Maybe 2010 is Gallo

Watching the Knicks this year, I have learned one thing, and one thing only: Danilo Gallinari can flat out stroke it.

The rest of the team is about as inconsistent as the story surrounding Tiger Woods this week. The Knicks run up and down the court with no apparent plan, and despite being an awful 4-14 have looked good at times. The problem is not enough times.

The main problem aside from having no defense is that the orange and blue do not have a "go to" player, or someone who can draw a double team. What they do have is a couple of pieces who could really fit in nicely with an elite attack forward and a rock solid point guard.

Gallinari is far from developed, but give him an open look and it's money. Knicks' fans will point out that they have had a pure shooter before in Allan Houston and not only did he fail to bring a championship home (like so many 'stars' before him) he essentially sent the Knicks into a salary cap spiral for the last decade when the former all star failed to live up to his ridiculous contract, but this is different.

Consider that Houston was a pure shooter from the shooting guard spot, Gallinari has height and length and will extend the floor because he'll force big guys to guard him outside, opening up the middle for someone like LeBron James or Dwayne Wade to attack. Those guys would also command double teams and give open looks to Gallinari. Houston never had that ability because no one opposing him was ever out of position. Also factor in that the two best players to ever run alongside number 20 were Patrick Ewing, a shell of his hall of fame self at the time, and Latrell Sprewell who played the exact same position as Houston, and was by no means a franchise player and still those Knicks went to the 1999-2000 NBA finals.

The Knicks' plan for 2010 is to clear enough cap room to sign two big name free agents, and that's a great strategy if they can do it. However they may just be OK with one and Gallinari if they play their cards yet. While it's to early to tell if Gallinari is going to be a star, Allan Houston or perhaps Wally Szczerbiak, but from the looks of things he's closer to Houston and if he's better, put him with James or Wade, and maybe just maybe the glory days can return to MSG.