Oft-Injured, Out of Shape Curry Keeping Knicks Down
No one expected much out of the Knicks this season. In a major rebuilding mode following the disastrous Isiah Thomas regime, just gaining the respect of their fans " and the rest of the league " back is a good starting point.
With Donnie Walsh still in the process of cleaning out the garbage, it would behoove the organization if they could finally get some sort of a return on the Eddy Curry investment. No longer considered a man-child, the seven-year pro has yet to see a minute of action in 2008-09. Considering that the Knicks are already an undersized team and dealt away Zach Randolph, having a productive big body in the middle would make this thing go a heck of a lot smoother for head coach Mike D Antoni.
Curry reported to training camp overweight and out of shape (and also missed time with bacterial infection), which would give an outsider the idea that he did not take the coaching change seriously. D Antoni s style is a fast-paced and running one, and lumbering up and down the court carrying a soft body that weighs nearly 300 pounds is not condusive towards that.
At the beginning of the regular season, Curry was not even in the rotation, which would have set off a light in the head of someone who cared. There is plenty of time for him to work and get back into the rotation but he has to make a heck of an effort, D Antoni told reporters back in October. I think he knows that and hopefully, he will do that.
Since then, Curry has been inactive due to a bruised right knee, which needed to be drained on two occasions during the preseason. Although tests revealed there was no structural damage and only a bone bruise, Curry completed a three-week rehab in December. If and when he returns, he will still have to prove himself.
During the preseason when he was able to go, Curry didn t exactly light it up with an average of 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Last season, he missed a total of 23 games with injuries and finished with non-impressive numbers for someone expected to be a team leader (13.2 points and 4.7 boards per game.)
The best case scenario would be for Curry to get back long enough to prove that he can play so the team can showcase him for a possible deal. Rumors had both Miami and San Antonio interested in him, and Walsh would love nothing better than to clear the albatross of a contract, which includes $11.3 million in the key season of 2010 (aka " The Year of LeBron).
However the Knicks resolve the situation, Curry will look good wherever he ends up. Casual Male filed a lawsuit against him for unpaid bills totaling more than $41,000.