What is a legitimate beef?

Mike Breen, he of the barely concealed disgust for his MSG gig, just mentioned that Channing Frye has a "legitimate beef" in response to a questionable offensive foul call in the third quarter. This begs the question, are "legitimate" beefs ever as interesting as illegitimate beefs?

Legitimate beefs: David Lee's playing time, the War in Iraq, global warming, guys who wear scarves with T-shirts, Eddy Curry's portion size.
Illegitimate beefs: Nat-Rob's playing time, anything Stephon Marbury ever complained about, Biggie v. Tupac, Mardy Collins' playing time.



The Bounce believes that Breen is right in saying this is one of those "strange games." This was perhaps predicted by Al Trautwig's increasingly caustic halftime spiel. Poor Trautwig, the guy looks like he almost cares. He looks like he just found his daughter's Myspace page. Something in his voice tells me he'll quit before the season ends, leaving MSG with no choice but to promote Bobbito Garcia.

Jason Kapono has scored more than 20 points. Without Wade and Shaq -- who, while nursing a knee injury, shall heretofore be known as "the Big Ligament" -- the Knicks are getting stomped on by the Miami Heat's JV team. Kapono, Posey, Mourning, White Chocolate, 'Toine, Jim J. Bullock (pictured). Even ex-Knick Michael Doleac is getting in on the act. These are the World Champs? Ladies and gentlemen, the NBA version of the St. Louis Cardinals. To borrow a phrase from Simmons, it's like a bad episode of The Match Game. I'll take Jason Kapono for the block.



Other thoughts:

• Nate Robinson is a horrible defender. Have we answered why he's in the NBA yet? How is he different from Spyda from the And1 tour?
  

• Why doesn't every team just play zone against the Knicks?
  

• According to Breen, Jason Williams has "just unlimited range." I'm skeptical. Isn't this what Reagan said about the Star Wars program?
  

• Gary Payton is the only point guard in NBA history who has spent the latter part of his career without ever having to have to actually break into a full run. Watching him walk/jog the ball up the court is like watching a short court run at the JCC Lawyer's League. Even the prospect of watching a Payton/Sam Cassell game makes me wish 1992-1998 in the NBA never happened, as many other commentators have hoped. It didn't.
  

• Breen, ever the optimist just said that "it looked like it could have been the greatest comeback in Knicks history." This at a time when the Knicks were down by 15 with one minute left.

• Jared Jeffries has yet to score (or something close). Remind me again why signing this guy was preferable to keeping some cap space? With Lee, Curry, and Jeffries on the floor is there a front line in the history of the NBA with worse jump shots? Why does no one mention that Frye is our only forward who has more than four feet worth of range? So much for the Knicks getting in on the "small ball" era of the NBA.