Monday Secretary Birds

Good evening, babes. Before we get into tonight's preseason game, I would like to show you these links. Do clicking on them if you're so inclined.

- A secretary bird is a badass, eagle-like bird of prey that prowls the African savannah, hunting mainly on foot. So why "secretary"? Wiki:

Its common name is popularly thought to derive from the crest of long quill-like feathers, lending the bird the appearance of a secretary with quill pens tucked behind his or her ear, as was once common practice. A more recent hypothesis is that "secretary" is borrowed from a French corruption of the Arabic saqr-et-tair or "hunter-bird."

- Here's Carmelo Anthony talkin' about what it's like to be playing a Knicks game in Syracuse. (The Knicks' game against the Sixers tonight is in Syracuse, you know.)

- And here's Zach Lowe discussing Melo's past and prospects spending time as New York's power forward. Very thorough, very wise. I think we got a look Saturday at how, even with Amar'e Stoudemire around, Mike Woodson can find Melo some minutes at the four.

- I love Pablo Prigioni, and I guess I should love Luis Scola for helping to give us the opportunity to love Pablo Prigioni.

- I think "Thing We Saw" #2 here is astute. The Knicks' bigs are good defenders, but not the fleetest of foot. I trust them to stop penetrating guards from a standstill, but if they're pulled away from the paint and have to recover (as happened too often on Saturday), they could have spots of trouble.

- Those wacky Knickerbloggers preview New York's backcourt.

- Look at these bros.

- Catchin' up with Donnie Walsh.

- Howard Megdal tours the nation of COPELANDIA.

- Get ready for lots of Kia shit in Madison Square Garden.

- Iman Shumpert explains the whole "Knicks Tape" thing in vivid detail.

Those are the links! Game's at 7, so look for a game thread in the near future.