The most interesting thing I watched last night was the Knicks/Lakers game. Linkstigator Ben Couch sent in some notes, and I've added a few comments...

Whutup Lang? I caught the Knicks-Lakers game tonight (yesterday?) and noticed the following:
1 -- Steph seems like he's really struggling with what to do right now. Sometimes he looks like he knows, and other times not at all. But 10 assists to 2 turnovers is good. If they stick with him long enough, he should be able to make the same turn Chauncey did in Detroit. So says yet another Steph-fan.
Yeah, he wasn't his usual explosive self last night. But the most intriguing thing I saw the way the Knicks were running their offense. Did you notice how they'd come down, and they all had their heads down, staring at the floor, and they seemed more concerned with being in the correct spots and making the correct passes than they did actually just playing basketball? It was very odd -- they were like a bunch of third-graders out at biddy-league practice working on learning an offense, except they were actually in the middle of an NBA game. Every once in a while it would click and they'd start playing really well, like when they went on a 15-1 run, but then they'd revert to their rote play and fall behind.

If you're a Knicks fan, this is a great thing. Larry Brown has beaten these guys down to the point that they're shells of what they used to be. (Except for Jamal Crawford, who's still firing up crazy shots.) He'll get them to learn the system, and build them back up. What's surprising is that everyone seems to be buying into the system, even Steph. And you want to hear something really crazy? I wouldn't be suprised if they make the playoffs this season. I'm not an Isiah fan or a Larry Brown fan, but these guys are onto something here.

2 -- The Knicks rookies are the truth. Channing Frye's jump shot is just pretty. Though Clyde Frazier comparing it to Allan Houston's "J" is a bit much. (As is repeatedly pronouncing his name "Shannon" on-air, but let's not go there.) I'm sold on David Lee as the official player of the Links. That kid just knows what to do on the court, and he's a rebounding machine. However, somebody should tell him it's okay to shoot the ball if you rebound it under the basket or have wide-open 10-footers. Nate Robinson is fun to root for, but kind of hard to watch. That quote from Larry Brown the other week about Robinson trying to be the Human Highlight Film on every play is spot on. Somebody needs to buy that kid a barbituate.
Lee not shooting is exactly what I'm talking about. even if these guys have wide-open shots, they're not in the offense and Brown doesn't want them deviating at all right now. Once they learn the basics, he'll start giving them open reign, but right now they're taking baby steps. That said, yes, David Lee is amazing.

3 -- Larry Brown's substitution patterns make games interesting if nothing else. How bout three rooks, Ariza and Crawford to close out the game?

4 -- Kobe's the best worst shot taker of all time. Some of the balls he put in were (cue Bill Walton) "horrible, just horrible" shots. I'm not trying to take away from dude's game, which is just too good to hate on, but I'm just sayin.
Well, you did hate on his game, but I understand why. At the same time, who else is going to take those shots? Kwame?

5 -- Phil Jackson is mailing in this season. Every time the cut to him for a reaction shot -- even at the end of the game -- he was sitting there, mouth slightly agape, with this "how could you do that?" look on his face, like when you're potty training a dog and it craps on the rug during a party.

QUOTES OF THE DAY
"He's a turnover waiting to happen." -- Larry Brown, describing Smush Parker to the Knicks team during a huddle.

"He's a really a talented kid who can defend. He's athletic and Phil [Jackson] likes big guards. He'll flourish in that system." -- Larry Brown, describing Smush Parker minutes later to the media.