Carmelo Anthony has been named the Eastern Conference Player of The Month for January, the NBA announced. Anthony led the East with 28.7 points per game, including a 62 point performance against the Bobcats that set the Knicks’ single-game record. Melo’s squad went 10-6 in January, and his solid play was a big reason why. Kevin Durant, of course, won the award in the West.
-Tommy Rothman
Last night, Andrea Bargnani took off from a few steps inside the free throw line and attempted to posterize two 76ers at once. It wasn’t pretty.
Today, the Knicks announced that an MRI revealed a torn left elbow ligament for Bargnani, and the team says that he is out indefinitely. There are many people who believe that the Knicks are better when Bargnani is on the bench, so this might not be all that bad for New York. However, this injury leaves the Knicks incredibly thin in a frontcourt that has already been missing Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin. Cole Aldrich never plays, so unless the Knicks release him for a new big man or give him some minutes, Jeremy Tyler is the only true big man the Knicks have right now, aside from Tyson Chandler.
This could be a blessing in disguise, or it could add to the team’s struggles.
Only Time will tell.
-Tommy Rothman
Point Guard Beno Udrih has requested a trade, and the Knicks plan to honor his request, according to sources. Beno’s frustration seems to stem both from his lack of playing time and the seemingly disproportionate amount of blame he has received— particularly from Knicks Coach Mike Woodson— for New York’s struggles.
I have a few thoughts about this.
What? How did Chris Smith get brought in to this? Well, some of you may remember Chris Smith’s tenure “with” the Knicks (and I use the term “with” very loosely).
After the news broke about Udrih wanting a trade, a few people tweeted their (ludicrous) opinions saying that Chris Smith— JR’s younger brother who stood for all that had been wrong with this year’s Knicks until they cut him, and who was described by one NBA GM as the “worst player in the history of the summer league” (The SUMMER leagueI)– deserves a spot back on the team. These tweets included some harsh attacks on Udrih… and Smith retweeted them. Chris Smith re-posted the following tweets from fans about a player who had been his teammate (and his superior) 3 weeks ago.
To recap: the first tweet is racist, cruel, and absurd. The second tweet is just absurd. The third tweet has nothing to do with any of this, but Chris Smith would apparently like to remind all of his followers that he is a proud member of the NBA D-League.
Chris Smith’s judgement and appreciation for people who have given him opportunities in the pst are clearly very flawed.
It’s hard to think of a logical defense for how poorly Smith has handled this situation on social media.
Runs in the family.
-Tommy Rothman
Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin are each expected to miss two weeks. The Knicks are now extremely thin in the frontcourt, and, as we all know, just because the Knicks only expect two players to be out for two weeks does not mean that they will only end up missing two weeks. Mike Woodson has said that Cole Aldrich and Jeremy Tyler will need to play more with those two guys out.
But how about Andrew Bynum? The former Lakers star is a free agent and looking for work. He has his flaws, but the Knicks are in no position to be picky, and it is certainly conceivable that they would cut somebody like Aldrich for Bynum.
Would you like to see Bynum join the Knicks? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!
-Tommy Rothman
Andrew Bynum has been traded along with three picks for Bulls star Luol Deng. The Bulls are expected to waive Bynum within the next day to save over $20 million, and ESPN is reporting that the Knicks, Clippers, and Heat are among the teams expected to consider offering Bynum a roster spot. Bynum has had his struggles health-wise and, most recently, behaviorally, but the Knicks are in need of help on the interior. Would you welcome Bynum to the Knicks? Leave your thoughts in the comments! -Tommy
New York has officially signed Jeremy Tyler. The high-energy, young, athletic big man has been scoring and rebounding well recently in the D-League while completing his rehab from a foot injury.
New York Knicks Memes 