<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">TEMPE, Ariz. - Once the Knicks hired Larry Brown and aborted Isiah Thomas' plan to build the Phoenix Suns East, the Kurt Thomas-for-Quentin Richardson deal made little sense. Kurt Thomas, after all, is a Brown-type player, "one of my favorites," he said Thursday following a practice at Arizona State for tonight's game against the real (and streaking, with eight straight victories) Suns. "He just plays. He's got toughness, he can make a shot, he makes his teammates better. He does whatever it takes to win." He would also stabilize a power forward spot where Brown is still searching for an answer, particularly defensively. Yet, rookie Channing Frye, who makes his home-state NBA debut tonight against the Suns (after practicing on a floor Thursday where he lost only once in four years at the University of Arizona), could eventually be that answer. In Brown's eye he fits the offensive part of Kurt Thomas' mold and has the upside to fill the rest of it. Plus, Thomas said Thursday that he knew his days were numbered with the Knicks, although he didn't blame that on Stephon Marbury, with whom he often clashed. "There's so many things that went on, it's hard to place your finger on it," he said. "But I'm beyond that." Thomas also played with Frye in Dallas during the summer and came away impressed. "If he just continues to work on his game and keeps the same attitude and plays hard on every possession, he's going to be solid," Thomas said. Brown also likes the Thomas-Frye comparison, calling Thomas "a pretty good kind of role model [for Frye] because I think they both can step out and make shots. They're both ultimate team guys." But Frye is still finding his way, playing only 17 minutes during Wednesday's 84-79 loss to the Clippers in which the Knicks desperately needed offense during a 6-for-34, 29-point second half. Brown, though, feared matching him up defensively against Elton Brand. There were never such fears in New York about Thomas, which is why Phoenix got him. The idea was to pair him with Amare Stoudemire and relieve the Suns' now-injured big man of defensive responsibility against Western Conference big bodies such as Brand, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki. Back in the starting lineup after coach Mike D'Antoni experimented with a unit that featured no natural center or power forward, Thomas double-doubled (points-rebounds) in three of the last four games, and averaged 13 points and 14.3 rebounds over that stretch. "In New York, we ran more sets and really worked the shot clock," he said. "Here, we're just running and gunning, and whenever you're open, shoot the ball. You don't have to worry about anyone getting upset because there are so many shot attempts out there for everybody."</div> Source
Frye is definitely impressing me...he's playing great and gives the Knicks some offense in the post and a big who can step out and shoot, which is invaluable in today's game...if he every gets his defensive ability to where his offensive ability is, he'll be a scary player...
i`ve been impressed by channing frye`s early play this season,he looks to be fundamentally quite sound and seems to have a good attitude.Having LB as his coach can play a big part in shaping frye`s future success and there is no better coach to do it providing frye can remain sponge-like in his quest for progression,just stay focused and soak it all up and the future is golden
He's played well this season, I think he needs to stop settling for the jumper though. Last night he started shooting them within his range, but as the game progressed he got further and further out. By the end of the game he was taking his jumper from just inside the 3pt line. He also needs to relax a little when he gets the ball in the post. He got called for traveling two times down the stretch. I think he's making up his mind on what he wants to do, instead of reading and reacting to the defense. Larry Brown will definitely be in his ear after he watches the video from last night's game against the Suns.
