Yes you read correctly...
I am thoroughly convinced that Dolan will not let Zeke go after this season, contrary to what every commentator is saying.
If you study Dolan's history, you will discover that firing Zeke and bringing in Colangelo makes too much sense, but would require Dolan to do things Colangelo's way... and that is just never going to happen. The likely scenario is Dolan holding on to Zeke for the draft and then giving him another year based on the following moves.

1) Zeke will not draft on need, but will take the player with the greatest probability of becoming a franchise player.
2) Zeke will package Starbury and Malik's expiring contracts to acquire a potential all-star point guard who plays solid defense and has a high percentage outside stroke.
3) Zeke will bring in Artest to fill the 3 and establish intensity on D.
4) Zeke will attempt to package one of the following players in a Starbury trade: Q, Jefferies or Big snacks (hopefully we move Big Snacks, because he is just a big paper-weight at this point, Q's contract will become an asset after next season... Zeke may let it just expire improve the team's cap situation).
5) Eddie Curry will not get serious play until he develops in to a beast and presents a reliable problem for opposing teams. He wont get serious play unless he learns to rebound and intimidate. Zeke will bring in additional help to try to mentor/"reach" Eddie.
6) Expect David Lee to blossom playing in Curry's minutes, allowing the Knicks to run and gun.

Therefore:
a) The Knicks will feature 2 new starters next year.
b) The Knicks will follow the rest of the league and feature a speed oriented starting 5.
c) Once Eddie Curry develops a heart, he will become a feature weapon off the bench to beat up and score on other team's 2nd unit players and no more.


Starting 5:

Pg: A "Mike Miller" type, one who can play solid D
Sg: Crawford
Sf: Artest
Pf: Randolph
C. Lee

Bench:
"Rookie Lottery Pick" (we all hope we win the lottery and pick M. Beasley)
Nate
Balkman
Q
Curry
Chandler
Morris

That's not hope, that's hell.

Jesus man, who are you kidding? I'm not even gonna waste my breath because I'm tired of having these arguments. We need to rebuild. We need to do that by firing Isiah first and foremost. If we don't do that, anything we do will just be more of the same 33-win team crap. Don't buy into the crap Dolan force-feeds the fans.

Posted by GKFv2:

Jesus man, who are you kidding? I'm not even gonna waste my breath because I'm tired of having these arguments. We need to rebuild. We need to do that by firing Isiah first and foremost. If we don't do that, anything we do will just be more of the same 33-win team crap. Don't buy into the crap Dolan force-feeds the fans.

The bottom line is we are stuck with Dolan and there s nothing any of us can do about it.
If he was going to fire Zeke he would have done it months ago... the truth may be too difficult to accept but Zeke is under contract and going no where.

Posted by BRIGGS:

LOL Mike Beasley is WAY better than *any* Knick right now--he's better than Artest --if we somehow get Beasley he'll be starting 3 from day 1 no doubt about it--and it's going to take some really lousy play the rest of the 26 games[in our best interests though] to be a *bottom* five which gives us a true/realistic chance to possibly get that pick because other team WILL start to tank like Charlotte La Clippers etc...

One thing I noticed tonight--we're one fckn small team. Were setting a record for the least amount of blocked shots in NBA history? David Lee Randolph and Curry are always getting swatted.

[quote] posted by Colorfl1:

I am all for a shot blocking C, if you have not noticed, they are not that easy to obtain.
Who are you kidding, this team cannot do a "true" blazers style rebuilding, we are simply unable to get rid of all the dead weight and their contracts for at least another 2-3 years...
Briggs, I always respect your analysis a great deal, but if you put agendas aside for a moment, you will realize that if this team had Artest instead of Q, we would have at least 10 more wins right now.
Go through the schedule... Q's awful first 2 months of the season, all the close losses, with 0 serious contributions coming from the 3 spot.
Ron Artest has heart! He is not Marbury, Curry, Penny or Frances... he is an elite defensive player that gets fired up at the opportunity to compete.
You cannot minimize the difference he makes on this team if you replace him with Q... just check the box scores... at least 10 wins!


[Edited by - colorfl1 on 02-25-2008 02:30 AM]

not to be picky, but there's 3 new starters in that scenario... & did u just say you wanted a "Mike Miller" type PG who can play solid D? i hope ur not talking about the SG/SF that plays for the Grizz.

personally, i wouldn't mind if Isiah used the pick to get a potential future franchise PG, & would love for him to make a trade to nab us another late round pick that we can take the best shotblocker available at that spot... he's made trades of expirings to acquire additional picks in the past, i think that's 1 way he can accomplish that, just as long as the contract he takes on doesn't run past 2010, cuz i don't want anything hurting our already horrible cap situation.

D Lee at C is not my idea of improving our current situation... we still are lacking any defensive bigmen in that scenario of yours... we need to be rid of Zach & replace him w/someone who can block a few shots & play some D... i'd want D Lee starting at PF alongside that new C & whoever Isiah gets to start at the SF position for next season (most likely Artest).

no players that are currently available for trade are worth the lottery pick.

even picking down to 8

guys always fall...for instance:

the Warrors getting Wright at 8 last year...

Rudy at 8 the year b4...

Granger dropping to the teens in 05...

Posted by colorfl1:

2) Zeke will package Starbury and Malik's expiring contracts to acquire a potential all-star point guard who plays solid defense and has a high percentage outside stroke.

Can you explain exactly what point guard with those qualities will be available for expiring contracts?
Get a grip. This ain't happening. Teams don't just give away quality players for expirings.

Isiah already laid the groundwork for trading the pick with his we're too young statement.

I don't think it will be Artest however. I have a feeling he is in J O' Neals ear and told him to shut it down for a possible deal this summer here.

Marbury's huge expiring plus the first for the overpaid overrated injury prone non-clutch Jermaine O'Neal.

Knicks will need to do a sign and trade for Crazy Ron.

MLE is not gonna fly with him.

Color, I appreciate your rosy outlook and what you think "could" happen.

While I think Dolan is a first class moron I have to believe he is seeking some kind of plan and perhaps the smartest thing he can do is not do anything as this team is already in terrible termoil. Firing Isiah midseason without a solid plan is really not a good idea no matter how good it feels short term.

If Colangelo were to be our saviour then it happens after the season.

In fact, if any of this is to happen its likely already in progress and the direction of the team the next 5 years is already being mapped out.

How do I know any of this? I don't have a freaking clue, but no one else does either. The lack of information, the lack of logic, the lack of honesty from this organization is incredible.

But a huge shift in policy would be the biggest event to effect the franchise. No dumb trades, no firings, no "reactionary" moves might be what we are looking for to signal a change.

The "starphuch" we all want is not Colangelo or Walsh, but the policy that would empower.

Posted by BasketballJones:

I'm sooooo happy that Zeke is coming back next year! Zeke ain't going nowhere! I'm also convinced that Marbs is staying.

I just can't believe the Knicks would split up the powerful tandem of Zeke and Marbs that has done so much to bring this franchise back from the devastation caused by Scott Layden. That part can't be right.

No worry Jones. Our big guys will stay together. With the back-up of big James we can be sure the best team in eating hamburgers.
No team in NBA can take all 3 from us at the same time. And they have no separate value.
Also we are so deep at SF... Q, Jeffries, Major, and Balk... Who can much this group in brick-ability?
Not to mention the self-playmakers - Marbs, Nate, Craf, Mardy - the flour-generals without the army...
And what about Malik, James and the X-man Morris (this secret weapon is kept hidden)... incredible talents...
Or yeh... DLee... Is he an odd man out?