New York Knicks: 10 Ways to Create a Superteam to Compete Against Heat

Although the New York Knicks, failed to win a game in their first round match-up against the Boston Celtics this post season, the fact that they got into the playoffs at all was a step in the right direction and a necessary one to instill some hope back into the once crestfallen franchise and its fanbase.

After acquiring Carmelo Anthony to pair with Amar'e Stoudemire, the team will be heading into an offseason where it should look to obtain players to put around it's two existing stars. As they hope to acquire another one in the summer of 2012, the likes of Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard will all become free agents.

The frustrating thing this summer will revolve around the structure of the new collective bargaining agreement, which could give the Knicks even less money than they already have to spend, which isn't much. So the most vital thing to the team's success will be to bring back basketball mastermind Donnie Walsh and let him take the reigns of the team during a time which could result in a lockout next season.

With the lockout looming and little money to spend, the Knicks will have to be thrifty this offseason and make sure they do not overpay players or sign the wrong ones, as each dollar they spend will be even more crucial since they may have even less money under the new CBA.

The following slides contain what I believe will be the most realistic avenue for the Knicks to take over the course of the next two summers to ensure that they put the best team on the floor to maximize their chances at winning the coveted Larry O'Brien Trophy.

10. James Dolan Needs to Give Donnie Walsh His Extension

This move is a no-brainer and the most important one of all of the coming moves that the team needs to make to further their success and give them the best possible chance of bringing a title back to New York since the days of Clyde Frazier, Earl "The Pearl" and Willis Reed.

Walsh landed the team its current two superstars, Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, along with a very important veteran in Chauncey Billups, whose experience will be critical in the development of Toney Douglas while giving them another threat come playoff time as well.

The thing that makes Walsh such a valuable piece to the puzzle is that he has the ability to land the team a third star like Chris Paul or Dwight Howard, while having enough insight not to force the move if it isn't there and go with a back-up plan if need be.

While the way the Knicks obtained Carmelo Anthony may contradict with the aforementioned statement, it is important to note that James Dolan seemed to be the one to force the move more than Donnie Walsh did. Walsh had enough foresight to realize that they may have been able to land Carmelo in the summer, and if they didn't, they still had a deep young roster going forward, or the best case scenario a deep young roster with Carmelo added to it.

For better or worse the Knicks now have Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, whether the move was forced too early to obtain the latter still has yet to be seen. However, if Dolan does decide to give Walsh the extension, he undoubtedly deserves, staying out of his way and letting him call the shots is what is best for the present and future of the franchise, since it is no secret that Dolan's knowledge of basketball is little to none. As evidenced by his eerily close friendship with Isiah Thomas, who single-handedly handicapped the team until Donnie showed up, Dolan is not too keen on finding good basketball minds to run the team.

9. Fire Mike D'Antoni

The look of bewilderment on his face in the above picture says it all. His post-game interviews against the Boston Celtics were frustrating and down-right embarrassing to watch for anyone associated with the New York Knicks organization.

He constantly gave credit to the other team while bailing out his own. He had political types of answers for the swarming media, as he answered the questions without really answering the questions. It was one of those painful situations where the nothing that he said spoke louder than anything he could've put into words.

His team didn't play defense, largely due to the fact that he did not focus on it and it cost them down the stretch against an aging, yet more experienced and better prepared Celtics team. He stubbornly stuck to his purely offensive-minded system as he watched the team crash into the ground and called horrific plays down the stretch, which proved he doesn't know his team as well as he might think he does.

The perfect example was when he ran a play for Jared Jeffries in Game 2 to win the game. He ran a play for Jared Jeffries! Before that Jeffries never had a play run for him, even in a pick-up basketball game, let alone during a playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

However, that series was just the tip of the iceberg as the mistakes he made were plenty, and press conferences like the aforementioned one were the norm, rather than the exception. Doc Rivers coached circles around him during the series against the Celtics and showed the Knicks glaring need for a new coach.

Unfortunately, D'Antoni is likely to stick around for one more season, since the 'Melo trade shook-up the roster and D'Antoni did not have a lot of time to get acclimated with his new team entering the playoffs. The important thing is that rumors have continued swirling around that Walsh will force D'Antoni to hire a defensive assistant coach, in a last ditch effort to make D'Antoni's speed ball system work. The hope is that it will give the Knicks a more balanced attack against the top-tier teams in the league and make them less of a liability on the defensive end.

While that leads us into our next slide, don't worry I'm not letting D'Antoni off the hook that easily. His replacement for the 2012 season will show up later in the article, don't worry.

8. Bring in Patrick Ewing as the Defensive Assistant Coach

Several of the Knicks top choices for the assistant coaching position are already taken. Dave Joerger is being interviewed for the assistant coaching job on Kevin McHale's coaching staff in Houston, Lawrence Frank is unlikely to go anywhere after Doc Rivers signed his big extension and Mike Brown will be the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

While the Knicks do have others to choose from, who makes more sense than Patrick Ewing?

I realize that it is unlikely that he will leave the Orlando Magic for anything outside of a head coaching position, but its a move the Knicks have to consider, since the benefits would be ten-fold.

After playing as hard as he did with the Knicks, he deserved to win a Championship with them then, and coming back as an Assistant Coach gives him the chance to do so, although obviously in a different position. 

He would also serve as a big man coach for Amar'e and the young bigs on the Knicks roster who are in sore need of help from someone with so much experience. The Knicks defense in the paint has been terrible and their rebounding has been horrific as well.

He also gives the team a greater chance at landing Dwight Howard, who currently has Ewing as his coach in Orlando. Not a bad perk for having a Knicks legend on your coaching staff right?

Although getting Ewing back in New York might be difficult, it would be worth a shot, as he would be the best candidate for the job. Not only would Knicks fans relive some nostalgic memories of a Knicks legend, but the move would also give Ewing a chance at winning the ring he never was able to obtain as a player.

7. Re-Sign Shawne Williams and Derrick Brown

The reason I put both players on one slide, is because Derrick Brown is a restricted free agent and will likely be re-signed as he cost little to nothing. He has a boatload of potential and athleticism and deserved a mention in the article.

While not much is known about him, due to lack of playing time, he showed the value he could have on the roster as an energy player off the bench with potential to get better. The short stints Brown had in games this season were mostly during garbage time, but he has showed promise.  He is also on this slide because he has a very similar build to Shawne Williams. Brown is 6'9" with a freakish wingspan and a tremendous amount of potential as well.

As far as Shawne Williams goes, he can be considered as one of the NBA's Comeback Players of the Year as he made a drastic turn around and proved to be a valuable asset. Walsh and the Knicks benefited for giving him a second chance (he was drafted by Walsh in Indiana) by getting what would become one of the best three point shooters in the entire league.

He also showed some potential on the defensive end, as his tremendous length gives him the ability to step in front of players and pester them with his long reach, making it hard for them to get off a clear shot.

While many players have personal struggles and often succumb to them, Williams can be viewed as the exception, since he was able to face his demons and conquer them. He returned stronger than ever and gives the Knicks another important rotation player whose contributions off the bench will prove to be crucial as they continue their quest for an NBA title.

6. Draft Kenneth Faried and Do Not Re-Sign Ronny Turiaf

Ronny Turiaf brings a tremendous amount of energy, is a great locker room player, and leaves his heart on the floor every night. The problem is that he rarely stays healthy long enough to make significant contributions to the team long-term. That is where Kenneth Faried steps in.

While the Knicks will go into the Draft with more than one need, rebounding is a glaring one for them. Faried has been compared to the next Rodman, which isn't a comparison you hear every day. While anything is possible, his contributions are likely to be that of a Ben Wallace type of player, which would be a welcome sight to the Knicks as well.

He plays with great tenacity and flare for the game, enjoys rebounding and doing the dirty work and is a quintessential garbageman which every Championship team needs. He also is a mature individual, who works hard and is self-motivated. With all the talented players who have worn the orange and blue, too many are all talent and no motivation, which negates the talent they have anyway.

He would bolster the Knicks second unit, and fortify their horrific rebounding (along with the big man on the next slide who the Knicks should take a long look at signing). The Knicks can draft Faried and put their minds at ease knowing that they made the right choice to make rebounding less of a deficiency, while getting a high character player as well.

5. Sign Samuel Dalembert

Dalembert has certainly bounced around and seems to be the odd-man out wherever he ends up going. In New York however, he would step in as the starting center for a team who calls for exactly what he brings to the table: rebounding and shot-blocking ability.

While other centers will be available, Dalembert is the most sensible choice, since the new CBA will leave many teams hands tied as far as how much they will be able to spend this summer and in the future.

Although his character has been a bit questionable on previous teams, it can be chalked up to frustration rather than the fact that he is in fact a toxic distraction, much the way Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry were for the Knicks.

Signing him makes the most sense, because he will fill in the holes of Amar'e Stoudemire's game, allowing Amar'e to play his natural position at power forward. He will give the Knicks a legitimate seven footer, who will help them match-up better against the bigger teams and make them less of a liability on the defensive end as well.

4. Acquire Ramon Sessions

Another player who always seems to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time is Ramon Sessions. He played in Milwaukee behind Mo Williams, played on a decimated roster in Minnesota behind Luke Ridnour, and then landed in Cleveland, playing behind Mo Williams there and finally starting only after King James bolted to South Beach.

For the first time in his career, he would be placed on a Knicks roster with two star players and be asked to do nothing more than just play his game. In Cleveland many thought that he shot the ball too much and took ill-advised shots, but the reality is that with no LeBron or Mo Williams on the roster, someone has to take the shots.

As evidenced by some of the monster assist games he put together as a Milwaukee Buck, he is at his best when he is passing and driving to the hole, not when he is forced to take jump shots because he is on a team without any other offensive options.

The Knicks will have their chance to nab the point guard whom they've flirted with acquiring for several summers now. Because Cleveland will likely draft Kyrie Irving with the first overall pick and Baron Davis will be on the roster as well, Sessions becomes expendable and hopefully more affordable for the Knicks. They will not have much besides future draft picks and a couple of role players like Bill Walker and Renaldo Balkman to offer the Cavaliers.

Although he will have a player option to opt out of his contract in 2012, the Knicks cannot wait that long, with an aging Chauncey Billups and a combo guard like Douglas on the roster.

3. Re-Sign Landry Fields

While Fields had his struggles during the Playoffs, it is important to note that this past season was his rookie year and he was bound to have some bumps in the road along the way. The fact that D'Antoni steadily decreased his minutes and increased Jared Jeffries' minutes during the Celtics post-season series likely didn't do much for the guy's confidence.

Although he seemed to hit the "rookie wall" towards the end of the year, it is clear that he will be a valuable piece to the Knicks franchise if they think they are going to win an NBA Championship anytime soon.

With Amar'e, Carmelo, and Billups to take care of the scoring, Fields compliments the starting unit nicely by doing all of the dirty work and playing solid defense. He was one of the top rebounding guards in the NBA, which is an area they sorely need help in as was already mentioned.

Fields gives the team a more than capable offensive player, who has the ability to hit the jump shot now and then, to drive to the hole when needed to and to play solid defense. He will be counted on more in his second year as the Knicks look to go deeper into the playoffs, although he will hopefully have help in the upcoming season, with the aforementioned players being acquired this summer.

Signing him to a new contract in 2012 makes the most sense because every contending team has a glue guy. His ability to affect a game in the areas that don't show up on a stat sheet while also playing solid defense and rebounding seem to fit that description exactly. 

2. Trade Amar'e Stoudemire for Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard's asking: "Why can't this happen?"

Although I already outlined in detail why this makes the most sense for the Knicks in a previous article (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/656437-new-york-knicks-6-reasons-dwight-howard-could-bring-a-dynasty-to-the-big-apple), I will add to what was already stated in that article.

While many people are expecting the Knicks to go after Chris Paul, it will take a lot more than just Chauncey Billups to acquire him and could cost the Knicks both Landry Fields and Toney Douglas, who have proven to be important pieces to the team that should be considered as part of the core of the team.

Acquiring Howard in this manner makes sense mainly because of Stoudemire's injury concerns, with two micro-fracture knee surgeries under his belt already, it is a worthwhile question to ask, "how much longer can his knees and body hold up?"

Amar'e was the first one to sign with the Knicks, even uncertain of whether help was on the way or not and he should certainly be respected and commended for that. However, the sad reality is that the new CBA looks like it will be tightening the salary cap, giving the Knicks even less money to spend and making it somewhat impossible to envision the team trotting out on the floor with three superstars and having enough money to surround them with anything substantial. While acquiring Howard may be a longshot, it seems to have a better chance of happening than getting Paul, Melo and STAT together does.

Pairing Carmelo and Howard together, could give the Knicks a duo similar to that of Shaq and Kobe in their heyday and makes even more sense with the coach the team has a better chance of landing than people think in 2012. That brings us to the slide that everyone's been waiting for now, although the Kobe and Shaq comparison may have given it away.

The Head Coach of your 2012 New York Knicks is none other than...

1. Hire Phil Jackson as the Head Coach of the Knicks in 2012

I just couldn't resist, this looks so much better than seeing Phil in a suit on the sidelines.

While many of you may have been expecting Phil Jackson as the Head Coach, I'm sure you weren't expecting that picture. Although "Mountain Man Phil" looks a lot cooler as a player, that wasn't my point in using this picture as opposed to one of him coaching.

The point is that he used to play for the Knicks, and even more importantly, he still stays in touch with old teammates of his such as Clyde Frazier, Willis Reed and Earl Monroe. They are likely wondering if Jackson coaching the Knicks will become a reality, like many of the rest of us. They may have even talked to him openly about the possibility.

Phil Jackson has two rings as a player of the New York Knicks and eleven as a coach, yet none of those eleven were coaching the Knicks.

It almost seems fitting that Phil Jackson would be the last piece to the puzzle to help the team win a Championship and have things come full circle, winning a ring back where it all began for him. His interest in coaching also stemmed from sitting next to Red Holtzman for nearly all of the 1970 Championship season after having spine fusion surgery.

Coaching this Knicks team would be a culmination of a little bit of everything from his career. He would be back coaching the team he was with as a player, while coaching version 2.0 of Kobe and Shaq. Plus, with Patrick Ewing, who often faced Jackson's Bulls in the playoffs, as an Assistant Coach, it just feels right, and if you don't think it can happen just think about it.

Do you think Phil Jackson is really retired? And if he was to come back to coach what team makes the most sense?

Exactly!