Knicks Morning News (2015.06.05)

  • [New York Times] Cavaliers Laid Low by Missed Opportunities, Irving Injury (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 06:08:06 GMT)

    LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers promised to “make some adjustments” after several missed opportunities cost them Game One of the NBA Finals to the host Golden State Warriors on Thursday, losing 108-100 in overtime.

  • [New York Times] Warriors 108, Cavaliers 100: With Overtime Surge, Warriors Squeak By (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 05:53:09 GMT)

    The Warriors slipped past LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to take Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals.

  • [New York Times] Cavs Lose Game 1 of Finals, Kyrie Irving to Injury (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 04:56:34 GMT)

    The frustration on Kyrie Irving’s face was evident as he spoke to the media and then buried his head in his hands.

  • [New York Times] Warriors Beat Cavs in Game One OT Thriller (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 04:49:54 GMT)

    The Golden State Warriors, led by the league’s Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry, drew first blood in the best-of-seven NBA Finals with a thrilling 108-100 overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game One on Thursday.

  • [New York Times] The Latest: Cavs’ Irving Being Evaluated by Team Doctors (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 04:32:56 GMT)

    The latest from Game 1 of the NBA Finals:

  • [New York Times] Bucks Unveil Arena Deal (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 04:13:45 GMT)

    Taxpayers would pick up half the cost of a new $500 million arena for the Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said.

  • [New York Times] NBA Says ‘No Suggestion’ of FIFA-Style Corruption in Basketball (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 03:43:54 GMT)

    NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said on Thursday that the biggest scandal to ever hit soccer’s governing body will lead all sports federations to revisit how they do business.

  • [New York Times] Roundup: Silver Addresses Playoff Themes and a Dramatic Void (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 02:59:09 GMT)

    Commissioner Adam Silver was hoping for a classic finish starring the Cavaliers’ LeBron James and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry, despite a lack of playoff drama for almost three weeks.

  • [New York Times] Problems Accompany W.N.B.A.’s New Success (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 01:27:06 GMT)

    The W.N.B.A. opens its season this weekend, looking to move past an off-season filled with controversy.

  • [New York Times] Bevo Francis Dies at 82; Scored 113 Points in College Basketball Game (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 00:55:57 GMT)

    In 1954, Francis scored 113 points in a single college basketball game, setting an N.C.A.A. record that stood for nearly six decades.

  • [New York Post] J.R. Smith hoists 3 after 3, but loses his touch (Fri, 05 Jun 2015 02:01:06 -0400)

    OAKLAND, Calif. — J.R. Smith certainly wasn't a treasure in Game 1 of The Finals. The ex-Knick sniper lost his shot in the second half, missing all six of his…

  • Knicks Morning News (2015.06.04)

  • [New York Times] Steve Kerr and David Blatt Reached N.B.A. Finals on Unconventional Paths (Thu, 04 Jun 2015 09:00:23 GMT)

    The series will be a matchup of Kerr and Blatt, first-time head coaches whose personal histories have forcefully crashed the borders of conventionalism.

  • [New York Times] Five Things to Know From NBA Finals Practices (Thu, 04 Jun 2015 06:46:18 GMT)

    They talked about ending championship droughts, starting new traditions and building legacies.

  • [New York Times] Essay: A Team With More Twists Than the Cuyahoga, and Just as Much Grit (Thu, 04 Jun 2015 01:50:05 GMT)

    After a struggle of a season, filled with slumps, spurts and injuries, the Cavaliers enter the finals with a city’s hopes on their shoulders.

  • [New York Times] Keeping Score: A Golden State Warriors Fan Tries to Look at the Series Objectively (Thu, 04 Jun 2015 01:33:41 GMT)

    I have to admit that when it comes to the Golden State Warriors, I am a fan of the most emotional and irrational sort. As such, I am having trouble analyzing the N.B.A. finals.

  • [New York Post] J.R. Smith: I ‘absolutely’ feel Knicks discarded me like trash (Thu, 04 Jun 2015 02:59:58 -0400)

    OAKLAND, Calif. — J.R. Smith finally explained his Instagram post that appeared to be a dig at the Knicks after the Cavaliers knocked out the Bulls in the second round…

  • [New York Post] Former Knick David Lee’s circuitous journey to NBA Finals (Thu, 04 Jun 2015 02:18:33 -0400)

    OAKLAND, Calif. — After all the down years with the Knicks and losing days with the Warriors, it would seem bittersweet for David Lee to enter his first NBA Finals…

  • Knicks Morning News (2015.06.03)

  • [New York Times] LeBron on His Game: ‘This Is Probably the Best I’ve Been’ (Wed, 03 Jun 2015 07:37:06 GMT)

    LeBron James listened to a question he’s been asked in the past and began processing.

  • [New York Times] N.B.A. Roundup: Fred Hoiberg Is Hired to Coach the Bulls (Wed, 03 Jun 2015 01:55:17 GMT)

    Hoiberg, long rumored as Tom Thibodeau’s replacement, had a 115-56 record at Iowa State, winning back-to-back Big 12 tournament titles.

  • [New York Post] Iman Shumpert’s strategy for stopping Stephen Curry (Wed, 03 Jun 2015 00:56:34 -0400)

    CLEVELAND — LeBron James said during the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta that former Knicks guard Iman Shumpert, now his Cavaliers teammate, will make an All-Defensive Team "very soon.'' Whether…

  • Knicks Morning News (2015.06.02)

  • [New York Post] The longtime friendship that could’ve landed Blatt with Knicks (Tue, 02 Jun 2015 00:30:41 -0400)

    CLEVELAND — Knicks general manager Steve Mills doesn't view Cavaliers rookie coach David Blatt as a European/Israeli instructor trying to make it in the NBA. "I think he's mischaracterized because…

  • [New York Times] AP Source: Bulls Plan to Introduce Hoiberg as Coach (Tue, 02 Jun 2015 03:04:39 GMT)

    The Mayor is moving to Chicago.

  • [New York Times] Isiah Thomas’s Bid for Liberty Is Scrutinized (Tue, 02 Jun 2015 01:57:46 GMT)

    A committee of W.N.B.A. owners is examining a petition for partial ownership of the Liberty by Thomas, who was the subject of a sexual-harassment lawsuit while with the Knicks.

  • [New York Times] Warriors’ Andrew Bogut Seems Content With Role Defined for Him (Tue, 02 Jun 2015 01:39:41 GMT)

    Bogut, Golden State’s center and a former No. 1 overall pick in the N.B.A. draft, has been a rim-protecting rebounder for a team not always recognized for its stingy defense.

  • What If… With the 4th Pick The Knicks Draft: Frank Kaminsky

    With the order of the draft being settled, the writers of KnickerBlogger thought we’d go over the possible outcomes. But since we were whipping out the ol’ Crystal Ball, we decided to go a little past June & see what fate possibly has to offer…

    2015 Draft Order
    1 MIN Karl-Anthony Towns
    2 LAL Jahlil Okafor
    3 PHI Willie Cauley-Stein
    4 NYK Frank Kaminsky

    Whatif-Kaminsky

    What happened on Draft Day 2015

    With the 4th pick in the draft, and three big men off the board, New York went with the trend and selected the 6-11 Frank Kaminsky. The fans were stunned at the turn of events, and when the selection was announced, they booed heartily. The hometown crowd even began chanting “Fi-re Jack-son!” during the draft telecast. In the coming days, Jackson gave numerous explanations for the selection: “Kaminsky was the best player available”, “New York needed a big man”, “the point guards available were inexperienced and didn’t fit the triangle”, “Frank the Tank would be a great locker room presence”, “he could play the 4 or 5”, “Kaminsky had a complete overall offensive game”, etc.

    Fans weren’t pleased with Kaminsky’ low ceiling, mediocre athleticism, and questionable defense. With a less valuable pick they might have appreciated the Badger, but with the 4th overall pick the Knicks faithful wanted a sure-fire future All Star. To make matters worse, after New York’s pick the Celtics made a trade, giving up the 18th pick this year and a first rounder next year to the Orlando Magic in exchange for the 5th overall pick. Boston was high on D’Angelo Russell, was shocked to see him fall that far, and happily gave away more assets to acquire him.

    What will be written on draft day in 2018

    Although the New York Knicks just missed out on the 1st overall pick, they should have plenty of options available to them with the 3rd pick. This situation is similar to what happened in 2015, when the Knicks landed the 4th pick in the draft lottery. Since this might be the last draft the NBA has, and so much has changed since that time, let’s recap.

    After the Knicks landed Kaminsky, the team became the butt of jokes across the nation. Before the season even started, late night comedians were yucking up New York’s poor judgement. The laughs had just about died down, when Hilary Clinton joked about the matter in what she thought was a private luncheon. While talking with an aide, she mentioned that “the Knicks are really dumb for taking that Pollock” and quipped “maybe he shoots a Ski-Hook? Get it?”. Unfortunately she was being video recorded by a local family, and the press got their hands on the file.

    Although she tried her best to reverse the damage, the scandal grew exponentially and Hillary couldn’t recover. On the other hand, Scott Walker used the incident to his advantage. The Wisconsin Governor gained national prominence defending Kaminsky and attacking Clinton for her racist and snobbish views. Walker crushed the rest of the GOP field in the primaries, and defeated a then shell-shocked Clinton in the national election.

    As for Kaminsky and the Knicks, Frank developed into a good scorer and a healthy rebounder. The forward-center wasn’t a great help defender, but overall his contribution on that end of the court was positive given his solid one on one play and defense on the perimeter, including the pick & roll. Unfortunately many of Kaminsky and Melo’s talents overlapped which didn’t give the team much of a bonus. Additionally, Jackson opted to spend bo-ku bucks on Monta Ellis, a move which also failed to address their weaknesses. For a year or two the Knicks were entertaining on offense, but a train wreck on defense. There was that Christmas Day Game in 2016 where the three each scored more 35 points, yet the team suffered a 151-143 OT loss. Of course in Boston, Celtics fans will remember the game as the one D’Angelo Russell dropped 39 points and 28 assists on the Knicks.

    Last year injuries to ‘Melo and the lack of depth sent the team into a downward spiral from which they were unable to recover. Hopefully the team can get a top level talent in the draft to team with Kaminsky, and then use the cap space they’ll have from the eventual departure of ‘Melo to grab another All Star.

    Off the court, President Walker replaced Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Fred Thompson, because he was “a big fan of Law & Order.” In early 2018, Walker was able to make all unions illegal, which meant the NBA union was forced to disband. Team owners have been talking of doing away with the current system of free agency, guaranteed contracts, and drafts, although it is unknown at this time what they’d replace it with.

    In any case with the third pick, the Knicks have a lot of options, much like how I now have to chose how to use my government vouchers. I could send my kids to school and fix the broken street light at my corner, or do I save my Walker Bucks in case the police or firemen need to come to my house? Similarly the Knicks could opt for a point guard, an athletic forward, or one of the centers available …

    WhatIf-PrezWalker

    Knicks Morning News (2015.06.01)

  • [New York Times] Ohio Homeboys: Superstars LeBron, Curry Both Born in Akron (Mon, 01 Jun 2015 07:22:15 GMT)

    Welcome to the Rubber Capital, where car tires first rolled, the Goodyear Blimp took flight and two bouncing baby basketball prodigies were born less than four years apart in the 1980s.

  • [New York Times] Essay: Betrayed by the 76ers, a Warriors Fan Is Born (Mon, 01 Jun 2015 01:44:39 GMT)

    Two devastating trades by the author’s hometown basketball team caused him to look elsewhere for a franchise to support, and he found one in California.