Section 423: The "Nowhere to Go but Up" Season Preview

(Note: A piece by A.F.O.M.G. will be up later this afternoon. Now, it is our pleasure to introduce the newest addition to Y2K, our weekly Knicks columnists coming to you from section 423, Chris Childs and Anthony Mason.)

Fellow Knicks fans, welcome to the first installment of Section 423, where diehards like you can talk freely and openly about our beloved orange and blue (without fear of the tyrannical GM/Coach/Failed Accountant Zeek Thomas screening our e-mails and postings).

After I punched Kobe Bryant in the face on national television and became second All-Interview team material, I realized I had a place in the hearts of Knicks fans around the world.

Same goes for my mink-coat-wearing writing partner, the original point-forward Anthony Mason (have you seen him dancing with Charlize Theron in Woody Allen’s Celebrity?). There will be additional familiar faces dropping by from time to time, so stay tuned…

Let’s get into the 2006-2007 “Nowhere to Go but Up” Season Preview. Even though I graduated from Boise St. in 1989, I have a strong love f or the University of Michigan, so it is with great sadness that I say goodbye to the one and only #5 and Hip Hop Video cameo whore, Jalen Rose.

While his time with us was short, I have to say I did enjoy having him around the Garden. Nobody knows more rappers than Jalen, and he could still go for 15, 5, and 5 on any given night…peace out J, tell your dead beat dad we say what up!

What can we honestly expect out of our guys this year? What would allow us to walk away with a satisfied feeling come April (if we are still playing in May, or can you imagine, June, then of course we will be dancing in the streets, but let’s stay focused)?

After a team wins 23 games, and not only loses 59, but loses many of them by 20-plus points, oftentimes getting blown out in the first 6 minutes of the 1st quarter, it’s really tough to pick up the pieces and lace them up again.

But instead of focusing on the negatives, I’d like to point out a few positives that Knicks fans can focus on in the up-coming “Nowhere to Go but Up” campaign.

I hope Isiah learned from ol’ Larry Brown that with a new starting lineup every night, the team will suffer.

People need to feel comfortable in their roles, and if, for example, Q-Rich (how bad does that guy suck?) starts one night, he shouldn’t play 4 minutes the next night… hopefully they can find a starting five, and stick with it.

Look at the good teams in the league. San Antonio. Detroit. Miami. Phoenix. They have a routine and a system, guys know who the starters are, who the key role players are, and barring injuries, they stick to it… the absence of role definition KILLED the Knicks last year.

Second, Maurice Taylor is no longer on the team. I know I said I love Ann Arbor guys, but that dude has been a loser his whole life. He added nothing.

Taylor’s departure will free up more time for younger guys like E Curry, D Lee, Chan Chan, Ro Ro Balkman and Jarred “I wear braces but I am an adult” Jeffries to hopefully grow and improve. Hopefully.

Now that he is out of the mix, and Malik Rose is basically dead, the Knicks’ front line is very, very young. That’s a good thing. “Nowhere to Go but Up”.

According to Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, Balkman is the truth. Yes, he has a Pervis Ellison haircut. Yes, he is undersized. But he plays hard, and in the NBA, that is a rare thing. Let’s hope he keeps it up.

Yes, Kelvin Cato is 32 and coming off injury but everyone in the Garden, from Spike, to the bitter 70 year old Irish security guards, knows that dude won’t be around by Jan 1st.

Also, Mo Taylor’s contract of course sucked, but I don’t want to focus too much on contract talk, because let’s face it, everyone is overpaid except for the three rookies from last year.

Speaking of the rookies, they are the key to how good the Knicks will be this year. The development of Nate The Great, Chan Chan, and D Lee will be under a microscope this year, and I hope that the Knicks can keep all three.

Nate is a special player, a young ‘Robert Pack’ type. All he needs to do is sloooooooow down. Instead of always making the exciting play, how about the smart play? (I sound like my high school coach, so wack, but so true).

Channing Frye had a great 60-game season last year, and just broke down towards the end. If he can step up and be a 15 and 8 guy, then I say he stays.

David Lee is the truth, and until Zeek sees that, the Knicks are going nowhere. He is a workhorse, and the best white dunker in the league… hands down.

Of course the big question is how long before Steve Francis and Stephen Marbury kill each other? Why can’t these dudes just go to the club, get a bottle of Crys, and party with Jim Jones and The Diplomats and just squash all of this? It’s stupid.

They are really should be Earl the Pearl and Walt Clyde (who is getting worse and worse announcing the games; I for one love the combo of Kenny Smith and Mike Breen).

Add in Crawford, who has put on some much needed weight this summer, and you’ve got 4 solid guards (Steph, Franchise, Nate and Jamal). That rotation, with the Knicks young and improved frontline, could mean we have a .500 ball club on our hands and the 8th seed in the playoffs come the spring time.

Obviously this is all very, VERY optimistic, but why not? Why not have some faith and some hope, if not in November, then when?

These Knicks, (and this is entirely on Isiah) need to understand just how fortunate they are, and not just financially. They get to play in the Mecca of hoops, the world’s most famous arena, for one of the most storied franchises in professional sports.

When the Knicks are playing well, New York as a city is doing well. The bars are crowded, the streets are talking (what up Hov, welcome back), and there is just a good feeling in the hearts and minds of the people of the rotten apple. Let’s at least wait until December before we start with the depression and the demons.

Without further ado, presented for you here are Chris Childs and Anthony Mason’s suggested starting five:

Center: Eddy Curry. The big guy’s heart keeps on ticking, so keep dumping the ball in down low. Some nights he’s Pat Ewing, some nights he is Eddie Lee Wilkens. Foul trouble is always an issue, but he is still young and is so large that he really could become one of the premier big fellas in the league with a little more seasoning.

Forwards: Channing Frye and Jarred Jeffries. With that frontline, that’s 3 guys 6’10 and up… not bad. Both are long and athletic, and should be each dropping between 12-15 a night, as well as over 7 boards each. A little soft on defense, but that’s what some of the hustle guys on the bench are for. Balkman and Lee can provide some defense and energy off the bench.

Guards: Fuck it. Let’s roll with Starbury and Franchise. Crawford is the perfect 6 man as he is neither a true 1 or 2. Steph is the heart of New York. Hate him all you want, but he wants it. After spending the summer selling $10 shoes, he is more focused than ever.

Stevie never felt comfy with Larry, but nobody did. He is a proven competitor, an underdog his whole life, he loves his grandmother, and can jump out of the gym. Trust me, give them some space and a month or so to hit the clubs together, and these two really could be Isiah and Dumars…how dope would that be?! A good thing about Stevie too is that the guy can rebound…

It’s going to be a tough year for the new Knicks. As members of the Knicks Nation, we ask you to keep the faith, there is light at the end of the tunnel…and we’ll see you in Section 423 all year long…Go NY, Go NY, Go!

- Chris Childs and Anthony Mason