Daniel Weisman

Some quick thoughts about the Knicks before their game against the Orlando Magic: 

*When is TJ Kidd going to make an appearance sitting courtside at MSG? J.Kidd's son was a fixture along the sidelines during the point guard's NJ days, and apparently he is no longer a baby. Look at him in those New Jersey Nets jerseys; kid was so retro back in the day. I hope TJ, Lala Vasquez, and Chris Smith team up and cheer on the Knicks early and often this season from the not-so-cheap seats ...

*Almost identical score to Friday night - 100-84 as opposed to 104-84 ... Really great defensive effort by the Knicks today. Multiple hands in the lane, getting in shooter's faces, breaking up fastbreaks, contesting shots around the rim, hustling for balls out-of-bounds - just an all-around great day on the defensive end ... J.R. Smith got complimented for his poise by Walt Frazier after the shooting guard passed up a three-point chance late in the game. And I thought the world wasn't supposed to end for another few weeks.

J.R. had a solid afternoon, putting up 20 pts on 8-15 shooting (4-5 from 3-point range). However, his shot selection was still, at times, frustrating and disruptive ... Jason Kidd (12 pts, 6 assists) might be this team's most important offseason addition. 

Some notes about last night's New York Knicks win, who partied like it was (NBA Live) 1999 to a 104-84 victory over LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and the Miami Heat:

*I feel like this isn't an original theory, and through my mass-consumption of NYK news over the past 3 months, I've ripped off some honorable/intelligent sportswriter and claimed it as my own. So, to the person who came up with this, thank you for enlightening me. Basically, what happens when you leave the core of a playoff team intact, then improve the complimentary backcourt and frontcourt players, and also add 3 serviceable point guards to the mix when you previously had 0? The team improves.

To many, the New York Knicks' recent signing of Rasheed Wallace has invoked curiosity, confusion, and somewhat hysteria about the direction of the franchise. With Amare Stoudemire, Marcus Camby, and Kurt Thomas already in the fold (and the option of Melo sliding over to the 4 if need-be), the team's hole at power forward was probably smaller than the patch on Rasheed's head.

He's a volatile personality, a historic "bad boy" that could potentially poison the already inflated egos and supposed tough guys in the Knicks locker room. And his age doesn't exactly dismiss the notion that the Knicks are a dinosaur-filled roster chasing grandiose, "win-now" championship dreams. Sheed last played in the NBA during the 2010 NBA finals for the Boston Celtics.