In college he had one year where he averaged 16 points in 31 games on a team that featured #1 draft pick Michael Beasley. Many people even felt that Walker would be a top draft pick. So what was the hold up? The problem was coming out of the draft  Walker had surgery on both knees more than once. His first year in college at Kansas he got injured. and also In a predraft  work out with the Golden State Warriors.  So the story coming through the draft was that Bill Walker was not a player you would want to have and getting him was a huge risk.  However, he did get drafted by the Wizards and was later sent to the Celtics days later.

Right now Walker is a player that has potential to bring something to the New York Knicks which is scoring and high energy off the bench. On the Celtics he did not get a chance to show this talent because of veterans stars and a tight rotation. With guys like Daniels, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, in the rotation who can be surprised that Walker was the odd man out. On the Celtics, the only option for a rookie is to watch and observe off the bench while the veterans aim for a championship. Hopefully Walker did take notes on the bench and tried improving in practice playing with stars and future Hall-of-Famers around him.

A word of caution if you are thinking Bill Walker is the total pack. He has a lot to work on in terms of his offensive and defensive game. The kid is straight up raw and a work in progress.  He can jump, as you already know. Now that may not be special to many fans but his jumping ability can lead to easy buckets. Especially since he will be playing with Serigo Rodriguez who’s also known as “Spanish Chocolate” for his style of play and passing ability. Did you see these two players hook up for an easy dunk in the game vs Celtics?  As long as Walker keeps moving, continuing to cut to the hoop and looks for back door plays he will be fine. In college he did well rebounding. We’ll have to see if that can be transferred into his NBA game. His ability to run the break could be his most deadly skill. With a coach like Mike D’Antoni, Walker will surely be working his way to getting playing time. Right now this is just a tryout with less than 30 games left to see if the Knicks will keep him on board for next season.

Pros

1. Walker has the ability to get to the hole despite needing improvement on his handle.
2. He is a good help defender.
3. He loves to get up and down the court. This can keep the defense on their feet when Walker is in the game. (Ask players in the D-League)
4. He is athletic enough to get offensive rebounds as well as score easily from alley –oops, and cuts to the basket.
5. Can take his man to the hole when he is squared up
6. Plays with aggression and will not back down from anyone. Too many times we see players play passively and lack confidence.

Cons

1. He has to improve on defense. Even though he played good defense in college he has not brought that skill to the NBA
2. He has to work on his handle. He needs to be able to switch directions when he drives. He also has difficulty taking his man off the dribble at times.
3. His passing game needs to improve. That may come with experience.
4. His jump shot needs to improve. He’s a player that most teams will probably leave open. However, he could have improved his shooting ability since that’s one of his main weaknesses.
5. Rebounding?
6. He tends to make poor decisions on the offensive and the defensive side of the court.

 In past years, on offense, McGrady could drive going left and right and finishing either by getting fouled or giving his opponent a nice facial dunk. In the post he had the ability to pass or score with a fadeaway  jumpshot or spinning in direction for a bucket. Not to mention his passing ability and basket ball IQ were some of the best in the game and still is today. As far as scoring remember this is the same guy that led the league in points twice which was not easy. Especially when he also played against Allen Iverson, Shaqualle O’Neal, Kobe Bryant who were all scoring champions.

Now fast forward to 2010 and McGrady is playing for a Knicks’ team with 19 wins while he is coming off a major knee surgery. Keep in mind that having knee surgery has cost many players their careers or forced them into early retirement. No, he’s not a pimp but he  walks with a  limp. Currently it looks like he can barely get off the ground or long 30 plus minutes without limping and cringing. In the past McGrady was compared to Penny Hardaway for his game. Now it looks like T-Mac will be compared to Penny for his high level game and for being a player that was not the same after his injuries.

At this point I do feel T-Mac can be a good player on this team. I just don’t think that will happen this year. In a postgame interview T-Mac was asked at what point will he be back to 100% and his response was next season at training camp. The funny thing is,  T-mac at 75% is still better than many players in this league. He does not have his hops but he still has his jumpshot and ability to drive and setup his teammates for the easy bucket. The major problem with T-Mac is, his body does not seem like it can hold up with him playing big minutes nor can he help this Knicks team win many games as the season comes to a close. 

So if you are hoping for T-Mac to  act like “Captain-Save-a-Knick” it will not happen this season. It will take about two weeks for his body to get adjusted of running up and down a court and before you know it the season is a wrap.

With only 20 plus games left this season what I do expect from Tracy McGrady is:

1 show the players that will be around like Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Toney Douglas, how to be more productive and aggressive on offense and defense.

2. Get the players around him to play at a higher level

3. Make this Knicks team competitive

4. Show Donnie Walsh that he’s worth a 1 year deal to return next season for the right price.

At the end of the day I don’t think T-Mac can do much for this team this season. I think he realizes he’s not the player he use to be. 

It looks like Tracy McGrady might be  headed to the Big Apple. According to Chris Mannix of SI, the Knicks have finalized a trade that would send T-Mac to New York. Here is what was wrote Chris Mannix:

“The New York Knicks are finalizing a deal that would send Jordan Hill, Larry Hughes and Jared Jeffries to Houston for Tracy McGrady,

The deal includes swapping the Knicks-Rockets first round picks and New York sending their 2012 first rounder to Houston. The only remaining issue is the protection on the draft picks. More on SI.com soon”-Chris Mannix

What can I say but, the Knicks needed to clear cap room to even get a chance to land Lebron James this offseason. As many people already known Lebron wants to win and play with other star players in this league. The Knicks right now are a team stacked with role players. Regardless of how much talent the Knicks have with Chandler, Lee, and Gallinari I do not feel that is enough to persuade Lebron to come here. However, the only solution was to clear cap room. 

Getting rid of Jared Jeffries contract is a must to get cap room this off-season to sign two max players. It's been a long time  since the Knicks had money to sign a max player.

The good news is that T-Mac is an expiring contract that will expire at the end of the season. If things do not work the Knicks will just let him walk at the end of the season. P

This deal should go down  Thursday if the Bulls traded does not hold up the Knicks deal. The Bulls are also trying to land T-Mac.

The Bulls trade rumor:

"The framework of the Bulls' offer is believed to include Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas, and either Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons -- a combination reported Tuesday night by the Chicago Tribune. If Hinrich were involved, the deal would likely have another player going to Chicago with McGrady. The Bulls do not have any extra first-round picks, and thus might be compelled to seek out a third team to sweeten their offer. Minnesota and Memphis are among the teams with extra first-round picks to offer in a three-team scenario." Ken Berger
 

 Last week it was reported that Mike D’Antoni did not see eye to eye on how Al Harrington plays in the offense. Al wants to post up and Mike D’Antoni wants him to shoot 3’s. Go figure. Not only that, but it was said that Al Harrington was pissed at the thought of being traded. Al Harrington has said numerous times that he would love to stay a Knick throughout his career. As a matter of fact Al Harrington grew up a Knicks fan. The problem is when  a team has only won 19 games so far in the season, changes have to be made. We all know that T-Mac is an upgrade over Harrington. So I don’t see the problem.

Now with rumors circling all over the place you have to believe that Al Harrington will be traded in one of these deals.  I believe that a Harrington trade to Chicago or Houston has to go down. If not all hell will break lose in the Knicks locker room. If not don’t be surprised if you hear Mike D’Antoni is on suicide watch.

At the end of the day, the surprise would be if Harrington was not moved since his relationship with Coach Mike D’Antoni has gone sour.  Mike D’Antoni is not going anywhere so it would have to be Al that gets shipped out.  Stay tuned for the trading deadline.

That being said, I really don’t see the rush on the Rockets making this deal unless they just want to get rid of the T-Mac. McGrady’s contract expires at the end of this season. So the Knicks giving the Rockets the expiring contracts of Al Harrington, Mobley and Hughes is not a move the Rockets need to make. The Rockets are not making the playoffs so I don’t see the need for any of the Knicks players. So this deal would really be Tracy McGrady for Jordan Hill.

I do think this trade would be big for the Knicks and New York. Right now the Knicks only have 19 wins and fans are wondering what direction this team is going. If the Knicks do get McGrady the buzz will be back in New York. Especially if T-Mac starts playing well and the Knicks win games. If things do not work out with McGrady the Knicks can just let him walk at the end of the season. The only risk that Knicks could face is losing Jordan Hill who we don’t know how good he could be down the road. That being said, I really don’t think Mike D’Antoni is that high on Jordan Hill. I also believe the Knicks want to resign David Lee. So Jordan Hill’s future might be bleak. Trading Hill might also be something Walsh might want to do. Especially after only seeing him play in 14 games this season.

Besides this trade being big for the Knicks, this trade would also benefit Tracey McGrady big time if it goes down. It could revitalize his career. Regardless of what people say, there is no bigger stage to perform on than in New York. T-Mac, with his A game, could be bigger than life in NYC.

There are only a few days left.  Let’s wait and see.

Good news Knicks fans, looks like your prayers have been answered. According to the Post Knicks' center David Lee has made the all-star team. David Lee will replace Allen Iverson who will not play in the NBA All-star game due to an ankle injury.

With the Knicks  winning only 19 games it is time fans hear some positive news out of Madison Square Garden. David Lee is currently averaging 20 points, and 11 rebounds. Whether you are a David Lee fan or not, as a Knicks' fan you have to be thrilled the Knicks finally have some representation in the All-Star game. It's been a long time folks, about 9 years to be exact, since Knicks fans saw Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell wear the orange and blue in an All-Star game.

Whether David Lee gets solid minutes or just a few minutes it is good to know that he has been recognized for the hard work that he has put in this season.

If it’s about making it on the all-star team then I don’t think you can  overlook the production of  David Lee. Last year he got overlooked by the coaches and fans. This year there should be no reason why David Lee can’t make the all-star team. You would think with millions  of people in New York this would be an easy task. Right now Lee’s   playing better basketball than he was a year ago. We already know that it will be a tough task for Lee to get in the all –star game because Bosh and Josh Smith playing the forward spots. His other competition is Gerald Wallace, a player he just made a poster out of.  There is still strong hope for Lee.

If Lee can not go in as a forward he should at least be allowed to beat out Shaquille O'Neal this year. Shaq has been looking like a shell of himself and does not have the numbers to make the All-Star Team. To be honest the “Big Aristotle”, “Superman”, “Big Diesel”, or the “Big Chicken McNugget” or whatever you want to call Shaq has done nothing to get into the all-star game. This season Shaq is averaging 10 points, 7 rebonds, and 1 assist. Shaq’s numbers are nothing to be doing back flips about. However, coaches might vote in Shaq based on his reputation and what he has done in the past.

David Lee’s other competition for the center spot if he gets voted  by the coaches as a center is Nets center Brook Lopez. Lopez this season is having a great year. The problem is his team is not winning. In the fact the Nets have only won 3 games. That being said that gives David Lee the spot over both Brook Lopez and Shaquille O’Neal for the backup center spot behind Dwight Howard.

Now we all know that the starting lineup is normally picked by fans and the bench normally is picked by coaches based on merit. An all-star appearance is not supposed to be charity folks. Coaches are supposed to pick the backups. One thing that I find that is flawed is that David Lee was listed at the forward spot  when Lee has been battling centers and playing center for the last two years.

David Lee has been playing this year like his life is on the line or should I say his contract is on the line. This year we have seen him hit the 15 foot jumpshot with no hesitation. He has developed a crossover to take his man off the dribble. Lee has also improved on his spin move to the basket. Not to mention Lee might be the best player in the league at playing the pick N’ roll game. He has been playing it so well that even Karl Malone and Stockton would have to give him props or some dap. When the Knicks first acquired Lee he was compared to Oakley for his rebounding talent. Now he is the Knicks go to guy. If that is not improvement I don’t know what is. Right now David Lee is averaging 19 points a game, 11 rebounds, and 1.1 steal a game. If Lee is not made an all-star this year then when?

The bottom line is Lee has been putting in work this year and needs to be rewarded. Shaq-fu an All-Star? No I don’t think so. Let’s make the player name David Lee an All-Star.

(Big C) Seriously, how bad can Jordan Hill be? This season we knew that Mike D’Antoni’s rotation was going to be short. However, the thinking was Mike D’Antoni would still able to play Jordan Hill during blowouts or back to back games. If not Hill  would get at least 10 minutes of playing time. However, it looks like Jordan might be handcuffed and glued to the bench for the year.

How slim are Jordan Hill’s chances of getting on the court? Very slim. It’s so bad that Jonathan Bender who did not play in four years, missed training camp, and missed preseason  and the month of November got playing time over Hill.

Many will say that Jordan Hill is a rookie so he is not supposed to get playing time. My response is what do you call Marcus Landry who is also a rookie also that went undrafted. Yet he is getting more playing time over the 8^th pick in last year’s draft. In the last game against the Hawks there was no Jonathan Bender to take minutes away from  Jordan Hill. Yet  Jordan Hill still did not get the nod to get playing time.  Is Hill getting 5-12 minutes on the court really going to hurt the team? Or is this really about who can knock down the 3 point shot and who can’t?

At this point who knows how good Jordan Hill is or can be. What we do know is that Mike D’Antoni does not have confidence in Hill nor does he see plans for Hill this year. From what I have seen from Jordan Hill in his limited playing time is a player that knows how to hit the midrange shot plus he is a player that goes up strong. What I have seen from Bender is a player that blocks shots but causes too many turnovers, and takes ill advised shots for a guy who gets limited minutes. If  Hill can’t get  experience on the court now then when will  that day happen? It’s not like next year Hill will be able to turn things around. Especially if the Knicks  resign David Lee or go after Amare or Bosh. Hill has to learn how to play in the system now.

If Jonathan Bender can learn plays in one month I would assume that Jordan Hill who played with this Knicks’ team since training camp can also. In the game against the Rockets Jonathan Bender played 17 minutes for only 2 points and 1 turnover. There is no way anyone can tell me that Hill would have done a worse job than that. Right now the only advantage I see that Bender has over Jordan Hill is the ability to hit the 3 point shot. What is the point of having a guy who is able to hit the 3 point shot if he is also turning the ball over and forcing ill advised shots? Mike D’Antoni, it is time to change up your rotation.

Jordan Hill mix

(Big C) These brothers are starting to get noticed. No, I am not talking about  Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez or the Mario Bros. I am talking about the Knicks’ rookie Marcus Landry and his brother Carl Landry. Carl Landry was drafted by the Houston Rockets. He is also the guy that is giving Al Harrington a run for his money for the NBA 6^th man award.

While Carl Landry is getting noticed around the league his brother Marcus Landry, a star out of Wisconsin who went undrafted, is also getting attention. Not from  Sports Center but from his coach and Knicks President Donnie Walsh. Marcus was undrafted so he had to look for his big opportunity in the summer league playing with the Kings. The thought process was that if he played well he would get noticed by some scouts and NBA GM’s. Lucky for Marcus, the Knicks’ President Donnie Walsh was one of those that was impressed by Marcus’ shooting and scoring. The final test came for Marcus during the Knicks training camp and preseason. The end result is Marcus made the cut.

Marus Landry is still improving and working on his game to prove doubters wrong. He has impressed the Knicks coaching staff with his hard work playing scrimmages and staying late after practice. From what has been said from Knicks announcers is that Marcus is lighting it up in practice.

Coach Mike D’Antoni has been pleased with Marcus Landry so much that in recent games he has gotten the nod in the rotation over Knicks first round pick rookie Jordan Hill. In the recent win over the Bobcats Marcus was one of the first players called off the bench with Nate Robinson.  Apparently his ability to knock down the 3 point shot and score quick points has impressed coach Mike D’Antoni. Landry may not get your normal 30 minutes but in his 6-10 minutes he is hitting shots. As the season progresses and the Knicks make a big push for the playoffs do not be surprised if you see more Marcus Landry as Mike D’Antoni tweaks his rotation. Landry will get minutes as long as Al Harrington is out.

 Marcus Landry has even given some advice against playing his brother Carl:

 "It's going to be great," said Marcus, who played at Wisconsin. "I faced him before in college. He's been doing a little trash talking, so we'll see what he does. He just keeps calling me weak. We'll see what he comes up with."
Marcus could come in handy for his scouting report on Carl.
"I know all his moves, every last one of them," Landry said. "I'll call them out. I'll call the move out before he does it."-NY Post

Marcus Landry highlights

Danilo Gallinari now has the attitude of “I want the ball so I am going to go get it.” If not he will try to free himself up. The bottom line is Gallo has been more aggressive on the offensive end of the court. When  a player is more aggressive his teammates will naturally try to look for them. Being passive will get you nowhere in a league where players are fighting for roster spots and their career, day in and day out. If the shot is not falling Danilo Gallinari has been driving hard to the hole and picking up fouls. I have also noticed him cutting baseline and completing back door plays.

Danilo Gallinari has a new attitude as part of the package. We have witnessed him dunk on Hibbert and go into a Bruce Lee “Enter the Dragon” stance and shoot critical daggers to bring the Knicks to victory. I don’t know if it’s because he’s watching basketball video’s like the Larry Bird tape or  Kung Fu Joe. The bottom line is he’s playing with a passion to win. He could miss 3 shots in a row and still comeback and still shoot with confidence. There is no shame in his game.

The thing that I am most excited about is Danilo Gallinari’s defense. In the month of December and this month so far  I have seen Gallinari staying with his man. Most important small guards have had a hard time shaking off the 6’ll forward. We all know that Jared Jeffries has the ability to stay with guards off the dribble but I think Gallo could also help out in that department. Last month Danilo said he wants to be an all-around-player. Well it looks like he’s acting on it and not just saying things to sound clever or cute. He is also a big part in help defense and getting defensive rebounds.

Overall, I like the progress and swagger that Danilo Gallinari is bringing.

 Danilo Gallinari highlights