<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">SCRIMMAGE SHOWS LAMPE STILL HAS LOTS TO LEARN By MARC BERMAN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- July 12, 2003 -- Last week, Maciej Lampe got a tattoo on his right ankle -a picture of a basketball inside a cross, with the No. 30 inside. Lampe does not want to forget June 26 - the night he careened out of the NBA draft lottery and into the second round, where the Knicks nabbed him with the 30th overall pick. "He's very aware of the fact [he was picked 30th]," Knick coach Don Chaney said. "He has something to prove being picked so late. It's a good thing for us, especially. That means he's going to work harder to improve his game." Yesterday marked Lampe's second practice with the Knicks' summer-league team, joining a day late because the NBA needed to approve Real Madrid's clearance document. During two five-minute scrimmages, Lampe, 18, didn't touch the ball much, as he's still learning the plays. But when he did, Lampe was out on the perimeter, away from the inside fray. Lampe wore white athletic tape over his left ear to protect a newly pierced ear, but that's not why he wanted no part of the lane. That's been his style, and that's why he's compared to Dirk Nowitzki, a 7-footer who can shoot treys. However, Chaney wants Lampe to get himself dirty. "Although he feels he can score on anybody outside, he can also score on guys inside," Chaney said. "He has to put as much emphasis on his inside game as his outside game. He's got to be a well-rounded player. It's a lot easier to play on the perimeter. It's a lot tougher to play inside. I want him versatile." Lampe is a project, but one with an exciting upside. Lampe is to make his Knick debut Monday in the Boston summer league. The Knicks say they want him here next season, but if he's a bust in Boston and Utah, there's a slight chance they could cease buyout talks with Real Madrid and let him stay in Europe another year. "It all depends on how I do in the summer league, what the Knicks think," Lampe said. "I want to stay here. It all depends on my game. If I play good, then the Knicks will fight for me. I think I can get out of my contract easy. We have to lower the buyout, which we can do, or we can take them to court." Slavko Vranes, the Serbian 7-6 center, joined Lampe yesterday as he was cleared by his European team for his first practice. </div> http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/37768.htm
