Typical LB. He falls in and out of love with players so much. IF you're the GM, you have to be aware of that. You can't make moves based on what LB says today, cuz he could just be on one of his emotional periods. The more I talk about LB, the more he reminds me of my wife. He's just like a woman in many ways. Can't make up his mind. Gets emotional for seemingly no reason. Doesn't want to talk to you and explain what you've done wrong, just figures you should know. YUP, LB is a Chick.

Im with islesfan.

Ariza doesnt have skills. He's really athletic.. but that's it. I'll put money on Ariza amounting to 0 in the nba. A small forward needs to do more than just fly in for rebounds/put backs. The best Ariza might be is a role player. But i havent seen too many role players under 24.

ariza was a prospect...RAW as hell...but a prospect none-the-less. he was at least 3-4 years away from being a legitimate 20+ min a night player. with qyntel on the roster already, as well as trying to develop david into a SF, there was no spot for him. so he got moved.

Its so up and down with some posters that one remark about being delusional and every ounce of promise goes down the drain. I don’t think we would have been any worse off with Ariza on this team this year than we were with Francis based on their play while on the Knicks. He is in a much better situation in Orlando than he would be here with Brown (it really couldn't be any worse could it). LB didn't do so wonderfully this year either. And once again everyone is to blame. One thing that was clear was that Reezy’s confidence was shaken. If your coach forbids you to shoot it just shows how little confidence he has in you and eventually one stops believing in oneself. I’m no coach but I do know that each person learns differently. To teach someone effectively you have to adjust and deliver messages to the individual in such a way that that person will best understand. The delivery of the message is just as important as the message itself. I’m sure all of you have seen or experienced this in one way or another. Furthermore, public ridicule does not help at all. Some call this method “coddling” but doesn’t that sound simply primitive? Maybe that’s just this woman’s perspective.

I'd like to bring back some old articles and quotes just to show he may have not been as bad a guy as he was made out to be before he was traded. He’s rough around the edges for sure but he’s 20 & no doubt has a long way to go. I personally never thought he was a T-Mac or a Tayshaun Prince...I just wanted him to be the best Reezy he could.

Knicks' Ariza Showing Muscle and Jump Shot
By HOWARD BECK
Published: July 9, 2005
LAS VEGAS, July 8 - In this off-season of unbridled optimism, which may be remembered in Knicks lore as the summer of youth and athleticism, Trevor Ariza occupies a curious position.
He is the youngest member of the Knicks' summer-league team, but also its second-most experienced player. His presence has been eclipsed by the intrigue surrounding the franchise's three first-round draft picks.
All of them are viewed as beacons of hope for a brighter Knicks future, but it is Ariza, a 6-foot-8 forward, who should have the greatest impact in the near term. After a rookie season that was both dazzling and uneven, Ariza reported to the summer league with more muscle on his body and more polish on his game.
He scored in double digits in both games this week and is averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds. Ariza leads the team in assists, with 8, and continues to be the Knicks player most likely to be found above the rim after a missed shot. And while the putback dunk remains his signature move, Ariza is showing progress with his jump shot, going 8 for 18 from the field.
"I love the fact that he spent so much time working on his game, and you can really see it in the way he's shooting the ball," said the team's president, Isiah Thomas. "He has better shot selection, and you look at his body, he's put on a little weight. He's bulking up. So he's taking his career very seriously. He's a very competitive person, and when you look at the character of the three draft picks, plus him, I think you get a nice glimpse of the future, in terms of where we're going and where we're going to be."
It will take a couple of years before anyone knows if this collection of athletes with an upside develops into something more. The rookies Channing Frye, Nate Robinson and David Lee all must adjust to the pro game. But all spent a minimum of three years in college and arrive as an unusually mature group. Ariza, at age 20, is younger than all of them. (Robinson is 21, Frye and Lee 22.)
He is growing up quickly, though - or at least growing. Ariza, who at 200 pounds was a relative lightweight last season, said he has added more than 10 pounds of muscle since late April. He is splitting time between New York and his home in Los Angeles, but is diligently following a program devised by Greg Brittenham, the team's strength coach. The payoff for the high-flying Ariza often comes in mid-air, or in traffic in the key. "When I collide with people, there's not as much of an impact of me falling back," Ariza said.
By spending considerable time in the gym, he is trying to hone a jump shot that was virtually nonexistent at this time last year. Ariza said he is taking about 600 jump shots a day. He is using the summer league to work on other areas, such as creating a shot for himself.
"I'm still learning," he said.
Ariza has the quickness to score off the dribble, but he needs a reliable jump shot to keep defenders from playing back and cutting off his lanes. With Ariza's physical gifts, Thomas believes he could also become "a lockdown defender" on the perimeter - a kind of player the Knicks sorely need.
With Tim Thomas entering the final year of his contract, Ariza's time could come soon. "I like everything I'm seeing from him," Isiah Thomas said.



Kobe too much
for Ariza & Knicks
By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

LOS ANGELES - Trevor Ariza has been Larry Brown's pet project from the moment the Knicks held their first training camp scrimmage. After missing several perimeter shots, Ariza was advised - ordered really - to think twice before pulling the trigger. "Trevor," Brown screamed, "you haven't made a jumper yet. Drive the ball."
"I remember," Ariza recalled yesterday. "It was only two (misses). That was the first time we went up and down. But I wasn't insulted. That's just coach coaching."
Few Knicks have benefited more from Brown's teachings than Ariza, the second-year forward who is the team's top all around defender. Brown stuck with his tradition of starting a player in the player's hometown, rewarding Ariza with his first start and giving him a simple assignment: guarding Kobe Bryant.
"Nobody can guard Kobe," Brown said.
He was right as Bryant scored 42 points in the Lakers' 97-92 victory.
Ariza, who had five points in 23 minutes, faced Bryant when he was a 10th grader at nearby Westchester High School and Bryant was emerging as one of the league's premiere players. Each summer, the best players from the area would converge in Santa Monica for pick-up games. When Ariza first met Bryant he asked for his autograph. Soon, he was asking for advice on how to become a better player. "He always told me to play hard no matter who I'm going up against," Ariza said.
Whether Ariza's start is a one-game experiment or an audition for a full-time starting job, Brown wouldn't say. Matt Barnes had started five games at small forward, and Quentin Richardson two.
"We'll have to see the next game," he added. "There's nobody (on the roster) from Denver, so we'll have to see."
Several NBA executives have compared Ariza to Stacey Augmon and believe the 20-year-old has the ability to be a lock-down defender.
A reporter tried comparing Ariza to Detroit's Tayshaun Prince, but Brown, who coached Prince for two years, wasn't buying it. "They're similar length and they're both great athletes," Brown
said. "But Tayshaun, he's such a student of the game. And he's an incredible shot-blocker on his own man. I look at Trevor, Trevor's really coming along."



[Edited by - minsheartsreezy on 04-21-2006 01:45 AM]

I will post more articles & quotes in the morning...Mins needs her sleep

More articles as I promised:

By MIKE DOUGHERTY
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: January 31, 2005)
LOS ANGELES — While reclining with a sprained left ankle on ice, Trevor Ariza went back and forth between disappointment and determination.
A special homecoming was hanging in the balance.
The last thing Ariza wants to do is pull on a suit and tie when the Knicks play the Clippers tonight. The former Los Angeles high school star has been looking forward to this game all season. It would be a letdown for the rookie's biggest fans as well.
"No way, I'm not missing a game," he said while on the training table at Detroit. "Especially not that one."
Ariza is listed officially as questionable. He landed on the foot of the Pistons' Ron Dupree Saturday night and needed to be helped off the court after following through on a buzzer shot at the end of a forgettable third quarter.
It was the kind of accident that can result in a long rest on the injured list, so there were initially some nervous moments because the Knicks are short at small forward. Penny Hardaway and Tim Thomas were in street clothes against the Pistons.
"There's no swelling," Ariza said. "It hurts, though."
Along with some home cooking, Ariza will get around-the-clock medical attention. It's possible the sprain will be reduced to a minor inconvenience in a season of special moments for a 19-year-old who slipped into the second round of the draft after one season at UCLA.
"He's so much ahead of where I was as a rookie," said Jamal Crawford, who also left college after one year. "And to play in New York where there's always pressure, Trevor doesn't even know what he's doing. Not in a bad way, but he doesn't know the animal he's facing every night. He's getting better with every game."
Ariza is the poster child of the younger and more athletic Knicks.
He gets off the floor like a super ball and has become a favorite of the rampant highlight shows. The consistent improvement resulted in a chance to start after Herb Williams took over as coach. In the last four games, Ariza is averaging 10 points and 4.2 rebounds.
"They told me if I'm open to shoot the ball," said Ariza, who is no longer shy about letting go despite a suspect jumper. "Nobody cares if I miss. That gave me the confidence to just shoot the ball."
Skeptical teammates warmed up to the youngster almost right away. He picked up confidence during summer league and was fearless when training camp got under way.
"He's getting experience," Kurt Thomas said. "We have to be patient with Trevor. He's learning a lot on the offensive end, on the defensive end. He realizes in this situation we're relying on him and we're going to him. We just have to be patient with him, but he's playing well."
Every mistake is a learning experience.
"They give us film every day," Ariza said. "I just try to break it down, analyze it and see what I can get. Things are starting to slow down. I'm seeing things better than I have been, and the game is coming a little bit easier."



Training Camp Continues
by Matt Shoultz

CHARLESTON, SC, October 6, 2004

The Knicks lone draft pick from last year, Trevor Ariza, has also caught Wilkins eye. The 6-8, 200 lb forward out of UCLA, has shown the dedication that it takes to make it in the league.
“I like Trevor,” said Wilkins. “Trevor is a gym rat, we have to push him out of here. What I like about him is that he respects everyone but he’s not in ‘aw’ of anyone. That is the kind of attitude you have to have.”
Ariza is enjoying his first training camp and learning a lot about the game at this level in the process.
“I’m having fun,” said Ariza. “The veterans are teaching me a lot. I just want to learn as much as I can. You just have to keep going hard out here and never give up.”



Rookie Ariza, 19, has high school jersey retired

BY GREG LOGAN
STAFF CORRESPONDENT

February 1, 2005

LOS ANGELES -- Who says you can't go home again? Nineteen-year-old Knicks rookie Trevor Ariza enjoyed the homecoming celebration of his dreams yesterday when his high school jersey was retired in the afternoon before he was introduced as the Knicks' starting small forward against the Los Angeles Clippers in front of his friends and family last night at Staples Center.

It doesn't get much better than that, especially when you consider that everyone advised Ariza against turning pro after playing only his freshman year for UCLA. The Knicks chose him in the second round with the 43rd overall pick of the draft, and he has shown nothing but upside ever since. Injuries to Tim Thomas and Penny Hardaway might have given Ariza his chance to start, but he hasn't looked out of place.

Although he still is recovering from an ankle sprain suffered Saturday night in Detroit, there was no way Ariza was going to miss this start at home.

"It means a lot to me because here, when I was coming out, a lot of people doubted me," Ariza said. "They didn't think I was going to make it or even get drafted. So it's big."

One of those who was uncertain of Ariza's decision to go pro was his coach at Westchester High, Ed Azzam. Ariza led Westchester to California state titles in 2002 and '03, beating Oakland Tech both times, but Azzam wanted him to get a little more schooling at UCLA.

"I didn't think he was ready, and I told him that," Azzam said. "He told me he was going to make it, so I said, 'Go for it.' He has great instincts for the ball and on the boards. He's a hard worker and competitor that hates to lose. He's worked so hard to improve his game every year that I don't think there's any doubt he's going to be a success at this level."

Over his last 10 games, including four as a starter, Ariza is averaging 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and shooting 42.8 percent from the floor. He became the youngest rookie to start in Knicks history when he replaced Thomas against Milwaukee, and he had 21 points and 11 rebounds against Phoenix in his second start.

So he was greeted like a hero in a packed gym at Westchester High, where he was presented his framed jersey No. 4.

Technically, it's not quite retired because his younger brother Kenny McClary, a 6-6 senior, is wearing the same number for Westchester now, but soon, it will be out of circulation.

"It was great," Ariza said of the ceremony. "I'm the first person in my high school to get their jersey retired. It makes me feel like I'm representing my school in everything I do. It was real cool."

As an NBA rookie, Ariza has endured the normal growing pains and confusion, but he has impressed teammates and coaches with his maturity and ability. Veteran Vin Baker said he has taken Ariza under his wing like a little brother. They spend considerable time together on the road talking and watching movies.

"I've seen so many things in 12 years in the league that I try to help him with certain things I think he can do," Baker said.

"He's got a knack for the game. He plays defense like a veteran the way he reads the passing lanes, and with his quickness, he'll probably lead the league in steals at some point in his career. Once he gets stronger, he'll be able to play defense like Scottie Pippen. He's a great kid, and he's determined. It's good to see."

HEAT WAVE

By MARC BERMAN

March 16, 2005 -- There are worse ways to go, but the Knicks' playoff push ended last night on a buzzer-beater by one of the league's rising superstars.
The Knicks blew an 11-point, early-fourth-quarter lead, busted by Dwyane Wade's spectacular 18-foot fadeway from the left wing over rookie Trevor Ariza as time expired.
...
After Wade made his scintillating shot, he went wild, sprinted downcourt to the opposite baseline, gesturing wildly at the crowd.
"I always dreamed about making a shot like that," Wade said. "In my dream I didn't know how I was going to act. [Ariza] did a great job on me. He doesn't have to hang his head low."
Williams inserted Ariza at the last moment, before the inbounds pass, to guard Wade. Williams wanted him to stop Wade from going left or penetrating; Ariza did both. It didn't matter. Wade went one-on-one with Ariza, juking, dancing then pulling up with Ariza flailing at him.
"I'm upset about it because it was for the game," Ariza said. "He got the best of me. He likes to go to the basket. He wasn't hitting too many outside shots. I tried playing him straight up. He hit a tough shot. He's an All-Star."
...


Wade's shot sinks Knicks
By MIKE DOUGHERTY
mdougher@thejournalnews.com
THE JOURNAL NEWS

(Original publication: March 16, 2005)

"He hit the shot," Ariza said. "My hand was in his face. He stepped back. There's nothing I can do about that. I was really angry. My heart dropped."






UCLA's Ariza moves from tragedy to prospect
By Bob Velin, USA TODAY
Trevor Ariza will sit back Thursday with his mom, Lolita, and brother Kenny in their Los Angeles home and watch the NBA draft. And the 18-year-old forward from UCLA will wait for his name to be called.
Ariza wishes his little brother Tajh could be there to see it, because Tajh especially loved to watch Trevor play basketball. But Tajh has been gone for more than eight years.
On March 18, 1996, while Trevor and his mom were watching his stepfather play basketball in Caracas, Venezuela, Tajh, 6, and Kenny, 9, were back at the hotel with a babysitter. Tajh and Kenny were horsing around, and somehow Tajh fell out of the window and plunged more than 30 floors to his death.
"It was real hard," Trevor says. "My little brother was my best friend. We slept in the same bed together every night. We did everything together. For my mom — for anyone to lose a child — it was very hard. And Kenny actually saw him fall. He had nightmares for a long time."
The trip home from Venezuela was especially tough, "knowing my little brother was in a box on that plane," Trevor says.
Ariza turned to basketball to help with the grieving process and actually lived for a year with John Fisher, who ran the Hoops Masters Camp in Los Angeles.
"For a young guy to be able to bounce back from something like that and pursue what he's pursuing and to really work hard and be focused is a testament to his character," says New Orleans Hornets All-Star guard Baron Davis, a friend and mentor to Ariza.Former NBA star and family friend Reggie Theus agrees.
"That tragedy has spurred him and really made him headstrong, and he's got something he really wants to prove to himself," Theus says. "There was a period of time when he could've gone either way. He could've gone on the dark side. But he's got a very strong mom who's been there for him the whole time. They pulled each other through."
After a stellar career at Westchester High, where Ariza led the team to two California state titles and a No. 5 ranking in USA TODAY's Super 25, he signed on to play at UCLA, where he was an all-Pacific-10 freshman but still harbored his dream of playing in the NBA. So he entered the draft. And he's confident his name will be called after working out for 15 teams.
"I think my workouts have been good enough that I'll be drafted," Ariza says. "Where, I don't know. But I'm excited to see what happens.
"Every team I worked out for was surprised."
Davis thinks a lot of NBA teams that pass on Ariza will be surprised. "In the next three to four years, a lot of teams will know they made a mistake by not taking him higher," Davis says.
Would he like to see the Hornets take Ariza?
"I'd love to see the Hornets get him," Davis says. "I think that would be one of the surprise moves of the draft. Three years from now they'd be very happy."
Ariza's favorite NBA player is Tracy McGrady, but he patterns his game after several players.
" I like to pass like Jason Kidd," he says. "I like to shoot like Reggie Miller, I like to play hard like KG (Kevin Garnett), and I like to focus like Kobe Bryant."
Theus says it's difficult to find players Ariza's size (6-8) that are called skill players. "It's a diminishing entity in the NBA these days, but he's one of them," Theus says. "When he perfects his jump shot, he will be a great talent in the NBA."
And Trevor knows that Tajh will be right there with him for the whole journey

I think talking about any sort of negative attitude from Ariza is a bogus argument. Why? Because we added $50 million and brought in Stevie "malconent" Francis.

Ariza is a young guy who has a lot of talent and potential, and should've been developed in our system. I still like him, I still think he's a good player, and I don't think the people saying that he may be an all-star sometime the down the line were that far off.

But, instead, we got Steve Francis, who we're already looking to get rid of for ANYTHING, at this point, so of course, this was a great trade for us.