http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=6763
A number of players were talking off the record about how frustrating it is to have their words taken out of context and have everything over-analyzed in the media. Malik Rose said he misses San Antonio because the media was so much more down to earth.
From the interview with Lee:
David, this is a proud franchise despite the current rough spot you guys have been going through. We hear a lot of things coming out of the New York media, but what's the real mood of the team right now?
"I think we're all pretty frustrated right now. It's never fun to lose the number of games that we've lost, especially with the amount of talent that we have in this locker room. It's been disappointing so far this season, but all we can do is keep our heads up and try to get a victory tonight and the rest of this road trip. We're a very focused team, we come out with a lot of determination, but there's a lot of frustration, as well."
What has it meant to you, on the front line, and to the Knicks as a whole to have a veteran big man like Zach Randolph added to the mix?
"He's a guy who can score a basket on anyone. He's a tough match-up for anyone he's playing against. He's a guy that brings it every night, effort-wise. He's a real warriors down there on the block, so it's been a great experience and he's a guy that I've learned from as I watch him offensively. Anybody that can average a double-double for as many years as he has is pretty special."
Despite the flurry of negativity that has been swirling around the Knicks, this team is pretty upbeat and optimistic . . .and everyone had nice things to say about Isiah Thomas in a very genuine kind of way. Maybe there's a reason he hasn't been fired, as the New York media continues to make sound like an imminent event. The players admire and respect him. Now all they have to do is play well enough to stop the rampant speculation about his demise.
