The Knicks Fix

Happy Fathers Day to all the Fixers! If your lucky enough to
still be able to Hug your Dad...give him a big one. If your Like Alan, Trane and myself, your Dad is like the wind, you can't see it,
but you can feel it! To all:
Happy Fathers day to all fixers,

Happy Fathers Day

In regards to what Detroit would be willing to give up that would match up salary wise for Zach...well there's Wallace. I would take that in a heart beat. Expiring deal. Plays D. Better fit next Curry. Otherwise it would be tough to match up. I don't see Detroit giving up Rip, Chauncy, or Prince for Zach, but I would make any of those deals. McDyce only makes 6 mil and everyone else on their roster is making chump change. Hard to see it happening unless people got very creative.

i would trade zach for redd is a second. redd is the real deal, a certified star in the league, guys like this are rarely available. he is a MAJOR upgrade over crawford. as far as cap implications, it seems to be a wash with zbo. this would enable us to move lee into the 2 slot, and free up crawford to be traded (for tj ford? sorry fixers, i gotta go against the grain in here, i like him a lot). or keep crawford, draft augustine, and start running with:

pg: augustine/ford/marbury
sg: redd/crawford/n8
sf: chandler/balkman/richardson
pf: lee/jeffries
c: curry

this would be one of the fastest and most athletic teams in the east. granted there are more than a share of problems with this roster, but with a good coach and a castrated marbury, this team will compete nearly every night, and win enough to begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

as for the pistons scenario, i would also happily trade zbo for rashweed. not only is this a talent upgrade, but it gives us flexibility on the court (wallace can slide to the 5), and cap relief. perhaps we could even make both deals happen, and ship crawford/rose (or marbury?) to milwaukee for redd, or crawford straight up for mo williams, then draft gordon (agian i know most fixers aren't high on gordon, but he will have a great nba career).

having said all of this, i wouldn't be disappointed if the knicks drafted anthony randolph (or even gallinari). i'm feeling good about the possibilities.

@ sec11rowH

I don't see Crawford going anywhere! He's custom built for
D'Antoni. Under his system ....Crawford will be on the All Star team this Year! Do I want REDD? HELL YEAH!
I vision the starting line as....Augustin, Crawford, Artest, Redd
and Jeffries...with Curry coming off the Bench! That my Friend,
will be a line up 2nd to none! Hey we can all Dream? This Dream
is so close to reality....I can see it!

i was born in the east coast (and am a lifelong knick fan), but currently live in milwaukee. that being said, i would definitely NOT want to see redd in a knick uniform. larry krystkowiak was the bucks coach this past season and after he was fired he told the media that if redd doesn't get his 20 shots a night he doesn't expend any effort. he's a pretty horrible defensive player and is part of the problem with the underachieving bucks team (hence his being shopped, as the team wants to focus on the bogut/yi tandem, and rightfully so.) perhaps a change in atmosphere would do him well, but i'd prefer to send him somewhere else.

i was born in the east coast (and am a lifelong knick fan), but currently live in milwaukee. that being said, i would definitely NOT want to see redd in a knick uniform. larry krystkowiak was the bucks coach this past season and after he was fired he told the media that if redd doesn't get his 20 shots a night he doesn't expend any effort. he's a pretty horrible defensive player and is part of the problem with the underachieving bucks team (hence his being shopped, as the team wants to focus on the bogut/yi tandem, and rightfully so.) perhaps a change in atmosphere would do him well, but i'd prefer to send him somewhere else.

@Peaceman

i like everything on your starting roster except Augustine

he is a good guard but not great..and he is too small
we already have a miniature pg (lil nate)
bigger guards will make it impossible to get his shot off

did you see the game against memphis in the ncaa tournament?
derick rose made it impossible for him to shoot over and he had a hard time creating his own shot.
the knicks need a big guard in the deron williams mode...

@allan

what is RIP hamilton's contract situation?
he would fit nicely in with d'antoni's system...
i would love to trade Z-Bo for Rasheed...now that is a perfect fit
(a 4 that can shoot 3's)

d'antoni would cream his trousers if walsh could get rasheed from Detroit

No trade with Detroit involving Zach Randolph works unless it's straight up for Rasheed Wallace. Pistons players just do not make enough money to make a trade possible. And I doubt the Pistons would trade away Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince. They might be OK trading Antonio McDyess but he only makes $6.8M next season. Randolph makes $14.7 next season.

I don't see a trade that works if it doesn't involve Sheed.

I'd love to trade ZBO, but the only way it makes sense is if we get back a shorter contract and player that improves us.

The problem with Wallace is not so much his talent level, but do we really want another headcase?

Why does everyone assume Jamal Crawford will fit in Mike D'Antoni's system? Explain it to me because I do not get it.

To thrive in D'Antoni's system, you need to be a good and consistent outside shooter. Crawford is a career 40% shooter and 35% from three. Personally, I think it's suicide to allow him to have the green light and shoot at will.

Just to compare, Leandro Barbosa is a career 47% shooter and 41% from three. Raja Bell is a career 43% shooter and 40% from three. And Steve Nash is a career 49% shooter and 43% from three.

My point? Crawford is not suitable to play in ANY system. He stinks.

How about:

Wallace, Prince, Stuckey and #29 for Zach, Rose, Balkman, Collins, and #6?

Detroit saves cash, gets younger, gets a lottery pick, NY gets a promising PG, a decent SF, and a short-timer, Isiah works his magic on #29.

No way Dumars is trading Stucky. He said he won't. He'd be crazy to. It won't happen.

I'm fairly ambivalent about Redd but let's try out a second trade proposal:

Marbury, James, Jeffries, and Nate for Redd, Simmons, Gadzurik, and #8. Here, the Knicks assume a lot of liability but relieve the Marbury distraction and exchange parts that may thrive elsewhere (or not).

Oh, and in that Detroit proposal, NY could send along buyout money on Rose's contract to ensure Stuckey is part of the deal.

>My point? Crawford is not suitable to play in ANY system. He stinks. >

LOL.

I think the hope would be that Crawford would get more high quality shots and his FG% would rise as a result. If not, it's a disaster to give him the green light.

Richardson was made to look better than he is in Phoenix. The system can help players too.

What's with the knock on Crawford's shooting percentage? Don't you all know the difference between a shooter and a scorer? Like Anonymous alluded to, his FG% will rise drastically as a result of the quality shots he's sure to get in this offense, not to mention his penchant to take and make the clutch shot that EVERYONE ELSE seems to run away from.

Throw your percentages out of the window.....Jamal is not the problem on this team......he is a keeper!!

SERGIO, Raja Bell is not a great shooter but in D'antoni's system, Bell's shooting improved and his 3 point percentage sky rocketed making him an actual threat from downtown. Before D'antoni, Bell was not a threat from anywhere offensively.

The hope here is that they find a point guard who will get Crawford adequate touches on the court instead of his usual bail out heaves which can make a shooting percentage an aberration.

While most people hope the knicks chase Lebron, the free agent to be I covet is the starting point for the Hornets...No coincident that Byron Scott's "new" contract only last 2 years. I guess he knows 1 of his players may not re-sign with the team.

Jamal is Jamal. At his age, he's not going to change very much. My two favorite years with him in a knick uni were his first year in new york and the year he spent with Next Town Brown teaching him to get to the basket instead of hoisting up untimely unneeded low-percentage shots. Since Brown left he has slowly regressed into the gunner first option of a team headed for the lottery.

I've seen Jamal destroy Ginobili in San Antonio, hold his own against kobe, and when he first came to New York, my perception of him was that he was going to be better than Sprewell with continued improvement. That one year he was great at buzzer beaters, but I can't remember him sinking very many this past season, possibly because we weren't often close enough for buzzer beaters, much of this past season was forgettable in terms of being competitive, so the details escape me.

You know that Jamal is the oldest player in the league to have never played in a playoff game.

Any way you slice it, Michael Redd is surely an upgrade over Jamal.

Not that we're going to get Redd, but whatever.

We have to get somebody. This team as it is, is built for 23 wins. We've had all kinds of big time coaches come in here and try, the roster needs changing--arguably at every position.

Imagine if you drafted DJ Augustin and Nate gets extra minutes with D'Antoni's system? You'd easily have the shortest back court in the league, when some of the guards in the league are 6'8" or 6'9" or taller.

I remember the commercial from back in the day, "you can't beat what you can't catch," and I consider quickness to be the most important aspect of a basketball player's physical attributes, but shortly thereafter you have to look at height. You can't teach it, and I'm wondering how it will workout if we have two players in the game both under 5'10". that's a concern defensively.

just bloggin.

no way jamal is traded before d'antoni gets his usage for a full season. it is custom made for him. watch jamal thrive in 08-09. he'll easily avg 22ppg. trust !!!

What about the Sixers as a possible trade partner for Zach? I heard that as a rumor. They allegedly need a low post scorer from the PF position. I just don't know what they could give us in return that fits the salary-cap restrictions.

Trading Zach, in the end, may require a 3-team deal.

@Knicks defense

i totally agree with about the guard height situtation.

this is why i am against drafting dj augustine

the guards in the NBA are getting taller not shorter.
we need to target taller PGs like westbrook or Mayo

ideally i would love to get OJ mayo but drafting mini guards
will not help in the long run.

personally i would trade Z-bo for Rasheed straight up.

i really hope i don't see randolph in a knick uniform next year.
hey maybe they will trade "fat burger" curry to.

if stats are all you're after, jamal had his best year this past season in terms of ppg and apg, but they only won 23 games so it means much less to me. i want the knicks to win, i want the knicks to make the playoffs and be competitive again. when you look at the win-loss columns, that's the definitive sign of how good your squad is, not the season averages of individual players.

if mike _'antoni wants jamal, i hope he can figure out how to get the most out of him. jamal knows how score, jamal knows how to crossover, jamal can get on a bigger shooting streak than most players in the league, jamal can get eddy curry going when eddy curry feels like playing basketball, but I am not at all convinced that jamal understands and is committed to doing what it takes for his TEAM to win the basketball game on a nightly basis, on both ends of the floor.

i simply can't stand isolation basketball as the first option, and that's what we saw last year, minimal movement, lots of dribbling at the top of the key which led to an off-balance low percentage shot by said dribbler. that's what jamal did for the knicks last season and it was very bad.

maybe you're right, and jamal will be "transformed" under d'antoni. maybe if you bring in very specific players around jamal things could change, but as he gets older I'm less convinced he's the right two guard for the knicks. for one thing, when he tried to bulk up this past year, it backfired. he had to lose the extra muscle to regain his quickness and jump shot, so his optimal weight is around 190, which makes him too light to take the contact in the lane by the hordes of bigger two's in the league. point guards these days are over 205 so 190 for your "big" guard isn't big enough.

good stats on a bad team mean little in the grand scheme of things. we have a lot of those players, zach, eddy, steph, jamal. big numbers, big contracts, but what is the culmination of it all when april comes and the knicks fans are looking at the lottery instead of a first round opponent?

let's see who walsh looks to move, obviously zach is the leading candidate along with marbury.

Tayshon Prince for Randolph

Get Redd

Jamal doesnt have to be transformed anyone who thinks something is wrong with his game is just a hater .

Jamal has been stuck trying to carry this team because all of the players youve spent every preseason kissing their arses have let us down. Hes not a superstar but hes not a scrub either. Barbosa a nice pretty fg% but he is a product of playing with Nash in D'antonis system .You swap them and the knicks are much much worse and the Suns would be much better.

Jamal shoots 41% so he cant shoot Sergio ? is that what you would tell your players as a coach Sergio ? Thats stupid...... How many coaches would claim Crawford couldnt because he shoots only 41%. To thrive in D'antoni's system you need to have some versatility when scoring the ball especially when there is no Steve Nash getting you easy baskets all the time.

D'antoni's system is designed to create easier scoring opportunities which should only help jamals fg% and overall game. People claim hes streaky well if you are able to get easier scoring opportunities over the course of a game then it should help you shorten your bad streaks while extending the good ones.

Typical internet hater Jamal stinks he cant play in any system and then people want to be taken seriously after these types of statements are made.

Unless Star-baby is gone (and Zbo too), the last think the Knicks need is another "ball hog".

Seriously...Michael Redd & ZBo will be nicknamed "The Blackhole and Quicksand" b/c once the ball goes in, it's never coming back out!

Keepin' it Old School...

The "Downside" on Augustin was the same thing "Experts"
said about Chris Paul. Here's Break down from Real GM:

Augustin the do-everything ringleader.

Augustin is preposterously quick and nimble with the dribble, maintaining it effectively to create shots for himself and teammates with his gunslinger mentality. He constantly makes something out of nothing, especially on broken plays. It was evidenced as much as ever when he threw a buzzer beater alley-oop to Damion James to beat UCLA in Westwood early in the season.

In the structured halfcourt, Augustin passes one-handed with either hand off the dribble exceptionally well which is something that he can also do in the open floor. His vision is superb, and he sets up his teammates with ease to handle passes. He also effectively uses on-ball screens, invites double-teams, and anticipates from where the help rotation will come.

He would have struggled in the Derek Harper hand-check era, but he should be an effective NBA point guard in the way Tony Parker and Chris Paul have become All-Stars. His small frame lets him sliver into cracks, something he’ll be able to also do in the NBA. Augustin changes pace and spins with incredible balance and is able to freeze in the air while deciding whether to shoot or pass. He is excellent at floating away for those high degree of difficulty jumpers, which he shoots with a very pure, and quiet shooting form.

Despite being so short, Augustin is able to get shots over taller defenders and also has a superior perimeter shot at this age than the two similar bodied NBA point guards just mentioned. He already can shoot the NBA 3-pointer and shoot a good percentage from the college line.

For his size, he is actually an effective rebounder, particularly because he is so quick to the ball and runs down long misses.

Defending bigger point guards like Baron Davis and Chauncey Billups will clearly be a problem, but he is a crafty player and should be able to use his quickness to disrupt said players before and after they catch the ball in the post. Despite being so slight, he is well-built and can withstand physical play.

His fundamentals as a help defender are highly refined, and he is very pesky and will steal a ball or two every game.

Augustin’s intangibles are phenomenal and, clearly, he is a great lad. The son of a schoolteacher, he finished the fall semester with a 4.0 grade point average. He is fearless in the air and is never reluctant to make a big play in clutch situations.

From Mike Dunleavy:
"I think he's really quick," Clippers' Coach Mike Dunleavy said after the workout. "He shoots the ball with a high IQ, so I think he's going to be a really good NBA player.

"It's all about quickness, right? Quickness negates size, and he's got shooting ability. He's got an array of runners. He's got a lot of different tools."

I agree wholeheartedly with Luke on Jamal.

People are quick to point out that he's never been in the playoffs his entire career. So it's his fault he's played on lousy teams and for lousy coaches, huh?

Most dudes in his situation would have lousy attitudes (ie: Starbury), but he's the epitome of class...not to mention one of the best clutch shot makers in the game today.

KnicksD, I'm not crazy about all the "iso's" either, but when you find yourself in situations like that time and time again (due to bad coaching), you develop bad habits. It'll be interesting to see him in a system suited to his talents.

Trust, Mike D. is gonna ride him as far as he'll take him.....and so would I.

You people and your stats.

Top 10 NBA Point Guards Per "NBA Vine"

Steve Nash PG Phoenix Suns
Rank # 1

Chris Paul PG New Orleans Hornets
Rank # 2

Chauncey Billups PG Detroit Pistons
Rank # 3

Jason Kidd PG Dallas Mavericks
Rank # 4

Tony Parker PG San Antonio Spurs
Rank # 5

I'll stop @ 5..... 3 out of the top 5 from this poll are barely
six foot! If Mayo is not there @ #6........how do we pass
on this Kid.....who seems to be made for an uptempo
style and is a better shooter than Paul with an almost Identical Game?
Just Blogging!

I would take their best defender - Tayshaun prince. He is immediate defense and then we can focus on a point guard to distribute. Curry is another problem bigger than Randolph. Curry shows no signs of becoming a better defender than his past dictates. If I can trade both Curry and Randolph and get a revamped defense front court than I think we got a good future. Enough with the one dimensional scorers that are turn over prone and greedy ball hogs. Coach D needs to introduce the Knicks to the team concept all over again.

After seeing clips of anthony randolph, the upside amazes me and he'll probably be available at six...but if there is anything we can do to get Derrick Rose at the 1 or 2 spot we need to do that...Rose is exactly what the knicks need to jump start our success...I wish thomas was still team president so we could offer the remainder of our soul to the bulls for the #1!

A couple points:

- Those of you who are even suggesting that Detroit would trade Rasheed Wallace for Zach Randolph are delusional. Wallace is one of the best players in the league, and Randolph ... isn't. Also, Hahn's main point was that the Pistons would be inclined to trade for Randolph because he had his best years playing alongside Wallace.

- Trading for Michael Redd would be an awful move. All the Knicks have been doing in recent years is trading for the best player on bad teams (Crawford, Marbury, Francis, Randolph, Curry, McDyess). Redd would be just like the rest. It's irrational to expect these guys to come be the best player on your team and help them win when they were the best player on a bad team that didn't win. These guys are made out to be 2nd, 3rd and 4th options. Redd is a chucker who doesn't play defense. Plus, he's balding.

getting harder to post on here. my last comment had no curse words but was "held for approval." what up with that alan?

at the sake of being redundant:

BX: I'll be rooting for whoever is wearing orange and blue come november. right now I am down with D'antoni and Walsh, if jamal is the man, then jamal is the man. but the one last thing I'd like to point out is what everyone who gets MSG already knows because you hear it time and again when the game is on.

For one year, LB got Jamal to take more free throw attempts than three pointers. that was the year Jamal was the best team mate as a knick. in chicago jamal took more three point shots than free throws, and, in new york, with the exception of the LB year, Jamal took more three point shots than free throws.

you have to admit, that says something about your game. you're on the perimeter too much and you're not getting into the paint as much. a two guard has to get into the paint because it facilitates spacing, movement and other things happening for your teammates on the basketball court. it may have been isiah always calling all those stagnant isolation plays for jamal this past year, but i don't see any coach, not even isiah, saying not to go to the basket. that was jamal's choice to settle for the outside shot.

for those that confuse michael redd as having the same problem, he hasn't had that problem since he started averaging 20 a game five years ago. at is is a shame because jamal is actually a better free throw shooter than redd, so for jamal to do the most damage he's got to quit camping out behind the line and get in the paint.

@ KnicksD...

I concur with most of what you stated, but like I said earlier, Jamal's deficiencies can be corrected with proper coaching, but most importantly, from a coach that commands respect.

D'Antoni will do just that.

BX: i am down with that. now who do we draft? Think mr. love will still be there?

i do think that jamal will get better under d'antoni

remember when jamal was actually coached he got better(under Larry brown)
isiah never hand any plays for the knicks.
everything was clear out and go one on one

offensively d'antoni is a genius and i think with his style and coaching he will get the best out of jamal.

@peaceman
i like augustin but i don't think he is worth a #6 pick.

athletically he is nothing like chris paul.
chris paul can dunk the ball
augustin can't dunk

it is the athletism of chris paul that allows him to take the contact
when going to the hole and make the shot.

also i watched texas alot when they had durant and when they didn't and the only thing i don't like about augustin is he can't create his own shot.
steve nash,chauncey,chris paul,even lil nate can create their own shot and break down their man off the dribble

i like augustin but i don't think he is worth a #6 pick.
to take him we should trade down(i think westbrook has more upside than augustin)

i do think anthony randolph is worth a # 6 pick

KnicksD,

It's so strange, dude. I was so anti Mayo at first, but as time went by and did my own research on the kid, he seems to be just what we need. Unfortunately, alot of other teams feel the same.

It's just the opposite with Mr. Love. Whereas it seemed like a no-brainer at first, I'm starting to have my doubts...don't ask me why.

Will he be there at 6? I think so. Do we take him? I'm not too sure. I realize the last thing we need is another guard (unless he's franchise-changing talent, like a Rose or Mayo), but they may be the best players available. Perhaps Augustin or Westbrook? You know we could use a floor general. Alexander piques my interest, but not sure at #6. There's alot of talk about Randolph's upside....he definitely addresses some chronic needs.

I guess I'm not sure.

When we got Channing Frye he was suppose to be that inside defensive presence. Channing was not defensively gifted nor offensively for that matter. The Knicks biggest weakness is interior defense. Now, I hear the Brook Lopez may drop down to 9 overall. If I were the Knicks I would consider Brook Lopez over Randolph if we are going for a big man. A say trade Randolph and Curry and get some defensive big men via draft or free agency that can set screens and drop a jumper from time to time.

A real Fix for the Fix!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnoZPsJCs64
Terrible...Just terrible, and people complain about
Fisher fouling Barry????????

That rumor again:

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9089

Zach plus our pick to Philly for Evans and their number 16 pick. I can see philly's interest - Dalembert and Randolph works well, as would Curry and Dalembert for that matter, or Curry and Evans, what doesn't really work is Dalembert and Evans - two D's and Curry and Randolph - two O's. Regardless, why would we have to give up our pick to give them what they need in return for what we don't really need?

If they want him, we keep our pick and get Philly's 16 and Evans for Randolph, maybe a pick next year too. We are the ones who have the 20 - 10 player. We've got plenty of time with Randolph, his value will increase as the Zeke stench wears off of him. Right now, he's been reduced to nothing but the sum of his salary.

For those making the argument to keep Zach and wait until his numbers go up so that his trade value will increase, what's leading you to believe that he'll have a better season in 08-09?

Last year proved it: the Zach and Eddy experiment was a disaster. Neither of them will put up big numbers or look like a valuable asset as long as they're playing next to each other.

Trade Zach now, while he's still perceived as a 20/10 guy. Because the more he plays with the Knicks and Eddy, the more his trade value will be diminished.

@ Willis - I may be willing to do the deal figuring Knicks would ask for a 1st round draft pick next year (of which we have "0" now, correct?)

We have enough guys to divide and conquer with PT at the 4 spot, although a bit undersized. I think between Jefferies, D. Lee, Balkman and possible Chandler...we would make up 20 & 10.

@ Willis (part 2) - Those don't even come close to remotely matching up (salary-wise).

However, Reggie Evans & Andre Miller for Zach & N8 would be just about right and the 76ers get the higher pick.

Keepin' it Old School...

Oak - since Philly's under the cap, my understanding is they can add salary as they please - the knicks can't add more than Zach's salary.

But Randolph pulling down a defensive board to start a break and trailing for a secondary play such as a pick and roll or trailing jumper will work well. There is no reason why Curry and Zach need to be on the floor at the same time anyway. Neither Walsh or D'Antoni owe these guys a thing and neither will decide playing time and lineups to vindicate a trade or to avoid admitting a mistake, as Zeke used to do. D'Antoni's mandate is to win. I have a feeling that the injunction to run in D'Antoni's system will take care of playing time; the fat and weary will sit, the fit and ferocious will play. I don't think Zach played badly last year, it was Curry who had no idea how to contribute without being spoonfed in the post. Yeah, Zach played selfishly at times, but its hard to say there was actually a team to pass to. No matter what, it is clear enough that he is one of the best scoring big men in the league. Give them clear guidelines as to what they are supposed to do offensively and defensively, and if they don't execute, they sit until they learn how to execute what the coach wants.

Matt B points to something important that we haven't talked about recently, which is: just who the hell are these players we have? Are Curry and Randolph that bad? Others feel Jamal suffered from bad coaching, and he can be redeemed - how much more were the guys with less input, less minutes, who were not on Zeke's favorite list, damaged by the years in the Terrordome? (Personally, I've had it with Jamal, but yes, he will enjoy the volume of opportunities that shooting on short clock will afford, but he is what he is and can't be trusted in a tight spot.)

I'm willing and eager to see what D'Antoni makes of this menudo. Stone soup gets its taste from the skill of the cook blending what the guests bring. Let's see what the new chef can make.

Coach D will put Q-Rich in the Shooting Guard spot and move Jamal as an off the bench 2 Guard. If Steph plays next year he will start at the point guard. I think the Knicks will trade N8 if we draft a point guard. The rookie PG would have to backup Starbury. If we go with a big than the two turtles Zach & Eddie will be on the trade market. Donni wants to trade our bigs with out giving up any salary implications to free cap. Mission impossible with this team because Curry's trade value has dropped and Randolph has the reputation to bring down a club. Were going to eat up a year to get back under the cap with Steph being off the books.

@ AR/Willis - Coach D may just go with the VERY small line-up and play Jeffries a bunch at the 5 (kinda like Diaw)!!

Is this a possibility (figuring no changes)?

PG - Marbury/N8
SG - Q/Jamal/F. Jones
SF - Q/Chandler/Balkman
PF - Lee/Balkman/Chandler
C - Jeffries/Zach

Anything is possible considering what he's workin' with...

>Zach plus our pick to Philly for Evans and their number 16 pick.

If we do this we haven't improved much over the Isiah regime.

>Coach D will put Q-Rich in the Shooting Guard spot

In the "D" league?

That's where he belongs.

Zach has a lot negatives associated with him (defense, potentially disruptive personality, bloated salary etc..) but his value will increase over time even if his numbers with the Knicks stay flat.

The shorter his contract becomes as time passes, the less an acquiring team has to shell out to take a risk on him.

You have to remember, the Knicks are not trying to win the championship next year. They are trying to win it in 2011, 2012, 2013 etc... It doesn't matter if we keep Zach and Curry this year and we miss the playoffs again. What matters is adding some young talent, developing that talent, and getting rid of whatever bad contracts we can "over time". We don't want to do stupid things trying to get it all done immediately when the target date is 3 years away.

Packaging one of our bad contracts with the #6 is a huge long term error considering we are in no rush to get rid of bad contracts. We have a couple of years to do that and it gets easier as time passes. We are in a huge rush to get good young prospects.

if people are expecting Jamal to flourish under D'Antoni, maybe Jared Jeffries will also turn over a new leaf, considering his role with the Wizards prior to joining NYK. I don't expect Jeffries to start averging double-doubles but he played a big role in Washington's success while he was there.

Or perhaps he's one of those players that can't take the pressure of playing in New York. Time will tell. I hope it is the former case though.

Alan,
Michael Redd makes no sense, either does baron Davis,
ron artest, jermaine o'neil, jamal tinsley.

Zach randolph also makes not sense from a salary cap
standpoint, unless joe dumars gives us rasheed wallace
(1 year left on his contract) & rodney stuckey.

Donnie be patient, draft russell westbrook, let the contracts
of stephon marbury, malik rose & fred jones expire.

trade david lee if there is another player in this years draft
that you are really sold on. add another lottery pick next
year.

Then approach lebron james in 2010 with a young &
upcoming roster & salary cap space, to add another
piece, to build a team that will be special for a long
time.

Because we're in a "draft the best player available" mode, I believe Russell Westbrook is our guy.

We need a no-shyt lock down defender in the backcourt....he gives us that.

We need a guard with size who's fearless goin' to the hole.....he gives us that.

We also need a young stud in the backcourt with unlimited upside, one that'll grow with the this team....it's him.

Derek Harper is the last lock down defender we had, and Westbrook is the next best thing.

I remember how scared Penny Hardaway was of Derek Harper, and I'm talking all-star penny hardaway, not new york knick penny hardaway.

bx, I thought you weren't sure, are recently as today?

we got about a week and some change to figure it out.

do the right thing walsh!

KnicksD..

Yes, I remember how much fear Harper instilled in Penny.

You can ask Mayo how good a defender Westbrook is.

True..I wasn't sure earlier, but after thinking on it, I think the pg spot is our most compelling need, and Westbrook fits the bill.

if not Westbrook, then Anthony Randolph, who addresses another glaring deficiency ....shot blocking and weak side defense..

Those are my two picks.

Hard to argue with that B-Boy. Harper was one my of my favorite players of all time. And the shot blocking is what gives Randolph the edge for me over Love, though I have a sneaky feeling he's going to be a very good pro player.

We were watching the Celtics/Lakers the other night (talk about the importance of defense!) and my buddy made a very good point. With D'Antoni not inclined to build around a defensive concept, its going to be of absolute importance that every player we bring in from here forward be a legit two-way player. We cannot afford indifferent defensive players - everybody has to come in with the will, the ability to play defense. They will have to take pride in it and be self motivated. So no more Crawfords, Currys, Robinsons, etc... The guys have to hate getting beat, view the defensive end as a legit part of the game where they can get the ball back. A guy like Derek Harper is a perfect example. He wanted to beat his man; break him down, intimidate him, not be nice and take turns with the ball. Defense is where manhood shows, where you beat your opponent. Too many players could care less, think beating a guy is making more shots. Doesn't mean doo doo. Anybody can say, "aw, he got hot" when they get scored on and look the other way. But when you go and take away what the other man is doing - commit in front of the whole crowd and the players to stopping a man and you take his lunch - you take his heart, you break him, you beat him.

I'll give you another example - X man on Pippen.

We have to have guys that come to the party with some of that, because I get a feeling, the temptation to run the other way after a defensive lapse and say to yourself "we'll get it back in seven seconds or less" is going to be very strong

Derek Harper has had more of an impact from the last time the Knicks were title contenders than folks gave him credit. We need Harper to become and asst coach for the Knicks and show these ball hogs how the games is played. I believe is is a commentator for the Mavericks.

I found some interesting news which may effect our Knickerbockers.
If Chicago selects Derreck Rose then they will most likely trade Hirich or Gordon after the draft. Do we look at Ben Gordon or Hinrich. Hinrich's contract would kill us cap wise? Gordon could fit in this equation. This will Heat up before the draft. Heat being analogous. The the rumor mill begin.

AR,

Don't know if either would work. It's no secret that Mike D. is unimpressed with Hinrich, and Ben Gordon = Jamal Crawford.

Now if we're talking Luol Dang or Jakim Noah, I'm listening....

from hoopsaddict.com:

Take the shot blocking ability of Tayshaun Prince, the ball handling skills of Lamar Odom and the quickness and athleticism of Shawn Marion. You’ve got yourself a game changer. A three-four hybrid forward that can dominate in today’s high-paced, above the rim, up-tempo style NBA. Those are pretty big expectations to live up to but that’s exactly what scouts and GMs alike see when they look at young Anthony Randolph’s upside. Whether he can ever fulfill his seemingly endless potential is the real question.

So who exactly is Anthony Randolph? Coming into last year’s college season, not many people outside of Baton Rouge had heard of the lanky, LSU freshman.

A consensus top prospect coming out of high school, Randolph had the unfortunate luck of entering the college ranks in a year that has turned out one of the greatest freshmen classes of this era. With O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose and Kevin Love garnering most of the nation’s media attention, Randolph became an afterthought when talking about the NBA’s next generation of stars.

It wasn’t until midway through the season that Randolph started to turn some heads. With his points per game hovering at a respectable 13.1, the month of February saw Randolph take his game to the next level, averaging 20.1 points per game, including four double doubles, during the last nine games of the season.

The most athletically gifted big man in this year’s draft, Randolph’s physical attributes are what separate him from his competition. At 6’10’ and with a very lean frame, the comparisons of a young Chris Bosh or Brandan Wright are undeniable. With an incredible wingspan, guard-like speed and amazing agility for a player his size, there isn’t much this high flyer can’t do on the floor.

The biggest concern seems to be what he needs to do off of it. Listed at a svelte 220 pounds, Randolph is still weak for his height and will need to continue to build muscle and bulk up if he wants to be able to have any presence under the basket. After being pushed around and beat up in the post in college, Randolph will be in for a rude awakening if he doesn’t improve heading into his rookie season.

Unlike some of the other top prospects entering the draft, Randolph is still very much a work in progress. His biggest weakness coming into the NBA could soon turn into his biggest strength as he continues to grow and mature.

An excellent weak side defender, Randolph has the ability to alter shots in the lane, get a hand in the passing lane, or dominate the defensive boards. The problem is his lack of defensive awareness and poor decision making. Leaving his man to get the highlight reel block, gambling for steals and some less than stellar defence in the post are a few characteristics of his that have left some to wonder whether Randolph will have trouble adapting to a quicker, more complicated defence in the NBA.

Though, with experience and practice, there’s no telling what he can do defensively. His quickness allows him to keep in front of smaller, faster forwards, while his size and presence on the wing can force teams into sloppy turnovers and bad shots.

Offensively, he possesses some very basic back to the basket finesse moves, that will need to be developed if he wants to succeed in the next level. Randolph lived mainly off his instincts in college, and as teams have found out in the past, ala Gerald Green and Tyrus Thomas, athleticism without solid basketball fundamentals won’t get you too far.

On the other side, his face up attack and one-on-one skill set will create mismatches right away. His quick first step along with explosive leaping ability should lead to an abundance of breathtaking dunks and spell out trouble for opposing defences.

A natural lefty, Randolph seems just as fluid going right, which will help create space and allow him the option of taking it to the hoop or knocking down the 15-footer. While not the most aesthetically pleasing jump shot, Randolph can still knock down the open jumper if defenders play off him.

As is the case with most long term prospects, there are almost as many questions about Randolph’s game as there are answers. Concerns about his defensive lapses, strength and lack of polished skills will follow him into the draft, but in this case the positives far outweigh the negatives.

A projected top-15 pick, as long as he lands with a team with patience who can bring him along slowly and the fans don’t mind enduring a few growing pains, Randolph could very well turn into the biggest steal of the 2008 draft. Talents like this don’t come around very often and when they do you can be sure there will be a long list of teams lining up to take a chance on this fabulous freshman.

Anthony Randolph is not 220 pounds. He's 197.

Pass.

If it could be done, I would first:

1. Swap picks with the Bucks, take the #6 and Randolph and send it to the Bucks for the#8 and Michael Redd.

2. Call the Rockets and try to send the #8 pick, Marbury's expiring contract and David Lee for Tracy McGrady and the Rockets #25 pick.

3. Then with the #25 pick I would take Memphis forward Joey Dorsey.

4. Also, I would look to trade Jamal Crawford to Toronto for Pg T.J.Ford

I don't see the Knicks being able to deal Curry right now, so the best way to make Curry affective is to have Blue collar, unselfish type 4 doing the dirty work next to him. I think with a starting 5 of Ford, Redd, McGrady, Dorsey and Curry, I am not saying the Knicks are going to win a NBA championship, but at least it's a step in the right direction.