It's Summer League Time In Vegas

The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas began on Friday. It is the beginning of the beginning for recent draftees and a chance for others to either show their stuff as free agents or to measure their progress as sophomores who remember last summer's new start.

For the Knicks, who don't begin play until Tuesday, the observers are already finding silver linings in the Knicks difficult summer, during which they were spurned by the best free agents their money could not buy, Toney Douglas, selected 29th, after the Knicks purchased a pick from the Lakers, is looking like he will definitely be in the NBA for awhile. At least in the next year, he will be able to provide Duhon and Nate with some relief.

Gallinari is being unfairly singled out by his coach and the media as having the responsibility, after missing most of his NBA freshman year and coming back from major back surgery, for performing well enough to be able to sell the Knicks to the 2010 free agency class. D'Antoni and Walsh have asked that Gallo and Chandler save them from their horrible two summers of trying to remake the team so that it is attractive to LeBron James. Gallo still says he is in some pain but that he expects to be pain free by the beginning of training camp.

The press is taking Gallos declaration and accompanying smile optimistically although they claim the exact same surgery essentially ended QRich's effectiveness and Danilo gave us the exact same wishful thinking most of last year prior to the surgery. This is where we say, "Seeing is Believing."

If Toney Douglas is the summer surprise, Eddie Curry may be the summer miracle. It is rumored that he lost 50 pounds by working out and eating right in the last month or so. However, apparently Walsh doesn't believe it, so the Knicks ordered Curry to show up for Summer League to show off his slimmer physique -- the Eddie we always knew he had inside.

If nothing else, this should be a fun-funny summer league for the Knicks.