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crzymdups
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10/3/2006  6:21 PM
Closer To Closure For The Knicks
By Wendell Maxey Jr.
Oct 2, 2006, 22:41

The New York Knicks have waited six long months for this.

No, not the chance to reunite with teammates and discuss summertime travels. Or to unveil Stephon Marbury's kicks to the crew, see Jared Jeffries in orange and blue, or hear Isiah Thomas talk about the Knicks most discussed offseason acquisition: team chemistry.

No, Monday was more than just another media day round table discussion with players at the Knicks practice center in Tarrytown, New York.

This is about closure.

"I want to say thank you to everyone for reminding me how bad we did last year and what we need to do this year," said Channing Frye who suffered a season ending knee injury and missed the last sixteen games of the year.

Frye, who split his offseason between touring Asia with NBA Cares and conditioning in Tarrytown, admitted the constant criticism was his main source of motivation during grueling training sessions this summer.

"After a while you get sick of people saying we need some more wins. So I was just busting my ass. Really. Not just for myself but for this team."

David Lee knows the feeling. Both he and Frye spent three months grinding it out in the weight room and on the hardwood at the Knicks practice center. Frye was busy adding twelve pounds of muscle to his upper body and working on his low post moves, while Lee claims he's in the best shape of his life and his jumper is smoother than ever.

It actually got to the point that the two had to be coaxed off the court by assistant coaches who were begging Lee and Frye to mix a break in every now and again. But when you are trying to forget the past, you do anything you can to escape it. Even if that means becoming a gym rat for much of the summer.

"Going through the tough times of losing last year are going to make the wins that much sweeter," Lee said flashing a grin. "Last year left a sour taste in my mouth so I'm ready to get back in there."

To be fair, Frye and Lee have done something we should all do: Move on.

They've made a clean break with a moment in time full of jagged edges from the stymied 23-59 Larry Brown era.

But that was last year.

During that 82 game stretch, one that everyone affiliated with the organization dreams of forgetting, it's hard to believe some guys are taking some positives away before closing the door on that open chapter of New York Knicks history.

"That was a character building situation," Frye explained. "I'm happy just to be another year in the league. That's the great thing about the NBA season. Once it's over you got another one in five months."

Even one tenured teammate can't help but agree.

"Adverse situations builds character," said Jamal Crawford, simply the most clutch shooter for the Knicks under Brown. Crawford hitting four game winning shots with the clock under six seconds proves it.

"You see who the real guys are who stand up in those situations or guys who are going to lay down. So you have to choose which way you want to go with it. How you bounce back from something like that really tells you a lot about a person."

Now Crawford and company look to bounce back on Broadway this upcoming year.

After a couple of hours of media day interviews, the Knicks closed the door to the warm and stuffy practice center and last season's slide. Cooler times are ahead with the team starting training camp on Tuesday at Charleston, South Carolina.

And already guys like Channing Frye are experiencing the first taste of freedom and closure.

"I'm just very optimistic about this year."

And why shouldn't he be? It's been well worth the wait.
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oohah
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10/3/2006  6:29 PM
Channing Frye will threaten to make the all-star team this year.

oohah

Good luck Mike D'Antoni, 'cause you ain't never seen nothing like this before!
bigbeast
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10/3/2006  6:38 PM
Great read. The future is bright with Lee and Frye indeed. Whether Zeke survives at seasons end or not, you can't deny the future is brighter now than it was when he arrived with the addition of three (including Nate) hard-wroking great character guys. These guys aren't the main piece, but they are intrical pieces to the puzzle that completes a contending team.

[Edited by - bigbeast on 10-03-2006 7:17 PM]
"Man, who knows with this team." Aguirre.
PhilinLA
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10/3/2006  6:40 PM
Channing and Lee rock.
http://amonthhoffundays.blogspot.com/ We got a ringer.
wsdm
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10/3/2006  7:22 PM
Posted by oohah:

Channing Frye will threaten to make the all-star team this year.

oohah
He looks like he added a lot of muscle. I'm really impressed.
www.selltheknicks.com----No more DOLANOMICS!
crzymdups
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10/3/2006  8:18 PM
Posted by oohah:

Channing Frye will threaten to make the all-star team this year.

oohah

I think he can make an all-star game sometime in the near future, but probably after Sheed retires or something. Give him a little more time. I wouldn't be surprised to see him put up 18ppg and 7-8rpg and 1.5bpg this year. I honestly don't care about the all-star game. I'd much rather win 45 games and win a round in the playoffs and shut up anyone who ever uttered a breath of support for that piece of sh!t coach Brown.

I'm really excited to see Frye, Lee and Crawford this year. I think this could be a big year for all three.

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Nalod
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10/3/2006  8:42 PM
Its new york, we can stuff the ballots!

Sheed is not allstar material anymore. Frye might need more time to get the coaches cred to get picked.

Frye is a smart kid who is working hard. One of those intangables Isiah liked when he drafted him.

I like the upside of our kids, its the grumpbury and Stephoine I am worried about.
crzymdups
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10/3/2006  8:45 PM
Posted by Nalod:

Its new york, we can stuff the ballots!

Sheed is not allstar material anymore. Frye might need more time to get the coaches cred to get picked.

Frye is a smart kid who is working hard. One of those intangables Isiah liked when he drafted him.

I like the upside of our kids, its the grumpbury and Stephoine I am worried about.

If we had Ariza instead of Francis and had a legitimate beast rebounder/shotblocker instead of Jerome James, I'd be genuinely giddy about this team. but we can't have everything, now can we?
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crzymdups
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10/3/2006  8:48 PM
as it is though, I mean, we've now heard about Curry, Frye, Lee and Crawford working their asses off this summer, trying to wash the stink of last season away. These our best young players, these guys are our future and they're focused and ready and angry. I like our odds with those four.
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oohah
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10/3/2006  8:56 PM
Posted by crzymdups:
Posted by oohah:

Channing Frye will threaten to make the all-star team this year.

oohah

I think he can make an all-star game sometime in the near future, but probably after Sheed retires or something. Give him a little more time. I wouldn't be surprised to see him put up 18ppg and 7-8rpg and 1.5bpg this year. I honestly don't care about the all-star game. I'd much rather win 45 games and win a round in the playoffs and shut up anyone who ever uttered a breath of support for that piece of sh!t coach Brown.

I'm really excited to see Frye, Lee and Crawford this year. I think this could be a big year for all three.



I think you are right on point about his production and I think that is good enough to get him some consideration for the all-star game. Sure, he'll probably have to wait his turn, but he will threaten.

oohah



[Edited by - oohah on 03-10-2006 8:56 PM]
Good luck Mike D'Antoni, 'cause you ain't never seen nothing like this before!
Bippity10
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10/4/2006  9:19 AM
Frye, who split his offseason between touring Asia with NBA Cares and conditioning in Tarrytown, admitted the constant criticism was his main source of motivation during grueling training sessions this summer.

Thank god we have the pessimists out there to continue to ride these guys.
I just hope that people will like me
TMS
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10/4/2006  9:58 AM
"Adverse situations builds character," said Jamal Crawford, simply the most clutch shooter for the Knicks under Brown. Crawford hitting four game winning shots with the clock under six seconds proves it.

"You see who the real guys are who stand up in those situations or guys who are going to lay down. So you have to choose which way you want to go with it. How you bounce back from something like that really tells you a lot about a person."

there's the real leader right there... Jamal was the 1 guy who i could say for a fact stood up last season through all the turmoil & frustration & never complained once about the coaching or the plays the team was running... he just went out & tried to do what the coach told him to do at the best of his ability & never took potshots at anyone when things didn't work out... not saying Frye & Lee aren't growing into leaders in their own right, but imo, Jamal became the defacto leader of this team last year.
After 7 years & 40K+ posts, banned by martin for calling Nalod a 'moron'. Awesome.
Bippity10
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10/4/2006  10:22 AM
Will Jamal step up and continue to put the team on his shoulders or will he be marginalized by Stevie and Steph and maybe even Isiah. Same goes for Frye and lee. I agree with you. Anyone would have wilted last year. Anyone could have had an awful season where they had career lows. Considering all that went on that is understandable. But a true leader would never quit!! He would play his asse of regardless. Jamal did this. Our "leaders" did not. They spent all last year whining and complaining about the coach and are still doing it. Regardless of the reasons the fact remains that they quit. Move on and win games and everyone will be on your side.

I used to work for a boss that everyone hated. A jerk beyond comparison. Tried to ruin lives he was such an awful person. 90% of the people complained and whined. Some left and bettered themselves. Some stayed and whined and blamed him for their lack of improvement. Others sucked it up and advanced anyway. Who would you follow????

[Edited by - bippity10 on 10-04-2006 10:32 AM]

[Edited by - bippity10 on 10-04-2006 10:33 AM]
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TMS
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10/4/2006  10:38 AM
that's a worry for me too Bip... on the 1 hand we don't want to stunt the young guys' growth by having their roles diminished by veterans who have no real future here in NY, & on the other, we need to get these veterans playing at a high level so that their trade value is to the point where we can finally unload them & clear the way for these young guys to take over... in the big picture, i think the latter is more of a pressing need for this team right now... Jamal, Frye & Lee will have bright futures here, but first we need to clear away the negative presences of malcontent veterans who'd rather complain & whine about how they're being used than working their butts off to win games in spite of it.
After 7 years & 40K+ posts, banned by martin for calling Nalod a 'moron'. Awesome.
Bippity10
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10/4/2006  10:52 AM
Posted by TMS:

that's a worry for me too Bip... on the 1 hand we don't want to stunt the young guys' growth by having their roles diminished by veterans who have no real future here in NY, & on the other, we need to get these veterans playing at a high level so that their trade value is to the point where we can finally unload them & clear the way for these young guys to take over... in the big picture, i think the latter is more of a pressing need for this team right now... Jamal, Frye & Lee will have bright futures here, but first we need to clear away the negative presences of malcontent veterans who'd rather complain & whine about how they're being used than working their butts off to win games in spite of it.


I agree, now that LB is gone there should be absolutely no more complaining. Anyone that whines about playing time or systems this year should be shot.

I think we are painted in a corner and have to keep Stevie and Steph happy. This is the key to us winning games and is what Zeke will focus on because he has to in order to save his career. Okay, so saying that this is a given, what do we do with Curry, Lee, Frye, Nate and Jamal. These are the guys who we are investing in. Nate I think gets the short end(budapaw) because of Stevie. Okay fine, it's his second year so he can sit the pine. He will get his shot sooner or later or he will be traded for an equally talented bigger guard. Now Jamal. I think Jamal was placed in a great role last year as leader of the energy group(Obligatory pat on the back: I called that one during last year's pre-season) and I think that helped a ton. I think we should continue this year. This will boost his confidence, allow him to lead someone even if Stevie and Steph are doing there thing well, and will build for the future.

Now the frontcourt. In an ideal world, where winning this year wasn't the most important thing, we would be catering everything to these three guys. We won't, so I feel the prescense of Stevie and Steph will affect them most. Especially Curry in the low post. Not sure how Isiah is going to balance run and gun with feeding the ball to curry in the post. If he can juggle that you are looking at coach of the year. If not, you may be looking at coach of the month of November because that's all he's going to get. You almost have to get rid of one or both of the two in the backcourt. They are the most talented players on the team. They can help us win now. they can help all the optimists talk trash to their friends. But for the future of the franchise, a chance for a title(under the current plan) the young guys should be our focus.

It should be StarCurry, StarFrye, StarCrawford and StarLee but because we must win now it will be Starbury.

[Edited by - bippity10 on 10-04-2006 10:52 AM]

[Edited by - bippity10 on 10-04-2006 10:53 AM]
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BlueSeats
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10/4/2006  10:58 AM
Posted by Bippity10:

Will Jamal step up and continue to put the team on his shoulders or will he be marginalized by Stevie and Steph and maybe even Isiah. Same goes for Frye and lee. I agree with you. Anyone would have wilted last year. Anyone could have had an awful season where they had career lows. Considering all that went on that is understandable. But a true leader would never quit!! He would play his asse of regardless. Jamal did this. Our "leaders" did not. They spent all last year whining and complaining about the coach and are still doing it. Regardless of the reasons the fact remains that they quit. Move on and win games and everyone will be on your side.

I used to work for a boss that everyone hated. A jerk beyond comparison. Tried to ruin lives he was such an awful person. 90% of the people complained and whined. Some left and bettered themselves. Some stayed and whined and blamed him for their lack of improvement. Others sucked it up and advanced anyway. Who would you follow????


We don't need leaders, we have isiah. For a year anyway. Or until the sexually harassed "fat lady" sings...
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10/4/2006  11:17 AM
it will be the fab four and nate being groomed to take over for starbury and francise.

I mean, I am one of the biggest optimists of the them all, but i don't believe we will be where everyone will be happy until the last year of starbury's contract, or the year after when his contract comes off the books...which coincidentally is the same year as franchise.

So, if they both stay, it's obvious because they are working out and Nate can wait, if one is only here, than it's because he is working out and Nate can wait.

But this is the second year of the fab four and I'm not that optimistic in thinking they can win it all within 3 years of being together.

Crawford is going to be the back court player getting all the minutes and marbury and francis will be splitting time IMHO.

My dream scenario is that QRich's back isn't as bad as we all know it is and he becomes the 2 next to Crawford leading the point and JJ2, Curry and frye are down low.

Nate and lee and balkman provide us depth at all three positions and we rock and roll.

I'm not against marbury and I'm not for marbury, and I believe he is the best point guard on the team.

Crawford is still a kid and was the first free agent signed, and he's only making what, $7 mill?

he can wait another year, because a three guard lineup is what isiah wanted all along.

nate is just a kid, he can wait.
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Allanfan20
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10/4/2006  11:24 AM
Posted by rvhoss:

it will be the fab four and nate being groomed to take over for starbury and francise.

I mean, I am one of the biggest optimists of the them all, but i don't believe we will be where everyone will be happy until the last year of starbury's contract, or the year after when his contract comes off the books...which coincidentally is the same year as franchise.

So, if they both stay, it's obvious because they are working out and Nate can wait, if one is only here, than it's because he is working out and Nate can wait.

But this is the second year of the fab four and I'm not that optimistic in thinking they can win it all within 3 years of being together.

Crawford is going to be the back court player getting all the minutes and marbury and francis will be splitting time IMHO.

My dream scenario is that QRich's back isn't as bad as we all know it is and he becomes the 2 next to Crawford leading the point and JJ2, Curry and frye are down low.

Nate and lee and balkman provide us depth at all three positions and we rock and roll.

I'm not against marbury and I'm not for marbury, and I believe he is the best point guard on the team.

Crawford is still a kid and was the first free agent signed, and he's only making what, $7 mill?

he can wait another year, because a three guard lineup is what isiah wanted all along.

nate is just a kid, he can wait.



WOW!!!

I don't really agree about some of the things you said but how well thought.

Whorebury and Francis splitting time to me is suicide one way or the other. It's gonna hurt the team and they are just gonna get on eachothers nerves. They'll complain in no time, and like I mentioned, drive Zeke off the wall. This is why one or even both of them absolutely have to be traded, and if both of them are traded, we got ourselves a rebuilding year, once again.
“Whenever I’m about to do something, I think ‘Would an idiot do that?’ and if they would, I do NOT do that thing.”- Dwight Schrute
BlueSeats
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10/4/2006  11:26 AM
who on this team are the fab four?
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10/4/2006  11:27 AM
Don't give in to all the negative opinions of Steph. I think he's wanted to play like he did when he 1st got here and avg'd over 9 assists a game, before Isiah traded KVH & Doleac. I think he wants to be the way he was during the Streak, where he was constantly putting up high assist games and also scoring like he can. It's not necessarily a negative thing for him to play his game.

This is a very good group of players around Steph now. Steph was the one who pushed Lee to take more open shots and he actually started hitting them. Well now do you think he's suddenly not going to pass Lee the ball or Jared or anyone else if they're open? Steph is not a detriment to this team offensively. It's really on the defensive end where he's been a problem. If he can improve his effort on D, that's what I want to see, i'm not worried about the offense.
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