http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/story/13723772p-14566610c.html
NBA beat: What can Brown do for the Knicks? Only time will tell
By Martin McNeal
So, you've got a thing for questions? Look no further than the 2005-06 New York Knicks.
This is a team with a revamped roster and a recycled coach (Larry Brown) who brings a totally different approach to the game.
Beyond the ultimate question of whether the Knicks can make the playoffs for the first time since the 2000-01 season, others abound.
Knicks president of basketball operations Isiah Thomas hired the former Detroit Pistons coach, and how their relationship evolves will influence the direction and success of the team.
It also might determine the stability of a roster that now has a wealth of frontcourt size in comparison to what was a bunch of forwards attempting to play center last season. Brown has a reputation for loving a player at the morning shootaround, then wanting to trade him.
A few of the unknowns for the Knicks:
* Who will play point guard? Is it the undeniably talented Stephon Marbury or the also tremendously skilled, but maybe more erratic, Jamal Crawford? Both are known as shoot-first, shoot-second, OK, I'll-pass-now players.
Or will it be someone brought in from the outside, such as Cleveland's Eric Snow, who is defensively and playmaking-oriented in the mold Brown prefers of his point guards. Unheralded Thomas favorite Jamison Brewer, signed Friday, is far more of a defender and playmaker than a scorer. Should Brown opt to use Marbury and Crawford as shooting guards, it would not surprise to see Brewer running the show at some point.
* Can newly acquired 6-foot-11 center Eddy Curry maintain good health and develop into a post player capable of rebounding and defending as well as scoring? How will 7-1 Jerome James handle Brown's coaching style as well as the bright lights of New York City?
* Will explosive 5-8 rookie point guard Nate Robinson make an immediate impression on Brown, who historically has not utilized first-year players?
There is no shortage of media attention for the Knicks. And New York will play nine of its first 13 games on the road, including a visit to Arco Arena on Nov. 13 during a six-game West Coast trip, so some of these questions may get answered sooner than later.
Garnett sits out early
Minnesota star forward Kevin Garnett has played in 275 consecutive regular-season games, the third-longest active streak among active players.
Yet new coach Dwane Casey opted to sit Garnett during the team's first two preseason games as a precautionary move because of the versatile star's sore right knee. That same knee troubled Garnett last season, but Casey said the soreness was not comparable to last season's pain.
The decision to sit Garnett likely is not one that former longtime coach Flip Saunders would have made. But it seems to make sense to rest Garnett as much as possible while games don't count.
By the way, does it make you feel older to be reminded that Garnett, 29, is entering his 11th NBA season?
Jones, that's James Jones
With the league's most dominant young frontcourt player, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, expected to miss approximately four months following last week's microfracture surgery on his left knee, coach Mike D'Antoni might turn to James Jones as his replacement in the starting lineup.
James Jones, huh? Before the snickers begin, Jones, 25, played in 75 games last season for Indiana and started 24. The 6-8 athletic small forward shot 39.6 percent from the field overall and 39.8 percent from three-point range last season while averaging 17.7 minutes.
The Suns might not use anyone resembling a legitimate center in their rotation, so the up-tempo pace D'Antoni used last season to race to the No. 1 seed in the West might be even more prevalent this season. The difference, until Stoudemire returns, will be the absence of one of the league's best finishers.
Exit Reggie, enter Sarunas
The Pacers will be without future Hall of Fame guard Reggie Miller for the first time since the 1987-88 season, but they may have signed a reasonable facsimile thereof in 29-year-old free-agent rookie guard Sarunas Jasikevicius.
It's earlier than early, but the former Maryland point guard will not have a problem supplying offense to an Indiana team that has struggled at times to score. Jasikevicius is more of a playmaker than Miller, a shooting guard who retired after last season, but has three-point range and no reluctance to take big shots.
The 6-4 guard has done nothing but win during the past three seasons in Europe while leading Maccabi Tel Aviv to Euroleague championships in 2004 and 2005 after leading F.C. Barcelona to the same title in 2003. Jasikevicius also played prominent roles in Lithuania's success in international competition in recent years.
Jasikevicius must show he can defend point guards if he is to get consistent playing time there, but his size, strength and scoring ability also will enable him to play shooting guard.
Baseline jumpers
* Former Sacramento High School, Cal and NBA star guard and now local businessman Kevin Johnson has a semi-lookalike in middleweight champion Winky Wright. That's minus Wright's earrings.
* NBA Entertainment is spending a day with each squad this month to show the rigors and experiences of training camp. Monday, the crew will be in Sacramento to film the Kings with the show to air on Oct. 25 on NBA TV.
* Hanging in I: Mike Wilks came out of Rice in 2001 as an undrafted, little-known point guard and impressed virtually all observers with his toughness and ballhandling ability during a brief stint in the Kings' training camp. Wilks ended up playing for Huntsville in the NBA Development League that season. Wilks since has played for Atlanta, Minnesota, Houston and San Antonio, picking up a championship ring with the Spurs last season. Now, it appears that Wilks will earn a spot in Cleveland behind point guards Damon Jones and Eric Snow.
* Hanging in II: Philadelphia backup point guard Kevin Ollie began the 1999 lockout season with the Kings and now is receiving an opportunity to play with the 76ers under new coach Mo Cheeks.
* Five years ago, forward Corliss Williamson was embroiled in a salary dispute with the Kings. After stints with Toronto, Detroit and Philadelphia, Williamson on Tuesday night addressed the crowd at center court as a member of the Kings. The team was playing its preseason opener.
* Perhaps the most surprising face to see in a training camp (Detroit) this season is swingman Todd Day, the eighth player taken in the 1992 NBA draft out of the University of Arkansas. Among those drafted after Day were Robert Horry, Doug Christie, Jon Barry, Latrell Sprewell and P.J. Brown. Day last played in the NBA in 2001 with Minnesota. * Free agent Smush Parker has been the most effective point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. Whoa!
NBA beat: What can Brown do for the Knicks? Only time will tell
By Martin McNeal
So, you've got a thing for questions? Look no further than the 2005-06 New York Knicks.
This is a team with a revamped roster and a recycled coach (Larry Brown) who brings a totally different approach to the game.
Beyond the ultimate question of whether the Knicks can make the playoffs for the first time since the 2000-01 season, others abound.
Knicks president of basketball operations Isiah Thomas hired the former Detroit Pistons coach, and how their relationship evolves will influence the direction and success of the team.
It also might determine the stability of a roster that now has a wealth of frontcourt size in comparison to what was a bunch of forwards attempting to play center last season. Brown has a reputation for loving a player at the morning shootaround, then wanting to trade him.
A few of the unknowns for the Knicks:
* Who will play point guard? Is it the undeniably talented Stephon Marbury or the also tremendously skilled, but maybe more erratic, Jamal Crawford? Both are known as shoot-first, shoot-second, OK, I'll-pass-now players.
Or will it be someone brought in from the outside, such as Cleveland's Eric Snow, who is defensively and playmaking-oriented in the mold Brown prefers of his point guards. Unheralded Thomas favorite Jamison Brewer, signed Friday, is far more of a defender and playmaker than a scorer. Should Brown opt to use Marbury and Crawford as shooting guards, it would not surprise to see Brewer running the show at some point.
* Can newly acquired 6-foot-11 center Eddy Curry maintain good health and develop into a post player capable of rebounding and defending as well as scoring? How will 7-1 Jerome James handle Brown's coaching style as well as the bright lights of New York City?
* Will explosive 5-8 rookie point guard Nate Robinson make an immediate impression on Brown, who historically has not utilized first-year players?
There is no shortage of media attention for the Knicks. And New York will play nine of its first 13 games on the road, including a visit to Arco Arena on Nov. 13 during a six-game West Coast trip, so some of these questions may get answered sooner than later.
Garnett sits out early
Minnesota star forward Kevin Garnett has played in 275 consecutive regular-season games, the third-longest active streak among active players.
Yet new coach Dwane Casey opted to sit Garnett during the team's first two preseason games as a precautionary move because of the versatile star's sore right knee. That same knee troubled Garnett last season, but Casey said the soreness was not comparable to last season's pain.
The decision to sit Garnett likely is not one that former longtime coach Flip Saunders would have made. But it seems to make sense to rest Garnett as much as possible while games don't count.
By the way, does it make you feel older to be reminded that Garnett, 29, is entering his 11th NBA season?
Jones, that's James Jones
With the league's most dominant young frontcourt player, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire, expected to miss approximately four months following last week's microfracture surgery on his left knee, coach Mike D'Antoni might turn to James Jones as his replacement in the starting lineup.
James Jones, huh? Before the snickers begin, Jones, 25, played in 75 games last season for Indiana and started 24. The 6-8 athletic small forward shot 39.6 percent from the field overall and 39.8 percent from three-point range last season while averaging 17.7 minutes.
The Suns might not use anyone resembling a legitimate center in their rotation, so the up-tempo pace D'Antoni used last season to race to the No. 1 seed in the West might be even more prevalent this season. The difference, until Stoudemire returns, will be the absence of one of the league's best finishers.
Exit Reggie, enter Sarunas
The Pacers will be without future Hall of Fame guard Reggie Miller for the first time since the 1987-88 season, but they may have signed a reasonable facsimile thereof in 29-year-old free-agent rookie guard Sarunas Jasikevicius.
It's earlier than early, but the former Maryland point guard will not have a problem supplying offense to an Indiana team that has struggled at times to score. Jasikevicius is more of a playmaker than Miller, a shooting guard who retired after last season, but has three-point range and no reluctance to take big shots.
The 6-4 guard has done nothing but win during the past three seasons in Europe while leading Maccabi Tel Aviv to Euroleague championships in 2004 and 2005 after leading F.C. Barcelona to the same title in 2003. Jasikevicius also played prominent roles in Lithuania's success in international competition in recent years.
Jasikevicius must show he can defend point guards if he is to get consistent playing time there, but his size, strength and scoring ability also will enable him to play shooting guard.
Baseline jumpers
* Former Sacramento High School, Cal and NBA star guard and now local businessman Kevin Johnson has a semi-lookalike in middleweight champion Winky Wright. That's minus Wright's earrings.
* NBA Entertainment is spending a day with each squad this month to show the rigors and experiences of training camp. Monday, the crew will be in Sacramento to film the Kings with the show to air on Oct. 25 on NBA TV.
* Hanging in I: Mike Wilks came out of Rice in 2001 as an undrafted, little-known point guard and impressed virtually all observers with his toughness and ballhandling ability during a brief stint in the Kings' training camp. Wilks ended up playing for Huntsville in the NBA Development League that season. Wilks since has played for Atlanta, Minnesota, Houston and San Antonio, picking up a championship ring with the Spurs last season. Now, it appears that Wilks will earn a spot in Cleveland behind point guards Damon Jones and Eric Snow.
* Hanging in II: Philadelphia backup point guard Kevin Ollie began the 1999 lockout season with the Kings and now is receiving an opportunity to play with the 76ers under new coach Mo Cheeks.
* Five years ago, forward Corliss Williamson was embroiled in a salary dispute with the Kings. After stints with Toronto, Detroit and Philadelphia, Williamson on Tuesday night addressed the crowd at center court as a member of the Kings. The team was playing its preseason opener.
* Perhaps the most surprising face to see in a training camp (Detroit) this season is swingman Todd Day, the eighth player taken in the 1992 NBA draft out of the University of Arkansas. Among those drafted after Day were Robert Horry, Doug Christie, Jon Barry, Latrell Sprewell and P.J. Brown. Day last played in the NBA in 2001 with Minnesota. * Free agent Smush Parker has been the most effective point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. Whoa!
