Camby a Clipper

Thirty-four year old Marcus Camby was dumped as an aging diminishing return by Denver onto the Clippers. The Clippers assumed some salary in a Pyrrhic trade that gives Clipper fans the illusion of rebounding from the loss of Elton Brand.

As a Knicks fan I love Camby but he's done. The Clippers are a mediocre lot to begin with and reuniting Camby with Tim Thomas this many years later should give you a good idea of how old and out-of-touch the Clippers will be in the West.

The Knicks fans who demand instant gratification (usually the notion of giving away assets) are upset that Walsh didn't give Zach away -yawn-.

What they're missing -as usual- is the broader dynamic of fielding winning basketball and swapping asset for asset.

By moving Camby, Denver may be readying to move Iverson as well. I've spoken before about Karl being the kind of coach who might roll with Marbury as a last run for a title. Given Denver's trade exception, they might swap for Marbury whose contract would expire with Ivy's giving them a total rebuild option in a year or they might swap Ivey for Marbs to shake it up even more.

Likewise, Denver might just want a Zach kinda guy (20 & 10) now that Camby's gone. Karl wants a ring and Zach is a throwback to Seattle's glory days prototypes.

Finally, given Chandler and Gallo on board I don't anticipate an Artest move but it could happen. Ron-Ron is straddling the third rail out in Sacto and before long he'll be there for the taking for a second-rounder.

Maybe I'm crazy but I think Gallo is a year or two out before he contributes significantly. The bad back scare is a clue that he'll need time. And that's why a guy like Artest who adds muscle might actually give Gallo, Chandler, Curry, and Lee the breathing room to develop without getting too hammered. The Knicks could do worse than acquire an Artest.

It's very encouraging to hear that Q, Jeffries and the rest are showing up looking great. Isiah's team is a good one and many of them need a crisis free season to prove it.

The Clippers Summer

What a strange year this is going to be for the Clips. Mike Dunleavy insists the Clips got punked by Elton Brand - that Brand had agreed to a contract.

And now they're pursuing Zach Randolph as well they should. Zach may be the best of the lower first-tier power forwards in the league. But Zach won't come free nor inexpensively and that's as it should be.

Isiah may not have assembled chemistry but he amassed a stockpile of first-class talent in his tenure. Zach ain't chopped liver.

However, should the Clippers fail to get someone significant soon, one has to wonder if Baron Davis may request an immediate transfer to NY. Davis wanted NY as a first option but it was impossible at the time. The Knicks could send Randolph and Crawford for Davis and a trade exception and both teams might be more stable for the exercise.

I think Davis is on a bubble of deciding to stay and lose or join an upcoming team with an offense he's drooling to play under.

Spike Taking Things Into His Own Hands

This morning's Courant has a great article - Spike Lee to Shoot Biopic on UConn Professor by Grace E. Merritt about a UConn professor developing a Time Machine and Spike Lee's interest in creating a biopic of this man's dream.

STORRS — - Imagine picking up the phone and Spike Lee's on the line and he's telling you he wants to make a movie about your life. Not just a small, arty film, but a major motion picture.

That's exactly what happened to Ron Mallett, a University of Connecticut physics professor who has developed a theory for time travel that could be a blueprint for a real time machine.

It seems the award-winning filmmaker read Mallett's memoir and was captivated by the tale of an African American boy so traumatized by the death of his father that he was driven to try to build a time machine so he could go back and save his father's life.

Mallett's memoir is a frank, personal journey about growing up in the Bronx, facing poverty and racism and eventually becoming among the first African Americans in the country to earn a Ph.D. in theoretical physics.

Now, those of us know that Spike's interest in this Time Machine goes way beyond the movie.

I think Spike wants to send Pat Riley a message telling him to sit John Starks' ass down for awhile during the playoffs and maybe intercept that Freddie Weis recommendation, and...

Chip Stern and the Knicks City Dancers

Just got an email from chip with some footage of a piece he's putting together to celebrate Stephon Marbury joining the summer league team..

In the footage you can see Chip on standup bass and the Knicks City Dancers on vibes:

Marbury Deals?

They are hard to imagine just given the size of the contract involved but there are a few theoretical ones worth considering. And while these deals work straight up, my feeling is that the Knicks would have to do a side deal of Balkman for a future second-rounder to make it worthwhile talent-wise for the other team to consummate the deal.

Deal 1 - Extremely unlikely - Stephon for Kidd; Kidd never delivered the ring last year, maybe Cuban cuts bait (not that he ever does).

Deal 2 - Unlikely but intriguing - Stephon for Iverson; Denver hasn't won anything and is loaded for bear. Do they change the mix one more time before a wholesale rebuild?

Deal 3 - Unlikely but intriguing - Stephon for Odom and change; Odom didn't win it for the Lakers last year (maybe LA cuts bait). Bigger question is whether NY wants another SF, an aging one at that.

Deal 4 - A stretch but possible - Stephon for Redd and Villanueva (Balkman in side deal); Milwaukee is tying up a LOT of money in Jefferson and Redd. Marbury would spell Redd for a lot less money and shorter time. Villan wants out with no takers. For the Knicks, Crawford would be the next domino. Redd rain at the garden.

Deal 5 - A stretch but possible - Stephon (Balkman in side deal) for Artest and Thomas; NY eats Thomas' contract, Ron-Ron gets a NY audition. Again, does NY want another SF?

Wow! Duhon a Knick!

I like it. He made a smart decision. He's exactly the kind of point guard the Knicks needed in that he has a few years under his belt and should be entering a period of confidence and competence at the PG position.

My gut tells me the Knicks will never look back with Duhon. I suspect he becomes a keeper and an All-Star in the near future.

Congratulations to the management, nice signing.

Update; Duhon's agent is floating the idea that Duhon signed because he's being given preference at PG over others. The more obvious answer is that Duhon signed an excessively generous offer. The Knicks will be paying him the entire MLE for two years.

While I like Duhon the player and I think he may start his agent would do well to get Duhon into a alcoholism treatment program if the rumors circulating on the blogosphere are true. Much will be expected of Duhon at MSG and showing up to play in top form is not an option but a requirement. If he performs, a world of opportunity opens, if not a legion of fans will hound his every move. He and his agent should work together to make him a lasting star. That will require self-control on and off the court.

Two Bozos Gone

One, Jesse Helms, the ugliest kind of conservative ever to disgrace this country.

The other an entertainer who created a persona that the ugliest kind of conservatives have come to be identified with.

Happy 4th

Kazoo In The Hoo Hoo !

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Artest Gets Kicked in the Stomach

According to the Sacramento Bee, Ron Artest met with Kings officials the day after he decided not to opt-out of his contract and was given the impression that he was not in the future plans of the team.

Given that the Kings have no future anyway, one can understand Artest's bitterness. Had he known their antipathy two days before, Artest could have at least guided his own future. Today, his fate rests in the hands of indifferent team bureaucrats.

Nothing good can come of this. Artest will likely not put his heart into a season of trade speculation and the Kings look more like ingrates for leading him on. I'm guessing this signals an everything must go sale in Sacto. They are a team going nowhere with an aging, pathetic roster.

Brad Miller and Artest are sure to leaving soon. Thomas and Rahim are untradable -cough- assets.

Marbury, where has the time gone?

Today's sports pages rustle with speculation about what will happen to Marbury.

The Post's Berman doesn't quite connect the dots because he's too busy with the dots. He gives us two tidbits. One, marbury is coming to camp. Two, the team is concerned about the health of the ankle.

Rather than buy Marbury out, my gut tells me that Marbury will end his career due to a medical exception. There's no way Marbury's ankle will support the kind of stress a D'Antoni run offense will require.

This may be the best resolution of all. The insurance picks up his salary, the Knicks get the medical exception, and Marbs can sell sneakers with Allan Houston.