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• Selected Danilo Gallinari 6th overall.

BOOOOOOOOOOOO! Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

This is likely not going to be a pick that we can fairly evaluate for a few years, but there’s no question that Gallinari has skills to succeed. The question is, does he fill a need for the Knicks? While Gallinari is a multitalented prospect, at the end of the day, the Knicks still have plenty of holes to fill. One of the main holes is finding a replacement point guard for Stephon Marbury, and Jerryd Bayless was there for the taking. Even D.J. Augustin would have been an adequate selection.

Let’s hope Gallinari can overcome the boo-birds and translate that negativity to motivation.

Grade: B-

The Knicks already know that they are going to get a high-quality player at the No. 6 pick in the June 26 NBA Draft, and with only three weeks to go before draft day, they are already hard at work evaluating the talent pool.

The annual process of running draft prospects through workouts at the Madison Square Garden Training Center began in earnest on Wednesday, as Knicks President Donnie Walsh and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni took important steps toward the big decision they will make later this month.

Wednesday’s workout list featured prospects Joe Alexander, Chase Budinger, Sundiata Gaines, Steven Hill, JaVale McGee and Russell Westbrook. From among that group, Alexander, Budinger, McGee and Westbrook are all projected first-round choices, according to major scouting services and numerous publications.

Alexander is a 6-foot-8, 230-pound small forward who averaged 16.9 points, 6.4 boards, 2.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game as a junior for West Virginia in 2007-08. Scouts say he is lean and very athletic, possessing a vast arsenal of offensive weapons.

Budinger, a 6-foot-7, 208-pound forward with the shooting skills of a two-guard, is a pure scorer who has deep range from behind the arc. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.4 assists and 2.9 assists as a sophomore last year at Arizona.

At 7-foot-0, 237-pounds, McGee is a very athletic big man who is credited with having a rare combination of skill, size and power. As a sophomore at Nevada, he recorded 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 27.3 minutes per game.

Scouts say Westbrook is an electric point guard who excels on both sides of the ball. Blessed with remarkable athleticism and explosive leaping ability, the 6-foot-3, 187-pound point guard averaged 12.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals as a sophomore last season.

Gaines is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound senior guard who averaged 14.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, while Hill is a 7-foot-0, 245-pound senior center who averaged 4.2 points, 2.9 boards and 2.1 blocks.

Taking their direction from Knicks assistant coach Herb Williams, the six prospects competed in a set of individual drills, while also playing three-on-three and one-on-one.

“Today we did a lot of shooting,” said Alexander. “Coach D’Antoni wanted to see us run up and down the court, so we did a lot of running drills. Other than that, we did some basic agility drills and shooting of the dribble.”

Each player came away hoping they did enough to impress the Knicks.

“I think I did a good job showing off my athleticism and my agility for a big man,” said McGee. “I just go out there, have fun, and work as hard as I can. I mean, that’s all I can do.”

Budinger said he viewed the day at the Training Center as a learning experience.

“It was my first workout,” said Budinger, “and it was kind of what I was expecting. I’d gotten advice on what workouts were like, so I was ready for it. It felt good to get out here and be seen by the scouts, and to play against great players.”

Meanwhile, Alexander said he wanted to show the Knicks brass his versatility.

“The main thing I’m trying to show the scouts is that I have guard skills as well as any guard in this draft. That’s something that people didn’t get to see throughout the season. I can handle the ball, I can shoot from the NBA three and I can take people off the dribble like any guard in this league.”

Westbrook also hoped he did enough to improve his stock on Wednesday.

“I’m just trying to go out there and do what I do. I’m not worrying about the other guys out there on the court with me. I’m trying not to change much, just show what I do, and continue to just work hard, irregardless of what anyone else is doing.

“I learned a lot last year on the defensive end of the ball, and that is what I want to show the scouts during these workouts. Everyone knows what I can do with the ball, but I want to show them what I can do stopping the ball.”

While each prospect came from different programs with their own unique styles, they all agreed that playing for D’Antoni would be a dream come true.

“I fit in great with this style of play,” said Westbrook. “Coach D’Antoni goes up and down, and I’ve been playing like that all my life. Last year we slowed it down a little bit, but I’m prepared to go back to playing more up and down the court.”

Alexander enthusiastically agreed.

“I would love to play in Coach D’Antoni’s system. Watching him in Phoenix and what they did, I always thought I would be a perfect fit for that. Coach D’Antoni being here makes it a very attractive place to play. Even before I knew I would be coming in to work out for the Knicks, I’d always been a huge fan of his style of play. It’s a very attractive style for players like me.”

Playing his college ball for Arizona, Budinger was also very familiar with D’Antoni and his impact on basketball.

“Coach D’Antoni was such a popular figure out in Arizona,” he said. “Everyone in Arizona was a huge Phoenix Suns fan, no matter where in Arizona they were. He was like an icon around that state, and I think they are all very sad that he left. But I think the Knicks picked up a very respectable coach and I think he is going to do great things here. I think I would fit in great with him. His system is very similar to what we did out in Arizona under Coach (Lute) Olson. He likes the up-tempo style and to score points. That’s what Coach D’Antoni likes, and I think I fit in perfectly with that.”

The opportunity to don the Knicks jersey in the Mecca of basketball was also on each player’s mind.

“It’s just great to be in this building,” said Alexander. “This program has so much history, and to be in here working out in this gym with the Knicks logo on the floor, and thinking about the possibility of wearing my own Knicks jersey, it gives me chills. In college, Madison Square Garden was like my second home. I’ve seemed to have excelled there, and I would love it if it was my real home court.”

Westbrook agreed.

“If I were to become a Knick, it would mean a lot. The Knicks are a great program with a great tradition here, and it would mean a lot coming to a great city with great coaching.”

For many, Tuesday was also the first time they worked out for a specific team, following the weekend’s league-wide pre-draft camp in Orlando. That meant these players were one step closer to realizing their dreams of reaching the NBA.

“This was my first workout with a team and it’s really unbelievable,” said Alexander. “I think I said it before, but to be in a Knicks jersey, it’s really starting to sink in that I’m going to be in the NBA.”

The stay in New York was a short one for the prospects, as they will all go their separate ways to work out for other teams. McGee has workouts planned later this week in New Jersey and Philadelphia, while Budinger also has a date with the Nets. Westbrook will return home to San Diego before heading up to Seattle, and Alexander will work out for Milwaukee before meeting with a bunch of teams on the West Coast.

The Knicks meanwhile will continue their extensive scouting in the coming weeks, inviting more of the world’s top prospects o the Training Center for an up-close look at who can help turn them into a title contender.

Joe Alexander Interview (Video)

Chase Budinger Interview (Video)

JaVale McGee Interview (Video)

Russell Westbrook Interview (Video)

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Posted By: Dustin Chapman

By: Dustin Chapman

Recent reports circulating around the sports world suggest that Mike D’Antoni has left the Phoenix Suns with the intention of becoming the newest head coach of your New York Knicks. The reported contract agreement is said to hover around the four-year, $24 million vicinity.

In his six years of head coaching experience in the NBA, D’Antoni has held a respectable 267-172 (.608) regular season record, and has reached back-to-back Conference Finals series’ (2005, 2006). Along with those credentials, however, comes questions regarding his ability (or inability, depending on which way you look at it) to make adjustments and lead a team to the next level. With his new surroundings, he’ll have even more to prove.

The latest inquiry about Mike D’Antoni is whether or not he is the right fit for the New York Knicks. Before the ink has even made its way to the league office, I’m here to tell you why he is not, from multiple angles.

Team Direction/Personnel: D’Antoni is evidently a coach that has adopted the run n’ gun style, and has yet to show that he is able of adjust to a contrasting setting. He is a coach that requires the proper personnel to operate his system.

The New York Knicks defy everything D’Antoni is known for. One thing D’Antoni needs is a reliable point guard to set the tone. Stephon Marbury certainly has the talent to do so, but his mental antics and me-first mentality contradict the type of initiator D’Antoni needs. Moving down the roster, a Mike D’Antoni system needs a collective group of athletes willing to get out in the open floor and push the tempo at all times. Looking at New York’s top options, it’s clear that they do not have that. Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph have absolutely no desire to get in shape, and might even be unable to run unless they are racing for a whopper. Even then, they might stop halfway and wind up splitting the burger.

Some of New York’s athletic role players, such as Renaldo Balkman, Wilson Chandler, David Lee, and Nate Robinson are hustle players that will provide the energy and effort that D’Antoni is asking for, but those aren’t the guys that will be demanding touches.

Overall, this roster lacks the mental and physical needs to suit D’Antoni’s body of work. The players may enjoy the “shoot within seven seconds” memo, especially Jamal Crawford, but they do not have the wheels or will power to get the job done as a group.

Defense has been one the biggest issues in New York for a plethora of consecutive years. Logically, it makes sense to bring in a defensive-minded coach to ameliorate the problem. Unfortunately, Knicks General Manager Donnie Walsh appears to disagree. Throughout his career, Mike D’Antoni has not shown the ability or desire to teach defensive basketball, and it is now definitively convincing that the Knicks will continue their struggles in that area.

Financially, this does nothing more or less than dig a deeper hole for the franchise with the league’s largest payroll. In addition to their cast of overpaid scoundrels in uniform, the Knicks are now paying a one-dimensional head coach roughly $24 million to coach a team lacking direction or the necessary pieces to adapt to his methods.

If you’re going to spend this kind of money on a coach, why not wait until the team’s direction is defined with light at the end of the tunnel? The Knicks are in a dark tunnel with instability poisoning the organization across the board. This is a match made in hell that will not benefit either party any time soon.

Allan Houston was arguably the best player on the 1998 Eastern Conference Championship team (the last respectable Knick team in a lot of fans’ minds), playing alongside other 2nd tier stars like Sprewell, LJ, Camby and even a gimpy Patrick Ewing.  There’s no doubt that, when healthy, Allan Houston is a very efficient offensive player.  Of course he has severe defensive limitations, (as does 3/4 of this Knicks roster), but he’s one player who seemed to make up for it with consistency.  One must obviously question how effective he’ll be after battling knee arthritis, but he’s certainly worth a shot.  The only question is at what cost?

Isiah has already snubbed his 2nd round draft pick (Nichols) in training camp by saying that he’s being outplayed by league-wide bust Fred Jones, and adding Allan Houston to the mix would make it quite difficult for Wilson Chandler or Nichols to make a stamp on this roster.  Allan Houston certainly has a strong reputation here for making big shots, and his name-sake harkens back to the competitive Knicks playoff days (the Knicks could also surely use a good PR move right about now eh?), but should the Knicks be adding more veterans to this team when there’s a mass of young talent to develop?  Is Allan Houston good enough for the Knicks to discard Demetris Nichols; a player Isiah traded a pick for this last draft?

The question of adding Houston generally comes down to how much you believe in the Knicks’ chances this season.  Skeptics of this roster, and Isiah’s coaching ability, will say go with the young talent and see what you have.  Others will buy Isiah’s rhetoric and hope that this team can actually compete in the Eastern Conference this season.  It seems simple; if they’re going to hover just below .500, then adding Houston doesn’t make sense, but, if you believe that NY has a legit shot at the playoffs this season, then he probably does.  As with most NY sports issues, this becomes a polarizing situation; but all Knicks’ fans should cross their fingers and hope that Nichols and Chandler aren’t the ones left out in the cold.

-JR

Back on the court, the Knicks have started preparing for the season.  Eddy Curry came into camp in noticeably better shape, and Randolph admitted that he wasn’t where he wanted to be in terms of physical health.  Jamal Crawford seemed a bit bigger in his upper-body and Quentin Richardson is apparently feeling better than ever with his surgically repaired back.

All in all, the Knicks’ players said the right things to reporters and avoided discussing the lawsuit and the headlines.  Focus is the key for this team right now and maybe this will result in more comradery for the entire roster.  Isiah has a lot on his plate this season, but New York will scrape a lot of it off if he can make the Knicks relevant again.

-JR

However, browsing the local tabloids (Post, Daily News) will yield only gossip surrounding Isiah Thomas’s sexual harassment suit.  I think it’s safe to say that most fans are slightly embarassed by the comments coming out in court, but how much is enough?  No one is surprised that Stephon Marbury sleeps with interns, (maybe even his wife?), and that Isiah occasionally refers to women in the same manner as 50 Cent and most recently, Don Imus, but this is basketball season! 

The Knicks are currently stocked with developing young talent, (albeit blanketed by older, overpaid talent), and all fans just want to see what this team can do.  Isiah seems to have this case under control but how about his team?  Knicks fans can’t even get a snippet of news about anything other than Ms. Sanders, and all they can ask is that this doesn’t become a distraction for the team, or even worse; an excuse.

Needless to say, Isiah has a lot of work to do this season and one can only hope that he hasn’t forgotten that.  Isiah is in year four of his grand scheme, and it’s time for results.  New York is a tough town, and they expect the best.  Put up or shut up Isiah, unless you’re on the stand…then you may just want to keep talking.

-JR

Thomas has done nothing right except for maybe picking up a few smart picks from the NBA draft. It is obvious to me that Nate Robinson is going to be a good name in the NBA, and although Thomas did not draft him, he recieved him none the less. Another nice pick was David Lee. The man is an animal and has a killer instinct he is always after the ball and working his hardest. Then Balkman came along. Flooded with questions that he wasnt draft worthy, early on in the preseason he played well and the hope is he can bring that into the regular season.

But then it comes to free agents and trades and Thomas seems clueless as what to do. Sense he has arrived the only real good players you can maybe make a case for is Marbury, Crawford and Richardson. But after that its a bunch of players that just haven’t clicked in the Knicks system.

The blowouts include players such as Steve Francis, Eddy Curry and Jalen Rose. Steve Francis who was expected to mend perfectly with Marbury in the backcourt has done next to nothing. Last year, he played 24 games with the Knicks and averaged a measely 10 points a game, 6 points less then with the Magic that year and 10 less then the 04-05 season. He also only averaged 3.5 assists another low number for him. This year hasn’t brought any new succes either. In the 10 games played this year he is averaging 10 points with 4 assists and 4 rebounds, the only shown improvement he is shooting .500 from 3 point range.

Eddy Curry in my mind was going to be a good pickup but he has brought no succes so far. As a center he is supposed to be good on the boards but last year he averaged only 6 boards a game, and only 12 points. This year is no better with duplicate number of 12 and 6. He needs to pick it up fast and soon. Knick fans are jumping off his band wagon and now questioninng his ability. He has shown none and he needs to produce. He needs to pick it up defensively, offensively and especially needs to work on rebounds.

But numbers aside Thomas has not produced he has brought no succes and quite frankly he is losing a fan base. What was once a preliminary dynasty is now gone due to the horrible management from this hall of fame basketball player. I expected much better and now I can only hope that this is his last year in the organization. Fire him as a coach, a GM and make sure he never gets to manage or coach this team again.