Well, friends, the floor just fell out from under the 2008-2009 New York Knicks. They showed some promise, but "some promise" ain't Donnie Walsh's business. No, we've got bigger plans. Such plans call for patience, though, and patience begins tonight. The Knicks will face the Bucks with a sparse lineup that wouldn't even be helped that much by the incoming players. Writing a game thread now feels a little like Drew Carey introducing Whose Line Is It Anyway?-  "Welcome to the New York Knicks: The team where half the players are guests and the points don't count!" Going into night one of limbo, I've got some questions:

- Stephon Marbury has been activated, meaning the Knicks have 9 healthy bodies for tonight's game. Will Steph play? On a scale from "1" to "Glen Rice's entire New York tenure", how awkward might that be?

- Who starts? Lee will surely step in for Randolph, but who gets Crawford's spot? Does Quentin Richardson slide down? Does Marbury, of all people, start? I bet Robinson gets the go at 2, but look for Anthony Roberson to get actual minutes.

- Dammit, I wish Danilo Gallinari was healthy right now. Can someone set Il Gallo up with a back transplant? I'll give him mine, I swear.

Last time the Knicks played the Bucks, Andrew Bogut and Charlie Villanueva beasted all over the undersized frontline. The frontcourt just got even more undersizeder, so get psyched for more beatdowns to come. The rest of this season's going to be an offensive lovefest with little defense to be seen. The Wait begins tonight.

Upon attempting to finish this post, I realized we may have to retire my signature game thread phrase. Zach Randolph was the inventor of "Get them W's", and it doesn't feel right to use it without him. Thoughts on a new line to punctuate my threads?

Tipoff's at 8:30. Check out Brew Hoop for all your Milwaukee coverage of tonight's matchup.

Yes SIR we can!

This comes in response to a Fanpost from s.bucektz. The ballot for the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix was released a few days ago, and there's a very important inclusion amongst the Eastern guards. From the announcement (emphasis might be mine):

Ray Allen, Boston; Gilbert Arenas, Washington; Mike Bibby, Atlanta; Chauncey Billups, Detroit-Denver; Jose Calderon, Toronto; Vince Carter, New Jersey; Jamal Crawford, New York; Raymond Felton, Charlotte; TJ Ford, Indiana; Ben Gordon, Chicago; Richard Hamilton, Detroit; Devin Harris, New Jersey; Joe Johnson, Atlanta; !!!!Stephon Marbury, New York!!!!!OMG!!!1; Andre Miller, Philadelphia; Jameer Nelson, Orlando; Anthony Parker, Toronto; Michael Redd, Milwaukee; Jason Richardson, Charlotte; Luke Ridnour, Milwaukee; Rajon Rondo, Boston; Derrick Rose, Chicago; Dwyane Wade, Miami; Mo Williams, Cleveland.

Thus, in the spirit of Posting and Toasting and all others who have proposed the idea, I'd like to formally announce my advocacy for Stephon Marbury as an All-Star. Steph spent the summer working into tip-top shape, performed well in training camp, and had a solid preseason. What's he gotten for his effort? Zero minutes to date. Regardless of what you think about his spot on the Knicks, I think we can all agree he's got a right to play somewhere this year. How about playing a game in which he represents New York, but nothing actually counts? What could possibly be better?

Marbury's Knick days are likely behind him, so let's pay respects for his tenure in orange and blue- his heroics, his antics, and his idiosyncrasies. Stephon's been the most prolific font of entertainment and discourse the Knicks have seen in years. Let's give him one more opportunity to thrill us. Vote early, vote often, and vote Stephon Marbury to the 2009 NBA All-Star team. If you're down with the cause, tell your friends, mention it on your blog, fill in a ballot for your pet iguana...every vote counts. Yes we can!

(A few more games, and I may be back on my soapbox for Zach Randolph. We'll see.)

GET IT!?

- Gian of  "7 Seconds or Mess fame is now contributing a "Play of the Week" to Knickerblogger. This week, he highlights what went on behind the scenes of the Nate Robinson explosion...RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES.

- HoopsAddict's Rashad Mobley got some nice interviews and notes from last night's contest in D.C.

- Allan Houston has been named Donnie Walsh's right-hand man. Great to see Allan stick with the organization. Wonder if he's got designs on an NBA executive job in the future?

- You probably heard that Stephon Marbury was denied the opportunity to practice with his Lincoln High School team, but did you know how cool he was back in the day? (Someone thinks they're really cool with that fancy Photoshopping.)

That is all. Have a good night.

Happy Wednesday, friendsdays. Hope everyone voted yesterday and didn't blow a blood vessel over the results (in delight or despair). I've got some heavy flu-like symptoms, but let's soldier through a few links and topics of the day.

- Anybody else tired of hearing about Stephon Marbury? Quickly, the most recent news is that we're gonna let him ride the bench in a suit for the rest of the year, unless the NBPA can help organize a solution. Either way, I don't expect we'll see Marbury again. Unless the entire backcourt gets decimated by injury and we're forced to play him. That'd be awkward.

- Via The Knicks Blog, a great read on the weaknesses of Eddy Curry and how a coach might cover them. The best, I think:

For Curry to be integrated into a system, his deficiencies need to be masked. The most obvious way to do this is by having a player alongside Curry who can rebound, block shots, and take a tough defensive assignment. These players aren't everywhere, but they do exist. The Bulls had Tyson Chandler, who's since flowered as a top rebounder with the Hornets. An aging Antonio Davis, while no longer an All-Star, also provided help defensively, and was a good presence to have around the Bulls' young players.

Having clearly defined roles in the post, with the power forward being the enforcer and Curry being encouraged to use his skills on offense, makes Curry less of a liability. When a talented big man is willing to defer to Curry in scoring situations and play help defense, Curry can focus on getting his twenty points and doing whatever he can elsewhere.

I think that's quite accurate and well-put. In fact, to a lesser degree, I'd say the same goes for Zach Randolph and David Lee. While Z-Bo and D-Lee excel in different aspects of rebounding and offense, both seriously need some defensive help. This is why I've been begging for some type of defensive big man in the past.

- Speaking of which, the very same Knicks Blog shares (and better articulates) my overwhelming desire to bring Sean "Chong" Williams to New York. I wanted him in last year's draft, I wanted him over the summer, and I want him more than ever after watching the likes of Samuel Dalembert and Andrew Bogut put up dominating lines on our overly gracious frontcourt.

- Tonight's game against Charlotte is perhaps the most important game in the history of Posting and Toasting. If you've been around a while, you probably know why, but we'll get into it later, in the game thread. Sit tight and get pumped.

Dassit. Peace. 

Antnyk already referenced this fine video in his Fanshot, but I figured I'd give it a little front page embed attention. What you see here is Q-Tip, member of one of the greatest rap groups of all time, cashing in on the hype for the '08-'09 Knicks season with a re-tooling of "Go New York Go". Tip's rendition is noticeably darker and grittier than the original, perhaps to convey the environment around the Knicks in seasons past. Look for Stephon Marbury's awkward turn in front of the camera, as well as Eddy Curry's underwhelming idea of "dancing". Newwww Yorrrrrk.

(AP Photo/Tom Mihalek)

The Knicks were surprisingly impressive in their first game of the season. As for their second run...not so much. The Sixers were just too big, too active, and too hot from the field for New York to even have a shot in this one. It's Halloween and I wanna go drown my sorrows in candy corn while dressed as a hippo...so let's recap quickly.

- On Wednesday we saw, at least for part of the game, New York D'Antoniball at it's most potent. Tonight was an example of what happens when a team with a collective green light to shoot goes collectively cold from every range. The Knicks shot 33% from the field. Thirty-three percent! And it wasn't always good defense. It was just an epidemic of chucking, instead of attacking the basket when things weren't clicking.

- I was arguing at lunch today that the one player I'd like on the Knicks is Sean Williams. Tonight was a perfect example of why Chong would be a valuable asset. With Curry beyond repair, Jerome James more or less retired, and Randolph Morris elsewhere, the Knicks are without a center. This means that, even for a team that's been without shot-blocking, the defensive intimidation is dismal. Rebounding, too, suffers quite a bit without a single 7-footer to be seen. The Knicks got swatted 7 times tonight (compared to zero for us). The rebounding deficit was 61-43. I'd be get mad, but how is a squad with nobody over 6'9'' (besides Gallinari, but, you know...) supposed to stop Elton Brand and Sam Dalembert. This is going to continue to be a problem until changes are made.

- Stephon Marbury will not be playing any time soon, and I think D'Antoni defended that decision pretty well. Or at least I thought that before the game. His point was that Marbury doesn't factor into the Knicks' future plans, so he'd rather let Collins, Gallinari, and friends get some burn instead. That makes it sense, but it does suck to watch Collins airball threes while Marbury sits out in a black suit with leather panels. I think he was Zorro for Halloween.

- Speaking of which, we've now got a statistic called the Mardy Collins Assist (MCA). I've been meaning to give a label to this phenomenon for years, and I've finally got my namesake. Mardy twice airballed jumpers directly into a rebounder's hands, thus providing them with an easy, albeit unexpected, look at the basket. Long live the MCA.

- Chris Duhon has been underwhelming. He's still getting used to his teammates and the offense, but he's having way too much trouble finishing around the rim.

- David Lee looks incredibly frustrated. Maybe it's the fact that his jumpers aren't falling. Maybe it's being repeatedly ignored on the pick-and-roll. Maybe it's being stuck boxing out trees like Sam Dalembert. I can't say I blame him. Keep your head up, Dave.

- Danilo Gallinari got 8 garbage minutes, and once again looked terrified. He did get his first points at the line, but it's gonna take many more toe-dips into the forbidding NBA waters before he can contribute with any regularity. Gus Johnson: "He's a young kid trying to find his grown man legs". A little homoerotic, but Danilo has really got a ways to go.

- Tonight's meaningful numbers: Richardson (3-8), Lee (5-13), Randolph (5-19), Crawford (5-12), Duhon (1-8), Colllins (3-7), Robinson (4-14), Chandler (5-13). Rose and Gallinari both missed their only attempts. The only Knick to hit half of his shots was Anthony Roberson. That generally doesn't bode well for a professional basketball team.

Anyway, it was a really aggravating loss, and it hurts to see things fall apart that badly, but these things happen. It's just one game. Everyone have a fun, safe Halloween, and remember not to eat candy that isn't wrapped. Your neighbors may have poisoned it! Peace.

That's Slavko Vranes under that mask. No joke.

Any ideas for Knick-related costumes? I've got:

- Mike D'Antoni: mustache, tailored italian suit, fancy-smelling cologne.

- Stephon Marbury- Shaved and tattooed head, handlebar 'stache, scowl towel

- Mardy Collins: Shaved head, these hands.

- Steve Francis: One of many possibilities.

- Quentin Richardson:Robin Hood Style.

- Jamal Crawford: This.

And if you're not being a Knick, whatcha got? I'm this:

For real. Philadelphia game thread coming your way around dinner time. Have a good one.

It makes me feel like a stereotypical grumpy Knicks fan to give this issue much attention after a nice win, but, well, it's what's happening right now and I'd like to see what everyone thinks. The Knicks won last night, which was cool. Not as cool (or maybe cooler, depending on your views), was that Stephon Marbury didn't step on the court for even a second. Mardy Collins and Malik Rose got around 5-10 minutes a piece, but good old Steph, our reigning "best point guard in the NBA" put up a dinoplacode (DId NOt PLAy, COach's DEcision, for those of you not in the P&T know). What do we think of this, people? Let's have a little point, counterpoint to start things off.

George Willis, NY Post:

No longer will playing time be handed out based on contracts and perceived status. Not under D'Antoni's watch. By benching Marbury and Curry, the coach has made it clear the Knicks will have to earn their way into his lineup, which is welcome news to Garden fans who watched this team sleepwalk through the past two years under Isiah Thomas.

Marc Berman, also NY Post:

Not sure exactly what Stephon Marbury did this preseason to deserve what he got tonight - which was getting humiliated in his hometown by a supposed player's coach Mike D'Antoni.

Marbury got in the best shape of his career, he had a sharp preseason, he accepted his backup role to a career backup in Chris Duhon. But it wasn't good enough for D'Antoni. Maybe D'Antoni bought his son a pair of Starburys that didn't fit right.

I find myself on the fence between these two lovely gentlemen. On one hand, I trust D'Antoni, and we did win, after all. On the other hand, Stephon Marbury is better than Mardy Collins by any measure, and his clutch wisdom down the stretch. (Say what you want about Steph off the court, but I'll argue that he's as grizzled and competent a veteran as any in the league when he's between the baselines.)

I guess we should also remember that it's just one game, and it likely won't foretell how the whole season plays out (if it did, we'd end up 82-0!). I'd also like to add that I overreacted a bit to Jamal Crawford's fourth quarter plight in last night's game. He was magnificent throughout, and the shots were falling as sweetly as ever. I was just really frustrated with that late-game meltdown, and the recency effect of that brief lapse eclipsed an otherwise commendable game in my head. My mistake.

All that said, let's simplify this Marbury stuff into a nifty little poll. Go!

ESPN won't put up any pictures of people playing basketball, so here's Phil Collins. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

1-0! The Knicks are above .500 for only the fourth time in the last 4 years (thanks Mase). It was very nearly a full-on, feel-good win, but it's never that easy. Some notes on the win:

- Clyde kicked off the season in style, with a full-body black leather outfit. Word has it was borrowed from the "Friday Night" drawer of Mike Breen's wardrobe.

- Our starting lineup is now the "T-Mobile Starting Lineup". What does that mean? Does Mike D'Antoni text "im strting qrich 2nite...lol oopz!" to the MSG producers?

- David Lee is already showing that he's more committed to playing defense. Udonis Haslem's preposterous 10-14 would lead you to believe otherwise, but I promise Dave's getting it together. He put up a workmanlike 16,11, and 5 of his own, too.

- Danilo Gallinari made his rather surprising debut late in the first quarter. He looked pretty shaky and rimmed out a few jumpers, but what do you expect from a man who hasn't played organized basketball since July? The debut lasted only four minutes, but it was terribly exciting to see him on the floor.

- Speaking of terribly exciting, Jared Jeffries was interviewed in a tight-fitting gray and yellow sweater Jared Jeffries shops at Aber-Camby & Fitch.

- Wow, I'm really rusty.

- The first half set the bar for a half of D'Antoni basketball. The Knicks dropped 60 by playing pretty solid defense, pushing the ball, and staying in motion on the offense. Granted, the Heat were pretty cold, but it was a great start to the season.

- The second half was a bit of a drop-off, but in a different way than you might expect. In the preseason, we got accustomed to first-half excitement giving way to second-half drudgery and poor shooting. The third quarter tonight was a refreshing departure from the norm. Save for a few bonehead threes, the Knicks responded to defensive adjustments by pounding the ball inside and utilizing the multiple talents of Lee and Randolph to get looks around the hole. It was in the fourth quarter that things fell apart. Towards the end, Crawford was heaving premature threes, Robinson was over-dribbling, and nobody got back on defense. Miami was able to cut the double-digit lead down to as little as three.

- I don't want to give this too much attention, because we're sure to get some sort of "BENCHBURY!!11" headline from the Post, but Stephon Marbury didn't play a minute in this game. Not one. The likes of Mardy Collins and Malik Rose preceded him off the bench. I trust D'Antoni, but when the team is collapsing in the fourth quarter, Marbury's cool head and sure hands might steady the ship.

- Jill Martin's halftime interview was with Phil Collins and his two little kids. Future poll: Mardy or Phil?

- My girlfriend thinks Donnie Walsh looks like the giant evil booger from the Mucinex commercials. I think he looks more like the grumpy lizard secretary from Monsters Inc.

There can only be one.

- "The one thing you like about Mardy Collins is his size"- Gus Johnson. Don't ever tell me what I like, Gus. Especially if it's Mardy Collins.

- Eddy Curry spent the entire second half icing his knee in the locker room. How he injured his knee on the bench, I can't explain.

- Q-Tip performed pre-game and at halftime. Here's an analogy. '93 Knicks are to Knicks now as '93 Q-Tip is to Q-Tip now. I love Tribe, but...oy.

- Wilson Chandler was everything we want him to be and more. He had a very quiet 17 and 8, canned a couple jumpers, and scrapped all over the glass to get putbacks and loose balls. "Wilson is my homeboy" t-shirts coming soon.

- Dwyane Wade got his 26 points, but was held to 9-24 shooting by a carousel of Knick defenders. Duhon, Richardson, and Chandler all got looks, and Wade looked off the whole night. The fact that he still manages to put up near-triple doubles on awful nights speaks to his greatness. I'll take the win, though.

- The Knicks as a team shot 9-25 from downtown. The number really should've been about 8-21. As I mentioned, Crawford went into his glassy-eyed shooting seizure, jacking up any ball he caught and throwing away a handful of crunchtime possessions. So, Jamal's fourth quarter late-game gaffes aside, the downtown numbers were both reasonable and respectable.

All that said, Game 1 of '08-'09 was a solid glimpse of things to come (hopefully), though there were understandably some kinks in the machinery. It felt great to kick things off with a win. The next game's on Friday, so more on this one tomorrow. Leave your post-game thoughts in the comments.

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Remember when I said that D'Antoniball was going to kill me this season? Well, it didn't even take until the regular season for me to get hypertensive. Last night's performance had my blood boiling like it was 2006. Some brief notes on an ugly game:

- Citing a desire to experiment, D'Antoni benched Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph in favor of Stephon Marbury and Nate Robinson. So, with three point guards, Wilson Chandler, and David Lee on the floor, there were some interesting matchups. Duhon spent most of his time guarding Paul Pierce, while Chandler was stuck with Kevin Garnett and Lee had to bang with Kendrick Perkins.

- The offense, though, was the real problem. Partly because Boston got back on defense, and partly because the ball movement completely tanked, the usual first half vigor was nowhere to be seen. Contested threes were hoisted, pick and rolls were botched, and possessions were wasted with little or ineffective passing. New York was down 58-34 at the half. Things clicked intermittently in the second half, but never enough to cut it close.

- David Lee looked particularly frustrated, and rightfully so. Besides playing out of position at center, he was routinely ignored when cutting to the basket, and found himself out of the flow of the offense.

- Big statistic of the game: 4-31 from downtown. We were waiting for the other shoe to drop- for the shots to stop falling- and it finally did. The problem is that the guys couldn't adapt. Facing an able defense that stifled the fast break game, the Knicks forced shots and wasted possessions instead of stepping up the motion and passing. There just wasn't a Plan B. Someone might argue that once in a while the shots just don't fall, but shooting 12.9% from three point range would be inexcusable from a team of flamingos, and they don't even have hands. At some point, you must stop shooting.

- Eddy Curry is now Eddy Curry Jr. in the ESPN boxscores. Eddy Curry Jr. may be a scrub this season.

- I'm clinging to the hope that this is all a fluke and Jamal Crawford's gonna open the season by dropping another 52 on Miami.

- Wilson Chandler sprained his knee in the second quarter and did not return. He did walk off by himself, though, and didn't appear to be in excruciating pain. That is the same injury he had last April, though, and my medical school education tells me that repeatedly injuring the same body part isn't reccommended.

On the whole, this game reeked of the weak effort and hair-brained play that characterized the Isiah Thomas era. The good news is that it's just the preseason, but I'm not looking forward to games like this in the coming year.