Oh, my aching back

I had back surgery in the late seventies - herniated disc, just what Gallinari's prognosis seems to be.

I've been fine since but I'm not a pro athlete. My guess is that Gallinari comes back fine but never quite develops into anything more than a nice role player. Not sure how long he'll last. i remember being in a hospital room with repeat customers. They told me at that time the back could be strong for a long time but that a simple trigger event like getting into a car or bending the put a log on a fire could re-injure the original disc.

Of course, Gallinari will be smart enough to strengthen his back and stomach muscles to do everything to prevent re-injury.

I hated the decision to choose Gallinari. Mostly it reeked of legal but questionable insider trading, D'Antoni being so close to Gallinari's dad. D'Antoni and Walsh probably thought it was no big deal - draft picks are all a crapshoot anyway.

But for long time Knicks fans, it hurt being just the next insulting thing in the seemingly endless parade of misfortune to plague our team. Knicks fans are seriously wounded. The NBA rules and conventions are designed to never let a NY team win again. For years the NBA was an elephant's graveyard for players with bloated contracts, injury, and ethical challenge to expire their contracts without lifting a finger.

Eddie Curry remains a poster-boy reminder of what it means to be a Knicks fan;

NY will offer a risky player the opportunity to shine and that player will visit the food court and never return.

Brutal. Guaranteed contracts must never again be agreed to. Ever. No play - no pay.

That brings us to this year's draft. I hope Walsh is smart enough to give Isiah a prominent seat at the table when decisions are being made draft and trade-wise. IZWT is still intact on this board. What others hated about Isiah's moves I have always applauded - he takes reasonable risks. Some pan out, others can be found at the food court but all are talented individuals.

There are a lot of players out there who deserve consideration. Steven Curry and Ty Lawson are high on my wishlist although I'm not sold on anyone.

I am NOT a Hasheem Thabeet nor A.J. Price fan. I follow UConn sports and I'm not impressed by either. Kemba Walker, OTOH, looks like gem in the rough. To hell with the free agent classes, trade for some picks in the next two years and target Walker as a must-have draft pick.

That's my $.02.