Thursday FROM 4 TO 6 AT MSG NETWORK TALK OF THE TOWN PROGRAM.HIS WORDS WILL PROBERLY BE UH,O UH,O UH, O UH,O OH WELL WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE BEST DEAL FOR THE TEAM.BUT WE ARE HAPPY WITH WANT WE GOT NOW.WITH A 6'9 CENTER AND WITH MY OWN 17 MILLON DOLLAR BENCH PLAYERS EISLEY,SPOON,ANDERSON.

Posted by mason:

Thursday FROM 4 TO 6 AT MSG NETWORK TALK OF THE TOWN PROGRAM.HIS WORDS WILL PROBERLY BE UH,O UH,O UH, O UH,O OH WELL WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE BEST DEAL FOR THE TEAM.BUT WE ARE HAPPY WITH WANT WE GOT NOW.WITH A 6'9 CENTER AND WITH MY OWN 17 MILLON DOLLAR BENCH PLAYERS EISLEY,SPOON,ANDERSON.

cool, thanks for the CAPPED update.

It's repeating again today (I think it'll be the same show since MSG probably has nothing else to air), and if it is, I'll post what happens.

"BUT WE LOST A CENTER IN CAMBY"-Yeah right. I hope you're kidding me. Camby was a power forward who played out of position on the injured reserve. When he did play in actual games without breaking or pulling something, he did a pretty good job. But please don't give me that he was a center and will be sorely missed. He didn't even play in 30 games last year.

"So Knick fans don't expect to much this coming years we will be a 500 team and proberly in the playoff"-Wouldn't want to be in those playoffs now, would we?

He had the majority of his blocks from the weakside or on slashers, he was a good anticipator, not a very good defender of big men. OK, he was 6'11". Garnett is 6'11" and he's a SF. Height doesn't mean everything. Thomas is a better defensive center then Camby, and has a better jumper. He's not nearly as good blocking shots or rebounding, but he can hold his own against big men, regardless of if he is 2 inches shorter or not.

And I can't figure that this team is shorter then it was last year. It lost a guy that was 6'11" and 6'1" (Jackson and Camby), and acquired guys that were 6'3", 6'9", and 6'11" (Williams, McDyess, and Doleac).

The one thing this team lacks is a shot blocker and ballhandler. I'd say almost everything else is covered.

That has no signifigance, they still didn't lose any height.

Here is the comparison between Thomas and Camby:
PPG-13.9 (Thomas) to 11.1 (Camby)
RPG-11.1 (Camby) to 9.1 (Thomas)
APG-1.1 (Thomas/Camby)
BPG-1.72 (Camby) to (.96) Thomas
FG%-.494 (Thomas) to .448 (Camby)
FT%-.815 (Thomas) to .626 (Camby)

So Thomas is better then Camby scoring, shooting, and from the line. Rebounding, Camby was better, but if Thomas played at center the entire year (like he did for the 2nd half of last year), he would've had double digits.

I agree with you, the Knicks need a shotblocker. Maybe a guy like Boumtje-Boumtje could help, but other then and Camby's rebounding prowess, the Knicks won't miss Camby. Camby rarely boxed out, he just out jumped everyone or flew in away from the rim. Thomas is a tough guy who will box out, which creates opportunites for other teammates.

I meant the Jackson being 6'3" had no signifigance because a) he was a terrible defender and b) Williams is just as tall as him. Jackson was a great offensive point, but his lackadaiscal D hurt the Knicks more then his O.

Martin, I agree. Dice and KT compliment each other better than Camby would---they can play off each other's shooting skills. It's like Dave D. (6'7") pairing with Willis R. (6'10") at the 4-5 positions when whats-his-name, a true center, didn't work out?

BigSmooth, I sort of agree. We need a shot-blocker, but we have one in Dice, who jumps like C. Webber (who led the league at one time I think). We also need a ball-handler, but who's to say that Frank can't start?

Posted by BigSm00th:

He had the majority of his blocks from the weakside or on slashers, he was a good anticipator, not a very good defender of big men. OK, he was 6'11". Garnett is 6'11" and he's a SF. Height doesn't mean everything. Thomas is a better defensive center then Camby, and has a better jumper. He's not nearly as good blocking shots or rebounding, but he can hold his own against big men, regardless of if he is 2 inches shorter or not.

And I can't figure that this team is shorter then it was last year. It lost a guy that was 6'11" and 6'1" (Jackson and Camby), and acquired guys that were 6'3", 6'9", and 6'11" (Williams, McDyess, and Doleac).

The one thing this team lacks is a shot blocker and ballhandler. I'd say almost everything else is covered.

Who cares how he got the blocks. The point is he got them. The point is, other teams were afraid to come in to the lane when Camby was on the floor. Kurt Thomas had a breakout year. That’s all. If he starts at center for us this season we are doomed. The other teams will put their center on Dice and their PF on Kurt. This will virtual eliminate any advantage we got from the trade. Also Kurt Thomas is a terrible defender at his natural position. The reason he had better stats at the center position this year is because he wasn’t guarded by a PF. He can score on a center because he can take them outside with his 15 footer. But he can’t defend them. I have last season games on tape, and when I watch them the other teams centers are scoring on him at will (even the bad ones). It is hysterical to watch. He has very, very slow feet. He gets eaten up by most PF’s too. With Camby flying around doing his thing we went the finals. The year after his sister was attacked and he didn’t play. Last year he was injured, and Kurt spectacular year took us to 30 wins. I watched ever game last season. Kurt put up big numbers in blowouts, and meaningless games. And several times his slow feet cost us in close games. Example Boston game when he couldn’t close on Walker, and Walker hit the game winner. Kurt was 10 feet away raising his hand to block the shot. Ridiculous. WE NEED A CENTER. He doesn’t have to be a 7 footer, but he needs defensively skilled enough to guard the other teams center by himself (except for the obvious guys who demand a double team, Shack, Duncan, etc.), and he has to be offensively skilled enough to demand that the other team guard him with there center. Period. Anything and it’ll be another long season as Dice has sub-par numbers because he’s being guarded by centers.

Posted by BigSm00th:

I think everone knows the Knicks need a center with the skills you mentioned, but the fact of the matter is they can't acquire one like that. Kurt is the best they can offer, so they'll have to live with it. It's not like there is some pool of great 7 footers and all you have to do is look and you'll find your man, there is a very limited number of talented centers on the planet, and the ones that do exist won't be traded. It's as simple as that.

I agree that there isn't a big pool of talented big men, but I think the answer is on our own team. Doleac. He needs to start. The Doeac Dyse Combo will be very effective. Another observationabout KT that I noticed is he needs the ball alot to get "rolling". The best situation for the Knicks is for him not to be on the flooe the same time as Dyse. Start Doleac. He's the best center on the team. ...and for the purposes of theis discussion I'm counting KT as a center.

KT is and always has been a solid bench player - he is not a starter. I dont care how inflated his #'s were last season, he is a becn player and should come off of it as a 6th man.

P.S. I said in August this team goes into the season as is, and I dont see a trade coming our way before game 1 - I am sticking to that.