I tire of his shenanigans on the court, but he seems like a good guy.

This is why I signed onto this blog. Seth, you may be a “biased” Knicks fan, I quote that because regardless of where your heart is, you tend to try to look at things objectively, and try to remain positive. I just want to say you’re a class act and a great writer. This is hands down the best Knicks blog/news source bar none. I’ve been a Knicks fan since the days of MCAdoo and this is the first year I’ve followed the Knicks via a blog. Thanks for a daily good read and a chuckle or too. Kudoos to the fellow fans here who are also first class.

Regarding Harrington, anyone who questions his class are outta their mind. He is a good guy and a benefit to the Knicks, albeit not in the final 4 minutes or so of games. Al is an important piece on any team, but he never seems to save a little gas for the full fourth quarter. His game just seems to break down whether it’s silly foolows or turnovers, usually offensive foul turnovers. He clearly is not your go to guy. But it’s also up to coaching to follow the history and put the right team on the floor at crunch time and make sure the ball flows through the right people and not get swallowed up.

I cringe when Al gets the ball when the game is on the line, but Al also doesn’t deserve some of the harsh criticism he receives. Heck, I’m just reading today about Bosh, again, possibly taking the foot off the gas. Isn’t he in the thick of the playoff race? Are you kidding me? If this is true, how do you “tank it” or get a chip on your shoulder, when you still can control your own destiny? Al’s not Bosh and I’m not comparing in skill regards, what I am saying is that we need team players and people who can shut up and play and at least give an effort. If Al’s gone I would simply wish him well, his skill set and technique hasn’t been a marvel, but he’s been fun and a decent fellow among a glut of selfish players, crybabies, half-effort wannabees and Curry-iously injured benchwarmers. I don’t want a guy who breaks when a little pressure comes along. My 2 -cents and another great article from Seth.

this was a surprising read today

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2010/03/31/2010-03-31_harrington_out_to_stay_a_knick.html

The thing with Harrington is not that he doesn’t have skills as a player – it’s that a guy that’s 6’9" and 260, who is pretty quick and can handle the rock, and can shoot a pretty decent percentage even from three, just should be more of a weapon than he is.

I do think he’s a pretty good teammate and I do think he’s done some good stuff this year. Yes, he does seem to be a black hole. But when the Knicks offense isn’t flowing (like, a LOT of the time), Al can take his man one on one and score pretty reliably.

But although there are flashes, he doesn’t seem to be able to play defense or rebound like he should. And he also doesn’t seem to operate very well without the ball. And though he may be willing to pass, he doesn’t show any ability to create. Some of that may be D’antoni’s system but I don’t think so. I just don’t think Harrington really grasps team basketball very well, even though he may want to. And though he may occasionally pile up boards, I don’t think he lives to rebound.

So I think he’s bailed us out a lot this year when our offense wasn’t moving and flowing. But the solution to that is to get the offense moving and flowing, not more Al Harrington. Logically, I guess they could bring him back if he came cheap (though I think another team will offer more). But I kind of feel ready to move on. I don’t really enjoy watching his game very much.

Seth, you bring up the valid points.

Its real easy to take out frustrations on Al Harrington. The guy IS a good player, but unfortunately, on THIS team, there aren’t many people who can go to him and say “Al, stop shooting. Play some D, pass the ball, and get rid of that fucking mouthguard!!”. He is a veteran here and while I don’t question his motives or his heart at all (I beleive him when he says he wants to be here), I do question his role with NY.

When we land some FAs this summer, Al’s spot on the scoring priority will be very little, and if he is ok with playing a small reserve role (explosive scorer off the bench, ala Nate Robinson, but less minutes), then I am ok having him on the team. I just feel like he needs a louder teammate who will keep him under control and not allow him to go apeshit when he gets the ball.

So, yeah, you have it just right, Seth. Good thoughts, sir. And put some clothes on, you indecent bastard. This is a family site.

Gold.

That’s an actual quote from the interview. Al Buckets knows his shoot-first mentality is one of his major flaws, whether it’s his defined role for D’Antoni or just overconfidence. It’s hard to believe he’ll just flip a switch and become a distributor next year.