The Knicks Fix

Willis - Sorry, no bonus points for trying hard. What do Crawford's well known failings have to do with Q being a big talking scrub on the court? Yes, Crawford is soft and defenseless - would popping off with crap he can't/won't back up make him better? Its not the talk that bugs me, its that the guy doing it is 12th man caliber now - a short bum with no lift who can't shoot very well. Check those %ages. He has no credibility. I'm doubt coaches all over the league are game planning to stop bad-a$$ Q, just like GM's everywhere aren't lining up to add him for a title run. "But he plays hard and talks like he's good" whine the people who prefer empty rhetoric to results. Mark Madsen plays hard too - you want to hear him run his mouth?

Crawford, big skills, no heart

Q, had big skills, still has big heart - according to the definition, only Crawford has the right to confront other players? He aint showing up for that, he aint showing up for much but scoring. Listen, these are the guys we've got. This is how we have to dance with them. You going to tell Q to kick the dirt and say aw shucks, I aint on a champeenship team, I'll just go sit in a corner? We will need other players, there is no question - that is what is rebuilding is. Q is not the player he once was, no news there. But he plays basketball the right way, and he's not okiedoke with the BS that has passed for effort around here for a long time. I can't fault him for that, and until there's another guy making the right decisions at that position (its yours whenever you show its yours, Wilson), he's the dog I hunt.

If Mark Madsen is on my squad, I tell him to wear out Pierce's ribs and he can say whatever he wants. We are a losing team that needs to play ugly hard to win.

Everybody wants a no layup rule and the one guy who's willing to throw some weight around can't even get in the discussion? No Layups mean you don't run away from a guy going up for a layup because you don't want to be seen near the scene of the crime - that isn't innocence, that's just a bad alibi.

Q is the only Knick to call out and threaten IT's pet Marburry during the dark days remember that. He is the only Knick with the balls to yell at his teamates on the court for their lack of effort. Look, maybe I defend Q a little too much but his personality is exactly the type that this team needs. You are right Pete that his play does not live up to his mouth, but you need that character and heart to start with. Crawford is much more skilled than Q, but he has repeatedly been a punching bag his whole career (as has Curry) and what has he done about it. Improve his defense, start taking the ball to the hole and willing his team to a win, publicily demanded more from his teamates like Curry to at least be in shape come training camp? Again, if we put Lee in the starting lineup, and move Chandler to the 3, you are giong to see how "soft" this team really is. For real Q and the smallest man on our team, lil Nate, are the two toughest guys we got, which is why they play at the end of games.

On a side note: as much as I am down on Duhon, I have been cheering for him all season. I am resigned to the fact that he will be our PG for the next two years so I'm hoping to see gradual improvement in his decision making and an improved shot. He has more "heart" than I could have hoped for, but he doesn't seem to be a real "leader'" yet. I hope that changes as time goes on.

I'm seriously tired of my favorite sports team being the butt of everyone's joke, even the Clippers were mocking us last year:

From SI.com:

"Bracing for the 2010 sweepstakes
The NBA's latest version of a long-running presidential election involves LeBron James and more than a dozen other high-profile candidates. The issue: Where will they land when they become free agents in 2010?

This promises to be the most provocative free-agent class of the post-Jordan world, with the Pistons, Nets and (launch Darth Vader intro music) Knicks among the dozen or more teams potentially lining up to recruit and sign one or more of the game's biggest names. But ... and a big but this is ... it's a story that won't be consummated until the summer after next. Indeed, nothing may come of all the speculation, should LeBron and his fellow stars decide to re-sign with their current teams, as they very well may do."

Ok, one more time... criticizing a washed-up fringe player who talks too much has NOTHING TO DO with Crawford or his sorry attitude over the years. Its two completely separate issues. I've written Crawford off as a career loser - after this many seasons, if a guy doesn't get it he never will. No heart, no guts and no brains on the court - one of the many players that will never be part of a long-term winner.

As for Q - I'm sorry, but a no layup rule actually involves dishing out some punishment on the court. Willis, I agree that the Knicks need players who will throw some weight around, but that is really different then taking yet another beating, then popping off about tough you really are when its all over and the L is in the books. If I wanted to be snarky about it, I'd probably say that he learned the hard way what happens when he pipes up before the game. I look at him and I see a windbag, who, despite playing hard, intimidates no one. Not with his skills or his so-called on-court toughness. Where are the hard fouls? If you can't back it up, its empty rhetoric, and while that may be good enough for some people, after the Isiah era, I've had my fill big talk, no result posers. Case in point - he really set Marbury straight, didn't he. If Q is the endgame solution, then that is an inditement of just how terrible this line up is, and how far Walsh has to go to become respectable.

"If Q is the endgame solution, then that is an inditement of just how terrible this line up is, and how far Walsh has to go to become respectable."

Agreed!!!!

Alan,

Are you out of your mind? Why would you pass up a chance if your the Knicks to acquire Sean Williams? A legit 6'9 F/C that can send shots back like a young ZO. With his aggresive presence and menacing demeanor he could be the kind of player that D'antoni man 2 man defense needs. His presence with young Wilson Chandler would give you the best defensive foward duo, who are interchangeable. Do you think Soft Dirk DROPS 39 SO IF WILLIAMS WERE IN THAT SOFT MIDDLE? (AN I DON'T MEAN EDWINA CURRY'S WAIST LINE. LOL)

C-SEAN WILLIAMS
F-ZACK RANDOLPH
F-WILSON CHANDLER
PG-DUHON
G-STEPH -- DO WE NEED ANY MORE EVIDENCE THAT JOAN
CRAWFORD IS A STAT PILER AGAINST INFERIOR COMP?

1 LAST THING. THE KNICKS SHOULD DEFINITELY PERSUE A TRADE FOR G. WALLACE FOR CURRY. HE HAS 1 MORE YEAR THAN CURRY SAUCE AND ADDING HIS ARTEST LIKE TOUGHNESS AND OFFENSIVE GAME WOULD BE LIKE HAVING SPREE AGAIN.
WHO SAYS ADDING PAYROLL IS COUNTER PRODUCTIVE IF YOUR TRYING TO GET LABRON? A PACKAGE OF CURRY AND EVERYBODY'S FAVORITE DEFENSIVELY CHALLANGED(ALTHOUGH ATHLETIC AND HEADY) DAVID LEE SHOULD GET THAT DEAL DONE!!!!

HOLLA BACK BABY...

Q-Rich has heart and plays D, but this team is going no where for at least 2 yrs and needs to develop young players, not play too-small has-beens. If the Knix make the playoffs this year, big deal, they will be knocked out in the 1st round. So why play vets with deficiencies when it's time to do everything to build for the future?

DTR

DTR - the tricky thing is that Q supposedly brings certain intangibles that might be valuable around a young, developing team. His effort on the court and willingness to play through pain. Sort of the veteran role that Malik Rose was supposed to fill the last few years. I think that the plan was for Gallo to get some of those minutes, but for a rebuilding team, the Knicks are strangely short on young prospects to develop. Between the guys who won't play at all (Marbury, Curry James), the injured players (Gallo, Jeffries) and the guys without NBA skills (Rose, Mardy, Roberson), there are a lot of spots tied up. And that's not counting terminally flawed (Crawford) or washed-up (Q) guys who can still sort of get by. This was the argument for buying out the likes of James and Marbury - pen space to start auditioning/developing some prospects.

Incoming Players
Cuttino Mobley
Salary: $8,925,000 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 12.8 REB: 2.7 AST: 1.2 PER: 9.47

Marcus Camby
Salary: $10,000,000 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 7.7 REB: 9.6 AST: 1.0 PER: 18.80

Tim Thomas
Salary: $6,049,400 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 10.3 REB: 4.8 AST: 1.0 PER: 11.27

Outgoing Players: Eddy Curry, Malik Rose, David Lee, Jamal CrawfordLos Angeles Clippers

Incoming Players
Eddy Curry
Salary: $9,723,983 Years Remaining: 2

Malik Rose
Salary: $7,647,500 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 1.6 REB: 2.1 AST: 0.4 PER: -5.08

David Lee
Salary: $1,788,033 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 11.3 REB: 6.6 AST: 1.9 PER: 13.68

Jamal Crawford
Salary: $8,640,000 Years Remaining: 3
PTS: 19.6 REB: 1.5 AST: 4.4 PER: 16.42

Outgoing Players: Cuttino Mobley, Marcus Camby, Tim Thomas

that guy Jimmy is on parole
be warned