We have injury news from the Knicks and training camp hasn't even opened yet....
Renaldo Balkman will be out at least a month after an MRI revealed he had a stress "reaction" in his right ankle along with a small cartilage injury. Balkman has been working out with some of his teammates at the MSG Training Center in Greenburgh for most of the past few weeks and told the medical staff that he was feeling pain in the ankle. A stress reaction is something that develops over time and isn't the result of one isolated incident.
We know Balkman has been putting in a lot of time working out this summer, from the IMG facility in Florida to the MSG Training Center. Somewhere along the line, the ankle took too much pounding and it started to weaken.
He'll be wearing a boot on the ankle when training camp opens in Charleston, SC on Tuesday and the Knicks say he'll be re-evaluated in four weeks. That means you can pretty much cancel him out of a majority of the preseason games, if not all of them, which is tough for the second-year player who figured to be in the regular rotation off the bench as a key energy player.
Nate Robinson was named the MVP of the Las Vegas Summer League, but you could say that Balkman was right behind Nate as the Knicks' top player in the five-game tournament in July. He shut down the likes of rookie stars Kevin Durant and Yi Jianlian and seemed to thrive in the role as a defensive stopper.
Balkman will go on injured reserve, so this doesn't alleviate the roster challenge. The Knicks still are two over the 15-man limit. Second-round pick Demetris Nichols is not yet signed, but expects to be by the time camp opens.
Comments (42)
SH*T!
hope the knicks doctors don't mess up again this time.
balkman and lee are key players...
It's just this organizations luck. Well at least it can be taken care of early on, and as Starbury fan pionts out the Knick's doc's better not fudge this one up. Also now Jefferies will have more burn to show us what he's got and perhaps we can get a decent look at Chandler and or Nichols.
That really stinks doesn't it?
I guess that answers the question of who will start at the 3. Looks like it'll be Jeffries. Unless Isiah makes a dumb move and puts Crawford at the 2 and Q at the 3.
Man, this stinks......yeah he's only out for a month but still. Does that make Balkman anymore tradeable? I'm not sure....somebody help me here LOL.
Did anybody read Lupica's.. article today?
I can't even deny it. He's probably one of the most talented writer's I've seen for a newspaper. Even though I think his bias against the Garden is rediculous...he is a great writer.
It still disgusts me how he let Larry Brown off the hook while he was here...but that's just me.
This is terrible news right off the bat, but i guess he'll be ready for the season if the diagnosis of 1 month is correct.
I've got a question for all of the Fixers cuz u guys are some of the most knowledgable cats I've run across when it cames to BBall. I've heard many times that LBJ has an incentive through NIKE to play in NY. Does this also apply to other players under the NIKE umbrella that play in smaller markets ?
This is good news. It makes it less likely that Isiah makes some desperate trade in the next month to change the subject from the trial.
WTF...can't we go one preseason without some sort of injury? Is this the same type of stress reaction that Lee had? If so, we're in trouble, because we all know the Garden medical is incapable of treating anything.
I'm not sure how the Garden staff can be responsible until a player reports that he has an injury. BTW Jefferies will NOT be the starter at 3. The shooters will be on the floor to start. Last year too many games the KNicks were down 0-10 as the guards
(Crawford) started off slow. Curry and Randolph both demand double teams so the shooter at SF will be key. You don't want Jefferies or Lee expected to make 10 open outside shots. Q will be there if healthy. I'm just glad there is a Knick story about the team instead of the trial
I absolutely hold the garden staff responsible for what happened with D Lee last year. I also found it odd that once NY was eliminated from the playoffs, that crawford ever saw the light of day again last season, since there was no point to risk putting him in to play.
nobody is blaming the doctors for the injury to balkman.
i will blame the doctors if they misdiagnose yet another player to the detriment of the team's longevity.
even with balkman out the starting five is still unclear because of Q, Jeffries and Jamal. only two of the three can start, and if you have defensive liabilities such as Curry and Randolph, then you have to think the two would be skilled help defenders. which is why i thought of balkman possibly starting...
d lee's injury started as something similar to this diagnosis and recovery time frame, then it ballooned into something monstrous. I just hope history doesn't repeat itself any more than it already has (see Jared Jeffries' injury at this same time last year).
just the way balkman plays the game with "reckless abandon" at both sides of the floor and above the rim, you have to be worried this guy doesn't land on somebody's foot or do something too crazy. they call him taz for a reason. hope it is just a minor injury because he is one of my favorite knicks.
First time blogger here...I'm thinking with Balkman's injury now would'nt it now be more of a reason for IT to go and make the Artest deal? You guys know more thatn I do here I'm just wondering.
In view of the many trade scenarios we've seen lately, this would be a good time to see how Reynaldo fit into a lifeboat drill scenario. In the lifeboat drill every player represents a plug in the boat. The question is if we lose Reynaldo will our Knick boat sink or even take in water? What is the real impact of RB. I dig the guy's game too much to be real objective. Going further in a trade scenario will inclusion of RB for an impact player (read Kobe/Artest) cause a negative impact to the team?
What sucks is that Jeffries will have to play more...which we don't want to see.
DNM - aha, we do disagree. I hated J-Jeff last year. In fact, if I ever had the statistical know-how to support it, I would swear that the Knicks % of scoring possesions drastically dropped any time he took at least one dribble. Regardless of whether he then passed, shot, whatever. I began to notice it half-way through the year, and was stunned by what I was noticing! If J-Jeff ever dribbled the ball, regardless of when ini the shot clock or anything like that, the Knicks rarely scored on that position. Trust me, its true.
With all that being said, I wanna give this guy a second chance. I have no real reason to believe it, but I feel like he is gonna have a good bounce-back year, and contribute solidly for our team. Justify the 30-mil? I doubt it. But be a stong contributor who helps our team (off the bench), I think so.
But...
Will I be surprised if he proves me wrong. No, not really.
Damn....
I was looking for Taz to do great things this year, possibly even competing for a starting job. I guess it's to early to stress (no pun intended), but all I can think about is D Lee's (it's only an ankle sprain) and my man Crawford's (one night he hits the winning jumper, and the next AM he's out for the season) situation.
For that I'm very skeptical. Somebody please tell me I'm acting like that over-protective parent.
It's bad news but that means Wilson Chandler gets an early chance to shine in the preseason. I already know what Balkman bring to the court. I want to see and know more about our rookie. More minutes for Nichols would be nice too.
Just a stress related injury. Nothing to jump off a bridge about. Much better than Oden's knee scraping surgery. Hopefully, the month of rest will mean he will have an early boost of energy when it comes time to tip off the regular season.
Adam-I want to see Jeffries succeed in NY, I really do. He gained a lot of respect in my book after the Denver brawl, but he just seemed so uncomfortable during the entire season. Maybe it's being in NY, or maybe it's that he's playing out of position. When he was in DC, he played a lot of PF. We are really loaded at PF, but maybe we can try him out there for a while to see what he can do.
DNM
Jeffries started at the shooting guard position. Shows how much you know.
:P
Just fooling with you, put the knife down!!!
prediction: gone are the days that the NBA "iron man" record for most consecutive games played will be broken.
weight lifting has simply become too much a part of training for the game. prior to the pistons' run in the late 80's, skills, quickness and finesse were a bigger part of the game. now we have guys spending X amount of hours in the gym lifting weights just to get bulky enough to go out there and not get pushed around. don't know what the average weight of a point guard is these days but I'd guess it is well over 200lbs. when steph came into the league he was an exception for his combo of strength and speed as a guard, now it seems guards are more like D Wade 212+ lbs. weight training is supposed to prevent injury, but it may actually facilitate injuries because of the physicality of the game.
balkman is bad example of my point because he is pretty skinny, but I do think the game has been changed with all the emphasis on player mass. Q would be a better example of my point.
Jeffries value grows indirect proportion to the orderliness and efficiency of the team as a whole. When everybody is in the right place at the right time on offense and defense, his game is the special sauce that makes it all mo better. No way he had that opprotunity last year, here's hoping those conditions obtain this year.
Balkman, on the other hand, is a difference maker. I guy who can block a shot, put it on the floor (TREEmendous handle for a big man) and lead a break with the brains to pull it out and hand off to a guard and the creability and athleticism to finish it himself is hard to come by. Get better SOON.
Depth, not redundancy, hello Chandler
Davonn don't start with the starting lineup again. Please.
I really don't want to hear about Jeffries either. He is a hack. Nothing more to say after 6 years in the league guy is averaging under 6 points per game. Please trade him Isiah, he is the definition of dead weight.
I thought James was the definition of dead weight. But damn, if Jeffries is dead weight, then what does that make James?
@ Willis..
As usual, well said.
You described the pre-Knicks Jeffries in your last post. His play catapulted the Wiz into a perennial playoff team. With the pieces when have currently, hopefully he can give us the same thing. Isiah knew what he could bring to this squad with all things being equal. Unfortunately, things werent't last season.
I for one wanted off with his head last season. Hopefully, we'll get the Jeffries we thought we would last year.
Beleive it or not James is more valuable than Jeffries. He is 7 feet and at least can pick up some fouls on Shaq and Yao and other centers who can't shoot free throws. Even if he bangs with them for 5 minutes he is big enough to distract them and maybe force a foul here and there. That can be very useful in a game.
@ Rush...
"Davonn don't start with the starting lineup again. Please".
LMAOOOOOO...I feel ya on that one...
"He is a hack"....
We used to call em' "butchers" back in the day...
Speaking Jeffies being a butcher....
Does anyone realize Jeffries' is the one that initially injured Houston's knee in 2004?
I remember that fateful night......
i did not know that Bronxboy in Md. so the man ended his career and took his #20 on the knicks. I like him already.
anyone know how d lee go injured last season? I KNOW how frye got injured.
I suppose all of you guys thrive on your jobs and never have any set backs LOL......
The way you guys treat Jeffries, even after Alan has given you proof that he's been working out this summer kills me. You guys act like he didn't get set back. He missed the most games for us last year out of all our injuries. The guy got hurt in preseason and was out the first 20 something games....then he got suspended for 5.
Maybe one day I'll be able to excel at my job the way you guys do...then I can start being critical of other people doing their jobs LMAO......
You guys know I'm kiddin around.
Jeffries will be our starting 3 whether we like it or not....especially with Ro Ro going down.....
Like I said...he was supposed to start for us last year but he got hurt.
I prefer to have Ro Ro off the bench anyway along with Jamal and Lee.....gives us a big advantage over other teams benches.
Banged knees happen when you play ball. Are we going to hold that against Jeffries now?
Would you still hold him responsible if Houston signs with the Nets?
The starting line up will be
Marbury
Q
Jeffries
Zach
Curry
That's defense (Q & JJ) and offense (Zach, Curry) so it's balanced out. Steph can be the one to balance both ends of the floor.
Yes, everything is Jeffries fault.
LOL JK, sorta anyway.
@ Starburyfan...
Yep....Jeffries beat him up and took his number....
He's a bully!!!! LMAOOOOOOOO
Seriously, how ironic is that??
@ DaVonn...
"Banged knees happen when you play ball. Are we going to hold that against Jeffries now?"
C'mon man, we just bloggin....we know it was just an accident. He was cuttin' off the baseline and put his knee out of bounds....
hmmmmmmmmm....nah, just bloggin....lol
Seriously, we need him to play that same kind of irritating, velcro, butcher-type D for us. If he does, he'll be the "special sauce" on the Knick burger, so to speak.
If not....off with his head!!!
cool video of Conley dribbling from the Grizz
BARF,
Checked out the video...that kid has crazy handles. The pistol would be proud.
That was truly impressive.
Rumor has it, Ricky Davis is being coveted by another "HOT" team. Guess which?
My favorite West Coast team News:
Don Nelson speaks. He went as far as to say that he expect Italy's Marco Bellinelli to replace JRich in the 2 slot of the starting lineup. Fire!
By the way, for the poster who said "nobody expected Golden State to get to the second round"...ummm.
HUSH YO MOUTH!!
You got a guy sitting right here blogging with you that you warned you all about 2 months early. Then I reminded ya'll a week before the playoffs. YeaaYeaiii!
*dancing around in a circle*
Yeah boy!!! All praise to me!!!
Thank you, thank you. You're all too kind. Please... you can all sit down now. You're embarrassing me.
GS outmanned Dallas all year last year. It wasn't that hard to see. Then again, I stayed up 'til 1am to watch those West Coast games so I don't blame people for not knowing. I suffered for it at work the next morning. I do it cuz Baron's the man.
BxBoy in MD
Yo. That video got me dreaming about spending the winter indoors practicing all that sh!t. I can dribble nice with both hands and pass with the left nice, but DAYUMN!!!! Even with the small slip ups he maintained the exercise and kept his dribble smooth.
I'll be checking him out this year too. The Grizz have got my interest. Darko, Pau, Pau's friend Navarro, Rudy Gay (who I really like, no homo, pun intended) and Conley? Should be an interesting mix.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In other news, the Celtics continue signing players...now it's Esteban Batista and Dahntay Jones.
They must really be set on the PG position belonging solely to Rondo. I can only hope that blows up in their face.
Injury to Taz Devil
hurts energy level
off bench. Jeffries
will likely back-up
Q-Rich at small forward, but W. Chandler and D.
Nicholas could see
some early season
playing time--Chandler is
better defender,
Nichols better
shooter. Knicks
should be o.k. No
need to panic and
make hasty trade.
I believe Knicks
can carry 16 players
on regular roster
with one player on
inury list (Balkman)
Can someone verify
number of regulars +
injured under this
year's NBA regulations? This
may open temporary
spot for Brian
Green who deserves
a serious look
and who can play
either 3 or 2 spot.
Jerome James will
likely be odd man
out--especially if
he is again out of
shape at start of
training camp. Knick depth will
prevail. KFL
BARF,
I know what you mean...I had a pretty tight handle back in da day, could take you with the right or the left....but dayum....it was NOTHING like that!!
I agree, the Griz is gonna be pretty entertaining this season. They have a bunch of young guns. Rudy Gay has the makings of a star. His HS squad (Montrose Christian) played my son's HS team...watched him give em' a "cool" 48. Didn't break a sweat.
Also agree with your take on puttin' all they're eggs in Rondo's basket. Don't know what they're thinkin' on that one....it's doomed for failure. Hell, he isn't even a pure pg.
BALK IS ONLY OUT FOR 4 WEEKS HE WILL BE READY FOR THE START OF THE SASON!
I'm sure he's going to do everything humanly possible to keep himself in the best shape possible, despite the boot. Youth is also on his side.
If ever a player that could miss preseason and still be ready when it counts, it's Taz!!!
C'mon season....
Why let the Post Up Prince
be the only one to use
funny formats
When we talk about
the Knicks
we dream of them
bringing Playoff Wars back.
Be it raw raps,
Balkman or
the new Power Forward Zach...
the Fixers come up with
something new
to bring ya all back,
everyday...
catch up on the convo
to see what New York got to say.
Sometimes we get carried away,
talking trades or
even changing names
just to make it easier
to stalk a lame...HA
We all caught up in the game
of basketball and
not ashamed to admit it.
Some put up essays
and discuss life
some just post
"Lets go Knicks", that's it,
cuz they wit' it.
Some, you can tell,
take a stupid dumb long time
to make sure what they've written down is precise...
some dudes take a minute
but pack a punch like Mike
in the prime of his life.
Welcome to all the newbies
and the vets alike.
Big up to Alan Hahn
for making his blog
a spot that invites
Knick fans
like cheese does mice.
You'll be the man
this year and rule
New York City...
but please, OH PLEASE,
do it with objectivity.
Or you'll spend next summer with drossman and Mark.
hex on you
Oh my gosh.
Read this about our boy (or what could have been our boy) Marcus Camby.
His wife had a premee that weighed 1 lb 5 ounces.
Great story
The Good news is that Crawford most likely played for about one month with what balkman has now! So I'm glad the Knicks are being over protective with Taz! He'll be ready for the real season!
What ya'll fenna (fixing to dependign on where ya from) read here is not for the regular mind. It's for that NY state of mind--the one that questions 911 and all those NYC employees going away for fraud/economic type crimes. Peaceman, HOZ, Willis, BARF, MDs--ya'll know what's good.
Balkman's injury means that IT et al. have determined that he's RTG for the season and WILL NOT include him in any deal. He's burning w/ our side 4 sure. It could have been plantar fasciitis but that injury is reserved for "Snacks". So now if Sac or Suns wanna get down, they can talk about the other cats because no player has ever been traded with a published/ known/declared injury.
JohnQ--It was me who pointed out the trade kicker LBJ has with Nike. Kobe had it too before the Colorado "set-out" (back door forced entry). The kicker says that if the player goes to a market like NY, Chicago, LA, then the shoe company throws in $100 million. It explains why LBJ could come to NY when he's up even if we're over the cap. The difference would be paid (tacitly) by Nike. Drunk Dude Peter Vexation leaked that scenario and it had the lil' general fuming (at lil' Anthony, and the rest of the NY media for blabermouthing). That's why I often suggest Fixers keep their intel on da DL until it is done. Not sure if there are other players with those kickers. I would imagine that Agent 0 is covetous of this kicker.
By my comment, I'm not pining for LBJ or covet OTPs; I'm just bloggin'.
Sure we will miss out on the chemistry that will evolve between Balk and the rest of the fellows. The unknowns right now are: James, N8 @ 1; Q's back; Lee/Crawford recovery; DNice vs. Houston resolution. With plantar, stress, bunions, turf toe, etc. the NYK will be able to manage the roster w/o having to do any precipitous move/trade ransoming the future of the empire IT is building in NYC.
KFL