The Knicks avoided the nightmare of the ping-pong ball. Portland won the NBA lottery, Seattle will pick second and the Hawks third.
But wait, you all want fluff and happy. So here you go: just think about how critical that season-ending win over Charlotte turned out to be. The Knicks (33-49) were one win better than Portland. So close, Bulls fans. But so far away.
I love the comments. You want me to "dig up rumors." That's my job, to "dig up rumors." Not discuss reality.
Right then. Rumors. Fiction. This is what you want.
If you read carefully in this blog -- this is not a news-generating function of Newsday, it is a blog, if you want news, read the news-paper edition -- you will often find nuggets sprinkled throughout. Pay more attention to what I'm saying instead of what I'm not saying, that which you so desperately want to hear.
Isiah is a great coach. Curry was worth two lottery picks. Jerome James just moved in with fitness celebrity John Basedow.
All I got is reality for you, baby. Here's what I got a week before the pre-draft camp opens in Orlando:
- Chicago will get the Knicks pick at No. 9, which should still land a quality player and perhaps even a big man that Bulls are hoping for, such as 7-2 Roy Hibbert or, if he somehow slips down the order, 6-11 Chinese phenom Yi Jianlian, whom everyone is talking about.
- My gut tells me the Knicks never make the Bulls pick at No. 23. Just a hunch, but with enough young players on the roster, and the signing of Randolph Morris, the Knicks need to add a veteran player who can compliment Eddy Curry in the front court. Yeah, I mean Jermaine O'Neal. Forget Kevin Garnett. Let it go. The Knicks don't have nearly enough to offer.
- Notice how much Steve Francis' name is coming up in stories out of Houston? They're looking for help at guard and Francis has made it no secret on the street that he'd love to go back to the Rockets. With Jeff Van Gundy gone and the Rockets wanting to get more up-tempo, Francis might get his wish. But the question is, would they take all that salary or only consider him if the Knicks agree to buy him out? If it's the latter, I don't know if the Knicks would be willing to do the buyout unless Francis agrees to a dirt-cheap settlement.
- If Herb Williams finds work elsewhere and his Knick tenure is over, Isiah Thomas should be urged to hire Patrick Ewing as an assistant coach. A perfect person for Eddy Curry to have around him. But does Isiah want someone on his bench who would be more popular than him and who the fans would call for to take over if the Knicks falter again?
Oh, and pay condolences to your Celtics friends. With the second-best chance to win the lottery, they fell to fifth.
Tanking all those games late in the season didn't help much at all, did it?
P.S. to David, who waited up for my blog update, which I edited just for him - I love it when readers talk all that smack and then are too insecure to use a real email address so I may respond. Well done, cupcake.
Comments (11)
Well, Alan, that was a bit better. No real news, and you certainly clearly need to find real souces, but at least you haven't annointed the number 9 player in the draft the next Oscar Robertson. Tonight was the start of the Knicks luck changing. Curry, Lee, Balkman, Frye, Collins, this team has a good young core -- add a quality veteran (O'Neal?) and they will compete.
You are improving Alan. Your Knick negativity was a bit softened (although directing your anger at a reader is a bit bizarre) and I do admire the frequent blogging. And yes, I do understand what a blog is -- its thoughts, opinions, and news nuggets. However, be very careful, if all you can do is be angry/negative/over sensitive, you will lose readers. And bloggers, like newspapers, need readers.
There were some useful tidbits in there. I don't think the knicks are going to do anything major this offseason. They need to trade Nate Robinson, and possibly buy out Jerome James. And if theres any chance Houston would ever take Steve Francis off our hands, then you celebrate. Otherwise, I believe Isiah when he says he is satisfied with the roster. I'd like to see them add a player like Afflalo in the draft whose tough and plays good defense.
And David, I don't know if you can include Frye in that mix anymore; he can't play with Curry and last season he became a perimeter power forward and regressed. The shot didn't fall like it did his rookie year and he still doesn't rebound enough. It's a shame cause I really liked him year 1 but him and Curry don't fit together. He probably still has decent value around the league and he can play on an up tempo team. Maybe they coulld package him in a bigger deal, or send him to a team in the back of the first round for a cheap player and their pick. They could then possibly draft a rugged PF or a shooter.
Brandon, I too was disappointed at Frye's sophmore season but wouldn't give up on him just yet. Remember he was coming off a knee injury, had a new coach, and a new system. He is an excellent 15-foot shooter, is learning to play good man-to-man defense, is a decent passer, and a hard worker. Now if they could package him to get JO'neal, you have to do it. But the young core has much potential.
Ewing may finally be appropriately popular among Knicks fans, but there is no way fans would ever want him to be head coach. He seems like a fine tutor and a legendarily hard worker, but not the strategic mastermind.
No way Houston takes Francis' contract, that thing is brutal, plus they'd have to trade one of their 'big 2' or the rest of the team to make the numbers work. My guess, he's bought out at .75 cents on the dollar and signs with Houston this summer now that JVG is gone.
isiah should trade stephon to seattle for rashard lewis. we could throw in our bulls pick to sweeten the deal. no way houston is taking francis' contract. same with jerome and jeffries. curry is horrible. no way is he worth 2 draft picks. yes he can score, but he can't do much else; rebound, pass, steal, block. come to think of it, he's like allan houston without a jumper. i would much rather have lamarcus aldridge or tyrus thomas and a high pick this year; not to mention relief from curry's bloated contract. i don't know about jermaine o'neal. he's as brittle as they come.
Seriously Alan, Let's dig up some rumors. I heard (from an unnamed source) that the Knicks would offer up Crawford, Nate and Frye for Kobe. Think that would get it done? Does it hurt that my unnamed source passed out at the bar two minutes later?
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