By MARC BERMAN
SARATOGA SPRINGS – Just as the VP debate was about to start came the news from the Knicks about Jared Jeffries’ broken leg. By then, my story for the early newspaper editions had long been set – due at 7 p.m. and sold here in the Saratoga-Albany area.
As my favorite oldtime newspaper saying goes, “Get Me Rewrite!”
Here was my first edition story of which one graph got in for late.
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Welcome to the Quentin Richardson Revival Week – a Skidmore College production.
After spending last season overweight and clanking shots all over the country, Richardson has been a revelation during this week’s Knick training camp.
Yesterday, during 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 scrimmages, Richardson sank, unofficially, 8 of 9 3-pointers, from all corners of the Saratoga gym. The performance echoed memories of his wonderful season in Phoenix under Mike D’Antoni in 2004-2005 when he set the NBA record for most 3-point attempts (631, compared to 214 last year).
Richardson said he is 25 pounds lighter from when last season mercifully ended with a 35.9 shooting percentage. Richardson’s weight gain partly stemmed from back surgery 18 months ago.
“I don’t want to say it was the back,” Richardson said. “I just believed I didn’t play good basketball. I’m not one to make excuses I had a bad year. I went home this summer and worked hard. I’m just having fun out there. My body feels well, my shot feels good.”
This offseason in Chicago, he worked out and scrimmaged with O.J. Mayo, Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Shannon Brown at Tim Grover’s legendary summer pickup games. Even LeBron James and Chris Paul popped in.
But Richardson may have his mojo back because of his belief in D’Antoni’s freewheeling system that opens up the 3-point line. Because of a lack of ball movement, last season’s low-post attack didn’t create open perimeter shots, which deflated him. Richardson looked at himself as the fifth option.
“It’s all of that – a coach bringing in a system I’m familiar with, being familiar with the coach, me having confidence in him,” Richardson said. “Whatever reason, I’m happy I’m making shots.”
And he’s looking like a lock at starting small forward. Said D’Antoni, “He knows he’s going to shoot a lot, so he’s excited.”
When D’Antoni watched most of the 2007-2008 season on tape, he didn’t recognize the heftier version.
“You don’t know why but his weight wasn’t what it should’ve been,” D’Antoni said. “He wasn’t physically able to have a great season. He’s erasing everything clean. He’s really in shape. Mentally he’s in a good spot. He knows he’s going to shoot a lot so he’s excited.”