Knicks no longer undefeated after loss in Memphis

It shouldn't be a day to feel bad about for fans of the orange and blue.  Yea, they lost a game.  That is never a good thing.  But they've finally look like a legitimate contender.  Although they've been out-hustled by a solid Memphis Grizzlies squad, the Knicks had flashes of the old Knicks teams that I once admired.

New York was a bit sluggish while heading towards the end of their three-game road trip.  It was the second game of a back-to-back, and they had just won a tough match against the great San Antonio Spurs.  Zach Randolph became a challenging task for Carmelo Anthony.  His foul trouble lead to more fouls for Tyson Chandler and Rasheed Wallace playing help defense.

Frustration was the theme for the Knicks' third quarter.Technical fouls opened the game between the two teams.  Free throws against and and bad calls by the officials help bring the six-game winning streak to an end.  They were undersized with limited minutes from Kurt Thomas and a DNP for Marcus Camby.  Despite playing small and losing, the fought tremendously well.

I loved how New York played physical versus Memphis.  This reminded me of the gritty Knicks of the nineties.  The anger in the faces of the current Knicks during the game is reminiscent of guy like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, and John Starks.  I've always been preached about creating a Knicks team like this, and I am so grateful to see  Mike Woodson, bring this type of game back to life.  He played for defensive wizard, Red Holzman, for the Knicks in his first two NBA seasons.

It's expected for them to recover after taking a look at the next five games in the schedule.  Three of the five teams they will play average under 95 points a game.  Only Dallas and maybe Houston can keep the margins close when they face New York.  These are games that they can easily become a long winning streak all over again.

Satisfying win versus Dallas on Camby's Debut

Seconds before Tyson's sensational put-back slam

New York may have won their fourth straight game in double digits.  Only, this time their opponents were far more challenging than previous games.  I must admit, the Dallas Mavericks had a better game in the first half.  The Knicks were scrappy at best, but it was their resilience that helped them seal this victory 104-94.

It wasn't a pleasant game to watch if you're a Knicks fan, because there wasn't much rhythm in their ball movement or what Walt "Clyde" Frazier calls it: continuity.  However that didn't stop them from sharing the ball when it was necessary.  Jason Kidd did not play a lot of minutes, but his performance of the court was top-notch.  He had a few key plays against his former squad. 

Here are some key notable events from last night's game:

-  J.R. Smith had a lucky buzzer-beater in the 1st Half.  The Knicks were flat-footed but weren't far behind the Mavericks' lead.  Smith's shot kept them only two points away from Dallas' 57 points at halftime.

-  Steve Novak was off again, had a bad stretch since his first game versus Philadelphia.  Good to see him him finally score off a Prigioni dime.

-  Vince Carter is off to a better season compared to the last year's results.  Dallas may need to rely on him when Mayo has an off-night

-  Marcus Camby moved pretty well in his season debut.  Wasn't much of a presence offensively but grabbed rebounds as usual.

-  Ronnie Brewer had an exceptional game all-around.  He finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and a pair of assists and steals.  Not to mention the ZERO turnovers.  (I know, I know, he doesn't handle to rock as much!)

-  Tyson Chandler's put-back-dunk-and-foul was the highlight of that game.  That play brought so much energy in the garden, more than ConEdison or LIPA in recent weeks.

-  Finally,  great to see former Nuggets and hometown heroes (In my opinion Carmelo is a Baltimorean.  It's like saying that Spike Lee is a Georgian, but we love Melo anyway..) lead the Knicks in scoring.  New Jersey native, J.R. Smith had 22 points while Olympic gold medalist Carmelo had a season high of 31 points.

Knicks 2-0 against Philadelphia, breaks records too

The Knicks are unbeaten in their first three games.  Two of their last three wins are against the Philadelphia 76ers.  That last win hours hours ago also gave them a new franchise record: winning their first three games in double-digit margins.  The Knicks also have kept opposing teams under 90 points in all games so far.  They've also set a league record: 43 three-pointers in the first three games.

Yes, they are definitely on a surprising start, but any team that bolsters their roster like New York can be open people's eyes.  Only this time, this roster has a more positive outlook for the season.  It's not about rebuilding for the the next few years, or acquiring future talent for more established stars.  This year's squad has a better winning formula than past seasons.  It has so far proven to be effective and probably inspirational

It's safe to say they have a mixture older experienced well-playing veterans and players with quality talent.  All seem to know their role and what they are capable of.  The past two games against Philadelphia displayed lots of variety from this squad.  Here's some notes from these past performances against the 76ers.

-  J.R. Smith had been eccentric.  Making shots that would only be acceptable in horse, and doing it with flair.  This is the Earl Smith we all like to see.. the one who makes shots.

-  Steve Novak had gone cold after halftime of the first game against the Sixers.  Since he missed a couple of shots, he had lost some confidence.  He'll be happy that they've got three days to rest.

-  Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni playing big distribution roles in limited minutes.

- Tyson Chandler 

-  Rasheed Wallace is playing as if he never left.  I don't know if I've already said that before.

-  Relating to the comments Wallace made, the post game isn't as popular as it once was.  Anybody who can master that aspect of the game, can get easy buckets nowadays.

-  Ronnie Brewer can actually shoot the ball!?!  Aside from this miraculous news his defense remains effective.

-  Fans and analysts worry if Amar'e Stoudemire may harm the team's chemistry when he makes his season debut within the next few years..

When they rocked the fade: Kurt Thomas

You thought that this topic wouldn't go this far.  You probably believed that I wouldn't be able to find a picture of Kurt Thomas rocking it, but I did.

Here's a shot of him when he played in TCU.  Must be taken during his freshman year in college because he looks a lot slimmer here than he does in his other college photos.

I didn't know much about Thomas until his days with the Heat.  Seems like he did quite a lot in Texas Christian.  Apparently, he led the whole NCAA Division I in scoring and rebounding.  Only two other players had accomplished that feat, the late college great, Hank Gathers, and one-time Knick, Xavier McDaniel.  Way to go Kurt,  I thought his mid-range jumpers off the pick-and-roll was his greatest achievement. 

Knicks defeat Miami amidst the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

I was lucky enough to watch the Knicks' season opener against defending champions, the Miami Heat.  I had no electricity since the destruction of Hurricane Sandy.  I received power only two hours before game time.

With my luckiness aside, New York Knicks hustled throughout this highly contested match.  At the end of the day, they were victorious against Miami, defeating them 104-84.

Here are some things that's captured my attention:

- Not a big fan of the Knicks' introductions.  Watching Carmelo Anthony's speech about the hurricane through a small flat screen with poor satellite reception.  Made it look much more original.

-  Ball Movement was at it's finest.  New York hasn't moved the ball as well since the 2011-2012, when the team was gaining momentum in the Eastern Conference.

-  New York's three point-guards know how to keep the chemistry rolling.  The passing of Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, and Pablo Prigioni has brought a new combination threat into the league.

-  The Knicks dished out 27 assists.  They have only reached this stat 5 times last season.

-  Tyson Chandler.

-  Although they were a little drained, the Heat are responsible for their 21 turnovers.  Miami averaged about 15 TOs per game.

-  Why didn't any other title contender pick up Rashard Lewis?  He had a bright Miami debut with 16 points, 4/6 from downtown.

-  There was a Kurt Thomas sighting.  Eerie how he looked almost the same in a Knick uniform from pictures in 2004.  He even drew a charging foul!  Will be really cool to see Marcus Camby back on the court, but he looks considerably different than his youthful days in New York. 

-  Only with a couple of minutes in his Knicks debut, Rasheed Wallace might be the crowd favorite.  He doesn't seem to be well conditioned yet, but the veteran exuded lots of confidence, something this team needs when they're down.  

-A win is a win.  It's always a good start when you've defeated the NBA Champions in your first game. 

Wasn't Chris Copeland signed during the summer league?

Yesterday, the Knicks shared their 15-man roster to the public.  As expected, four players were cut from the team.  John Shurna, Oscar Bellfield, Mychal Thompson, and Henry Sims were waived after this afternoon practice, Posting and Toasting reports.

I don't think it's surprising to see Copeland on the squad at all.  Not because of his promise during the preseason, but the fact that he was signed during the summer league in Las Vegas in July 16.

One more note to add: five players were waived in total over the last couple of days.  Chris Smith, the younger brother of J.R. Smith has also been cut.  He initially was a part of the roster until he needed surgery on his left knee, which would sideline Smith for approximately three to six months.

Stoudemire expected to be out longer than three weeks

Amar'e Stoudemire doesn't understand when he's is a 100% healthy and ready for NBA action.  Or maybe he just happens to get these minor knee injuries because of surgeries done in the past.

Amar'e had lost his explosiveness, but still plays with a lot of heart.  Sometimes he plays with too much heart.  That must have been the reason why he was on the court playing at full speed when he shouldn't have.

Chandler out with a bone bruise in knee

Not as bad as I thought it would be.  It turns out that Tyson Chandler will be out day-to-day with a bone bruise injury in the knee.

It is relieving to hear that it's only a bone bruise that has stopped him from completing last night's win versus the Brooklyn Nets.  It's quite an unusual spot to have a bone bruise.  Gerald Wallace must have strong, pointy knees for this strange injury. 

Thankfully,  Tyson might be able to come back and play the season opener against the Brooklyn Nets on November 1. 

As the Knicks rock Long Island, Chandler limps in agony

Great win by the New York Knicks.  They survived overtime against the Brooklyn Nets 97-95.  The last preseason ended in excitement, but only marks the beginning of a new rivalry.

It is interesting how this last game had taken place in Long Island.  The Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale was once home to the Nets when they were the best of the ABA during the mid-seventies.  Now they make their first appearance as a New York team in the NBA.  Ironically, it was also the day that the NHL's New York Islanders announced their plans to join the Nets in the brand new Barclays Center.  Some events do run in cycles!

Luckily enough, I had a chance to watch the game live at the coliseum, to get a good feel about these two teams warming up for their season opener against each other on November 1.

Only 44 seconds into the first quarter, and Tyson Chandler drops to the floor.  He was setting a screen for Carmelo Anthony, and bumped knees with Nets forward Gerald Wallace.  Didn't seem like a big injury, but seeing Chandler's act of frustration when he slammed his hand on the ground was a negative sign for Knicks fans. 

For now, the Knicks lists his status with a sore knee awaiting an MRI.  It appears to me that it could be a sprained knee.  Replays show how Chandler's knee was pushed slightly inward after colliding with Wallace. 

Although the Nets were considered the Home team, the attendance sided with the orange and blue.  The 12th man certainly played a small part in the Knicks' lead through most of the game.  It was also a pleasure to see what Mychal Thompson was capable of doing.  He finished the game with 13 points, including three three-pointers that were vital for the Knicks' overtime victory.

It's good to see New York ending their preseason on a high note with a win against their new rival.  Yet it's bad to hear that Chandler is possibly missing two weeks with a sprained knee.  Paraphrasing what Jason Kidd had mentioned post-game, they are fortunate to have a deeper roster this season.  Chandler may be down, but there is promise in the rookie Chris Copeland, and veteran big man, Kurt Thomas.  Injuries are a part of the usual scene in the league, but a deep roster makes teams in contenders late in the season.

Can't wait to see Amar'e/Felton tandem reunite

Do you remember when Amar'e Stoudemire signed with the Knicks?  That moment where many New Yorkers were excited, but analysts criticized how he won't be the same player without Nash. 

His explosiveness did drop since the 2007 season, due to several injuries, including several knee operations.  But he entered New York with a different state of mind.  He played with great leadership and created his own shots.  His first half-season in a Knick uniform was highly successful, Stoudemire was even mentioned being a possible MVP candidate.  It seemed as if his game would evolve into a status higher than just your ordinary superstar.

High fade posts to be published on Thursdays

Just a reminder.. I think that this high fade theme is pretty cool. I'll be posting it every Thursday of a player in the current Knick roster than once rocked it. Shumpert will be included when I feel extremely lazy sometime in the future.

Am I the Only One Who Never Liked Lin?

When I heard the rumors that Jeremy Lin wasn't in New York anymore, it was pure happiness.  I don't hate the guy.  In fact, I loved the whole fairy tale that occurred in no other place but Broadway.  He really did bring the fire back into the team when they were down.

Passing with emphasis

When they rocked the fade: Rasheed Wallace

Since Iman Shumpert decided to bring back this old school haircut back to the Knicks.  I don't think I've seen a Knick with one since Charles Oakley.  Oh wait, JR Smith had it somehwhat during his Knick Debut.  Anyways,  I thought it would be cool to show pictures of current Knick players that had this stylish hairdo sometime in their lives.

Today's post features a young Rasheed Wallace, pictured next to the great Wilt Chamberlain.  I don't anyone have ever seen a picture of him with this hair.  Well, now you did!

Got to meet Wilt when he was only in High School.

Shumpert Knocks Down the Fade Away, While Rocking the Fade

As the Knicks prepare for the season at their Yonkers practice facility,  Iman Shumpert seems to be ready for the season earlier than expected.  It has been about 5 months since Shumpert finished his season with torn ACL, during their playoff series against the Miami Heat.

He isn't participating in full-speed activities with the squad yet, but he is able shoot around during training camp this past week.  I did not expect him to be able to play during this time of the season.  He suffered a sprained knee injury in the start of his rookie year, and after seeing his last injury, I thought his basketball days might be numbered.  Thankfully, he seems to prove me wrong so far.

Rasheed Wallace Decides to Join the Midtown Hype

Like his memorable in-game quote, "Ball don't lie," this time the headline doesn't lie, Rasheed Wallace decides to come out of retirement, as he joins the Knicks training camp in Westchester.

The last time we saw Wallace donning an NBA jersey was in 2010 in his only season with the Boston Celtics.  He was able to make his third finals appearance that year, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in a grueling seven games.

The 38-year-old Rasheed Wallace will be joining a more hopeful Knicks squad.  Despite making many key additions that can potential make them contenders in the Eastern Conference, analysts and fans argue that they have signed, "too many old guys," over young talent.

The news of Wallace includes him in that list of veteran players in the roster.  Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas being the other acquisitions made this off-season.