Shoot Around (at Chicago) (The Knicks Fix)

One more road trip before a long-awaited homestand in December. My corporate card is sizzling in my wallet. My heart is heavy for having to leave a home I’ve hardly been in since October and see my son’s eyes well with tears as I pulled out of the driveway.

Turn the page. Just turn the page.

But you're thoughts will soon be wandering
The way they always do
When you're riding 16 hours and there's nothing much to do
You don't feel much like [writing]
You just wish the trip was through

I think of a friend of mine who once quoted The Godfather while he scolded me for wallowing in similar self-pity. “This is the life we chose, Fredo,” he said.

So an early morning workout, a little deep-dish at Giordanos, a walk along Rush Street and the Miracle Mile and I’m rejuvenated again.

* * *

Quentin Richardson said he’s out for tonight against the Bulls. The hamstring isn’t ready to push and LeBron James awaits tomorrow night in Cleveland. That’s enough reason to rest it another day.

So that means the starting lineup tonight will be interesting. Thomas flinched when he broke up the bench last week by starting Crawford, but now he has no choice. David “Double-double” Lee should get the start at power forward that everyone (other than Channing Frye) has been waiting for. I know you shouldn't lose your spot because of an injury, but Frye might never see the starting lineup again, at least not in a Knicks uniform. Opportunity awaits D-Lee.

And rookie Renaldo Balkman could be among the starters, as well. Balkman is becoming one of my favorite players to deal with. He’s just a funny kid and I don’t think he even means to be funny. He’s just enjoying himself right now and that’s refreshing to see.

* * *

If I'm a Knicks fan, I’m furious with Stephon Marbury for sulking under his towel while the rest of the bench was up applauding a desperate comeback attempt by his team Saturday against the Bulls. I know the captain thing doesn’t mean in basketball what it does in hockey, but if I were Isiah I’d strip that title from him. That’s inexcusable. That is what gets you booed. Everyone misses shots. Only some people totally miss the point.

I’ve said it here many times before, I don’t think Marbury is the lone reason for the Knicks 5-10 record, but his presence on this team doesn't make sense right now. You can see that he's trying to make himself better in other areas, especially on defense, but he is what he is: an offensive-minded guard. Thomas and the Knicks don't want a load-carrying guard. That's what Marbury is. He's trying to become a more well-rounded guard. It's a tough adjustment for a guy who has played 11 seasons in the NBA.

If it's not working, it's not working. You don't keep ramming the square peg into the round hole.

In fact, I asked Thomas point-blank in Minnesota why he chose to keep Marbury in the starting lineup instead of keeping Steve Francis there. What was it about Stephon’s game that earned the right to remain a starter while Francis should be relegated to the bench? His reply: “We’re still a work in progress and we’re still trying to figure things out. We’ll see how this goes. But we definitely have to find a way to get these two guys untracked . . . We definitely can get a little more out of them than we’ve gotten.”

If you asked me, I’d start Francis and Nate Robinson. Let Stephon and Crawford, who like playing together anyway, come off the bench together. Hell, I might even give Mardy Collins more of a look. At least you know the kid can defend.

And I'd call Kevin McHale. At least once a day. The T-Wovles have to do something to keep KG happy and in Minnesota after this season. I'd pay half the freight in exchange for a second-round pick and Marko Jaric or Troy Hudson.

Eventually, Isiah will have to make a decision.

* * *

In watching the Knicks-Bulls game on Saturday, I came away with this: the exact reason why the Knicks won in Boston on Friday was why they lost to the Bulls on Saturday. Eddy Curry. He was still strong on the post and got plenty of shots. The difference was the shots he hit against Boston didn’t drop against Chicago. That and his free throw shooting was awful. But Curry had a poor night shooting and it hurt the Knicks, who went inside to him.

For a 6-11, 285-pound man, he fades away a lot. I wish he would power in more, but then again, he’s got this excuse. And I can’t totally disagree with his thinking.

I guess his tentativeness in the paint is in fear of being called for those ridiculous offensive charges, which are just ruining the game. Watch tonight, Andreas Nocioni, whom I love as a player for the hockey mentality he brings to basketball, will slide in front of anyone driving to the hoop and fall on his back. Nine times out of 10 he’ll get the call. Good defensive position? That depends on your interpretation of this game. I think it’s one thing to bowl a guy over who is standing in one spot. It’s another to be on your way with a good power move to the basket and have someone slip in front of you at the last second and taking a cheap foul. I hate it and it has to stop. This game is unwatchable with that rule called the way it’s been called. You should not be penalized for being bigger and stronger than someone else.

That being said, Eddy needs to get himself closer to the rim on some of those shots. Break me a backboard, baby.

* * *

Final thought: Ben Wallace could wear a headband on my team any day, as long as he gets 12 boards and defends big men the way he can. It’s not like the guy is dying his hair blonde and kicking cameramen in the crotch.

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Shoot Around (at Chicago)

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