Now that he’s in the news as a recent inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, quite a few rumors have been floating around regarding Chris Mullin and his next professional move. Last week, Donnie Walsh reportedly said his great regret while serving as general manager of the Knicks was not grooming Mullin as his natural successor. When you think that Walsh wasn’t in office for the better half of three years, this statement might be seen as silly. Successor? How on earth could a successor be prepped in three short years? Walsh was busy excavating a devastated salary cap situation, courting the greatest player alive, and figuring out how in the hell New York Knicks basketball could be made relevant once again. Hardly enough time to teach, right?

Now Mullin has reportedly said Walsh is on his way back into the league. The comments here sound a bit forced and taken out of context. But where the situation stands, it would have been nice to have Mullin leading the way, succeeding Donnie Walsh but with no grooming taking place. While serving as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations in Golden State, he put together one of the most overlooked teams of the past 10 years—the Baron Davis led group which bested Dallas in an infamous first round upset. He knows basketball and how to put together pieces that fit. I suppose the point here is sure, it would’ve been great to have Chris Mullin serving as the successor to Donnie Walsh. But it didn’t turn out that way. So why are we still talking about it?

Twitter: @BucketsOverBroadway

Well, that just happened. Donnie Walsh is the Knicks general manager no more, and with this shocking news comes skepticism and uncertainty for New York basketball’s future. The next GM, the next coach, the next draft pick, the next free agent signing, the next trade; Walsh’s departure will have a snowball effect on the franchise. With the news, Jim Dolan has made the unthinkable his trademark, which is to say when unthinkable decisions are made they should henceforth be referred to as “A Dolan”, or in the verb form, “Dolaned” and “Dolaning”. As in, “Wow, I can’t believe Pittsburgh’s manager just intentionally walked Cincinnati’s pitcher with the bases loaded. He totally Dolaned that one.”  (more…)

Shawne Williams was probably the biggest surprise of the season for the Knicks.  Before the season began, there probably was not one Knick fan who even knew who Shawne Williams was.  Williams became a very important member of the team and potentially a very useful player in the future.  He is a free agent and will certainly look for a pay raise far above the $885,000 he made last season.

Williams really came out of nowhere for the Knicks, but it is not like he had no ability.  Williams was a first round pick of Indiana in the 2006 draft (17th overall).  After 2 years with Indiana and 1 with Dallas, Williams was traded to the Nets and then found himself out of the league after being released.  Still very young (24), former Knicks president Donnie Walsh felt it was worth a shot to give the former first round pick an opportunity.  Walsh was familiar with Williams as he was the one who drafted him back in Indiana. Now that Walsh is out as team president, it will be interesting to see if the Knicks are still interested in bringing him back. (more…)

Why the delayed announcement?

Because the give and take was not completed until last week, I’m informed. Late changes were made by Walsh and approved by Dolan. Once Camp Cablevision’s required “six signatures” (I don’t think my source was being facetious) are on the dotted line, apparently sometime this week, the deal will be done, if not publicized.

Clearly, the new arrangement will give Walsh the control to finish the Knicks’ renovation the way he sees fit. If there was any uncertainty about that it would have demonstrated Dolan did not want him back. That would have shoved Walsh into retirement.

Twitter:@BucketsOverBway

In case you missed it, Alan Hahn wrote a wonderful, slightly depressing piece on Donnie Walsh, his daily routine, and all the pros and cons of returning to manage the Knicks for another two years that he’s weighing internally. New York needs Donnie; he’s as invaluable as any players on the roster (especially in the offseason) and his experience can’t be discounted.

I can say this with conviction: Walsh wants to finish the job here. This will most likely be his last stop, which is something he’s suggested before. The plan was to build this team into a championship contender and leave a legacy in New York, where it all started for him in the Bronx, at Fordham Prep.

The time in New York hasn’t been easy, no. He endured three surgeries, for starters. Yes, the Isiah thing hung over the franchise for a long time and there were suddenly a lot of cooks in the kitchen when July 2010 came around.

He has until June 30, but what is there to decide? It has been widely reported (first by our old pal, Ken Berger at CBSSports.com) that James Dolan plans to offer Walsh a two-year extension. But there has to be more than just a standard two-year deal in place here. There has to be some kind of retirement strategy, that includes a transition of power to Walsh’s successor, whom he would groom along the way. Walsh may also remain under contract after his tenure as president ends to be a well-paid advisor. Then he can live back at home with Judy in Indianapolis, which has to be an appealing result.

Courtesy of The Post’s Marc Berman:

The deadline for Knicks owner James Dolan to exercise the option on team president Donnie Walsh’s final contractual year passed yesterday without a move, meaning the Knicks president likely is in store for a spanking-new contract extension instead, likely two years. His only concern was regaining control as No. 1 decision-maker of basketball operations, believing too many voices were in Dolan’s ear, even outside the organization. The Post has learned that, beyond Isiah Thomas’ informal conversations with the owner, celebrity superfan Spike Lee also had Dolan’s ear and lobbied hard for the Knicks to keep rookie Landry Fields out of the Carmelo Anthony trade.

If true, good news, obviously. Walsh is the man who raised the sails, lifted the anchor, and pointed the Knicks ship in the right direction when he took over a few years ago. Granted his draft picks have been borderline brutal, but Walsh’s precise incisions into cap space were swift, necessary, and intelligent. Extending him for two more years is huge as the Knicks enter another league shifting free agency period next summer. Walsh is a master at manipulating the cap and has shown what his expertise can do. I, for one, am a huge fan.

What I most like about this article is the Spike Lee influence. Not saying that’s definitely fact but how ridiculous and comical is it if it were? It’s like Jack giving input on L.A.’s decision to trade Bynum or Penny Marshall telling the Clippers they’ve gotta get rid of Baron Davis because his beard’s too loud. Not sure how Spike manages to keep Landry Fields, but then again nothing Dolan does will surprise me.

Yeesh. Make the jump to to read Amar’e's further explanation of these comments.

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The Knicks are 7-9 with Anthony and still struggling to find success with ’Melo and Stoudemire on the court together. Anthony has never had to sacrifice in his career, but he does now. He ought to take a good, long look at Stoudemire, and see the way he’s reinvented himself with the Knicks. Stoudemire’s transformed everything because it was important to him. He hated the labels as a non-leader, an uninspired defender and rebounder. For now, the Knicks need Anthony to accept the notion that his sloppy, scattered and selfish basketball is intolerable. As one Eastern Conference assistant coach said: “He has a career worth of bad habits. They weren’t going to change in a month.”

Yikes, that doesn’t sound good. The article goes into further detail on the chances Donnie Walsh returns to Indiana (a strong possibility) and Isaiah Thomas’ influence is mentioned numerous times as the likely replacement (shudder). Reading this as a Knicks fan is one step above brutal and one step below long term depression. Last night the team didn’t just play poorly when it mattered, they broke down mentally; there wasn’t any issue with them being vastly inferior in the big book of talent, more a questionable lack of will that contributed to the loss. Carmelo Anthony is taking a large brunt of the blame which isn’t entirely fair. Last night he had a particularly hot shooting hand, played serviceable defense (for him) through three quarters on Paul Pierce, and had his eye busted open trying to make a steal in the game’s crucial sequence. So it goes in this league and in this city, that the star gets all the blame and all the accolades depending on who wins and who loses. It isn’t fair and it isn’t right, but instead of publicly crying “training camp” during the season’s stretch run, Anthony needs to man up even when the loss doesn’t fall under his wing of responsibility. It’s the price he must pay as a superstar in New York, and whether or not he can handle it will ultimately decide how he’s judged by the league’s least forgiving fan base.

Carmelo Fell And He Couldn't Get Up (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

* “We just got to a point there, I just thought we just panicked,” [D'Antoni] said.

* The losses are tough right now, but Zach Lowe says hold off your judgement on the Melo deal, for now.

* ”It was a bloodbath,” Rivers said. “And I thought it was beautiful.”

* Aww shucks. No Earl Barron after all.

* The blame game snowball is beginning to roll down the mountain.

* Will the Knicks have Chauncey next year? It’s absolutely crucial they sign him.

* Wise words from the Knicks’ best player in last night’s game.

* The Boston perspective, it makes things even tougher to swallow.

Reason Numero Uno

Today the Knicks announced that last night’s telecast against Milwaukee saw their highest viewers in 16 years.

From NBA.com:

The Knicks said their 114-108 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday earned a 6.75 household rating, easily topping the previous high this season, a 3.61 for the Boston Celtics’ visit Dec. 15.

It was MSG’s highest-rated Knicks telecast in the regular season since Jordan’s first return to Madison Square Garden after his first retirement, when he scored 55 points in a Chicago victory.

The Knicks are averaging a 1.62 rating through 52 games, a 60 percent increase over the 1.01 at this time last season.

Nobody wants to drop the dreaded B-bomb (bandwagon) on basketball fans in New York, but can you honestly blame anyone? The Knicks have been an atrocious, poorly run franchise for 10 years, and thanks to the hard, shrewd dealings of Donnie Walsh and the attractive playing style instituted by Mike D’Antoni, this is a minor gleam on what should be a successful and radiant beam of light.

Clearly, we all know about the story that has developed over the past week or so since Howard Beck of the NY Times penned this piece back on January 31st. Donnie Walsh, who has been the driving force behind rescuing the Knicks from the depths of NBA/Isiah Thomas hell the past  2 1/2 years, is in contract limbo. He has an option for 2011-2012 that James Dolan must pick up by April 3oth or his current deal will expire on June 3oth. The enigmatic Knicks owner has not talked to the media in four years and his PR lackeys have given no comment on Walsh’s tenuous contract situation.

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Mike D'Antoni was dejected after our last loss, but maybe it's us fans who should be dejected with him.

Josh Sage gives his second, more in-depth, view of the New York Knicks’ loss to the Boston Celtics:

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Danilo vs. Carmelo: a spirited battle of ridiculously Italian first names. (Source: Interbasket.net)

After failing to get LeBron James in the off-season, followed by a pre-season loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, things looked bleak this summer, but what a difference a few months makes.  Antony Marino takes us through the lows of our past, up to the highs of our present (without using drugs):

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The Knicks need to get a second star. ...Or do they already have him? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

New Buckets writer Joshua Sage talks about how the key to the Knicks winning a championship is having two studs, and how to make that happen:

Jordan & Pippen.

Shaq & Kobe.

Robinson & Duncan.

The perception amongst the media, fans, NBA GM’s and players, the unwritten rule, is that a title team needs two stars to carry the team to victory. All three duos listed above have all won multiple titles, so maybe they’re right. To that end, teams around the league have paired players together in an attempt to create that dynamic for themselves.

Deron Williams & Al Jefferson in Utah.

Carlos Boozer & Derrick Rose in Chicago.

Dwayne Wade & LeBron James in Miami.

These are the modern day duos meant to carry their teams to a championship. The first for the Jazz, the seventh for the Bulls and the second for the Heat. But who the hell cares about them, lets talk about the Knicks!

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Melo ain't looking too committed to Denver, but how can we get him here without carving up our own team? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

New Buckets writer, Joshua Sage, has the following thoughts on the continuing Carmelo Anthony saga:

Ever since Chris Paul made a toast at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding, proclaiming his (alleged) desire to form his own big three with Amar’e Stoudemire and Melo, the New York media has been swarming around Carmelo Anthony like vultures over an injured animal.

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New whispers of Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks... for the 17th time. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Sorry things have been sparse here lately but I’ve been traveling, and now it looks like it’s possible a certain Carmelo Anthony also could travel to the Knicks.  A few weeks ago, it seemed like his trade to the Nets was a sure thing.  Even after that fell through, many journalistic idiots (like say, me) propagated the unfounded rumor that the Denver Nuggets were bitter with the Knicks and refusing to listen to us.  But it turned out, shockingly, that they weren’t running a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars as though they were spiteful five-year olds who when they get mad cover their ears and won’t listen.  They just weren’t enamored with the options we offered them.  According to ESPN.com, things have now changed:

The offers the Knicks have proposed have always centered around packages including Anthony Randolph, the expiring contract of Eddy Curry and a first-round draft pick they would acquire from a third team, and New York has softened its stance on including forward Danilo Gallinari in a trade.

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If Timofey Mozgov doesn't work as center tonight, maybe it's time for Amare to strap it on and man the middle. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

KnickerBlogger interviews New York Times writer Howard Beck who intelligently wonders if perhaps we should move power forward Amar’e Stoudemire over to center?

Mike Kurylo: Speaking of Amar’e – is he really going to play the 4 exclusively, primarily, or occasionally? What’s your take from what you’ve seen in practice?

Howard Beck: That’s a great question because over the last week or so, watching Turiaf struggle a little bit and watching Mozgov flash between promising and foul prone I’ve been thinking about that same thing. And I’ll ask Mike D’Antoni about that today when I get there. In Phoenix, the Suns were widely successful with Amar’e as their so-called undersized/non-traditional center, and I don’t know why the Knicks can’t be successful as well. I think they have to (try) a banger/traditional center next to Amar’e to help him out and keep him out of foul trouble. But I think there is a lot of merit of playing it the Suns way – which is go undersized at every position and just outrun the other team up and down the court. You know there are only a few true centers who are scoring centers in the league anyway, so it’s not as if Amar’e Stoudemire is going to just sit there every night and get banged on by low-post/back-you-down centers. There just aren’t many of them anymore. I think we’ll end up seeing Stoudemire at the 5 a lot, but I think Mike D’Antoni doesn’t want to start that way. He’s inclined to, if he can, keep Amar’e at his natural position.

Personally, while I’ve enjoyed pushing all the Mozgov Could Be Great propaganda, I just have a hard time picturing him being a big contributor for the first few months of the season (if not longer).  Initially I’d actually assumed that we’d eventually realize we needed to move Amar’e to the 5 spot not just because both Moz and Turiaf are more 10-20 minute guys rather than starters, but also because we’d be itching to give Anthony Randolph more minutes.  Even though we’ve mentioned Randolph in the center conversation, he’s really more suited to play power forward or small forward.  Which are the ideal positions of probably our two best players in Stat and Danilo Gallinari, thus limiting the backup minutes available.  So I assumed we’d need to play Stat at the 5 to allow Randolph more time.  The problem is Randolph’s been so mediocre in training camp/pre-season, the coaching staff correctly hasn’t been searching to get him more minutes.  Perhaps he’ll grow more comfortable as the season goes on and will work his way into the starting line-up.  Beck, however, predicts that we will indeed move Amare over eventually, but it will be to get Kelenna Azubuike in at shooting guard.

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Move over Felix and Oscar, there’s a new, even odder couple in town.  Former Knick fan fave Anthony Mason makes one think of hustle, toughness, solid defense & rebounding, making the most out of one’s limited abilities, and surprisingly intelligent passing.

Words to describe Eddy Curry?  Indifferent, lazy, poor defender & rebounder, never fully tapped his incredible abilities, and a guy who’d rather turn the ball over than pass it back out to a teammate.

No, these two guys are not developing a sitcom or reality tv show (although I’d pay big bucks to watch that).  Instead, according to the New York Post

The Knicks have enlisted former Knicks defensive stalwart Anthony Mason to work with Eddy Curry and try to motivate him to save his career, The Post has learned.

Mason, a former Knicks forward who embodied the team’s defense and toughness from the 1991-1996 glory days, wore a Knicks coaching shirt yesterday and appeared briefly on the court. But mostly Mason’s work with Curry will be behind the scenes, in the weight room where they will be workout partners.

Curry, who could be cleared for practice in the next two weeks, is out with a right hamstring strain, but the Knicks also want him to lose more weight and Mase is on the case.

Curry was not permitted to go to Milan and Paris, partly to work out with Mason.

Mason, out of Springfield Gardens, is trying to get back into the league as a coach/special instructor.

[Knicks President Donnie] Walsh said the Curry idea made sense because Mason, also trying to drop a few pounds, already was using the team’s practice facility to work out.

First, let me apologize for mistakenly writing and bashing Curry for not going to Europe to bond with the team.  It had been reported that he had chosen to stay behind which I thought was a big mistake because it would only further alienate him from his new teammates.  Second, I’m impressed that Walsh hasn’t given up on Curry since nearly everyone else in the world has.  Honestly, as the Post says in their first line, if Mason is able to turn Curry around, it would more save Curry’s career than help the Knicks.  So that’s a pretty nice move by Walsh.  Third, along those same lines, since Mason is trying to break into coaching circles, this is also a pretty generous move on Walsh’s part to give him his shot.  If anything, this seems more like a really nice goodwill move rather than an intelligent basketball decision, but since owner Jimmy Dolan is made of money, who cares?  Fourth, Anthony Frickin’ Mason and Eddy Curry together????

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Over at SportsIllustrated.com, Ian Thomsen does an Atlantic Division preview with a very dispiriting view of the Knicks chances.  Naturally he lists the Celtics as the top team in our division, but sadly we come in fourth out of five, only ahead of the Toronto Raptors, but with Philadelphia at number two and New Jersey at number three.  While my hopes have dimmed a bit after our first two pre-season games (although I’m hoping our performance tonight will renew my faith — particularly you Ray Felton), if we end the season behind both those teams I will be really, really, really, really, really, really bummed.  I’m talking really, really.  Here’s the summary capsule, but there’s also a video preview of the Knicks at the link:

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Lastly, on an even more depressing note since it’s about real life and not fluff like basketball, NBA Fanhouse tells this sad story:

Former New York Knicks captain Ray Williams was driving away last week in his faded, 1998 Chevy Tahoe, finally regaining possession again after it sat in the transmission repair shop for almost a year, waiting for him to scrape together $2,900 to pay the repair bill.

He was beaming. It was one proud moment for a homeless man.

[...] The triumphs of “Sugar Ray,” Williams are dramatically different today.

Williams, now 55, was once the toast of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden, where he captained the team that won 50 games during the 1980-81 season, more than any other Knicks team in a 15-year span. He earned his nickname because of his laid-back manner and his sweet style of play, averaging 20.9 and 19.7 points in back-to-back seasons.

A year later, he helped the cross-river New Jersey Nets open a new arena, leading them in scoring, through a 20-win improvement and into the playoffs. In the final game of the regular season, he scored 52 points against Isiah Thomas’s and Bill Laimbeer’s Detroit Pistons, setting a franchise scoring record that still stands today.

Rookie Landry Fields (L) has shown he may be able to play in the NBA. However, Andy Rautins (R) has been eh. Should we write him off as dead weight (no offense intended to you, Eddy Curry) (Source: Yardbarker.com)

A few days ago I linked to an article that claimed the Denver Nuggets wouldn’t pursue Carmelo Anthony trade talks to us because they believed the Knicks had inappropriately engaged in back channel conversations with Melo during the summer.  As some pointed out, it oddly wasn’t pointed out what we’d done, leaving us confused and surprised.  We’re not alone.  RealGM reports Knicks’ President Donnie Walsh had this to say about the Nugs giving us the cold should ‘cuz they think we’re big ol’ cheaters:

Does Coach Mike D'Antoni think Danilo Gallinari can get any better? See below. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

What are Amar’e Stoudemire’s expectations for the season?  Probably the same as many Knick fans.  ESPNNewYork reports:

Stoudemire said he thinks this season it is the playoffs or failure.  “Anything less than [the playoffs] would not be a success.”

[...] Not making the playoffs could cost Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni and president Donnie Walsh their jobs.

[Stoudemire also said,] “my dedication is to the city of New York. I came here when the Knicks were down and out. I think the Knicks fans feel the exact same way about me. I think they have my back.”

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Slogan finally coming together?

It’s 2:15 AM but I’m still awake for the reason all NBA fans are; Melo updates. I’m still holding out this deal falls through for the shear reason of him going to the Nets. I don’t know if I can handle seeing the two best scorers in the league going to rivals in the same offseason. Alas, all signs point to Melo ending up in New Jersey and there is one person to blame; DONNIE WALSH.

Walsh has done a great job of clearing cap over the past few seasons, but it now looks like all that came from it was Amare Stoudemire and easily replaced role players. After Walsh moved Randolph and Crawford Knicks fans, like myself, began to grow optimistic about the future but after today I can’t say I’m content. The Knicks are not contenders and likely won’t be for a while. The lack of first rounders really and the way this team is currently put together could potentially cripple this franchise yet again.

With the way this team is put together we can expect a 7-10 finish in the East this season, and if we wind up making the playoffs we’re still getting bounced in the first round and go into the offseason without a lottery pick. There are no more stars to put around Amare going forward and all signs point to us becoming a watered down Phoenix Suns of a couple years ago.

Walsh has turned this team into an average team with no room for growth. There are no first rounders to build around Amare and have to hope Amare can carry this team all season long, which isn’t going to be an easy task.

All in all, Walsh knows his plan failed and the Knicks are in position to be just about where they were when they last made the playoffs as a 7th seed in the East.

Ronny Turiaf (shown here rejecting Baron Davis, aka Boom Dizzle) could be our starting center. But on the other hand, couldn't he remain glued to the bench? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Yesterday, in Part I of this preview, we discussed how Coach Mike D’Antoni tends to prefer a shorter rotation (meaning a bunch of our 15 person roster won’t see the court) and what types of players excite or disgust him.  One new note, based on a press conference that D’Antoni and Knicks President Donnie Walsh held (which Buckets reader Brendan linked to in the comments section of Part I, and which Chris Sheridan and many others have reported) is that apparently Coach is enamored with Timofey Mozgov after seeing him practice in person for the last few days:

“Have to see how he adapts to the NBA game, but at 7-1, 270 pounds, he’s maybe our most athletic guy, that runs, that’s a great guy, that has great hands and knows how to play,” D’Antoni said. “(Watching him) I’m like, ‘Yeah, what am I missing?’ So I’m happy with him and excited about the possibility. We have a lot of guys we should be excited about the possibilities.”

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Wilson Chandler, aka Wil The Thrill, has been one of the few good Knicks the last two years. Will he be a starter again this season, or could he >gasp< find himself glued to the bench? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

With a few days before training camp and positional battles begin, today we discuss who will likely be the Knick starters, part of the rotation, and the bench boys.  We have considerable depth, but as we said when discussing previews from other sites, Coach Mike D’Antoni has consistently shown himself to be someone who likes a short rotation.  Why?  A combination of it being easier to develop chemistry amongst a smaller group and the fact that he literally doesn’t seem to trust lots of players.

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Today we examine many fans' most hated move by Donnie Walsh: hiring Mike D'Antoni. They might not like our opinion on the subject. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

We’re now on the last lap of our Donnie Walsh analysis.  We’ve gone over his Drafting ability (which earned him a zero), his Trades (a nice +3) and his Free Agency Signings (another +3).  Today we look at the remaining qualities under the amorphous title of General/Other, which includes just two large elements.  Honestly, I’ve now forgotten some of the things I was gonna examine in this section, so forgive me if I don’t include something important.  I should’ve jotted down quick notes when I started this endeavor but I never remember that I tend to never remember things.  It’s a curse.  I think.  I don’t remember.  But probably it has been.  Anyway, The rules again:

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Walsh may get credit for snagging one of these All-Stars, but he definitely takes a hit for losing out on the other one. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

We’ve already evaluated Donnie Walsh based on his Drafting ability in Part I, resulting in a big ol’ zero, meaning he was neither particularly good or bad.  In Part II, when we discussed Trades, he definitely performed well, scoring a +3.  Today we’ll examine perhaps the most important aspect of his legacy so far: Free Agency.  For many execs this doesn’t play a huge role, however since Walsh’s stated goal from Day One has been to clear cap space for a run at the max players this past summer, then it’s only fair that this should be a hugely significant factor in his evaluation.  Once again, reprinting the rules:

1. I don’t believe in negative Monday morning quarterbacking, so I don’t punish people for making decisions that were widely held to be smart at the time, but ended up working out poorly.  Meaning if LeBron James breaks his leg in seventeen places in a car accident tomorrow and can never really play better than an average player again, I can’t fault Pat Riley for signing him down the road.

2. I do, however, believe in giving credit for decisions that seemed poor/insignificant at the time but turned out great.  When the Suns reacquired Steve Nash from the Dallas Mavericks, many pundits felt they overpaid due to Nash’s back issues and age.  Two MVPs and many amazing seasons later, it’s clear that was a good move.

3. Draft-wise, in addition to no negative Monday morning quarterbacking, I also don’t believe that if someone makes a pick that turns out surprisingly great, you can’t fault all the other teams for passing on the guy.  Like Isiah Thomas gets kudos for finding David Lee at #30, but since no one thought he’d be as good as he ended up being, I can’t penalize all other 29 teams for passing on him.

4. For each positive thing, I’ll add some points (the # of points will depend on how big a thing it was).  Similarly, for each negative decision, I’ll subtract some points.  We’ll keep a rolling tally.

Free Agency Signings

December 2009 – Jonathan Bender

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Somehow Donnie Walsh was able to get rid of Jerome James (center). It's appropriate that the first photo that came up features him surrounded by food. Also in the pic are former Knicks Jerome "Mad Dog" Williams, Antonio Davis and actor Dennis Quaid. (source: Yardbarker.com)

For those who missed it, we had Part I of our evaluation of Donnie Walsh yesterday, in which we examined how he’s done in terms of drafting.  The rules again:

1. I don’t believe in negative Monday morning quarterbacking, so I don’t punish people for making decisions that were widely held to be smart at the time, but ended up working out poorly.  Meaning if LeBron James breaks his leg in seventeen places in a car accident tomorrow and can never really play better than an average player again, I can’t fault Pat Riley for signing him down the road.

2. I do, however, believe in giving credit for decisions that seemed poor/insignificant at the time but turned out great.  When the Suns reacquired Steve Nash from the Dallas Mavericks, many pundits felt they overpaid due to Nash’s back issues and age.  Two MVPs and many amazing seasons later, it’s clear that was a good move.

3. Draft-wise, in addition to no negative Monday morning quarterbacking, I also don’t believe that if someone makes a pick that turns out surprisingly great, you can’t fault all the other teams for passing on the guy.  Like Isiah Thomas gets kudos for finding David Lee at #30, but since no one thought he’d be as good as he ended up being, I can’t penalize all other 29 teams for passing on him.

4. For each positive thing, I’ll add some points (the # of points will depend on how big a thing it was).  Similarly, for each negative decision, I’ll subtract some points.  We’ll keep a rolling tally.

At the end of adding and subtracting points in the Drafting section, it all ended up back at zero.  today This piece has gotten longer and longer, so we’re gonna break up the second category, Trades/Free Agency Signings, into two parts, getting rid of that slash.  Today we’ll do Trades, tomorrow Free Agency, and then probably Friday the last category of Other/General.

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Donnie Walsh (right) may be smiling about signing Amar'e, but should we be smiling or frowning about Walsh? (source: Yardbarker.com)

The Knicks have spent the last two years (losing and) preparing for this summer, so any evaluation of Donnie Walsh before then was pointless.  It’s still impossible to give a definitive evaluation as he’s wisely set us up with cap space available next year as well as young talent (Danilo Gallinari and Anthony Randolph) that are still developing.  Sure, you can argue that any team can always improve, does that mean you can never give out a final evaluation until the person’s tenure is finished?  No, but for instance, teams like Milwaukee, Atlanta, Dallas, the Lakers and many other teams are over the cap and thus don’t have that much room to significantly change (although actually with Milwaukee since they have the still developing cornerstones of Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut it would be too premature to judge them at this point).

A few things about how I evaluate GM/President-types like Donnie Walsh:

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Isiah could change his name to Mr. Kotter and Knick fans still wouldn't say welcome back. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

In a move, that despite being foreshadowed for a month, still seems incredibly shocking, the Knicks have rehired Isiah Thomas.  His position is that of consultant, and the team announced his duties are to “assist the team’s senior management in various capacities, including player recruitment.”  For those who instantly stopped paying attention to bball news this off-season after LeBron announced he was taking his talents elsewhere, you may’ve missed the revelations that Isiah had apparently been working for the Knicks behind the scenes.

Not only was he for some reason sent to give a last-second pitch to LeBron on behalf of the Knicks (insert your own joke here about how that convinced LBJ he’d made a good decision to not come to NY), but word was that he also played a role in successfully recruiting Amar’e Stoudemire to join the boys in Orange and Blue.

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Anthony Randolph is thrilled to be out of Don Nelson's doghouse in Golden State, with a chance to finally explode in the Big Apple (Source: Yardbarker.com)

The proposed sign-and-trade that Chase wrote about (David Lee to the Golden State Warriors for Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf) has been finalized. As I wrote in the comments section of that post, I’m not thrilled with the move. While Randolph (the heart of this trade) has otherworldly potential, he does play the same position of power forward as our big new signee, Amar’e Stoudemire. For potential to blossom, a player needs minutes like a flower needs water. Sure we could possibly move Amar’e over to center for a bit, but Amar’e has said many times in the past that he prefers to not play that position. Personally, I think we should’ve kept David Lee to make up for Amar’e rebounding deficiencies, ‘cuz it ain’t like Randolph is known for doing the dirty work or the little things. Plus Lee is a known commodity that could be used in a trade. If Randolph doesn’t develop, then we gave away a home-grown All-Star for nuthin’.

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Amar'e, already acting like a regular New Yawker, caught a Yankee Game on July 4th. Can he draw other stars here? Or will we end up not even giving him an offer? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Amar’e Stoudemire, out on the town catching a musical, revealed that he’s already trying to recruit players to join him in New York:

“I’ve talked to Carmelo Anthony that he needs to come out here,” Stoudemire said. “I’ve talked to Tony Parker. Both guys are ready to join me if I decide to come here. So we will see if we can work it out.”

Discussing that possibility, ESPN’s Chris Sheridan wrongly reports:

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Oh Donnie

Another Donnie Walsh draft blunder has come and passed and yet again we have to sit back and take it because Walsh cannot be judged until after this free agency passes on.

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Out of these two guys, is it possible that Mike Miller's the one more likely to be in a Knicks uniform next season? (source: Yardbarker.com)

Mike Miller, the Washington Wizard’s sharp-shooter, is one of the lesser known free agents this summer, but it’s players like him who could help round out the Knicks.  Argus Leader reports:

As an unrestricted free agent, Miller can sign with a team that gives him what he wants – and what he wants is to stop losing.

“I’m looking for a winner,” confirms the 6-foot-8 swingman, who averaged 10.9 points and 6.2 rebounds in 54 games last season. “The last couple of years have taken a toll on me, as far as not being in the playoffs and not playing this time of year. So I’m looking to change that. This time, if it doesn’t work out, there’s no one to blame but myself.”

You might be thinking, um, but the Knicks weren’t exactly winners this last year.  However, if we can sign some of the big free agents…
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Rival executives will continue to try to convince the Hornets to make Chris Paul available in trades, pointing to the fact that Williams can simply slide the promising Darren Collison and his modest $1.4 million salary into that spot. When those teams get shot down, look for the Hornets — based on the hints we’ve received from more than one exec — to make Collison available as long as the interested party is willing to take back the cap-clogging contract of Emeka Okafor,James Posey or Peja Stojakovic with Paul’s backup.

Everyone’s talkin’ ’bout Tony Parker as a trade target, how’s about the much cheaper Darren Collison with Okafor thrown in as center?  Particularly since New Orleans wants to cut costs they’d be interested in Eddy Curry, unlike San Antonio.  We’d still be able to sign two max free agents, or one and keep David Lee with money left over.

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Knicks Reunion On the Horizon?

Donnie Walsh has already made it known that he will not name a GM until after this summer’s free agent frenzy, but there are already a few candidates on Walsh’s radar.

Walsh’s short list consists of Chris Mullin and Kiki Vandeweghe, but perhaps Walsh needs to look in another direction to take on the GM role.

Mullin was the Golden State Warriors GM from 2004-2009 after the Warriors didn’t renew his contract.

Now let us take a look at Mullin’s track record, but let me warn you it’s absolutely awful.

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"Can you shoot like this, Gallinari?" (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Normally, these are the fun type of things we get to argue about without ever being able to know the answer.  Personally I prefer things that way.  I kinda hate how nowadays when you have  debate with someone they can just go, “Let’s check it out on the internet” and whip out your phone.  For me, it’s less about the truth and more the fun of the discussion.  That said, now, thanks to an Allan Houston interview with SLAM Magazine, we have the answer as to who would win a shooting contest between him and Danilo Gallinari.

How does Houston know?  ’Cuz they’ve apparently had several shoot-outs.  For those who don’t know, Houston currently is an assistant to Donnie Walsh and being groomed to move up the team’s ladder on the organizational side.  As such, he of course has his personal take on the upcoming free agency bonanza:

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Is J.R. Giddens a good defender? Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala looks skeptical. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Like with most of New York  -Hell, like with most of America, we here at Buckets have recently become a teeny, eensy, weency bit obsessed with this summer’s upcoming free agency extravaganza.  However, in our desire for newness, we shouldn’t completely forget about what we already have.  Thus we return to our ongoing Clash-song-inspired series, Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now?, where we look at our players from last season who don’t have fully guaranteed contracts with the Knicks for next year.  We’ve gone alphabetically, already covering the following:

Earl Barron

Jonathan Bender

Chris Duhon

And now we bring you our first player with whom we hold all the cards: JR Giddens.   (more…)

Future Kings of New York?

In very odd timing, the Knicks front office revealed this summer’s major targets, and none of the names come as a surprise. Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade were noted as Walsh’s biggest targets for the upcoming summer.

Two names were left off which I found surprising, Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson were left off Walsh’s list for whatever reason and that is actually pretty releaving because I really don’t want to see either in a Knick uniform.

So without further a do let me break down Walsh’s wish list.

Chris Bosh:

So, obviously adding Bosh would be great but not without adding Lebron or Wade. Now, a lot of people may wonder what Bosh brings to the table that David Lee doesn’t. Lee is a consistent scorer on the offensive end, but Lee’s game is very limited and really is not even close to the level Bosh is currently at. Bosh can command the post like few in this game, and can virtually score from anywhere around basket.

Bosh plays a very similar style to Pau Gasol. Gasol gets a lot of unwarranted hate for being “soft” much like Bosh. Gasol is perhaps one of the most underrated post players in the game today, but since Bosh has been surrounded by players who don’t mesh at all Bosh’s game has suffered mightily. Both players are the perfect #2 options on championship teams, so placing Bosh with either Lebron or Wade would without a doubt make us a contender.

Now comes the very difficult part; Dwyane Wade or Lebron James? Let us first dive into Wade’s World.

Dwyane Wade:

Wade is already ahead of James on my wish list for one reason and one reason only; he’s won a championship. Granted, Wade has struggled with injuries over last few seasons, but the simple fact of the matter is Wade has done something Lebron has not and that is win an NBA title. Wade’s game resembles Allen Iverson’s in a lot of ways, except Wade’s defense is miles ahead of Iverson’s and is a much better team player then Iverson ever was. Granted, I don’t think Wade would of won his championship without Shaq but that is perhaps one of the stupidest arguments in basketball.

Well, Kobe wouldn’t have won any titles without Shaq or Pau, Jordan without Pippen or Rodman, Pierce without KG, the list goes on and on. This argument is tossed around ESPN all the time and it’s beyond infuriating. Wade was the #1 option on the Heat’s championship campaign and Shaq came through as the #2 option, which propelled the Heat to become NBA champions. Kobe has been the #1 option on a championship team once, which was last season. Duncan never would have won any titles without the help of Ginobli and Parker as well.

Wade is one of the best #1 options in the league and has proven he’s capable of carrying a team on his back into the playoffs, but EVERY #1 option needs a #2 option to win a championship and Chris Bosh fills that void.

Wade would absolutely dominate in D’Antoni’s system, but playing alongside Toney Douglas might not be the best fit going forward. Wade won a championship with two of the best passers this game has ever seen in Gary Payton and Jason Williams at the point. If the Knicks can bring in Tony Parker or another veteran point to play with Wade and Bosh anything short of championship would be unacceptable.

Lebron James:

Lebron James is the greatest player in the game today, there is no argument anymore. So obviously I’d love to have him come to the Big Apple, but there are still a lot of question marks that come with Lebron. After watching Lebron take Game 5 and 6 off in this year’s NBA playoffs I lost a lot of respect for Lebron as a player. Wade may not be as talented as Lebron, but Wade would never have taken games off like Lebron did. Lebron is still a very immature player, and that’s pretty frustrating considering just how good he is.

Another big concern I have with Lebron being in New York is all the distractions and pressure he’d have. Lebron is the king of Cleveland, but I’m not sure he could handle being the king of New York. Lebron also plays the same position as 3/4 of our returning players going into next season, including our top-10 lottery pick just two years ago in Danilo Gallinari. We’re already crowded with forwards so adding Lebron would still not fill our major holes on the roster.

Final Verdict:

In closing, adding Bosh and Lebron/Wade would instantly propel the Knicks into contenders going into next season, but in regards to who would be the best fit?

The answer is quite simply, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Will LeBron join D'Antoni? And is that even a championship combo? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

The following comes from my friend Shai:

Since Alex generously allowed me to post my ramblings about college basketball players on this Knicks site, I asked him if he would consider posting the following honestly-curious question to Knicks fans:

What exactly are you expecting to happen?

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"You want ME to give this ball up to John Wall? No, siree." (source: Yardbarker.com)

No sooner had the Washington Wizards won the lottery, and the presumed rights to phenom PG John Wall, when the rumors started: current PG Gilbert Arenas is on his way out.  And where better than New York, the city of overpaying?  Heck, we even have a big contract of our own, Eddy Curry, so the trade makes perfect sense.  Well…. there are a few creaks in that proposition.

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A Perfect Fit

When Isola first reported Parker might have interest in New York, I didn’t take it for much, but with these new reports coming from multiple sources that spoke with newsday perhaps there is some truth to Parker’s New York interest.

There’s just one problem; we have no trading pieces. I really have no earthly idea how we could for Parker without giving up more picks and Eddy Curry’s expiring. Parker would be an incredible addition to this squad and if Walsh somehow finds a way to land Parker it could really set the tone for the rest of the Knicks summer.

We desperately need a solid PG to play within this system and Parker fills that void. I’m just not so sure the Spurs are sold enough on Hill that they’d be willing to move a former Finals MVP for a young, inexperienced George Hill. Hill is a solid player, but I really don’t see his ceiling ever reaching Parker’s.

If Walsh lands Parker, that covers a major need for this team and really puts us in a good position for this summer.

Get it done Donnie.

Anthony has been in the league 7 years now and been out of the first round once. Now, let that sink in for a second. The best scorer in the league (yes, I went there) and arguably the second best overall player in the league has been out of the first round once. Anthony is just now hitting his prime and the way he plays the game he’ll be playing at this level for years to come.

But back to the Nuggets failures, anyone who actually thought the Nuggets had a shot at making any noise this postseason obviously did not look at this roster or how they play without George Karl. With Karl now dealing with throat and neck cancer his coaching tenure with the Nuggets is in serious jeopardy, and the Nuggets don’t have many options out there.

Billups and Martin come off the books soon, Nene is getting up there in age, Birdman has regressed in a major way, and JR Smith is one of the most selfish players in the game.

But the question that the Nuggets front office is going to have address very soon is whether or not Melo is going to re-sign next summer.

With all the talk surrounding this summer and what LeBron is going to do the media is forgetting one major component and that is Carmelo Anthony.
I can say with the utmost confidence the Knicks have a better chance of landing Melo then LeBron. If the Cavs don’t somehow win it all this summer, I don’t want any part of LeBron.

LeBron also has the luxury of being in the eastern conference, while Melo has to deal with one of the toughest divisions in the NBA every year.

As I’ve said before, Melo has been in the league 7 years and made it out of the first round once. If Melo does bolt to NY next summer, he could quite possibly have the luxury of playing with Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh, and who knows maybe David Lee.

Melo is rotting away in Denver, save him Donnie.

Note Bender's proper defensive form while attempting a block: 1. Swing up and from behind, not down and from above. 2. Aim for the wrist instead of the ball. Lastly, most importantly: 3. Try not to look directly at the play as the ugliness of it could hurt your eyes. (source: Yardbarker.com)

Jonathan Bender, a phenom drafted by Indiana straight outta high school, initially retired at a young age due to injuries.  This year, still only 29, the seven-footer decided to make a comeback on the Knicks for GM Donnie Walsh who had drafted him for the Pacers.  With our team mired in mediocrity, it seemed an intriguing possibility.

Bender came out in his first couple of games with energy, looking like a potential find.  It soon became clear though that he could not bring it consistently, nor was he willing to do Big Man work.  Tellingly, despite being the height of a center, ESPN lists him as a Small Forward.  His career rebounding high is 3.1.  Sure, that season he only played slightly over 21 minutes, but still double that to an outrageous 42 minutes and we’re still talking only 6.2 boards.  Meaning if he did get decent 30+ minutes, even in his prime he would’ve given you like 5+ boards.  For comparison sake, the 5’8″ Nate Robinson has averaged nearly 3 boards in 24 minutes during his career.  Hmmm…

Okay, okay, but this is the Knicks, where we don’t care about defense and rebounding, we care about offense, right?   (more…)

Should the Knicks keep their one 7-footer who rebounded and played defense? Yes. Will they? Now that's where the question gets tough. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Going alphabetically, our first look at potential returnees is late-season addition Earl Barron.  During his short stint here in New York, Le Barron averaged an impressive double-double with 11 rebounds and 11.7 points.  For a big man his field goal percentage was a disappointing 44.1%, likely due to his preference to shoot from the 10-15 foot range rather than post up by the basket.  However, as his rebounds show, it’s not like he went all Rasheed Wallace on us and drifted out from the paint.  No, Barron wasn’t afraid to go down low to fight for a loose ball, but he also wasn’t that comfortable going back up in a crowd with it either.

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In a lottery lacking surprise,
DeBusschere drafted “The Franchise”.
But the team was a shame
Losing game after game
And from the cellar they never could rise.

Al Bianchi assembled “the Bomb Squad”
Mark Jackson, J. New, and the Hot Rod.
Traded Cartwright for Oak,
But MacLeod was a joke,
And the roster, though good, remained flawed.

Grunfeld put together some winners
Reaching the finals when league talent got thinner.
He perfected the craft
Of dodging the draft
But his teams needed “Offense for Beginners”.

Ed Tapscot was GM for a day
With a roster on the verge of decay
Instead of drafting Artest
Took the player he thought best:
A Frenchman who stayed in Marseilles.

Scott Layden had the master solution:
Trading Ewing to begin the devolution
Getting Longley and Rice,
Swapping Camby for ‘Dice
And then brilliantly maxing out Houston.

And who could forget our Isiah
At one time, a Hall of Fame playah
But as an exec
Proved an utter train wreck:
A perverted, capped-out franchise slayah.

So now there’s a savior named Donnie
Who, to undo all Isiah’d done wrong, he
Traded all of our picks
‘Till Three Thousand and Six
But still wins if he gets us LeBronie!

Damn straight, Phil Jackson should be walking with his head down after some of his coaching choices! Right? ...Right? Um, maybe not. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

Is there anyone in the NBA who gets criticized more than coaches?  It doesn’t matter who you are, how successful you are (or have been), or what players you have at your disposal — we can always find problems with you.  Earlier this year, Greg Popovitch was criticized for being unable to make his big off-season acquisition, Richard Jefferson, productive.  The other night, Phil Jackson, winner of more NBA titles than God himself, left himself open for target practice by choosing to draw up a play for Pau Gasol to attempt the game-tying three-point shot (Pau missed, which could cause the Lakers to lose home court advantage if they play the Magic in the Finals).

We, the fans and media, aren’t necessarily wrong in complaining about these points, but I think sometimes we not only expect too much, we also don’t always see (or know) the full picture.  For instance, maybe Phil was trying to make a point to Kobe about how the Black Mamba needed to give his body rest or it would cost the team (the previous possession Kobe missed two free throws that would’ve given the Lakers the lead).  If Kobe/Fisher/Artest/whoever hit a three for the tie, then maybe Kobe remains convinced that he can play through his injuries.  Sure, you can say this was a costly way to make a point (& I have no idea if Phil was trying to make this point), but if Kobe’s sitting out these two last games enables him to be healthy enough to lead the Lakers back to a championship, it’d be hard to argue with the results.

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Al Harrington's Knicks' tenure ends with a whimper, not a bang (source: Yardbarker.com)

As reported on ESPN.com:

The team announced that the forward will undergo arthroscopic right shoulder surgery on Thursday and will be sidelined three to four months. The procedure will be performed by team orthopedist Dr. Answorth Allen.

Harrington becomes a free agent this summer, and with Coach Mike D’Antoni not a huge fan of Big Al’s play, it seems likely that we’ve seen the last of him in a Knick uniform.  On the other hand, Knicks’ General Manager Donnie Walsh has long been a fan of Harrington, who

was acquired in November 2008 in a trade that sent Jamal Crawford to Golden State. It was the second time that Knicks president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh traded for Harrington. As general manager of the Pacers, he acquired him from Atlanta in the summer of 2006.

That deal returned Harrington to Indiana, where Walsh drafted him as a high schooler with the 25th pick in 1998.

(source: Yardbarker.com) Like a little girl in puppy love, New York hopes we're the one LeBron's eyeing.

Seems ESPN has launched ESPN NewYork.com today and decided to promote it by rehashing the ol’ Will LeBron James Go To New York story.  There’s a surprisingly large amount of Nothing New, mixed in with Shameless Sensationalizing, Idiotic Conclusions Based On Personal Feelings, and just Awful Math.  That said, there were maybe a couple of Intriguing Bits to me, but it might all feel redundant to y’all.  Without further ado:

Idiotic Conclusions:

The worst part was where the sportswriters speculated the percent chance of LeBron going to one team or another.  Let’s start with Mark Stein saying there’s a 10% chance that LeBron will go to Dallas.  10%???  10% means 1 in 10!  You’re going out tonight and your choosing between your ten favorite restaurants — that gives each one a really good shot at being chosen.  Thankfully, of the four other Dallas writers, they all only gave it a 1-3% chance.  I like Stein’s writing a bunch, but his thesis his based on this you-can-substitute-LeBron’s-name-with-anyone statement:

I firmly believe LeBron likes the thought of playing with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, trusts Mark Cuban to be an owner who will always spend whatever it takes to contend and loves the city of Dallas and Cowboys football

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Earlier this week, Walsh questioned the value of Chris Bosh. Sources close to Walsh believe Walsh would rather retain Lee for smaller contract then a max contract on Bosh.

Well Donnie, things won’t pan out like that. Lee is absolutely fed up with being underpaid and has contributed just as much if not more then Bosh has done with Toronto.

If we intend to keep Lee it’s going to have be a long-term deal worth a lot more money then Lee is currently making. Lee is one of the most consistent players in the league and has been nothing short of sensational since being drafted here. Lee is a workhorse who’s earned the right to maybe even a max contract, just not from us.

Bosh is a player you can build around, Lee is some you can’t. Toronto blew up a great core by adding Barngani and Turkgolu to produce one of the worst defensive teams in recent memory. Bosh and Lee both play for teams with minimal talent, but Bosh is the better player now.

Bosh is a game-changer and adding him to this team would be huge, but that would also mean the end for Lee. Lee deserves to be on a good team and as it stands right now Walsh has no interest in paying him the money he deserves.

There’s also been rumblings of trading Wilson Chandler. Chandler, another starter has been solid all season long and recently lost his father. Now, with a few games left in the season trade talks start to surface that the Knicks are looking to move Chandler?

I’m not going to put all the blame on Donnie, but this is just setting a bad president going forward into this summer.

(source: ESPN's "30 On 30")

Last night, ESPN premiered it’s most recent installation in their “30 on 30″ documentary series (inspired & led by Bill Simmons, it’s a look at 30 lesser-known stories from these past 30 years that ESPN has been in existence).  Even for a Knick fan, the Reggie Miller-centric documentary was funny, nostalgic, informative, and moving.  There’s something intriguing and different about a doc that looks back at something you lived through as opposed to introducing you to a new world you knew nothing about (although obviously for many people the doc will fall into the latter category).

First, at the time, New Yorkers (and probably most NBA fans in general) thought of Reggie Miller as the ultimate villain.  Michael Jordan was the guy who you wanted to defeat, but Reggie was the guy who you wanted to see get in an “unfortunate” car accident.  It wasn’t about what he did to the Knicks, it was about who he was and how he played.  He talked smack non-stop, played dirty, and would fake & flop to try to get non-existent calls.  And by dirty, I don’t mean physical, ‘cuz you were allowed to play darn physical at the time.  By dirty, I mean doing things when the refs weren’t looking.  Swingin’ them pointy elbows for sneak attacks whenever possible (by the way, there is no truth to the rumor that he rubbed his elbows with sandpaper to get them particularly sharp).  Read what his own sister, Cheryl, says about him in the doc:

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