Results tagged “pennyhardaway”

That’s right Knicks fans, it was four years ago today that Isiah Thomas came to town and boldly stated, "My only goal is to win the N.B.A. championship. In my mind, everything else is failure."

The Knicks are making trades the only way they can by taking on salary. New York has just traded for Steve Francis, sending Trevor Ariza and Penny Hardaway to Orlando. The deal gives the Magic salary cap relief with the Knicks taking on another $32 million in salary.

It has come to this, Larry Brown comparing himself to Roy Rubin, a coach of the 1972-73 Sixers- the worst team in NBA history. While the Knicks will not break that record for futility, they are quickly approaching some of their own. Monday they lost 100-72 in Dallas, their tenth consecutive loss.

Larry Brown still longs for his first win as the head coach of the New York Knicks. At 0-5, it would be nice if that win would come sooner than later. Last night, the Knicks came mighty close against the Golden State Warriors, but lost the game in the final minute, 86-84. Despite the fact that the Knicks came out to play in the first quarter (ha, we're so funny), ending the first period of play with a 10 point lead, they fell short. The Knicks even led by 13 at one point and held the lead for more than half the game (33 minutes). It's like they can't buy a break.

3. How many small forwards do you need, anyway?

A marquee matchup? Not so much. That said, the Knicks will take it. Stephon Marbury had 31 points and Malik Rose added 18 against his old team as the Knicks beat the Spurs 88-75 last night at the Garden. The game was rather messy, as 2-time MVP Tim Duncan, Kurt Thomas, and Penny Hardaway all missed the game due to injury. A gimpy Manu Ginobili (who has a groin injury) played, but rarely contributed in the contest.

"This one hurts." So said Herb Williams after Friday night's 116-115 loss to the Kings. On a night where the Knicks shot 61.5% from the field, out-rebounded the Kings by 10, and had Starbury score a season-high 37, the season-long habit of finding new and perplexing ways to lose continued unabated.

As if America didn’t have enough going on today, the 2004/2005 NBA season kicks off tonight with a doubleheader on TNT (how’s that for some election coverage counter programming?). The local teams don’t get started until tomorrow when the rebuilt Nets will take on Shaquille O’Neal and the Miami Heat at the Meadowlands and the Knicks travel to the Twin Cities to take on last year’s MVP and the Twolves. Both the Knicks and Nets will start the season with depleted rosters. Jason Kidd and Allan Houston will start the season on the inured list, ensuring they will miss at least the first five games of the season.

Unlike the Nets, this figures to be a relatively slow offseason for the Knicks. New GM Isiah Thomas already spent much of the season turning over the roster and trading away anyone associated with deposed GM Scott Layden. Only Allan Houston, Shandon Anderson, Frank Williams, Kurt Thomas, Mike Sweetney and Othella Harrington remain from opening day.

Last Friday was the deadline for teams in the NBA (except for the Pistons and Lakers) to turn in their list of unprotected players that will be made available for the expansion Charlotte Bobcats during the expansion draft. Charlotte will form the core of their new team during the draft, to be held on June 22, assuming the NBA Finals do not reach a seventh game. In that case the draft will be held on June 23.

Proving that nothing in New York is cheap, a recent study by Sportsbusinessnews.com confirmed that the New York Knickerbockers were officially the worst bargain in the league this season. When you divide the Knicks $94,395,091 payroll (highest in the league) by 39, the number of W’s they notched this season, the results show that each victory cost owner James Dolan $2,420,387.

- Wilkens joins the Knicks on 1/15, team is 17-24 and 20-18 since, improving 11%