Knicks

[Kam]

I prefer driving but I catch flack for driving in. Especially if i'm going to have any beers etc.  It was actually cheaper to pay the $15 train fare than drive in when you factor in combined over $9 in tunnel and turnpike tolls along with $20-$30 for parking.

[bodiddley]

Unless you've got some spiffy wheels, there is (or was) street parking in the evenings.  Weekday evenings mid-town empties out, weekends had parking down in Chelsea and the Village.   But even just cruising around for 10+ minutes you can/could usually find someone pulling out.

Snow flurries here, which is unusual.

[KBY]

Hell yeah Biz

[exmachina]

Kam: Anybody with the opportunity to mess around on a daily acting basis with Karen Mc.. (who plays Duchovny's wife on "Californication") gets a pass from me on the issue of sex addiction. If she isn't the most beautiful woman on TV, then he has a bevy of other beauties.

My point is that you could probably call most adolescent boys sex addicts, and growing up moderates it to the extent of surpressing raging hormones. There's a reason pornography is number one on the internet charts.

There's a nice piece in a recent New Yorker on the subject of depression. The author (Menand, I think) breaks down the approaches to treatment into psych, meds and and spiritual - the last being a recognition that there's plenty to be sad about in the world, and being depressed may be a thoroughly rational response. He's not dissing either an interior, psychological formulation or a chemical imbalance, just saying, "Look at the world, ye mighty, and despair."

It's worth considering that there's too many labels and conditions which are no more dispositive than "the flux" or "humors," but provide us with convenient cubbyholes for placing our stuff.

[rembee]

Gallo is averaging 15.3 points/36 min as basically a 21 year old rookie. Given a normal growth curve he'll likely top out at as a 17-20 points/36 min player. He is clearly more than a 6'10" Eddie House, which is what I think when I hear "3 point sniper off the bench."

Well, maybe try thinking more of a 6'10" Jeff Hornecek.

I see Gallo's inconsistency as more of an indication of his limited game than some inherent "streakiness" to his nature.  His only go-to play on offense is his 3-pt shot, and he wasn't going to keep shooting those at a .450 pace.  David Lee's jump-shot is better than Gallo's, which I think was jinxed when D'Antoni said it was the best he'd ever seen.

He is more of a "receiver" on offense than a "distributor", and while he has a good handle and is a decent passer for a man his size, he doesn't stand out among guys who play his position, and I don't see that particular aspect of his game changing much.

I can't dive into this right now, and I don't want to bash the kid.  I just think the "blue chip" question is valid, and I thought it was funny than nagel was dismissing it after Gallo's one good game in the last 20.

[godot]

You don't want to do what you're doing? 

Then why don't you stop?

Gallo, is in effect a rookie.  Yes?

Following several rookies in the box scores this year, all most all of them hit the "rookie wall".

Even, your man Jennings.

This is the first time around the league for these guys, and it has been discovered that the job is very, VERY tough.

It's one of the reasons some coaches (D'Ant) don't like depending on rookies.

Gallo, in case you haven't noticed, has developed a drive to the basket mentality.

Go to NBA.com for his most recent highlight.

The kid is going to be a #2 option or a #3, depending on who Donnie can convince to join us this summer.

[Biz]

Gallo is averaging 15.3 points/36 min as basically a 21 year old rookie. Given a normal growth curve he'll likely top out at as a 17-20 points/36 min player. He is clearly more than a 6'10" Eddie House, which is what I think when I hear "3 point sniper off the bench."

For me the biggest question is consistency. Have we seen just some rookie hiccups or an undisclosed injury or two, or is it in the nature of Gallo's game to go long stretches of games where he doesn't make a big impact? Can he bring something every night or is his game inherently streaky? That will decide whether he's a legit 3rd option for a contender or more of a wild card off the bench.

All legitimate questions Tom. But looking at your first sentence, do you think Gallo is going to average those numbers if/when the Knicks become a contender?

In addition to consistency, if Gallo is indeed blue chip he needs to find a way to contribute on days his shot is off. He tries on D, which is good, and he's a willing passer, but I can't say I notice in him much on those all-too-common 2-6 shooting days, even if he is running for 34 minutes.

That having been said, he did guard Johnson for much of the night which couldn't have been an easy assignment.

Glad Johnson sounds like he wants to stay in Atlanta. I don't think he'd be a huge upgrade over say Chandler.

More irresponsible posting.


Chandler's block was breathtaking.

[Kam]

The Bobcats are another team with an awful contract they might like to rid themselves of, that being Desagana Diop’s monstrous deal that extends to the 2012-2013 season.  A swap of Curry ($11,276,863) for Diop ($6,478,600) and D.J. Augustin ($2,540,400) just works under CBA rules, and would yield the Knicks $2,731,467 in cap savings, while adding a young point guard with a skill set very well suited for D’Antoni’s system. The Knicks could send the Bobcats $3,000,000 in cash to offset the extra salary they add this season, and free up future salary allowing them to sign Raymond Felton to a long-term deal.

[bodiddley]

Gallo, is in effect a rookie.  Yes?
Following several rookies in the box scores this year, all most all of them hit the "rookie wall".

I don't think rookie wall is something we should really consider.
I mean Gallo was with the team last year, did the travel, was at the practices, saw the grind and effort/conditioning needed.   Also had a chance to scout the league and learn from the vets.  So Gallo is only an advanced rookie, or sort of in between the two years == a sophman.  A fresh sophist.

[godot]

Fair enough Bo.

I'd just like to point out watching is not the same thing as playing against, and how hard can one practice with a bad back.

The speed of the game is incredible and and only be experienced on the court.

[tomverve]

All legitimate questions Tom. But looking at your first sentence, do you think Gallo is going to average those numbers if/when the Knicks become a contender?

I do. Gallo's current usage rate is 18.5%, which is sustainable even given a big influx of talent. (If everyone shared the ball perfectly evenly, they'd each have a usage rate of 20%, adding up to 100%; on the Lakers, even with Kobe pulling in a massive 32.6 usage rate, they've still got Bynum and Gasol putting up usage rates around 20.) So, even if we added say LeBron and Bosh, Gallo would still have ample opportunity to be as involved in the offense as he is now, if not more so. Factor in all the open looks he'd get playing off of a star or two, which would increase both usage and efficiency, and I think it would be realistic for him to do some heavy damage as a third option.

[tomverve]

I'd be quite pleased with a 6'10" Hornacek btw. If that means an 18-19 PER, 40% 3FG, 87% FT, and 18-19 points/36, plus Gallo's hustle and block and steal per 36, I'll take it. Horny could ball a little bit.

[nagel100]

rem

overall your posts exude well thought out insights.

on gallo you are off by a country mile.

it has been pointed out that he is basically a rookie and basically growing into his body.  that is true.  just a sniper?

the first shot of the game was a driving 2 hand dunk by our 'so called sniper'

that was not a mirage,  he has exceeded my expectations when it comes to the one thing  i thought he was deficient. his handle.  he has improved his handle or i simply never saw it.  he has a good BB IQ.  it is improving as we watch.  did tmac come in the league at 21 with his curent IQ?  hell no.


Gallo is 21.  let me repeat that.  gallo is 21.  he absolutely can be a third option and he has a sensational future in front of him.  at 26 years old we won't remember this conversation at all.

that begs the question to me  Gallo or wilson?

gallo is my choice and i'd move wilson for a point guard in the off-season if we sign a legit swing man like lebron or Joe johnson.

i'll say it again.

Wilson for Rubio.  sign james and Camby.  keep lee and Tmac with discounts.


Rubio/Tmac/James/Lee/Camby/Gallo/Walker/Tony

make up a nice 8.

add in another big off the bench and a scorer at the vet. min.

[bodiddley]

Speed of the game? 
It's like soccer out there for Gallo, standing around and hoping someone kicks the ball out to him.  Mostly kidding, I think.

But I like Nagel's question ...
If we're only going to keep one of Gallo and Wil ... choose one.

I see Wil as a starting SF, prototypical size, pretty good two-way player.
Needs to be more assertive, but so does Gallo.
Wil is cheaper now, but goes off his rook contract sooner.

It's a little tricky, since we don't really have a clue who we are building the team around, or what next year's roster will look like (though it's likely to include both Wil and Gallo)

But try it -- are you a Wilsonian or a Galilean?

[tomverve]

I think Wilson last season to Gallo this season is the fairest comparison-- both 21 years old, both sophs with very sparse experience as rookies.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=chandwi01&y1=2009&p2=gallida01&y2=2010

They're pretty much even in terms of rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, usage. The big difference in the box score is that Gallo can score efficiently but Wilson, not so much. This season Wil's TS% has improved a smidge-- not by virtue of shooting better, though. His FT% is the same and his 3FGA have dropped nearly by half, 3FG% down 50 points. So he's elevated his TS% just by taking to the basket more instead of jacking up 3s and long 2s. Still, for a player whose bread and butter is taking it to the hole, his percentages should be better.

So, almost identical box scores, advantage to Wil on D (hard to quantify, but no difference in blocks or steals), advantage to Gallo on offense. I'd take Gallo. I think Gallo can be better on O than Wilson can on D, whereas Gallo's D is probably on a par with the quality of Wilson's O.