Posted by Vmart:

Hughes is utter garbage, I can't believe that the Knicks are going to destroy their future for a player that is going to be the equivielent of a Willie Anderson, Penny Hardaway, or a Jalen Rose. Playing Hughes is going to cost the Knicks dearly. Especially in the future. The Knicks have to remember that Gallo is the future of the Knicks and that his playing time is more vital to the Knicks than having Hughes in there for some false playoff push because Hughes will not put the Knicks over the top. D'Antoni is mistaken if he thinks this scrub is going to put the Knicks over the top or help him make a run.

Gallo plays the 3 and Hughes will get minutes at the 1/2.

Posted by martin:

Posted by Vmart:

Hughes is utter garbage, I can't believe that the Knicks are going to destroy their future for a player that is going to be the equivielent of a Willie Anderson, Penny Hardaway, or a Jalen Rose. Playing Hughes is going to cost the Knicks dearly. Especially in the future. The Knicks have to remember that Gallo is the future of the Knicks and that his playing time is more vital to the Knicks than having Hughes in there for some false playoff push because Hughes will not put the Knicks over the top. D'Antoni is mistaken if he thinks this scrub is going to put the Knicks over the top or help him make a run.

Gallo plays the 3 and Hughes will get minutes at the 1/2.

Yeah. You should be more angry at Q getting burn over Gallo.

Posted by BRIGGS:

Yes, for a rookie, and a player who has sat out all year, Gallo dribbles, passes, attacks, and defends quite well.



My guess is if you ask the other 29 GM's in the league or any scout personnel man or anything related to evaluating NBA players--they will not find the same conclusion you have.
He has shown nice form on his shot. Otherwise he has looked slow-- awkward--- porous on d--and the only thing I have seen him attacking is the towel in his mouth as he lays on his stomach on the bench. He cannot use the sane dribble he was able to us in Europe because it's way to high and slow moving. He has a tremendous amount of work to do--they should play him 10 minutes a night--in fact I cant believe we arent. This is a problem with Knick teams going back 8 years--they always believe they are better than they really are. Are we really good enough to bench Gallinari? IMHO--if you make an investment in a player at pick 6 coming off a 23 win season and your 10 games under with 25 to go--even if there is a playoff chance--you play him his 10 minutes. I think it's common sense. He's no stra--who the F is looking at him as a star?
He's a guy who can hit a few 3's and spread the court. He needs to continue to learn the speed and intensity of the game and you don't do that from the bench. Nothing is a substitution for playing. Case closed

and my guess briggs is if you ask those 29 GM's they will tell you that he is a 20 year old skinny kid, with a lot of NBA skills, but lacks strength, and due to his injury, proper conditioning.... they would not be so quick to talk about the so called"slow moving" because at 6'10 he moves quick enough to get around guys his size.. again, it all depends how you look at things. And for you briggs. One minute you post how we have No young players to build around and the next minute, wilson chandler is our starting SG for the next 10 years... after he has a big game.. No offense briggs, but you react to the moment only.. A guy has a big game, he is great, a bad game, he is slow, stiff and not ready for the NBA... You are way to emotional and too inconsistent to give a fair analysis on any knick player...

How much time a rookie gets will depend on how NBA ready they are, a teams roster, and where the team stands in terms of making the playoffs.

Gallinari's injury, the fact that the Knicks have players who can fit into the position and minutes he might play, and a weak Eastern Conference that has allowed the Knicks to contend for a playoff spot means reduced time for him.

I am not sure that 10-15MPG on a "playoff contending team" where he clearly seems deferential to his more experienced teammates is the kind of game experience that will benefit Gallinari at this point, anyway. Playing 25-30 MPG on a team like Memphis, Ok City, Minnesota, LAC, or GS, without any playoff pressure, would be the perfect setting for any rookie, but it is obvious that not only do Walsh and MDA see this Knicks team as one that has a chance to earn a playoff spot, but they also feel that attaining this goal will benefit the franchise.

I am as big a Gallinari fan as anyone, and am continually amused by people who can predict with confidence that he will not be a successful player in this league based on the 15 games he has played following a lengthy recovery from an injury that he was brought back from too soon earlier in the year, ...but he needs extended minutes in game situations where he can make mistakes and not jeopardize a playoff run. Clearly, Walsh/MDA do not think that this is the time for a rookie to play extended minutes and not have to worry about making mistakes.

I am not a Hughes fan, and Wilcox, if he is even on the team, is clearly not a guy who will be playing big minutes for the Knicks 3 years from now, but management feels they can help the Knicks sneak into the playoffs at this time, so they will be getting minutes that might have gone to Gallinari. Gallinari's comments about his potential loss of minutes were a sign of maturity on his part. Tells me that he gets the big picture and understands that this might not be his time.

Nothing to do but root for the team and hope that things work out for the best. If Gallinari was worth a #6 pick, he will eventually show his game and earn his minutes on the floor. If he is the Euro-trash that some of you think he is, I am sure that this will serve as inspiration for many of the anti-Gallinari threads that will be started on UK.

So it goes.

This whole playoff run stuff is the biggest bunch of BS. Is this team contending for a championship or something? Is it even competing for home court advantage in the first round? Not even close. Right now they're the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference, closer to the 14th seed than the 8th, and are hoping for an ass beating by a 65 win championship contender in the first and only round of the playoffs that they have any chance of experiencing.

And why are the playoffs such a big concern now that they're all of a sudden willing to put last year's lottery pick's development on the back burner? Because the Knicks traded for Larry Hughes and Chris Wilcox?!? Garbage players that we traded our own garbage players for. 2 players who have been major disappointments. Only to the Knicks would this make sense.

I'm an old school authoritarian dinosaur whose time has passed but.........I feel that guys develop quicker when they earn regular minutes than they do if handed minutes because they are the #6 pick.

I still don't understand why everyone is trying to aggravate themselves so much. Plenty of rookies aren't playing and aren't producing. If next year, this guy is in the same situation then I would be worried. But right now he's a young rookie that we can't worry about right now. If he gets himself ready he will play. Maybe the specter of sitting on the bench actually makes him work harder.

Bottom line: If Gallo is a player, he will play eventually.

Posted by islesfan:

This whole playoff run stuff is the biggest bunch of BS. Is this team contending for a championship or something? Is it even competing for home court advantage in the first round? Not even close. Right now they're the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference, closer to the 14th seed than the 8th, and are hoping for an ass beating by a 65 win championship contender in the first and only round of the playoffs that they have any chance of experiencing.

And why are the playoffs such a big concern now that they're all of a sudden willing to put last year's lottery pick's development on the back burner? Because the Knicks traded for Larry Hughes and Chris Wilcox?!? Garbage players that we traded our own garbage players for. 2 players who have been major disappointments. Only to the Knicks would this make sense.

We've been trying to make the playoffs all year. It's been a goal all year. Not one that began on Thursday. What are you trying to prove with such a narrow statement?

This playoff run is BS? Until they went on another 6 game losing streak they were in 8th so again, another narrow statement, with no real meaning behind it.

Lastly, 16 teams make the playoffs each year, and everyone knows maybe 5 have a legit shot to make the Finals. So should the other 11 be laughed at? Be scolded for not tanking to try to get a lotto pick? Doesn't make much sense.

You seem to have forgotten that the main goal of every team is to actually win games. You somehow have reduced the sport in your mind to one of try to lose all your games so you can try to get the #1 pick every single year.

That might make for a corny movie or reality TV show at best.

Posted by martin:

Posted by Pharzeone:

Posted by martin:

Posted by BRIGGS:

Yes, for a rookie, and a player who has sat out all year, Gallo dribbles, passes, attacks, and defends quite well.



My guess is if you ask the other 29 GM's in the league or any scout personnel man or anything related to evaluating NBA players--they will not find the same conclusion you have.

He has shown nice form on his shot. Otherwise he has looked slow-- awkward--- porous on d--and the only thing I have seen him attacking is the towel in his mouth as he lays on his stomach on the bench. He cannot use the sane dribble he was able to us in Europe because it's way to high and slow moving. He has a tremendous amount of work to do--they should play him 10 minutes a night--in fact I cant believe we arent. This is a problem with Knick teams going back 8 years--they always believe they are better than they really are. Are we really good enough to bench Gallinari? IMHO--if you make an investment in a player at pick 6 coming off a 23 win season and your 10 games under with 25 to go--even if there is a playoff chance--you play him his 10 minutes. I think it's common sense. He's no stra--who the F is looking at him as a star?
He's a guy who can hit a few 3's and spread the court. He needs to continue to learn the speed and intensity of the game and you don't do that from the bench. Nothing is a substitution for playing. Case closed

case must have been closed on Chandler last year too.

To be fair Gallinari has been more of an opportunity in comparison to Chandler's rookie season. And whether anyone wants to face it, Chandler shown more promise at this point. Hell Balkman had a better rookie season than Gallo. I hoping for a late Mardy revelation to strike Gallo but Larry "Any shot is Good Shot" Hughes make hinder that.

BRIGGS is closing the case cause Gallo didn't play 1 game. Chandler played all of 35 games last year and has been OK. Just wanted to put it into perspective.

But Chandler should have played a lot more than he did last year. Maybe if he had, he would have not hit the rookie wall like he seems to have this year and he would be putting up better numbers this year.

Posted by Cosmic:

Posted by islesfan:

This whole playoff run stuff is the biggest bunch of BS. Is this team contending for a championship or something? Is it even competing for home court advantage in the first round? Not even close. Right now they're the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference, closer to the 14th seed than the 8th, and are hoping for an ass beating by a 65 win championship contender in the first and only round of the playoffs that they have any chance of experiencing.

And why are the playoffs such a big concern now that they're all of a sudden willing to put last year's lottery pick's development on the back burner? Because the Knicks traded for Larry Hughes and Chris Wilcox?!? Garbage players that we traded our own garbage players for. 2 players who have been major disappointments. Only to the Knicks would this make sense.

We've been trying to make the playoffs all year. It's been a goal all year. Not one that began on Thursday. What are you trying to prove with such a narrow statement?

This playoff run is BS? Until they went on another 6 game losing streak they were in 8th so again, another narrow statement, with no real meaning behind it.

Lastly, 16 teams make the playoffs each year, and everyone knows maybe 5 have a legit shot to make the Finals. So should the other 11 be laughed at? Be scolded for not tanking to try to get a lotto pick? Doesn't make much sense.

You seem to have forgotten that the main goal of every team is to actually win games. You somehow have reduced the sport in your mind to one of try to lose all your games so you can try to get the #1 pick every single year.

That might make for a corny movie or reality TV show at best.

Go find me anything during the rest of the year where the Knicks said that Gallinari's development had to be put on the backburner because they were focusing solely on getting to the playoffs. It didn't happen until the trades were made, did it?

That 6 game losing streak followed a streak of 6 wins in 7 games. They were a below average and inconsistent team all year, not a team in the playoff picture the whole year the way you're trying to portray them.

All teams aren't equal. For an obvious example look at the 99 Knicks. They were fighting for the 8th seed but they weren't a rebuilding team that needed to develop a lottery pick from the previous draft. Besides, that isn't even the point. They don't need to put his development on the backburner while still trying to win games. Why is it that during that 6 game winning streak, nobody said a word about how trying to get Gallinari minutes was an obstacle to winning games?

It wasn't the point, again, but it you don't understand why a team in the Knicks position, needs to maximize their only first round pick in the next 2 years, then I don't know what to tell you.

Posted by TMS:

Posted by BRIGGS:

Until we get a legit C I don't think we can use terminology as playoff push especially being 10 games under with 25 to go in a very bad division. We cant stop penetration on the road--every single game there is a freeway to the basket. And if a second round pick for the Miami Heat who are 4 games over has enough clout to get major burn--then Gallinari should to.

Why does DJ Augustin can playing time for Charlotte--they are in a playoff push?
Why does Brook Lopez get playing tiem for NJ--they are in a playoff push
Why does JJ Hickson get consistent minutes for Cleveland--they are going for a one seed and a championship
Why does Mareesee Speights get consistent playing time for Philadelphia--they are going for a playoff push
Why do Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush get consistent PT down the stretch as their team goes for a playoff push?
Why does Courtney Lee start for the Orladno Magic--they are also going for a one seed and a championship
Mario Chalmers for the heat--second round pick--why is he playing if the heat are going for the playoff push

I mean this whole class of rookie players are getting PT on teams going for playoff pushes--are the Knicks some kind of special team with special talent that they know cant play the 6th pick in the draft because of their playoff push?

DJ Augustine - 12.5 pts / 4 apg in 28.4 mpg
Brooke Lopez - 12.6 pts / 8.1 rpg in 29.9 mpg
JJ Hickson - 4.5 pts / 2.8 reb in 11.9 mpg
Mareese Speights - 8.1 pts / 3.9 reb in 15.5 mpg
Roy Hibbert - 6.2 pts / 2.8 reb in 12.2 mpg
Brandon Rush - 5.9 pts / 2.5 reb in 21 mpg
Courtney Lee - 7.1 pts / 2 reb in 22.6 mpg
Mario Chalmers - 10.1 pts / 4.7 apg in 31.4 mpg
Danilo Gallinari - 6.1 pts / 2.1 reb in 14.9 mpg


seems to me like Gallo's been getting more minutes this season than a couple of those players u just listed.

JJ Hickson is averaging worse #'s than Gallo in 3 less minutes per game... Mareese Speights is only seeing playing time right now cuz Elton Brand's out for the season & his #'s aren't that much superior than Gallo's to begin with... Roy Hibbert's #'s are pretty even w/Gallo's too in a couple less minutes played... Brandon Rush is averaging 6 pts in 22 minutes & Courtney Lee's averaging 7 pts in 23 minutes & u wanna use them as some example? Mario Chalmers is seeing playing time out of necessity cuz they have no other able bodies playing the PG position on their squad in MIA.

there's only 2 players on that list u posted that have distinguished themselves at all this year to even speak about, Augustine & Lopez... there are other rooks who were picked in the lottery this past draft like Joe Alexander & Jerryd Bayless who haven't done anything to distinguish themselves over Gallo either this season... all this & yet you insist on making these assumptions that Gallo will never amount to much more than a role player... why aren't u making the same assumptions about any of those other rooks? i bet if u had projected Gallo as a top prospect in the last draft u would be preaching patience w/him for the next couple years... 1 game he gets a DNP & all of a sudden Donnie Walsh & MDA are no longer interested in developing this kid in your eyes... Gallo will get playing time when they deem he's ready to handle the load... why don't u leave his handling up to the guys who actually know what they're doing & trust in their judgement a little more?

[Edited by - TMS on 02-22-2009 11:58 PM]

My point is if teams with much better records and or the same position as the Knicks utilize and develop their rookies during the so-called playoff push--why would we be shutting Gallinari out? To me it's balance--Gallinari needs to play on the same balance of a playoff push for the team. I don't see why Gallinari playing 10-14 minutes should hurt the team? They just did this whole schmeal about starting him like 4 games ago--now he's out? He's got 25 NBA games to gain experience. he's not a young rookie--this kid will be 21 this year---coming off 4 years of playing pro in the Euro leagues. If ANYONE should be ready to play it's Gallinari over almost anyone drafted this year--he should be more advanced and ready to go/

I think the Knicks should just shut Gallinari down the rest of the season since they obviously don't think he can do anything positive for them. Then next season when they don't own their own draft pick and the playoffs will again be job #1, they should just put him in the D-League the entire year because they can't risk him learning on the NBA level. Then the following year when they hopefully have signed a couple of top free agents and they'll want to win from the start, Gallinari should be cryogenically frozen and put next to Ted Williams' head, until they can find a time to start developing him. Somewhere in the next century we can unfreeze him and talk about how this is really his rookie year.