Juicers in Hall
about then-Nets coach Butch Beard trying to enforce a dress code once, and Derrick “Whoop-de-damndo” Coleman handing him a blank check and telling Beard to fill in whatever amount he wanted for whatever fines were forthcoming.
l Brian Cashman rappelled down the side of a building dressed as an elf the other morning, as he does every year, but the next day he literally spent some dough on his Holliday shopping list.
So is John Sterling’s home run call for the Yanks’ new DH going to be Madonna’s or Green Day’s version of “Holiday?” Just picture John’s voice crooning: “I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies. This is the dawning of the rest of our lives. Matt Holliday!”
Yes, I know, I’m an American Idiot.
l The MSG crowd chanted “Derek Fisher” at Matt Barnes on Sunday night. Who says there aren’t many triangle sightings anymore at the Garden?
l Draymond Green has gotten so proficient at these crane kicks that Ralph Macchio is going to play him in the movie.
l Finally, wonderful touch by MLB for organizing a fundraising auction to help raise money to renovate a New Jersey ballfield to be renamed after Mets media-relations executive Shannon Forde, who died last spring from breast cancer.
My close friend and colleague, Steve, lost his wife on Friday to the disease, and my 40-year-old brother died from lymphoma in 2011.
So, one more time, (eff) cancer. Stand up against it every day. And thanks for reading this far and checking out the new column.
DERRICK Rose was always going to be Phil Jackson’s best move of the summer because of his contract, his history and his potential. He was a risk worth taking.
Rose has been everything Jackson and the Knicks could have hoped for. The veteran point guard is staying healthy and motivated while helping the Knicks to an 11-9 record entering tonight’s game in Miami followed by “Posse Bowl I” on Wednesday at the Garden against LeBron James, his business associates and the Cleveland Cava- liers.
Rose has already set a few important milestones at the quarter pole of the 2016-17 NBA season. He’s appeared in the first 20 games to start a season for the first time since 2009-10. And Rose has been both durable as well as productive. (Knock on wood). His 340 points are the most Rose has scored in the first 20 games of a season since his MVP year of 2010-11.
And although there have been reports out of Chicago that Rose was a disruptive force in the Bulls locker room last season and that he butted heads with rising star Jimmy Butler, the opposite has been true in New York. From all accounts, Rose has been a good teammate. Even a demanding one.
Rose has a winning pedigree, having played in a structured program under Tom Thibodeau in Chicago. He’s also in a contract year and has every reason possible to want to play well and see the Knicks win. Rose isn’t afraid to speak up when he believes there is a problem.
After the opening night loss to the Cavs, Rose talked about the Knicks needing to play less triangle and run more pick-and-rolls.
He’s also willing to hold teammates accountable, even the longest tenured player on the roster. During last month’s dreadful loss to the Washington Wizards, Rose let Carmelo Anthony know that if he wants the Knicks to win big, he needs to be better at both ends of the court.
It wasn’t a hostile exchange. If anything, Rose was simply expressing his frustration in the middle of a lifeless game and was saying what needed to be said. If you think about it, Carmelo hasn’t played with a point guard of Rose’s stature since Jason Kidd was here for the 2012-13 season. Anthony respected Kidd and embraced Kidd’s input.
It’s no coincidence that Carmelo finished third in the MVP voting that year and the Knicks won a playoff series for the first and only time over the past 16 seasons. Anthony has similar respects for Rose, the youngest MVP in league history who has overcome knee injuries to salvage his career. They have a good relationship. They spent Thanksgiving together.
Rose is not nearly as vocal as Kidd, but he’s also a better player than Kidd was during Kidd’s only season in New York and his last in the NBA. Rose gives the Knicks an attacking point guard, who puts pressure on the defense. With Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis spreading the floor, the Knicks have a potent offensive lineup.
Rose is also creating an interesting decision for the Knicks come July 1. If Rose continues on this pace, which includes him remaining healthy, the Knicks will be thinking long and hard about signing him to an extension. When I spoke Monday to Rose’s agent, B.J. Armstrong, on SiriusXM NBA Radio, he said he and his former Bulls coach, Jackson, have not had any talks about an in-season extension. However, Armstrong made it clear that Rose enjoys the Knicks and playing alongside Anthony and Porzingis.
It would be wise for Jackson to play this one safe. Wait to see how Rose holds up over 82 games and whether the Knicks can qualify for the playoffs and possibly make some noise. Remember, they were 22-22 last season before things fell apart. ut it is an encouraging start for Rose and the Knicks. And perhaps instead of just renting Rose for one season, Jackson will invest long term.