he also had 3ast and 15pts on 6-17 shooting. Leading assist man was Nate Robinson with 15ast, he added in 15pts but was only 3-12 from the floor. Lakers had 3 players tied with 4ast (Famer, Fisher, Vujacic)

Final - Lakers 106, Knicks 84

[Drausus]

Rockets Sore and Sink the Knicks....


If David Lee wasn't missed in the first game, he was surely missed Wednesday as New York landed in Houston to play the Rockets. After a pore performance in LA on Sunday, the Knicks opened up in the first quarter matching Houston basket - for - Basket. Harrington got going again early but was limited in playing time due to foul trouble. Back-Up F/C Grimes was also playing well in the first, but after a hard foul by Artest, Grimes was escorted to the locker room with a separated shoulder. With Harrington in foul trouble and Grimes out, Yao Ming got his game going early and sustained his high level of play all night, scoring 30pts on 13-18 shooting. With Yao scoring and the Rockets playing shut down defense, the Knicks struggled in the second quarter and fell behind 53 - 41 at half. Although the Rockets had built up a double digit lead in the first half, the Knicks came out in the second half playing hard, rallying behind PG Nate Robinson. Robinson had 8pts and 4ast in the third quarter pulling the Knicks to within 7 heading into the fourth, but Yao Ming wouldn't let them get any closer as he came out and scored 7pts in the fourth, also adding in 3blks. Rockets win their 2nd straight, 100 - 89. New York now gets to head home and prepare for Memphis in 4 days.

Stats

Knicks - 89
Robinson 16pts, 2rebs, 10ast (2 straight double-doubles)
Harrington 15pts, 5rebs, 3ast
Jeffries 13pts, 2rebs, 5 ast
Azubuike 13pts, 4ast

Rockets - 100
Yao Ming 30pts, 8rebs, 3ast, 5blks
McGrady 13pts, 2rebs, 4ast
Artest 12pts, 3rebs, 4ast
Barry 12pts

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Coach D'Antoni speaking to reporters -

"Were just not playing with intensity right now. Were not rebounding, were not getting out on the break, were not doing very much right out there. I believed we could win last year and we did.... I still believe we can win this year but we have to play better and we have to play with that 4 loss sweep - chip on our shoulder. A lot of fans were happy to see us get to the playoffs last year, they were happy we got the 8th seed..... but the whole team was embarrassed with the way we lost to Orlando and those players that were there need to step it up and play with that chip."

[Drausus]

SI.com - Transaction Report

Blanch & D'Antoni Pull the trigger, 4 player trade with Rival Sixers.



It was only a matter of time for New York to start shopping..... I mean they couldn't have a surplus salary cap for long right? They started off by adding the sinking potential, high flying former Dunk champion, 6'8 SG Gerald Green. Green Played for Dallas last year but was waived at the end of the season. D'Antoni is hoping his length, speed and high flying athleticism will fit into his offense and give the Knicks a much needed spark off the bench.



Just hours after the Green signing, Blanch and D'Antoni pulled the trigger again, this time a 4 player trade with Division rival Sixers. New York sent Back up PG Chris Duhon and Starting SF Wilson Chandler to Philly for Back-up PG Louis WIlliams and Back-Up SF Thaddeus Young. An Insider in the Knicks Organization told SI.com that "Duhon was unhappy with D'Antoni style of offense and was ready for a change of scenery". Sixers have showed interest in Duhon since he was an up and coming guard with the Bulls. "As difficult as it is to trade with a division rival, it is what was best for both teams" says Sixers GM.

We expect to see Young implemented in the D'Antoni offense right away. His size, speed and shooting ability should be a great addition to his style of offense. On the other end, Duhon will see some more minutes backing up Andre Miller and Chandler should fit well playing beside Andre Iguodala.

Transaction Recap

Knicks Aquire
SF T.Young (Sixers)
PG L.Williams (Sixers)
SG G.Green (Free Agency)

Sixers Aquire
PG C.Duhon (Knicks)
SF W.Chandler(Knicks)

[kibaxx7]

Good jersey switch on the first post Also liking the trades.

[NastyNacho1]

Nice Info and I really like the creativity in this post here

You got positive and negative comments about your team

Insight On why you made the trade

And some good pictures

Nice work

and good luck with Knicks

Your my Rival

in the East

This should be a Sticky example on how to make a Association post

[Drausus]

Strong Second Half Leads Knicks to First Win



Its was only a matter of time for D'Antoni to get his offense going. In the last 2 games the Knicks have sputtered and have not played with the up-tempo, fast break basketball D'Antoni teams have previously played. Tonight against the Grizzlies they started out with the same slow paced, turnover frenzy ball that we have seen in the previous 2 games. Grizzlies SF Rudy Gay was not off to a slow start however, creating several easy buckets for himself inside and on the break. Newly acquired G Jason Kidd also started out fast, feeding the ball to several different players for easy buckets. Memphis was rolling with a 44-30 lead at the 2:30 mark in the 2nd quarter. Thats when D'Antoni mixed things up. He finally put in a 3 guard line-up for the first time all season. Mixing in Robinson, Azu, and Newly acquired Green with Young and Harrington at the Forward positions. You could finally feel some energy on the floor as the Knicks ended the 1st half on a 12-4 run cutting to within 6pts at half. Grizzlies lead at half 48-42. Memphis tried to adjust to New Yorks running offense by bringing in back-up PG and also an off-season addition in Mike Bibby, but the Knicks kept running and Gerald Green had one of the best quarters of his NBA career, scoring 15pts in the 3rd quarter and helping New York take the lead. Memphis tried to keep it close, rallying behind veteran Jason Kidd but they were no match for the up-tempo Knicks who ran away with the game towards the end. Knicks get their first win of the season 98-89.

Stats

Knicks
G.Green 26pts, 5rebs, 1ast
T. Young 25pts, 7rebs, 4ast
N.Robinson 18pts, 2rebs, 11ast (3 straight Double-Doubles)
K.Azubuike 13pts, 3rebs, 3ast

Grizzlies
R.Gay 26pts, 6rebs, 1ast
M.Gasol 14pts, 6rebs, 5ast
J.Kidd 13pts, 3rebs, 11ast
O.Mayo 13pts, 2rebs, 1ast

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ESPN Fast Break w/ GW, Tim Legler and Jalen Rose

GW - "Knicks get their first win tonight behind solid play from newly acquired Gerald Green and T.Young. So Tim, how big was this win tonight for the Knicks?"

Tim - "This win was big tonight because we finally got to see some glimpses of the D'Antoni offense. After the loss to the Rockets, D'Antoni came out and said he wanted his team to play like they had a chip on their shoulder and we saw that tonight. They signed Green, which has a huge chip on his shoulder from all the teams that passed him over in the '09 FA period and he came up huge for them tonight."

Jalen - "Green did play big tonight and was a huge factor in the game, but I like how D'Antoni opened up the offense and he let Robinson dictate the pace of the game. Robinson has some prolific scorers around him in Young, Green, and Azubuike. These players can drive, dish and shoot the ball. It always makes a PG like Robinson that much more dangerous when you have multiple players on the floor that can score"

GW - "What most concerns you about the knicks right now?"

Jalen - "If I was D'Antoni I would be concerned about the lack of veteran big men on the team. Harrington can only do so much down low, but when you play against a team with big men like Duncan, Howard, Ming, who is going to shut them down? The Knicks still have a lot of holes to fill but I believe their on the right track and if they keep playing fun, up-tempo basketball they should be able to lure over some of the big 2010 FA's next season."

Tim - "It was a nice win tonight but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Like Jalen said, they've added some nice peices that will make watching the Knicks fun again, but I doubt they win over 40 games this year...... but it will put them in better position next year when it comes to grabbing some of the big FA's.

[kibaxx7]

Superb debuts by Green and Young man Props to you and them

[Drausus]

Pistons Fuel Up, Out-Motor Knicks



Last season after Detroit traded PG Billups for SG Iverson, they seemed to gain a scorer, but they lost the cohesion coming from the PG Position. When it came down to re-signing Rasheed Wallace or going after a true PG in the off-season, GM Joe Dumars took the ladder. Surprising many, he waived the team option on veteran PF Rasheed Wallace, then he went out and signed veteran PG Steve Nash. Flourishing in the D'Antoni offense for years, you could tell Nash was a step ahead tonight in New York. Pistons got out early on the break, matching the speed of the Knicks. Nash found his range in the 2nd Qtr, hitting 2-3 three's in the quarter and was 5-8 from the perimeter for the night. The Knicks Gerald Green picked up where he left off the other night, scoring 15pts in the first half and leading the Knicks to a 48-46 lead at halftime. The 3rd Qtr was much of the same. Fast paced offense and quick scores off steals and fast breaks. The 3rd quarter saw over half a dozen lead changes and going into the 4th Qtr the Pistons led 74-72. In the 4th, Nash got his hot hand going again, drving and dishing, getting the whole team involved. Nate Robinson matched Nash's energy and dealed out a career high 19 ast, 6 coming in the 4th Qtr. With just under 45 seconds left, New York was down by 1.......

KGLA Radio, 550 Detroit

Play-By-Play - "Nash brings the ball down court, Knicks playing tight defense making sure not to foul, Nash passes to Iverson, Iverson dishes to Hamilton on the Wing, Hamilton Drives inside, passes back to Iverson, Iverson finds Nash open, Nash for 3!!! Nothing but net baby!! Make that 5 three's for the crafty veteran tonight,.... Time-out Knicks, their down by 4.."

New York came out and took a quick inside shot, but it rimmed out and T.Prince came down with the rebound. Pistons hit some free throws and won 102-96.

Stats

Knicks - 96
G.Green 20pts, 5rebs
T.Young 17pts, 5rebs
A.Harrington 16pts, 6rebs, 1ast
N.Robinson 12pts, 2rebs, 19ast (4th straight Double-Double)
K.Azubuike 9pts, 2rebs (1-7 from 3pt, 3-6 from the FT line)

Pistons - 102
S.Nash 26pts, 2rebs, 8ast
A.Tolliver 16pts, 11rebs, 2ast
T.Prince 12pts, 3rebs
A.Iverson 12pts, 1, 6ast
R.Hamilton 10pts, 1ast

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Steve Nash Talking with Reporters -
"It came down to the end. It was close, and we were fortunate to come out on top. I felt good out there, our team was hitting tough shots and playing well on the break, and we just out lasted them, thats all it came down to."

D'Antoni Talking with Reporters -
"He's good, I know he's good, I coached him a couple years back. What he does on the floor is amazing, but I really think Robinson out played him tonight and we just ran out of gas coming down the stretch."

[Alejandrov011]

Nash a Piston? Woow...

I want a recap with all the team rosters... or at least the most important moves

[Prev]

Kryptonate is a beast... green looks good so far too
Good job bro. Yea i agree you should give us all teams starting fives and biggest trades... not like only superstar players but trades with avarage players would be nice too.

[Drausus]

I'll post up all the off-season transactions for each team after I post the next game report. A lot of big moves to report!

[kibaxx7]

So I guess that Hamilton is now at 6th man with the Pistons starting Nash and Iverson. What a backcourt

[Drausus]

Young & Harrington Come Up Big, Knicks Get 1st Road Win



Knicks took back to the road last night after a 1-1 home-stand. During the 1-1 home-stand, the only win came against the Memphis Grizzlies, which just happened to be their opponent last night. Memphis got off to a fast start, with Rudy Gay leading the way early. Jason Kidd also helped get the Grizzlies out to a Fast start by pushing the floor findng the open man. The Knicks started out slow, missing their first 7 shots and only scoring 13pts in the 1st Qtr while Memphis had 26. It didn't help that leading assist man and team captain N.Robinson got into foul trouble early and was limited in playing time throughout the game. With Robinson out, Young stepped up and put the team on his back. After being down 56-40 at half, Young came out on fire, scoring 12pts in the 3rd and dishing out 3ast. Harrington also stepped up and put in 8pts in the 3rd, and by the start of the 4th Qtr, Memphis lead was cut down to 70-74. It was back and forth for much of the 4th Qtr. Neither team could pull away and it felt like the team that had the ball last would win it. Tied up at 108, Memphis had the ball with time ticking down. Jason Kidd drove the lane and Gerald Green fouled him at the basket. Kidd would make both his free throws and leave only 2.4 sec left on the clock. After the Knicks time-out, Young was throwing in the ball. He passed to Robinson who was coming off a screen, then Robinson passed back to Young who came in bounds after passing the ball in and set up on the Corner. He drained an un-contested 3 before time expired.

Stats

Knicks - 111
T.Young 31pts, 5rebs, 5ast
A.Harrington 31pts, 10rebs, 3ast
G.Green 16pts, 1reb, 1ast
K.Azubuike 16pts, 3rebs, 2ast
N.Robinson 12pts, 2rebs, 11ast (5th Straight Double-Double)

Grizzlies - 110
M.Gasol 22pts, 9rebs
OJ Mayo 19pts, 3rebs
R.Gay 19pts, 4rebs, 4ast
K.Fowlkes 12pts, 5rebs, 3ast
J.Kidd 10pts, 10ast

[Robert]

Nate been a beast

[Drausus]

2009/2010 Starting "5" Rosters and Transactions

[Drausus]

Former Knicks Hitting on all Cylinders




David Lee was waived and Larry Hughes was involved in a 4 man trade during the off-season. Both ended up in Oklahoma City starting for the fast paced Thunder. This game was one of the most exciting games so far this young season. Both teams were shooting well and their up-tempo offenses were breaking often. Hughes started out the hottest, hitting everything he shot. David Lee also started out well, commanding the paint and rebounding well. Thaddeus Young kept his hot streak going by putting up 15pts by half and leading both teams in scoring. This game would come down to the 4th Qtr, tied at 73, OKC went on a 11-2 run and never looked back. Durant, Westbrook and Hughes were hitting all there shots and New York could not find an answer for them. Thunder come out with a big win 103-94

Stats

Knicks - 94
Young 29pts, 4rebs, 1ast
Robinson 18pts, 1rebs, 9ast (Double-Double Streak Ends @ 5 Games)
Green 16pts, 6rebs, 2ast
Azubuike 14pts, 4ast (Was 0-5 from 3Pt Land)
Harrington 10pts, 5rebs, 2ast

Thunder - 103
Hughes 29pts, 2ast
Durant 21pts, 2rebs, 6ast
Westbrook 14pts, 1rebs, 9ast
Lee 14pts, 9rebs, 4ast
Millsap 8pts, 1ast

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

David Lee Talking to Reporters After Game -
"I just wanted to come out and win against my former team.... I wanted to let them know they made a bad Desicion by letting me go."

Larry Hughes Talking to Reporters After Game -"I got no hard feelings. I liked my time in New York, but I understand it's a business. I've been traded before, I'll probably be traded again... its just the nature of the beast."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NBA on TNT

Ernie - "So Kenny, It looks like the Thunder have things going for them, but what about the Knicks? How for can they go this year? Another playoff trip?

Kenny - "Well the Knicks stink. The Thunder arent that great either but the Knicks made them look like a playoff team tonight.

Charles - "The Knicks are horrible. Horrible. Dey can't rebound, Dey cant guard da paint, Dey just Horrible Ernie, Horrible.

Ernie - "But they were a playoff team last year.... I mean, I much worse have they gotten?"

Kenny - "Re-Signing Robinson over Lee was there big mistake. Robinson is a decent player but Lee was their go-to man in the paint, and now they don't have that."

Charles - "Dey tryin to make Harrington a True Power Forward, which he's not, Dey also trying to run wit a team dat can't ran. If you cant Run, and you can't pound the paint, you really can''t do anyting in this league. Dey soft Ernie, Dey as soft as tissue paper."

[Drausus]

2010 FA Scouting Report / New York Knicks



Top 5 Players with 2010 Player Option -

Lebron James -
Pros - Lebron Can do everything. Shoot, Pass, Dribble, Rebound. He can play multiple positions on the floor, and would flow well with Robinson, Young and Harrington.

Cons - He has a Player option and theres no guarentee he will opt out. He's not talking a lot about Free Agency and Cleveland is winning and has a chance at a championship this year. We can expect that if he becomes a FA he will be getting one of the largest salaries in history, which might dig into the quality role players we could bring in to contribute.

Dwayne Wade -
Pros - Big time scorer and he would fit into the D'Antoni ofense well. He can pass well and will get other players involved in the game, but coming down the stretch he is best at taking over games.

Cons - He also has a player option, but unlike James, he is on a playoff team that will probably not contend for a championship and bet bounced early. I think we have a few more role players that can play along side him, but there's no talk from him on Free Agency and we hear he loves South Beach.

Chris Bosh -
Pros - Big time scorer in the paint and has a good mid-range shot. He can rebound well and he's not a selfish low-post player. Doesn't have the ability to take over a game late, but with his presents in the paint we have a better chance at being ahead late in games.

Cons - He has trouble against the over-sized centers in the West. Although he should play well against conference opponents, time and time again great centers have showed they can play against anyone and still dominate. He also has a player option, but sources tell us he is leaning towards Free Agency,

Micheal Redd -
Pros - He can shoot lights out from anywhere on the floor. He's under-rated at getting to the paint and scoring, he also has decent passing skill. He would fill Azubuike's spot well when shooting from the perimeter.
Cons - When Compared to the top 3 on the list, he is the weakest of the bunch. We need to ask ourselves, "How much can he help us" and "Is there a cheaper FA we can go to that could split time with Azuibuike for results that would be close to Redd's output". He also has a player option coming up but sources tell us he wants out of Milwaukee.

Amare Stoudemire -
Pros - He's a beast inside and can power up with anyone. He posses a decent mid-range game but his main strength is inside rebounding, defense, and Rim Rattling dunks. He would help us find some more open shots on the floor by bringing an inside presents to the team.

Cons - He has been Injury prone the last couple of years and we can't afford to take a chance on someone that might only play half the season. Also, sources say he love the Phoenix area and might not opt out.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Top 5 Players without Player Option

Kobe Bryant -
Pros - Another player that can do everything. He's the hardest player in the league to stop. He's an NBA icon and he knows how to win. He would fit in the D'Antoni offense and would play well with Robinson and Young. He is also a great defender.

Cons - He's not as great a passer or rebounder as James is, but his price tag should be a bit cheaper. It would be a hard decision to take him over someone like James or Wade, seeing that they are a bit younger.

Brandon Roy -
Pros - Used to rely on a great mid-range game but now he is getting to the paint and putting up points often. He's not a ball hog and loves to get the team invloved. He plays a great SG but will also switch to the PG position late in games to help get the team going.

Cons - Not a great rebounder and he's not very vocal on the floor. Coming over from McMillans offense, im not sure he'll fit into D'Antonis.

Lamarcus Aldridge -
Pros - Big Body in the paint that has a good mid range game. He can body up with almost all big men excluding a couple. Passes well for a big man and is a mis-match for several teams. Portland won't be able to sign him and Roy, we should consider taking the one they dont.

Cons - For a player his size... not a lot of cons. He needs a good team around him because he can't take over games, so If we sign him, we'll need to sign another Top player thats good in the clutch.

Rudy Gay -
Pros - We've played him already this year and he is an explosive player. He can shoot well and he is a beast on the break.

Cons - Not sure how well he will play with the team. He's not very consistent and I would keep Young at the SF over him. The position we really need is a consistent SG, and Gay isn't consistent enough to put down big bucks on.

Tracy McGrady -
Pros - Although he's taking less shots now, he used to be able to take over games. He can still shoot from the everywhere on the floor and he can drive the paint.

Cons - Injury after Injury. I will be surprised if he doesn't get injured again this year, but Im hoping he has the injuries past him. Also, sometimes it seems he gets lazy on the floor, and he may be depending a lot on the low post play of Yao which is keeping him from taking over games.

[Drausus]

Knicks Run Wild On Hornets



Coming off a hard loss to the Thunder, New York is looking for answers to their consistency problem. The Knicks have been one of the most in-consistent teams all season. A different starting line-up every night, a different gameplan every night. New York is still looking for an Identity, last night they might of found one in New Orleans taking on the Hornets. The Knicks started fast out of the gate, running often and efficiently. Recently struggling SG Azubuike led the way in the 1st Qtr with 15pts and was hitting from all over the floor. New Orleans All Star PG Chris Paul did not start so well, missing his first 6 shots from the floor and getting his third foul midway through the 2nd Qtr. At half time the Knicks had pulled away with a double digit lead, 56-42. New Orleans and Team Captain Chris Paul came out in the 3rd Qtr looking to get back in the game but leading scorer Azubuike kept matching them point for point and the Knicks pulled out even farther into the lead going up by 30 at one time. Beginning the 4th Qtr, New York rested most of their starter and the bench took over as the Knicks cruised onto a 27pt victory, 100-73.

Stats

Knicks - 100
K.Azubuike 33pts, 2reb, 2ast (Career High 33pts)
T.Young 26pts, 5reb, 2ast
A.Harrington 16pts, 9reb, 5ast
G.Green 14pts, 5reb, 6ast
N.Robinson 6pts, 1reb, 14ast

Hornets - 73
D.West 24pts, 2reb, 1ast
C.Paul 10pts, 1reb, 10ast
J.Wright 9pts, 1reb, 1ast
M.Peterson 8pts, 2reb, 2ast
J.Posey 7pts, 3reb, 3ast

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Nate Robinson Talking W/ Reporters -
"Thats how we practice, thats what we work hard for, thats how we need to play. We were all clicking tonight and it felt good. Its the first time this season I got the feeling we were the better team out there and we need to work hard to continue that."

Hornets Coach Byron Scott Talking W/ Reporters -
"We got beat by an under-rated team tonight. We came in looking to blow them out, and they turned it around. That team is for real. Everyone's talking about them in 2010, but Im telling you right now, thats a good team. Don't listen to the media, that team can win... they just showed it tonight against us."

K.Azubuike Talking W/ Reporters -
"I've been struggling the last couple of games and tonight Nate (Robinson) came up to me before the game and just told me to let it rip tonight, and thats what I did. It always feels good to get a win against a top team, Im just glad I could contribute."

[Drausus]

League News



Transaction Report -

Trades -

Warriors Send - A.Morrow
To
Clippers For - D.Jordan

Wizards Send - D.Songaila
To
Spurs For - B.Bowen

Blazers Send - R.Fernandez
To
Bulls For - J.Salmons

Nets Send - J.Boone
To
Grizzlies For - B.Jackson

Magic Send - R.Alston
To
Spurs for - F.Murray

Injury Report -

PG S.Marbury / POR / Torn ACL / OUT / 4-6 Weeks
SG R.Allen / BOS / Strained Groin / Hurt / 2-4 Weeks
PG S.Francis / MIL / Sprained Wrist / Hurt / 1-2 Weeks
PG J.Calderon / TOR / Broken Finger / Hurt / 1-2 Weeks
SG K.Azubuike / Strained Hamstring / Hurt / 1-2 Weeks

[Drausus]

Knicks Shoot Down Mav's in a Close One



Coming off a victory vs New Orleans two nights ago, the Knicks brought their momentum into Dallas last night. Azubuike started off fast, coming off of a career night in New Orleans. He had 14pts in the 1st half but was injured midway into the 2nd Qtr and Did not return until later in the game. Former Knick and now Dallas starting Center Eddie Curry started off hot as well, scoring 13pts in the first half and leading the Mavericks to a 54-52 lead. Going into the 3rd Qtr, Knicks SF T.Young came out scorching, hitting from all over the floor he had 14pts in the 3rd Qtr and had 8 straight points for the Knicks at one time. Going into the 4th Qtr the Knick led by 4 at 76-72. Dallas and New York traded buckets for the first half of the 4th and Dallas would tie up the game at 92 with only 2 minutes left to play. Azubuike checked back in and on his first shot attempt he nailed a 3pointer to put the Knicks up by 95-92. On the ensuing Dallas possession, Nate Robinson came up with a big steal and dished the ball to Azu on the break for an easy dunk to put the Knicks up 97-92. Nowitzki came down court and hit a big 3 but on the Next knicks possession Young spotted up and Knocked down a tri-fector and put the nail in the coffin.

Stats

Knicks - 100
T.Young 29pts, 4rebs, 1ast
K.Azubuike 19pts, 1rebs, 3ast
G.Green 16pts, 2rebs, 1ast
N.Robinson 14pts, 9ast
A.Harrington 10pts, 6rebs, 2ast

Mavericks - 98
D.Nowitzki 22pts, 3rebs, 4ast
E.Curry 19pts, 8rebs, 1ast
M.Carrol 14pts
J.Barea 13pts, 1rebs, 6ast
J.Terry 12pts, 5ast

[Drausus]

Harrington On the Trading Block?



SI.com

Sources close to Knicks GM Eric Blanch have told SI.com that Al Harrington is a hot ticket on the trading block. Information allows us to believe New York is in trade talks with several teams including Cleveland, Utah, and Chicago.

Its to no surprise Harrington is on the Block, considering New York is last in the league in rebounds per game and have given opponents more second chance buckets than any other team.

[Drausus]

Magic Come To MSG and Run Over Knicks



Coming of two big road wins the Knicks were hoping to come back to Madison Square Garden and put up a win for the hometown fans, but Dwight Howard and Company had other ideas. Since the Magic beat the Knicks last year in 4 straight playoff games, several returning Knick players and Fans were anticiptating this game. Both teams started of hot, but nobody started off as hot as Orlando's Rashard Lewis. He had 20pts in the first half and he was 3 of 4 from 3pt land. New Yorks hot shooter, Thaddeus Young was also hitting in the first half, scoring 18pts and leading all Knick players in the first half. Orlando was getting everything they wanted in the paint and New York was rotating Big Men like musical chairs in order to slow down Dwight Howard. Orlando led at the break, 51-46. Beginning the 3rd Qtr, Orlando took off on a 12-2 run and stretched the lead to 15pts. Young tried to keep the Knicks in the game, hitting almost everything he attempted and getting to the foul line often but Orlando kept the big lead into the 4th Qtr and never looked back. Thaddeus Young's 44pts was a career high but was over-shadowed by Orlando's dominance in the paint. Orlando won, 110 - 98.

Stats

Knicks - 98
T.Young 44pts, 1rebs, 7ast (Career High)
K.Azubuike 18pts, 5rebs, 2ast (Playing Injured)
A.Harrington 14pts, 4rebs, 1ast
N.Robinson 13pts, 1rebs, 11ast
G.Green 7pts, 2rebs, 1ast

Magic - 110
R.Lewis 23pts, 2rebs, 5ast
D.Howard 20pts, 12rebs, 4ast
H.Turkoglu 18pts, 6rebs, 1ast
J.Nelson 18pts, 1rebs, 8ast
A.Parker 13pts, 1rebs, 3ast

[Drausus]

Hawks Fly By Knicks in OT



Coming off a bad lose to Orlando 3 nights ago, New York flew to Atlanta hoping to swing their record back to .500. Scorching hot shooting SF Thaddeus Young came out on fire, hitting 8-11 shots and scored 22 in the first half. Nate Robinson was dishing the ball to several different players off of penetration and he had 8 assists in the first half. Atlanta's team captain and All Star Joe Johnson had it going as well, scoring 13 in the first half and passing the ball well with 6 ast at the half. It was a fast paced game with no team taking more than a 4 point lead at anytime. Knicks led at the half 56-53. Starting the second half, Young came out on fire again, scoring 8 of the first 10 knick points but Atlanta wouldn't go away. PF Josh Smith was owning Harrington in the low post and He ended with 26 points in the game. It was a 106-104 game with the knicks leading with only 32 seconds to go when Harrington missed a wide open score in the paint. Al Horford got the rebound and Atlanta pushed the ball up court. Joe Johnson dished the ball to Smith coming of a screen and he connected from 18ft out to tie the game up at 106 and take the game into overtime. In overtime Atlanta took control. Al Horford was getting everything he wanted in the paint and the Hawks get the victory, 121 - 116

Stats

Knicks - 116
T.Young 45pts, 8rebs, 1ast (Second Night In A Row He Sets A Career High For Points)
K.Azubuike 28pts, 1rebs, 3ast (Playing Injured)
G.Green 26pts, 2rebs
A.Harrington 6pts, 8rebs, 2ast
N.Robinson 5pts, 2rebs, 18ast

Hawks - 121
J.Smith 26pts, 4rebs
J.Johnson 25pts, 4rebs, 11ast
A.Horford 24pts, 12rebs, 1ast
M.Williams 18pts, 5rebs, 4ast
J.Jack 13pts, 14ast

[kibaxx7]

Man Young is totally on fire, Azubuike too, sucks he got injured.