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GoNyGoNyGo
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Joined: 5/29/2003
Member: #411
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It is quite a hatchet job. Says he is not working hard enough. IF true, this kid will not be a Knick for too much longer. I hope someone gets through to him, because he could help this team. It's Eddy Curry's pregame ritual. About an hour before tip-off, he works on post moves with assistant coaches Herb Williams and Mark Aguirre. They pound him, push him and double-team him, and Curry goes through his ever-developing repertoire of moves. His practice jersey is soaked with sweat, and after practicing free throws, he heads back to the locker room.
Stephon Marbury comes out then and does his routine of jump shots around the perimeter. Whatever is going on around him is blocked out. Just catch and shoot, catch and shoot.
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These are examples of focus and preparation from two of the Knicks' leaders who are taking their playoff push seriously. Then there's the sight of Nate Robinson throwing up wild fade-away jumpers and goading Channing Frye into a one-on-one battle, in which the 6-11 Frye ill-advisedly chucks off-balance fadeaways against the 5-9 Robinson. That's an example of the lack of discipline that could keep the Knicks from getting to the postseason.
Robinson doesn't need to look any further than that when he wonders why Isiah Thomas didn't play him for more than the final 42 seconds of Tuesday's win over the Clippers.
"The game doesn't start when you get into the game," Marbury said. "The game starts right before the shootaround in the morning."
Marbury and Curry agree that every player has his own way of preparing for games but that certain key teammates could show more discipline. Curry said their mental approach probably will change "once we realize we can't afford to lose any more games." But by then it could be too late. The Knicks (22-28) need all hands on deck if they're going to make the playoff run they believe they have in them.
Everyone within the organization thinks Robinson, with his tremendous athletic ability, should be a key player and not a benchwarmer who has the Garden crowd chanting just so it can enjoy his antics. Robinson shouldn't be a novelty act; he should be a defensive demon on the perimeter. His good three-point stroke should make him dangerous, and his leaping ability should get him rebounds to spark fast breaks.
Instead, Thomas can't find a place for him in the rotation because, unlike fellow second-year players Frye and David Lee, Robinson's approach hasn't developed past the dazzling streetballer stage.
When asked a few weeks ago if he was worried about his diminished role, Robinson said, "Not at all. I play hard in practice, I'm having fun with my teammates. Whenever my number's called, I'm going to be out there doing what I've been doing."
With the Feb. 22 trade deadline drawing near and the Knicks looking as if they could use one more asset to contend in the wide-open East, would Thomas consider sending Robinson home to Seattle in a package for, say, forward Rashard Lewis?
Robinson's teammates agree he is blessed with physical ability that is more God-given than man-made. Yet he fills himself with junk food before games and puts little effort into preparation during warmups. And as he showed during the Dec. 16 brawl with the Nuggets, he can implode on the court at any time.
When Steve Francis finally returns, there will be even less time for Robinson in a crowded backcourt. So this should be a time for Robinson to show Thomas what he can do with critical playing time.
"Nate is going to be Nate," a Knicks veteran said. "There's going to be highs and lows with him. Eventually, a switch is going to click on with him. He doesn't understand how serious the NBA is ... He's not putting himself in a situation where he can be a valuable asset for a team. And when he becomes that, he can make a lot of money."
He also could help the Knicks become a legitimate playoff contender. |
2/8/2007 9:10 PM