Knicks Team Report

GETTING INSIDE

Donnie Walsh was looking for answers to help his listing team, that got off to a franchise-worst 1-9 start. But when The Answer was there for him, Walsh declined.

After a few days of deliberation—and great speculation in the media—the Knicks decided not to sign Allen Iverson(notes), who on Thursday became a free agent after he was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies. Walsh, who was initially not in favor of the idea, took time to consider it after coach Mike D’Antoni, desperate for a talent upgrade, endorsed the idea.

While it is believed the main reason why the Knicks decided against going forward with Iverson (who, according to reports, was all for coming to New York) had more to do with his penchant for controversy and being outspoken against his coaches (see: Philadelphia, Detroit and Memphis), Walsh said it was more about the direction the Knicks were in.

“It has nothing to with Allen Iverson,” the team president said. “It’s just the stage our team is in right now and what we’ve been trying to do since we got here with building a team for the future.”

Iverson likely would have only cost the Knicks a $1.4 million veteran’s minimum contract, which could be easily waived if things didn’t work out. But after years of unwanted off-the-court controversy, mainly involving Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury(notes), the franchise didn’t want to invite the potential for any more embarrassments.

To commit to Iverson would also mean giving him the starting role he wants and a heavy workload of minutes, which would likely mean cutting into the time for young players, such as rookie guard Toney Douglas(notes). Though the Knicks clearly aren’t making a total commitment to their young players just yet—the rotation is still quite focused on veterans—they weren’t ready to hand the offense over to Iverson for the rest of the season just to pacify a frustrated fan base. Especially not if he, at 34 years old, wouldn’t be nearly enough to make them a playoff contender.

But Walsh is still looking to do something, and while he called some confidants around the league for their input on Iverson, Walsh also asked about other options that might be out there for the Knicks. One the team has kept a close eye on involves another diva-esque star, Tracy McGrady(notes), who is in the final year of his contract and is attempting to come back from microfracture surgery. He is also at odds with his current team, the Houston Rockets.

Aside from seeking help elsewhere, the Knicks might have found some from inside, with the return of center Eddy Curry(notes). Though it will take some time for Curry, who played in only three games last season and lost over 50 pounds since then as he attempts a career renaissance, he does have the ability to be a go-to scorer. His post presence commands double-teams, which will open up the perimeter for the Knicks’ shooters, such as Danilo Gallinari(notes). D’Antoni even admitted he needs to change his style to better fit this collection of expiring contracts—er, players—and Coach Seven Seconds or Less says he will conform the system to be more of a half-court set with a focus on defense. And no, that isn’t a typo.

Knicks 98, Nets 91:   Al Harrington(notes) drilled a 3-pointer with 1:01 left in the game to give the Knicks a seven-point lead and provide the final dagger, keeping the Nets (0-13) winless and giving the Knicks (3-9) consecutive victories for the first time this season. The Knicks led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, but the Nets, behind 24 points from Chris Douglas-Roberts(notes), rallied to turn it into a battle to the final minute. Harrington and Danilo Gallinari each had 17 points, as six Knicks scored in double figures.

NOTES, QUOTES

• Nate Robinson(notes) found himself buried on the bench against the Nets with a season-low 6:02 of playing time. The 5-foot-9 guard, who had a breakout last season with a career-high 17.2 points per game appears to be plummeting out of coach Mike D’Antoni’s rotation.

Robinson missed six games this season with an ankle injury, but even before that he struggled to provide the energy and scoring off the bench that made him such a weapon last season. He is shooting just 28.6 percent from the floor and an unsightly 5-for-25 from 3-point range.

And when Robinson isn’t producing, it is much harder to take his usual antics, which generally include the type of over-the-top showmanship that helped him win a pair of Slam Dunk titles. For instance, D’Antoni screamed at Robinson at the end of the first quarter when the guard caught an inbounds pass at his own end with five-tenths of a second left and tossed it at his own basket just after the buzzer sounded. D’Antoni stormed onto the court and gave Robinson an earful into the huddle. “Play the right way,” was D’Antoni’s message.

Though Robinson remained on the court to start the second quarter, once he went to the bench with 8:52 left in the quarter, he never returned to the game. D’Antoni said it had more to do with his rotation than Robinson’s ill-advised shot.

“Nate’s great, we don’t have any problems,” D’Antoni said. “He’s just got to take that next step forward of not messing with the game and he’ll be fine.”

• After an invisible performance by Danilo Gallinari on Wednesday in Indiana, where he had his first scoreless game of the season, the Italian swingman responded with a far more aggressive game against the Nets and was once again a factor from the perimeter. He also showed more of an effort to pump fake and make a move to the basket, which is a much-needed added dimension to his catch-and-shoot game. Gallinari scored 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

“I think in Indiana I just wasn’t aggressive enough,” Gallinari said. “So I said to myself that I have to be more aggressive from the beginning, and that’s what I did. I have to be ready to adjust my game like I’m doing in practice, because (defenses) started testing me and give me space to drive to the basket.”

Gallinari said his back was stiff against the Pacers, which set off alarms in the media, considering that the 2008 lottery pick had back surgery in March after a truncated rookie season. But Gallinari said it was a muscle issue and he was fine.

Quote To Note:   “We just didn’t want to be the team that came in here and gave up their first win of the season.”—C David Lee(notes), on beating the 0-13 Nets.

ROSTER REPORT

Rotation:   Starters—Point guard Chris Duhon(notes), Shooting guard Larry Hughes(notes), Small forward Danilo Gallinari, Power forward Wilson Chandler(notes), Center David Lee. Bench—Forward Al Harrington, Forward Jared Jeffries(notes), Center Eddy Curry, Guard Nate Robinson, Guard Toney Douglas.

Player Notes:  

• C Eddy Curry’s second game of his comeback wasn’t as impressive as his 11-point season debut Wednesday against Indiana, but some rust was to be expected. He played 12:29 and made just one of five shots from the floor for three points. Curry added two rebounds.

• G Chris Duhon is showing signs of finding his game after an awful start to the season. Duhon had 11 points and eight assists in 38:26, and more important, he made four of nine from the floor. He had three games in which he failed to make a field goal in the first seven games of the season.

• F David Lee recorded 16 points and 12 rebounds for just his third double-double of the season. Last season he led the NBA with 65 double-doubles.

Medical Watch:  

No major injuries.