RG's NY Knicks Monthly Recap-March 2K8

RG's NY Knicks Monthly Recap-March 2K8

Team record: 2-13
MSG: 1-7; Road: 1-6

(A) Sat 3/1 vs Magic L-->118-92
(H) Mon 3/3 vs Hornets L-->100-88
(H) Wed 3/5 vs Cavs L-->119-105
(H) Fri 3/7 vs Pistons L-->101-97
(H) Sat 3/8 vs Blazers L-->120-114 (OT)
(A) Mon 3/10 vs Mavs L-->108-79
(A) Wed 3/12 vs Heat W-->91-88
(H) Sun 3/16 vs Hawks L-->109-98
(A) Mon 3/17 vs Pacers L-->110-98
(H) Fri 3/21 vs Grizzlies L-->120-106
(A) Sat 3/22 vs T'Wolves L-->114-93
(H) Mon 3/24 vs Nets L-->106-91
(H) Wed 3/26 vs Heat W-->103-96 (OT)
(A) Fri 3/28 vs Raptors L-->103-95
(A) Sun 3/30 vs Hawks L-->114-109


Offense: 97ppg; 42%FG; 71%FT; 43rpg; 17apg Defense: 107ppg; 47%FG;
75%FT; 47rpg; 22apg


SG Jamal Crawford
14 games played...Sat out game against Portland with a bruised right
hand injury...21ppg & 5apg in 37mpg...40%FG & 84%FT...Best game: 39pts
(including seven 3p), 8 dimes & 3 steals in 37 mins vs the Hawks in
ATL...Was team's top scorer in 9 of the 14 games played.

F David Lee
Played all 15 games...13ppg & 10rpg in 34mpg...51%FG, which is a 16%
decrease from February but still good & 81%FT...Was in the starting
lineup in 13 of the 15 games played...D. Lee posted 7 dub-dubs (points &
rebounds), including a stretch where he had 5 consecutive double-doubles
from 3/22 vs T'Wolves to 3/30 vs Hawks..

G Nate Robinson
11 games played...Sat out 4 games with sprained right knee
injury...17ppg, 3rpg & 3apg in 32mpg...45%FG & 88%FT, both nice
numbers...Was in the starting lineup in 8 of the 11 games played...Best
game: 45pts, 6 rebounds, 6 assists & only 2 turnovers in over 52 minutes
in an overtime loss to Portland at MSG...The 45 spot was the most points
scored by a Knick in a game this season & was also a career high...Had 5
steals in game vs Grizzlies.

F Zach Randolph
Played in only 6 games...Sat out 1st 5 games of the month with right
foot injury...Did not play 3/28 vs Toronto & 3/30 vs Atlanta due to
flu-like symptoms...DNP 3/21 vs Memphis & 3/22 vs Minnesota due to Head
Coach Isiah Thomas' decison to give more playing time to rookies Wilson
Chandler & Randolph Morris...18ppg & 12rpg in 31mpg...45%FG &
79%FT...Z-Bo recorded 4 dub-dubs (points & rebounds)....21pts & 14
boards against both Dallas & Indiana...Hit 3 from downtown vs the
Pacers.

C Eddy Curry
Played only 4 games...Last played 3/7 vs Detroit...Suffered small
vertical cartilage tear in his right knee & is out for the remainder of
the season...In the 4 games, EC averaged 18ppg & 6rpg in 33mpg...61%FG &
68%FT...Scored 23pts on 8-13 shooting vs Pistons before shutting it down
for the season due to knee injury.

G Fred Jones
Played all 15 games...9ppg in 25mpg...39%FG, 39% 3p & 80%FT...Was in
starting lineup 3/7 vs Detroit & 3/22 vs T'Wolves...Scored 17pts on 7-14
shooting (3-5 from downtown) in over 40 minutes vs Portland...Had 3
steals in a game vs Dallas...Jones is Knicks best three-pointer shooter
this season, hitting at a 39% clip.

SF Quentin Richardson
Played in only 7 games...Q had seven DNPs-Coach's Decision so Isiah
could get rookie Wilson Chandler, who like Q is out of DePaul University
more playing time & was not with team vs T'Wolves tending to personal
matters...11ppg & 6rpg in 31mpg...32%FG & 78%FT...Best game: 20pts on
just 8-20 shooting, 5 boards & 5 dimes in over 49 minutes vs Portland in
an overtime loss.

F Wilson Chandler
Played all 15 games...Was in starting lineup in 12 of the games...8ppg &
4rpg in 25mpg...43%FG & 54%FT...Being that Wilson is a rookie & starting
for the 1st time, he got off to a shaky start on both ends of the floor
naturally in the beginning...17pts, 7 rebounds, 3 assists & just 1
turnover in 35 minutes vs Memphis...Had his 1st dub-dub as a pro with
10pts & 10 boards vs Miami at MSG...Very athletic player who can rebound
the ball well & take it to the hole & score...Has potential to be a good
defender & will improve in all facets of his game as he continues to get
more playing time.


~Head Coach Isiah Thomas, knowing that season is yet another failed one
under his watch, giving more playing time to rookie 1st round draft pick
Wilson Chandler & also rookie big man Randolph Morris.
~F Jared Jeffries scored a career-high 21pts on 9-16 shooting & grabbed
10 rebounds in 36 minutes vs Toronto.
~Veteran F Malik Rose scored a season-high 20pts on 8-13 shooting & also
grabbed 5 rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench vs Minnesota & was the
top scorer for Knicks in 114-93 loss.
~The lone 2 wins in March came against the team with the worst record in
the league, the injury ravaged Miami Heat, & both games were played
pretty close.
~Team defense continues to be awful, giving up 107ppg to their opponents
during month of March.
~The Knicks are still playing hard despite the brutal record, but face
it & sorry to say, the more losses they can accumalate, the better the
chances of landing at least a Top 5 spot in the NBA Draft Lottery coming
up on May 20th. Point Guard Derrick Rose from Memphis University would
be nice for NY as he projected to be a Top 2 pick in the upcoming NBA
Draft in late June at Madison Square Garden, NYC.

Knicks record as of Mon 3/31/08: 20-53


Ross Guity
Contributing writer, GAME magazine