I didn't think I'd be saying this, but there have been a couple times in the last few games when I just wanted somebody to post up. The D'Antoni offense is intended to be a flurry of passing and outside shooting, but sometimes I wish they would just chill. Against the Bucks, for instance, they really just needed somebody to back Andrew Bogut down and dunk in his mouth. Well, Eddy Curry's been talking to Marc Berman, and it sounds like we might have a big body to throw out there pretty soon.
Eddy Curry's return is finally on the horizon. I spoke to him after the Boston loss Sunday night and he sounded excited about making his season debut. Mike D'Antoni has flip-flopped and considers Curry one of his guys - someone he plans to insert into a nine-man rotation.
D'Antoni knows the club looks out of gas at the end of some games and realizes a seven and eight-man rotation is not the ideal. The core guys have already played too many minutes. Curry should be practicing in a week. Then it's D'Antoni's call how soon to suit Curry up, depending on his scrimmages.
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The offense is too perimeter-oriented without Zach Randolph Even if Curry is not in good shape at the start, the Knicks need only 10 to 15 minutes from him at the beginning. He's not a strong defensive rebounder but he can crash the offensive boards to get some easy buckets. And though he's not a strong interior defender, he takes up space in the lane to negate the penetration and layups the undersized Knicks have allowed. Rondo looked like Chris Paul Sunday night.
Agreed. Curry probably can't regain his starting role with D'Antoni in town, but I think he can be of use. You know those stretches when Duhon sits down and the offense grinds to a halt? That's a perfect time to get Curry in there, feed him on the low post, and let him bulldoze opposing centers. I wouldn't ask Eddy to run the break with the Knick guards, but he's certainly capable of throwing an outlet pass and getting down the floor to post up if a halfcourt set is needed. The key, really, is whether or not he has D'Antoni's confidence. Curry excels when the coach, his teammates, and the crowd are behind him, and I think he'd serve the team well if employed appropriately. Now, there's also a possibility that Eddy gets the same treatment as another troubled star with a fat paycheck. Walsh and D'Antoni have proven themselves to be ice cold when they feel necessary. However, given that Curry's less demanding, popular amongst his teammates, and comparatively tender with his words, I don't imagine that'll be a problem. We'll see in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, don't you forget about everybody's favorite Italian big man. That wily rooster might be ready to roll as soon as next month. I'm wary, though, because Danilo's been resting and rehabilitating, and that's it. I worry that he's bound to reaggravate the injury, and that surgery is inevitable.
In any event, the Knicks are desperately in need of some big man help and additional warm bodies. Be it Curry, Gallinari, or both, help should be on the way in the coming month or so.