The Arbitrary ChuckJerry

Ok, I realize that the Knicks are pretty bad and that they are ot going to make the playoffs this year. But I do have hope for the Knicks to improve this year and also the next. The reason: Eddy Curry is unstoppable.

There have been two bright spots for the Knicks this year in an otherwise mediocre to ppor season. First is that David Lee is incredible. If you are a Knick fan then I don't see how your favorite player could be anyone other than David Lee. He really is just fantastic. He brings energy and efficiency to the Knicks in a way that no one has in a long time. Lee really reminds me of Charles Oakley in the way that he just does all the dirty work for the team. He is, amazingly, flashier than Oakley, and does not hit the 18 foot jump shot like Oakley would, but otherwise they play very similar games. I say amazingly because Lee is not really flashy at all, but Oakley was about as far from flashy as is possible.

The second bright spot for the Knicks this year is Eddy Curry. To say that he's turned the corner this season would be a huge understatement. I watch a lot of Knicks games, far more than their play warrants, and I've really seen the transformation from Eddy Curry. When he gets the ball in the post and he is not double teamed, he is literally unstoppable in recent days. He a huge man, but he's surprisingly athletic and quick. He can dribble around the big guys, body up the small guys, and really is just a handful to deal with if you're defending him. He's alwawys had that capability, but this season he really is playing with a confidence that has boosted his game immensely. It might be an overstatement, but I think he's the most underrated offensive player in the league. He throws down alley oop passes better than anyone this side of Dwight Howard and is better than anyone I can ever recall with his back to the basket.

Now this improvement is really tempered by his lackluster play in all other areas. Curry averages something like 6 rebounds, when really he should average a triple double. His defense is disgusting, which is surprising given his quickness. And even though he's gotten far fewer offensive fouls this year versus last, he still has a lot. So Eddy's got room for improvement, but he's gone from someone who's pure potential and disappointment to someone who's really starting to shine, at least on offense.

The Knicks have guys who would be nice players on other teams, but are not good enough together to get things done. On the top of that list is Quenstin Richardson, who really does everything at an above average level without really being a star. Jamal Crawford tries hard and has talent, but is too inconsistent to really be a threat. He'll score 52 on one night and then go 3 for 12 on the next. He really just puts in some Starksian efforts from time to time. Channing Frye has a great jump shot, but does live up to his potential as a soft player. Jared Jeffries is serviceable, but obviously overpaid, like all the Knicks are. Malik Rose is a good character guy, but can't do what he used to in terms of defense and hustle. Renaldo Balkman is pure energy and no focus at this point. He might be a David Lee Lite type of guy eventually.

Their other guys just detract from the team, in my opinion. Nate Robinson is just a novelty act. He is a 5'9" shooting guard. He doesn't have point guard skills and just plays stupidly a lot of the time. Jerome James is the epitome of overpaid and underskilled. Marbury is a net zero I think. He rarely shines since they've been focusing on Curry and has been playing hard, and I guess that's all we can ask from him at this point.