Say Goodbye To Nate

by Myles A. Mills on April 10th, 2009 at 1:06 pm

Tommy has said since day one that he doesn’t believe that Nate will be here for 2009-2010, and I have maintained the opinion that Walsh will at least consider the idea of bringing Nate back, at a reasonable price, considering he is an extremely undersized two guard who plays no defense.  But after Nate went on a tear after the all-star break, I looked at him as not only the leading candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award, but a part of the Knicks long term plans.  Not anymore.  Ignoring the fact that he’s shooting 26% from the field in April, Nate has simply played with no passion.

“The Knicks’ brass is keeping an eye on not just who plays hard but who quits, not just who competes but who capitulates. Walsh had no problem picking out the one thing he’s searching for this week.

“Yeah, keep playing,” Walsh said. “If you don’t keep playing, I have a problem with that. Guys should try to win every game. That’s what I think, and I have a problem with guys who don’t do that. I’ve appreciated almost the whole year — with some exceptions — the effort. The coaching’s been great. But we’re missing elements that help you become a good team.”

That’s the opposite of what Nate Robinson is doing.  Dumb fouls, terrible shot selection, lackluster defense.  You can see it when you watch him, he either doesn’t care or he’s just worn out.  Against Detroit he shot 2-13, missed all four of his three pointers, and his lack of aggressiveness shows in his 0 attempted free throws.  There’s no chance he is on this team this year.  When he doesn’t shoot well, he has very little value.  We can basically say goodbye to Nate Robinson.

In regards to the lottery, Chad Ford now has the Knicks selecting James Harden or Willie Warren with the 8th overall pick depending on who picks before them.

About Myles A. Mills

Myles is a sophomore at The Browning School, an all-boys private school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He's been a Knick fan as long as he can remember, and 02-03 was the last season he could remember in entirety. He hopes to one day see the Knicks in the playoffs. Myles is also fond of the Mets, and follows them vehemently, but his the bulk of his time goes to the Knicks. Myles wants to be a radio hosts on WFAN or ESPN 1050 radio, and he hopes to write for theknicksblog.com for years to come. View all posts by Myles A. Mills →
  • NYCballer

    Nate is as good as gone. He has no business starting on a championship team or a team with championship aspirations and I believe he covets a starting role.

    I love the kid. He’s electrifying. At the same time his play at times is mind-boggling. He lacks the IQ necessary to make the SSOL hum and he’s an undersized guard who could – but doesn’t – put the necessary effort into playing defense.

    I would much rather have a consistent guard who is less electrifying but understands the nuances of running an offense.

    Goodbye Nate and thanks for the show…

  • Mucha

    A lot of players are quitters/losers, Nate Robinson and David Lee are looking like conceited knuckleheads these days. I think D’Antoni – being a winner – hates most of his players right now, maybe I’m wrong but I can feel that. Al Harrington was raised around Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson and Antonio Davis, he plays to win everynight and Donnie Walsh has to respect that.

    I have to thank Nate Robinson for all the highlights and he’s a special player but seriously, I can’t see him being a part of a champioship team. MSG is not a circus. He never holds himself accountable for his own mistakes, and that p*sses me off – that kind of behavior is not what quality point guards are made of. Hell, that is not what grown men are made off.

    I like Willie Warren and James Harden, I’d be REALLY happy with either one of these guys. Talkin’ about All-Star potential.

  • cragganmor

    Nate is an amazing athlete, but just doesn’t have a focus on winning or being a team player. You see it when he plays against second-tier PGs like Earl Watson or Luke Ridnour and they just pick him apart.

    You want your 2 best athletes at the wing spots, but your smartest player should be at PG. I just don’t see how he’ll fit in.

    If we can package him to say, Portland (where the fans love him and he would love playing next to Roy) for Outlaw and their two top second-round picks, then that would be a fair deal.

  • Brett Justin

    im hoping after the draft we can deal our pick and lee or nate for RUBIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Bart

    I would give up Nate and Lee for Rubio but I wouldn’t put Harden in the deal no way. The lineup could be :

    Rubio
    Harden
    Chandler
    Gallo
    ????? lol we need a big. Garbajosa ??? does he play D ??
    I like Sutan too and Stanley Robinson-not at Center off the bench i.e. David Lee in his rookie year.

  • KBT1615

    Am I the only one fine with us picking Warren, then just trading Nate for another pick?

  • KBT1615

    I think Roy would be begging his management to get that done..

  • Mucha

    You’re not the only one.

  • crysis

    Nate is a good player. Somehow some of these guys who write about him or talk about him are making him out to be a villian. I think its totally unfair to rip the guy for being an emotional player.

    What is it? Do people actually want EVERY SINGLE BASKETBALL PLAYER to not be individuals? Do you want ROBOTS?

    What has Nate done wrong? Stand up for himself? Did he not chase Carmelo Anthony across the floor? I was proud that the Knicks got tough that night a few years ago. How tough are they now?

    Didn’t Doctor J and Larry Bird get into a fight during their career? A whole fistfight that each one would have been suspended for 10 games in today’s NBA. The NBA is soft today.

    So what Nate acts tough?

    But Oak wasn’t tough, and Anthony Mason wasn’t tough, and John Starks wasn’t tough.

    Oak didn’t smack another player during shootaround because the guy owed him money? Some guy named Tyrone Hill I believe, but I could be wrong.

    REREAD what i wrote.

    OAKLEY SMACKED TYRONE HILL BEFORE THE GAME BECAUSE THE GUY OWED HIM MONEY!!!

    If Nate did that, can you imagine what would be written about him.

    Didn’t Anthony Mason get in fights, sometimes in clubs.

    Didn’t John Starks head butt Reggie Miller?

    This is nonsense, this not wanting to see Nate on the Knicks anymore. Then who do we get to watch?

    Duhon? Gallo? Sene?

    Some local knuckleheads want to pick apart a guy who comes off the bench and averaged 17 points a game, plus 4 assists and 3.9 rebounds.

    What is up with some of you fans. You look like uniformed and clueless observers when it comes to basketball. I disagree with the comments about Nate.

    And I bet some of you actually would root for Joba Chamberlain even though the guy drives drunk and disses New Yorkers. The media sure gave him a pass…

    But they call Nate a novelty act.

    Nate is a baller… period. Get it straight. And if he isn’t around to watch, the KNicks will be an even more BORING team than they were this season.

  • KBT1615

    Nates a cocky ballhog, I admit he can be entertaining and at times he has helped us win but the Bad outweighs the good and plus he wants a big contract this summer that hes not worth.
    John Starks, and Oakley didnt argue with everyone over a questionable call, they didnt go argue with their coach over nothing and they did what they had to to win, their good outweighs their bad.
    Also Dont you EVER try to put John Starks down just to try to bring Nate up again.

  • KBT1615

    You are probably the dumbest person on TKB.

  • Chris Alvino

    crysis- I can understand where you are coming from. Oakley would put anyone on their ass if he felt like it. Some of the old Knick teams were dirty. Isiah Thomas’ old Detroit teams were dirty. Basketball is a physical sport. The Knicks don’t play physical. I love Nate’s enthusiasm and his his heart. He is willing to take on the world if he has to.

    That said, if the right package came along for him, I would not be adverse to dealing him. The difference between Starks/ Mason/ Oakley and Nate is that those guys were winners. They did whatever they had to do in order to win games. Nate is talented, but sometimes he plays like a 1 man show. On the nights he is on, he can single handedly win games for this team. On plenty of other nights, he just adds to the problem.

    If the Knicks could get a 1st round pick, Joel Pryzbilla, and Jerryd Bayless for Nate and JJ this summer, you can conceivably see players like Craig Brackins, Joel, Bayless, and our first round pick being on our roster next year.

    That is very enticing. Joel and Lee can make a nice frontcourt.

  • cragganmor

    Garbo is a Shane Battier-type of player; no flashy stats, but a very smart player that does what’s needed to get a win. If his ankle is healthy, then I’d try and sign him.

    I really like the idea of getting Goran Suton and Danny Green in the second round. Both are smart, have length, can defend, pass, rebound and shoot.

  • BiggieSmalls

    I agree with both..

    I’d trade Nate of the Money was over the mid level

    At the mod level I like him coming off the bench. He’s like a wild stallion that needs to be tamed. Crysis is right that other past Knicks brought the pain in their games like Nate. Winners? Didnt win a title.. but I like them all anyway.

    I think I’d rather have Nate for 5.5 and 22 minutes a game than Lee for 9 mil and 35 minutes a game…

    Should be an interesting off season.

    Portland definitely has some assets that I’d swipe for Nate.. in a larger deal

  • KBT1615

    I will love that deal by the way Nate and JJ for Joel, a 1st round pick and Bayless.
    I think Mike can bring the full potential out of Bayless. Im confident Donnie will at least try to get this done. Hey he already tried once to dump JJ on someone with Nate.
    Imagine what we can have

    Nash, Duhon, Bayless
    Hughes, Warren
    Ill Will, Gallo
    Lee, James Johnson- Projected Portland Pick VERY Talented., Al
    Pryzbilla

  • josh108

    OK first of all I read knicks blog every day and never really comment often, but really I could not resist to give my opinion about your poor opinion on nate robinson.

    How could you ever compare nate robinson’s dumb and non thoughtout acts towards referee’s and D’Antoni with the heart and passion of john starks, charles oakley, and anthony mason? I really am not good at debating topics or issues but the only difference is that those three guys went to the finals, nate (and david lee) has done nothing but been on losing teams from 05 and on.

    you obviously can’t blame all the losing seasons on nate but really i watch every single game ( i am human i miss a few) and from what i see everyone plays much better when nate is not in the game. When he is in the game it becomes the nate robinson show and noone else gets touches. He simply makes his surrounding players worse. Sure he looks great at times (then again who doesnt look decent in a d’antoni system) but when it comes down to it he is a straight gunner who needs to be off the team in order to bring a championship back to the mecca!!!

    Also he can lose a game for you as quik as he wins them for you. For example yes he did lift us to beat the pacers at msg when he exploded off the bench for 40 plus but he also has games such as the one against the bobcats at msg (yes he did have 20 plus off the bench that night but looked off open shots for galo and others all night, which a pg should not be doing) when we were right in the middle of the playoff hunt (bobcats unloaded on us and shot around 55 percent i believe i may be wrong). Not only is he one of the biggest ballhogs in the nba but he really is a huge defensive liability!

    dont get me wrong i love players that fight (in a basketball term and literally) but nate is just not worth it to me. We need a pass first point guard on a team with players such as will and galo who we are looking to build around!!!