New York Knicks

Hey, sweet babies. It's been a while since I bothered you with We'll Always Have Linsanity stuff and I promise it'll be another while yet, but there is an event tomorrow night I'd love for y'all to attend if you can. It is a book reading by several of the authors, including me and the Knickerblogger bros. It is hosted by Will Leitch, who wrote the foreword to our book. It will take place on Wednesday, June 19 at 7 PM at Housing Works, a bookstore on 126 Crosby Street that donates all its profits to Housing Works, Inc., which "provides housing, healthcare, job training, and advocacy for New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS". We'll read some parts of the book, answer some questions, and rub any bellies we are asked to rub. Once the event's over, I imagine we'll move to another establishment for louder, drunker belly-rubbing. We're really hoping for a decent-sized turnout at this thing and would love not to underwhelm our hosts, so feel free to bring friends, family, acquaintances, abducted strangers, and inflatable spectators. Hope to see you there! Update: Here's the Facebook event, so you know it's real.

During his team's Game 3 rout of the Heat, Gregg Popovich was shown on TV talking to his players while they were in the process of burying Miami with a stirring offensive display.

New York Knicks Rumors: Tyson Chandler Trade with Minnesota Timberwolves Target, Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour Involved in Deal for Center! Fact or fiction what do you think? The Knicks have talked with the Timberwolves about acquiring Derrick Williams in place of Chandler. He is gamble and was disappointing in his first few years in the league, but he has a skill set that can make him productive in the paint and can develop down the road. New York would also get Luke Ridnour who has been a target of the team for years. He would give the Knicks depth at point guard. Considering the team is replacing Jason Kidd, he would be much needed. New York also wants the No. 26 draft pick in the trade. It would give the team two picks in the first round. The modification possibilities are can we get number 9 instead of the 26th pick some way or can we substitute Derrick Williams for Nikola Peković (I think he is a free agent or not trade-able.) http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=lnxzyna This link above makes the trade a deal maker for me and maybe the first of 2 second round picks unless you think it would be greedy! Should we do the straight up deal, modify it, bring in a 3rd team or just leave it alone! New York Knicks Rumors: Tyson Chandler Trade with Minnesota Timberwolves Target, Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour Involved in Deal for Center! Fact or fiction what do you think? The Knicks have talked with the Timberwolves about acquiring Derrick Williams in place of Chandler. He is gamble and was disappointing in his first few years in the league, but he has a skill set that can make him productive in the paint and can develop down the road. New York would also get Luke Ridnour who has been a target of the team for years. He would give the Knicks depth at point guard. Considering the team is replacing Jason Kidd, he would be much needed. New York also wants the No. 26 draft pick in the trade. It would give the team two picks in the first round. The modification possibilities are can we get number 9 instead of the 26th pick some way or can we substitute Derrick Williams for Nikola Peković (I think he is a free agent or not trade-able.) http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=lnxzyna This link above makes the trade a deal maker for me and maybe the first of 2 second round picks unless you think it would be greedy! Should we do the straight up deal, modify it, bring in a 3rd team or just leave it alone!

An enthralling NBA Finals reaches Game Six later on Tuesday with the San Antonio Spurs one win away from clinching their fifth championship and the Miami Heat knowing they must win to keep their season alive.

Five things to watch for in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, as the San Antonio Spurs try to clinch their fifth title and end the Miami Heat's reign on Tuesday night:

Flo Rida's manager, Lee "Freezy" Prince, has been told by NBA officials that he is not allowed in the building for the next two NBA Finals games, according to an interview he did with Marc Hochman and Jonathan Zaslow on The Ticket Miami, 104.3FM this morning. Freezy said he has been contacted by the NBA via email and phone calls and along with NBA attorneys, he has been warned that they will have him arrested if he shows up. He is not allowed anywhere in the building. Not even in Standing Room Only.Freezy and Flo Rida are huge Miami HEAT fans. During the Eastern Conference Finals, Freezy got ejected while sitting courtside next to the Indiana Pacers' bench. Freezy said the Pacers were a whole different situation. They were trash talking and taking it to a whole different level. "That's a level we own!" Freezy told Hochman and Zaslow. He says Frank Vogel called security and was asked to leave the building. Then he thought, "I'm not leaving this building, this is Heat Nation," and he went back to his seat. Soon after, on Flo Rida's suggestion, he left. Freezy said he was on the phone for 2 hours trying to figure out what he had done wrong. "What I did was no different that what Spike Lee does for the Knicks and what Jack Nicholson does for the Lakers." Freezy said Flo Rida won't be at the game tonight either. When asked, Freezy explained, "We ride together." "The Spurs are just scared," Freezy explained. "They don't want that feeling to erupt around them." He went on, "Whoever sits in those seats tonight, they better represent!" Freezy pleaded with Heat fans, "Man, please support that team!" "The Spurs are done tonight," he said. "Even they know that. They done."

Hello, friends. I hope you've been well. Lot of good music floating around the internet recently, which makes me happy. Talking about draft prospects makes me happy, too. Let's do that. Mike Muscala is not a household name, as far as college players go. The Patriot League is certainly not a hotbed for NBA prospects, and despite Muscala's dominance there he rarely saw time in the national spotlight. Perhaps Muscala will become better known after June 27th, when he hopes to hear his name called in the NBA draft. The Bucknell graduate is a versatile, well-rounded big man with great fundamentals, but playing in a low-major conference is preventing Muscala from locking down a spot in the draft. How might the talented pivot's game fare against the best players in the world? The Rundown D.O.B. - 07/01/91 (21 years old) Hometown - Roseville, MN Measurements: Height (w/o shoes) - 6'10.25"; Height (in shoes) - 6'11.5"; Weight - 230 lbs; Wingspan - 7'1"; Max Vert - 33.5", Lane Agility - 11.76 Projected Draft Position: 36th to SAC on DraftExpress, 42nd to PHI on NBADraft.net Actual Scouting Reports and Stats: DraftExpress, NBADraft.net, Sports-Reference, BucknellBison.com Amateur Take - Offense: Mike Muscala is arguably the most versatile scoring big in this draft. The 2nd-leading scorer in modern Patriot League history dominated opponents using his rare combination of size, touch, skill, and athleticism. He has a developed post game both with his back to the basket and facing up. Muscala can score on hook shots over either shoulder and looks quite comfortable with his left hand. It is difficult for defenders to overplay his dominant hand because Muscala will not hesitate to attack over his opposite shoulder. He could certainly add more weight, as even in college he found himself out-muscled by tougher defenders at times. It is too easy at times to simply push Muscala out of prime position on the block, but his wide array of scoring moves often allowed him to score regardless. Still, NBA defenders will be physical with Muscala, and building strength and gaining weight will help him create offense against pro big men. Muscala is surprisingly agile for his size, and can punish sleeping defenders with a spin move out of the post. When facing up, Muscala threatens defenders with both his jump shot and with his ability to drive to the rim. The Bucknell Bison isn't an especially gifted ballhandler but is still agile and quick enough to get past flat-footed opponents. He's a good decision-maker, and his scoring instincts guide him well as he exploits any opening the defender gives. Every so often Muscala will attack the basket in a way few players his size can, hanging in the air for reverses or exploding off of one dribble for a dunk. While Muscala is deceptively quick and more explosive than some NBA centers, he is not a superb athlete compared to other NBA players. He can finish above the rim with enthusiasm but he won't blow you away with his leaping ability. This limits him a bit as a roll man, but his touch at the rim helps compensate some. Muscala shines as a pick-and-pop big, however, to the tune of 50% on catch-and-shoot jumpers. He has great form on his jumper and range to about 20 feet. Muscala shot over 80% from the free throw line during his career at Bucknell, further lending credence to his shooting ability. His smooth jump shot and mobility open up the possibility of Muscala playing power forward against certain lineups, which would only make it easier for him to fit a roster. Muscala completes his triple threat talent with excellent vision for a center, and averaged a pace-adjusted 3.1 assists per 40 minutes (leading all centers in the nation). He handles double teams well, partly due to his ability to face up and survey the court, and hits both cutters and open shooters when the defense over-commits to him. While Muscala is unlikely to ever see the usage in the NBA that he enjoyed in college, his ability to pass the

Defense wins championships. It’s been the mantra for the copious amount of winners in the sports world for decades, and should be treated as more than just an ordinary cliche. Especially so in the National Basketball Association, where none of the past ten champions finished lower than ninth in Defensive Rating in their respective seasons and [...]

[New York Times] Heat Have No Room for Error Versus Spurs in Game 6 (Tue, 18 Jun 2013 07:38:39 GMT) They lost three times in three months in one of the most overpowering stretches the NBA has ever seen.     [New York Times] Connelly New Boss at Nuggets (Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:41:19 GMT) The Denver [...]

They lost three times in three months in one of the most overpowering stretches the NBA has ever seen.