by Michael Naclerio

Amidst the whirlwind that is the Knicks front office right now, the CBA negotiation and an offseason that requires a number of holes to be filled we contemplate the upcoming draft. Although Donnie Walsh will not be signing back on as Knicks President of Basketball Operations, he will remain with the team as a consultant through the next season and will still contribute to selecting the Knicks upcoming 17th pick in the NBA draft this Thursday. Although Donnie’s involvement may slightly ease the minds of the Knicks fans (as long as the player the Knicks choose does not rhyme with Hordan Jill), many are still hungover about why Donnie was let go in the first place. (more…)

by KnicksTweets contributor Ralph Guerrero:

So Donnie Walsh is stepping down as President of Basketball Operations of the New York Knicks.  He will be retained as a consultant for the next year.  A consultant?  Really?  The man who stripped millions of dollars off the books?   The man who made putrid contracts disappear like his name was Houdini.  The man who saved the Knicks from salary cap hell.   Yet because he wanted to be assured that he was really calling the shots; now he is relegated to the “consultant” title? (more…)

With Alan Hahn reporting that the Knicks and Donnie Walsh are “still talking about” a contract extension, we’d like to ask James Dolan:

Why isn’t it done yet?

What is taking so long?

What else does he have to do?

However, there is a major flaw to this line of questioning.  From most accounts, there is a two year contract currently on the table.  The question is does Donnie want to accept it? (more…)

Via Alan Hahn on Twitter:

Still no official word on Chauncey Billups, although Hahn expects him to play.  The Nets will be without Deron Williams for the rest of the season, starting tonight, which could make for an awfully boring contest.

Via Alan Hahn on Twitter:

The Utah Jazz will be without several players tonight as well, via The Salt Lake Tribune Blog:

The Jazz’s Francisco Elson (sprained left ankle/inflamed left knee), Kyrylo Fesenko (back spasms), Ronnie Price (sprained right big toe) and Mehmet Okur (strained lower back) are out for tonight’s game against the Knicks.

Paul Millsap (left patellar tendinitis) and Andrei Kirilenko (back spasms) are game-time decisions.

A snippet from Alan Hahn’s amazing, worth every cent, Knicks Fix:

We just got the official word that the team is having a shootaround at 10 a.m. Sunday before their 6:30 p.m. game against Atlanta.

This. Never. Happens.

The Knicks haven’t held shootarounds on 6:30-game days in the past. But, as we can see, times have changed. The stakes are high, admitted Mike D’Antoni, and there’s little room for error. (more…)

Via Alan Hahn on Twitter:

No panic from Mike D’Antoni or Donnie Walsh despite the Knicks recent 6-game slide.

Via Newsday:

“I feel like we’re doing OK. I feel like we’re getting back on track,” D’Antoni said after conducting a workout that dealt mostly with late-game execution and what it will take to beat the Wizards Monday night at the Garden. “Nothing physical. More mental stuff.”…

Team president Donnie Walsh saw enough to believe the Knicks are trending upward. He added that the streak has not made him more itchy to trade (nor did the Nets’ dropping out of the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes).

“Let me put it this way. I’m doing the same thing whether we’re winning or losing,” he said. “If we can get something to help the team, we’ll do it. But I’m not going to just do something because we’re going through a tough period or even through a losing year, which you guys saw the last two years. I’m not going to just do something so guys can write, ‘Oh, they did this.’ “

According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard on Twitter:

But Melo still holds the cards (as per Newsday’s Alan Hahn on Twitter):

Despite preseason rumblings that Kelenna Azubuike would be ready for opening night, the shooting guard’s rehab from a patella tendon injury in his left knee has been slow to say the least.  Three weeks ago Coach D’Antoni said “he’s not ready, physically,” and recently he was shutdown from practicing altogether.

Apparently Azubuike is back at practice, but Alan Hahn is reporting that “he still is lacking the necessary lift and quickness he’ll need to be effective in a live NBA game.”

A career 40.9% 3-point shooter who likes to play defense would be a welcomed addition to this team (yes we know PG and C are most desired).  But remember, the last game Azubuike played significant minutes in was November 13, 2009, when he lit the Knicks up for 22 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.