The Knicks Fix

I woke up to blinding sunlight shining into my hotel room and realized I fell asleep watching TV and SportsCenter was now on. I heard a familiar voice from the past: it was Barry Melrose. He was saying something about first place and the Islanders. And then added, “The Islanders are for real.”

I must have been dreaming. ESPN talking about hockey? The Islanders in first place? A mullet on TV in 2006?

What’s next, the Knicks heading into their MSG opener tomorrow with a 2-0 record? Do I now need to look up the last time this team was two games over .500?

We’ll see about that. First they have to deal with yet another home opener on the road, this time here in Atlanta against the improved and very athletic Hawks.

Lots of side drama, with Larry Brown’s brother, Herb, working as an assistant coach on the Hawks bench. Expect to read in tomorrow’s papers plenty of Herb Brown offering some insight on his brother. Herb pointed out that this is the first time Larry has started a season without a team.

Hawks coach Mike Woodson is a Larry Brown pupil who coached under Brown with the Detroit Pistons. Yet he was also Isiah Thomas’ teammate for one season at Indiana and they have remained friends. Woodson said it is a bit awkward, but he’s not involved in the soap opera between the two.

Tabloid drama aside, the Knicks face a difficult defensive challenge tonight against the Hawks, who have dynamic Joe Johnson, perhaps one of the most unheralded players in the NBA. Josh Smith is electrifying. Speedy Claxton, the former Hofstra guard, is very tough to defend but even tougher when he’s defending you. And if you run-and-gun with this team, it could get ugly. Sloppy and yet spectacular all in the same play.

Thomas said he’ll either put Steve Francis or Quentin Richardson on Johnson, but their job isn’t really to stop him. “He’s going to get 25-to-30 regardless of who we put on him,” Thomas told me. It’s just a matter of making him work for it.”

Thomas said his bigger concern was “Who the hell you put on Smith?”

I suggested rookie Renaldo Balkman, who is very athletic and perhaps is the one healthy player on the roster that could keep up with Smith.

Thomas didn’t seem too comfortable with that idea.

“For a minute, but it really depends on the energy of the game,” he said. “It’s either all or nothing at that time.”

Watch tonight for Channing Frye. Let’s see if he can rebound – literally – from his unimpressive performance in the opener. Frye needs to put more attention on the glass, especially on the offensive boards. Tonight he’ll need to jump with the Hawks’ athletic frontcourt and keep them from dominating the boards.

With a back-to-back situation, expect to see more substitutions and more rest for the regulars when Thomas can afford it. Balkman, David Lee and even Kelvin Cato (who played 11 seconds in the opener) should all put in some extra work, especially if the Knicks can get themselves a decent lead.

Speaking of which, we teased Thomas this morning about avoiding any drama tonight. No overtimes, no blowing big leads. None of us want to go through that again any time soon. He laughed.

“I’ll take the 19 point lead right now,” he said, “and I’ll do my best to hold onto it. But I’ll take the 19!”

Probable starters:
Knicks – Marbury, Francis, Richardson, Frye and Curry
Hawks – Claxton, Johnson, Smith, S. Williams and Pachulia