Originally posted by auris1
View Post
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Timofey Mozgov to New York Knicks
Collapse
X
-
Knicks' D'Antoni praises on Mozgov - Oct 5, 2010 (by Eurobasket News)
Mike D'Antoni officially has another man crush -- Timofey Mozgov (7'1''-C-86).
The Knicks coach said yesterday he is considering a three-man starting-center platoon that includes Mozgov, the impressive 7-foot-1 Russian rookie; Ronny Turiaf; and athletic Anthony Randolph.
But the more D'Antoni talked, it's clear he eventually would like to give the job to 'Mozgov on the Hudson.'
D'Antoni has tried to stop himself from gushing over Mozgov like he used to gush over Danilo Gallinari and David Lee. But D'Antoni has already called Mozgov training camp's brightest light. In the preseason opener, the sturdy center scored a smooth 10 points with five rebounds in 19 minutes.
But D'Antoni is still leery of giving him the starting job at the outset, partly due to the language barrier that reared its ugly head in the Knicks' preseason-opening victory in Milan.
'I'm trying to hold down, curb my enthusiasm,' D'Antoni said of Mozgov. 'I think he can play. I don't see anything bad.'
D'Antoni never mentioned Eddy Curry, expected to be waived after February's trading deadline when his expiring contract no longer is a trading pawn.
Curry strained his hamstring on the camp's second day and is out at least four to six weeks. The Knicks declined to bring him to Milan and Paris.
After Fashion Week, the Knicks' center position will be a hot topic in Paris because the Knicks face the Timberwolves and Darko Milicic, who will look for revenge after being banished from the rotation after seven games last season.
The Knicks traded Milicic at the deadline to Minnesota, where he had a strong finish and received a shocking, four-year, $16 million contract.
When asked if he was surprised Milicic had reversed his career, D'Antoni remained defiant. 'Nothing's reversed yet except he signed a contract,' he said. 'You can bust my chops later, but not yet.'
D'Antoni is making up for the Milicic disaster with his wonderful handling of Mozgov, being viewed as the Knicks' starting center of the future, if not present. They gave Mozgov a three-year, $9.7 million contract this summer, mostly to help him pay for his Russian League buyout. But he's showing also that may be his market value.
D'Antoni even marveled at Mozgov during yesterday's light practice.
'I watched him,' D'Antoni said. 'He can shot the ball, nice rhythm. He has a learning curve. But he's smart. He makes foul shots. His confidence is good. He's definitely not shying away, attacking the basket.'
However, Mozgov, who speaks only a drop of English, experienced a series of defensive lapses but only because he misheard the defensive scheme.
'We changed up our pick-and-roll defense to a zone and over,' D'Antoni said. 'He only heard zone. And for four plays, I was like, 'Why are they scoring?' He just heard zone.'
Meanwhile, the versatile Randolph is struggling enough with his outside shot to lessen D'Antoni's desire to ensure him a starting slot.
And though Turiaf will start again tomorrow, it's mostly because he is the fan attraction in Paris, where he went to high school. The former Golden State center, however, has shown to be an offensive liability, with two turnovers and just five points on Sunday.
'Ronny's going to be an energy guy, block shots, very good defensively,' D'Antoni said. 'Offensively, that will come. He was out for a while last year, so he's a little rustier than normal.'
There is a thought Mozgov is better off coming off the bench for now because he is prone to foul trouble. So the starting-center competition may not have a winner.
'It might be open all year,' D'Antoni said. 'We could have a revolving door. I'd love to settle down on one but maybe not. But I could see it being different week to week.'
Courtesy of www.nypost.com
Comment
-
Mozgov to start for the New York Knicks
New York Knicks Head Coach Mike D'Antoni had revealed his initial starting lineup for the NBA 2010-2011 Regular Season. In which Timofey Mozgov is assured of a starting spot.
Mozgov
Stoudemire
Gallinari
Chandler
FeltonSacramento Kings
HERE WE STAY UNTIL THE COWBELLS COME HOME
Comment
-
Big Man in Little Odessa
By HOWARD BECK
The Sunday shoppers at the St. Petersburg Trade and Publishing House hardly noticed the remarkably tall man flipping through compact discs. The old men playing cards by the boardwalk never looked up.
It was only when the tall man, shadowed by a small television crew, approached the basketball court at Brighton Playground in Brooklyn that someone took notice.
“Hey, it’s Mozgov!” shouted a teenage boy.
With a sheepish smile, Timofey Mozgov took the ball and obliged his new fans by swishing a couple of 3-pointers. Then he resumed his walking tour, soaking up Brighton Beach with each long stride, finding a small sliver of comfort in his adopted city.
Mozgov, the Knicks’ 24-year-old rookie center, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He moved to White Plains in September. His English is choppy, but improving. His basketball skills are much smoother; he was named a starter for the Knicks’ season opener Wednesday night in Toronto. (Mozgov bruised his right hip in practice on Tuesday but will start if he is healthy.)
As he acclimates to a new team, a new country and a new culture, Mozgov is seeking familiarity where he can get it. Brighton Beach, also known as Little Odessa, provided it in generous doses, with food and books and warm greetings in his native tongue.
Waves of immigrants began settling there in the 1970s. It remains the city’s largest Russian enclave, and a required destination for Russian tourists and recent arrivals. A Knicks staff member, with the help of a Russian restaurateur, arranged Mozgov’s tour, with a small MSG crew in tow.
“When you walk the streets, I feel some Russian,” Mozgov said, standing beneath the elevated tracks on Brighton Beach Avenue. “Of course, it’s great. Maybe like small, small country, you know.”
Sirens wailed. The Q train rumbled by. The noise matched the surroundings — charming, but rough around the edges.
“It’s not like real Russia,” Mozgov clarified. “It’s like Russia maybe 15 or 20 years ago.”
The Knicks hoped for a fantastic revival this season, built on a foundation of superstars. But LeBron James slipped away, leaving the Knicks to chart a more modest course with Amar’e Stoudemire as the new centerpiece. This will instead be a season of exploration, as a frightfully young roster tries to build an identity and, perhaps, end a nine-year playoff drought.
When the Knicks signed Mozgov to a three-year contract in July, Coach Mike D’Antoni viewed him as a long-term project, albeit one with intriguing skills. He could shoot, rebound, block shots and run the floor, and seemed to have a good feel for the game. But that was in international competition, and D’Antoni wondered how Mozgov would adjust to the speed of the N.B.A. game.
Although his preseason statistics were modest — 7.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks per game — Mozgov showed his worth. He is a skilled passer, a tenacious (if foul-prone) defender and an opportunistic scorer.
“Timmy’s shown a very good ability to read the game and hit outside shots and do a little bit more than just be a role player,” D’Antoni said, adding: “Obviously, rebounding is a big key for us. If he can rebound, it’d be great.”
Mozgov is just the eighth Russian to play in the N.B.A., and one of two in the league now, along with Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko.
If he is able to play Wednesday, Mozgov will be the first foreign-born player to start for the Knicks on opening night since Dikembe Mutombo in 2003. He would be the first foreign-born rookie to start on opening night since Patrick Ewing in 1985.
D’Antoni, referring to Mozgov and Landry Fields, another rookie starting opening night, said, “We want them to expand their games and find out who they are without going overboard.”
For Mozgov, exploration and discovery are a daily routine. His girlfriend, Alla Pirshina, accompanied him to New York and is living here during the season. But finding Russian culture requires some effort, and a 50-mile drive from Westchester County.
“This is the No. 1 stop — you have to come here,” said Yuriy Akopov, a New York police officer who grew up in the neighborhood. Akopov and two other members of the Russian American Officers Association accompanied Mozgov on his tour.
He pointed to the shop windows and signs, all with a mix of Russian and English.
“It’s a big deal, especially for people that just came, to feel at home,” Akopov said. “The food, the language, everything.”
At the St. Petersburg bookstore, Mozgov purchased a pair of Russian novels and a furry shapka-ushanka, a military hat. He also bought a Russian-English dictionary — “because you see my English terrible,” he said with a chuckle. Later, at a Russian grocery store, Mozgov picked up some glazirovanie-sirki, a Russian cake.
The tour detoured unexpectedly, to a theater where the local transport workers union was holding a Russian-American heritage day. Mozgov was anonymous no more. Children flocked to him, and parents held up mobile phones to snap photos.
In Manhattan, Mozgov is a curiosity. In Brighton Beach, he is a celebrity.
“I read about him on Internet,” said Alex Gavrilchik after he and his wife, Lana, got Mozgov’s autograph.
Lana Gavrilchik said it was for their basketball-playing son, Boris.
“He’s 15 years old,” she said. “And he’s the biggest Knicks fan. He’s a special kind of humor — he said no matter how Knicks stink, I love them.”
With Mozgov in the middle, the Knicks just acquired a little more benefit of the doubt, at least in one Brooklyn neighborhood.
Comment
-
Mozgov—Yes, Mozgov—Helps Knicks to a Win
By KEVIN CLARK
It was all the usual stars who led the Knicks to their 124-106 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. Amar'e Stoudemire. Danilo Gallinari. Timofey Mozgov.
Wait, what?
Yes, Mr. Mozgov, the one-time preseason sensation who had not played at all in the previous 10 games and for only a combined 12 minutes in the last six weeks, got his chance on a depleted Knicks team. The 24-year-old Russian rookie scored 24 points with 14 rebounds in 40 minutes.
With 30 seconds left, the crowd stood and began to chant, "Mozgov!" It did not stop until the final whistle. Four months after he was anointed the next big thing, the 7-foot-1 Mr. Mozgov had finally arrived.
Mr. Stoudemire scored 33 points while Mr. Gallinari scored 29. Those two combined to go 22 for 23 on the free-throw line.
Knicks forward Wilson Chandler missed his second straight game with a sore left calf. Center Ronny Turiaf started in his place while the normal starting center, Mr. Stoudemire, went to power forward.
The Knicks were also without 3-point specialist forward Shawne Williams, who was serving a one-game suspension for a confrontation with Atlanta Hawks forward Marvin Williams on Friday. Marvin Williams was suspended for two games.
Because of this, even more understudies saw the big stage: Anthony Randolph, a 21-year-old forward who at 6-foot-11 has tantalizing potential and unseen production, got another look. He had played once in 17 games, and that appearance was five minutes long. He went scoreless in nine minutes of action, though he had five rebounds.
The teams were tied at 91 to end the third quarter, and the Knicks took off from there. Mr. Gallinari hit a three to start the quarter, then Mr. Mozgov (who else?) had a Garden-shaking putback dunk. Mr. Gallinari hit another 3-pointer with 9:30 to go to make it 101-93. When the Pistons cut it to 113-106, Mr. Mozgov stuffed home a dunk for keep the Pistons away.
There wasn't much the Knicks could do on defense early—the Pistons made five of their six 3-point attempts in the first half and shot 57% overall in the half. Detroit's Ben Gordon made seven of his 11 3-point attempts and, while Charlie Villanueva made all three of his attempts.
Mr. Mozgov also made an impact in areas other than his dunks. The Knicks, who have the third-worst rebounding differential in the league, outrebounded Detroit 41 to 32.
He made mistakes—he missed his first shot badly, a hook shot that hit neither rim nor glass. In fact, he missed his first four shots until a put-back dunk with 2:20 left in the first quarter. He had trouble catching some passes—a reminder of his earlier stint as a regular when he was a turnover machine. But on Sunday, he showed himself a viable rotation player, something that is a far cry from the past two months when he looked as if he'd lost his confidence. Mr. Mozgov himself described himself as "scared" during his first run as a Knicks regular.
"He just wasn't flustered," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said of Mr. Mozgov on Sunday. "It seems like he was going way too fast earlier in the year."
Mr. Mozgov said he was "excited" to have such a good performance. Mr. D'Antoni, meanwhile, said Mr. Mozgov will play more.
He entered the game with seven minutes to go in the first quarter to a louder-than-normal cheer from the Garden faithful. His dunks brought roars from a crowd that had seen him do nothing but sit on the bench and high five teammates for most his tenure in New York.
Mr. Stoudemire provided a scary moment the Knicks in the fourth quarter, his left knee—the surgically repaired one—colliding with the knee of Pistons guard Will Bynum. He went down for a moment and started limping badly, and he limped occasionally for the rest of the game. After the game, Mr. Stoudemire said he felt "fine."
Knicks 124, Pistons 106
Comment
-
I'm a little surprised. I thought Mozgov's value was only that he is a big dude with a really wide body. I thought he'd be an OK post defender and I was skeptical of his signing. Anyhow, great to see him put up such a huge game. Let's hope it continues!!"I really like the attitudes of eagles. They never give up. When they grab a fish or something else, they never let it go. It doesn't matter. In a book, they write they find a skeleton of [an] eagle and there is no fish. It means that the fish beat him and killed him, but he didn't let go." -- Donatas Motiejunas
Comment
-
From the Big Apple to the Mile High City
Timofey Mozgov was part of the Carmelo Anthony Block Buster Trade and the rookie now finds himself in a rebuilding Denver Nuggets franchise and could be utilized as a third stringer center behind starter Nene Hilario and the veteran back-up center Chris Anderson.Sacramento Kings
HERE WE STAY UNTIL THE COWBELLS COME HOME
Comment
-
I got to watch him play a little more today on TV. He's a really fast guy. Marc Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy said he was "very active," and one of the commentators said "no wonder Denver held out for this guy [in the trade talks]."
He seemed to do a very good job of boxing out and playing help defense. He still seems rough offensively, maybe a little like Kendrick Perkins."I really like the attitudes of eagles. They never give up. When they grab a fish or something else, they never let it go. It doesn't matter. In a book, they write they find a skeleton of [an] eagle and there is no fish. It means that the fish beat him and killed him, but he didn't let go." -- Donatas Motiejunas
Comment
Comment