The Knicks Fix

One of the most important things Walsh has to do is to figure out a way that the unrestricted lottery pick that the Knicks owe Utah (through Phoenix) as a result of the Marbury trade (if they don't give up the 2009 pick) won't be a high lottery pick.

I don't think that the knicks will be much better next year

unless the knicks change the core players and add more talent
esp at 4 and 5 positions we are in for a long season

adding duhon (if he signs) will add depth at PG position
but the knicks players who have been losers since entering
the NBA will still be here

every team in the atlantic has made improvements to the roster
all the knicks have done is add another small forward

2010 the cap relief Plan
or aka "Pray for Lebron Plan" is stupid
and idiotic to say the least

who thinks lebron will pick the knicks over the nets?

who thinks wade is going to leave the heat and come to the knicks?esp with beasley on the roster

who thinks chris bosh is going to leave toronto for NY?

i personally don't.
chris paul has already gotten an extension from N.O.
so mark him off the list.

the knick's franchise has lost alot of its luster
and i think that it is arrogant to think just because we have
NYC on our chest that everyone wants to be a knick

our plan should be to trade for younger
more intelligent players
i think we should rebuild like the portland trailblazers did
through the draft and good free agent signings

the 2010 plan is like saying a prayer and hoping something happens

i am a believer that you should make something happen.

so we knick fans are suppose to wait until 2010 to have a competitive team?
esp after enduring years of torture and abuse through the isiah tenure

i think that plan is flawed and will some back to bite us

if we don't get lebron,wade,or bosh in 2010 will i get my
money for my season tickets back?

@ Alan - Next up, summer league...who's on the Knicks invite list? Anyone interesting?

@ NYC 2 Infinity
The Thing is we got screwed so badly during Isiah tenure that the only way we can fix this mess is by letting these contracts run out or trade them away. Walsh and Dantoni arent the ones that have the Lebron James pipe dream its the media blowing it up. If we don't get Lebron, Bosh etc. so what...at least we will have alot of cap room to sign talented young players like u suggest and have a plethra of options rather than in the situation that we are in now where we are handcuffed. We couldn't build through the draft because isiah foolishly gave all those picks away...(and we still owe a pick). If Donnie walsh could've done something in the draft to aquire an extra pick or so he would've done it...I trust that he tried his best and the deals just fell through. You might not like the 2-3 year plan but that's what it will take in order to right this ship. Donnie Walsh is smart and well respected around the league he will find the right players and he and dantoni will make it work sooner or later, you just have to have faith brotha.
KNICKS FOR LIFE!!!!

@ NYC 2 Infinity
The Thing is we got screwed so badly during Isiah tenure that the only way we can fix this mess is by letting these contracts run out or trade them away. Walsh and Dantoni arent the ones that have the Lebron James pipe dream its the media blowing it up. If we don't get Lebron, Bosh etc. so what...at least we will have alot of cap room to sign talented young players like u suggest and have a plethra of options rather than in the situation that we are in now where we are handcuffed. We couldn't build through the draft because isiah foolishly gave all those picks away...(and we still owe a pick). If Donnie walsh could've done something in the draft to aquire an extra pick or so he would've done it...I trust that he tried his best and the deals just fell through. You might not like the 2-3 year plan but that's what it will take in order to right this ship. Donnie Walsh is smart and well respected around the league he will find the right players and he and dantoni will make it work sooner or later, you just have to have faith brotha.
KNICKS FOR LIFE!!!!

(1) Since I had wanted and thought JA would be the Knicks pick and not DA (mainly because of DA's defensives deficiencies), let me welcome DA to the Knicks. He is our first building block to a championship team, he's an offensive leader (matured offensively beyond his years), a fourth quarter/last shot player, and the closest offensive 3 we will have had since Bernard King! (2) With the Knicks this upcoming season having a chance to be a 500 team yet still not make the playoffs I have already started scouting for the 2009 draft. The draft again will be a two player draft: BJ Mullens and Demar Derozan (though i would not be unhappy with Agent Zero light: Stephen Curry as a late lottery pick) still as I look at the Knicks needing at least four years-due to their salary cap/bad contracts problem-to realisticly contend for a championship the most realistic chance the Knicks have at soon winning a championship is not Star-wishing for LB but by realisticly drafting the aforementioned players! (3) @ Gee Money, I'm a second what you said man. The thing is the Knicks have a lot of neurotic, psychotic fans who would rather "throw the baby out with the bath water". I use to think their heads were just fat but I've come to realize their heads are both fat and thick. Still there are some Knicks fans who will give the "benefit of doubt", who are "positive and not negative", who think about "lifting up their players and not tearing them down", It's just that there are not a lot of us out there who blog as much as the village/vocal idiots! @ NYC 2 Infinity and Jey, You two cats are right on the money, I could not have said it better so I'm not gonna try!!!!! BJ Mullens or Demar Derozan in 2009!!! Next Question!!!

It's two years, man.
How long has Portland been trying to rebuild?
Do you think there is a quicker way to rebuild?
Cleanliness is next to Godliness. The first thing one has to do is clean up the mess.

From Berg today:

. Zach Randolph -- who has three years and a whopping $48 million left -- has attracted some inquiries, according to the person, who said the team isn't likely to be active in the trade market until the free-agent negotiating period ends July 9

Elsewhere I have read that Philly is incredibly active, trying to find a forward. Apparently they made a hard pitch to Atawn Jamison, and of course are doing everything they can to get Josh Smith. The reason I put these two thoughts together, is nobody is going to do any trades with the Knicks, barring Lee of course, until they have exhausted the FA market. There is nobody out there, now that Jamison is off the board, who can put up the numbers Zach can. As Alan points out here, the Atlantic is no longer the Titanic, the East is no longer the Least (sorry Clyde, got a little carried away). When teams are starting to lose out on their pet projects, and other teams are pulling away. Guys like Zach and his $48 million dollar medicine start to look a little better. If your in that position, as the SacBee wrote of Artest:
"
Unless Petrie altered his approach in the hours before Monday's deadline – and he insists he did not – Artest, somewhat inexplicably, envisioned a scenario that wasn't going to happen. He never was sketched into the Kings' blueprint. He's a closer, not a builder."

i.e., looking for a "closer", thinking you are no longer a "builder" the big man in the post looks good.

So, it'll be a long summer, things will look different after the first blush of FA, and one way or another, Zach can be gone before the Summer of Love.

@NYC The Knicks will be better this year, mainly because they will have a clear cut game plan... I just dont see them making the playoffs... But they have some things in their favor that you arent factoring in... 1st Mike Dantoni along with Phil Jackson was voted the top coach that NBA players want to play for, you cant underestimate that... Monta Ellis and Baron have already expressed interest in playing for him... And others have the same thoughts... 2nd If you are right we will have a lottery pick next year, which will have a very good draft class... 3rd We do have young talent now that can be developed, Nate, Lee, Chandler, and Danilo have a chance to grow under the new system, and the stability of a coach that will be here for at least 3years... Lee will most likely be traded for something very valuable either a pick or a player...

Look at how the averages of almost every player on the Suns sky rocketed under Dantoni's coaching... Look at the interest in Barbosa and Diaw, who were straight bums b4 he coached them... You Think he cant up the stock of many of the Knicks in the same way? The Knicks arent nearly as bad as you think, I agree that the rest of the East has gotten alot better, so that dooms any playoff chances this year... But you never know...
I commend Walsh for not abandoning his 2010 mandate, because some quick fix options have come up, ie Baron... Im a big Baron fan but that would have been an Isiah move, flip-flopping philosophy for any opportunity that comes along... Im sure he will be flexible if something extremely worthwhile is available, ie Carmelo... But until then work to get under the cap, and develop the young players... Like you said nothing is promised and anything can happen, as we saw with Gasol and KG... So having cap space is never a bad thing when you are in NYC... New York has always been touted as a town that you cant rebuild in, it has always been stated that the fans have no patience here, the lack of patience is part of the reason we are in this situation now... Dolan told IT not to rebuild, and now we are forced to...Remember when you mention Portland that they sacraficed the present for the future, I think the Knicks will do the same...

"who thinks lebron will pick the knicks over the nets?"

I thought the Knicks would draft Gallinari, and I think LeBron wants to "save" new york.

The nets will always be the New York area's SECOND RATE team. that was true when the nets went to the finals twice with Jason kidd, and still couldn't put people in the seats. Doesn't matter if they're in Brooklyn (remember that they tried the Brooklyn Nets once before and it failed, and this time around they've still got jerks like Ratner involved), or Jersey--the only reason it continues to fail in jersey is because of location, move the games to the new Newark area and they will come.

LeBron is a Yankees fan, not a Mets fan. All the Jay-z influence is garbage and means very little when it comes down to playing in Madison Square Garden 41 nights a year.

What did Nas say about Jay-Z again? That's right. They should remake that song and put the Nets in there.

A plan in two years is smarter than no plan for the past 8 years.

It is unfair to not be down with Walsh for a few months after being down with Isiah and Layden for 8 years of suffering.

@The Kid

i agree we have to be patient

but i still think the knicks whole plan
revolves around hoping lebron James
comes to new york.

the 2010 plan does not factor in will the team be competitive

if knicks are not competitive then why would free agents
wants to come here?

so although i agree we cannot make a quick fix
we still have to put a team out there
that has some possibility of winning

if the knicks want us to support a loser
they should lower ticket prices until
they can be competitive

if my memory is correct they are raising ticket prices

Criticizing Walsh for not drafting a PG when two good one's were on the board and that was our most glaring weakness I think is fair and not abandoning Walsh. Its fair to disagree/criticize a move, and say what our prefence would have been, we aren't the media w/ the Bush Whitehouse.

As for 2010, I think you have to build a team a FA like Wade, Bosh or LBJ would want to play for. That would include: Great Coach (check), solid organizational structure (getting there), playmaking pg (nope), shotblocking defensive minded C/PF to make up defensive defecencies (nope), number two Scottie Pipen like sidekick can rely on in championship games (nope), solid sixth man to change pace of game when starters lag (questionable), good outside shooting to avoid being double teamed (questionable). Lot of work to do. Duhon and Danillo I don't think started us in the right direction, but hopefully, they prove me wrong.

"if my memory is correct they are raising ticket prices"

there was a promise made long ago by dolan that he would not raise ticket prices as long as the knicks have not made the playoffs.

we haven't made the playoffs in YEARS.

@Knicks Defense

yes the knicks are the more attractive franchise
and yes the nets are 2nd class citizens
but Lebron is not coming to NY to lose

this next contract will probably be his
next and best chance to go to a team
that he can win a potential NBA championship with

so what if we are still non competitive and floundering
and the Nets have youth and talent and are competing
maybe even making the 8th seed a couple of times

you mean he going to join the knicks anyway?

thats my point
he wants to win

Lebron james will go to the team that gives him the best possiblity to win

in two years will the knicks be that team or will the nets?
and if you had to put money on which team has a brighter future
would you not pick the nets?

so it is up to walsh to put a team that is capable of winning
but also is under the cap 2010
to me winning is first and then the cap

the biggest mistake isiah made was trading for bad players
and giving them outrageous contacts

i think walsh has a much better head on
his shoulders than isiah
so i just want him to make the best
deal out there to be competitive and not put so much stock
in Cap Room

Whats the point of winning 7 to 10 more games and ending up with 30-33 wins? You're still not making the Playoffs. You're better off getting 18-22 wins and one of the top 3 picks. The Knicks do not have assets to acquire Star talent until 2010. There only chance is through the Draft. LeBron James is not going to come here to play with losers like Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford.

The Clips were able to position their payroll so they could afford TWO elite players: Brand and Baron. No reason the Knicks can't do the same in 2010. Move all the big money off, and load the roster with guys still on the rookie scale or low-priced veteran role players, and get your cap number below $25M.

Then, look for a big and a wing.

Amare can opt out in 2010. Think he'd like another run with Coach D? He's a nice backup plan in case Bosh stays in Canada.

LeBron is obviously the top choice on the wing. But if it doesn't work, having cap space to pursue trades is very valuable. Carmelo Anthony is up in 2011, and I've always thought he was a New York kinda guy.

Finally, here's another name that no one has mentioned: Nash. His contract is up in 2010, and at 36, he'd be a great mentor for Ricky Rubio or Brandon Jennings. Think of him in a Sam Cassell role as a veteran with big game experience who can play spot minutes and be a force in the locker room. He lives in Manhattan and obviously has a great relationship with D'Antoni.

Alan, you're absolutely right. All the teams in the Atlantic division are making extremely smart personnel moves and I think it's only a matter of time before the Atlantic division picks the East up off the ground and brings it to the West's level.

@Fly banjo

the clips did not really position themselves with cap room
both players(brand and magette) had a players option

when they opted out
that is what created cap room

also if the knicks were going to draft another small forward
why would they not have a deal in place to trade away
some of the ones we have left on the roster?

i am still mad about that
i think that was poor planning
on the part of walsh

walsh had better hope bayless and DJ are bums

whether the clips were savvy or lucky, doesn't matter. the bottom line is the economics of the NBA make it possible to sign two elite guys in one offseason.

that means, we should stop hoping for LeBron are starting thinking about which TWO guys NYK can bring in.

Joe Johnson is a free agent in 2010, Amare can opt and probably will because that is Shaq's and Nash's last year...

So there is other talent out there in 2010 that already know his system...

Amare, Johnson, Nash, Diaw... Have all enjoyed the best years of there career under Dantoni...

Amare jumped from 13.5 pts to 20.6 pts under his 1st full MD year...

Johnson jumped from 9.8pts to 16.7pts under his...

Nash jumped from good player to 2 time MVP...

Diaw jumped from 4.8pts 2.6rebs 2.3 ast to 13.3pts 6.9rebs 6.2a

Tim Thomas, James Jones, and Eddie House gained lucrative FA contracts and had some of their best shooting percentages...

Raja Bell had the best shooting percentage of his career...

Barbosa has turned into a prolific scorer...

If you look at the stats and positive strides all these players made, nothing leads me to believe many of the Knicks wont have the same success... Give this man sometime he has a knack for turning careers around...

I think LBJ will come to new York cuz all that man cares about is money plain and simple as long as we give him the max contract he will come also I think Nike will give him alot of money to come here also. We just need alot of cap space like some of you said if not him then someone else