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djsunyc
Posts: 44929
Alba Posts: 42
Joined: 1/16/2004
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With all these changes, what can we expect from the Knicks?
MSG Network.com. 9-27-05.
By Walt Frazier
Knicks legend and erstwhile color commentator Walt "Clyde" Frazier unleashes his trademark whimsical style for MSGNetwork.com in a series of word associations concerning Knicks basketball and current NBA themes. In short, we toss Clyde some topics, and he does the rest ...
Youth movement
Channing Frye has a good, strong demeanor. That was talked about during the draft. He's very vocal and that is a good thing for most guys coming into the league.
Nate Robinson gives the Knicks an element they haven't had in a while. He's a guy that can come in and substitute for Stephon Marbury and continue to push the ball. He can break down the defense and he'll definitely be an asset to the team.
Steph-ing up
Marbury is definitely at a fork in the road. There is talk about him playing shooting guard which he's never played before. It's a big transitional period for Steph and obviously he's the catalyst for the team. As he goes, the team will go. He'll have to make some sacrifices which he knows and seems willing to do.
Brown's town
Larry Brown brings credibility to the team. Today's players want that. They like a coach with a name. They seem to respect those types of coaches more, so right away he'll have the attention of the players. He's won a championship and he's a future Hall of Fame coach so that means a lot.
This team is not a defensive team however, it is more of an offensive team. So they'll to change their mentality. Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and Steph are guys that are not revered for their defense. So they'll have to work on their D if they are going to play for Larry Brown.
What is so compelling to me is how the defensive minded Larry Brown is going to handle this group of offensive minded players. Normally, you try to go with the team you have instead of changing it to fit your personality. But this will be interesting. Is Brown going to change his philosophy and become an offensive oriented coach? Or will he try to get these guys to play defense which they haven't been doing? He's in a quagmire.
Center of attention
Jerome James is a big guy with unproven, mundane numbers.. He showed some signs of promise in the playoffs, but he's still a question mark. He has size but will he play up to his potential?
Center is the Knicks' weakest position right now. They are one of the smallest teams in the league. They could use the extra size James brings. They need a shot blocker and rebounder. Bigger players is something they crave.
Closing the Kurt-ains
Kurt Thomas was my favorite Knick. He was unselfish, team oriented, a catalyst for the defense. He was a good role model for kids. He's exactly what a lot of teams are looking for, which is why the Suns are happy to have him.
This offseason everyone was looking to improve themselves by making trades. The focus was on both youth and veteran players, with teams trying to get a good mixture together. Every team was looking for a big guy to enhance their talent at the center position.
A classic returns
I've had a good relationship with Puma and this is actually the third time the 'Clyde' shoe has been brought onto the market. They had it in the 70's and then again with the break dancers in the 80's and 90's. Puma is doing a great promotional job reissuing the 'Clyde'. It's not on a mass scale. It's kind of a limited edition thing, but there's a lot of hoopla about it. I'll be going to London and maybe Japan, not to mention the big event we had here in New York.
An on the topic of traveling, I like what I've seen with the expansion of the sport overseas. Basketball is big in the Philippines. We actually had a bunch of players go out there for a few weeks and intermingle with the players from the Philippine leagues. And Japan is, of course, always involved in American sports. So it's nice to see the international movement of the game.
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