NY Post <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">October 24, 2005 -- With the season opener nine days away, Larry Brown has fired a message at his top two centers: Get in shape or you won't play. Eddy Curry and Jerome James, who signed contracts this offseason totaling a whopping $90 million and also have hefty frames, are not in game shape. Curry has been superb as a low-post scorer, but he's struggled getting back on defense. James played brutally in his first two games as a Knick in Texas. Meanwhile, unsung Jackie Butler, signed late last season, continues to impress Brown, and the Knicks' coach spent a lot of time raving about him Saturday night in San Antonio, where the 20-year-old Butler had 12 points and eight rebounds. Brown started James but he played nine ineffective minutes. Curry was held to 15 minutes. "Our big guys, Eddie and Jerome, are not in the kind of shape they need to be in to play in the NBA right now," Brown said. "They still have time." Not a lot. There's two exhibition games left, including tomorrow in Philly. Brown would like to see Curry step up his off-the-court workouts. Bulls coach Scott Skiles did not consider Curry a hard worker, one reason Chicago gave up on him. Meanwhile, James came to New York at 295 pounds. Though he's lost 20 since the week before training camp, he is still laboring. Brown's rotation is in chaos, because of the depth of the young Knicks. Brown hinted he'll likely go with a nine-man rotation, which means he has hard decisions on whether to sit proven veterans or prized rookies. Who will be the starting power forward is the biggest mystery. Veteran Malik Rose has been awful offensively, Maurice Taylor has been mostly hurt and Davis could still be bought out if he finds his family is not happy living in New York. It's noteworthy his wife and kids returned to Chicago last week without settling on a place to live or school. </div> Source
