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Oh...My...Gosh.

The New York Knicks are 1-8—off to their worst start since the 2002-2003 season (the start of Isiah's Years of Hell). And the New Jersey Nets are 0-8—off to their worst start in franchise history.

What the hell is wrong with New York area teams?!

At least the Giants have hope, despite losing four straight after a 5-0 start. After all, they have a quarterback, coaches, and a variety of players that can say, “We've won the big one.” I don't see that guy on either one of my local basketball teams.

The Nets are a case of the worst luck a team could have outside of being run simultaneously by Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, and Eric Mangini (Yikes!). They have injury issues with their All-Star point guard Devin Harris (groin), Courtney Lee (groin), and reliable sixth man Keyon Dooling (hip).

If that's not bad enough, Chris Douglas-Roberts has the H1N1 virus (swine flu). There goes the Nets' depth at guard.

Also F Bobby Simmons has left the team for the time being, due to personal issues.

Wow.

That's certainly more bad luck than most teams should have in their first eight games. Oh, and Yi Jianlian stinks (out with sprained right MCL). Yeah, I said it.

The Knicks on the other hand are, well...the Knicks: A talented group of young players that don't have the chemistry to consistently win games. Double-double machine David Lee, Nate Robinson, and a much-improved Danilo Gallinari make a nice threesome for New York, but apparently not good enough for abundant victories.

Those guys can be cornerstones for the Knicks or other teams, but the chemistry among the entire squad is missing. The resourcefulness is missing. That relevant (not you, Eddy Curry) veteran presence is equally absent.

Both teams seem to be waiting until 2010 to make a major splash, although in fairness to the Nets, they still, by some miracle, have a chance to be an eighth-seed in the "Leastern" Conference.

The Chicago Bulls started 0-7 in the 2004-05 season, yet still made the playoffs with a relatively young core like this Nets' squad.

Plus, the Nets have more upside. They have a talented, young center in Brook Lopez, who is currently averaging 18 points and nearly eight rebounds per game. They also still have All-Star Devin Harris; a point guard that has the potential to make New Jerseyans temporarily forget the name Jason Kidd.

Either way, both teams are looking to sign a 2010 free agent like Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, or LeBron James.

To me, James' current team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, still have the best chance to be his 2010 destination and beyond.

With the start the Miami Heat are having at 6-1, it's safe to say that Pat Riley is making his case for Dwyane Wade to stay put. Who would want to leave a potentially great team post-2010 free agency that plays near South Beach?

That's what I thought.

Furthermore, Nowitzki seems too loyal to Mark Cuban to leave the Dallas Mavericks, but you never know in the NBA. Toronto Raptors' star Chris Bosh can ball, but he may very well be the RuPaul of the NBA, as Shaquille O'Neal kindly put it last season.

And don't get me started on T-Mac or Boozer because those guys won't get the money that they'll be looking for given a lower salary cap, their history of injuries, and in McGrady's case—lack of postseason success.

Then again, if LeBron, Wade, and Nowitzki stay put, that leaves Amar'e Stoudemire (offensively great, but defensively not so much), Bosh (RuPaul), Boozer, McGrady, and veterans like Steve Nash as the major names in the '10 pot.

A team might just be desperate enough to overpay for one.

The Knicks and Nets are both aiming at 2010 for success. One free agent won't make these teams contenders, but could tremendously boost their overall presence and assist them in obtaining immediate success. Like I said before, the Nets are in much better shape with Douglas-Roberts, Lopez, Lee, and Harris.

Talk about an all-potential team right there (sorry Blazers).

A guy like Boozer or Bosh could make that team a perennial playoff qualifier and perhaps, when the squad has matured—a contender.

The Knicks could get a big time free agent too, but one guy doesn't fix everything. There is no guarantee that Robinson and Lee will be on the team next season, or anyone on the current roster for that matter.

Unless LeBron decides that giving new life to a once-great franchise and the Mecca of Sports (Madison Square Garden) could make him more legendary than winning in Cleveland, than the Knicks don't have a chance of signing him. Sorry, Knicks fans.

The summer of 2010 is going to be upon us eventually. Until then, the Knicks and Nets could improve or continue to lose and make their fans miserable.

Take your pick on what happens next.

 

 

 

Fred "The F-Bomb" Richani is a columnist for The Sports Courier , 411Mania.com, and everythingyntk.com. Richani founded The Sports Courier in 2009. His work has been featured on CBS Sportsline, Pro Wrestling Torch, GOOGLE News, and USAToday.com . He has also interviewed Platinum-selling bands Blue October and OneRepublic. Richani currently resides between New York City and Philadelphia in Freehold, NJ.