compared to last season this is a much much better team. but i wouldnt talk championship. Knicks lineup is pretty balance except for the C position. Sure we should improve at the PG position but we are just beloe average. BUt im most worried at Kurt playing C where hw ill get abused and NOT doubled.

You guys are big-time, cynical downers.

Why dont you actually act like fans of our Knick team and back them up.

I think your pesimism is awful.

I am a big Knick fan, but at the same time also being objective, I do believe that the Knicks will make the playoffs.

I think that they could even be the best team in the East.

Sure, the Nets are returning champs and teh Hornets look good on paper, but I think that if things come together for the Knicks, they
could even squeeze out a 50 win season.

You guys are undervaluing Mcdyess. He's totally healthy and will have
all of his explosiveness back. He's one of the best PFs in the EC.
He could even make the all star team this year.

Its been said over and over again, but with his post up presence, Spree and Houston will flourish and not have to settle for long range
jumpers as much.

Everybody knows that the position of center is depleted in the NBA, and while he is undersized, KT is comparabally a good center.

I agree that there could be big problems at the point. But Charlie
could be dependable. I trust that he could have an adequate year, limiting his turnovers. MAybe Eisley will even wake up and could be inserted on a consistent basis when the Knicks need a quicker pg. Maybe Frank Williams will be ready to contribute by January.

The Knicks are good this year. If they come together under Chaney, they could be alot better than all you suckers think.

How could you purport to be objective and in the next sentence say the Knicks will be the best team in the east? This is not a good team and the players have been thrown together without discretion. When you spend DOUBLE that of almost EVERY other team in the league--I would hope that you would have SOME talent--but with this much salary going out we should be BALANCED and DEEP at EVERY position. Before the season last year I had my first real bad feeling about the club--but I knew we had Van Gundy-- a system and PERHAPS Shanden Andersen would play well. Van Gundy left--our system is gone--the roster/taking into considerations the salary being paid--is BRUTAL --I don't see where we are going with this and my fear--as a diehard Knick fan is we are going to become the 91 Celtics with 10 years of bad luck--older veterans--capped out for years with sub-par players---this is a scary predicament. Many people here are getting a false impression of how good dice is--if he is so good why hasnt his teams venture to the playoffs? I mean he played with better balanced clubs than this a Lafrentz Van Exel Willis etc.. and they cant even make an 8 seed. So remember we are NOT getting Karl Malone here boys--we are getting a one-dimensional low post player who doesnt pass the ball and does not play with FIRE. And he can walk in 2 years when Houston and Spree are 34

When we start prognosticating about the upcoming season, we always forget all those intangibles...the will to win, poise in the 4th quarter, limiting turnovers, DEFENSE, plain ol' grit. Those things can be magnified despite a less-than-balanced roster, if there is DESIRE. We won't know how much determination these players have until the first opening tip. There must be that trademark Knick pride above all else, or there will be no 'LJ 4-point plays' or 'Starks dunks' or 'Camby lifting us over Indiana'...DESIRE made those things happen, even when talent was mediocre. We should all be hoping and praying that the Desire comes back. We need the inner fire much more than a center or pg...

Just a thought-

Knixphan hit the nail on the head there... Heart goes a LONG way. It's what seperates the great teams from the ok teams. Nothing was more saztisfying than watching NY (the 8th seed) reach the finals a few years ago. If we were'nt so beat up... I think we could have stood a chance in the finals. Anyways... My main point here is this... It seems everyone is dying to trade Spree. This man is our heart and soul at the moment. He wills us to win in clutch games. If McDyess shows the same fire.. We will go VERY VERY far this year.

Posted by BRIGGS:

with 2 PF 2 SG and a backup PG as our strating 5 with a cra))y bench. I knew last season could be bad--but I didnt know what Van Gundy would do with Andersen--unfortunately he was as bad a fit for the Knicks as possible and Gundy left. This season--I dont see one thing to get excited about. yes we got Mcdyess and he is a real good player but not much more than what Thomas was giving us second half 2001---I dont even know how they will co-exsist or who will actually get them the bal. If anything this team is built to play half court and we are implementing a system of fast breaking and passing?

MSG will be empty by mid season. I bet 5 grand that people would be more excited if we did take the ballsy move and draft Amare.

There you go again with that Amare crap. I bet 5 grand that you're his girlfriend, how about that!?!

Posted by knixphan:

When we start prognosticating about the upcoming season, we always forget all those intangibles...the will to win, poise in the 4th quarter, limiting turnovers, DEFENSE, plain ol' grit. Those things can be magnified despite a less-than-balanced roster, if there is DESIRE. We won't know how much determination these players have until the first opening tip. There must be that trademark Knick pride above all else, or there will be no 'LJ 4-point plays' or 'Starks dunks' or 'Camby lifting us over Indiana'...DESIRE made those things happen, even when talent was mediocre. We should all be hoping and praying that the Desire comes back. We need the inner fire much more than a center or pg...

Just a thought-

Agreed, but I think the fire has to start with the coach and Cheaney, well....he is who is, and fire is not the word to describe him. I'm not sure he can get Houston and Spree to play well on a consistent basis.

Houston is a unique scorer scorer. He scores basically 20 points a game just on jump shots. He one of the legue top 3 deadliest shooters in the league. He scores 20 the hard way. After JVG left the team he averaged 23 points a game under Chaney. Houston is a consistant player. Compared to Spree who was a 19 point scorer who did show heart but hasnt excelled at anything. He does a lot of stuff above average but doesnt specialise in 1 area. There are many player who can step in and do what he does. There are many 2 guards in the league who play his style and can play close to his level or even better.

Posted by falcindor:

Houston is a unique scorer scorer. He scores basically 20 points a game just on jump shots. He one of the legue top 3 deadliest shooters in the league. He scores 20 the hard way. After JVG left the team he averaged 23 points a game under Chaney. Houston is a consistant player. Compared to Spree who was a 19 point scorer who did show heart but hasnt excelled at anything. He does a lot of stuff above average but doesnt specialise in 1 area. There are many player who can step in and do what he does. There are many 2 guards in the league who play his style and can play close to his level or even better.

I hate to diss one player to prove another is good but in this case you forced me too. Houston is not unique in any way. He’s a jump shooting SG. Ohhh, how strange, and unique. I’ve never seen that before. He should be in basketball carnival were people can come and see the one and only jump shooting SG. Um, the reason why they are called shooting guard is because they are supposed to shot the ball. If Houston went to the basket he would average 27-30 a game just from the additional foul shots he would take. Here are the things about Houston that are unique:
1-Fouls shots: one of the highest percentages in the NBA but also the lowest number of attempts.
2-Big guard but has trouble guarding big guards.
3-Doen'st go to basket but still has high turners. (If you just take jump shoots your turnover number should be low. How he turns the ball over so much I'll never know)
4-Can’t guard the small guards either.
5-He’s a role player paid like a franchise player. No one wanted this guy during his free agent year AND WE STILL GAVE ME 100 M. I have read several articles were Houston has said that he was surprised we gave him so much money.
6-Doen’t move well without the ball. This is the cornerstone of being a good 2G. You are constantly on the move. See Jordan, R. Miller etc….and yes even John Starks was good at moving without the ball.
What do mean Spree doesn’t excel at anything? He is a great defender. How many great defenders average 19 PPG? Who are all these great defensive SG/SF that also average 19 PPG? Name them all. If Spree is so average every team should have a player like him right? I dare you to name half that many.
There is only one thing unique about Latrell, and it’s major because only about 5 other guys in the NBA can do this:
He’s a legitimate 2 guard, and can also play SF. He can guard almost any SF in the league, and none of them can stop him. I would love to have a K-G, T-Mac legit SF type on our team. But as long as well have Allen “can’t d-up anyone” Houston on our team we need someone who can cover for him defensively. Right now that’s Spree.