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[Comment From Mike: ] I've been impressed with Jonathan Bender. He has a good shot and seems to be a smart player. Your thoughts on what you've seen and whether or not he sticks?
[Comment From Yungfo: ] Alahn do you find it pretty sad that Bender has more points this season then Eddy Curry has had in his previous 2 years or so as a Knick? He reminds me of practice Ewing with his Knee pads , but i am really impress with him. He seems to contribute to the team instead of taking up a rostor spot like Eddy does.
[Comment From Bobby C: ] Hey Alan. What does the presence of Bender do for J-Hill in terms of development, positive and/or negative? I love the way Bender's played, but I'm not sure what to make of the fact that he's getting PT over the rook...
[Comment From Eric: ] Is Bender for real? Any signs in practice or workouts that suggests that he can keep up his good play?

I think we're all pleasantly surprised by Bender's play so far, but let's keep in mind it's two games and limited minutes. MDA said he wanted to expand Bender's role because of the potential he shows in the offense, but my concern is this is a player who still doesn't have any cartilage in his knee. I am curious to see how they hold up with more minutes and over the course of more games. Just proceed with caution. Less might be more with him, but it is a good addition for what he brings, including a high-level of professionalism, which can not be overlooked.
And Jordan Hill should be in the D-League if you ask me. It makes no sense to have him sit around here.

[Comment From Harry: ] Alan - Happy Holidays. Even though Chris Duhon has stepped it up as of late would any of the following be an upgrade if they were available: Eric Maynor, Sergio Rodriguez, Luke Ridnour, Darren Collison, Mario Chalmers or Marcus Williams?

I guess you could say some of those players might be more effective, but how much more? Would it make that great of a difference? I think if you're looking at this summer, the Knicks MUST upgrade this position in a major way. No more starter/backup tweeners.

[Comment From Thought: ] N8 and Darko for CDR, Simmons and a 2nd Rounder. Thoughts?

The Nets would never go for that. CDR is a heck of a player, gets to the line a lot. Too good of a building block to give up for expiring contracts.

[Comment From The Global Hustle: ] Is there a way we can still get Sessions? Does Walsh have interest and why is Kahn being so tough on Walsh.

I don't see Kahn being anything like that to Walsh. Sessions' contract might be something the Knicks would be willing to take on via trade over the summer. Right now the T-Wolves would have to agree to take Jeffries' contract so the Knicks still get a savings in 2010. I don't see it. I'm curious about the Portland situation with Jerryd Bayless....

[Comment From Eric: ] What do you personally think about the nate benching? Its hard not to believe that, if nate accepted his role of a great scorer off the bench, that he wouldn't help the team win.. any thoughts?
[Comment From 36 Years: ] Why in the world would Walsh buyout Nate? Wouldn't that set an awful precedent going forward for disgruntled players? And it would hurt the team inasmuch as, should an injury or two occur later in the year, they wouldn't have Nate there as a stopgap. So what motivation is there to do it?

My personal opinion really means nothing, but since you asked, I'll say that I know for a fact that MDA resisted making this move for a while (going back to last season) before he finally did it. Now I don't think the right thing to do is let the kid rot on the bench, especially considering that he's in a contract year. So hopefully this gets resolved quickly, perhaps with a buyout, and my feeling is Nate really needs to be in a winning environment with established vets around him. Therefore, his act is more of an entertaining sideshow than an embarrassing lack of professionalism. It just doesn't make sense to style when you're 10 games under .500. Bravado looks so cheap when you're down by 10 points in the fourth quarter. But Nate would thrive as a supersub on a winning team, where he can let all of his emotions out.
This is just not the right place for him. Period.

[Comment From Darryl: ] Hi Alan how do you feel about the Knicks handling of Jordan Hill, not only is he not getting any burn but it seems they have devalued him as an asset.

I think the kid did a good job devaluing himself when he showed up for Summer League out of shape to play and then came to training camp completely oblivious to what would be required of him in this system. They want to keep him around to teach him here, but I don't believe it does him much good to show up every night knowing he's not going to play. The D-League would force him to take the game seriously, because he'd be a primary player. Is it embarrassing for a lottery pick to go to the D-League? Maybe. But he doesn't need to be there all season. Just let him play some games and get some confidence.

[Comment From William: ] Happy holidays , Alan who do you think runs point guard for the Knicks next year , the draft and free agency seems very weak with potential point guards, they couldn't possibly bring back Duhon could they?

I don't see Chris back with the team. There will be options and one to consider is that the team signs a player who may not be a traditional PG, but perhaps plays the "one" in the system. For instance, Joe Johnson did some of that when he was with D'Antoni in Phoenix. LeBron could do it, of course. There are trades that could be made as well. It's a critical need, in my opinion. If this team is going to start contending, they have to address the PG spot first.

[Comment From Mike Mc: ] how probable is it that we trade jeffries? and if we do, does that allow us to offer 2 max contracts or do we have to trade eddy to. and lastly, if jeffries goes, will j. hill get some minutes towards the end of the season?
[Comment From Nick G.: ] How difficult do you think its going to be to deal Jeffries as we move closer to the trade deadline? He seems to be putting decent all around games together and could possibly provide some tough defense to a playoff contender.

You guys might think I'm crazy, but I don't know if D'Antoni would want Donnie Walsh to deal Jeffries before the deadline, especially if the Knicks are very much in the playoff hunt. He's very important to their defensive strategy. And no, that's not a company line from Newsday, which is owned by Cablevision, which also owns...

[Comment From Dice: ] Alan if you could do the 2008 draft all over again would you take Gallinari or would you go with Eric Gordon or possibly Brook Lopez?

I'd put a great deal of work and debate with my staff into Gordon vs Gallo. Lopez is not in my conversation. He does not fit with the way we want to play after we just hired Coach Seven Seconds or Less.

[Comment From SK: ] Hi Alan. Why doesn't DA use Hughes more as a backup to Duhon. He's done a good job passing the ball and is better than Douglas or Nate?

It's a very reasonable question. Hughes has shown moments in recent games where he can make good decisions with the ball at the top of the offense and you have to play him on the pick-and-roll, though really all you have to defend is the drive because Larry isn't that much better of a perimeter shooter than Chris. I think before Larry's groin injury, D'Antoni was using him at the one. Once he's back, you'll see that will continue.

[Comment From Ondre: ] Happy Holidays Hahn, I think the team has taken big strides in their game approach, and are fortunate to be playing weak teams. Their first good game approach started with Pho. So my question has to be, with them one game out, how do we maximize position and continue the up trend? Can we get Mike James in town, can we get something done?

Back atcha, Ondre. Great question. I think this is an extremely critical point of the season, especially now. First of all, you have the Bulls coming off an embarrassing night. You have to expect their best effort, at least at the start. The Knicks need to get off to a great start and take the Bulls' hearts out of this one early. The schedule has a mix after that, with Miami and the Spurs as challenges and Detroit and Jersey as games you go into feeling like you should win.
This has to be no-nonsense time. No BS.

[Comment From virgil in atl: ] sup alan I know you are going to get a lot about nate but I wanna talk about Chandler. Is he coming along but is he really the future here. Could we use him as trade bait does he have any value

Sup Virgil...Wilson's legs have finally come back, which, as we've said here, took some time to recover because he missed so much time over the summer as a result of ankle surgery to remove bone spurs. His explosion is everything about his game. I think he is viewed as a building block, but I don't feel like he wears that untouchable label. If the Knicks can do something major to upgrade the team or the cap space for 2010, I think Wilson could be part of that. But the Knicks wouldn't do it happily. They really love this kid and his work ethic and potential.

[Comment From HammockDistrict: ] I'm in Norway now instead of California so I can finally make your chat! As good as he's played, Al Harrington seems the most expendable of all of our good, tradable players. What do you think is the best we could get for him? A starter? A prospect? Seems like good young players are harder to get than established players.

There's no paywall in Norway? Who cares. I like knowing there's a Fixer in Norway.
I think Harrington should be intriguing to a playoff team that needs a low-post scorer, but a lot of teams are wary of his game mainly because he is so unintentionally disruptive to offensive flow. Al thrives on one-on-one play. But you can't deny that when he gets it going, he is tough to stop on drives to the basket.
I don't believe you get much for him tho

[Comment From MikeWhy: ] A nice little good morning with the "good ole boys" comments on FB today eh? I understand that JJ's contract is terrible for the books and the 2010 plan, but his defense is undeniable. Do you think keeping him would be a major deterrent for 2010?

Everyone has their opinions, Mike. It's my job to explain why their opinions are not only wrong, but completely insane. ;-)
As for Jared, I believe the Knicks would move him by the deadline or draft night if they could. But they wouldn't be devastated if he was back next season. The coaching staff does appreciate what he can do on the defensive end.

[Comment From Chubby: ] Dont understand how D'antoni with his Italian contacts can whiff on Jennings...and how do teams like the spurs have such a great international drafting record? cant imagine anyone having the resources to scout more than the knicks.

Absolutely brutal job by the scouting staff on this one. I would think your very existence as a scout is to overturn every stone about any player in range for your team in the lottery. Jennings was obviously going to be there, so you have to dig and dig and dig and then make your case in the War Room. I want to know who really argued that Hill would be a better asset than Jennings. Let's not even consider the idea that you drafted a player to keep them for the future. Let's pretend you make this pick because it would give you a valuable asset to perhaps trade for a high-end player (Chris Paul, et al)....How does Brandon Jennings not jump off the page when the No. 8 pick comes up?
In saying that, he's dominant to one direction and isn't a floor general as much as he is the old 90s point guard style. He is primarily a scorer who passes off his own play (a la Iverson, Marbury, etc.). But still...kid's swimming in talent.

[Comment From Greene: ] What do you think happens with David Lee in the long term? Is it within the CBA to offer him an extension mid season? Would you use the cap space above the max to do it or too risky? Really concerned we lose him for nothing. On an above .500 team he's getting serious All Star consideration and may still if the Knicks play well. If he's not as valuable as Bosh for less $ then it's only by a little.

Great question. I don't think you compromise cap space at this point. What you do is, which I'm sure will be done, tell David your plan. Go for the big max guy then whatever's left you use to negotiate with David. Would he take less to stay here? Depends on what the Knicks put together as a roster.
If I'm the Nets, I make a strong play for him.

[Comment From Tommy K: ] Why hasn't anyone brought up the fact that DW decided not to trade Nate and Jefferies to SAC last year? To me that was obvious must trade at the time, and they chose not to do it. DW has done a good job otherwise (with the draft pick exception) but someone please acknowledge him screwing up that one.

Tommy, if you read the Fix you would know that we reported that back in February and then later followed up by reporting that there was no deal in place that Walsh turned down.There was talk about something like this being discussed, but it never reached a point where either team was on the verge of making it happen.
And, quite frankly, it would have crushed the team at the time. Nate was playing big minutes and providing needed scoring when the team was trying to stay in the playoff race.

[Comment From Jon: ] Alan, Do you think the Knicks could get the Blazers interested in a swap of Harrington and Chandler for Outlaw, Blake and Rudy? Doesn't do anything for the cap situation but it improves the depth at PG for a playoff run and Rudy is a better building block than Chandler IMO.

With LaMarcus Aldridge, I don't see why Portland would need Harrington. That's re-arranging deck chairs somewhat. Rudy's back is always an issue, but he does really want to get out of there and would love to be in New York.
[Comment From John M: ] Lebron or no Lebron, no way we can go deep in the playoffs with D. Lee as our center...we need someone who can defend Howard, Duncan, Gasol/Bynum, etc. I say Bosh is a must-have to bring here.

I agree and disagree. I'm losing my affinity for Bosh. I'd rather get a less-heralded, athletic big who wouldn't need as much money. But you're right, you have to find a legit 5 in order to be a true contender.

[Comment From Michael: ] Alan Happy Holidays! Do you see the Knicks making any trades between now and the deadline? I know you said earlier MDA may not want Jefferies traded, but since the goal has been this summer all along, why would that change now?
[Comment From Mike from Rochester: ] Hi Alan, Do you see any potential trades that could put the knicks into the playoffs without compromising the 2010 plan? Is Houston trying to trade T-Mac or are they just going to let his contract expire at season's end?

Happy Holidays, Michael. Yes, I do expect something to happen before the deadline. Not sure exactly what, but I do expect something will happen. I think like everyone else, the Knicks would like to see more out of T-Mac before they even consider giving up an asset to get him. If McGrady can't guard anyone and really doesn't have any other ability other than as a shooter, I think they pass, since we already know Houston won't take back contracts that go beyond 2010. I'm curious about other teams that soon will be getting desperate about their seasons -- Portland, Washington, Detroit and Cleveland, etc. This is the time of year teams do a lot of talking and things really start to heat up after Christmas.

[Comment From DERRICK LES: ] Hey alan love your blogs even for 40 amonth lol. Question i think that with this better play from the knicks, this shows to me how badly coached since larry brown an Mr thomas. Say what you want about mike but for the most part guys play well for him. That not to say that the talent is the nba best but to me he is one of the better coaches in the leauge. Whats your opion?

Attaboy Derrick. I know many of you are breaking off some to stay in the Fix so I'm doing the best I can to make sure you always get your moneys worth. Thanks for helping keeping me employed.
I think one thing Mike has done is found ways to maximize the talent of a player. Jeffries is a perfect example. I think David Lee has flourished as well because of his ability to finish with both hands. But what I'd like to see is Mike getting Eddy involved and making him effective. That really has to be a priority. They tried but you could see the team just struggled with Eddy on the floor lately. But they can't afford to have him out of the rotation.

[Comment From David: ] Gallo seems to be developing well. At some point, do you think that the offense will run through Gallo, as he is the team's best passer and sees the court better than anyone else?

Hi David. More and more we're seeing Gallinari as a focal point. They're using him on the elbow extended off the pick-and-roll to thwart defenses that sag to help the pick-and-roll and risk the kick-out to Gallo. He just needs to get a stronger foundation. When he has stronger legs and a little more explosion, he'll be able to take people off the dribble and be more versatile like Dirk and Hedo. Right now he's mostly just a catch-and-shoot player. But he shows you flashes that he can be a triple-threat guy.

[Comment From Brandon: ] How does Chris Duhon and Toney Douglas get strong endorsements from coach K but none of Donnie's industry pals could tell him to pick Ty Lawson, the best player on a title team over a guy whose been playing basketball for 5 years?

Good question. I do know Donnie really liked Lawson but hesitated using the No. 8 pick. I think scouts and GMs read those "mock drafts" a little too much, no matter how much they deny it. Not like I'm Mel Kiper or anything, but I've been talking about Lawson's game since he considered jumping to the NBA as a junior. He brings so much speed and he is very tough. And all he did in college was win. Size was the biggest concern, of course. He measured short with a short wingspan. But that didn't seem to stop him from dunking on DJ MBenga.
Let's just say right now the 09 draft looks like a major negative so far in Walsh's brief tenure. This is why the franchise should be putting a great deal of work into developing Jordan Hill.

[Comment From Bobby C: ] Going for two, gettin greedy: You said the Bayless situation intrigues you (ditto), but is that any kind of match for us? I don't think we have the players or contracts to offer up to Portland...

You're right. Portland loves Lee. Forget that.

[Comment From TAMARA: ] DO U HAVE ANY CLUE WHEN NATE WILL PLAY AGAIN IF HE WILL EVER PLAY AGAIN
[Comment From OndreOndre: ] Nate would be a great fit for a team like the Spurs, he and Blair off the bench Finley, and Bonner maybe?

I don't have any idea but I think if MDA finds his team in a similar situation as last week in Chicago, he'll call Nate's number. As for the Spurs, can you see Popovich's face when Nate high-fives Eva Longoria after a three-pointer? Tim Duncan's face, who wears a perpetual frown, might actually melt.

[Comment From Harry: ] Who could you realistically go after at PG that could be a difference maker?

That's not an easy question to answer because you first need to see what you get in free agency. If you get the big fish (LeBron), you really don't need a traditional PG because LeBron, in my opinion, could play that role at the top of the offense (pick-and-roll, dribble drag, etc). Then you surround him with shooters and athletic bigs. So one step at a time.

[Comment From HammockDistrict: ] There is a pay wall in Norway. But the reason I can make the chat is because its too early to chat in California. In Norway, it's almost 7pm.
[Comment From CHRIS: ] Alan, Prediction time. Does Jeffries get traded by Feb deadline?

Ah Hammock...9 a.m. chat in LA is too early. I envy whatever life you are living, sir.
Prediction: yes

[Comment From Bish: ] Do we still have the Bird Rights to Robinson and Lee? And if we do, would that allow us to do something like sign a couple of players to bring us to the cap, then sign Lee/Robinson to bring us over the cap?

Yes, the team does still own Birds on Nate and David. And no, it doesn't quite work that way. In order to maintain the Bird Rights, those two players have "cap holds" that go against your cap even before you sign them. The cap holds are generally one-and-a-half times what they are making now. So they'd eat up too much cap space with their holds for it to work the way you want it to.

[Comment From NYK Mike: ] No one seems to be giving credit to Walsh for passing on Iverson...AI has done nothing for Philly and is now injured. Seems alot of Knicks fans, and media, choose to only focus on the bad...

Credit to Donnie.

[Comment From Andrew from Queens, NY: ] Hey Alan, are the Knicks interested in anything with the fire sale going on at Golden State? Someone like Randolph or Morrow could really do well in NY. Maybe they could even pry Curry from them... see anything like that happening?

From what I've heard, Randolph would cost them Gallinari. And do you really think Don Nelson has the slightest interest in Eddy Curry? Remember, he wanted to trade Patrick Ewing and give the ball to Anthony Mason.

Moderator: Hi all. We have time for two more questions.

[Comment From Gallo question: ] Does Gallo posses that "it" factor that makes players great? I think his competitive attitude and desire to win are of great importance to the knicks good play of late. Thoughts on him?

I've answered this a million times since he was drafted. I absolutely believe he has that "it" factor. It's going to take time, but I confidently expect Gallinari will be an all-star player in this league one day. I am not saying perennial all-star, but I think he's just in that category of Peja-Hedo-Dirk. A great combination of all three. I want to see work ethic and determination out of him. He has to get more athletic and explosive. This summer has to be all about his lower body strength. Let's see him come back more of a man next season and ready to carry the mail.

[Comment From Harry: ] Alan - thanks for the great insights! Does Bender fill some of the off the court role that Donnie Walsh envisioned for Grant Hill?

Great call there Harry. Absolutely. Not as much of a respected elder statesman that Grant Hill is, but Bender does have that very calm, collected personality of a professional. You need more people like that in a locker room. When you get enough pros like that, they gravitate to one another and eventually that is the core that dominates the room and the goofballs and posers are left by the wayside.

[Comment From HammockDistrict: ] I know the Knicks like Ty Thomas, but how would he fit into this tight rotation?

He'd fit if you moved a forward (Harrington or Jeffries). But wouldn't work if you shoved him into the mix they already have. Too many bodies in the frontcourt as it is.

Moderator: Thanks for the great turnout today. We apologize for not answering every question. Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays Fixers. Enjoy the game tonight!