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FRYE NEEDS SOME WORK

By MARC BERMAN and FRED KERBER
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September 28, 2005 -- Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy likes to say that if a rookie first-rounder can't excel in the summer league, it's an alarming sign.
The Knicks hope Van Gundy is wrong.

Channing Frye, the 6-11 center selected ninth in last June's draft, did not take Las Vegas or Minneapolis by storm in July. Frye showed promise with free-throw shooting (89.4 percent) and getting his shot off from the low block.

But in 10 games, Frye showed up small on the boards and was plagued by fouls in virtually every contest. With Larry Brown's first practice six days away in Charleston, S.C., Frye is unsure he'll merit a permanent spot in Brown's rotation, even though the club is desperate for a shot-blocking force.

"It didn't help me confidence-wise, but it showed me what I needed to work on," Frye said yesterday during a charity appearance at the Ronald McDonald House in Manhattan. "The biggest thing was getting used to rules of the NBA."

Frye averaged 13.4 points and 5.1 rebounds, but that's because players can't foul out in the summer league. Frye averaged 5.2 fouls per game. He admitted his rebounding was subpar, but believes he played good team defense.

After summer league, he spent a month working out in Chicago with Michael Jordan's trainer, Tim Grover, playing pickup games against NBA stars Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion and Larry Hughes.



"That might be a little better than summer league," said Frye.

Frye and Nets forward Richard Jefferson, both Arizona products and friends since eighth grade, appeared at yesterday's event to spend time with young cancer patients. Even Jefferson can't speculate whether Frye will be an impact rookie.

"What rookies really can?" Jefferson said. "It's going to take time for him to play. He's not the typical player. Not a Mike Sweetney kind of post player. He's similar to a Kurt Thomas. Kurt didn't spend a lot of time down on the block. Channing can run the floor, hit open shots — a very versatile big man who fits in the faster style of play they're trying to go with. He's not a banger."

And he's not Ben Wallace. "I'm going to make my own history with Coach Brown," Frye said. "If he feels I'm not ready to contribute, I'll have to work harder. I'll go in with a humble attitude."

LARRY EXTENDS CAMP

Either Larry Brown loves sweet tea or he's going to try to get the Knicks into their best shape since the Pat Riley era. Yesterday, Brown extended training camp at the College of Charleston from a week to nine days.

The Knicks will fly Monday night to Charleston and hold their first practice Tuesday. They had planned to leave Oct. 10.

Yesterday, the Knicks formally announced hirings of Brown's former Piston assistants, Dave Hanners and Phil Ford, reported here last month.

I like this young dude already. He wants to earn his playing time. What about Larry Brown extending training camp? that's what I am talking about.


And he's not Ben Wallace. "I'm going to make my own history with Coach Brown," Frye said. "If he feels I'm not ready to contribute, I'll have to work harder. I'll go in with a humble attitude."

LARRY EXTENDS CAMP

Either Larry Brown loves sweet tea or he's going to try to get the Knicks into their best shape since the Pat Riley era. Yesterday, Brown extended training camp at the College of Charleston from a week to nine days.

The Knicks will fly Monday night to Charleston and hold their first practice Tuesday. They had planned to leave Oct. 10.

Yesterday, the Knicks formally announced hirings of Brown's former Piston assistants, Dave Hanners and Phil Ford, reported here last month.

Q will play the low block too, but you do want a big man there as well.

even more reason I think the stress should be put on the 06 season. Obviously you dont mail in a season and if the Knicks catch a little lightning in a bottle all the better, but if we are serious about actually building something more than a bunch of overpaid vets capable being crushed by the Heat or Pistons in round one then this year should be about teaching.

The example to follow IMO is Hubbie Brown with Memphis. I'm not saying Frye can ever be a Pau Gasol (who is pretty soft himself) but the Memphis team had a lot of depth younger athletic guys, especially on the wing. If Larry can get these guys playing D, sharing the ball and have Ariza, Sweetney, Frye, Nate and Lee all part of the rotation by season's end and playing fairly well the season is a success to me.

its possible. This team has talent, but it also has holes. To expect a 15 win improvement (48wins) just because isnt justified, we just didnt upgrade the talent enough. Could it happen? Of course, just as easily as another 30 win season can happen.

you said 50 wins last year. Lets wait and see how this thing can grow

I think this team will certainly be competing much harder on both ends, but with this HOPEFUL new youth movement, I'm expecting a lot of rookie mistakes, as well as some bright and shining moments. This article on Frye definitely is kind of old news b/c we all know that Frye struggled in Summer league, while also showing us he has one of the softest touches of the rookie class. Old news. I want to know how he's been working with Aguirre and if it translate positively into the season. In the hopeful near future, I want to see Mike Sweetney and Channing Frye to become a nice 1 2 punch in the frontcourt with Frye taking the high and Sweetney taking the low blocks.

I also think Channing pretty much instantly replaces KTs shooting. But I just want to see progress this season. I'm not expecting this team to exactly tear the league apart this season. But whether we're in the lottery, or we make it in the first round and compete hard and give the fans some hope, I wanna see how all this youth can play together. Who knows? Maybe in 3 or 4 years, a lineup of Crawford, Q, Ariza, Sweetney and Frye can be good enough to go really deep in the playoffs.

Channing is going to have to rebound to get playing time from Larry Brown. His rebounding problems didn't really begin in the summer league. Getting less than 8 boards per game as a college senior is weak.

well, I think like Ariza last year he will have to really suck to not get into the rotation. We have a few 5's in Sweetney, Rose and Mo Taylor. Anyone that thinks JJ is playing starters minutes every night is kidding themselves IMO. He's a guy every team will attack because of how foul prone he is, and he's never proven over his career he can avoid that. So unless Malik Rose is getting heavy minutes at the 5 Frye will get his shots. Who else is getting the minutes? You can only play so many 3 guard / 2 PF sets. That was good for 37 wins at the height of the H20/Spree era.

Its not like he's gonna be lost out there. The kid does know how to score. He just needs to change his technique when it comes to rebounding. Its not impossible to focus on rebounding and improve. Everything else he can already do. Pick & Roll, Defend, Shoot from the floor and the line. He just needs to get more forcused on the ball off the Boards.

I see no way that he won't get time with JJ in front of him. JJ is not the kind of player that will log Big minutes. They'll have to put Frye in there.

Frye oh Frye where art thou French Frye defense and Rebounding

Why did we have to draft the one bad apple out of a bucket full of potential difference-makers!

Frye will be behind Sweetney, Jerome, Rose & Taylor in the rotation all year and for the rest of his career since he will be nothing more than a 20mins a game runner of the floor, jumpshooter ala Nesterovic

I was totally against drafting Frye and for drafting virtually anyone who wasn't considered soft but oh well at least we have Malik the geat to fall back on. All we did last year was have a losing year only to screw up a lottery pick!

[Edited by - gunsnewing on 09-28-2005 3:05 PM]