OAKLAND, Calif. — There are plenty of skeptics, but guard Kelenna Azubuike just may beat coach Mike D’Antoni’s Christmas prediction for his Knicks debut.
Back in the Bay Area yesterday on the one-year anniversary of his knee surgery, back in the place he had four nice seasons with Golden State gunning from 3-point land, Azubuike participated in a 4-on-4 scrimmage after the formal part of practice. The shooting guard believes he is 1-2 weeks away from returning as a full-time member of practice.
Azubuike will sit on the bench in a suit tonight when the Knicks (4-8) face the Warriors. He had patella tendon surgery Nov. 18, 2009, and Golden State sources believed it would take him one full year before he would play again.
“It’s about that time,” Azubuike said. “It’s getting really close. I smell it. A couple of more scrimmages under my belt, get plays down more and I’ll be good to go. It’s just a matter of time.”
In a confluence of bizarre circumstances, of the four players involved in July’s David Lee sign-and-trade, only Knicks center Ronny Turiaf is expected to play tonight.
Randolph was banished from the rotation in Wednesday’s win in Sacramento that broke the Knicks’ six-game losing streak. Randolph will only play if center Timofey Mozgov (sore calf) can’t go.
Lee yesterday was released from the hospital after getting a second surgery for his elbow infection that occurred when he knocked out part of one of Wilson Chandler’s teeth at the Garden last week. Lee’s Warriors won that game, but the ex-Knicks big man paid a mighty price and will sit home tonight getting IVs.
So that leaves only Turiaf, who has been invaluable. The Knicks are 0-3 in the three games he missed with a knee sprain. They are 4-5 when he’s played. Turiaf’s plus-minus is by far tops on the team at plus-80 — the only stat D’Antoni cares about.
“The biggest thing is how important Turiaf really is,” D’Antoni said. “His energy, his smarts, stabilizing the defense.”
The Knicks desperately need an infusion of 3-point magic from Azubuike, but many in the organization are crossing their fingers. Azubuike’s career 3-point percentage is an outstanding 41 percent. In the scrimmage yesterday against non-rotation players, Azubuike struggled to keep his man in front of him and his awkward gait reminds some Knicks staffers of Allan Houston in his final days after microfracture surgery.
Genuine worry exists in the organization that even if he makes his debut in early December, he won’t be the same player they remember from Golden State. D’Antoni said Azubuike told him he’ll be ready in two weeks, but still isn’t counting on it.
“My goal is to come back 100 percent,” said Azubuike. “I’m not worried. At first, I was. Now I feel myself progressing. That’s the main thing. I feel I’m getting better. If I felt stagnant and felt I was not getting better. I’d be discouraged.”
In terms of discouragement, the 6-foot-11 Randolph finally played his way into D’Antoni’s doghouse, too many mistakes, not enough rebounds or high-energy plays. He’s shooting 27 percent and has struggled since preseason, D’Antoni stuck with him for political reasons because he is 21 and his boss, Donnie Walsh, thinks he’s a future All-Star. But with a 4-8 record, hot prospect or no prospect, D’Antoni is doing what he has to do.
“We do need to win,” D’Antoni said. “Right now I’m trying to think about wins. We’ll go to individual stories later. I can’t coach anything but for tomorrow’s game.”
D’Antoni can envision Randolph as a future Lamar Odom. Now Randolph is a liability. “He has to get a game that’s efficient as a player,” D’Antoni added. “He’s trying to figure out what he needs to do. I want to win and develop him. I have to find a way to do that.”