Knicks Knacks

Now we know.

There’s a reason MSG chairman James Dolan so frequently slumps over in his baseline seat. He’s got to write a check payable to the league for $19.7 million for the privilege of watching a 23-59 wreck up close.

And you thought your game tickets were expensive.

We all know the Knicks are such a tiny slice of the empire that none of the suits care about the situation, but how funny would it be to see Dolan justifying the expenditure to shareholders? “We spent an ungodly sum on payroll, free refreshments and legal settlements, but we saved $25 million this year in luxury taxes!”

Only in New York.

And yes, the luxury tax bill was $45 million just a year ago.

Are you getting all excited about the prospect of another undefeated summer league?

Stop it.

Here’s the roster for next week’s show in Las Vegas:

32 Renaldo Balkman, F, 6-8, 208, Jul. 14, 1984, South Carolina, New York (NBA) 2

21 Wilson Chandler, F, 6-8, 230, May 10, 1987, DePaul, New York (NBA) 1

25 Mardy Collins, G, 6-6, 220, Aug. 4, 1984, Temple, New York (NBA) 2

8 Danilo Gallinari, F, 6-9, 225, Aug. 8, 1988, Italy, Armani Jeans (Italy) R

18 Dan Grunfeld, G/F, 6-5, 198, Feb. 7, 1984, Stanford Valencia (Spain) R

7 Antonio Graves, G, 6-2, 190, Apr. 17, 1985, Pittsburgh (CBA) R

6 Marcus Hall, G, 6-2, 175, Aug. 6, 1985, Colorado (NCAA) R

36 Delonte Holland, F, 6-7, 220, Mar. 2, 1982, DePaul, Cimberio Varese (Italy) R

30 Brandon Hunter, F, 6-7, 266, Nov. 24, 1980, Ohio, Angelico Biella (Italy) 3

1 Antione Johnson, G, 6-1, 185, Sep. 21, 1985, Albany, Gazi (Turkey) R

40 Paul Miller, F/C, 6-10, 250, Nov. 17, 1982, Wichita State, SPEC Polonia (Poland) R

2 Anthony Roberson, G, 6-2, 188, Feb. 14, 1983, Florida, Hapoel (Israel) 2

4 Nate Robinson, G, 5-9, 180, May 31, 1984, Washington, New York (NBA) 3

5 Von Wafer, G, 6-4, 195, Jul. 21, 1985, Florida State, Portland (NBA) 3

55 Zhang Songtao, C, 6-11, 212, Oct. 27, 1987, China, Beijing (China-ABA) R

Grunfeld is the son of former Knicks player and general manager Ernie Grunfeld. With so many of last season’s reserves playing, I would hate to be a sub on this roster. There won’t be a lot of minutes to audition for the scouts on hand.

It’s a good thing nobody expects much from the Knicks next season.

Now it seems they will have to contend with Elton Brand in the constantly evolving division. According to the Los Angeles Times, he’s agreed to sign with Philadelphia. Zach Randolph needs to get on the phone immediately and request a trade. Look at the roster of power forwards up and down the coast right now.

Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh, Yi Jianlian and Brand.

They almost force the Knicks and every other team in the East to carry an extra big man to contend with the extra fouls the front line is about to absorb.

You can probably add Philadelphia to the list of playoff locks, too.

I wonder if there was any hesitation today before Danilo Gallinari signed his contract.

There isn’t much to haggle over because rookie contracts are basically formatted legal documents. It all has to get done before the Knicks start working out in advance of summer league. Now the per diem checks will start rolling in.

For the record, Gallinari gets $2.8 million next season.

Assuming the Knicks pick up his option, he adds $3.3 million to the cap number in 2010-11. Based on the numbers I’m working off, they are committed to $51 million that summer. Don’t get too excited. The number only covers six contracts—Wilson Chandler, Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, Gallinari, Jared Jeffries and Zach Randolph.

Extensions for David Lee and Nate Robinson would eat up space.

There are some options belonging to Crawford and Curry that could be exercised after next season. If they have great seasons and opt out, the Knicks are going to have to decide whether or not it’s better to say goodbye.

Let’s make a list. Based on the rosters currently assembled, give me the order of finish next season in the Atlantic Division, and we’re going to do this a couple of times over the summer as teams make significant roster moves.

I’ll say Boston, Toronto, New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.

There’s a very good chance I have the Knicks too high on that list, but I think Philadelphia is a solid free agent away from becoming a playoff team. And while I like what the Nets are doing, a major overhaul usually results in a period of losing.

Let’s make another list. Based on the rosters currently assembled, give me the Eastern Conference playoff teams in no particular order.

I’ll say Boston, Orlando, Detroit, Toronto, Washington, Cleveland, Miami and Chicago.

We’re still waiting to hear when the Knicks might formally introduce Chris Duhon, but free agents can’t sign until Wednesday. The summer league roster should be finalized any moment now, so that will get passed along once the announcement is made.

Did anybody happen to see what Randolph Morris had to say about his former employer in the Boston Herald over the weekend? He was part of the Celtics’ free agent and rookie camp last week took a roundabout shot at Isiah Thomas for not developing players on the end of the bench.

“It was hard because you had to try and find different ways to get noticed,” Morris said. “But when I did get the chance, I had to live up to my potential, and that didn’t happen.

“But there’s no question it was tough there. The first thing you wanted to deal with was the question of helping the team in some way. But there were only spotty minutes in practice for guys like me, and that should have been the time when they were trying to develop their young guys.”

To be fair, there’s only so much practice time and players that far down the bench have to be self-motivated enough to find a way up the food chain. Morris should be asking why he wasn’t sent to the NBADL to learn on the fly.

It’ll be a sad day for the blogs when Stephon Marbury is gone.

The number of comments will decline in a hurry because no other player on this roster sparks the kind of debate he’s responsible for. What are we going to do? Knicks president Donnie Walsh has not come out and stated what he intends to do with the controversial playmaker, so we are stuck interpreting clues and reading between the lines.

Remember the rumors about MSG chairman James Dolan ordering Marbury to the bench last November?

This probably goes well beyond what Walsh and Mike D’Antoni want. I’m pretty sure the Knicks overpaid for Chris Duhon, and I’m guessing the owner doesn’t have any problem with the move. He was ready to move on before last season blew up.

In the locker room, there were no obvious signs Marbury was disliked by teammates. When a teammate did whisper, the conversation seemed to center on whether his approach would ever help an organization win. A spotty record only helped fuel the negative.

There is a risk of upsetting all kinds of apple carts if he stays.

And there is a chance to save about $11 or $12 million if Marbury is bought out, which justifies spending a little extra to bring in Duhon.

Who knows what the roster is going to look like when training camp opens? Walsh has a few ideas, but there’s no way to predict whether he can bring it all together in a couple of months. Jamal Crawford might be gone. David Lee could be headed out. Nobody is untouchable following a 23-59 season.

Fire away …

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Well, the Knicks did indeed get their man.

And they didn’t have to mortgage the future to land Chris Duhon, so I suppose Donnie Walsh earned his paycheck this week. The question is are the Knicks better off this way?

I don’t know.

A lot depends on what they do with Stephon Marbury, who’s got to sense he’s on the endangered list based on this move and the fact that Walsh admitted the organization needed help at the point guard position. Duhon at least gives the Knicks a capable on-the-ball defender, which could lead to good things. He can also make solid decisions with the ball and will allow Jamal Crawford to slide back over to shooting guard.

Let’s take a look at the roster as it stands right now:

Guards (6): Mardy Collins, Jamal Crawford, Chris Duhon, Stephon Marbury, Quentin Richardson, Nate Robinson.

Forwards (7): Renaldo Balkman, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Jared Jeffries, David Lee, Zach Randolph, Malik Rose.

Centers (2): Eddy Curry, Jerome James.

Walsh doesn’t have to release anybody, but I suspect he’s a long way from done. Even so, do you like a potential backcourt that includes Duhon and Crawford starting with Robinson and Richardson coming off the bench?

It sounds like Chris Duhon is waiting for the marketplace to settle before he makes a decision.

Orlando apparently isn’t ready to compete for his services until it knows the intentions of Corey Maggette, so the process is on hold. To speed things along, the Knicks could make a better monetary offer.

Getting rid of Stephon Marbury could also sweeten the pot.

Since we all need to eat some hamburgers and hot dogs, there’s no sense dwelling on a secondary piece of the puzzle. I was told by the Knicks that Nate Robinson, Renaldo Balkman, Wilson Chandler and Mardy Collins will be joining Danilo Gallinari for summer league.

Now, let’s go eat.

Have a safe Fourth of July!

While the Knicks wait for Chris Duhon to make up his mind, we might as well jump ahead.

The summer league roster is being assembled, and it sounds like Danilo Gallinari is working out daily in preparation for his U.S. television debut. I don’t know who else is going, but Wilson Chandler is supposed to be ready. It wouldn’t hurt Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins to pick up some minutes in Las Vegas, either.

Here’s the warning I have to issue every year, don’t put any stock into what these guys do in what amount to srimmages against spotty competition.

Remember last summer?

They didn’t lose a single game in Las Vegas. Robinson and Balkman played like they were poised to break out. And the buzz wore off quickly. The mood was completely different two weeks into November.

Anyway, the Knicks will begin to practice on July 11, and there will be some cameos by veterans on the roster. Unless the organization wants to get fined, they will not be part of the workouts.

Here’s the schedule:

2008 NBA Summer League Game Schedule:

Friday July 11
COX Pavilion
1 PM – Philadelphia vs. Golden State
3 PM – New Orleans vs. Memphis
5 PM – LA Lakers vs. Detroit*
7 PM – Dallas vs. LA Clippers*

Saturday July 12th
COX Pavilion
1 PM – Toronto vs. Sacramento
3 PM – Charlotte vs. LA Clippers
5 PM – Philadelphia vs. Denver
7 PM – Memphis vs. Milwaukee

Sunday July 13th
COX Pavilion
1 PM – Charlotte vs. New Orleans
3 PM – Dallas vs. Golden State*
5 PM – Memphis vs. LA Lakers*
7 PM – Detroit vs. LA Clippers

Monday July 14th
COX Pavilion
1 PM – New York vs. Cleveland*
3 PM – Toronto vs. Denver
5 PM – Washington vs. Portland*
7 PM – Dallas vs. Minnesota*

Thomas & Mack
5:30 PM – Phoenix vs. Houston
7:30 PM – San Antonio vs. Memphis

Tuesday July 15th
COX Pavilion
3 PM – Detroit vs. Milwaukee
5 PM – Philadelphia vs. LA Lakers*
7 PM – Sacramento vs. Portland*

Thomas & Mack
5:30 PM – San Antonio vs. New Orleans
7:30 PM – Charlotte vs. Golden State

Wednesday July 16th
COX Pavilion
1 PM – San Antonio vs. New York*
3 PM – Sacramento vs. Dallas*
5 PM – Philadelphia vs. Washington*
7 PM – Memphis vs. LA Clippers

Thomas & Mack
5:30 PM – Minnesota vs. LA Lakers
7:30 PM – Cleveland vs. Houston

Thursday July 17th
COX Pavilion
1 PM – Dallas vs. Detroit*
3 PM – New Orleans vs. LA Clippers
5 PM – Toronto vs. Philadelphia*
7 PM – Portland vs. Minnesota*

Thomas & Mack
5:30 PM – San Antonio vs. Phoenix
7:30 PM – Denver vs. Milwaukee

Friday July 18th
COX Pavilion
1 PM – Phoenix vs. New York*
3 PM – Charlotte vs. Detroit
5 PM – Cleveland vs. Washington*
7 PM – Sacramento vs. Golden State*

Thomas & Mack
5:30 PM – LA Lakers vs. Toronto
7:30 PM – Houston vs. Denver

Saturday July 19th
COX Pavilion
1 PM – New York vs. Charlotte*
3 PM – Golden State vs. Toronto
5 PM – Washington vs. Houston*
7 PM – Portland vs. Phoenix*

Thomas & Mack
3:30 PM – LA Lakers vs. Denver
5:30 PM – Minnesota vs. Milwaukee
7:30 PM – New Orleans vs. Cleveland

Sunday July 20th
COX Pavilion
1 PM – Minnesota vs. New York*
3 PM – Phoenix vs. Washington
5 PM – Portland vs. New Orleans*

Thomas & Mack
3:30 PM – Milwaukee vs. Cleveland
5:30 PM – Sacramento vs. Houston

* Denotes game broadcast on NBA TV

I’ve been told MSG will be on hand to broadcast the Knicks’ games. And since I’ll be sitting on a beach in Delaware with the family, we might be looking for a couple of guest bloggers to fill in. Let me know if you will be watching and want to share your impressions of Gallinari and Co.

The computer is coming with, so I’ll be able to post long distance.

No matter who the Knicks sign to fill in the blanks, money shouldn’t be an issue.

Who cares what it costs?

I know that overspending has long been an issue around here, but since Donnie Walsh isn’t throwing around long-term deals, it’s not a big deal if he overpays to get a player like Chris Duhon to come aboard. Say want you want about MSG chairmain James Dolan, he’s got deep pockets. Use as much of the midlevel exception as is needed to get a playmaker in here.

Then write a check payable to Stephon Marbury and move on.

Remember, there are salary limits and Walsh seems determined to get to 2010 with cap room to spare. He’s not going to sign a marginal player to a contract that might derail that game plan.

Duhon is apparently visiting Orlando today, and might be talking with as many as four other suitors.