Knicks halt big spending

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports that the Knicks are changing their philosophy. In a rare state-of-the-team address, Cablevision CEO and MSG chairman James Dolan said that the days of free spending for the Knicks are apparently over.

Dolan admitted that the team has to be fiscally responsible. "There is not a goal to cut back on the salaries. The goal is to put together a winning franchise, not just a winning year, a winning franchise. As long as our moves are consistent with that we'll be supportive. ... That's a good answer."

The Knicks will try to pare down their $93 million payroll (which should create a luxury tax bill of approximately $40 million). "The resources are available for the Knicks to use and use wisely," Dolan said. "They are not there to waste. We need to be fiscally responsible. We want to use every resource we have to better the team and it should come back to us in some form or another."

By passing on an offseason trade for Dikembe Mutombo and his $53 million contract, and by not using their $4.5 million mid-level exception, the Knicks have already started the financial turnaround.

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New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets

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Monty Williams to undergo knee surgery

The Associated Press reports that Sixers forward Monty Williams will undergo surgery to repair torn carti1age in his left knee. The injury occurred in the 4th quarter of Thursday’s preseason game with the Houston Rockets.

This was only his third game after missing the first 4 exhibition games with a sore shoulder. He underwent an MRI on Friday and it is unclear when he will return.

Williams joins Sixers’ center Samuel Dalembert who had successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Friday. He is expected to miss 12 weeks before he will be able to practice. Other frontcourt players who are injured for the Sixers are Derrick Coleman, Mark Bryant and Sam Clancy.

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Philadelphia 76ers

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Van Horn's Defense Criticized

The New York Times reports that the Nets are pleased with their off-season trade for Dikembe Mutombo. Nets Coach Byron Scott said that the Nets were a better team since trading Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch to Philadelphia for Mutombo, and that the team was especially improved on defense without a slow Van Horn.

"With the components that we have right now, I think we're a better team than we were last year," Scott said. "Defensively, we're a better team; offensively, I think we're going to be fine."

Van Horn was a key offensive weapon for the Nets but he was limited defensively. "You can teach guys how to play defense," Scott said, "but you can't teach a guy how to close out on a guy much quicker. You can't teach quick feet.

"I thought he tried as hard as he could to do the things we wanted him to do," Scott said, adding that the second-year forward Richard Jefferson "is a better athlete, a better defensive player."

Scott has said that the trade worked for the Nets because after acquiring Mutombo, a four-time defensive player of the year, the Nets were able to sign the versatile sixth man Rodney Rogers.

"From what everybody kept saying, it was a big gamble," Scott said. "We thought it was the next step for us, to make us even better. So far, to me, through five preseason games, it pretty much solidified exactly what we were thinking."

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New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers

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