Here's what's floating around the internet today...
- Interesting tidbit from this article by Adrian Wojnarowski:
Whatever. Bryant isn't leaving, but if he did, several league sources believe he wants to play for the New York Knicks. And that includes one high-ranking Western Conference executive, who said, "I think he would only go to New York."
- Isn't it kinda dick that Kobe chose the lead-up to the Finals as his time to stir up controversy? Drawing attention away from the actual basketball being played isn't cool.
- Barnesgasm takes the mic and recounts his best Knick memories.
- I just got Dave Zirin's Welcome to the Terrordome, which looks amazing. If only I knew how to read.
- This post from TrueHoop speaks about the presence of "role players" in the NBA. I've often pined for guys to have clear roles on the Knicks. Maybe injuries were the reason, but it seems as if there were only a few players this year who brought the same game every night. You always know what you're getting from energy-men like Balkman and Lee, but what about the others? What, exactly, do we expect from Marbury, Crawford, Richardson, and Jeffries? What kind of players would we like Frye and Robinson to become? The 06-07 Knicks never really established an identity because they changed roles and styles on a game-to-game basis. Most successful teams have some sort of consistent mode, and that's what the Knicks lack. I think this might be because guys are trying to do too much or don't know what is expected of them.
- According to this article, the Knicks are favoring BC forward/burnout Sean Williams and Rice guard Morris Almond at the 23rd pick, but neither showed up to the Pre-Draft Camp. This one throws Derek Byars' name into the mix. This is all, of course, if we don't trade for Rashard Lewis...or Kobe...or O'Neal...or Artest...or Ahmad Rashad...or the Hamburglar.
- Don't discount the Pre-Draft Camp, either. These are the guys that will be around as sleeper picks at the 23rd spot. Remember that Isiah Thomas first watched Renaldo Balkman in Orlando, and it was love at first sight. You know the rest of that story.
- HOLY SHITBALLS. Click that last link about Balkman! Look at the title! Read the first three paragraphs! Someone beat me to the Humpty nickname...and it was Popeye Jones! I don't know how to feel right now. At least that's confirmation that Balkman does, indeed, look like Humpty. Jeez. Next someone will tell me that Popeye Jones has been writing KTO's for the last two years. Crazy.
EDIT: Something I've always wondered, and have now confirmed: When you watch the Spelling Bee with the sound off and the subtitles on, the captions just say "word" instead of actually spelling out the word in question. In case you were wondering. I know I was.