Chris Sheridan

  (1:00 PM)

Good afternoon from the press room at the Knicks practice facility in Greenburgh, NY. Tried to get Mike D'Antoni with an April Fool's joke after the cameras went off, asking him about Derrick Rose's knee injury. He didn't bite. So maybe that's a sign he is on top of his game now that the grueling month of March is behind him. Questions?

Ed (The Bronx, NY)

Do you see the Knicks getting a 6th man veteran type in Free Agency this year ala Battier, Hill or Tayshuan Prince?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:04 PM)

We've been through this in a few other chats, and the Knicks are not going to want to go after any player (unless it is a very special player) who would eat up the cap space they plan to have for the summer of '12. So you have to start looking at guys who would do one-year deals, and free agents who might be value buys. I think a nice fit would be Kurt Thomas, who is filling in nicely for the Bulls, just as he did for the Bucks last year.

Anthony (NY)

Saw you who posted was on the Knicks roster 1 yr ago today. Ummm wow, what a difference 1 yr makes. Last year if you would've told me we'd have 2 superstars on the team I would've laughed at you.

Chris Sheridan

  (1:07 PM)

It is easy to forget how different things were a year ago. For those who missed what Antony referenced, I tweeted the Knicks lineup from a year ago tomorrow at Golden State when David Lee had a triple-double. Starters included Bill Walker and Tracy McGrady, and bench guys who played included JR Giddens, Eddie House and Sergio Rodriguez. Also, Earl Barron and Jonathan Bender drew DNP-CDs.

Bobby (Harlem)

Do the Knicks scout the D League? Guys like Sean Williams and Javaris Crittenton could be a good fit, and cost little to nothing.

Chris Sheridan

  (1:09 PM)

I will have a blog post later on the extra big man question, and how the Knicks looked at bringing Jerome Jordan back from Serbia but ultimately were not able to. Donnie Walsh did say they are looking at D-League guys now, but he did not sound like someone who was on the verge of signing anyone.

Chris (Queens)

In your opinion do you think the Knicks should pick up Billups' option, or decline and add a big man and a cheaper option at PG? Billups doesn't look like a great fit here.

Chris Sheridan

  (1:14 PM)

I think they will pick up his option and keep him for his leadership skills and his playoff experience. At some point Toney Douglas may even supplant him as the No. 1 point guard next season if Douglas can develop some consistency and Chauncey's game slips, but the intangibles he brings are worth the extra money, and his also could be traded for a max player if there is another Carmelo-type situation next season where a high-salaried player is available.

Chris Sheridan

  (1:21 PM)

Pardon the delay. Posted that blog item on Jerome Jordan. Back to the chat ...

Jon (NYC)

This isn't an indictment of Billups, because I think it's too early to judge his performance, but aren't the Knicks going to need his cap space to acquire a high level big man? As presently constituted how can the Knicks contend without a great defensive caddy for Amar'e?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:24 PM)

If they buy him out and go after a high-level big man this summer, the highest that level gets is Tyson Chandler or DeAndre Jordan or Samuel Dalembert, and signing any of them to a multi-year deal would take the Knicks out of the mix for the class of '12. So it's better to keep Chauncey and let his money come off in '12 when only Anthony, Stoudemire, Balkman and this year's No. 1 pick will be on the cap.

Mark (NY)

Link?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:25 PM)

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/

Ryan (St. Augustine)

Should they consider tanking a few games to get the 8th spot and play Chicago? Boston is the worst match for them...

Chris Sheridan

  (1:29 PM)

I think Chicago is a worse matchup for them than Boston, especially if Krstic is going to be out for a while. The Celtics will probably get them on experience, but they certainly weren't looking all that good before last night's performance in San Antonio.

Keith (Florida)

More pressure in a Heat/Knicks match-up, Miami to advance or the Knicks to make series out of it? Seems like most experts aren't giving the New York much of a shot, although I think at the very least they have a puncher's chance with their offensive firepower.

Chris Sheridan

  (1:30 PM)

ALL the pressure in a Heat-Knicks series would be on Miami. That is one of the reasons why I feel that would be the best matchup for Knicks.

Ronnie (Canarsie, Brooklyn)

Is it really the coach's fault that Chauncey Billups can't stay in front of PGs and Amar'e can't guard bigs, and the Knicks don't have a big man in the middle? I think D'Antoni's been unfairly thrown under the bus by fans and media. No coach could make this roster defend. Doc Rivers was in the same situation till KG arrived and made him look like a genius defensively.

Chris Sheridan

  (1:32 PM)

It is the coach's job to do his best to make up for those deficiencies by coaxing defensive effort out of players who have the ability to defend well (Amare, Carmelo) but don't always exert the effort on that end of the floor.

Nicole (Bushwick)

Do you think notoriously cheap Donald Sterling would match a contract offer made to DeAndre Jordan this summer by the Knicks? Or how about Heisley with Marc Gasol?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:33 PM)

I think other teams might make more lucrative offers than the Knicks would be willing to make to DeAndre. As for Gasol, I think Heisley will match. He did it with Rudy Gay.

jt (nc)

Is D'Antoni down on Landry Fields?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:36 PM)

Yes, I would have to say so. The production dropoff from Landry has been big, and he has not fit in with the new team anywhere near as well as he did with the old team. That's why lot of his minutes are now going to Bill Walker and Anthony Carter.

eric (516)

What is the most likely solution at the 5 going into next season for the Knicks?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:40 PM)

A score in the draft, or a healthy Turiaf. Likely the latter, but you never know when/if T.Mozgov 2.0 will be discovered.

Chris (Elmon, NY)

Two things. I'm happy about the last two wins, but Stoudemire looks lost in the. 4th quarters. I think they need to get him more involved, and he needs to get better with help defense. Second, what about cutting Billups and resigning him cheeper and going after Tyson Chandler or Marc Gasol?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:42 PM)

It is quite different to see him as such a secondary second option after they went to him so much over the first 50 games during the fourth quarters. From here on out, if Carmelo kees getting doubl-teamed as hard as the Nets DT'd him in the fourth the other night, will the Knicks find ways to get Amare the ball in his comfort area. Against NJ, the best secondary offensive player they had on those such plays was Shelden Williams.

Andreas (NYC)

So Chris, it seems that the quality of the former Knicks "assets" that everyone was so down on prior to the Melo trade wasn't so bad after all, eh?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:46 PM)

That was part of what looks in hindsight to be very successful strategy by the Denver front office to artificially devalue the Knicks assets when they knew they were going to likely end up with a bunch of them. If the Knicks could have hung onto one of those players, just one, and put Fields in the deal instead, think how much better of a team they'd be. Mozgov could have stayed as their center, Chandler/Gallo could have been their sixth man to provide consistent bench scoring, and Randolph could have filled the desperation big man role that Shawne Williams is now occasionally filling.

Ralph (Brooklyn Ny)

You cover the KNICKS, whats the mood and temperature of the team. if you read the tweets of other beat writers they make it seem that covering the knicks its worst than medieval punishment!

Chris Sheridan

  (1:48 PM)

The other Knicks beat writers (OK, not all of them) tweet like they are teenagers with a new DS game. I use Twitter almost exclusively as a news delivery and linking device. That way I don't overwhelm my followers with meaningless tweets.

Pat (CT)

Chris, there comes a time where you have to let go of the 3rd max option and be realistic. Getting a big like Chandler is worth declining Billups and putting an end to the pie in the sky 3 max deal. We need a big NOW

Chris Sheridan

  (1:49 PM)

It isn't pie in the sky if this is where Dwight Howard wants to be. And until the Knicks believe he's NOT opting out, they will keep that option open.

Wil ((Pennsylvania))

How did the Knicks miss out on Earl Barron? Did the Bucks make a better offer?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:51 PM)

Earl Barron is a playoff-eligible free agent. Knicks apparently do not want him. I blogged on this a couple nights back. His second 10-day contract with the Bucks expired last Sunday.

eric (516)

Do you think the Knicks target a nasty PF to come off the bench to solve their size/rebounding problem?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:52 PM)

If Reggie Evans would take a one-year deal, he would be a nice fit. It would force Amare to defend some opposing centers, but it would take the rebounding onus off of Amare and Carmelo.

Matt (New Haven CT)

How come you seem so sure the Knicks can add a third max, while Chad Ford, Larry Coon, et al say it is not realistic with the cap situation? (By the way, I hope you are right!)

Chris Sheridan

  (1:55 PM)

Nobody can say for certain because nobody knows what the new rules will be, or even how the cap will be calculated/structured in the new collective bargaining agreement. But if there remains a soft cap, and even if the Knicks couldn't clear enough free agency room for a third max player, they could still trade for a third max before the deadline next February by including Billups' expiring deal.

Guy (Midtown)

Kris Humphries and Josh McRoberts are both athletic FA big men making under a million dollars this year. Wouldn't they be perfect replacements for guys like Jeffries and Turiaf?

Chris Sheridan

  (1:58 PM)

Hump has earned a multi-year deal with the eason he has had. He is worthy of consideration for Most Improved Player. He won't do a one-year deal. McBob is not a center, would be another Derrick Brown.

Chris Sheridan

  (1:58 PM)

That's a wrap for today folks. We shall chat again next Friday. Enjoy the weekend!