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“…Walsh did little over the summer to upgrade the roster so as to protect his 2010 cap space, which tops the league at $26 million. But it’s not that he didn’t try and still will look to bolster the talent without decreasing cap space.
“Within the limits from what I outlined from Day 1, I tried every day, all summer, to make a trade,” Walsh said. “The ones we could makes didn’t fit in what we’re trying to do. I didn’t want to jeopardize it.”
Walsh got cold feet on a long-term deal with point guard Ramon Sessions in free agency and bypassed Brandon Jennings in the draft for project power forward Jordan Hill. Those decisions have haunted Walsh because starting point guard Chris Duhon’s disastrous start.
Walsh will seek a contributor with an expiring contract, unless he can put long-term deals of Jared Jeffries and Eddy Curry into a package. Tracy McGrady fits that category but the Rockets aren’t keen on the Knicks’ expiring pacts other than David Lee. Curry may debut Wednesday at his new listed weight of 295 pounds and perhaps raise his nonexistent trade value.
The Knicks have had no conversations with Golden State about malcontent Stephen Jackson, who has asked to be traded to the Knicks, among other teams. But Jackson has a long-term deal that would make it extremely difficult, unless Don Nelson takes Curry.
“If there is a trade, I would do it,” Walsh added. “But it’s not like teams are out there searching for trades. They usually don’t do it as this point. But my job is to see if there’s anything I can do to make it better.”
See, I’m not so sure the Rockets are keen for Lee. I think that with Scola, Battier and Landry they have host at the position, but maybe Lee can be a fit seeing that Scola is ready for a huge payday this summer. Lee’s contract will be impacted by Scola, who is having another great season in Houston.
Of course everyone will want to talk about the fabricated Curry for McGrady swap, and I’m not saying that couldn’t happen, I’m saying that it’s tough for the Knicks to deal. Lee has to agree and the Rockets may be able to do better than the Knicks power forward. That said, they have proven to be a better “team” with both Mac and Yao out, so it will be interesting to see how the chemistry is affected when McGrady returns. Yao’s career is in jeopardy.
As I’ve said, of course Walsh will be prepared to deal, but everyone knows his deal. Alvino has mentioned the Wizards, who I think can be a possible match, as well as Charlotte, Minnesota and Portland.
This is why Donnie missed the boat in dealing Lee when his value was high. Now Lee will basically be gone without Donnie receiving any compensation in return.
Lee is still very valuable. Walsh can still trade him. Lee may be packaged with Jared Jeffries. I also can see Curry traded with Tony Douglas. If Douglas continues to play well and Curry plays well, believe me a GM will pick them up. Don’t expect Eddy Curry to walk out of here if we don’t give up a player who has value. If you were a GM would you take on Eddy Curry’s contract? He makes about 20 mil in the next two years? If I take on Curry’s contract as a GM, I would have to need a low post player and I would want Wilson Chandler or Jordan Hill or Tony Douglas included in the package. No GM would trade for Eddy Curry alone unless Eddy starts playing like an ALLSTAR. Walsh is not making any huge gambles. I like him for that. If Jennings would have not criticized Rubio, he would have been picked in the top 5. It is good for the Bucks that he has a big mouth. I can’t blame Walsh for not pulling the trigger on him because the NY media would have fed off of those types of comments. I think we and 8 other teams missed on this one. Time will tell if Jordan Hill can be a good player as well. I’m not going to blame Wash for missing out on Jennings. 2010 is plan A and I’m sure Walsh has a plan B if 2010 does not work out.
DW should stay the course, and we should be patient. It will take 3-5 more years to build a solid team. Let’s see what he does no summer.
5 years of 30 win (hopefully) basketball at those ticket prices?
DW could have signed Arroyo, Pargo, J. Williams or a host of other PGs to make the team more competitive now (and I’m not even bringing up the draft) while keeping the 2010 cap space. Can we at least try to be competitive while building a solid foundation?
Arroyo or Pargo would make this team competitive?
They don’t get it all this 2010 talk has offened more than half of our team and they don’t want to play.
Arroyo, JWill, and Tinsley, who all could have been signed by Walsh this summer, and maybe Pargo, too, all would be a major upgrade from Duhon. Until this team improves, I will refer to them as what their own coach called them: The N.Y. Zombies.
Dave – im pretty sure we’re already on year 7…5 more isnt a rebuilding process, its a bad franchise…
but i hear you and i agree — this team can’t buckle under the 1-9 pressure. DW came in to make us a team by 2010. he still has his big summer to do that. he’s put his eggs in one basket and he should be smart enough to see it through until the end.
when we only sign amare this summer tho…hes gonna have some explaining to do…
Ben: when did you come to believe that DW “came to make us a team by 2010″ I thought he said he would work on gaining cap space by 2010. He is only half way there as he still needs to move Curry and JJ. Aren’t you getting way ahead of yourself??
Donnie cant do any deals of substance until December 15th at the earliest.
Ive beaten the Donnie missed the boat horse to death at this point. Lets see MDA use some of his coaching chops to get the most out of what he has. Install a Curry/Lee based low post walk it up system and lets win some damn games.
A good coach should be able to adapt his philosophy to what he is given. Clearly MDA doesn not have seven seconds of less players on this roster so DEAL WITH IT.
If I hear another “Mike D’Antoni’s system” argument Im going postal.
They’ll be fine once they start hitting shots.
Biggie,
+1
Coach has to start running plays other than Duhon running “Pick and Roll Lee,” or kick it out to “Blackhole Harrington.” Lee is also rapidly becoming “Blackhole Lee” as he never kicks it out anymore
Despite his obvious work at developing his shot, Lee can not be the first scoring option, and No-Pass Harrington can not be option 1A.
Not now, and not in the future.
I think the key is Curry playing REALLY well – then I could see Houston taking him with Lee and whoever else would make the money work (Duhon, since it’s an expiring?) for T-Mac… December 15th is too far away, man.
How about Brandon Jennings huh?
OK, has anyone taken a close look at what Jordan Hill has done this season?
He’s played essentially one game’s worth of minutes in five, but look at these stats…
35 minutes
25 points 11-18 shooting
9 rebounds
3 steals
2 blocks
Yeah the Knicks need a point guard (the Knicks need a lot of things), but they weren’t too good at defending or scoring in the paint either. I definitely do not see this as a bad pick just yet.
If the Knicks can sign free agents to be Mike miller-a poor man’s “Joe Johnson” (to play guard), Nenad Krstic (to play center), and Roko Leni Ukic (to play pg), in the summer of 2010, buy another late first round pick in 2010 and draft “Lance Stephenson (another young immature man with a whole lot of skills-ie “Brandon Jennings”-”I think he’s as good as if not a better baller/playmaker than Tyreke Evans, and everyone can see the impact he is having in Sacramento), use their 2nd round pick on another young big: Jerome Jordan/Renardo Sydney, Then and only then will i consider Walsh not a “senile (bballwise), bumbling, stumbling has been of a GM”, Because this plan is at least feasible, the plan that involves LBJ and Bosh/Amare/JJohnson is not!!! Also the sooner he signs Chris mullins to assume the Knicks GM duties the better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I like the Kristic idea but lately Mike Miller is always injured, Ukic okay also. Y let Gerald Green go overseas he’d fit. Mully be good also
I see the knicks getting Rudy Gay in 2010. A young star who will be offered good money from a mediocre team. Similar situation Joe Johnson was in when he signed with Atlanta after pheonix. The kid can play and if they pick him up they will have flexibility to pick up other good pieces… Similar to Atlanta when they got mike bibby… Then we just have to hope for gallo, Douglas hill and Chandler to step up and we have ourselves a team. (or which ever players are still there, I think Chandler is on his way out… With Nate)
Atlanta has a better record then every team except pheonix right now. Where were they 3 years ago?