CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bobcats coach Larry Brown sounded today like he still believes Eddy Curry has a future. Brown had some interest in trading for Curry last season before his year became a wreckage.
This year is turning out similarly. Curry hasn’t practiced with the team since the first day of training camp after pulling an obscure calf muscle. He’s been removed from the team to lose weight. His return to the club could come Monday when the Knicks hold their next practice but he is so behind, it seems inconcievable he can work his way back into the rotation.
Brown will start Tyson Chandler tonight, once Eddy’s sidekick in Chicago, but the 7-1 former Hornets center is still battling nagging foot injuries.
“I believe down the road he’ll be an asset, I really believe that,” Brown said of Curry. “Tyson thinks the world of Eddy and I think a lot of people do. He’s still has time and has a general manager who thinks a lot of him and is not rushing him. But if he doesn’t play this year, it’s going to be real hard.”
Brown, who endorsed Isiah Thomas trading for Curry when he coached the Knicks, believes with the Knicks outside shooters spreading the floor, Curry would be a good fit. “I don’t know what he averaged for me but I know when we throw it down on the block he could score,” Brown said. “It’s unfortunate what’s happened.”
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Mike D’Antoni said this morning he’s not ready to pull the trigger on starting Danilo Gallinari, who tied an NBA record for most 3-pointers in a season opener with 7. Dennis Scott had the record.
“I just want to make sure the right combos are coming off the bench, just the mixture of guys,” D’Antoni said. “I think we have the right formula, it didn’t work out the first game obviously. I don’t want to jump to conclusions that aren’t founded yet.”
D’Antoni said Thursday he was considering making a move and expects it will come with Gallinari. “Eventually I have to think about Gallinari,” D’Antoni said. ” That’s the biggest impetus. Do you start him, do you not?”
Asked if it will happen soon, D’Antoni said, “Probably, you would thinks so. That’s where we’re going in the future. Why wouldn’t we go that way. Whether that’s tomorrow, the next day or in a month from now, that’s what we weigh”
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Prediction tonight: Charlotte, 94, Knicks 93. Let’s hear from you.
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Got stumped by Bill Daughtry during a halftime interview in Miami during the Knicks season opener. Lesson to be learned: Memorize the game notes. Even though I had read the notes thoroughly on the plane ride to Miami, Daughtry got me with a question why did Nate Robinson change his number from 4 to 2 this season. Couldn’t remember which player he was honoring. It’s Neon Deion Sanders. What a shock……Here’s some other nuggets from the game notes…A victory tonight will give D’Antoni 300 wins. His NBA record is 299-223 (57.2 percent). He will become the 54th coach to reach 300…The Knicks preseason record of 5-2, however deceiving, was best mark since 1993-94, when club advanced to Finals…Of Chris Duhon’s 566 assists last season, 28.4 percent went to David Lee…Al Harrington’s 20.1 scoring average last season was actually his career high and ranked him 20th in the NBA…Jordan Hill was a successful high school pitcher, throwing up in the 80’s…Robinson officially is the league’s tiniest player – listed at 5-9, (though it is fact he really is 5-7½).