James Lifts, Then Crushes Knicks’ Hopes

There was a lot to cheer Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden: LeBron James being introduced, LeBron James throwing talc in the air, LeBron James slamming two-handed breakaway dunks and LeBron James refusing to rule out playing for the Knicks.
It was a night to cheer for the future, for the possibilities that come with salary-cap space and for the fantasy that James, a potential free agent in 2010, may some day pull on a blue and orange jersey.
James was as splendid and occasionally dominant, although he hardly needed to exert himself in a game that was never close as the Cleveland Cavaliers dismantled the retooled Knicks, 119-101. He finished with 26 points and had ample support from Zydrunas Ilgauskas (11 points) and Delonte West (16 points).
The Cavaliers were as crisp and efficient as the Knicks were dull and disoriented. Al Harrington and Tim Thomas, acquired in a pair of salary-purging trades last week, seemed shaky in their debuts. The rest of the Knicks looked no better, as the team shot 41.4 percent from the field and turned the ball over 17 times.
The Knicks put James in their sights last Friday when they made two trades to clear cap space in 2010. One of those deals remains unresolved, however.
Cuttino Mobley, the third player acquired last week, remains in limbo because of concerns over his heart, which surfaced during routine testing this week. The Knicks allowed the trade to become final Tuesday, so Mobley is theirs regardless of what happens.
Mobley visited a specialist in Boston on Tuesday and is scheduled for more tests on Wednesday. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Knicks do not expect him to be cleared this week. That means he will miss at least two more games, against Detroit and Golden State.
So the Knicks played another game with an incomplete roster and a jumbled rotation. The lineup took another blow in the first half, when Nate Robinson left with a strained right groin muscle.
Robinson, who had started every game since the trade, injured himself when he landed awkwardly after converting a fast-break layup. His status is uncertain.
Although Harrington and Thomas have experience playing the run-and-gun, they seemed uneasy in Coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense. They were guilty of stopping the offense at times while trying to become acclimated.
Harrington, who had 13 points, took 16 shots, the second most on the team, and made just five. Thomas (16 points) went 4 for 9. Quentin Richardson led the Knicks with 22 points.
The Knicks sorely missed Zach Randolph’s rebounding, particularly on the offensive end, and Jamal Crawford’s instant offense. Mostly, the Knicks missed the offensive flow they had established before making the two trades.
They looked a lot like the Knicks of Isiah Thomas, with no evidence of chemistry or organization. They were booed frequently in the first half, as the Cavaliers pushed the lead to 20 points, then 30. Cleveland led by 67-38 at halftime and never looked back.
The only consolation in any of this was James’s gracious praise of New York and the Garden, and his graceful avoidance of any predictions about his future. He swatted away a direct question about playing for the Knicks.
“To bring that type of distraction to our team right now would be unfair to my team, my teammates, coaching staff and the rest of the organization,” James said.
During an eight-minute session with a room packed with 60 reporters, James clarified a few of his career priorities. He said he was not concerned with a team’s market size, noting that Tim Duncan has fared quite well in San Antonio.
He said he considered defense a critical factor in winning titles, which would conceivably rule out the Knicks. He said his greatest priority was collecting championships.
James said he was flattered by all of the speculation tying him to the Knicks (and the Nets and the Detroit Pistons), but said it was too early to contemplate free agency. James would be the biggest prize in 2010, when Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire can also be free agents.
“July 1 of 2010 is a very big day,” James said. “It’s probably going to be one of the biggest days in free-agent history in the N.B.A.”
But James left Knicks fans with two valentines to hold for the next 19 months. He said he was “really close” to D’Antoni, one of his coaches with the USA Basketball team last summer, whom he called an “offensive mastermind.”
And he said he loved playing at the Garden.
“Every time I come here it’s a warm feeling, because you know the history,” he said. “Being a basketball junkie like myself, how could you not love it, being in this building.”
REBOUNDS
Team officials have given no indication that Cuttino Mobley’s career is in jeopardy, but they cannot say when, or if, he will be cleared to play. “I don’t know yet,” said Donnie Walsh, the team president, declining to say whether Mobley had failed his physical examination. “I’m saying right now that he’s undergoing further tests and we’ll make a determination when we get more information.” The team will not confirm widespread reports that Mobley is being tested for heart issues, although multiple people have confirmed that is the case. The Knicks chose Tuesday to waive the physical examination requirements, thus allowing their trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to become final. Clippers officials were frustrated by the delays, which forced them to play Monday’s game without Zach Randolph. “All I know is if he has had anything, he has been asymptomatic," Coach Mike Dunleavy told Los Angeles reporters. “He’s never had any issue with us.” Walsh declined to say whether the Knicks would be entitled to compensation if Mobley could not play. “I did the trade, we’re happy with the trade, it’s a good trade for us,” he said.warhammer gold