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What people are talking about this morning ...
- Energized by former Devil Scott Gomez, who assisted on three goals, the Rangers defeated the Devils 4-1 at the Prudential Center on Wednesday night to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
 New Knicks president Donnie Walsh said Isiah Thomas will finish the season as the Knicks' coach, but needs a good explanation for why things went so horribly wrong for any chance to last beyond that.
- A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday charged that unidentified agents for baseball players steered clients to a California physician linked in media reports to supplying Troy Glaus and Scott Schoeneweis with illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
- According to the New York Times, Major League Baseball and the players union have tentatively agreed to have an administrator oversee the sport's drug-testing program as they move toward adopting many of the recommendations in the Mitchell report.
- The Jets and safety Kerry Rhodes agreed to a contract extension Wednesday that will keep one of the team's biggest playmakers in New York's secondary for five more years.
- Marion Jones' former relay teammates paid the price Thursday for her doping offenses, losing their medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
David Lee, entering his third NBA season with the Knicks, was on hand to watch New York's top draft pick, Wilson Chandler, and the other young talent tip-off against Kevin Durant and Seattle in the Summer League opener.
And at halftime of the Knicks' 87-74 victory over the Sonics, Lee joined me for a court-side chat about his road back from injury and the upcoming season:
Visit the Knicks official website for more Summer League action from Las Vegas.
Throughout the 2007 NBA Draft, MSG and Game On! provided fans with an exlcusive behind-the-scenes look from The Garden to the Knicks Training Center:
- Watch these wild Knicks fans, the reaction from the top picks and Spike Lee!:
Video Gallery
Alright, so the NBA Draft is over and Greg Oden went No. 1, and Kevin Durant was picked No. 2.
Tell us something we don't know!
For weeks we knew that these two guys would go one and two respectively, and you had to know Oden would be No. 1, so where was the excitement?
Without question the Knicks made the biggest splash at the draft (besides Joakim Noah’s suit).
 Forget that Spike Lee got face time during the Knicks' pick; we got to see Spike applaud the trade made with Portland in real time. Some real hard-core clapping! He was giving the thumbs-up to a trade that brought Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones to New York and sent Channing Frye and Steve Francis West to Portland.
The trade does a few things for the Knicks: 1) It creates a double-headed inside post-presence in a relatively small Eastern Conference with Randolph and Eddie Curry, both of whom are 20-10 type players; 2) The Knicks rid themselves of the brutal contract of Francis.
At the end of the day, the Knicks were able to take advantage of the surplus of big men the Blazers had because of their luck in the lottery (landing Oden). Credit Isiah Thomas, who understood Portland’s situation and then for pouncing on the opportunity.
Yes Frye was a nice young player, but in no way can we believe that he has the same skill set as Randolph.
Thursday - 10:56
That was the coolest five minutes of my life.
 New Knick Wilson Chandler just walked out of the Theater to make his way into the press room, with me standing about three feet away, following him step-by-step.
We made our way into the press room, where I had a VIP view of his first NBA press conference.
After the questions, he held up a white Knicks jersey that already had "Chandler" on the back, so it seems that Isiah Thomas knew all along that Wilson was his guy.
 Then I followed Wilson to where the TV interviews were being held, hoping to get a few quick quotes for this blog. I got side-tracked, however, as I spotted my buddy Gus Johnson in the middle of chatting with Knicks superfan Spike Lee.
When they were done, Spike took hold of our mic, and ranted for MSG.com on the Draft and the state of the Knicks. The established director laughed at our choice of lighting and our amateur mini-cam, and I wonder if he intentionally froze on our call letters at the end of the rant.
Prepare yourself for the greatest video in MSG.com history: Huge thanks to Spike!
When Spike finally gave us back our mic, Gus was more than willing to give his take on the night, and his always entertaining comments can be heard on a brand new CenterCourt podcast, coming soon to MSG.com.
Friday - 12:40 a.m.
Isiah Thomas gave just one interview on Draft Night and I was there to soak it all in. Here's what Zeke had to say:
1) Wilson Chandler
The first time he caught my eye, I was actually watching a game against Kansas. I turned on the game to watch Brandon Rush and Julian Wright. DePaul upset Kansas and I noticed this guy Chandler. The more I watched him play, the more I did the background checks and the more I liked what I kept finding out.He went to DePaul and we are very well connected there and have a great connection with the coach he played for. He was probably the guy in the draft that we did the most work on and understood the best. Being from Ben Harbor, Michigan and playing in Chicago, I know him pretty well and I like what we’re getting.
2) Demetris Nichols
Nichols actually just impressed us all season long with the way he shoots the basketball. Syracuse is a team that definitely should have been in the tournament, and when he came down to Orlando and worked out, I just was extremely impressed by his defensive abilities, and his shooting caught my eye. The way we want to play inside-out, he is a guy that can definitely spot up outside the three-point line and knock it down.
 3) Comparisons of Randolph Morris, Chandler and Nichols to Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson of two years ago
I hope they can play as well as those three can because Nate, Channing and David Lee were pretty special. But Randolph Morris, Wilson and Nichols will hold their own. They are good players and we are very happy to have him.
4) Zach Randolph playing with Eddy Curry
We are a team that pounds the ball inside. We win by going to the foul line and out-scoring teams in the paint and we are a big power team. Those two guys on the block will be tough to handle and will have the ball in their hands a lot.
5) Randolph in the East
Well, I think the style of basketball will be different and he will have to make the adjustment from the Western Conference, which is kind of more wide-open than the Eastern Conference, which is more of a half-court game. But I am sure he will play well.
6) The deal
There were a couple of guys we had been pursuing since the season ended, and Zach was a player we had talked about moving on and had interest in. He has what we are looking for in a power forward, playing alongside Eddy and taking some of the scoring load off him. He was a guy that when you look at his body of work, his numbers are very impressive. And when you combine that with his age, he is definitely a guy who is on the upswing compared to the downswing.
7) Frye and Francis
It was definitely tough moving Channing because he is one of my favorite players and one of my favorite people. But it is a going to be a great situation for him in Portland alongside Greg Oden. Channing and Greg will be a nice front-court, and people will definitely have to deal with them out west. But I like what we did.
Steve was great when he was here. We have a very crowded back-court, but I thought he was very professional and that he handled it like a gentleman with class. He is an "A" player in this league when playing 35-plus minutes a day. He is a great player, but a lot of nights he only played for 10-15 minutes a night, and he accepted that with a lot of class. I appreciated that.
So this is your team.
Or is it?
The Knicks pulled off an intriguing trade, grabbing talented big man Zach Randolph, Fred Jones and Dan Dickau from Portland in exchange for Channing Frye and Steve Francis. Then they snagged Wilson Chandler from DePaul in the draft.
 So it's all set now, right?
Or is it?
The Knicks now have put together an unquestionably talented team, but one that doesn't seem to fit quite right. In Randolph, they have a talented low-post scorer, who often doesn't quite hustle enough to satisfy his critics and to be as good as he could be. Zach, meet Eddy Curry, who can discuss those issues with you.
If this is the lineup now -- Curry, Randolph, Quentin Richardson, Jamal Crawford and Stephon Marbury, that's a lot of talent. But is it the talent that wins?
I'm not sure and I am sure of this -- giving up Francis might have cost the Knicks a shot at the free agent market two years from now. Francis's contract runs out after the 2008-09 season while Randolph is under contract for two years after that. That's another part of the equation that doesn't quite fit.
So it makes you wonder -- or make me wonder -- is another deal on the horizon? Could you turn one of these pieces into a star talent? That's one of the possiblities when you stockpile talent like Thomas has -- Francis had a limited market, but Randolph -- and Curry? -- are players who can be put into a bigger package and draw big offers.
So how does it fit? Are you happy to go to war with this?
Thursday - 10:04
So it's Wilson Chandler.
The crowd seems split, but genuinely approves of the pick. We followed him from the stage down the hall past screaming Knicks fans. Chandler was very friendly, slapping fives and taking pictures as he walked to his first NBA interview. I overheard him say he's very excited to play in a classy, historic arena such as Madison Square Garden and I know I'm looking forward to watching him play for the Knicks.
Thursday - 9:15
They just called this out: Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, and Dan Dickau for Channing Frye and Steve Francis.
Sounds like a winner to me. Frye didn't do much this year, taking a back seat to the Eddy Curry resurgence and David Lee's outstanding play. With Francis I say don't let the door hit you. I'm more than happy to have Randolph heading to New York. Spike Lee and the fans love it, and Steven A. Smith is thrilled.
Meanwhile, here's some exclusive video of Greg Oden taking his first steps toward the Hall of Fame ... or at least his first NBA presser ...
Marketing. Marketing.
It's amazing. It wasn't even 60 seconds after Greg Oden was announced as the NBA's No. 1 pick and there it was. In the "Draft Room" in Portland, there was a No. 52 jersey unfurled by a team exec. No. 52!
They gave Buck Williams' number away? No respect! A moment later a picture with Oden posing in his No. 52 jersey was already posted on NBA.com.
 Fourth, Mike Conley who rode shotgun to Oden most of his basketball life was selected and then we saw our first trade, and it was a blockbuster!
Seattle then chose Kevin Durant as expected, and then Atlanta picked Al Horford, forgetting that they already have too many forwards. They never learn!
Seattle now has a fresh nucleus with Durant and Green, while Rashard Lewis (unrestricted free agent) might be gone and Allen is going east. For the Celtics the trade won’t do much, but the games in Beantown will be more exciting with Allen playing alongside Paul Pierce.
Seattle traded Ray Allen to Boston for the No. 5 first-round pick, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak, and the Celtics picked Jeff Green at No. 5 for Seattle. An interesting trade indeed.
The easy predictions have already come to fruition with Oden and Durant taking the spots that were set for them by about December, 2006.
So what's left now?
How about this: Some predictions for the Knicks pick, but not who it will be. This prediction is what the reaction of the very partisan crowd will be if certain names are drawn at No. 23.
The ovations:
Isiah Thomas gets the love of the crowd if any of these fall to him and he makes the pick:
 1) Sean Williams: The Boston College product was tossed from the team for getting caught smoking pot, but he's a perfect fit next to Eddy Curry. He blocks shots, rebounds and does the dirty work. A longshot to still be available.
2) Morris Almond: The mention of Allan Houston is enough to earn the applause.
3) Daequan Cook: He's got questions, but he's got more talent than anyone outside of the lottery.
The stunned silence:
These are the longshots, but Isiah has certainly earned the trust of the hometown crowd to give him the benefit of the doubt.
1) Wilson Chandler: He's been rumored to be given a promise by the Knicks, but no one seems sure exactly why.
2) Jason Smith: Probably will be gone, but would be an odd fit -- a skilled, but soft 7-footer.
3) Glen Davis: Big Baby has a lot of question marks -- weight is the biggest.
The Scott Layden treatment:
If any of these come up, expect the boos to rain down.
1) Josh McRoberts: No one likes Duke unless you go to Duke.
2) Marc Gasol: The wrong Gasol.
3) Alando Tucker: The great example of the difference between college and the pros.
Do you agree? Are there any suggestions for the categories?
 Thursday - 7:52
I'm hanging out with David Lee, and he just met up with Al Horford and greeted his former Florida teammate. Can't wait to see the first Knicks-Hawks matchup this year.
Also, I'm really digging the new Hawks logos and uniforms.
Just before the Draft started, I snuck into the Theater to show you how the room is laid out, and what the players do when they hear their name called.
Thursday - 7:46
Greg Oden and Kevin Durant just walked by both looking very spiffy and excited. I guess I would be too if I was the first or second pick in the NBA Draft.
 I'm standing next to long-time All-Star Bob Lanier, who's a real cool guy. The crowd is really into this Al Horford pick as Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer are standing and cheering, along with the rest of the Florida fans in the crowd.
Thursday - 7:20
Ten minutes until showtime!
New York's own Kenny Smith just walked in, said his hellos, and walked up about 20 rows behind us to his seat. I guess he's not that connected!
Stick around because if the Knicks pick is in the building and we'll be shadowing him and getting exclusive footage.
Thursday - 6:53
I'm standing on the Red Carpet in front of the stage and Stuart Scott is about five feet away from me and next to him on the ESPN Desk is Mike Tirico anchoring and Stephen A. Smith giving commentary.
There's a lot of hustle-and-bustle in the press box with all the reporters firing away on their laptops. I'm waiting for David Lee. We are supposed to meet up with him any moment now.
I'll check back in a bit!
 Thursday - 7:49
Greg Oden is officially a Trail Blazer, Kevin Durant a Supersonic and the NBA milking every minute of its coverage. There is no reason why the first two picks shouldn't last any longer than three minutes combined.
ESPN's coverage is the main topic of conversation in the media room. With not much to do until pick 23 comes around, Ric Bucher, Mike Tirico & Co. are taking some heavy criticism.
Seems the people in the room don't care who is chosen, as long as it moves along in a timely fashion.
Stay tuned folks! It's a bit slow now, but the excitement level should increase as it gets closer to Isiah and the Knicks.
 Thursday-7:14
What is Joakim Noah wearing?! With two hours to go until the Knicks are on the clock, Noah's unusual outfit is the topic of conversation up here, as well as the "breaking news" that Greg Oden will be selected first overall.
And for Harp: While you may have low expectations for this year's draft, the player Isiah takes will have a major impact down the road. This is a very deep draft, and the consensus up here is that while you might not see the pick play valuable minutes this year, two years from now you will remember the 2007 draft for the New York Knicks.
 Thursday - 6:36
With about 30 minutes left until David Stern ends the Oden-Durant debate, most up here agree Oden is too special to pass up.
The major discussion in the media room is around all the rumors regarding Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Amare Stoudemire, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen ... well, you get the idea.
The general consensus? There's a long night ahead of us.
As for the shrimp salad, I preferred the peanut butter cookies.
And don't forget to click here to "Ask Isiah" whatever is on your mind.
Thursday- 5:49
"Try the shrimp salad."
 That is the word I am getting from the beat writers and Knicks staff. Will let you know how it is.
Anyway, had my first Isiah Thomas sighting of the night as I walked to get my cell phone charger from the car. 'Zeke' was taking in some sun and talking on the cell phone outside in the parking lot in a white Knicks polo and some baggy sweats.
Could a deal be brewing? I doubt it, since he was talking within buckshot of about 1,000 bloodthirsty New York reporters.
Will keep you in tune, and keep those questions coming!
Check back throughout the night for updates as I take you inside NBA Draft 2007 ...
Thursday - 6:29
I just bumped into the Biggest Knicks fan at the Draft. Check out this guy.
Thursday - 5:34
Fans outside The Garden are all pumped up about seeing who the Knicks will grab at No. 23:
Thursday - 5:05
It's almost here. But how will I get in? PHOTO GALLERY
 Thursday - 4:57 pm
Hey ladies and gents.
Just got to the media room here at the Knicks training center.
No sign of Isiah Thomas or any of his staff, but the Rangers are holding their prospect development camp here, so I took a stroll to their side of the building to catch a glimpse of their first round pick Alexei Cherepanov.
The on-ice sessions ended earlier in the day, so the only news I have to report is that the Russian is (unfortunately) no longer rocking his mullet.
I did run into Adam Graves on my way back. The man who should have his No. 9 retired to The Garden rafters said he still keeps tabs on the Knicks and that he used to frequent a lot games during his playing days.
Anyway, I'm going to settle myself in and get ready for the long night ahead.
Don't forget to send me your questions for Isiah!
With the NBA Draft upon us, here are the top-10 No. 1 picks over the past 20 years:
1) Shaquille O’Neal (1992, Louisiana State)
*981 games: 25.9 ppg, 11.6 rpg.
The best big man in the business, even on unsteady 35-year old legs. The 7-foot-1 Shaq is clearly the top deputy marshal/reality star/rapper/self-proclaimed ‘Superman’/four-time NBA champ there is.
2) Tim Duncan (1997, Wake Forest)
*746 games: 21.8 ppg, 11.9 rpg
Often criticized for his ho-hum style of play and turning down fight invitations from referees, there’s no denying the 6-foot-11 superstar is the reason San Antonio has claimed four titles in the past nine years.
3) Allen Iverson (1996, Georgetown)
*747 games: 27.9 ppg, 6.2 apg
"We're talking about practice!" A.I. is a scoring machine now linked up with another top gun, Carmelo Anthony, in Denver. Will The Answer finally be an NBA championship for the 32-year old or will more practice be required?
4) David Robinson (1987, Navy)
*987 career games: 21.1 ppg, 10.6 rpg
The Admiral was a class act on-and-off the court, who took a backseat for a young stud named Tim Duncan to grab the reigns and guide the Spurs to title-land.
5) LeBron James (2003, St. Vincent-St. Mary HS)
*316 games: 26.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 6.4 apg
The King has arrived and is coming off his first taste of playing in a NBA championship series. The second-coming of Jordan? Who knows if there will ever be another Airness, but this No. 23 has shown that he is the real deal over his first four NBA seasons. The best No. 1 pick ever? Time will tell. 6) Yao Ming (2002, China)
*349 games: 18.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg
We've seen what this Chinese import can do when healthy. Obviously doesn’t have the muscle like Shaq (who does?), but he does have game ... and is only 26. Oh yeah, at 7-foot-6, he doesn’t need a ladder to touch the rim.
7) Chris Webber (1993, Michigan)
*822 games: 20.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg
At 34, C-Webb is still longing for that elusive NBA title. And while his scoring touch has gone down with his ability to stay healthy, he's still one of the better rebounders in the game.
8) Elton Brand (1999, Duke)
*606 games: 20.3 ppg, 10.2 rpg
Brand can "Duke" it out with the best of them, but being stuck on the Clippers could be his biggest downfall. Imagine Brand on any Eastern Conference team.
9) Larry Johnson (1991, UNLV)
*707 games: 16.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg.
Went from a scoring Grandma-ma machine in Charlotte, to a clutch rebounder and defender in New York. LJ was a crucial part in putting the Hornets on the map and getting the Knicks to the championship series in 1999.
T-10) Glenn Robinson (1994, Purdue)
*688 games: 20.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg.
The Big Dog came up big for Milwaukee and Atlanta before dwindling away in Philadelphia and San Antonio. Where have you gone, Mr. Robinson?
T-10) Derrick Coleman (1990, Syracuse)
*781 games: 16.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg.
Injuries and off-court problems dampened what might have been a remarkable career. Selected by the Nets, Coleman reminded people that there was an NBA team in New Jersey.
Can't go? Come here.
 If you can't make it to the NBA Draft, I'll be your eyes and ears. I'm blogging LIVE from the Theater and filming exclusive video to bring you access no one else has.
Plus, I'll be shadowing the Knicks' David Lee as he makes the rounds on the Draft floor.
Check back to MSG.com and my blog at Game On! throughout Draft Night for the latest updates and also be sure to stick around for a MultiMedia explosion.
And don't forget to listen to the CenterCourt podcast this weekend for our extensive draft recap.
Math is hard. Stats Shmats is easy ...
Today's entry is inspired by the 2007 NBA Draft.
 84 – Players who have applied for early entry in the 2007 Draft, including 59 from U.S. Colleges and 25 internationals.
8 – Players from this year’s National Championship game, including Florida’s Al Horford, Corey Brewer, Joakim Noah and Tauren Green and Ohio State’s Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Jr., Daequan Cook and Ron Lewis.
37 – Combined age of Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, the consensus top two picks in the draft.
20 – Rounds the draft lasted in the early days in 1973.
2 – Rounds the draft has lasted since 1989.
And even more:
Of the 60 players drafted in 2006, 15 spent time in the D-League.
Of the 30 players drafted in the first round last year, 15 had three years college experience and 22 went to college for at least three years.
 What people are talking about this morning ...
Unfortunately, for every NBA team that doesn't call Seattle or Portland home, this year's NBA draft seems to be all about leftovers. It's Greg Oden and Kevin Durant and everyone else.
Now, Al Horford, Mike Conley Jr., Corey Brewer, Brandan Wright and company may all prove to be solid NBA players. But, much like the WNBA Draft of a couple of years ago -- when Seimone Augustus and Cappie Pondexter were there at the top -- if you had the third pick, it almost felt like you had the 10th pick because of the almost absurd drop off after the top-two. And if you're still debating what Portland should do at No. 1, believe me, they're not.
Look at the landscape of the NBA. Look at the teams that have won titles, especially in the watered-down nature of today's league. It used to be that you needed at least two superstars on your team to win a title ... not anymore.
Eight of the last nine NBA title teams had either Tim Duncan or Shaquille O'Neal at center. If the big center is available, you take the big center, especially in this era where the league is littered with great scoring small forwards that have never and will never win anything (see Tracy McGrady).
And one quick thought on the Knicks: I don't care how many players that fit a certain mold you have, or what you think you might need, in the NBA draft when you're picking 23rd, you draft what you believe is the best player available. You don't draft based on need. You take a chance.
Last year, Adam Morrison was the third player picked in the NBA Draft. The year before, Andrew Bogut and Marvin Williams were taken ahead of Deron Williams and Chris Paul.
These names litter the top of the draft through the years: Jay Williams. Kwame Brown. Michael Olowokandi. Shawn Bradley. Pervis Ellison.
 Need we go on?
The point is, for all of the number-crunching, the measuring and projecting, the video libraries and the comparisons, mistakes will be made Thursday night.
It seems, at least today, that the No. 1 and No. 2 won't be mistakes -- although there is certainly a chance that when it's all over Kevin Durant will create some arguments for being the No. 1 pick. But nobody kills the Rockets for taking Hakeem Olajuwon over Michael Jordan -- only the Blazers for taking Sam Bowie second ahead of Jordan.
The questions and the mistakes will come after that. That will be when the sure things of today will turn out to be fanchise-crushing mistakes for years to come. Will that mistake be Mike Conley Jr. if he's playing without Oden? Will it be Yi Jianlian turning out to be more Nikoloz Tskitishvili than Dirk Nowitzki?
So here's the question today -- without the Knicks and Nets to kick around in the lottery -- who will be the bust of this year's lottery? Who is overvalued? Who don't you want any part of?
I've got a couple I don't love. I'm not a big Joakim Noah fan -- there is still something missing from his game that I think will be exposed on the NBA level. Spencer Hawes could be another failed big man. And as good as Conley Jr. may be, I wouldn't want to be the Hawks picking him at No. 3.
Two years ago, David Lee ended up being a steal for the Knicks as the 30th pick of the 2005 NBA Draft. Now, with 125 NBA games under his belt and coming off a tremendous season before injury struck, the 24-year old has matured into a legitimate sixth man.
Recently, from summer camp, Lee spoke about a healthier and more successful season for the Knicks:
My lucky 13 for the summer:
1) "Superman" (the George Reeves Superman) returning to television ... ditto "The Odd Couple."
2) Somebody having the guts to tell Bobby Knight it's time he trimmed those eyebrows.
3) Seeing Barry Bonds' head explode, due to the altitude at a Colorado Rockies game.
4) Getting the opportunity to pop the guy who wrote "She's My Cherry Pie" square in the nose.
5) Meeting "Bob" from those Enzyte commercials to see if he really measures up.
6) Switching the balls from the NBA Lottery Draft with the New York Lotto drawings, so the Knicks can get Kevin Durant and the Trail Blazers get stuck with Yolanda Vega.
7) Daytime World Series games.
8) A free I-Phone, even though I have no clue how to use any of the 79 features, including making a call.
9) E-Harmony commercials featuring couples whose dates went so bad, restraining orders were issued.
10) "Grease 3" released on the big screen, starring Kelly Clarkson and Earl Holliman.
11) The return of Electric Football that has the ability this time to electrocute Pac Man Jones the next time he violates his parole.
12) Winning the 'under bet' in Arena Football.
13) Being introduced to the actual person who came up with the word, "blog."
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