OFFICIAL NEW YORK KNICKS OFFSEASON THREAD: TRAINING CAMP

another gallinari interview....

Sept 19., 2008

As the start of a new season -- and a new era -- of New York Knicks basketball draws closer, NYKnicks.com will sit down with the players, coaches and othersclosely associated with the team to discuss their thoughts on the outlook for 2008-09.

Next in our series is prized rookie Danilo Gallinari, as the young Italian stud discusses his adjustment to New York and his plan to bring the glory days backto The Garden.

NYKnicks.com: So, when did you get back from Italy?

Danilo Gallinari: About one week ago. I'm already all moved in and have a place in White Plains.

NYKnicks.com: Is anyone going to stay with you?

Gallinari: Right now it's just my father and one of my best friends just for one month. They will stay until about the first game of the season.

NYKnicks.com: So you've been over at the Training Center with the rest of the team?

Gallinari: Yeah, every day.

NYKnicks.com: How's your back feeling?

Gallinari: It's better, it's better. I think I will be fine for the season.

NYKnicks.com: What did you do to help rehab it after you hurt it in Summer League?

Gallinari: I just underwent treatment and rested. I took it easy.

NYKnicks.com: Did you watch the Olympics?

Gallinari: I watched the Olympics, yeah. I saw many games. The best game was the Finals for sure. But I saw many games. My thought was always that the USAwould win easy. I didn't expect that the Final would be so tight, but it was a real nice game.

NYKnicks.com: So watching that and realizing you are going to be going up against those guys this year, what was running through your mind?

Gallinari: When I was looking at the game, I wasn't thinking about that. I was just thinking about how the game was going, not about how I would playagainst those guys.

NYKnicks.com: What else did you do over the summer to get ready?

Gallinari: I tried to clear my mind and not think about coming over here. I'm going to have enough time to do that. I was thinking about myself and myfamily and enjoy them. I want my mind free for the season.

NYKnicks.com: Did you go on vacation anywhere?

Gallinari: Yeah, I went to Spain. I was in Formentera. It was nice. Very beautiful.

NYKnicks.com: So you had a chance to practice with the team out in Vegas and you are around them now. How is that going for you all together?

Gallinari: I think the best feeling is this week. I've had a chance to watch the whole team practicing and I have real nice feelings with the guys up here.

NYKnicks.com: How have they been treating you? Has anyone in particular taken you under his wing?

Gallinari: No one individual, but the whole team has given me advice. I have a nice feeling with everybody, getting to know everybody, and I am having fun withthem. It's a nice situation.

NYKnicks.com: What have they been talking to you about?

Gallinari: They want to know how is Italy and how is Europe (laughs).

NYKnicks.com: And what do you tell them?

Gallinari: That it is nice! (laughs) They should come every summer there.

NYKnicks.com: Is there anyone in particular you are most excited to play with?

Gallinari: Everybody. Everybody. It's a real team with so much talent, so it's nice to play with all these guys.

NYKnicks.com: How about Mike D'Antoni? Have you talked to him recently and what he expects out of you?

Gallinari: We weren't talking about that, we were just talking about the situation about how I was doing over here, and how my summer was and my vacation.We didn't talk about basketball.

NYKnicks.com: And Donnie (Walsh)? Have you spoken with him recently?

Gallinari: Yeah, we talked about the same things that I talked about with Mike. We talked about my situation, how I was feeling over the summer and how I wasfeeling now in general and all this stuff.

NYKnicks.com: You said before you got drafted that you wanted to be in New York. It's a few months later, and now you have been in The Garden and arewearing a shirt with Knicks across the chest. What's that like? So far, has it been everything you hoped?

Gallinari: It's a great feeling. The most exciting night was the night of the draft. After the night of the draft, my excitement and emotion were goingaway a little bit because I went back to Italy. I couldn't wait to get back to New York. I love New York.

NYKnicks.com: You actually got to throw out the first pitch between the Mets and Yankees at Shea Stadium, right?

Gallinari: Yeah. I mean, that was incredible (laughs). I'd never been at a baseball game or in front of like 60,000 people, so it was just crazy.

NYKnicks.com: You'd better get used to it, playing here at New York. There are going to be a lot of people at The Garden coming to see you.

Gallinari: Haha, yeah, for sure. For sure. But I'm ready for it. I'm excited. I like the fans in New York. The Mets are looking like they could be inthe playoffs, so they are going to be exciting for the fans and I am happy for that. They weren't doing so well when I threw out the pitch. Maybe I broughtsome luck for them. (laughs)

NYKnicks.com: It's no secret that on draft night, the fans were a bit tepid because they didn't know much about you. Now they are really excited andlooking forward to you specifically helping the Knicks become a better team. They are already wearing number eight Gallinari shirts...

Gallinari: Really? I didn't see that. That makes me feel good. It's going to be crazy when I see it and will be so funny. It is a great thing. I likeit.

NYKnicks.com: Yeah, I mean the fans are expecting a lot out of you? How do you react to that type of responsibility and expectations?

Gallinari: I'm not worried. I'll be fine. It's a perfect fit for me here. I'm very happy and excited. But I also take it personally. It is partof the job so with me first, and every basketball player on the team, we all have to take it together. But I like pressure. I like the situation becauseit's there where the real player comes out.

NYKnicks.com: You played that one game in Summer League where you really played well. How was that?

Gallinari: It was nice because it was my first game in the USA. I didn't like the situation that I only played one game. I should have played many moregames. I like to play. But we are here now, and it counts and is more important, so I am ready for the season.

NYKnicks.com: Over the summer I talked with a few of the guys you played with, like Nate (Robinson), Wilson Chandler, Anthony Roberson and Mardy Collins. Theyall said they were amazed by how you were able to understand the game immediately and were impressed with your skill level. How does it make you feel that yourteammates respect you and are impressed even though you are young and a rookie?

Gallinari: It makes me feel well and fine because they believe in me. It's a nice situation. When your teammates believe in you, that's the best thing.I'm happy about it.

NYKnicks.com: You went to the Liberty playoff game at The Garden. Was that your first time there?

Gallinari: Yeah. It is a nice atmosphere. I never played in an Arena as big as it is, so it's a nice atmosphere. It's huge. I never saw a gym likethis, so for me it's really nice. I didn't go on the court, though. I will wait till the first game for that.

NYKnicks.com: How did the fans treat you?

Gallinari: They were great. They came up and asked for my autograph so that was fun. And the team won, so that was nice.

NYKnicks.com: Are you going to miss playing in Italy?

Gallinari: Probably yes, but I will not be missing playing in Italy, I will be missing Italy in general. It is my life and my friends. It is always over there.But for basketball this is what I always wanted. It's a dream for me so I'm excited.

NYKnicks.com: Is there anyone you are excited to be playing and matching up against?

Gallinari: Oh yes. All the most famous players: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and all the players I have been watching on television. They are my idols.

NYKnicks.com: How about Andrea Bargnani? Are you excited to play against another Italian guy in the NBA?

Gallinari: Yeah, yeah. It will be fun to play against him.

NYKnicks.com: Finally, if you have one thing to say to Knicks fans, what do you want to tell them?

Gallinari: Let's win together.
 
Originally Posted by Mo Matik

Originally Posted by THE GR8

Originally Posted by Woodside718

well if we do keep zbo i would like dantoni to start him at C and dlee at pf. i would like to see a lineup of duhon, jc, ill will, dlee, zbo.
Click to expand...
Zach cant play the 5 is that a joke. He cant even dunk. He is undersied and he doesnt even have close to the athletisism to make up for it hes a fbat $+$$ who cant even dunk. In the running system you need a center who can run the floor and just throw down dunks when he needs to. We need to get rid of Zach cause he will take time away from D Lee and we need to get rid of Curry and get another athletic center who doesnt score much but one that plays D and and cn throw down dunks. No way Zach can play the 5. He cantdunk or any of that $+$$ and he is a bad enough defender at the 4 imagine him trying to guard like Dwight Howard or some $+$$ or Yao.
sick.gif
Click to expand...
Wait so...can Zach dunk?
Click to expand...


The Gr8 is just exaggerating. He can dunk
 
^enough with that video. it was only funny the first couple of times.
the gr8, why do you have to hate on zbo and curry for? yes we all know they're horrible. zbo's got the lowest bball iq, and curry is fat and slow.
lets give them a chance and see how they do on mike's offense? what if zbo does great playing center? let's wait until the season starts before we bashthem. i mean we already waited for about 3years, two more months wont hurt right?
 
Originally Posted by BangDak

^enough with that video. it was only funny the first couple of times.
the gr8, why do you have to hate on zbo and curry for? yes we all know they're horrible. zbo's got the lowest bball iq, and curry is fat and slow.
lets give them a chance and see how they do on mike's offense? what if zbo does great playing center? let's wait until the season starts before we bash them. i mean we already waited for about 3years, two more months wont hurt right?
Click to expand...
Slow, fat, lazy, no bball iq players do not fit into D'Antoni's system one bit.
 
Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

Originally Posted by BangDak

^enough with that video. it was only funny the first couple of times.
the gr8, why do you have to hate on zbo and curry for? yes we all know they're horrible. zbo's got the lowest bball iq, and curry is fat and slow.
lets give them a chance and see how they do on mike's offense? what if zbo does great playing center? let's wait until the season starts before we bash them. i mean we already waited for about 3years, two more months wont hurt right?
Click to expand...
Slow, fat, lazy, no bball iq players do not fit into D'Antoni's system one bit.
Click to expand...
thank you man. Why do i hate on Curry and Z Bo?! Is that a !$%#*@$ serious question. I mean in addition to Cury being fat and soft and averaging4.5 boards per game at starting center I would also like to point out that we gave up 2 top 10 picks for that piece of ##$$ (one was #2 overall) and Z Bo ismaing close to $17 mil a year. When we give our whole future for a guy and he plays like he does and he puts in 0 effort as well i can hate all i !$%#*@$ want.I want that piece of ##$$ (Curry) out off here. I hate on him because he is a disgrace to the Knicks we have been known for tough guys who play defense andknocl people on their #%*$@. Curry lets these little !$%#*@$ guards take it right at him for easy lay ups withpout so much even moving. He is my least favoriteplayer of all time he is soft and that is why i hate. Zach although a little better at D than Cutrry still makes no effort to stop anyone, he never passes, andhe cant even dunk. These guys are pathetic disgraces. Our best bet would be to clean the !$%#*@$ house we are beetter without them i would trade Curry for"a bag of ceese doodles" he is a pathetic disgrace. I have had to watch this sack of ##$$ for the past few years, if you have to ask me why i hateon that man you obviously do not watch to much Knicks basketball, he is outstayed his welcome, and Zach has as well alhoiugh we didnt give as uch to get himand hes only been here for a year.

to asking me why i hate on curry though i give you a big...
indifferent.gif
... and yes im mad

EDIT: and for the last time nop coach with even the smallest knowledge about basketball would even consider putting in a lazy 6'8 fat guy who doesnt play Dand can barely dunk at center. I mean if you are unersized like that i mean you have to make up for it by eiter having some freakish atletisism to be able toget up and play against guys bigger than you or you have to be able to fight and play defense because guys that arebigger will go at you and you gotta be ableto fight them back. i mean especially in D'Antonis offense you need to be athletic you are gonna be running and you want youre center to do #$%+ like Amaredoes and go in for big dunks. Zach cant play like that, you cant give him lobs near the basket. His style of play is to get the ball on the wing and do thisiso #$%+ that doesnt work in any offense especially not D'Antonis. And i mean Z Bo's D is bad enough vs guys his own size can you even imagine himtrying to guard a dude like Dwight Howard who kills him in height and %@!*! on him athletically and how can you expect him to guard a 7'6 guy like Yao. Hewill not play center i will guarentee that. If he did start with Lee, than Lee would be the guy to play center but that wont hapen either. He needs to go andCurry needs to go cause he cant do #$%+ either and he is worse than Zach. He cant run the floor and put down dunks. His only move is to hold it in the low postand force up a shot when the double comes, and he doesnt move for #$%+ on D and unlike Zach he doesnt give a #$%+ on the boards either. They are both bumsespecially Curry they need to be O-U-T A-S-A-P
 
Call me a hopeless optimist...but I'ma wait to see what kinda shape Curry shows up in and how he fits in.

I have hope for him.

Not so much for Z Bo...he REALLY will not fit.
 
[h1]Marbury may be gone within days[/h1]BY ALAN HAHN |[email protected] September 23, 2008
It has been believed since Donnie Walsh took over the Knicks in April that Stephon Marbury's tumultuous days as a Knick were numbered. Now the matter is days from being official, Newsday has learned.

Several persons with knowledge of the situation have indicated that theKnicks are planning to part ways with Marbury by the end of the week. One caveat is the approval of Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, who must sign off on yet another multimillion-dollar payoff for his NBA team. Marbury is in the final year of his contract, which is to pay him $21.9 million.

The Knicks will likely place Marbury on waivers and, once he clears, begin negotiating a buyout. Marbury will then be free to sign with another team; the Miami Heat have a desperate need at point guard.

Though removing the controversial Marbury from the locker room is believed to have been a foregone conclusion for some time - the old addition-by-subtraction theory - it is also well known within the walls of 2 Penn Plaza that Walsh is having trouble getting comfortable with the idea of handing someone nearly $20 million to go play for another team. Especially when that player might be in the best shape of his career and focused - yes, rarely a word attributed to Marbury - to prove a great deal of critics wrong.

Make no mistake; all indications from those who have seen him are that Marbury is physically more ready for this season than the previous two. The left ankle is healed after surgery last January to remove bone spurs. His weight is reportedly down to 200 pounds after he spent the summer training in Southern California - "Running the Hollywood Hills," as has been repeatedly said from those in his camp. He has refreshingly been mostly under the radar throughout the summer, with nary a bizarre interview to be seen on YouTube (OK, he did have his "Starbury" logo tattooed on his skull).

Marbury, who created a huge divide between himself and teammates after he went AWOL in Phoenix last November, stayed to himself with his workouts at the MSG Training Center this offseason until yesterday, when he joined the other Knicks veterans in pickup games. One observer from yesterday's workout noted the uneasy atmosphere among the other players. "You could just feel the hate," the person said.
 
I think i'm the only one, but I don't wanna see Marbury go. I really think that he's gonna have a good season, no matter what team he's with.It's such a shame to what happened to this dude that I feel bad for em.
 
[h1]HOU'S BACK; STEPH, TOO ... FOR NOW[/h1][h3]By MARC BERMAN[/h3]
/seven/09242008/photos/spo066.jpg

ENCORE! Allan Houston will be on hand when the Knicks open training camp Tuesday.

Posted: 2:41 am
September 24, 2008

Not only will Stephon Marbury be at training camp next Tuesday in Saratoga, but so will Allan Houston. Again.

Houston has accepted the club's offer to attend training camp, two sources close to the former All-Star guard told The Post yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, Knicks president Donnie Walsh last night denied a report Marbury will be waived by week's end. Walsh said through a spokesman, "He iscoming to training camp. We have not approached Stephon about a buyout."

However, there's a strong possibility Marbury could be released during camp, which would give Houston a better chance of making it. The Knicks will have17 players, two over the maximum. Houston, who hasn't played a regular-season game since the 2004-2005 season when microfracture knee surgery cut short hiscareer, would need to beat out Marbury and, ironically, his former teammate's son, Patrick Ewing Jr.

Last preseason, Houston, 37, lasted just one week and one game. He arrived a week late as he awaited his daughter's birth and didn't give himself afair shot. In March, Houston told The Post he planned on a second comeback for 2008-2009, saying he felt his knees were stronger.

To change their culture, the Knicks have seriously considered a Marbury divorce since July after signing Chris Duhon and Anthony Roberson. The team prefersto work out a buyout settlement to avoid paying the Knicks guard the entire $21.9 million haul.

A team source said Marbury's departure thus could become complicated because ownership doesn't want to give Marbury $21.9 million to play forconference rival Miami. The Knicks could hold Marbury hostage through camp if he doesn't agree to a settlement.

Reached yesterday by The Post, Marbury said he hasn't been approached by the club and attended its voluntary workouts Monday. Marbury, down to less than200 pounds, said he's in the best shape of his career and claimed the only thing Walsh said to him Monday was, "You look great."

Marbury, who could wind up in Miami, Boston, San Antonio or the Clippers, said he has no desire to work out a settlement.

"There wouldn't be no negotiation," Marbury said. "They're going to give me all my money. ... If they want to waive me and give meall my money, fine. If not, I'll try to help this organization win the championship. They told me to come to camp in the best shape of my life and I didthat. But I don't want to be in a place I'm not wanted."

With the new regime of Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni, Houston zeroed in on the Knicks, with the potential of becoming a special adviser if his tryoutfails.

[email protected]
 
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