In the final installment of Posting and Toasting's Knicks training camp interview sessions, we talk about the Olympics, Knick foot races, and tight end Zach Randolph.

The Knicks have since left town, so that concludes Posting and Toasting's video coverage of the 2008 Knicks training camp. It's been a blast. Acknowledgements and a look ahead coming soon enough.

The Knicks left town yesterday afternoon, and I felt more than a little sad to see them go. They're a strikingly friendly group of guys, from the coaches and staff right down to the players. I've got some interviews and stories to share (the final videos will go up tomorrow), but for the moment let's review some major themes from practice.

- Forget most of what Mike D'Antoni said earlier this summer about changing up his style. While I'm sure he'll adapt to his new roster, Coach D is undoubtedly running and/or gunning whenever possible. I don't know if you could fully grasp it from the grainy practice videos I posted, but the five-on-five drills were mostly run with an 8-second shot clock after a missed shot was rebounded by the opposing team.

- I wasn't pleased with the Chris Duhon signing because, well, we was pretty much completely uninteresting in Chicago, but I've gotta say I'm on board now. Du looked like the smartest guy on the floor for all of training camp. He knew the plays and drills better than anyone, and kept his cool when things got chaotic (as they did quite a bit in practice). Our friends at Blog-a-Bull might be chortling in their little saddles at that notion (For some reason, I always picture Bulls fans riding actual bulls. I'm also incapable of bathing myself.), but I'm feeling good about Duhon as D'Antoni's leader and on-court representative.

- Patrick Ewing Jr. is one of the nicer guys on the team, but I'm worried about his future. Pat made it clear that he's as athletically capable as anyone on the team, but looked a little tense throughout camp. He was dropping passes, committing fouls, and generally lacking in confidence throughout. I'm sure if he sharpens his game and commits to defense that he can make a career for himself, but I wonder if he's got Walsha nd D'Antoni convinced.

- Two fun trends: 1. Danilo Gallinari calls for ice and tape by yelling "chico!" at the nearest trainer. Now all the guys do it. UPDATE: "Chico" is Anthony Goenaga's nickname, and it wasn't coined by Gallinari. Oh well. Thanks to Alan Hahn for the tip. 2.  When anybody shoots from the outside, someone else (usually Jerome James) yells "BANG BANG (name)!". Example: "BANG BANG MARDY COLLINS!".

- Speaking of which, Collins looks improved, and carried himself confidently in practice. He's getting to the basket with great success, and while his jump shot isn't any prettier, it does appear to be falling more.

- David Lee's shot wasn't falling all that consistently (Which isn't unusual. Nobody's shots were falling.), but he's certainly more willing to face the basket and operate from 18+ feet out. That also means putting the ball on the floor and making some guard-like moves to the rim. He also looks more focused and poised on defense, and was probably the most vocal of anybody on that end. This could be a year in which D-Lee proves that he's got all the tools to succeed in the D'Antoni system.

- Nate Robinson looks as talented as ever, but he's really going to have to impress D'Antoni to take minutes away from Duhon and Marbury, the latter of whom looks healthy and focused.

- Training camp towel boys fear Quentin Richardson. He's as emotional in practice as most people are in playoff games.

- Zach Randolph loves to shoot from outside, and Coach doesn't seem to have an issue with that.

- Mike D'Antoni is unbelievably nice and also smells fantastic.

And that's all she wrote. I've got one more tape of videos to come tomorrow morning (probably), then we'll wrap up training camp coverage and get ready for the preseason. Stay sweet.

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.

I spent tonight at the evening session of Day 4 of Knicks training camp. The footage is longer and a little rawer this time, but I got a lot more solid footage. Hopefully the quality isn't too sacrificed in the YouTube upload, but look for these things:

- David Lee playing a little tight D and popping some jumpers.

- Quentin Richardson constantly flipping out.

- Malik Rose losing his cool. Luckily they don't call techs in training camp.

- Mardy Collins canning some J's.

- Jerome James canning some J's

Again, hope the quality wasn't too stanky, and check back for some interviews coming shortly. I'll hopefully be back at practice tomorrow morning and evening, so expect more of this over the weekend. Peace.

Jeff Clark from Celtics Blog has once again mobilized the basketball blogosphere to write season previews on our favorite teams. Joey from Straight Bangin' and my very own self are the two bloggers sad enough to cover the Knicks. Here's my contribution for the Knicks.

Team Name: New York Knicks
Last Years Record: 23-59
Key Losses: Renaldo Balkman, Frederic Weis' contract
Key Additions: Chris Duhon, Anthony Roberson, Danilo Gallinari (R), Patrick Ewing Jr. (R)

1. What significant moves were made during the offseason?

Aside from the draft choice of Danilo Gallinari, the Knicks' biggest roster move was signing free agent Chris Duhon to fill an apparent point guard gap. The real moves were made off the court, with Mike D'Antoni and his staff taking over for Coach Isiah while Donnie Walsh took over for GM Isiah.

2. What are the team’s biggest strengths?

Depth- For better or worse, the Knicks are deep at several different positions. Coach D'Antoni should be able to toy with different lineups and patch holes when the injury bug hits.

Freshness- Much like a Subway sandwich, the Knicks are chock full of freshness (Yes, I know solicit product placement in my blog posts. Your company could be here!). With a new staff, management, and media policy, there is finally an air of change in the...air. I don't know if that even counts as a strength, but I get the feeling that the overall mood of the club is taking a turn for the better.

3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses?

Deadweight- New York has a few players on the roster who are serviceable, but might not be exactly what D'Antoni and Walsh are looking for going forward. You've surely heard about them. Guys like Curry, Marbury, and Randolph are widely believed to be undesirables within the Knicks front office. Their continued presence will be a test of D'Antoni's coaching and patience.

Defense- The addition of Chris Duhon should bolster the backcourt defense slightly, but our frontcourt is still far too sedentary to stick with some of the flying man-beast forwards and centers that populate the league. Shipping away Renaldo Balkman doesn't help matters.

4. What are the goals for this team?

Significant improvement. I know, that phrase rings of a bitter and (hopefully) bygone era, but it's what we're looking for. A cinderella run to the playoffs would be sweet, no doubt (except for losing that lottery pick), but I think most of us would be happy with at least sniffing the top 8. Such an improvement would bring at least some modicum of respectibility and a sense of foundation rather than reinvention in the years ahead. Oh, and no more truck parties.

5. Will Gallinari be a factor?

Much fuss was made about the Knicks picking Danilo Gallinari with the 6th pick in this year's draft. Some weren't sure he could hang with NBA forwards, while others were foretelling All-Star berths for Il Gallo. The jury may still be out come next summer. The big rooster has a nagging back injury that kept him out of most of the Summer League and looks as if it will keep him shackled to an exercise bike for the rest of the training camp. If he misses all of preseason, Danilo just might not crack the rotation for the early part of the year. We may even be looking at a D-League candidate. It appears we're taking ourselves too seriously this year to let the young and the raw develop on the Garden floor. So, if Gallinari can't stay healthy, he'll be hard-pressed to make an impression in his rookie campaign.

Predicted Record: 36-46. Improvement, and hope for '09.

Here's the rest of the division:

Boston Celtics
CelticsBlog.com    
 Green Bandwagon      
 LOY's Place
Red's Army
Celtics 24/7

New Jersey Nets
About Basketball

New York Knicks
Straight Bangin'

Philadelphia 76ers
 Recliner GM
Passion and Pride

Toronto Raptors
RaptorsHQ.com
Hoops Addict
Cuzoogle

I missed out on practice yesterday, and now learn that I missed Jared Jeffries getting himself quite a boo-boo. Frank Isola:

The Knicks announced Thursday night that Jeffries had broken his left leg during a scrimmage Thursday and will be sidelined for six to eight weeks. According to the club, Jeffries suffered a fractured left fibula and will not be available to play until at least mid-November.

The injury was a devastating blow to Jeffries, who was emerging as the possible starting center in D'Antoni's up-tempo offense. Just a few hours before the injury was diagnosed, D'Antoni had praised the six-year veteran and hinted that Jeffries could supplant Eddy Curry in the starting lineup.

It's a real bummer for Jeffries, but...what now? Starting center? I trust Mike D'Antoni and his unorthodoxy, but I could demonstrate in one game of HORSE that Jared Jeffries is no Boris Diaw. I suppose that's besides the point now. We won't be seeing Jared for some weeks into the season, so the starting center will have to be someone else. Curry still hasn't been to camp, which makes me wonder who else might be looking at a starting 5 bid. If Coach is really looking for a Diaw doppelganger, maybe Lee or Gallinari? If Jeffries had a shot, we can be sure that D'Antoni's casting a wide net. More on this as it comes.

Just got back from the gym where the players had already done their media stuff and were hastily exiting. Turns out they'd switched their practice time (citing the little "subject to change" at the bottom of the training camp guide for legitimacy). So, alas, I have nothing to offer from today. I can say that I didn't see Eddy Curry anywhere, and that Donnie Walsh was once again in attendance. For now, scroll down and check out the two videos from yesterday if you haven't already and keep thinking of questions you might want me to ask the players and coaches. I did get the exact official time of the evening practice tomorrow, so I'll be there with my camera in the right place at the right time. Until then, thanks for your patience, and check on the fine blogs of Alan Hahn and Frank Isola for updates.

So, I go into training camp expecting a brief interview with Jamal Crawford and instead am faced with like half the roster at my disposal. Let's just say I dropped the ball. Here's me talking with a number of your favorite Knicks about, well, mostly shaving their heads. Keep an eye out for Jared Jeffries' poor manners, Danilo Gallinari's sheepish smile, my strange tendency to repeat everything everyone says, and my hott FreeDarko threadz.

Yes. That's what I look like. Share your disappointment in the comments. Also, if you guys have any P.C. and well-intentioned questions you'd like me to ask the guys, serve 'em up. If you can't tell, I'm generally airing on the side of humor. I'll leave most of the basketball questions for the real writers. I'd rather use this opportunity to endear the team to their fans, ya know? I should be back at practice tonight for more footage and (hopefully) interviewage, so sit tight.

Update: Forgot to mention, the sound's messed up at the beginning of the Crawford interview. It goes away.

After much labor and bloodshed, here's the first video from Day 1 of New York Knicks training camp here at Skidmore College. The camera work is weak and the quality was sacrificed pretty much completely sacrificed in the YouTube upload, so take it for what it is. A couple things to look out for:

- An inexplicable focus on Jerome James

- Mike D'Antoni's supple calves

- A possible William Wesley sighting

- Jared Jeffries being surprised at every pass that comes to him.

Anyway, here's the damn thing.

Again, apologies for the poor quality. A second, superior video is coming soon.

I'm sorry, guys. I've been uploading and editing film all night, and now YouTube is down for maintenance and Google Video won't take my damn files. I'm exhausted, frustrated, and about two days behind on my homework. Unless something terrible has happened, I will have these up tomorrow. Thanks for your patience.