Trivia question: Which is the only NBA team to miss the playoffs each of the past two seasons and not have one lottery pick to show for it?Okay, that was too easy.
As a result, the Knicks will once again watch the already-superior Chicago Bulls get better on draft day.
This year, the Bulls pick up the ninth selection in a deep draft, while the Knicks are rewarded for Chicago's 49-win season with the 23rd overall choice.
It's still too early to say Chicago committed grand larceny—but it's certainly looking that way. Last year's swap of picks netted the Bulls Tyrus Thomas, who had a nice playoff run after a slow start.
Isiah, meanwhile, believes he can gamble at 23, having already used a technicality to nab 6'10" Randolph Morris from the University of Kentucky immediately after the NCAA Tournament.
The Morris pickup essentially gives the Knicks their sixth power forward—a low-risk move that's not likely to do much for the team's fortunes.
It's difficult to say what the plan is in Madison Square Garden—or if one exists at all. Thomas has said it's not possible to rebuild in New York...only to make frequent use of the R-word after assuming coaching duties himself...before reversing course again to make pitches for this or that disgruntled superstar, despite knowing that the Knicks' youngsters are their only trade-worthy commodities.
Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Jermaine O'Neal, Rashard Lewis, and Kevin Garnett have all been mentioned as targets. Given this regime's penchant for quick fixes, expect Isiah to be busy on the phones, even if nothing is accomplished.
Speaking of accomplishing nothing: Thomas used the 20th pick in last year's draft to select South Carolina SF Renaldo Balkman, a 6'8" bundle of energy with no offensive skills to speak of.
Balkman was a perfect fit in New York, where he joined a roster already littered with one-dimensional players.
Bad teams can't generally afford to use their first-round picks on "hustle" players.
The second round of last year's draft yielded several frontcourt energy players who were every bit as effective as Balkman: Boston's Leon Powe, Minnesota's Craig Smith, and Utah's Paul Millsap come to mind. It's worth noting that the Knicks also drafted Balkman, a high-flying, offensively-limited fan favorite, in 2004; his name was Trevor Ariza then.
Towards the end of the 2005-06 campaign, the Knicks traded Ariza and an expiring contract named Penny Hardaway for Steve Francis and his albatross salary. That move gave New York $35 million worth of subpar point guard in the persons of Francis and Stephon Marbury, both of whom are pretty useless unless they're dominating the ball.
And of course the Knicks didn't go after Marcus Williams or Rajan Rondo in the 2006 draft...because they already had too many point guards.
With last year's 29th pick, the Knicks did select defensive-minded PG Mardy Collins, but he's probably a career backup at best.
In the 2007 draft, the Knicks will likely look for a perimeter shooter to complement the oft-injured Quentin Richardson. The names tossed around have been Morris Almond of Rice, Daequan Cook of Ohio State, and, ironically, Marcus Williams of Arizona.
New York would also do well to consider Syracuse's Demetris Nichols, UNC's Reyshawn Terry, or Marco Bellinelli from Italy—though the latter would run counter to Isiah's apparent disdain for European players.
Despite the Knicks' power-forward glut, they may look to add a shot-blocking interior presence to backup or play alongside the defensively-challenged Curry. Boston College's Sean Williams, who will likely be available at 23 due to some off-court issues, has been mentioned.
As for point guard, the Knicks apparently feel comfortable with 11-year veteran Marbury ("I'm adjusting to looking to pass the ball inside first") running the show.
Scary.
Barring a deal (or more buyouts), there won't be much court time for this year's draftee. The veteran-laden lineup looks set: Curry—who contrary to popular belief didn't so much "have a career year" as he just finally showed up in shape and had the luxury of playing for a coach who overlooked his defensive deficiencies—at center; Marbury and Jamal "7-for-19" Crawford at guard; Jared Jeffries and either Channing Frye or David Lee at forward.
That leaves Nate Robinson, Richardson, Balkman, Francis, Collins, and the non-starter at power forward all vying for minutes. Therein lies the problem for any Knicks rookie: No PT to be had on a team with a combined 56 wins over the last two season, only the chance to take Kelvin Cato's spot on the roster.
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about 1 year ago
Thanks Doug - sometimes I forget how bad of a mess it really is. It's kind of like Soviet Russia...you know life was really bad, but until you hear someone put it all together, you don't appreciate the direness of the situation.
So yikes, where to begin?
I think there's enough talent at the 4 and the 5 where you let things be. You've committed to Curry , Lee and Frye. I would ride with those guys and put a lot more thought into the mattter.
At the 3, I think you let Richardson, Balkman and Jeffries compete for two slots in the rotation. I would make Richardson the starter, with Balkman as the backup (and use Jeffries as a second tier sub at both the 3 and the 4 - with Curry on the bench, the Knicks can slide Lee or Frye over the the 5 and go small, with Jeffries at the 4).
* One general note here, I think it's essential that the Knicks and their fans consider skill and skill alone when considering how they're going to fix this mess. DO NOT play guys because they're making a lot of money. The salaries are sunk costs. Play the best players.
And this brings me to the backcourt....
Get rid of Robinson, and bench Francis as soon as you can. Yeah you'll probably have to give a lot of minute to Marbury - but you've made your bed on that one.
In regards to the draft, I like where Doug is going with the Morris Almond suggestion - finding a shooting guard should be the top priority. If Almond's still availble (i'm not so sure he will be), I'd take him in a heartbeat. If he's gone, I would take a hard look at Derrick Byars out of Vanderbilt. Regardless, the Knicks need to draft someone who can shoot - they already have enough guys who can't.
about 1 year ago
There are times when fans gripe and simply don't know what they're talking about. But Doug, I seriously think you might have a better feel for the pulse of the Knicks than Isiah does.
Seriously, it never ceases to amaze me... most intelligent Knicks fans can point out 5 legitimate Zeke gaffes that have set this franchise back years at a time.
The Bulls comparison is the exactly right one to make because of the Eddy Curry trade. I think Chicago is on the verge of owning another soft Eastern Conference next season. Whereas I can't envision any scenario in which NY avoids the lottery pool.
"It's difficult to say what the plan is in Madison Square Garden or if one exists at all. "
Classic.
With Boston and NY in the tank, is it any wonder the NBA is listless?
about 1 year ago
Which players would you rather have? Eddy Curry or Tyus Thomas/Joakim Noah. Thomas assumed that Curry would be good enough to put up 20 points a night and draw double teams. It took awhile, but Isiah's faith in Curry paid of this year where Curry is now probably in the top 3 offensive centers in the Eastern Conference. Of course Curry never jumps, and is an incredibly timid defender and rebound, but the upside for him to be an offensive force is there.
That trade doesn't look so bad in hindsight.
And what's with the Balkman hate? A solid defender who rotates well, fills lanes, finishes above the rim, plays well in transition, and gives maximum effort? His offensive repoirtoire is limited, but he does other things well. Besides, the Knicks don't need scorers, they need people who can do the dirty work, and Balkman will do that.
The Knicks have the talent to be a good team. I'd start Curry at Center, Malik Rose (for his rebounds, defense, and superb high low entry passing) at the 4, Q-Rich at the 3, Crawford and Marbury.
David Lee will come off the bench but he'll be in at the end, similar to Ginobli. Balkman and Collins are decent young backups.
Jeffries, Frye, and Francis don't do anything to justify their playing time, Robinson is a narcisist, and Richardson is always hurt. Since the Knicks can use another small forward as insurance, and another creative wing scorer, I think Almond is the best bet.
about 1 year ago
Let's leave Joakim Noah out of this for the time being.
To be honest, I think that Thomas is going to have a much better NBA career than Curry. He is THE most athletic big man that I've ever seen - and in three years, he'll be a perennial All Star. Heard it here first.
about 1 year ago
its evidant you dont even watch the knicks. so dont bother writting about them you make yourself look stupid.... just terrable on your part. Renaldo Balkman was the steal of the draft.
find a new hobby, cause u suck at writting about the knicks... douche bag!!
www.thebigpush.info
about 1 year ago
And when eddy curry grabs 3 more boards and scores 4 more pts a game, he will average 24 and 10... that the best big man in the east right there.. 07-08 you are about to see things that you never seen before from eddy, and when you do remember i told you so....
p.s. the bulls arent going nowhere.
the knicks are on the up and up. so stick it up your ass.
www.thebigpush.info
about 1 year ago
lets no forget that isiah also got a player he traded for the pick that turned out to be renaldo balkman in the curry deal.
verdict: isiah wins and the bulls lose.... just as you will soon see in the nba playoffs over the mext few years.
bulls, knicks rivalry is back and this time its our time.
go Knicks!!!!
www.thebigpush.info
about 1 year ago
EVIDANTLY you're a prime candidate to repeat the 7th grade until you improve your TERRABLE WRITTING.
Idiot.
about 1 year ago
If I recall, there was a movie many years ago called Losing Isiah. I never saw it, nor do I know anything about it. My only regret is that the title is now taken, because I'd love to make a movie about firing the most idiotic team president in all of sports. How can they keep giving this cretin so many chances? The Knicks have been a disaster this decade, and he is the sad reason why.
about 1 year ago
the guy walked into a mess.. look at the 02-03 roster its the worst rosetr i ever seen.
weatherspoon and othella harrington....lol
scott layden fucked everything up
when isiah came the team was old, small, and unathletic and now they are young, big, and athletic for the most part
about 1 year ago
I think it was a pretty damn good article. Maybe try writing one yourself instead of making critical comments and one line statements with no evidence to support them. To me, "If Eddie Curry grab 3 more rebounds..." is like saying "If Nate Robinson grows three more inches". Let's wait to decree Curry as a solution until he starts putting forth the effort to get rebounds outside of what fall from the sky into his hands.
about 1 year ago
@NYCGATORfan:
Quite frankly, Noah will not be available to the Bulls when they pick ninth. Other than that I agree with most everything you wrote.
@TreyBradley:
Chicago will not get any further without a low post scorer. Perhaps they should trade for a Curry-type player since they can't get one in this upcoming draft at #9.
@dfinocch:
No doubt you are the only person in the world, including Ty Thomas, Ty Thomas' mom, Scotty Skiles and John Paxon, who believes that Ty Thomas is better than Eddy Curry, that's honestly why we are hearing it from you first.
@Doug Anderson:
Funny that the title of your article implies that you would discuss the Knicks' possible draft picks, but besides mentioning a few names without very much detail, your article seems to have its own separate agenda.
Since you didn't, I will predict a draft pick for knicks fans out there who care: Wilson Chandler of Depaul
Wow. I'm going to take a different approach in response and sum up your article as long-winded Knicks hatred. Its amazing, all those words, yet nothing positive at all to speak of from last year? Nothing?
Let me first state that I am an unabashed Knick fan of 20 years I go down with the ship, and if Isiah and Dolan are still at the helm of this team I will support them, but after last year I honestly thought the former should be fired, because the Knicks did not make the playoffs and with a team with that much talent can't cite injury as a reason for not having made it.
That said I disagree with your point of view, because you don't think they're at all talented, you don't think they showed anything last year, which is why I'm going to chime in here and refute your criticism as short-sighted and biased.
After the first month and a half of the season, the knicks started playing .500 ball and were primed for the playoffs until Jamal Crawford went down with a season ending injury. They were playing--and winning--exciting basketball, nail-biters against the best in the league, double overtime games , things were looking up. It turns out that Crawford is closely linked to Curry's success, and once he was out, so was any prospect of making it to the playoffs.
What's laughable is, you think Chicago got the better of the Eddy Curry deal, and my God, how objectively wrong could you be in that position?
Let's not throw around the superior word here when describing the Bulls with respect to the Knicks here. If the Bulls were that good in the east they wouldn't have been so easily wiped of the map by an imploding Detroit Pistons teams. 49 games and they're the best in the east, says who? I believe the Bulls got too much credit by sweeping a heat team that was weak and ill-prepared (I predicted all season that that Heat would be knocked out early for their laissez-faire attitude towards the regular season as even the coach was taking breaks mid-season) for any serious playoff run, but lets face it, the Bulls are still a work in progress and up until as late as the last month of the regular season they were not showing signs of contention.
Let me clarify one thing right here and now. Perhaps you didn't watch any Knick games and instead opted to just read articles by the NY Post, Daily News and the other biased media known as the NY beat writers . Perhaps you looked a box score once in a while? Eddy Curry was THE dominant center in the East this year. Now I can freely use the word superior with respect to Curry and most every center in the league except for Yao, because Curry dominated nearly every center (including Howard, and Shaq when he wanted to play) match-up last season (another exception would be Okafor, who had a block-party against Curry). If and when Curry gets the ball in the post, its over. 19.5 and 7.0 last year is SUPERIOR to Ty Thomas and WHOEVER is left at #9 in this year's NBA draft, I can say that without hesitation. But you're right, that wasn't a breakout year for Curry, because he can do better next year, as I expect he will. 19.5 and 7.0 will not be his career highs, bet on that.
Don't you think Chicago misses that kind of production down low? Tyson Chandler was upgraded by the addition of Ben Wallace, but Mike Sweetney is a bust, and Ben Wallace is just as one dimensional defensively as Curry is offensively. Chicago would have been as superior as you imply they were--had they somebody they could throw it to to score the ball under the basket. As it is now, they've got NOBODY to throw the ball to under the basket who can score in the paint.
As for your criticism of Balkman, way to go, way to parrot what Greg Anthony and those other drones at ESPN squawked on draft day. In addition to actually watching all 82 games this year, I actually went to 20 games at the garden this year, and I saw first hand what kind of player Balkman is. You're right that he is a hustle player. He is, as a matter of fact, a David Lee caliber rebounder, and I see no reason why Balkman, with increased minutes, can't follow Lee's trajectory in the league by doubling his stats in the following year. Lee went from 5.1p and 4.5r in his rookie campaign to 10.7p and 10.4r this past season, and Balkman had 4.9p and 4.3r this past season and showed some things we haven't seen Lee do yet namely putting the ball on the floor after getting rebounds but also getting steals and block shots. Neither player may be a true scorer but each player need only add a 10-15 foot Charles Oakley-style jumpshot or one go-to move, because Curry handles all the scoring on the block on this team. Think Horace Grant had to do much else for the Bulls when he played?
You didn't even mention David Lee's performance this season in your synopsis. That's pretty suspect in my opinion.
Accomplishing nothing with last year's 23rd pick? who do you expect them to pick, laptop-stealing Marcus Williams? Despite being an idiot, Dolan doesn't want any players with criminal histories on the Knicks. What a great year Marcus Williams had for the Nets by the way, 6ppg, 3apg in the regular season, 2p, 1a in the playoffs. Greg Anthony was dead-on when he spoke of that decision, as were you, it seems. By the way, who the heck are Boston s Leon Powe,and Minnesota s Craig Smith? Are those supposed to be good players the knicks should have picked instead or something? I'd take Renaldo Balkman over ANY of them, ANY DAY. Isiah used the 23rd pick to get Balkman because Dallas was going to draft him at 28.
What exactly is your point about Trevor Ariza again? Isiah drafted him late in the second round, and he is a fan favorite in Orlando, so how can you criticize Isiah for this? Larry Brown strong-armed the Steve Francis trade to mess with Stephon's mind, funny--if not outright suspicious--that there is ZERO mention of Brown's name in your mentioning of that deal.
Are you suggesting that Rajon Rando and Marcus Williams are future NBA starters and Mardy Collins is not? I've seen Rando go up against Collins in the celebrity wheelchair classic, and the Knicks got the better player. I highly doubt you know this, but Mardy Collins in the last month of the NBA season averaged 14p 6r 6a and 2.5st per game. He can get in the paint, knows how to run the offense to get Curry the ball where he wants it, can rebound, and is a tremendous defender, putting pressure on the opponents point guard, something many teams like in a pg who is 6'6 , 225lbs (Rondo is 6'1' 165lbs incidentally). Clyde Fraiser thinks Collins has talent to play at the NBA level and wants to work with him in the offseason, so you tell me, do you know better than two hall-of-fame, champion, point guards?
And your silly comment about Ty Thomas being a good player despite a poor season because of a nice playoff run, well if that were the criteria for judging players than Jerome James is worth every penny of his contract! Nobody believes that, but in fact he had a nice playoff run with the Sonics a few years ago, so I guess according to you, Isiah got a steal.
Grand larceny? Chicago wouldn't do the Curry trade again if they could, believe me. Scoring centers are far and few between in this league, maybe your point would be valid if they were getting Durant or Oden (I know you wish they were for the haterade floweth within your veins) but, news flash Chicago is picking NINTH.
How can you criticize Isiah for getting Morris for nothing? Morris is a center, to correct you, not a power forward. With the addition of Morris the Knicks can use him in a trade package, keep him for development and buyout Jerome James or Kelvin Kato... I don't get it, how can you at all criticize the Morris addition, he might become as good as say, Jackie Butler for the Knicks off the bench.
about 1 year ago
I said that Thomas will have a better career than Curry...not that he's better now. I'm pretty sure I can round up a few people that would agree with me.
Thomas is a hard-working energy guy with explosive athletic ability the likes that I have never seen in anyone his size. He also handles that ball extremely well and has reasonable form on his jump shot, which will improve over time. The point is that someone that talented with that good of a work ethic has a pretty good chance of making more of an impact than a lazy, fat center who doesn't rebound. Curry might score 25 a night, but unless he changes his attitude he'll never be a great player (I reference how his effort tanked this year once Dolan announced that Isiah's job was safe).
The Wilson Chandler prediction is a bit of a long shot - don't you think the Knicks are more in need of a shooter than another 6'8" small forward?
about 1 year ago
once again, what I wrote was cut off or edited by the software or someone in charge of this website==this is sad. you invite people to speak their minds yet censor the results.
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d5fdzh8_1cf9pr4
about 1 year ago
I can appreciate the fact that you see light at the end of the tunnel. I've been a Knicks fan since 1967, lived through the John Gianelli/Mel Davis/Hawthorne Wingo/Neal Walk/Campy Russell/Ken Bannister/Eddie Lee Wilkins years, as well as seeing the team at it's best. While that doesn't make me an expert by any means, I can honestly say that I don't recognize this team anymore, and I'm not drinking any of Isiah's Kool-Aid or buying any of his million-and-one excuses or lack of attention to detail, especially on the defensive end. I really don't care how much Curry scores, he still doesn't board, can'pass or shoot free throws, and gets destroyed on the defensive end by lightly-regarded centers. Is that false? This team has gotten younger for sure, but we're outspending the league champs by almost 2-to-1 and still can't even make the playoffs in a weak Eastern Conference. If pointing that out is considered "hating", then so be it. We talk about them playing .500 ball is if that's something to celebrate. Bottom line, 56 and 108 over the last two seasons. Not good.
about 1 year ago
Your full comment is now posted. We experienced a technical glitch that has been fixed - thanks for making us aware.
We have a policy of not censoring any comments (racial slurs and threats aside) and apologize for the inconvenience.
One final thought: dude, if you have that much to say you should definitely start submitting your writing as an article. We'd be glad to publish them.
Best,
BR Team
about 1 year ago
Agreed, Chicago needs a low post scorer. How does KG sound?
Trade or no trade, please don't tell me that the Bulls won't be better a year from now with all that young talent... and more importantly, a coach and front office capable of managing it.
about 1 year ago
Yeah, sure, KG on the bulls. That will happen. Straight up for Chris Duhon, right? That sounds fair.
If you believe that one, perhaps I should believe the articles online that have the Knicks landing Kobe for Lee, Frye and Crawford. Another equally fair trade.
about 1 year ago
I mean the Knicks have a lot of problems. One being that their whole is lesser than the sum of their parts.
Part of that is that the Knicks don't have a defensive minded coach and a defensive oriented system in place. Part of it is that the Knicks players themselves don't value defense. A third part is that the Knicks don't treat each game as a challenge, and they end up losing games to pathetic teams. Another part is that, except out of timeouts, the Knicks offense is bland and simplistic:
Either Curry posts and the rest of the guys stand on the perimeter (with maybe, a Q-Rich, Balkman, or Lee cutting), or Stephon Marbury iso's or gets a screen at the key, or Crawford iso's.
I think whatever problems the Knicks have is that while their big guns are talented, they don't have high enough IQ's to do anything creative.
However, with Curry there, at least the Knicks have someone who can dominate inferior bigs, and draw double teams. Having a player that automatically draws double teams intrinsically makes your team better because it leaves one guy open without someone guarding him. What happens if Curry ever becomes comfortable against doubles and learns how to pass? Or if he learns how to play without the ball. Man, the Knicks offense can really open up.
Tyus Thomas will never have that impact. I can't ever see him having anything more than a Marcus Camby type offensive drives. Yeah, he'll get a few random drives, a stray jumper, and number of tip-ins. But I haven't seen him use a single move from the post effectively.
And if the Bulls draft a center, the center probably wont intimidate defenses the way Curry does. If the Bulls draft a 2 or a 3, he probably wont be as talented as Crawford or Richardson.
I mean, unless the Knicks get a shotblocking power forward, or a bunch of great perimeter defenders, the Knicks will never come close to getting to an NBA Finals. But with the pieces in place, and the state of the Eastern Conference the way it is, The Knicks have a decent shot of getting to the playoffs and upsetting a 4 or a 3 seed there.
about 1 year ago
Just wanted to respond to the rest of your comments. I'm not sure why you just didn't post an article, but that's another topic for another day.
You say the Bulls are not superior to the Knicks, then cite a playoff victory over a fat cat Miami team and losing to an "imploding" Detroit squad. But at least they were in the playoffs to square off against these sub-par teams, were they not? And what were the Knicks doing while all these weak Eastern Conference teams were advancing? place?
As for Curry, I watched every game, both ends of the floor, not just on offense. Pretty stats got the Knicks where? I'm sure the Bulls do miss the interior scoring, but if it was that important to them, then why did they trade him, especially at such a young age? Perhaps he didn't quite fit into their defensive philosophy (notice how yet another defensive-minded unit recently hoisted the NBA Champioship trophy). As a Knicks fan, you should know better. When this team was making deep playoff runs every year, they didn't have an interior scorer - Ewing was shooting fallaway jumpers - nor did they have a lot of offensively talented players. Thier commitment to defense kept them in games, then they had a go-to guy in Ewing when things bogged down offensively, which happens. Which playoff team this year had a dominant center? We're not talking about Curry becoming Bill Russell here, but you have to at least "show" on defense, take a charge, grab a defensive board in traffic, knock a driving guard down, something.
As for parroting Greg Anthony, I've heard that weak argument before, but you cannot tell me that it makes sense to trade 20-year-old SF Ariza, a hustle player who was selected with the 44th pick, along with an expiring contract which could have been used elsewhere, for Steve Francis and his $45 million obligation, especially when you already have Marbury who plays the exact same way, then turn around and draft Balkman at 20 when you could have just kept Ariza (Orlando's slide was in direct correlation to Ariza's injury) - who is younger - and not have that albatross contract of declining player who's also going to whine for minutes. On the subject of parroting, how do you know Larry Brown forced that trade? Were you there when it happened? Or are you parroting Isiah Thomas and Dolan? Perhaps some guy from the NY Post? Have we even heard the other side of the story?
You say it's suspect that David Lee wasn't mentioned. Everyone knows he had a good sophomore year, but it's even more suspect that you don't know who Craig Smith and Leon Powe are. How can just fairly evaluate the team if you don't know who they're sizing up against? Powe, Smith, Millsap, and others were correctly taken in Round 2, and basically do the same things Balkman does. That's not a knock on Balkman, I just don't think you take him with the 20th pick coming off a 23-win season, whether you felt it was all the coach's fault or not. As for Marcus Williams, he did manage to make the All-Rookie team even playing behind Jason Kidd where minutes are scarce. Balkman's minute came primarily as a result of injuries to Richardson and Jeffries. As for the laptop thing, a stupid mistake for sure, but I'm sure past indiscretions didn't stop you from rooting for Sprewell, Anthony Mason, etc., when they were Knick players, did it?
If the "Tyrus Thomas had a nice playoff run" is a silly statement, you topped it by comparing him to Jerome James. Thomas is 20 years old with tremendous upside, while Jerome James was a 30-year-old veteran with no history of doing anything until that playoff series against a centerless Sacramento team. Then Isiah tosses $30 million at the guy while basically bidding against himself. You've seen the results. So who's really the silly one?
Mardy Collins? Sure, the kid played solid ball at the end of the season and is poised, but again, who is he going to take minutes from? Marbury? Crawford? Richardson? Robinson? He was playing 45 minutes a game because of injuries - of course he put up some numbers, as most NBA players would given that much floor time. But let's not get crazy. To say that he doesn't have the look of a starter is not a criticism, just an observation. Time will tell. I hope I'm wrong.
As for Randolph Morris, don't hold your breath waiting for this guy to play center. Just because he played center in college does not mean he'll play center in the NBA. I was not criticizing him, merely pointing out that barring a deal, minutes will be difficult to come by. My entire point was that even though some Knick fans have bought into the idea that the Knicks are a young team, this is still basically a veteran unit, still Marbury's team, with Lee and Frye splitting minutes at the 4, Balkman buried behind Jeffries and Richardson at the 3, and Crawford, Marbury, and perhaps even Francis getting the bulk of the minutes in the backcourt. Where are the minutes for the 23rd pick?
about 1 year ago
i'm actually feeling like im gaining more insight and hearingbetter points from the posts than the article itself...that said here is my standpoint...
yes, the spurs are a dominant defensive team, but they also have a dominant inside scorer...im definitely not comparing eddy to tim duncan, but inside scoring is every bit as important as defense, just ask the cavaliers, who couldnt make a 3 in the finals if they would have liked someone like eddy to dump it into and get points to stop a spurs run...im sure lebron would love to have eddy, even with his defensive deficiencies...
eddy doesnt play D and he doesnt hit the boards aggressively, which is exactly why theres no problem in drafting high energy guys like balkman and lee...seriously try to name one team in the league who has 2 low post starters who avg 15p and 10r...the last low post duo i can think of was tim duncan and david robinson (dont know about the stats)...eddy may never avg 12 boards a game, but he can definitely avg 25p if he's coupled with an outside scorer that isnt sporadic like crawford or always hurt like Q...
i guess mymain point is that there are really only 4 or 5 centers in the game who have a legit offensive game...probably less than that...so be happy with what weve got...
i agree .500 ball is definitely not anything to get excited over, but youhave to remember, i cant really remember a time when we werent beat up last season without at least missing someone or someone playing hurt..and lets remember curry is still only what 24 or 25, we were depending heavily on dave lee(who got hurt right around the time we started to fade..coincidence?), again 24 or 25, quentin richardson (chronic back problems), and of course jamal who is definitely sporadic, but can also get as hot as anyone in the league...also lets remember that marbury and francis were never healthy...and JJ missed the first portion of the season when you usually get used to playing with new teammates (i still think he sucks, but he coulda been better had he not got injured)...
and finally, we were playing for a first year coach, which is never easy, yes the offense seemed boring and simple or what not, but its another year with basically the entire team coming back...theres no doubt we're a long ways off from being contenders, but we'll make the playoffs this year
lets not forget either that isiah is looking to add a big name player, everyone pretty much knows that its not gonna be kobe or jermaine or KG...but, 'sheed and ron artest arent out of the question, and we need someone who has a little attitude like sheed (i should say someone taller than 5'8" and is actually a player, not a perceived thug) bc curry doesnt have that attitude down low...
as i said, we're not a finals contender but we are capable of anywhere from the 5 seed on down, and we saw last year when the bright lights come on, we decided to play ball, as evidenced by losing to the mavs by what a combined 5-6 points, beating the cavs and lakers..it was games against the nets and bobcats and celtics that knocked us out of the playoffs
about 1 year ago
Ok, you make some good points but I wll respond to a few.
You mention that inside scoring is important, and it is, but the Cavs got to the Finals on the strength of their defensive play, and the Spurs won the title (again) in the same fashion. Ilgauskas provided some inside punch in the post-season at times but it wan't enough. Who was Detroit's low-post scorer when they won the title and went to Game 7 the following year? This year they supposedly had one in Webber and couldn't even get past Cleveland. Eddy Curry was a monster in the paint this season after a slow start and look where it got the Knicks. Balance is the key. Teams with post-up players like Curry, Jermaine O'Neal and Kevin Garnett didn't even rate a post-season berth due to deficiencies in other areas. I'm not concerned with Curry averaging 25 if the team can't win. I'd rather he averaged 17-18 in a balanced attack and used some of that energy on the defensive end.
My point about Curry and the makeup of the Knicks roster is that you can't just load up on scorers or one-dimensional players and expect to win consistently in the NBA. Must have some balance, some two-way players )Richardson is the only one on the current roster)and have some idea of how to close out games.
No one can deny that injuries played a factor in how the team closed out the season, but a) every team has injuries, and b)they weren't exactly lighting it up when they were at full strength, hovering between 6 and 8 games under .500 and losing games to bad or depleted squads, so to blame everything on injuries is rather lame. How many teams can summon a $15 million PG to fill in when the roster is thin? The Knicks would have had to finish something like 12-7 (instead of 4-15) just to make the post-season; they hadn't had a run like that for the entire campaign and the schedule got very difficult down the stretch.
As far as playing for a first-year coach, that's been the case for the last four years with this franchise (5 coaches in 4 years), and when the coach wasn't being changed, personnel was. Kind of difficult to develop and continuity that way, but why is it only being used as an excuse now? Lenny Wilkens went 40 and 41 with a worse roster than this one and was forced out. They haven't approached that since.
I hear a lot of folks referencing the fact that the Knicks lost to Dallas by only 2 points. An equally depleted Milwaukee squad lost at Dallas by the exact same score just two nights earlier. Charlotte won at San Antonio and beat Detroit twice. Philly won at Cleveland and Detroit and beat Phonix and Utah after gutting their roster in January. Atlanta won at Jersey, Phoenix, Cleveland, Toronto, Denver and Golden State; beat Detroit and Houston at home. Point is, anyone can win on a given night, but consistency separates the good teams from the bad ones. As opposed to focusing on a game they lost, I'd rather hang my hat on the idea that the team will commit to stopping opponents, sharing the ball, playing smart, working on free throws, coming to camp in shape, and sticking to a plan instead of claiming rebuilding then busting it up to go for the quick fix.
about 1 year ago
I agree of most of what Doug mentioned. I do know of Powe, Smith and Millsap but of those i would say only Millsap is better than Balkman. I do not think you can criticize the balkman pick because he was quite productive and i do not see too many other picks available when the knicks picked that would have helped more. I think it is tough to say who got the better of the Curry deal I think it is a wait and see, time will tell type of question. In terms of Thomas overall I think he has been given too big of a leash by Dolan and I wish Dolan just kept him as coach and not GM. The Francis deal was a joke i do not care if Brown pressured him he is the GM it was his call. The Jefferies deal looks horrible ( I thought at the time it was decent signing). Jerome james what a bad decision that was.
Doug was spot on with the Knicks biggest problem which definitely was consistency. Injuries played a part in that but I think the other thing was that the talent is not actually that high on the knicks. Our top tier talent is Curry, Marbury and Crawford. That is ok at best and curry just arrived at that level this past year. Then we have intermediate talent in Richardson and Lee. Then we have basically OK role players in Balkman, Frye, Collins, Francis, Robinson, Rose. Personally I only like Balkman from this group. Then we have busts in James and Jefferies. Taking this group as a whole it is clear to me (and probably most others) we are not a championship level team; are we playoff level... I would say yes but then i would say so what as it does not take that much to get to the playoffs so i think the goal should be to win at least the first round in the playoffs. Last year i think we improved for 2 reasons increased productivity from returning players namely Curry, Richardson and Lee plus secondly better team defense (I think Thomas deserves credit here). Everyone improved defensively including Marbury and Curry even though they are still sub par. I think Balkman & Lee really helped in this regard. If we look at teams that win championships or get to the finals they have upper echelon players with good role players that play defense. Spurs, Heat, Pistons, all have those qualities. The Knicks top level talent is not good enough I think you can get around this if you have decent quality at each position similar to Detroit and play defense. Looking at the Knicks the way they are presently constituted they need to get one dominant two way player at the forward position (ala Jermaine O'Neal or KG). Can the knicks get these guys probably not? But a Rashard Lewis/Vince Carter which they are talking about may be obtainable. They are small forwards but if they can get one of those guys and also draft a dominant PF defensive player (not sold on Randolph Morris) like Josh McRoberts, Sean Williams, Jason Smith. Then they have a nucleus for a team that can do some damage in the playoffs. Rotation would be marbury, richardson, Lewis, McRoberts, and Curry with Crawford coming off the bench at the G position and Lee coming in at F. This is a team that could compete though still will not be beating SA. I can dream can't I:-)
Getting back to the draft for a second I have heard these Wilson Chandler rumors and I am not a big supporter of the pick. He seems to be a balkman with a bit more offense though not a great shooter and maybe better SF defender with a higher potential but needs a lot of work. I guess we could use a better perimeter defender but I think our biggest need is someone who could knock down the three plus be a decent defender. While I like Almond's shooting aspect I do not think he is a good defender. I would rather see Thaddeus Young (probably gone), Rudy Fernandez, Marco Belinelli, or Demetris Nichols (not sure why he is rated so low he can shoot and I think defend). If the knicks had someone they could kick it to who can knock down a shot when marbury or crawford penetrates or when curry gets double teamed their offense should be much improved. Anyway that is my two cents.
about 1 year ago
I watched the press conference and saw larry brown tell the media that he requested the steve francis trade, so i believe it is you who is the parrot, not that it matters much. this site kind of sucks, so I won't be writing here any longer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/sports/basketball/KNICKS-WEB.html?ref=sports
about 1 year ago
Reduced to making up press conferences now? You can do better than that.
Still waiting for that article.
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