The Audition for the King’s Supporting Cast

Think about all of the close, late games that this team has lost that they would have never lost if they had LeBron.

To say this team would end up being 10-15 games better is not much of a stretch. Actually, this may very well have been a 50 win team with LeBron.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that no team will ever win a championship if Nate Robinson plays a major role.

He has extraordinary talent, but he has a superstar mentality inside a good 6th man’s game.

To me, winning at the very elite level (as opposed to winning enough to get into the playoffs) is in large part mental. The teams that make the fewest mental errors and that handle the pressure the best win because the talent levels are usually very similar.

Nate cannot be trusted with important decision making. He simply CAN NOT! He can explode and win games for you that very few other players in the NBA could win, but over the course of a rough 7 game series against a similar opponent he’s definitely going to single handedly lose at least one or two games because he spontaneously combusted, threw up a bunch of terrible shots on a night they weren’t dropping, or played no defense at all. His mental makeup is what makes him valuable as a 6th man during the season, but if he plays a major role that same makeup will crush his team under serious fire against another very good team.

The Knicks should hope he continues playing well and in the off season they should look to move him while his value is soaring. Perhaps we can bring back a good player and/or get rid of a bad contract.

I like Nate a lot, but I have nightmares thinking about how he’s going to screw us up in the playoffs in a few years. That’s how certain I am that he won’t handle the big stage unless he gets his ego in check (which he won’t).

You are wrong on several point in my opinion.

There isn’t particularly “great upside to the young Knicks”. Almost everybody in the league have talent and All-star potential players on their roster – your vision is biased. The Grizzlies have a 16-48 record but they have OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol and a few lottery picks coming. The Clippers are 14-59 but they have Eric Gordon, Al Thornton and they’ll be in a great position to pick Harden, Rubio or Griffin. The Bulls have Derrick Rose, Miami has Beasley and Chalmers next to Dwayne Wade.

Sure, we have some nice pieces but having a great talent with a bad back, an inconsistent sophomore, one of the worst power forwards in the league from a defensive standpoint and the most exuberant player in the NBA is enough to raise concerns.

People do not deny that Cleveland has a great record because of LeBron James. You are missing the point. First, the simple fact that they are in a position to win championships now (whether he could have a better record elsewhere or not) reinforces the fact that playing in Ohio is a great thing. Second, Danny Ferry did a great job by bringing tailor-made pieces around LeBron James. Maurice Williams was already good last year, he’s really underated and so is Delonte West. And both players create a system that is winning because they can spread the floor for LeBron and hit shots whenever they get the ball.

And the more I look at the way LeBron James is handling his buisness – putting childhood friends in a position to get millions – the more I feel like he wants to put Ohio on the map.

He won us a lot of games down the stretch this year, how can say that? I mean how?

20 4th quarter points against Atlanta? His performace against the Spurs? The way he got us the win against the Pacers? Don’t you remember that?

I’m not a huge Nate Robinson fan (and he obviously has a lot of flaws) but you got to be fair, and a lot of people around here are not. Peace.

*how can you say that?

my point, Mucha, is that you don’t know whether he’s coming or not.

If you put lebron on the clippers they are a .500 team too but that makes no sense because he’s not going to the clippers. Why compare our talent to a team he’s not going to?

As much as the media attention he’d get in NYC is attractive to him, I think we are his exit strategy only if he feels the Cavs are no longer a contender in ’10. Yes, they will try to reload, as they will have cap space, but how much will be left over if they extend Lebron? Mo Williams, West, Gibson and Hickson will be the only young players still around. Big Z, Big Ben, Wally, Varajao and Pavlovic will all be off the payroll by then.

It’s long odds for the Cavs being able to restock and develop for the future while competing for a championship at the same time; this is our advantage, we should be building a really good foundation of role players and 1 sidekick-level star (which could be Nate).

Dave, Gallo, Chandy and Nate are 4 good young players. Find a way to pry Marcus Camby from the Clips, who need a roster shakeup badly. Find a PG that will run the offense (which could be Nate, I’d give him the chance to prove it, since he’s a guy that loves challenges). That’s a better group than what the Cavs could offer in ’10, plus we will have more cap space (even more if we jettison Eddy and JJ before then).

As usual spot on Crag- it was a point that I tried to hit on. they have to retool almost as much as we do.

so they’ll have to reintroduce chemistry.

This is bullshit, you’re speculation and conjecture about Nate losing us playoffs games is pretty weak…

You people continue to overexaggerate Nate’s emotional play…

Name one instance in his career where Nate has lost even one game for us..then consider he’s only like 23 or 24 and consider how when Nate matures a good coach could harness his energy and intensity into a controlled focus…

Will Nate ever fully mature, we can’t say for sure, but you can’t deny the has already matured a lot since his rookie year, and he’s talented enough that it’s worth the gamble.

My point is specifically that winning games during the season is not the same as winning games in the playoffs. Late stage playoff games tend to be very tight and are won by superior mental toughness, self control, the ability to handle pressure, good decision making, consistency of play etc….

During the season, if you come in and throw up a bunch of stupid shots but you are hot, you win that game for your team despite the fact that you are playing like a self centered idiot that thinks he’s a superstar instead of a 6th man. Then again, you also single handedly blow a game here or there by being 3-15 or 5 -20 etc..

That formula fails in a short series where one blown game that is the result of stupidty knocks you out of the playoffs.

Did you ever wonder why the Knicks are capable of beating anyone in the NBA but just a few days later lose to a scrub team at home?

It’s because of the style of play.

When you shoot a lot of three pointers and take a lot of bad shots you are going to get very volatile results. Some nights they will fall at a high percentage and you’ll score a lot of points. When that happens you can beat anyone. But some nights they won’t fall at all. Then you can lose to anyone.

Nate plays a very volatile game.

That volatile style of play works great if you are a weak team tying to take one game from the Celtics, Lakers, Hornets, Spurs etc… It doesn’t work great if you are already the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs etc.. and you are playing one of the other elite teams. .

Mucha how can you not say you’re not a huge Nate Robinson fan?

If anyone points out a negative with the guy you are the first person to take issue with it and defend Nate to the fullest. As soon as I read Itallion’s comment I said to myself “I bet Mucha is the first name i see next”, and you didn’t dissapoint.

I mean you just tried to make a point where you describe a weakness in each guys game and the worst thing you could say about Nate is that he’s exuberant. I could come up with a few different weaknesses than exuberant.

I’m not trying to give you a hard time but you have stated that Nate is one of the faces of the league and a “Knick Icon”. Maybe you’re not meaning to but you do come across as being the biggest Nate fan on this board.

But I’m not, I’m just trying to be objective.

I really like the little man and even though I’m not a huge fan I think a lot of people underestimate him as a basketball player and overlook what he’s actually doing for us.

I hear people talking like “his egoistical play is a liability in the 4th quarter”. Well, that is NOT true (it was in Miami and I criticized him for that) and I don’t need to be a fan to say that. The Knicks were desperately looking for a go-to-guy who could hit shots down the stretch, and even Al Harrington couldn’t get the job done. Everybody was shooting bricks before 2009 and the Knicks just couldn’t win a tight game. It was Nate’s egoistical play that got us wins against the Hawks, Spurs and Pacers down the stretch after that (and a few other games) and many people fail to recognize that. And that is unfair.

Is he one of the most popular players in the league? Yes he is. Were his dunk titles the brightest things to happen since Sprewell’s departure? I guess so. But I know that he’s struggling on defense (in screens situations in particular) and he tends to take s*** personnal – and that pushes him to forget his teammates at times. And I always criticized him for these stupid dances.

I know that, but I disagree with several points that you made throughout your analysis.

I didn’t compare the Knicks to the Clippers regarding LeBron James. But you said that the Knicks had “great upside”. The only thing I had to say was – the Clippers are 14 and 59 but they have great upside as well with Eric Gordon (maybe Al Thornton) and their upcoming lottery pick but they don’t have to worry about a bad back, Chandler’s inconsistency (they do have that issue with Thornton as well though), Lee’s lack of defense or a little man’s unpredictability when it comes to their young assets. They have their own issues as well but the Knicks don’t have what I call “great upside” – Gallinari will have to be healthy for that.

Your point is not really valid because Nate Robinson is not only a jump shooter. His ability to get and finish in the paint makes him a special player and a threat down the stretch. This is why he got us many wins this season – he doesn’t have to rely only on his jumper because of his ability to get buckets inside or get to the line.

I think Italian’s point was just that even if Nate wins 2 games in the playoffs with “egotistical” play but loses the team a playoff game because of it then that game will be a killer because 1 game can kill you in the playoffs.

If Nate could add a lil Mugsy Bogues to his game he would be exactly what the Knicks need. A tenacious on ball defender, a guy that runs the offense and even something Mugsy wasn’t, a guy that could get his shot off when the possesion bogs down.

If Nate could do that he would rival Chris Paul and Deron Williams, but that is what is frustrating and why he makes Dantoni crazy. Physically Nate has it, mentally his grasp of the game he doesn’t. He just as likely to get a stupid technical foul that loses the team a game as he is to hit a game winning shot.

Imagine Nate pressuring the ball consistently and getting steals at a Mugsy rate. Imagine how good Dantoni’s 7 Seconds or Less offense would look!!!

It’s not going to be possible for the Knicks to sign both Lee and Robinson and sign a Max free agent in 2010. The team isn’t far enough under the cap based on the projectionsof how much Lee and Robinson might command on the open market. It’s also possible due to the economy that the cap may shrink in 2010.

Lee and Nate are going to be shopped in an effort to shed Jeffries and Curry’s contracts. With teams looking to avoid heavy contracts at all costs it will be extremely tough even in a lopsided trade talent wise. If Curry and Jeffries can’t be moved the team will trade Lee and Robinson for draft picks to at least reserve the possibility of signing or trading for a max superstar type player.

In my efforts to prove to myself that I have no life I have spent hours researching the league collective bargaining agreement, the Knicks cap situation and the trade machine. I coud probably write a book at this point.

I agree and he still has to grow up and understand that he’s a professional. He’s getting millions, I don’t want to see him making these stupid dances or getting stupid technicals (Jermaine O’Neal comes to my mind).

I don’t know if the issue is maturity or stupidity. If he finally reaches maturity and understands that he’s a worker and he’s getting paid to get the job done, maybe he’ll be a great player.

Quaspec – That’s why the Knicks should try to get Melo this summer because aquiring him would really put them in a win-win situation.

Either it is a success story and Anthony’s the new franchise player – or the Knicks try to trade him if they reach an agreement with a better player like LeBron James – which is a possibility because Anthony would still have a few years left on his contract.

And I don’t want to hear all this non-sense regarding Melo like “he ain’t a winner like Wade or LeBron James” because this is BS. The Nuggets would be 4th in the East right now with home court advantage – and their schedule is a lot thougher than the Magic’s because they play in the Western Conference. And he still led Denver to the 50 wins plateau without a valuable point guard and now you can see how Allen Iverson isn’t a factor anymore.

David Lee, Al Harrington’s expiring contract and the Knicks 2012 first round draft pick could get us the Meloman. And the Knicks need him.

“I mean would THESE Cavs MINUS Lebron have a better record than the Knicks this year? I’m not sure they would.

So as the team enters Cleveland for the next game on a nice little 3-game winning streak ask yourself how much better, really, is Mo Williams than Nate. Is Lee better than Anderson Varejao? Notice just how wide open Wally Szczerbiak is and if Gallo will consistently knock those shots down in two years. Ask yourself if the kid is a better wide open jumpshooter than Wally RIGHT NOW.”

Tommy, this says it all. I’ll see your uncertainty as to how the Cavs would be without James this year and raise you…they’d be in the top 5 of the lottery. Who is going to lead them sans LeBron? Where are they going to get scoring? Would they play with the same defensive intensity?

I’ll also raise you on your prediction of the Knicks record THIS YEAR with LeBron. You go 48 games? I say AT LEAST 60 games.

I don’t think you could argue that the Cavs are deeper or better as a supporting cast to a superstar, who makes everyone better, than the Knicks would be.

I think the knicks should look to get stars this summer. We have assets like Will the thrill, q, hughes, al, and a first round pick. Teams will be looking to sell in this economy especially Denver(Melo), toronto (Bosh), Washington (Butler), Phoenix (Amare), and New orleans (Chandler). Plus veterans who can be a nice role player in this team are free agents and can be signed for the midlevel like kidd, iverson, and nash (rumor on hoopsype says phoenix is going to release him to save 7 million). We can easily become a top team in the east next year. Plus if you go this route you can sign both nate and dlee.

I agree that if the team is going for the 2 superstar plan than they should sign and trade for on of those superstars in 09. They don’t have a first round pick to play for next year and having that superstar in place would be a better lure for the free agent class in 2010.

I like Melo too, but I think if the target is Lebron in 2010 that they both pretty much play the same position which might concern Lebron. If you have a chance to get a big or a point they have to do that.

Amare’s available because Pheonix will try to reduce salary. Don’t be suprised if Chris Paul is secretly available next year. If the cap is reduced or projected to be reduced in 2010 then many teams will make lopsided trades talent-wise in order to avoid the luxury tax.

The economy will effect the league in a big way the next couple of years. Teams like New Orleans, Indiana, Sacramento will shed salary at all costs regardless of talent. Big money teams like the Lakers, Knicks, Celtics and Bulls will potentially benefit from the current economic climate.

New Orleans falls in that category of teams moving salary just to stay alive. They proved they would make that kind of trade when the tried to send Tyson Chandler to OKC for absolutely nothing. If the Knicks could put together a package that provided the Hornets enough salary relief don’t be suprised if they could net Chandler and Paul as a possibility. It sounds crazy but so does paying a guy 20 million dollars to stay away from your team. There will be a lot of teams realizing they have to make hard decisions just to control their operating losses.

We might see a scenario like the 80′s before the cap was implemented when it was just a handful of teams that were good on a consistent basis because they were stacked. The difference between the great and mediocre teams will widen because fo this. Hopefully the Knicks will take advantage of the situation. Being under the cap in 2010 gives them that chance. That’s why moving Jeffries and Curry for more cap room is so important.

While a trade of Nate Robinson, Wilson Chandler and some 1st round pick for Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler would have been un-thinkable 2 years ago, this same trade could be a reality just because of the economy.

Mhc even if the Knicks get a superstar player, they will not sacrifice their chance to sign James (or another superstar) in 2010 by resigning Lee and Nate. Plus it will probably take a sign and trade of at least one of those guys that it will take to get the 1st round draft picks necessary to even trade for one of those superstars. Not to mention using them to shed Curry’s contract.

We also have to remember that when next year run out Lee and Nate are restricted FA’s. Meaning other teams will sign offersheets that will overpay Nate and Lee and set up other provisions (poison pills) just so it will be more difficult tfor the Knicks to match.

Maybe you didn’t understand my win-win situation theory Q. If the Knicks reach an agreement with James, they would still be in a position to trade Anthony because his contract is not expiring.

That would give the Knicks more leverage if they want to aquire another free agent because they could put Anthony on the market and say “You could lose Chris Bosh for nothing, so give us Bosh and a draft pick and we’ll give you Anthony”.

If the Knicks can’t reach an agreement with James, they’d still have a franchise player with Carmelo Anthony and hopefully enough space to sign another star. So it would really be a win win situation.

We have to remember that if a team is going to trade it’s superstar for salaryh reasons than that GM still has to sell it to the teams fans and season tickteholders. You don’t sell that by saying Hughes, Q, and Harrington are big assets. They are the savings component, you also need a young talent component (Lee,Nate) and/or firts round draft picks component.

No team will simply trade their superstar for Larry Hughes and Quentin Richardson unless it’s Jerry West about to retire and he’s trying to help the Lakers or unless Isiah Thomas lands a GM position with another organization. Expect Lee and Nate to be the selling point for most of these teams.

I would be more hesitant to trade Gallo and Chandler as opposed to Nate and Lee as they are younger, they still have a couple of years left on their rookie contracts and they are still improving. Once this team is built we can go over the cap again to re-sign those two players. But you have to build that team first. Unfortunately because of Nate and Lee’s contract situation and timing it’s will be nearly impossible to build this championship caliber team while keeping them here.

I do see your point Mucha. It’s just that I don’t see Carmelo as the best pairing for James. I’m not so sure Carmelo will want to play here is he knows the team really wants Lebron and is willing to use him as a one year rental in order to get another player that will better fit Lebron. I have Denver fans that have been to alot of games and heard him in the bench. He has an Ego that makes Nate look humble and while the scenario works from a team perspective I’m not sure it would work real world because of the personality involved.

We all know Bosh want to leave Toronto. Toronto would have more pressure to trade him before he leaves for nothing so I’m not even sure Anthony would be necessary trade bait. We also know that Amare is available because Phoenix is in salary dump mode. Either of these guys could be brought in, signed long term and it wouldn’t hurt 2010 as long as Jeffries is moved at least. Plus I think a year of Bosh or Amare settled in this team, signed long-term would be all the incentive Lebron needs.

What I said was :

David Lee, Al Harrington’s expiring contract and the Knicks 2012 first round draft pick for Carmelo Anthony.

Mucha, I wasn’t referring to you, I was referring to what Mhc posted. What you suggested is actually something Denver might do. Except I think they will want this years pick instead of 2012.

I’m also not sure how available Carmelo is? Since they’ve played so well with Billups he may be untouchable if they do well in the playoffs.

Chris Bosh would be a great addition – Stoudemire would not – but Anthony brings incomparable intangibles to the table – if you pair him with Gallinari at the forwards spots in particular.

If Melo gets traded it wouldn’t be a matter of “he wants to play here” or not because he would be here, and if it is a success story maybe it’ll finally give this “LeBron to the Knicks” assumption a break. And he was born in Brooklyn. If Anthony becomes the franchise player he was meant to become – he’s still young and people underrate what he’s doing for the Nuggets – would somebody really care about LeBron James anymore? And I’ll be very honnest, LeBron James is the better player and he would give the Knicks multiple championships, but I’d rather see Anthony’s Knicks knocking James’ Cavaliers out of the playoffs.

Alright I’m sorry for that.

This year’s playoffs will be the key like you said. A scenario I would love to see – considering the remark you made about the draft pick – is :

David Lee, Al Harrington and the Knicks 2009′s first round draft pick for Carmelo Anthony

Nate Robinson for Stephen Curry or Eric Maynor as a late lottery pick.

Peace.

i should have mention this would be my plan if lebron decides to sign an extension this offseason

No need to apologize.

Amare ‘s had his issues but he is still a 6’10 250 lb wrecking ball on the offensive end and is still only 26. He may not play defense but he will probably never be more valuable than in Dantoni’s offense.

When you think about Dantoni’s dream line-up it probably looks like this

Amare – C
Gallo – PF
Lebron – SF
Raja Bell – SG
Nash – PG

Amare is a big that runs and finishes
Gallo is a PF who could step out and hit a 3
James would be Marion on steroids
Bell because he plays D and has a knack for big 3′s
Nash cause he knows what Dantoni wants

Is that my dream line-up? No, but you can bet this would be Dantoni’s dream scenario

If James signs an extension all bets are off. Lebron would really have to force his way out for the Cleveland to oblige.

If he re-signes with Cleveland then the Knicks would have to re-asses their entire strategy. This whole 2010 isn’t about anyone but Lebron for the Knicks. If he re-signs they are almost better off just re-signing their own players, keeping their draft picks and improve slowly. Perhaps signing a player like Tyson Chandler and Nash to the Mid Level and thats it.

2010 could be
Tyson Chandler – C
David Lee – PF
Danilo Gallinari – SF
WIlson Chandler – SG
Steve Nash – PG

Bench
Nate Robinson
Jared Jeffries
Al Harrington
Duhon
Raja Bell (vet min, Dantoni loves him)
2009 First Rounder
Eddy Curry

I’d almost like to see this more home grown approach. You’re betting Gallo Chandler, Lee and Robinson really grow as players next year. When you look at it that is actually a pretty well rounded team.

Defense, Rebounding, Shot Blocking to start the break from Chandler who can run, along with Lee couldbe the best rebounding team in the East.

Outside shooting in Nash and Gallo

Athleticism and shooting from Wilson

Keeping Robinson and re-signing Duhon and Harrington would provide both scoring and Jeffries defense off a deep bench.

I didn’t take the time to check cap feasibility but at worst most of that scenario would work. That’s the direction I would take if Lebron stayed in Cleveland.

i hope we let nate go.maybe hell sign with cleaveland ,then while HES PULLING HIS EARS AND SALUTING AT THE FOUL LINE ,THAT OTHER JERK ,LEBRON,CAN THROW CHALK UP IN THE AIR!..I WISH THAT WILLIS REED WERE SROUND TO KICK THESE CLOWNS IN THE AZZ,AND SHOW EM HOW TO PLAY OLD SCHOOL,AND ACT LIKE THEYVE BEEN THERE BEFORE

You’re right, Willis Reed is rolling around in his grave as we speak! So are Bill Bradley and Dick Barnett!!!…hahaha

Wait…didn’t Reed used to do a little booty shake dance at the foul line??
I thought they captured it on grainy black and white film strip from ancient times. I beleive they called it the “Willis Reed Truffle Shuffle”!!!

You may be right about Amare. I just read his Wiki page and I saw this nugget.

He told Isaac Perry in an article for Dime Magazine that what kept him going in that time period was God and the words of rapper Tupac Shakur.

Who did he go with if they both told him something different? God or Tupac? I need to know this.

You’re wrong about the cap space. When you come up with keeping Lee and Nate and still signing Lebron plus having more space if we move Curry is not accurate.

You have to take into consideration that the NBA uses markers known as “Cap Holds” when figuring out how much cap space a team has. “Cap Holds” are put in place for every roster spot left available if the team does not have the entire roster filled. The Knicks will currently have 5 contracts on the cap for 2010:

Eddy Curry (11.3m)
Jared Jeffries (6.9m)
Danilo Galinari (3.3m)
Wilson Chandler (2.1m)
Knicks 09 pick (1.7m) est at 11th pick

Total 25.3m

The current cap is 58.68m with that number expected to stay the same next year according to David Stern and possibly shrink in 2010. If it shrinks 5m (average of the last 2 times the cap shrunk) that means the 2010 cap will be about 53m.

Let’s say the cap stays the same as this year (58.6m). Most people would take 58.6m minus 25.3m and say that the Knicks have 33.3m in cap space in 2010. In one sense thats true but you don.t have all of that for one player. Cap rules will place 5 guaranteed contracts (“cap holds”) subtracted from your space by placing an imaginary salary where a player would be. In this scenario the Knicks have 7 empty spots to get to 12 thus they have 7 cap holds.

Cap holds for restricted free agents count 300% against a teams cap (3 times the salary from the previous year), which means if Lee and Nate are not moved they will count for over 6m each against the cap. That brings us down to 5 more holds. Next all exceptions are factored in. Mid Level (6.5m) est. and Bi-Annual (2.3m)est. Now we’re down to 3 spots. Those 3 spots will be considered non Bird right free agents and will count as a minimum veteran salary each against the cap. This is determined on years of service but we’ll go with an average tenured player guess for 2010 (1.8m). Let’s add it up to see what is counted against the cap.

Contracts
Eddy Curry (11.3m)
Jared Jeffries (6.9m)
Danilo Galinari (3.3m)
Wilson Chandler (2.1m)
Knicks 09 pick (1.7m) est at 11th pick
Cap Holds
Robinson’s RFA (6m)
Lee’s RFA (6m)
Mid Level (6.5m)
Bi Annual (2.3m)
Free Agent Hold 1 (1.8)
Free Agent Hold 2 (1.8)
Free Agent Hold 3 (1.8)

Total: 51.5m

If the cap is 58.6 like we said above that means the Knicks have 7m to sign James. That’s not enough. This is why the Knicks would need to move Curry and Jeffries while trading or allowing Robinson and Lee to sign with other teams. Then that would clear 35m which would bring the cap space to 28m minus cap holds.

Where did the 40m cap space figure come from?

That was because the Salary Cap was estimated to be up to 70m in 2010. David Stern’s recent announcements have changed things. Now teams are hoping the cap comes up but the sobering reality is that the cap will go down. If you use my same calculations and add 17m to the cap figure to get to 70m then the Knicks would have 40m to sign 2 superstars.

You can’t do anything about the exception cap holds, but you can do something about your contracts and restricted free agent holds (Lee and Nate). The team will not be able to sign Lee or Nate and sign Lebron.

I really think that lebron is going to stay in cleveland because i believe he is going to win a championship this year and he aint gonna leave if they win. Plus I think we could be more succesul by trading larry hughes and wilson chandler for caron butler and trading al and q for posey or mo pete and chandler, and sign nash to mle. We can resign lee and nate because we dont need cap room.
C-Tyson
PF-Dlee
SF-Dino
SG-Butler
PG-nash
bench: nate, duhon, 2009 first round pick, posey or mo pete, jeffries, curry, and nichols
That to me looks better than
C-Dlee
PF-Dino
SF-Lebron
SG- will the thrill
PG- duhon
Bench: Al, 2009 first round pick, mle free agent, and nichols
Lebron is a great player but no one can win a championship with that type of supporting cast. If we do what i suggest willl be more complete team and deeper.

It get’s even worse if Nate and Lee sign lucrative offer sheets to other teams. The first year salary of the offer sheets count against the Knicks cap until they decide to match or not.

No disrespect Q and mhc but your teams have a lack of leadership from a basketball standpoint.

Wilson Chandler has a lot of potential but he will not become a go-to-guy who draws attention and creates space for his teammates. I think (a more athletic) Sean Elliott is a great comparison but he had Duncan & Robinson.

I have a lot of faith in Gallinari but I’m really concerned about his health and I doubt that he’ll ever reach Nowitzki’s level (their games are different anyways). Maybe he will, but Rashard Lewis and Detlef Schrempf are better comparisions in my opinion. Lewis has Dwight Howard and Schrempf had Kemp and Payton so there’s really a void to fill.

That’s what I want the Knicks to look like in 2010 :

Jason Kidd – Eric Maynor
Larry Hughes – Stephen Curry
Danilo Gallinari – Wilson Chandler
Carmelo Anthony – Second round prospect
Jared Jeffries – Eddy Curry

That core would cost around 58’000’000$ in 20120 with more 18’000’000$ expiring the following year. That’s what I call a nice future.

*in 2010 with more than

Mucha, Steve Nash is a 2 time NBA league MVP at the point guard position. How is that lack of leadership fro a basketball standpoint? Sometimes you say really smart basketball comment and other times you make me scratch my head.

Carmelo Anthony is an anti-leader. Ask George Karl.

Kidd has lost 3 steps, has no jump shot and by 2010 will be Mark Jackson…Not post up second stint Mark Jackson, I mean over-weight sitting next to Van Gundy Mark Jackson. Dantoni likes his guards with range.

Also, we haven’t seen enough of Larry Hughes taking bad shots? You want 2 more years?

You also have zero shot blocking or rebounding. Jeffries at center and basically taking away Lee’s rebounding for Anthony’s scoring.

With Hughes, and Carmelo how are Gallo and Chandler getting any shots. Not to mention how we end up with two lottery guards?

Amazingly the team you put together Mucha, may have less defense and leadership than this years team.

I don’t know how old you are but before Duncan got there and before he had the kidney issue Sean Elliot was an all star, sweet shooting player that many people thought may have been the best small forward in the league behind Scottie Pippen. If Wilson Chandler could become the next Sean Elliot than that would be more than great.

Also with Nash at the point to run Dantoni’s system one more time Gallo becomes Dirk and Chandler becomes Marion. If they got Tyson like Mhc and Me suggest than he stays as good as he is with Paul.

They’re a 4 seed right after Orlando with a future. Especially if they get their point guard of the future in the draft this year.

Misunderstanding.

I meant “leader from a BASKETBALL standpoint” as a go-to-guy you can rely on to get baskets when you need them. Anthony would have helped a lot against Miami, because he’s able to post up and get a lot of dirty buckets. I know he’s not a locked room leader – I always said he needed a vet that’s why I put Kidd and I agree with you regarding Nash.

I put Kidd as a backcourt general who could teach Maynor how to play the point like a good point guard is supposed to do. Then you got shooters with Curry and Gallinari and Hughes isn’t bad when he’s hot. I put Anthony at the 4 spot because he’s strong enough to play that position but he’s quicker than power forwards especially if he plays in a running system. Then you got 20’000’000$ expiring at the end of the season and you try to sign or make a trade around Curry or Jeffries contract to get a real center.

I know Sean Elliott was already a great player – and Chandler has All-star potential in my opinion that’s why I made that comparison – but he was just like a third option when the Spurs won the first championship.

[...] 2010 saga. Sure, it’s fun to speculate (Dan and I have a whole meter devoted to it), but as Tommy Dee pointed out yesterday, no one can possibly know what Lebron has planned for the future because its likely that Lebron [...]