Let’s take a look at the individual performances:

J.R. Smith – 31 minutes, 20 points, 5-13 FG, 9-10 FT, 5 rebounds, 4 TOs

Smith wasn’t all that efficient from the field, but he rebounded from a woeful game against the Clippers Sunday afternoon. Smith, surprisingly keenly, worked off the dribble to get into the lane and draw contact from the Jazz. His 9 free throws seemed to get him going as thereafter he cut down on some of the silly passes he’d made in the first quarter, and he continued to drive to the hoop. However, his biggest shot came late in the fourth quarter when he nailed a step-back jumper to put the Knicks up five.

Final Grade: B

Raymond Felton – 42 minutes, 19 points, 8-12 FG, 4 assists, 3 steals

Though Felton is still absolutely maddening to watch on defense as he has no clue how to navigate a pick or handle a switch, his efficient night on the other end of the floor was huge for the Knicks. A couple of times, Felton called his own number and worked off the bounce to slink his way to the hoop – one of which was a beautiful split out of a double team and a floater in the lane – or to pull up behind the arc when defenders went under the pick. He also worked some surprising pick-and-roll magic with Kurt Thomas to set up the big man for some easy baskets. Some iffy defense on Mo Williams at times, but the Knicks don’t win this game without Felton’s contributions.

Final Grade: A-

Chris Copeland – 31 minutes, 14 points, 6-15 FG, 6 rebounds, 2 assists

Copeland got the start at power forward and immediately provided everything Knicks fans have clamored for on offense and everything else Mike Woodson was reluctant to play him for. Copeland still manages to drive to the cup like a drunken ballerina and score at odd angles, and at times, his go-to presence in the post and on face-ups opened up the Knicks’ defense. However, a number of these lovely moments were coupled with some “SMH” moments, too. One in particular where he attempted to lead the charge up the court in the final seconds of the third quarter, went straight into a double-team, lost the ball at halfcourt, and made no effort to get it back while Utah heaved a last-second shot (which luckily missed). Copeland is no doubt useful for this injury-bedeviled squad, but at times it’s easy to understand Woodson’s luke warm feelings towards giving the rookie minutes.

Final Grade: B-

Kenyon Martin – 21 minutes, 9 points, 4-6 FG, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block

It’s pretty amazing how seamlessly Martin’s been able to fit in with this squad, especially considering the lack of training and practice time. He has nice presence in the pick-and-roll, can still finish around the basket, and he brings a tenacity on defense that, while not as efficient as Tyson Chandler’s, is a bit more hostile. I grow more fond of one of my former least favorite players with every surprisingly explosive blocked shot, slipped pick, and aggressive dunk.

Final Grade: B+

Iman Shumpert – 17 minutes, 8 points, 3-7 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Shump’s outside stroke appears to have returned and that’s a great thing for the Knicks. Though his playing time all but evaporated in the second half, in the opening two quarters, Shump drained two back-to-back corner 3s off beautiful ball movement and generally played a part in some sturdy perimeter defense that only gave up 44 points to the Jazz at halftime.

Final Grade: B-

Jason Kidd – 28 minutes, 7 points, 2-5 FG, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

Kidd has looked far more comfortable coming off the bench lately, despite the still-high minutes he receives. His stroke looks more confident, he’s daring to dribble the ball around the perimeter and actually inside of the arc, too. However, Kidd’s best contributions of the night came on the defensive boards where, more often than reflected in the box score, he tipped out, secured, or stole extra possessions from Utah’s big men. As a Knicks fan, it’s strange to praise Kenyon Martin and Jason Kidd in the same recap.

Final Grade: C+

Kurt Thomas – 27 minutes, 6 points, 3-5 FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks

Game ball, sir. A well earned game ball. Kurt Thomas, earlier facing the possible end of his season, provided us with a terrific potential swan song, all the while evoking memories of a young Kurt ballin’ on peach baskets with Dr. James Naismith. Thomas managed to almost entirely lock up Al Jefferson and deter some drivers while on offense, working some magic in the PnR, dishing to open teammates, and providing energy to a team desperately needing it. If Thomas does in fact have a season-ending injury, I’m glad that this was his last game, because truly, it was magnificent.

Final Grade: A

Pablo Prigioni – 20 minutes, 3 points, 1-3 FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists

Prigioni got his first NBA start tonight and did most of the ball-handling in the first half. He didn’t play much after halftime, but with Kidd and Felton playing well, his services weren’t quite as needed. He did all of typical Prigs things: threw some spicy pocket passes, hit a three-pointer, snuck into the paint and stole some offensive rebounds. It’ll be curious to see if Woodson starts him again for Wednesday’s game.

Final Grade: C+

Steve Novak – 17 minutes, 4 points, 4-5 FT, 2 rebounds

Novak didn’t connect on any of his good looks from downtown, but he *did* steal a pass, dribble all the way down the court, and wait just long enough to be bailed out by a foul from a foolish Utah guard on a surely doomed fastbreak attempt. Cool.

Final Grade: C-

Marcus Camby – 7 minutes, 0 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

Camby oddly didn’t play after the first half. In his brief stint on the court, though, he looked good, providing the Knicks with some solid interior defense. What this means for future games, I have no idea, because Camby is probably the most unpredictable player on this roster.

The Knicks will fly back to New York for a Wednesday game, surely satisfied with a tough win in a desperate situation.

Some trades take some time to truly be evaluated, but when it is all said and done, one team usually makes out like bandits.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the five biggest steals on deadline day of all time.

Honorable Mention: 1989 – Indiana Pacers trade Herb Williams to the Dallas Mavericks for Detlef Schrempf

Schrempf became an instant star for the Pacers, winning a pair of Sixth Man awards in 1990 and 91. In addition, he made three All-Star teams as a member of the Pacers while Williams was nothing more than an average rotation guy in Dallas.

5. 1965 – Philadelphia 76ers trade Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer and cash to the San Francisco Warriors for Wilt Chamberlain

This only comes in at No. 5 because technically there was no trade deadline in 1965, but the deal was made right after the All-Star break so it makes the list. Chamberlain is one of the greatest players of all-time, so this needs little explaining, but from 1965-68 Chamberlain averaged 28.0 points and 23.7 rebounds per game for the Sixers.

4. 1988 – Phoenix Suns trade Larry Nance to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kevin Johnson, Mark West and a first-round pick (Dan Majerle)

Nance was an All-Star a couple of times with the Cavs, but Johnson and Majerle turned  around a dormant franchise and even got the Suns to the Finals in 1993. Looking back at the Suns history, there are few players more popular in team history than Johnson and Majerle.

 
3. 1994 – Chicago Bulls trade Stacey King to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Luc Longley and Dragan Tarlac

Longley wasn’t the most talented player, but he was a fantastic passing big man and almost the perfect fit for Phil Jackson’s triangle offense. By dealing a role player in King, the Bulls got their starting center on their final three championship teams.

2. 1980 – Denver Nuggets trade George McGinnnis to the Indiana Pacers for Alex English

English was one of the best pure scorers in NBA history and made eight All-Star games as a Nugget and led the team to nine playoff appearances during his time there, while McGinnis, who was a former ABA All-Star, retired two years later.

1. 1994 – Utah Jazz trade Jeff Malone and a draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jeff Hornacek, Sean Green, and a draft pick

A lot of the success of the Utah Jazz was due to the John Stockton-Karl Malone duo, but don’t underestimate how important Hornacek was. He was an outstanding piece and his three-point shooting allowed the Jazz to stretch the floor. Hornacek was the missing piece and nearly helped the Jazz win a pair of titles, but ultimately they had to run into that Michael Jordan fellow.

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February 13, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith (5) backs Orlando Magic guard-forward Arron Afflalo (4) down in the paint at Amway Center. The magic lost 108-77. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Griffith-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s a look at what is hot around The Association as we try and sort out every rumor on this Tuesday morning.

Josh Smith

Smith remains the biggest name on the block that could be dealt by Thursday and it appears that the Hawks want to move him sooner rather than later, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. But to who?

The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets keep being mentioned the most, but there are problems with both scenarios.

With Kevin Garnett not willing to waive his no-trade clause, the Celtics would have to move Paul Pierce in order to take on Smith’s contract. On the other hand, Brooklyn will have to get a third team involved. It should take much more than an offer of Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks to pull a talent like J-Smoove.

Ultimately Smith will get dealt, but I expect Atlanta general manager Danny Ferry to draw this out and wait for a surprise team that will come in and offer up the right package of young talent and picks.

J.J. Redick

The Magic say they are open to re-signing him, but sending him to New York for Iman Shumpert makes sense for both teams, as Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy reports. But that will take a third team involved as well. It’s no given that Redick will be in a Magic uniform after Thursday, but I will be mildly surprised if he is dealt.

The Magic and Knicks have discussed a J.J. Redick for Iman Shumpert trade. Other players (and maybe a third team) would have to be involved.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 19, 2013

Dwight Howard

It appears as if the Los Angeles Lakers will hold onto Howard and roll the dice in trying to sign him, which may backfire in a big way. There has been rumors about a Rajon Rondo for Howard swap, but those were quickly shot down by Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak.

Kevin Garnett

KG has said he won’t waive his no-trade clause, so a rumored deal to the Los Angeles Clippers for Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan appears all but dead.

Feb 12, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz power forward Paul Millsap (24) grabs a rebound during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

Utah Jazz

It is felt around the league that either Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson will be dealt as the Jazz can’t re-sign both, but every other day it appears that a different guy is going to be on the move. This will likely draw out until Thursday afternoon, but I expect Millsap to be dealt to one of a number of suitors.

 “I think they’ll trade one of them because they can’t keep both,” a rival GM tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com. ”But I’m never sure which one will go. One day I think it’s going to be Jefferson, and the next day it will be Millsap.”

J.J. Hickson

There is a lot of interest in the Blazers big man, but nothing currently cooking that would make you believe that he would be on the move. However things can change in the next couple of days so I would keep my eye on Hickson being shopped.

Carlos Boozer

Boozer has been mentioned in a deal with the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Andre Bargnani, but whether that materializes or not, some think Boozer could be on the move anyway.

One league source tells Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that he thinks Boozer is the player most likely to be moved by Thursday (Twitter link).

Andrea Bargnani

The Raptors would love to move the former No. 1 overall pick and while assuming Boozer’s salary may not be ideal, they will continue to shop Bargnani. He will be traded, but the Raptors could hold onto him and look for a better offer in the offseason.

Iman Shumpert

Shump’s name has popped up a lot recently, which despite Knicks head coach Mike Woodson telling the second-year guard last week that he wouldn’t  be dealt, it makes it seem like  the  Knicks are actively looking to move the Georgia Tech product. He has been linked to the Orlando Magic for Redick, the Minnesota Timberwolves for Luke Ridnour and the Phoenix Suns for Jared Dudley.

The Knicks are in win-now mode and Shumpert is the only way they can acquire a major piece to try and accomplish that.

Milwaukee Bucks

It is felt around the league that the Bucks will do something big and that likely means parting with point guard Brandon Jennings or even shooting guard Monta Ellis. Teams like Dallas could be hot after Jennings, as Milwaukee is a team to keep your eye on as Thursday’s deadline rapidly approaches.

Follow Matt Shetler on Twitter for news, reaction and analysis from around the NBA.

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Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

According to ESPN.comCarmelo Anthony could be out for the next two weeks with a strained groin suffered in last night’s victory over

the Utah Jazz.  Anthony left the game after just 6 minutes and was in obvious discomfort.

The Knicks went on to win the game despite missing both Stoudemire and, for a large portion of the game, Carmelo Anthony. Without their two starts the Knicks got some big contributions out of Tyson Chandler and more notably, Jeremy Lin.

Things are about to get very interesting for the Knicks who will be without both of their star players for at least the next game against the Wizards on Wednesday evening, and perhaps again on Friday night against the Lakers. Amar’e Stoudemire has left the team to be with his faimily following the unexpected death of his brother.

The other news, which is on a much lighter note, is that point guard Jeremy Lin, who is coming off of a impressive performance albeit against the New Jersey Nets, will start tonight against the Jazz. Lin gives the Knicks a better true point guard that will help them greatly in the front court. With Stoudemire out, that may weaken the potential for an effective pick and roll game however Lin’s mere presence in the starting lineup should help the Knicks get off to a better start offensively.

The now shorthanded Knicks will be in tough tonight against the Utah Jazz. Perhaps if the Knicks can bring some of the energy they showed over the weekend they can attempt to steal one against a very solid Utah Jazz ballclub

Amare – 12-15 FG, 31 Pts in 24:13 (WOW!)

Carmelo – 12-16 FG, 34 Pts in 30:11

When asked in the post game press conference whether now we should expect nights like this on a regular basis, Carmelo laughed at the silly question, looked down at the box score in front of him and said something to the effect of, “Ain’t gonna be too many nights that the two of us miss only 7 shots”. Damn right about that, but it was pretty damn fun to watch anyway. You can credit the awful Jazz defensive effort some for the inflated stat line, but clearly Anthony and Stoudemire are tow of the most gifted offensive talents in the NBA and are capable of combining for 65 points on any given night.

Here are a few other intriguing things that came out of Carmelo’s mouth. He talked about how he and Amar’e are beginning now to play off of each other. This revelation was apparent very early on in this beatdown, as Melo assisted on three Amar’e buckets in a 3-minute stretch of the first quarter. The best part of Carmelo’s dishing and Stoudemire’s swishing was that STAT’s buckets came from different spots on the floor. One 19 footer, one layup at right next to the rim, one short 7-footer.

To me, this showed that Melo is beginning to recognize where Amar’e is on the floor on different offensive sets and he using his ability to draw attention of more than one defender to “get” Amar’e open. In fact, Anthony said as much in his post game comments, explaining that since defender tend to gravitate toward him and not leave him to double team someone else, other guys (Stoudemire and Toney Douglas) will be open. It’s just a question or them knocking down shots, which they did early and often tonight.

Stoudemire actually took to the podium first. He basically brushed off the astounding shooting performance by the two stars and said, “Myself and Carmelo can score one-on-one with ease. Offense is not a problem for us”. It most definitely was not against a seemingly disinterested Utah squad that is obviously in shambles since Jerry Sloan stepped down and Deron Williams was dealt to New Jersey. Amar’e went on to echo some of the same sentiments as Carmelo in regards to the two of them being able to open up shots for the rest of the guys:

“The goal is to always keep the ball moving, and always keep the defense on [its] toes. They can’t quite guard us. If we keep the ball moving like we did tonight and other players get involved and make open shots, then it’s going to be hard to guard us”

Landry Fields put it best in the locker room when asked about his two superstar teammates, something to the effect of, “When STAT and Melo are playing like that, there’s not much anyone can do. Toney Douglas acknowledged that he knew it was up to guys like to knock down open shots when Melo and Amar’e are cooking like they were last night, because there would be opportunities aplenty.

I know it’s one game and the Knicks still have a ton of holes on defense and still struggle against squads/players with a big interior presence (case in point: Al Jefferson’s 36 pts tonight), but when was the last time this team had a laugher like this? After so many nights I sat in MSG, cringing at the poisonous atmosphere created by the Isiah’s Thomas’ reign of terror, last night was a blast. The always heady Garden fans chanting for Andy Rautins to enter the fray. Watching Stoudemire cheer lead for his boys continuing to pour it on the hapless Jazz in the final quarter. Seeing Renaldo Balkman swish a trifecta, fresh off the bench. Pure joy.

Yes this team has been enigmantic, and will likely continue to be so through the last 20 games of the regular season, but the the Knicks are relavant once again. Going to a game at Madison Square Garden is special again, and that’s the damn way it should be in this hoops town.

Kobe bites his shirt! Does that mean he's worried the Lakers won't be on top this year? Nah, probably he just forgot to eat dinner. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

With the season beginning tonight, it’s time to rank how strong all the teams are at this point.  This isn’t who will be strongest at the end of the season or who will have the best regular season.  This measures how strong each team is right NOW.  If a team engaged in a seven game series today with any of the teams listed below them, I’m saying they’d win.  So yeah, injuries count big time.  And chemistry.  And like, how good they are.  It’s basically a highly complex formula that you mere mortals wouldn’t understand.  Either that or it’s all based on pure opinion.

1. Los Angeles Lakers — Even with the recovering Kobe shooting 28% this pre-season they’d still beat everyone.  Hell, he only shot 24% in Game 7 of Finals.

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Many view Kevin Durant as the Second Coming. We see him and the Thunder more likely coming Third through Sixth. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

On Wednesday we discussed what the Eastern Conference Playoff picture looks like, and today we go west, young man.  We’d already previously examined how much teams improved/regressed during the off-season, but now we’re talking about how they stack up against each other.  Meaning, we gave Orlando a zero for their summer and the Wizards a +2, but now we’re here to tell you that yes, of course Orlando is still gonna be far better.  For those who haven’t seen those posts on off-season grades, click the following links to see what we had to say about the Northwest, Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Pacific and Southwest Divisions.  Also, we’re only gonna be talking about the regular season here.  So even though we don’t think the Celts will be a top two team record-wise, it doesn’t mean we think they’re incapable of making it through the gauntlet again.  Lastly, some teams will be put in clusters ‘cuz they’ll likely end up with similar records and what does a victory or two here and there matter amongst friends?

#1 – Lakers

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Will Al Jefferson replacing Carlos Boozer on the Utah Jazz be an upgrade or downgrade? (source: Yarbarker.com)

In this final chapter of our series we’ll be finishing up with the teams of the Northwest: Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz.  For the first five parts, check out our reviews for the Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Pacific and Southwest Divisions.  Once again, for the newcomers, here are the rules:

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New Bulls' coach Tom Thibodeau got his defensive chops from one of the best coaches in the game: Jeff Van Gundy. Unfortunately, it seems he also co-opted Jeff's same clothing/grooming style. (source: Yardbarker.com)

There has been confirmation that both the New Jersey Nets and the Chicago Bulls have hired new coaches.  The Bulls have hired Celtic’s assistant coach Tom Thibodeau, widely acclaimed for his defensive schemes.  Many have argued that his addition was equally as key to turning the Celts into defensive juggernauts in 2008 as getting Kevin Garnett.  The Bulls were great stoppers just a few years ago under former coach Scott Skiles (who this year turned the Milwaukee Bucks from matador defenders into, um, what’s the opposite, brick wall defenders?).  While the Bulls’ whirl-a-gig center, Joakim Noah, has kept the team from slacking too much, the arrival of Thibodeu should catapult the team back to a spot as one of the top defensive squads.

Meanwhile, the Nets, after a 12-win season where the only thing they stopped was your team from playing a quality opponent, is already being brought back to life by their new 6’5″ Russian katrillionaire, Mikhail “Don’t Call Him Mikey P” Prokhorov.  It’s a nice coup for him to snag Avery Johnson, the coach with the highest winning percentage in NBA history.  He turned the Mavericks from the offense-only laughingstock 200s posse which included the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, into a solid defensive ball club.  And that was with a star player, Dirk Nowitizki, who due to his complete lack of D, almost legally changed his name to “Irk.”

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Evaluating players before the draft is not easy, but at least you know who you are talking about. Predicting who is going to get picked when is harder. Everyone has their own ranking system, but the big question is whether a team is going to pick the best player available or pick the player who best addresses the team’s needs.

The other question is, what on earth was that GM thinking? The most recent “what was he thinking” award goes to the Minnesota Timberwolves, for using the 5th and 6th draft picks on point guards (Jonny Flynn and Ricky Rubio), followed by having one of them (Rubio) make noises that he would never play for the Wolves, and creating a situation where the other, Flynn, felt unsure of the team’s commitment to him, and for good reason.

So for me to say who will make which pick is guesswork, because every year there are inexplicable decisions made, and there are players drafted in the top 20 whose name you hear when he is selected, but then never again. Comparing mock drafts, I have seen players’ names move twenty spots or more.

Mostly, I’m seeing mocks that describe players, not why they will be picked or what the team is thinking. I already wrote about the players likely to be drafted in the first round, so instead, lets’ discuss what the team should do, not what they will do, because many teams have a weird tendency to pick the same type of player over and over regardless of the results. (Lakers trying to find a point guard, Bulls drafting post players, Houston drafting 3’s, Warriors drafting skilled bigs, etc.) Redundancy makes sense for some teams, but for others it’s stupid. I’ll take those case by case.
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Don't let Oakley's refined dapper look fool you: He ain't someone with whom ya wanna get into a feud. (source: Yardbarker.com)

Inspired by Quentin Richardson and Paul Pierce’s recent war of words, SB Nation put together a fun little Haters’ Guide On NBA Feuds in recent years.  Amongst the list:

Charles Oakley and Tyrone Hill

Easily the most hilarious of any NBA feuds and a good lesson to all of us. After Sixers’ forward Tyrone Hill failed to pay a gambling debt of $54,000, then-Raptor Charles Oakley waded into the 76ers shootaround in Toronto and pegged a basketball at Hill, nailing him right in the head. Pretty insane, right? Charles Oakley showing up out of nowhere, no doubt spewing expletives, and probably throwing multiple basketballs at Hill (no way he hit him on the first shot).

[...] Oh, and what’s the lesson? DO NOT. MESS. WITH OAK.

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Would YOU want to live in Cleveland? (Source: Yardbarker.com)

1. Okay, everyone knows about this quote ‘cuz the Chicago Bulls’ Joakim Noah has been relentless in his digs at Cleveland. When given a chance to recant after Game #2, he offered this nugget (amongst others):

“I never heard anybody say I’m going to Cleveland on vacation.”

For the other two quotes, check out the end of the article here.

It doesn't matter if you hate Chicago's Derrick Rose. As a Knicks' fan you should root for him to expose Cleveland's Mo Williams so that a certain King will get frustrated and wanna leave the Cavs. (Source: Yardbarker.com)

It’s Fan Appreciation 101 to root for your team to win, but as anyone who’s taken higher classes in Team Supportation knows, that’s just the tip o’ the iceberg.  Sometimes you gotta see the larger picture, which may require you to hope your team actually loses for say a better draft position.  The Indiana Pacers finished the season playing some of their best ball, but that annoyed many true-blooded Indy fans since it destroyed their lottery chances.  Other times, you may root for your team to lose so that the owner finally wises up and sees it has to fire that crappy coach or GM (or both — hello Isiah Thomas and Mike Dunleavy Sr.).

Frequently, as a member of the faithful, you may even have to root for outcomes in games featuring other teams.  Say you’re battling for the 8th seed in the playoffs, then you gotta watch the games involving the other teams in the battle so you can root against them.  Or maybe you’re assured of being in the playoffs, but you know you match up against one team better than another.  Now you gotta cheer for the right teams to win and the wrong ones to lose all so that everything falls perfectly for your one true team.

However, with the Knicks’ eliminated from the playoffs long-ago, what’s a Knick fan to root for?  Things that will help us out in free agency.  I spent the last month of the regular season caring less about the Knicks’ wins/loss total than about the outcome of the Raptors/Bulls’ battle for the final playoff spot.  I figured that if the Raptors don’t make the playoffs, then surely Chris Bosh’s chances of remaining in Toronto drop rapidly.  Does this mean he’s a sure-fire Knick, or even that he’s my top choice?  No, but I like to improve my odds as much as possible.  Had the Pacers finished with the fifth worst record instead of the tenth, they still might not have won the lottery, but it wouldn’t have hurt.

Thus, for a true Knick fan, here are the things for which we should be rooting in order to increase our chances during the free agency period:

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Al Harrington passes out exhausted after setting a Guiness Record for "Most Bad Shots In A Minute" (source: Yardbarker.com)

In last night’s game, the Utah Jazz came out not just on fire, but darn near explosive.  In the first quarter they shot 7-for-7 from the three-point line, whipping up 44 points in just 12 minutes.  It seemed like another blowout.  However, the Knicks kept fighting, miraculously tying the game in the third.  In fact, they even had a shot at taking the lead when Tracy McGrady was fouled on a three-point shot “attempt.”  I use quotes there ‘cuz it was one of those annoying plays where the defender has their arm sticking forward, so the star player forces contact, pretending to shoot.  Yes, I shouldn’t sound bitter ‘cuz it was our star player who got the shots, but I hate that rule.  Players like Kobe, Paul Pierce and Reggie Miller always do this lame move.  And actually Danilo Gallinari’s done it a bunch and will likely continue to incorporate it into his game.  I think they’ve gotta get rid of both that rule and the one where you get your defender to jump into the air on a pump-fake, then jump into him for the foul.  I don’t get why they can’t just tweak the rule slightly so that it’s only a foul if the defender initiates the contact.

Wait, wait, how’d I get into this diatribe?  Oh yeah, the point was that TMac had 3 free throw attempts with the Knicks down by one at the end of the third.  He hit the first to tie it, then just had to hit one of the remaining two to give the Knicks’ the lead for once.  He missed ‘em both.

It was a fitting omen, ‘cuz bizarrely enough what cost us this game wasn’t our defense for once, but our inability to put the ball through the hoop.  In the fourth quarter we only managed 11 points.  The Jazz struck for just 16 points, and those five points were the deciding margin.  What happened?  Well…

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Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks

As we discussed after the recent Knicks/Hawks game, JJ has a nice relationship with Coach Mike D’Antoni from their time together in Phoenix, plus the Knicks have somehow managed to look competitive this year in the three games he played against us.  When JJ was on those D’Antoni Suns teams, although he was huge for them, at the time he was considered to be at best their fourth most important player (after Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudamire & Shawn Marion).  Joe rightly felt he could be more, a centerpiece, and he wanted to be paid accordingly.  Having achieved all that with the Hawks, he now has reached the point most vets get to: the main thing he wants now is the chance to play for a championship.  He is even one of the few stars who has literally put his money where his mouth is and has stated he’d be willing to take a bunch less money to be on such a team.

Now don’t misunderstand: he knows he has a very good thing going with the Hawks and that they are a really, really good team.  He’s not gonna just leave them to play on a mid-level Knick team.  So ignore this quote in the NY Daily News:

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Sadly, Big Al goes in for the layup even if it means shoving others aside. (Source: Yardbarker)

Maybe all the cold weather in New York this year has made the Knicks think it’s still Christmas, ‘cuz they’ve been non-stop giving out the gift of victories to any team that comes near them.  The New Jersey Nets, who had won only 6 our of 61 games, were on a path to be the team with the worst record in NBA history.  The previous record low is only 9 games (out of an 82 game season) held by Washington in like 1982 or something (their leading scorer was Fred Carter).  If the Nets kept at that 6 of 61 pace, they not only would’ve been unable to win more than those 9 games, they wouldn’t have even won 9.  Now though at 7 of 62 after we let them whup us on Saturday, suddenly they’re on pace to out-do those 9 games.  Not a bad gift from their cross-river rivals?  This is one mark in the record book for which ya don’t wanna become famous.

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–To Be Filed Under “And You Thought Jordan Hill Was A Bad Draft Pick”

When Brandon Jennings, the #10 pick in this last year’s draft, started showing he’s fo’ real, everyone bitched about the Knicks not snagging him with their #8 pick.  ‘Course that means 9 other teams passed on him too, so it’s not like NYC was the only one who misjudged him.  And with #1 pick Blake Griffin injured and unable to play a single minute this season, really the only two higher picks who’ve been clearly better are Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry.  Others like James Harden and Jonny Flynn have been solid, and word is that Minnesota Timberwolves’ pick Ricky Rubio has been phenomenal  …playing over in Europe.  Everyone thought the draft would only produce one stud (Griffin) and the other players would be mediocre.  Instead, they’ve done wildly better than anyone would’ve guessed.  Which only makes it sting more for the Memphis Grizzlies who just sent their #2 pick, Hasheem Thabeet, to the D-League.  While his name is pretty darn fun to say (or even to sing, particularly when you replace the chorus of the Go-Go Girls’ “We Got The Beat” with his name), he will be the highest draft pick EVER sent to the D-League.  The dude is so bad that the Grizz decided to replace him at backup center with Iranian, Hamed Haddadi, who thinks he’s playing something called “net ball.”

–The Last Straw

Newly acquired Dallas Maverick, Caron Butler, has been banned by the NBA league office.  Banned from chewing on straws during games.  Really?  We’ve become so overly concerned about appearances that we’re cracking down on straw chewing?  And for those of you who think “straw chewing” is a euphemism or slang for something, no, it’s literally what it sounds like: Caron likes to sit on the bench and chew on McDonald’s straws.  Since Butler used to play for the Wizards, the Washington Post once did a hard-hitting news piece on this insidious habit:

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With a few of them likely to sit out this summer so they don’t injure themselves before they get a new contract (in other words the guys the Knicks would chase after: LeBron, Wade, Bosh, plus A’mare Stoudamire who made the pool too), it does provide some openings.  Not to mention that say a banged up Kobe might need to take the summer off to get his body healthy again.  Of course, included in those free agents-to-be are none other than David Lee, so he himself might have to bow out.  Oh, and another thing in Lee’s favor is that once again the Knicks’ coach Mike D’Antoni will be one of the assistant coaches on the USA team.  It’s always nice having someone on the inside to help plead your case.

Anyway, the remaining invitees include the Denver Nuggets’ Chauncey Billups, LA Lakers’ Lamar Odom, plus a who’s-who of all the young and upcoming players in the NBA according to ESPN: the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant (pretty much a lock to make the final roster since he almost made it last time and he’s only gotten better), Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose,

Minnesota‘s Al Jefferson and Kevin Love; Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo of Memphis; Philadelphia‘s Andre Iguodala; Boston‘s Kendrick Perkins; Indiana‘s Danny Granger; New York‘s David Lee; New Jersey center Brook Lopez; Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook; Portland‘s LaMarcus Aldridge; Charlotte‘s Gerald Wallace; and Clippers guard Eric Gordon.

The Americans will choose a group from the roster to take part in their minicamp in Las Vegas in July. They are expected to play an exhibition game in New York before heading to Turkey for the world championships, which they haven’t won since 1994.