With the season approaching, the MSG Training Center is poppin'. Amar'e Stoudemire is logging his first gym minutes as a Knick, while Toney Douglas, Danilo Gallinari, Anthony Randolph, and other bros appear regularly. Even David Lee has stopped by [spills out some OJ]. The one guy who's been conspicuously missing all summer is Eddy Curry. Alan Hahn got the update on Curry's absence, and he didn't stop there (you really oughta subscribe, friends).
Curry assured Walsh that he would be back at the MSG Training Center to work out, but, according to several people within the organization, he has not been seen -- nor heard from -- in quite a while.
"They've been trying to reach him for weeks," one player told me.
I made a few calls and discovered that Curry is apparently back in Ocean City, N.J., the famous summer spot along the southernmost tip of Jersey. It's the same place he spent the month of August last year when he was working out on his own with personal trainers hired (I recall the term du jour was "outsourced") by the Knicks. I'm told Curry is there working out with a strength and conditioning coach (his own hire, this time) and, naturally, those closest to him are insisting he is in great shape and is motivated to have a big season in this, the final year of his contract.
So, even if Curry's not practicing with his teammates, he's certainly getting his reps in boardwalk Pop-a-Shot. Hahn expects Curry to return to civilization come September. With luck, he'll be healthy and ready to work towards a comeback season. Meanwhile, it's great to hear that the team's stars and young guns are getting to know each other long before it's required. That will make for much more basketball and fewer trust falls and name games ("I'm Danilo and I like dogs." "I'm Ronny and I like rhinos." "I'm Kelenna and I like kinkajous." "I'm Amar'e and I like axolotls.") in training camp.