After practice this evening I got a chance to catch up with the Knicks on topics such as politics, rookie initiation, and the Sonics' move to OKC. Oh, and I finally asked Mike D'Antoni if he'd shave his 'stache. Check it out.

I'll be back at practice tomorrow, so rack your brain for any more questions you might want me to ask the guys. Seriously.

Update: Forgot to mention, Mike D'Antoni smells very nice. Just saying.

Hey guys. I've got video of some training camp footage and conversations from this morning coming as soon as I can get it on to a computer. In the meantime, I headed back to the gym this evening to catch some more practice. D'Antoni's drills reflect his coaching style like you wouldn't believe. They ran 3-on-3 fast break drills and 5-on-5 drills where the offensive team had to score with 8 on the shot clock. A few player key-ins from the day's second meeting.

Allan Houston- I must say, Allan's touch looks as sweet as ever, and he was holding his own defending quicker guys like Marbury and Crawford. He didn't participate at all in some of the faster 5-on-5 drills, but H20 looks surprisingly fresh overall.

Nate Robinson- Nate was his usual self on offense. He knows his guys well and his point guard instincts appear to be improving as they have each year. Nate did appear to be either lapsing in attention or dogging it in a few of the drills, though, and was the last guy back on D a couple times.

Jared Jeffries- It was the very first day of D'Antoni's system, but even so, Jeffries had a bit too much trouble keeping up in drills. He was loafing and missing directions three and four repetitions into a drill and throwing things off for the whole team. Jared did, however, block Dan Grunfeld's shot so forcefully it startled me.

Anthony Roberson- Anthony Roberson can shoot the damn lights out. He's got a lot of confidence in his shot and simply cannot be left open on the perimeter. Said Steph to Donnie Walsh, "he's like a mini Allan Houston!".

Quentin Richardson- Q's intensity is almost frightening. He's clearly feeling the heat of Wilson Chandler reaching for his starting 3 spot. Richardson was animated all night, screaming, spiking balls, and throwing towels after any miscues in the scrimmages. You can tell he sets the tone for the younger guys by taking practice so seriously.

Wilson Chandler- Wil's looking as physical and active as ever, and the jumper is falling more than it was last year. Still needs some work, though.

Chris Duhon- I wasn't too happy when the Knicks signed Chris Duhon, but it's obvious that the guy's an intelligent basketball player. He got D'Antoni's complex drills down quickly and was often the one directing traffic and correcting the mistakes of guys like Jeffries. Du's shot wasn't falling all that consistently, but I like his overall game and the way he carries himself on the court.

Stephon Marbury- Steph's running well, shooting well, and looking healthy. He appears upbeat and focused at all times. For all his offcourt hijinks, the man is all business between the baselines.

Patrick Ewing, Jr.-...is probably going to break a backboard this year. His dunks always looked ferocious on TV, but up close it becomes even more apparent that he absolutely thrashes the rim. Didn't get to see him shoot much, but his form isn't all that bad.

Danilo Gallinari- Spent most of the evening doing PT-type stuff, but he did get some outside shots up and did a few passing drills. No running or jumping for Gallo, though.

Zach Randolph- Zach may have dropped some weight, and he's running the court surprisingly well.

Eddy Curry: Still a no-show. Didn't get word on whether or not he's still yakking in the hotel room.

Jerome James- ...can get rim. Just saying.

That's it for the moment. I probably won't be able to make it to practice tomorrow, but I plan on being back Thursday and Friday. I hope to have the video I got from today up by tomorrow night. In the meantime, I beg you guys to submit some creative but well-intentioned questions for players and coaches via comment or email over the next few days.

Last year we had some fun with potential starting lineups before a season in which the rotation looked to be relatively concrete. This year, there's no time to mess around. The rotation and starting five are very much up in the air. With this in mind, I figured we should have a little Posting and Toasting team exercise to select our preferred starting five. Last season I just suggested one by myself, but this time I'd like to solicit a five-man team from as many people as possible to get a sense for what we all want. Then, perhaps we'll have a big poll and send the results to Mike D'Antoni with the message "use this or suffer the consequences". Sound good? Let's do it.

So, your challenge is to name a starting lineup mentioning each player's position. Keep in mind what we know about D'Antoni's style, as well as the handful of pre-existing tensions between certain players and management. Speaking of which, we're gonna assume that Marbury and Randolph are sticking around and that Gallinari is fully healthy. In fact, just assume that everyone on the current roster is available. Go to town.

That said, here's my 2008-2009 staring lineup for the New York Knicks.

PG: Chris Duhon (It pains me to pick Du over Nate or even Steph, but he's probably the reasonable choice).

SG: Jamal Crawford

SF: Wilson Chandler (This is Wil's year. Q is old news.)

PF: Zach Randolph (Lee's the first man off the bench, but if Zach's around, he should at least get a shot at D'Antoni's scheme.)

C: Eddy Curry (For lack of a better option).

So that's what I've got. Pretty conservative and a little bleak now that I look at it in full. Leave yours in the comments. Perhaps you'll be a little more creative than I was.

Hello friends. This may be the longest, most difficult month of basketball famine I've ever faced. It's only September 18th! The good news is that training camp is less than two weeks ago and takes place about 2 minutes by foot from where I sit right now, so we have that to look forward to. In the meantime, let's hit a couple links, shall we?

- Jamal Crawford is back on the web at Crawful to Crawesome, and this time he's discussing magazine covers featuring himself, as well as providing a scouting report of the '08-'09 roster. A taste: 

Wilson Chandler: Wilson has gotten a lot better from last year! His range has improved -- his ball handling and his athleticism was always there…I think he's just more confident then anything now and it's showing. I think he'll have a really good year for us!

Danilo Gallinari: "Gallo" is still banged up a little bit,..so he's just been shooting and riding the bike...but this kid is very VERY confident!! He listens, works hard and wants to get better. Some of you guys may have booed him when we drafted him, but he is going to be a big time player for us one day!

...

Eddy Curry: It will be a transition for him at first because he's used to posting up. But he'll be on the perimeter a lil bit more....he'll get better adapted to the system the more he does it...but we need him...

...

David Lee: We all know David's game by now - all out hustle, rebounds. The thing that will surprise you most is his jumper! He shooting it with so much confidence, I mean even three pointers! He shot one and I said to myself, "No way." And it went straight in.

Great to hear, especially regarding Chandler and Lee. Oh, and one more thing. Even the rather bubbly Jamal can hardly spare a compliment for Mardy Collins:

Mardy: Lost some weight, so he's moving better. Very smart, really good defender!

Poor, sad Mardy.

- Though his back is ailing, Howard Beck reports that Danilo Gallinari is expected to be good to go come September 30th.

- A potential destination for Marbury, should he be waived. Steph+Chalmers and Arthur= MADNESS! (Tip of the hat to Uncle Skeets.)

- Since he's a New York guy and some of this takes place in New York, and since his brother was dilligent enough to email me about the subject, check out Charlie Villanueva's pretty impressive contributions to the community. I like it when families of NBA players email me.

- An interview with Anthony Roberson.

That's all I got for now. Tomorrow, I think we're gonna take a look at potential starting lineups. See you then.

The Knicks have a handful of new faces on the roster. Guys like Gallinari and Duhon will change the complexion of the team in their own ways. The addition of Coach D'Antoni and his famously fast-paced style, though, will likely influence the greatest on-court transformation in the upcoming season. This begs the question, then, of who on the incumbent roster will most aptly take to the fresh system. There is much talk of who won't shine in a fast-paced game, but we at P&T are wondering who might just break out in '08-'09. Here's a list of potential candidates.

David Lee: D'Antoni never really had a guy of Lee's ilk in Phoenix, but Dave's got a lot of the tools to make waves under Coach Mike's watch. Lee's daylight in Isiah's "system" was painfully intermittent, but we've seen glimpses of a mid-range and facing-the-basket game that, coupled with his natural talents around the rim, could push him into the starting lineup. Upping Lee's minutes and the pace of play might, as Shoals puts it, allow Lee to evolve from "worker bee extraordinaire to brawny photon particle". He'll need to turn that mid-range J into a reliable weapon and show a bit more commitment on defense to make it happen.

Jamal Crawford- Crawford's game and D'Antoni's scheme should sync into perfect harmony very quickly. Coach Mike likes his guards to shoot and shoot often, while Jamal often fantasizes that he's the only guy on the court. On a good day, this means Crawford can make the court his playground and light it up from wherever he pleases. On a bad day, it'll mean that he's got the license to hurl fadeaway 20-footers off the top of the backboard at will. Your average Knick fan has either abandoned JC completely after one too many ill-advised jumpers...or still clings to the hope that he'll become a reliable 2. Naturally, I reside in the latter camp. Jamal's proving that he knows his reputation, and I think this is the year he assumes some responsibility on the court and takes the role of D'Antoni's pet and locker room ally. I believe Jamal's got what it takes to post more good days than bad ones.

Wilson Chandler- Simply staying in the rotation would be a coup for Wilson, but many think he's got bigger plans. With a textbook small forward build and springs for legs, Wil's got all the physical tools D'Antoni loves. It's the offensive knack and reliable jump shot we glimpsed in the preseason that has people believing Chandler's got a future in front of him. If he gets those J's falling consistently and begins to maximize his potential on defense, we might be looking at a MIP for Mr. Chandler.

Nate Robinson: Nate falls into roughly the same category as Crawford, though he lacks some of what Crawford brings to the table (stature, some semblance of a conscience). He does, however, have the boldness and magnetism to the rim that could someday make him a bona fide slashing point guard. Nate's more of a wild card to mesh with D'Antoni than Jamal is, but he's got the potential to prove he belongs if handled correctly.

Quentin Richardson: Perhaps a bit past his prime for a "breakout" season, but Q and D'Antoni have worked wonders once before. Perhaps this could be the year that Richardson shakes the reputation of being the Knick sharpshooter who can't shoot.

So, what do we think? Who's got the best shot of having a career season in year 1 of the D'Antoni effect? I didn't include Eddy Curry because I'd argue he had his "breakout" year in '06-'07 and would merely be returning to form if he stepped up his game. Nor did I include Zach Randolph, because I still hold out hope that Donnie Walsh has something up his sleeve. I suppose you could make a case for those two, but out of the five mentioned, who ya got?

Greetings, snitches. It's a lovely Friday afternoon, and there are a few stories of interest in the world of the Knicks. Let's peruse the the day's events, shall we?

- The Randolph-to-Memphis rumors are resurfacing, this time in earnest. ESPN is reporting that the Knicks have an offer on the table for the Grizz-men that would trade the Lefty Southpaw for notably mediocre foreigners Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric. I get the feeling from past comments that we're mostly on board with dumping Randolph at all costs, and this deal is probably as good as any. Darko adds some defensive chops to the Knicks' sagging frontcourt, while Jaric could contribute his supply of hair gel and unfiltered cigarettes to the locker room. His contract does extend past 2010, but is considerably cheaper than that of Randolph. Check out The Knicks Blog for more updates on that front.

- Next, big congratulations to Mr. Patrick Ewing, who enters the Hall of Fame today. Matt Wong of ESPN has a nice piece about the Big Man's legacy in New York. As someone whose most vivid memory is of Ewing getting his wrist broken by Andrew Lang, I have little to offer. Like many people my age, Ewing was the figure who got me interested in the Knicks, and the first guy I'd ever pretend to be on the playground. Number 33 set the table for kids like me to get interested in the Knicks, and I owe much of my fandom to watching his dazzling play before I even knew what a legend I was witnessing. Hats off to Pat.

- Barnesgasm celebrates his 200th post the traditional way: with babies dancing to iO commercials.

- Wilson Chandler considers Malik Rose a mentor. Someone needs to end this quickly before he starts pulling chairs.

- UPDATE: One more thing: apparently the Knicks are number one in the league, at least in one regard. (Tip of the hat to Skeets).

That's all for now, friends. Have a good in weekend and I'll be in touch.

It's pretty quiet in Knicks world right now and I'm still settling into school, so here's a quick poll to keep you thinking. With the recent acquisition of Patrick Ewing Jr., the Knicks boast quite a lineup of prodigious dunkers. Among them are:

Patrick Ewing Jr.: 2008 NCAA Dunk Contest participant

David Lee: 2001 High School Dunk Contest winner

Nate Robinson: 2006 NBA Dunk Contest winner

Fred Jones: 2004 NBA Dunk Contest winner

Wilson Chandler: Not a bad dunker himself

So, simple question. Who would win a dunk contest? Remember that in-game dunking ability doesn't necessarily translate into creativity on the contest stage. Let's say we're taking the dunker at the prime of his dunking career. Vote or die.

Update: The deal is done. Balkman for Jones, Green, and a second round draft pick in 2010. Both players are expected to be cut. Just ignore the speculative parts of the post below. Farewell post for a P&T favorite coming later tonight or tomorrow morning. Prepare your eulogies.

Time to paint this over, eh?

You know it's summertime when you start racking up the post titles ending in question marks. Today's rumor comes from Ken Berger at Newsday, who's got reason to believe that the Knicks have a different way of cutting payroll and roster spots than we previously expected.

The Knicks and Nuggets are discussing a trade that would send 2006 first-round pick Renaldo Balkman to Denver for point guard Taurean Green and small forward Bobby Jones, an NBA front-office source told Newsday last night.

...

The deal was proposed late last week and is being discussed internally by both clubs, the front-office official familiar with the situation said. If the two-for-one deal goes through, it would leave the Knicks with 17 players under contract, although Green and Jones - who have non-guaranteed contracts - expect to be waived. It would get the Knicks back to the 15-player roster limit and save them Balkman's $1.32 million against the salary cap.

First of all, I would hate to see Balkman go. He's obviously one of my favorite Knicks for several obvious reasons. Humpty's also been nothing short of a hard worker and a great teammate since he's been here. That said, I understand that Coach D'Antoni favors forwards who bring something to the table offensively, particularly from distance. For his career, Balkman is under 20% from three and under 50% from the line, which gives you a little sense of why he might be out the door. Also, with Gallinari, Richardson, and Chandler on the roster, Renaldo just might not have what it takes to earn minutes at the 3 spot.

If this deal were to go down, I'd hope we'd at least give Bobby Jones a shot at training camp. He's a defensive stopper in the ilk of Balkman, but may bring a little more to the table offensively and thereby make a career for himself in D'Antoni's system. Then again, the Knicks may already have plans like those for Wilson Chandler. If both Jones and Green were cut, that would cut the roster back down to 15, meaning there'd be room for a couple of the undesirables we'd been discussing, including Collins, Big Snacks...and Marbury. Interesting.

Anyway, as heartbroken as I would be to see Humpty go, this deal could make some fiscal sense, particularly if D'Antoni doesn't see Balkman as having a role in the new scheme. Renaldo might find Denver a better fit as well, if you know what I'm saying. More on this as a it emerges.

Good morning, everybody. Hope a good weekend was had by all. I totally dropped the ball on the last two games of summer league, which was just poor planning on my part. I'm very sorry for that. Let's hit some links to see what I missed.

- The Knicks were handily walloped in their last two games against Charlotte and Minnesota. I'm not so worried about the losses as the individual performances, and the only real standout was Anthony Roberson in yesterday's contest. The Knicks' signee put up 23 points on 9-18 shooting, including 3-7 from three to go with 2 assists. Those last two figures certainly bolster D'Antoni's notion that Roberson might play an Eddie House-type role in the Knick lineup.

- The Knicks finished 2-3 in the summer league. Considering that last season was preceded by an undefeated Vegas outing, I'll take 2-3 every year.

- You can get the individual averages for the summer league here. Wilson Chandler measures up nicely, albeit against fringe competition. Mardy Collins' numbers are rather unsightly, even against fringe competition.

- Meanwhile, let's not forget that the whole reason we were excited for the summer league was to get a chance to see Danilo Gallinari in action, and the kid ended up getting shut down. This article (ignore the misleading tabloid headline) points out that we're pretty much where we were a week ago: positive that Gallinari has a lot to offer, but without any solid evidence of how much he might contribute in the NBA. We also get this:

A team source said the Knicks are considering resting Gallinari the remainder of the summer and request he not play for the Italian national team that gets together in two weeks. The decision could be out of Gallinari's hands as the Italian players are threatening a strike.

Not sure why they'd be striking (Possibilities: They're hungry, it's hot out, their tummies hurt.), but I wonder what Danilo thinks of all this. It seemed from the outset like his back wasn't hurt that badly. This might be a little overprotection on the part of the New York brass. I can't argue with avoiding injury, as long as it doesn't create an early rift between the Knicks and Gallinari and his Italian homies.

- Final piece of SL news: Nate Robinson's #4 jersey was formally retired in Las Vegas. Says Nate, "It's crazy, right? Yeah, it's kind of awesome. First time ever, so I'm glad I could be the first one. It's kind of cool. Maybe I'll set a new trend." Such a Nate Robinson thing to take place, and congratulations to him, I suppose. You gotta wonder, though. Are they really retiring the number 4 from the summer league? That's a lot of people to deny that widely worn digit. Will players in the future petition to wear the number to honor Nate the Great? One must wonder. Anyway, this whole thing gives me some ideas for the rest of the summer. We'll be getting to what comes next shortly. Have a good one, and I'll see you all later.

In their third game of the Vegas Summer League, the SummerKnicks will face the Phoenix SummerSuns. Mike D'Antoni will get to watch some of his old players (D.J. Strawberry, Alando Tucker) and some of the guys he's missing out on this year (um...Robin Lopez?). Meanwhile, the Knicks should once again be without Danilo Gallinari, and probably won't have Renaldo Balkman, who sprained his ankle in the last game. I guess it's another opportunity to get a hold on Wilson Chandler's growing game, as well as how Anthony Roberson might fit in New York. Regarding the latter, D'Antoni sees Roberson as an Eddie House type in his fast-paced offense, so I guess we should watch for those sorts of qualities here in the Summer League. Be on the lookout for signs of instant offense, accurate three-point shooting, and finely manicured facial hair from Roberson.

The game is, once again, at 4 p.m. EST on MSG. Arichmix has the recap for today. I'll do my part and cover the two over the weekend. Get them SummerW's.