Without the same old new New York Knicks playing tonight, I tuned in to the Magic-Grizzlies game on NBATV (after watching last night's episode of The Walking Dead). I flipped to channel 216 during the studio halftime show featuring a youthful Kendal Gill and spent Dennis Scott, and the studio team soon sent viewers back to the arena as the third quarter got underway in Orlando. A few plays in, Jameer Nelson sent a long outlet pass, after Dwight Howard handed him the defensive rebound, to Rashard Lewis who broke for the other end as soon as he saw that D12 was corralling the carom. Lewis had been boxing out former Knickerbocker Zach Randolph when he took off for the other end. Lewis upshifted as he crossed midcourt to receive the pass in stride, but he had left Z-Bo plodding up court far behind him. At this point, player-turned-coach-cum announcer Matty Guokas provided a Knicks-related lesson in hoops history. 
Matt Guokas: I think Zach Randolph is maybe one of the slowest transition players in the NBA. I'm trying to think of somebody who is poorer at getting back in transition defense than Zach right now. Well, Eddy Curry. When they were teammates in New York, very briefly because Eddy Curry didn't play too many games, that was the worst combination in the history of basketball. David Steele: Wow, that's saying a lot. A bold statement.
As if the weekend hadn't provided enough discouraging Knicks memories, Guokas is dredging ghosts of Knickerbockers past. But, yeah, he might be right. Remember, when that seemed like a good idea? Actually, check that. Remember when Isiah Thomas tried to sell us on that as being a good pairing? Strange days inside the goldmine, indeed.
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