The January Meltdown

The Knicks just lost ugly to the T-Wolves. This follows losses to the lowly Wizards and only slightly less dysfunctional Raptors. All three games should have been wins.

With just two a a half weeks left to trade players, the Knicks need to act now to salvage any hope of a playoff run. And one must acknowledge that Walsh and D'Antoni have not necessarily made wise moves since taking the reins of the Knicks. Oh, yes, there is cap space a plenty but not a lick of common sense or flexibility.

It is no secret that Chris Duhon is not playing NBA quality basketball. Yes, he's a friend of Obama. Yes, he's a nice guy. We wish him luck wherever he's going - just get him out of here. He is single-handedly dragging the Knicks into the abyss.

Ditto for Nate Robinson. His window for adding value has come and gone.

And may Walsh be smart enough to move Milicic so that he can brood elsewhere.

Mike James of the Wizards has indicated a desire to play for the Knicks. A Darko plus cash trade for James works and hurts neither team. Of course broader possibilities exist but something that simple can help.

And sending Al Harrington, N8, and Jeffries to Boston for Ray Allen and Marquis Daniels allows some good guy Knicks a chance at a ring and gives the Knicks a chance at the playoffs without adversely affecting cap space.

And how about Mobley and Jordan Hill for Carlos Boozer?

Bring It On

I have refrained from commenting on the wins and losses of the recent past mostly to avoid getting too excited by a streak of games that seemed to indicate that the Knicks were playoff bound.

What we have seen, though, unlike in other years is a genuinely competitive Knicks team that quite honestly everyone wrote off as a renmtal team. These guys barring some serious impairment are playoff bound.

And I must say that last night's defeat of an angry (having gotten ripped off by Cleveland for two losses), talented Atlanta team n their home court is more than just an amazing victory. I think it signifies that this Knicks team may not be just one and done in a playoffs series.

Last night's game was surreal in the intensity of competition. Atlanta wanted to crush the Knicks and the Knicks down by 13 at the beginning of the fourth quarter not only went on to tie but to crush Atlanta.

This was the one of the best games the Knicks had played in a decade and it may be a turning point for the team.

Looking Ahead

From the calendar year's end, we can say with certainty that the ECurry/Darko experiment is a total bust. Drako appears to be a head case and Curry just a heartless tease.

Jonathan Bender, OTOH, is a mild pleasant surprise. A minor addition at this point but a welcome contrast to Darko and Eddie. Eddie is untradable until next season. Darko may have value in a larger deal as an expiring contract.

Duhon, despite some adequate recent outings is an unpleasant disappointment. What he does well he compensates with slow, dull poor play and lousy judgment. He is the darling of D'Antoni's (and no one else's) eye and therefore, in this writer's estimation, not likely to be traded but a party will be celebrated the day he's gone.

To date Lee is the team's MVP with honorable mention going to Jared Jeffries whose surprisingly strong play makes him a player this writer would hate to see traded, cap space be damned.

Wilson Chandler is playing fine ball. Time to trade him before his bubble bursts.

N8 and Al want to be here. Ho hum.

Gallo is turning into a fine BB player - a strong second fiddle to dLee.

Jordan Hill is trade bait.

Toney, an improving pine brother.

Larry Hughes is another player who I would love to see stick after this season ends. He's playing poorly at the moment but brings a lot of game to the game.

D'Antoni and Walsh are tiresome.

The 12-20 record is a slight disappointment, We should be closer to 18-14 but that's life.

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Bold predictions:

I expect T-Mac to get bought out in Hou and sign with the Knicks.

By the end of the trading deadline, Stephen Curry will be a Knick.

Gambling with the Game

The biggest story of the past year has not been about "amazing" happening because OMG it sure does happen. And the way it happens is through gambling.

david Stern has spent the last year promoting legalized gambling on games which is probably the sanest way for the government to get a piece of the action it is currently not getting a penny from.

But the larger shadow of gambling that casts a pall over the game are incidents like the one on Christmas eve, in which newspaper reports allege that Gilbert Arenas not only had a stash of guns in the lockeroom but other teammates did as well.

And, as if that incredible story wasn't enough, Arenas allegedly drew a gun on Teammate Jarvis Crittendon who was angry about an unpaid debt and Crittendon did what any civic minded citizen would do, he quickly drew out his own gun. This Roadrunner/Wiley Coyote - life is stranger than Saturday morning cartoons - satire fortunately ended in the two of them being investigated by the Feds.

And why not. Imagine the potential havoc that could play out if an unbalanced fan or player enters the locker room, discovers a handy weapon, and decides to shoot up the place and disrupt the officials who are manipulating the game's point-spread. That would piss off a lot of people.

Yes gambling is the past decades most reoccurring story for the NBA. If it's not Charles Barkley's debt, the Charles Oakley collection agency, referees who've rewritten the record and standings for who knows how many teams, now its locker room showdowns.

My, my, my. I'm willing to bet the next decade has got to get better than this past one.