There is a God!

The Knicks acquire Patrick Ewing Jr for - GET THIS - the eternal rights to Fredrick Weis.

FREEEEEEE_ DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDIE!

First Chenowith, now this. Give me a minute to compose myself.

Okay.

Okay.

I'll be alright.

Ewing, Jr is an upgrade over Freddie in that he will physically appear to compete for a Knicks spot.

I guess this means that Jerome James can be moved - and I do mean moved - at some future date.

An angel has just earned some sporting goods points.

ZBo to Memphis, Part Deux?

In a previous post, I talked about my feelings about a potential Zbo to Memphis trade.

I didn't believe the pieces were there. Now, i find that Milicic is not 100% having suffered an achilles injury earlier this year.

But after reading the pros and cons written by the old NYTimes group, I'm warming up to the idea despite the talent tradeoff (Zach being far more valuable to Memphis than Milicic to NY).

Here's the skinny. If NY just takes back Milicic, it solves the 2010 salary cap problem nicely. Memphis can afford to absorb Zach without handing back salary to the Knicks - a very good thing. The Knicks would no longer need to juggle roster just to save money going forward. And Memphis makes out like bandits talent-wise.

But let's assume NY has to take another body - probably an inexpensive PG - so what? NY cuts the worst PG on the roster (to eliminate clutter) or buyout JJames. None of Memphis's PGs have blossomed into anything special yet and Roberson and Mardy are on the bubble.

Better yet the Knicks should acquire a Memphis 2010 protected (1-3) #1 pick to make the deal a bit more even because I'm confident Zach will shine wherever he lands.

As for Milicic, once he's healthy - say Feb. the knicks can dump JJames without regret in trade or as a mercy buyout.And if Milicic simply blocks some shots and gets a few rebounds, I'm good with the deal.

Duhon and Obama

Last night I was watching post-Monday night Democratic Convention news and there's a segment about a fellow who has become Obama's right-hand man for logistical issues. This guy occasionally plays some pick-up basketball with Obama and while in Chicago apparently stays with Chris Duhon.

In any case Duhon also plays a bit when these pick-up games occur.

Interesting, no?

Gambler's Blues

I came across a link weeks ago of a guy who digitized a lot of 78 rpm records from the old days.

He used to allow people to download what they wanted but his provider discontinued that. However there is one tune available, a good one and one that certainly will remind everyone of the NBA referees.

Marbury, Cuban, and Italian Thunder

We have all heard Starberman's proclamations that echo Marbury's "love" of Italy. But the more I read of what's going on in Italy, marbs might reconsider his career choices.

In his customary midday Sunday address, the pontiff expressed concern at "recent examples of racism" and reminded Catholics it was their duty to steer others in society away from "racism, intolerance and [the] exclusion [of others]".

On any other day, his remarks might have been seen as no more than a restatement of official Catholic doctrine. But they came instead in the midst of a furious dispute over an editorial published by Italy's bestselling Catholic weekly, Famiglia Cristiana.

In an editorial on Friday, condemning recent government moves against immigrants and Roma, the magazine said it was to be hoped fascism was not "resurfacing in our country under another guise". The jibe outraged Berlusconi's supporters, many of whom are themselves pious Catholics.

As I read Pope warns Italy in danger of returning to fascism by John Hooper, I wondered how a wallflower like Stephon Marbury would fare in a country that is making the church squeamish.

As I daydreamed a scene from the comedy Tropic Thunder comes to mind. Toward the end of the film in which Ben Stiller's character, Tugg Speedman, waves the helicopter off from a bridge he's standing on. Tugg, after being re-educated by his captors believes he has found someone who cares about him, Little Half-squat. Tugg turns and returns to his captors.

The crew is stunned but resign themselves to living without Tugg [Stephon]. No sooner than the helicopter is about to take-off there's a ruckus coming from the bridge. In a flurry of angry captors chasing Speedman, the crew watches as Little Half-squat is firmly clinging to Tugg's back stabbing and choking him. By now Tugg can't leave his captors fast enough. He grabs Little Half-squat and tosses the kid over the bridge, sprinting to the helicopter.

It is not hard to imagine Marbury going to Italy, aggravating the fans, and chasing a plane out of the country with a horde of blood-thirsty euro-fascists clinging to his body as he flings them off.

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I have written about this before but it's bubbling up again. Mark Cuban thinks Jason Kidd will deliver a championship in Dallas. I don't think so. Kidd will pout subliminally all season long without a contract extension. No money, no honey.

Marbury is a better, more hungry player than Kidd and a one-for-one swap makes sense. The Knicks can rent Kidd for a year or two with no grandiose expectations. Marbury may very well finally win a ring and redemption in Dallas.

It's a hellish deal but one that makes sense. If Marbury fails... well, Cuban rebuilds with no hard feelings.

Imagine the conversations Mark could have with Marbs (with apologies to Tropic Thunder):

Marbs: There were times while I was playing [with the Knicks]where I felt...
[pause]
Marbs: ...retarded. Like, really retarded.
Cuban: Moronical?
Marbs: Yeah!
Cuban: An imbecile?
Marbs: Yeah!
Cuban: Like the dumbest motherfucker that ever lived?
Marbs: [pause] When I was playing [with the Knicks].

Building a D' Team

The Search for the Holy Grail of building an NBA contender has come full circle with the ever-popular concept of creating cap-space as our latest crusade. According to Walsh, this is our goal and a fine goal at that.

This presupposes that whoever the free-agent stars who come available will be oh-so-happy to take our bazillions of dollars and lead the Knicks to the promised land of Stern mega-star playoffs.

And so we genuflect to the mighty sneaker endorser who will become our franchise.

And for this the forums are brimming with fans willing to trade everyone we have for a cheap contract David Lee for Eric Snow. Zach for Ben Wallace. The entire bench for a protected second-rounder. Anything for the mighty LeBron or Wade or player-du-jour.

Thanks to the insanity of the NBA's salary structure a handful of players are richer than nations and the rest are locked into a price-fixing scheme that keeps them on the plantation as court jesters to the mega-stars.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I believe Walsh will get us our brief moment of cap-space heaven for yet another brass ring star who may or may not be healthy upon arrival, who may or may not have anything left of his talent, who may or may not in the end be a winner.

BFD.

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I have always taken the approach that the free-agent can be acquired before becoming a free agent. Players are merely assets that are productive or not. Sport dominant players are very hard to sign away from their existing employers.

So if I were Walsh I would consider trading for a guy like Ben Gordon and front-load a contract that keeps him here through 2010 so that he can be resigned after the free-agent feeding frenzy that year. By maintaining a smaller salary footprint during the targeted cap-space year, we can begin building a franchise of high-quality players ready to surround Mr. Mega-Bucks whenever he gets here.

To be honest, I'd rather the Knicks win without a mega-star. Call me a fool.

Is Yao a Bust?

For the last year or so I have begun questioning Yao Ming's NBA credentials. His presence is less than awe-inspiring - a big man who can't get it done.

Now Realgm reports he was benched during an Olympics game (a loss).

Now that the hype has worn off, is Yao just another Chad Ford all-star?

The Cleveland Trade

Sources around the internet insist Zach Randolph is not the target of New York/Cleveland trade rumors.

Attention is turning to Eddie Curry and Cleveland fans are having some fun on Knick forums insisting that New York is going to pay a premium to trade Curry. That scenario seems highly unlikely.

Curry remains a highly desirable commodity due to a lock-tight contract, his size, and his potential for a team like Cleveland. Cleveland's roster remains an assemblage of dreck surrounding LeBron.

If Curry is indeed Cleveland's target then likely trades will be two-way financials that exchange contracts beneficial to both teams with talent being a secondary concern.

An exchange of Curry, James, and Jeffries for Wallace, Snow, and a second-rounder would not be out of the question. Snow and James are dead weight on either end with Snow representing an instant buy-out for the Knicks.

Curry and Jeffries represent a significant talent upgrade for Cleveland.

Plastered at the Olympics

As I watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympic games, every onece in a while they would show images of W. sitting in the stands and he was just bizarre. He and Laura looked as though they were strangers to one another. At other times Bush sat with knees as wide open as Texas imposing on Laura and looking like a john at a bachelor party.

Now there are pictures of Bush looking totally wasted and needing significant help in... well, just standing or walking. Notice Laura's concern for W. Very strange stuff.

From Gawker:



From Dependable Renegade:

Attributed to: GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

Lucali's Pizza

Last week, on the Elba blogs, someone recommended Lucali's pizza in Cobble Hill.

The recommendation stuck in my head and Sunday I went into the city to pick up my wife and see the Abstract Expressionist show at the Jewish Museum [highly recommended as a rare though uneasy treat].

I decided to get a hold of Chip Stern who exchanged phone numbers with me. So I got into the city called Chip and lo and behold our schedules and itineraries are impossible to reconcile on this trip. But I ask him about Lucali's and he tells me he hasn't tried it yet but warns me it might be a sit down restaurant rather than a pizza place.

So Chip and I resolve all the Knick's problems in a long phone call and resolve to try sharing a slice and a beer some other time.

Needless to say, later that evening, a former Magi alumnus and I trek back out to Cobble hill where we shared an apartment and many adventures in the early eighties. The old neighborhood is doing great but it takes me a while to find Lucali's on Henry St because there's like zero signage. There's just a waiting line to get in the door.

So I get there first and I'm on the waiting bench with Lucali relatives who are visiting from out of state and the kids are decked out in Mets uniforms and an uncle arrives in a Yankees shirt and I'm feeling like I'm back in NY.

From the street though, Chip's description is ringing true - it looks like a restaurant rather than a traditional pizza joint. the location is a bit odd in that its stuck in the middle of a block instead of a more traditional street corner and, as I said, no signs at all identifying the place.

Once inside, Peter and I find out that its a bring your own alcoholic beverage venue that serves only pizza and calzones AND Peter loves the place all the while wondering how I could know it existed. Lucali's is an inside NY secret favorite. So I tell him I read about it on the Knicks blog and he's impressed.

The Lucali's pizza is very similar to New Haven's Pepe's pizza - generally speaking a wood-fired, thin flat bread shell topped with a delicious sauce and fresh whatever-you-like. In a word, DELICIOUS.

But what makes the place a treat is that the restaurant is set up as a performance space for the making of the pie. The chef prepares it on an old table lit by candles and the effect is ambient, cozy, and warm - a great place to eat.

Don't tell anybody or I'll never get in again.

As for the chef, he's wearing a T-Shirt that says, Italian Stallion. I'm guessing he's a Knicks fan.

I rate it five of five pies.

Tales From the Vomitoriam

The Courant updates us on Travis Knight.

Knight Moves
Travis Knight splits his time between Connecticut (East Haddam), Texas and Nicaragua, where he purchased a home and a boat and runs a small charter fishing service.

"I went there and I liked it," he said. "Turns out a lot of other people like it, too. ... There's some real estate stuff, but I'm trying to get out of that because it's not fun anymore. "

Knight last played with the Knicks in 2002-03. ...

ZBo to Memphis?

Quite frankly, I doubt it. Alan Hahn is suggesting that Memphis could use Randolph and that part is true but there aren't enough pieces to work, IMO. I have long thought that a more intelligent transaction might be at least Curry to Memphis for Milicic because both may thrive in a change of scenery.

A deal could be broadened of course but it gets harder to make sense.

As for ZBo, I don't want to see him traded this year but if he is there is one logical destination and that is Cleveland. Ben Wallace or Szczerbiak probably work straight up. Cleveland loved Weatherspoon years ago and Randolph is a better version.

Wally is done but has an expiring contract. Wallace is serviceable as a Curry backup making a JJ buyout feasible.

Why LeBron Leaves Cleveland

I couple of days ago, a photographer at an Obama "town hall" meeting decided that the Pledge of allegiance had to be recited for whatever reason possessed the fellow at the moment. So another blogger noted who this guy was and I spent a little time just checking out his profile.

In doing so I came across a comment that illuminates just why LeBron is more likely than not to be fleeing Cleveland at the end of his contract. The meat of the comment was;

Oh yeah by the way Forbes just named Cleveland one of America's fastest dying cities so lets just vote for lower taxes, no to school levy's, and yes to moronic debates like this one because it is clearly working for the city.

heres the link for that article:
http://www.forbes.com/2008/08/04/economy-ohio-michigan-biz_cx_jz_0805dying.html

Finally, I am 26 years old, born/raised in Cleveland, and trust me I would NEVER raise a family in this town the way it is now. LeBron and I are getting outta here ASAP haha (to whom it may concern: please save that witty homophobic comeback you were about to type in for another day). And one more thing OT: can we stop with the Cleveland Rocks thing, I mean my dad is 60 plus and doesn't even say Rocks anymore.

Anybody remember Randy Newman's Classic tune, Oh, Baltimore? Somebody better write one for Cleveland as well.

The Kevin Ollie Basketball Camp

I just wanted to follow up on my son's experience at the Kevin Ollie Basketball camp held in Windsor CT last week.

A year ago my son and his friends attended a similar camp and the featured player (who will remain nameless)never showed up nor really compensated for the slight.

So this year we weren't sure what to expect. In many cases, the player who sponsors the camp may do little more than show up for a pep talk on the last day or, if you're lucky, show up more than once.

On Monday morning I dropped off a carload of players and waited for their matriculation just to be sure everything was adequate. Within a minute of being there Kevin Ollie greeted me with a warm handshake, introduced himself, and said hello.

At the end of the day I asked the boys how the camp went. Did Ollie stay? What happened?

Turns out Kevin Ollie spent the entire day working with the kids (all of them - personally) on their games! Every kid had a story of what he said about this play or that. Every story a positive one!

This went on all five days. Ollie was there working with the boys.

Thursday Ollie invited a guest speaker, UConn center Hasheem Thabeet. On Friday a UConn assistant coach gave the lecture.

To make a long story short, the Kevin Ollie Basketball camp deserves a five of five star rating when parents are considering basketball training camps. This guy was just fabulous in working with the kids and delivering a positive memorable experience for the young men attending.

Finally, I want to urge any NBA team needing a backup PG to get Ollie back on the court and in the league. This guy is a classy, first-rate player that the league could use more of.