HLBT Daily: Spurs Healthy, Update on my Beloved Knicks

According to insidehoops.com, the Knicks have (finally) officially waived Mo Taylor - a move in the right direction toward "prominence in the East." Mo is an offensive talent, though the Knicks have plenty of those. What the Knicks need more of are guys who play tough defense. Maurice Taylor playing defense is just a hypothetical situation. It will never actually happen. The Knicks do not need him and his $9 mil a year salary doing more of what they already have and none of what they yearn for.

The Nets signed Jay Williams (the one who nearly killed himself in a motorcycle accident) to a non-guaranteed contract. Basically, that means he will be in Jersey for training camp and if he looks good, they'll give him a guaranteed contract. Jay told the New York Daily News, “I’d like to be closer to the Jay in 2002, but that Jay had a 42-inch vertical. I can tell you that I am a lot smarter. I can shoot the ball a lot better than in 2002. I can run a team a lot better than that. I don’t know if I have the same vertical to come down the court and dunk on Yao Ming, but you are going to get a better, more sound player than I was then.” Jay was a great talent - he had a triple double his rookie season against the Nets - and I hope that after a three year playing hiatus, he can return to the level he was at before the accident.

There has been a theme in Golden State since Don Nelson took over: Baron Davis is too fat to play in Nellie's system. Nelson explained, “lighter than his lowest playing weight would be good for me." I don't get the feeling that Baron is the type of guy to be okay with a coach telling the world that he is overweight, though Baron has such reverence for Nellie, he has not yet fired back. The Warriors should be very fun to watch next year, especially with a healthy Baron Davis at the helm.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson is having a hip replacement operation next Tuesday. The Lakers open training camp next Tuesday. According to the Contra Costa Times, "There was no timetable listed for Jackson's return, but [Lakers spokesman John Black] said he expects the 61-year-old coach to be back on the job before the NBA season begins Oct. 31." I don't know why Phil would wait this long to have the surgery. Even if he wanted to wait it out with hope that it would eventually feel better, you'd figure that he would understand that surgery would be inevitable at least a month or two before training camp opened. New acquisitions Vladimir Radmanovic and Maurice Evans should be key contributors next season, and it would have been a big help for them to familiarize themselves with Phil before the start of the season. Not a great decision to wait until the very same day your team opens its training camp, Phil.

Tony Parker, after breaking his right index finger in the World Basketball Championship, claims to be back to full health. "I'm fully healed, 100 per cent, the bone is back to normal," Parker explained. "The doctors told me I can go as hard as we can and practice normally." Technically, the second part of the quote doesn't make sense, but basically expect more of the same from Tony next season. Tim Duncan also says that his foot has healed, and that he has "no pain whatsoever." If Tim Duncan's plantar fasciitis is a non-issue, then the Spurs should win the championship. Yes, instead of Dallas, Phoenix, Detroit, or New York (echem).

Glen Grunwald, last seen doing a heinous job as GM of the Toronto Raptors, was recently brought in by longtime friend Isiah Thomas to be Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Knicks. "Glen is a skilled NBA executive whose expertise will be a great asset to the New York Knicks," Thomas said in a statement. "... I consider him to be a quality evaluator of talent and a skilled communicator."

I was hard on Glen because, well, the Raptors weren't looking too hot when he left. Glen did have a few successful seasons in Toronto, however. After a 16-66 season, Grunwald helped bring the franchise to the playoffs for three consecutive seasons. “I’m looking forward to joining the New York Knicks organization and working with Isiah towards improving the team and returning it to prominence in the East,” he said. Glen, I will be forever grateful if you can turn the Knicks into contenders. Sitting here thinking about it, there would not be a word that could describe my excitement if the Knicks were to even contend in the second round of the playoffs.