Look out, Jerome James. You may have some competition.
The seldom-used big man may have to make room on the Knicks bench for fellow center Eddy Curry, who is in serious danger of not making Mike D’Antoni’s regular-season rotation. Curry did not play in Tuesday night’s loss to the Celtics and is not guaranteed to take the floor in the Knicks’ preseason finale tonight against the Nets at the Garden.
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“I kinda got caught off guard by it. I went into last game the same I do for every game, with the same approach, preparing myself mentally and preparing to play a game, but I didn’t have any kind of warning. No…nothing,” Curry said yesterday. “He [D’Antoni] didn’t talk to me [and] I didn’t talk to him. He had plenty of opportunities to talk to me before. I’m here. I see him every day. If he wants to talk to me, I’m right here.”
With Wilson Chandler (knee sprain) out for tonight’s game, Curry’s chances of playing are improved, but D’Antoni said, “It didn’t take one day to get out of the rotation [and] it’s not gonna take one day to get in, either.
“We do have Wilson out, so sometimes you need breaks. He (Curry) needs to take advantage of whenever the break comes,” D’Antoni said. “You gotta play hard every day, you gotta come and want it every day, and then you hope you’re good enough to play. And I don’t think it should change for anybody.”
When Curry played for Isiah Thomas, it was the coach’s decision that he would be the Knicks’ focal point on offense, their MVP, but under D’Antoni, it seems a common coach’s decision for Curry will be a DNP (did not play).
“I haven’t had a DNP for a coach’s decision in a long, long time, so obviously I was disappointed,” said Curry, who was criticized by D’Antoni after Tuesday’s loss for his lack of conditioning. “It’s tough to deal with and definitely something I’m not happy about a not playing last game did open my eyes a little bit.”
D’Antoni will keep a tight eight- or nine-man rotation and likes to play with an undersized lineup that accentuates athletic big men. In this fast-paced offense, Curry looks about as comfortable as he would wearing a pair of 32-waist jeans. In three preseason contests, Curry has averaged 14.7 minutes, 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds.
Curry, who flirted with an All-Star selection two seasons ago, said missing training camp is the reason he has fallen behind.
“I’m clawing my way back. I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do,” Curry said. “I’m doing extra running, extra conditioning, extra cardio, lifting and all that. I had a huge setback in the beginning so I just gotta fight my way back.
“[D’Antoni has] made it clear this is his team. He calls the shots,” Curry said. “I’m just a player here. I just gotta do my job and be ready to go whenever my number is called.”
Or rather, if his number is called.
Rookie Danilo Gallinari participated in his first scrimmage with the team since injuring his back in the NBA Summer League, but he will not play tonight. He looked noticeably, and understandably, rusty, shooting 2-of-8 from the field, but the Italian forward didn’t shy away from contact and showed excellent hustle getting back on defense….The Knicks exercised team options on Chandler and Mardy Collins for the 2009-10 season.