Vegas Summer League Mailbag

Couldn't make it out to Las Vegas to hang with the Knicks? Don't worry, NYKnicks.com kept you covered via the Vegas Summer League Mailbag, where fans got their questions answered directly from the Knicks rookies and second year players.

Gr8Life In Vegas

Nate Robinson came to this very same place, to Cox Pavilion, exactly one year ago ... came to play in Summer League, to try to earn a roster spot with the Knicks, to take his first steps as a professional basketball player. Of course, that was before.Before he exploded onto the scene as one of the game’s most dynamic and popular players. Before he thrilled a worldwide audience with a victory in the Slam Dunk contest at All-Star Weekend. Before his jersey, it seemed, was on the back of every other kid who walked into the Garden. Before he found himself in Washington at a black-tie dinner hosted by the President of the United States.

Mardy Gets The Point

He’s a point guard on a point guard-oriented team, coached by a point guard of Hall of Fame caliber. Mardy Collins has one heck of a comfort zone. “I think I bring a little different aspect to the team,” says Collins, the second of the Knicks’ two first-round picks (and 29th overall) in last month’s NBA Draft. “I’ve been playing some point but (Isiah) basically explained to me that he wants me on the team because when the ball’s in my hands, good decisions are going to be made.”

Renaldo Balkman, Thats Who

By now, everyone knows him as Renaldo Who?. . .The Man Who Wasn’t in the Draft Guide, the Knicks’ surprise – some say shocking – pick at number 20 overall in the NBA Draft two weeks ago. And everything Renaldo Balkman had done in basketball seemed to pale beside that singular designation.But remember this, too, about Balkman. Draft Guide or no, he’s already known a golden Garden moment that few can equal. That came just a few months ago, when he led his South Carolina squad to an NIT championship on the Garden floor, earning tournament MVP honors for good measure. That was his second straight trip to the NIT Finals on the hoop world’s biggest stage, and any first-time jitters were washed away very quickly.

Channing’s Road Back

Channing Frye answered the most important question right away.“ The knee is good, I feel one hundred percent,” said the Knicks’ First Team All-Rookie forward. “It’s just too bad I hurt my ankle, so I’m not going to have a chance to get out there.” Frye was heading into the home stretch of one of the best seasons for a Knicks rookie in more than two decades – 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds worth in 65 games – when a sprained left knee ligament ended his campaign abruptly on March 21. Surgery was not required, and the subsequent weeks of rehabilitation culminated in Frye’s return to active duty in this week’s Toshiba Vegas Summer League.

Knicks To Up Pace, Defensive Intensity Under Thomas

Stylistically, the Knicks are going to be a different team under Isiah Thomas. At times that might include playing at a faster pace, but according to the Knicks President and new mentor the changes are really going to amount to more than that. “We want to be efficient,” said Thomas. ”On both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively. We are not so much interested in pace as we are in being efficient. We want to be good on both sides of the ball. We want good execution so when we’re going to call a play we go out and do it -- and if we don’t do it there is a penalty for that. We want to be able to execute defensively. So if our defense is able to get us out into some kind of transition to move the basketball up court in a quicker fashion, we will do that.”

Summerball, Vegas Style

A friendly word of advice if you’re planning to watch any of the Knicks’ action in the upcoming Toshiba Vegas Summer League: Don’t blink. Much. We’re not talking Phoenix Suns-of-the-East, not yet anyway. But the first glimpses of a revamped offensive game plan under Isiah Thomas will be on display starting on Friday. “Get it up the floor, get into your offense without wasting seconds on the clock,” says assistant coach Mark Aguirre, who’ll pilot the Knicks’ squad in Vegas. “That way, you’re never able to set your defense. We don’t want people to be able to set their defense on us. Even though we’ll be in a very structured situation, you won’t be able to come down and say `Okay, they’re getting ready to run this. . .’ We don’t want that.” With the Knicks’ entire five-game Summer League slate scheduled to be shown on MSG Network, Aguirre pointed out what viewers back home could look forward to. . . a new philosophy, Isiah-style. “They’ll see a lot more movement, they’ll see the floor being spread,” Aguirre says.

Knicks To Participate In Summer League In Las Vegas

The New York Knicks will participate in the Vegas Summer League (VSL) in Las Vegas, NV, with five days of practice prior to the games, at Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. The team is scheduled to have two practices per day, with media availability following the morning practice only. The team’s entry will feature returning veterans Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson and recent draftees Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins. MSG Network will be televising the entire five-game schedule live.

Las Vegas Summer Pro League

NBA.com Summer League Central | Toshiba Vegas Summer League

Summer League Roster as of July 5, 2006

Player	Pos.	Ht	Wt	Birth Date	College	NBA Exp.
Kenny Adeleke	F	6-8	250	Feb. 10, 1983	Hartford	R
Renaldo Balkman	F	6-8	208	Jul. 14, 1984	South Carolina	R
Mardy Collins	G	6-6	220	Aug. 4, 1984	Temple	R
Olu Famutimi	G	6-4	207	Feb. 21, 1984	Arkansas	R
Channing Frye	F/C	6-11	245	May 17, 1983	Arizona	1
Brian Greene	F/G	6-7	225	Aug. 30, 1981	Colorado State	R
Franko Kastropil	C	7-0	265	Mar. 8, 1984	Croatia	R
David Lee	F	6-9	235	Apr. 29, 1983	Florida	1
Paul Miller	C	6-10	250	Nov. 12, 1982	Wichita State	R
Nate Robinson	G	5-9	180	May 31, 1934	Washington	1
Walker Russell, Jr.	G	6-0	170	Oct. 6,1982	Jacksonville State	R
Ime Udoka	G/F	6-6	215	Aug. 9, 1977	Portland State	2

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Hill Knows His Time Will Come

Toney Douglas Turning Heads Early in NBA Career

Photo Gallery: Douglas Breaks Out

Gallinari Living Up to the Hype

Photo Gallery: Gallinari's Fast Start