The Knicks Fix

Do you think the Kings would trade Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas for Jared Jeffries and Malik Rose? All the players are fairly useless, but the Knicks would get some crucial year 3 savings in exchange for adding another year to Rose's obligation. The Kings would get an additional $7-8m in cap room next offseason.

I don't really see how this team is much better or even all that different from the past few hours, with the key exception of coach and management. But the faithful have been saying all along the team has talent and 'should' be better than this. Certainly coaching or the lack thereof has been a detriment in recent memory. Do you think the shakeup at the top could have a real turnaround effect on these guys ala the Mets after Willie Randolph. As I see it, that is the only hope for improvement this yera, since the guys have stayed the same same, and if anything our talent has decreased a bit.

By the way, you see those 50 Barkley quotes I posted yesterday? Hysterical no?

Have you heard any trade rumors besides the obvious one with memphis? Even if its a longshot....

Have you heard any trade rumors besides the obvious one with memphis? Even if its a longshot....

I am a Rehabilitation Consultant with 16 years in the Workers Comp field. There is something strange going on with Galo's hush hush back injury. He should be better by now or had MRI's, PT etc. It's about time he got the epidural steroid injection and these can really help to solve a non surgical disc problem.

He really did jam his knee up into his back when he charged into "The Tractor"!

Keep a close eye on this Alan, amongst the other interesting developments w Marbury, Zach, Eddie and Duhon?

It should be an interesting camp and fall season.

Tx for your coverage.

Alan -

Didn't get my question in, but I checked out Crawford's blog, and it's very telling - I think of some things.

First off, is that really his writing? Likely a Knicks PR staffer who puts something together and he approves before it's posted, right?

Either way though, no mention of Stephon in his run down of all the players. And he openly talks about Zach being in trade talks...

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10014

Mentions both Conley and Randolph as "players who need to go"

Who else does Memphis need from us to give us Lowry or Conley along with Darko and the Drek?

I'm sorry I couldn't be here during the live chat. My IT guy is a pitbull; if it's not work related, no dice. Good stuff by all.

What I was wondering, is what is the likelihood of trade deadline moves, given the expiring contracts, and what could they bring in return?

Randomly tuned into the Liberty playoff game just now and Gallinari was interviewed courtside. He says his back is doing better and receiving treatment but the reporter didn't ask what the problem was specifically. Still waiting for that official diagnosis.

Allan pretty much said everything I have ever said on here.

Was great to get rid of Balkman

Need to get rid of Zach asap for 2010 space

Need to let Marybury sit on the bench rather than watch him play for a contender.(by the way i love with larry bird said about releasing players under contract.."They will sit at the house before i'll pay them to play somewhere else")

Glad we wont have to hear "why did walsh trade balkman, blah blah blah" ALan gave you the same answer I did, CUZ HE SUCKS

Keeping Alan in agreement
with some 2010 berivement

Poster @ 21:17,

Very insightful.

Best question and answer from the live Chat:
1:08 [Comment From MAK]
Como esta Alan.... I read somewhere that Marbury is officially gone-zo (NBC sports, I think). Is this true?

1:12 Three similar questions. We'll answer them together. Stephon is and will remain the hot button issue with the Knicks until something is decided. I can tell your not too bright from what I know, nothing has been officially decided. There are strong feelings about how moving on without him would signal real change with the franchise's direction. But there are also concerns that Marbury, being in a contract year, may show up and have a great season. And the Knicks need all the talent they can get.
I'm on the side that believes change is more important right now than wins. I think everyone, including Stephon, benefits from change. Now Donnie would prefer to trade Marbury as an asset instead of cutting him, paying him a buyout amount and then seeing another team sign him for a pittance and have him play at an all-star level. Especially if it is for an Eastern Conference rival such as the Miami Heat, who desperately need help at the point.
Know this, however. If Stephon is there on Media Day, the stories won't be about change with the Knicks. It'll be about how Marbury is still there.

Gian, don't try to play it like you stumbled on the game, you closet WNBA fan... just kidding buddy.

I heard on the FAN today, 'playoff basketball tonight at the Garden' and my heart skipped a beat, wondering what alternate universe i was in. i was so sweet to hear just for that split second...

ah. let's hope that the knicks could get to the level of liberty basketball soon enough.

Thank you. That was very insightful. I used to read Berman's blog, but after spending a few minutes here, I can see that this is the superior blog. I'll be back.

I think we heard Donnie say that he needs to see more of the Knicks players before making some decisions.

I think we now need Mike D to say that his starting line-up is NOT set (and neither is the roster), and every player needs to prove in camp why he should be there.

If fans here that, at least it will give us some hope that Donnie & Mike D will hopefully have this Spike talk:

Mike D: Doctor...
Donnie: C'mon, what. What?
Mike D: Always do the right thing.
Donnie: That's it?
Mike D: That's it.
Donnie: I got it, I'm gone.

Conjecture from Hoopsworld:
(http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10021)

Marbury Move Might Finally Come Soon

With training camp right around the corner, it seems only a matter of time as to when the New York Knicks will formally make their decision to part ways with Stephon Marbury.

The writing seems to be on the wall. The Knicks brought in both Chris Duhon and Anthony Roberson at the point guard spot this offseason and Marbury hasn't been working out at the team's facility like many of last season's Knicks have been. The group that has been scrimmaging at the team's training center includes David Lee, Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, Jared Jeffries, Wilson Chandler, Nate Robinson, and the newly-signed Duhon.

Should Marbury be officially waived anytime soon, it's likely that the Miami HEAT will try to snatch him up. Playing alongside Dwyane Wade could help Marbury stay under control, but with deteriorating skills and health, it's yet to be seen exactly how much Marbury still has in the tank as far as being a real contributor

Sun Sentinel:
http://blogs.sun-sentinel.com/sports_basketball_heat/

All based on Beck at the NY TImes (I refuse to log in to read it, had a log in once, forgot it, now it just pisses me off to be asked to do it again. Newsday, take note of how the Times has s#!t the bed on integrating with the internet):

Howard Beck of the New York Times reports that the Knicks are expected to part ways with Stephon Marbury.

"Most of the Knicks' top rotation players from last season have been scrimmaging at the team's training center," writes Beck. "The group has included Jamal Crawford, Eddy Curry, David Lee, Nate Robinson, Jared Jeffries, Wilson Chandler and Zach Randolph, as well as the free-agent pickup Chris Duhon. The most notable absence has been Stephon Marbury, who is expected to be waived before the season."

Via New York Times

More on Wade:

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/basketball/miami-heat/story/693079.html

If he's healthy, he's a hell of a player. Imagine the Wade with the Knicks and James with the Nets in Brooklyn. NYC would be the center of the universe. From the way he is talking here, those two destinations are on player's minds. If Walsh is crafty enough, he can create an atmosphere of competition between the elite FAs, kinda Godzilla vs King Kong to see who can rule the Metropolitan area. A reasonable chance to get a ring is important of course (Wade has one, so maybe he'd be more up for the challenge), but I would bet Dolan's money that a huge motivating factor for these guys (they are all going to get beau-coup payed no matter where they play) is the competition among themselves. Cause really, who else do they have to compete against? Make the Apple The Battleground!

A lot to think about, especially since it involves thinking about two summers from now. I noticed that Bosh has taken a different approach to 2010 than Wade and LeBron, although they followed LeBron's contractual strategy, which they believe will net them more cash in the long run. Bosh made it clear in his interview with Phil Simms that while he thought D'Antoni was an offensive genius, he loves Toronto. At this point, Bosh is home which should sadden those who would rather plan around Bosh than Dwade.

Clearly, Lebron is the plum of the class but a path to the New York Knicks is very remote for a number of personal and business reasons. LeBron does not need the New York marketplace anymore than Jordan did: in fact, LeBron has a larger international market than GenerationJordan did and it is not necessary to be in New York to exploit it. Stern does not need LeBron in New York. One thing that is clear about LeBron (that was clear about Garnett to a fault) is that LeBron is fiercely loyal and lives on solid principles. Leaving his hometown of Cleveland, where he, his families and his friends have been supported greatly by the organization, would be very difficult. For LeBron, it is not all about money. This guy is about personal relationships too. So that is the main reason the battle will actually be between Brooklyn and Cleveland. It might be hard to pass up a chance to work with/for one of his mentors in JayZ and to put his own personal stamp on a "new" organization. But, while it is certainly hard to be definitive about LeBron's future especially since he probably isn't sure either, the Knicks are not a likely destination for those reasons.

That leaves us with Wade. Wade is exciting, like Iverson is exciting. But is Wade as durable as footballer Iverson. Maybe, but Wade alone does not bring Championships to New York. Wade needs significant help. LeBron needs support. Wade needs help. (LOL). And if we are targeting Wade, where does that leave us with Jamal. A team does not need Wade and Jamal nor both of their contracts. So if we want Wade, what are we going to do with Jamal, if he opts out or before his contract expires.

Yes, Wade is exciting. But we already have exciting -- that's Mike D'Antoni. Even those who don't want to talk about building a championship contender now, must admit we can't start building one in the summer of 2010. If the 2010 plan is real and not a hoax, who we get then (or target) should be close to the final piece.

(Side note: I wrote somewhere else that I thought D'Antoni had two-three years in New York before someone figures out that exciting is not enough, unless D'Antoni decides defense is more than great offense and hires a defense-oriented assistant. However, with the Re-Dream teamers on the cusp of free agency singing his praises, he may have gotten a couple extra free years. Go D'Antoni.)

Good posts Willis. The previous post was in response to your several.

Lives:
I agree with you on all points. As for D'Antoni and his style, I am looking forward to enjoying the problem of an exciting, winning team like Phoenix that needs a defensive makeover to get it through the Conference Championship round to the Finals. We should have such problems.

Wade's durability is an issue. We'll have a few years to asses that before we figure out if he can back a 6 year deal. I would note though that the shoulder injury was actually a freak thing as a result of accident, not wear and tear. What I love about Wade is that he plays all phases of the game and can impact the game offensively or defensively. His play in the Olympics, with a team of peers, no tailor made supporting cast, was superlative. He changed the game defensively and offensively at key stretches, with focused bursts of activity that were brilliant in their efficiency, timing, efficacy. As my friend has said before, if you are going to have a team run by D'Antoni, ALL your players have to be two-way players. Wade is the epitome of that player.

I threw out this question before, and yesterday on the chat, but it wasn't picked up:

Phoenix is always derided for its poor defense, but how much had to do with very poor defensive players as key players - Nash and Stoudemire, and how much was it the result of D'Antoni's system? As we knicks fans know well, painfully well, if you can't stop penetration by guards, especially the opposition's PG (Nash) and can't protect the basket (Stoudemire), you will have a hard time defending. With only 1 real defender, Marion, they were able to get by - more than get by.

Would you think that in D'Antoni's system, you could have less gifted (Crawford type) OFFENSIVE players, i.e. can shoot, but can't necessarily do the And 1 carry, who are better defenders, actually protected by his system? I reckon if Bruce Bowen can run to a corner and shoot a 3, any defender can contribute on Offense. If you can pass and hit an open jumper, you should be able to play this system. Its an old school system, and players back in the day did not rely on the bells and whistles of the And 1 age to make their baskets. Can you create a D'Antoni team that can defend?

Damn good question, brother Willis.

I think D'Antoni's system is very old school and I think the answer is an emphatic yes although answering this could take me several days and as many drafts of the comment. But I am so juiced by the question, that I'll offer you this.

As you know, and I believe have stated before, good defense is a team endeavor and previous Suns teams had better defense, I think, for their up tempo games than Denver and Golden State. I think this however, was because of Iavoroni who was considered a master tactician.

One cannot totally discount D'Antoni's belief that great offense is in some way defensive, because what I think we will see is a franetic pace which requires superior conditioning. If we are better conditioned (which will have Eddie on the bench quickly) we will take a number of teams by surprise and minimize their offensive efficiency late in games. So this defense by offense strategy should win us more home games and games where teams are coming to the tail end of back-to-backs (or the front end before a really tough foe) or are at the tail end of long road trips. NBA players notoriously do not play 48 minutes, which is one reason the Celtics were so doggone tough.

But the major problem will be how to keep teams from exploiting the interior. Well, as you mentioned, you need players committed to both sides of the ball. Players have got to be willing and able to spot the necessity for switches and have an ability to play the pick and roll. This requires as much practice as making the right decision in the spread offense.

Jamal could be a better defender, but he would be a much better defender on the perimeter, with forwarda and centers able and willing to switch when he is beat off the dribble. You can't just have Eddie leave his man to stop guard penetration while his man slips to the basket. Someone else has got to move too. everybody has got to be reay to move their ass.

I'll slow down here, but I think the answer is yes. It's been done before. The Lakers for one. And forgive my blasphemy, but Isiah thought he was going to be able to create that type of blend, but we now know, you can't do that with unmotivated one dimensional players.

This is the discussion we will be having in two years. I bet. it is the same discussion Kerr had with D'Antoni when they "bought" in old man Shaq. Thanks.

Do you think it can be done?

Holler back.

Matt B, why couldn't that be Jamal's writing? He's fairly smart, he graduated from HS, he went to Michigan for 1-2 years, and the writing is hardly so great that it needs to be questioned.

Did he run it by a Knicks PR staffer? Probably. Did he run it past an editor? Maybe, although that's probably not necessary. But, as someone who used to work in an inner-city high school, I'm pretty confident that he's capable of writing like that, especially when he has so much time on his hands.

The question is - why do you even question whether he's capable of writing that well? I can't help thinking that there's an ugly stereotype around here somewhere...

NY Times and ESPN radio are now both reporting that Marbury is gone-zo. They are just waiting for the ink to dry..

The report by NBC Sports is correct after all.
I’m so sorry for being so mentally challenged.
It’s both genetics and acquired but mainly acquired on my part.