Good Tuesday, my friends. The Knicks have a few days off, so let's touch a few recent stories and links in the meantime.
- Last night's loss to Orlando was as typical as they come. The Knicks hung with, and even out-performed, a contending team through over three quarters, but fell short when the Magic started hitting their open threes. I was happy to see Nate Robinson try and take over, but he just couldn't get his attempts to fall. We've seen this scenario playout in dozens of different ways this season. It almost always ends in a loss.
- For those of you itchin' to get to know Courtney Sims a little better, I recommend you check out the interview Phoenix Stan did with him over at Bright Side of the Sun (remember that Sims was a Suns call-up earlier this season).
- Point: The Knicks haven't improved. Counterpoint: STFU.
- As has been mentioned, last night's Legends celebration stirred up some reminiscence, not all of which was positive. Stan Van Gundy's comments last night struck a chord with Knick fans, some of whom are down with the message. The whole thing's a little too nasty for me. Ewing's expressed some displeasure in the past (gotta wonder how Ewing Jr. plays into all this), and that's all fair. While I see no reason for Pat to be handed a head coaching job, he's certainly proven to have the big man chops to make a difference in a staff. That said, D'Antoni's touchy and a little stubborn about who he wants surrounding him. We don't fully understand the dynamic. All that aside, I recognize Van Gundy's straight-shooting persona and knack for providing water cooler fodder, but nobody wins in this situation. It's irritating for the Knicks, a little awkward for Ewing (especially when he's in the midst of being given an award), and makes Coach Van Gundy seem like a bit of a pest.
- Anybody a little weirded out to see Donnie Walsh smiling that much last night?
- Larry Johnson was in attendance last night (ostensibly for the first time since he retired). Frank Isola reflects on what may very well be the Curse of LJ.
That's all for now, party people. Enjoy the day and remember to wash your hands.