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NEW YORK — The Knicks have the number 6 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Every day this week on Knickscast.com we will highlight a few players the Knicks may consider in this year’s draft. Here’s a look at two players they might take.

  Danilo Gallinari

Position: Small Forward

College: European Leagues

Height: 6′9″

Weight: 209 lbs.

07-08 Stats: 17.5 PPG, 46% FG, 40.5% 3PT, 6.7 RPG

The Skinny: The #1 ranked international basketball player, Danilo has size at the small forward position and can shoot the three. The 19-year old was a proven scorer in the Italian and European basketball leagues. Some say he is better than former #1 draft pick Andrew Bargnani.

Strengths: He has good size for his position and he is versatile because he can play multiple positions on the court. What may benefit the Knicks the most, is that he eve though he is just 19-years old, he is mature, has poise, and a good basketball IQ.

Weaknesses: Danilo lacks quickness and explosiveness and needs to be more consistent when shooting the three ball. He also will need to improve on his rebounding.

Good for Knicks?: While Danilo will be the best available player at #6 according to many mock drafts, he may not be the best fit for the Knicks. That’s because he’s not what the Knicks need. With David Lee, Zach Randolph, and Eddy Curry already clogging up the middle, the Knicks would benefit more from a point guard.

D.J. Augustin

Position: Point Guard

College: Texas

Height:  5′ 11″

Weight: 195 lbs.

07-08 Stats: 19.2 PPG, 5.8 APG, 1.2 STLS

The Skinny: Next to Derrick Rose of Memphis, he’s the best point guard in the draft. D.J. has terrific ball-handling skills. He’s a passer and a scorer, has excellent court vision, and is good in transition. He would mesh well with Mike D’Antoni’s offensive minded approach. Augustin is projected to go anywhere from #9 to #15, so the Knicks may have to trade down for him.

Strengths: An excellent ball handler with good speed and the ability to switch gears in transition. D.J. is also a good perimeter scorer and can take defenders off the dribble. D.J. has a terrific basketball IQ too. He’s also a proven winner. D.J. helped lead a very successful basketball team at Texas. His winning attitude could be exactly what the Knicks need.

Weaknesses: He’s a little small at 5′ 10″ and some are worried about his defensive presence. He’s also known to be a streaky shooter.

Good for Knicks?: If the Knicks trade down for him, D.J. would be a nice fit for the Knicks at point guard and would be a logical replacement for Stephon Marbury who is in the last year of his contract. It’s tough to say if other teams will be willing to make the deal on draft day. Let’s face it, with the highest team salary in the league, the Knicks don’t have a lot of bargaining power when it comes to trading some of those hefty salaries.

Check back here often for more of our 2008 Knicks Draft Preview.  Tomorrow, we will break down guards Jerryd Bayless and Eric Gordonn as Knicks draft prospects.

Knickscast Episode 16 – We break down all of the off-season happenings from new GM Donnie Walsh, to new coach Mike D’Antoni, to the Knicks Draft prospects, Knickscast is your source for all of the Knicks offseason news. Check out our latest episode on the top right.

NEW YORK — The NY Daily News is reporting that Isiah Thomas will not return as New York Knicks head coach next season. New Knicks president Donnie Walsh has yet to make the official announcement, but the Daily News says Walsh told Thomas of his decision sometime last week.

The Knicks finished the season a dismal 23-59. Their 59 losses, ties for the most in franchise history. In his two years as coach, Thomas went 56-108 after replacing Larry Brown. While running basketball operations, the Knicks made the playoffs once, losing to the Nets in a first-round sweep.

Worst of all, if Thomas officially does leave as Knicks coach, the Knicks are still committed to 177.50 million in salaries over the next three years.

The Daily News also reports that Knicks prez Donnie Walsh has not decided if Thomas will remain with the organization in some other capacity other than head coach.

We will update you on the latest as we hear it. Once again, no official announcement has been made.

…but here’s the real news: It’s March Madness!

Seen any NCAA players you’d like in a Knicks uni next year? Comment us.

Hawks 109, Knicks 98

Box Score

NEW YORK — On an ordinary night you could blame a Knicks loss on poor defense, a lack of heart and desire, or quite simply on Isiah Thomas. But tonight, the Knicks were just awful from the free throw line. New York went 15 for 28 from the charity stripe (a dreadful 54%). Nuff said. That’s 13 free points wasted. Renaldo Balkman and Randolph Morris started and missed a combined 7 straight free throws.

The Knicks showed signs of giving up on a very disappointing season. Starters Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford played limited minutes (about 20 minutes each), while the younger players (Balkman, Morris, & Chandler) got much more playing time.

Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images:
Injured Knicks Eddy Curry (left) and Stephon Marbury hold their heads down as Knicks lose to Hawks 109-98.

Bottom Line: The Knicks have won 5 games since the All-Star break. They have lost 8 of their last 9 games. They are a mess. Looking forward to the Draft Lottery.

The headsets have come off and its time to throw down! It’s Jack vs Carl, one-on-one for the Knickscast basketball crown!

On episode #14 of Knickscast, I challenged Jack to a little game of 1-on-1 hoops, and he didn’t back down. The game is tentatively scheduled for sometime in the next two weeks, so let the hype and trash talking begin!

First, its time for you to weigh-in… who do you think will win the game?

Knicks 91, Heat 88

Box Score

MIAMI — It was a typical scene for the Knickerbockers – about to blow a 14-point lead and lose their 8th game in a row. But wait… it’s a bird… it’s a plane… it’s Jamal Crawford! In the final minutes of the game, Crawford nailed a three to put the Knicks ahead for good. Crawford had 23 points and continues to prove why he’s their most consistent player. Thank you Jamal Crawford. You’re one of the few reasons I still turn on MSG to watch the game. (I hope I’m not alone on this one)

Bottom line: Knicks beat the worst team in the Eastern Conference… barely. Typical Knicks – they blow a big lead and try to pick up the pieces at the end. I’m not excited about the win. I could care less. Big deal – let’s move on and get ready for the Draft. In the meantime, someone pass the ziti, I’m hungry.

We’ve got a new look website and a brand new Knickscast episode for you. Episode #14 is our wackiest one yet. Check it out on the right!