Donnie Walsh praises Knicks, Glen Grunwald
Former Knicks president Donnie Walsh praised the work of his successor, Glen Grunwald. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr., 2008
Donnie Walsh said he had no emotions about being back at the Garden on Sunday, other than feeling happy for the Knicks and their fans that they have a good team now.
"They're playing great defense, they've got rebounding, they've got guys who know how to play and they've got shot-makers," Walsh said. "They've got the whole gamut of guys. Look around the league; they've got as good [a roster] as anybody."
Walsh helped change the Knicks' fortunes during his three years as team president. He shed salaries and put them in position to sign Amar'e Stoudemire, which was the first step toward the Knicks' return to the playoffs.
Walsh, who left after the 2010-11 season and became the Pacers' president this past summer, said he wasn't upset that he didn't get to finish the job. He said he knew he would just be a part of "the first wave."
"I knew I wouldn't be here for the payoff," said Walsh, who praised the job done by successor Glen Grunwald for the roster he assembled.
There was speculation that Walsh was against the Carmelo Anthony acquisition because he didn't want to break up the team. But Walsh gushed about Anthony's play this season.
"I always thought Melo was a guy who could do everything," Walsh said. "I think this year, he came in, and when they have the roster they did, he saw they could have a really good team and that he could do everything, and he's done it.
"I'm glad to see Raymond [Felton] back. I never wanted to give him up . . . And then the additions of Kidd, Camby and Rasheed Wallace. You can't do any better than Glen's done."
Buzzer-beaters
Marcus Camby played for the first time in three games. He was scoreless with four rebounds and a block in 13 minutes . . . Kidd needed seven stitches to close a cut on the side of his head after throwing a shot fake at Lance Stephenson and getting hit while attempting a three-pointer in the first quarter. "His teeth hit my head," Kidd said . . . Mike Woodson said the Knicks will send a video to the league asking that a flagrant 1 foul on J.R. Smith on Friday be rescinded.
