Where is it written that a #1 automatically starts?

In some cases, a team is so straved of talent or bodies, they get the nod. In other cases, there are serious injuries (like to Googs in Phoenix, which is how Stoudamire got his chance, but are any of you actually comparing Sweetney's talent level to Amare?).

1. Cleveland Lebron James 2. *Detroit Darko Milicic 3. Denver Carmelo Anthony 4. Toronto Chris Bosh 5. Miami Dwyane Wade 6. *LA Clippers Chris Kaman 7. Chicago Kirk Hinrich 8. *Milwaukee TJ Ford 9. New York Mike Sweetney 10. Washington Jarvis Hayes 11. Golden State Mickaël Pietrus 12. Seattle Nick Collison 13. *Memphis Marcus Banks 14. *Seattle Luke Ridnour 15. Orlando Reece Gaines 16. Boston Troy Bell 17. Phoenix Zarko Cabarkapa 18. New Orleans David West 19. Utah Aleksandar Pavlovic 20. *Boston Dahntay Jones 21. *Atlanta Boris Diaw 22. New Jersey Zoran Planinic 23. Portland Travis Outlaw 24. LA Lakers Brian Cook 25. Detroit Carlos Delfino 26. Minnesota Ndudi Ebi 27. *Memphis Kendrick Perkins 28. San Antonio *Leandrinho Barbosa 29. Dallas Josh Howard

Out of the top 10 picks, half are starting and half are on the bench. Out of 10-29, how many are even ready to come off of the bench?

Chaney said after the first or second pre-season game, that he didn't care what Lampe or Sweets scored in pre-season. Remember? He was thinking about defense.

Remember patience, developing a core of youth. Sweets is being groomed to take over from Spoon. What convinces you that he's ready to shoulder that responsibility? You'd just toss him in there, right? Learn from his mistakes? Fair enough. Maybe he learns to fail and lose. That's the flip side. Maybe Chaney wants to give him a solid foundation before tossing him to the wolves (all of us RAPID, supportive NYC fans).

We all love Lampe's range. Are any of you pretending that the kid we saw in pre-season is ready for NBA minutes?

no. i dont... but if we were going to pick someone who is "not ready" we should have taken travis outlaw or ndudi ebi - guys with upside

playa, you play your rookies by using situational substitutions, there is no reason that on this team, Sweetney and Lampe should not at least get 5-8 minutes per game. Period. And the reason is that the players ahead of them suck.... just suck, and I mean spoon, Anderson and knight, othella is not much better either. Lampe is young with upside but raw,so I can see chaney's aprehension on playing him but I still disagree with chaney, but Sweetney IMO is better than spoon is now, I don't want to see spoon on the floor, and I don't want to see anderson either, I just find it hard that we can't get any conrtibution from the rookies because spoon, knight and anderson give the knicks nothing....

Time is earned by what you do in practice first and then games. NY must develop Lampe and Sweetney. The upside of Harrington, Knight, Spoon, Anderson and Eisley are well known to all of us. They have none. I agree that with a little time, Sweets is already ahead of Spoon and Knight and Harrington. Lampe is more raw but he needs to get minutes to get refined. He needs to play too.

NY has 16 players now. By next MOnday they must be at 15. In addition they like Matt Carrol as a shooter to back up the 2 (insurance in case Houston's Knee is not ready). That makes 17. NY needs to move 2 guys. Most likely, Knight and Harrington will be bought out or traded.

top 15
Ward
Fwill
Eisley
Houston
Carroll
KVH

gony, I agree, Lampe and Sweets should get some burn, I am not saying start the guys or give them 20MPG but let them get their feet wet..

BTW: Spoon sucks...End of story!!

Posted by GoNyGoNyGo:

Some are saying you do not play the kids and risk not making the playoffs. I say sweetney can do what spoon does now and probably will give more in a few months. Lampe cannot be any worse than Travis Knight right now. If I see Knight (on the team) getting any time ahead of those guys I will be upset. Also, FWill needs to play 15 mpg at least to start the year. IF he earns it play him more! I would even say Doleac should be the 10th guy and move Sweetney up. Doleac can be used in situations. He is a nice shooter and if you need offense, play him. If you need D and bounding go with Sweetney.

Gony I agree 100% Knight should not play over Lampe and Sweetny with a couple of games under his belt will be better than soon. I tell you it is not that hard for this kid to beat out spoon, just watch some tape of last year, I think people have short memories, spoon gets outplayed by scrubs on a nightly basis, true spoon will luck up and have that good rebounding game but other than that he and Anderson are a comedy show!!! Comedy!!

If the kids are up to it, you play them. Give up a little savvy for the sake of energy and building value for your team (Spoon and Knight's trade value isn't going up, no matter how many minutes they get). But the rooks have to be up to it. They have to be as good or very nearly as good as the vets whose minutes they'd take.

We have to see them play some in real games to know whether they are ready. If not, shouldn't be sacrificing W's just to get your kids some run.

Bottom line: Chaney apparently doesn't think they're ready. Think what you want about Chaney ... he's seen a lot more of Sweets and Lamps than any of us have.

Posted by playa2:

You guys think rookies on the knicks can come and play well given minutes , I beg to differ. Spoon can rebound play defense better than Sweetney right now! I'm not saying knight is a good defender, but Lampe SUCKS on defense quit playing fellas!EXPERIENCE PLAYS IN THIS LEAGUE UNLESS YOU ARE CARMELLO OR LEBRON

give it up playa, travis knight sucks and spoon is a comedy on the courts. By the way stop Jocking Lebron, just a few months ago he wasn't ready to start accoring to you, and if you think Lebron is ready with his 2for 18 shooting nights then you are a fool to think that sweetney should not play some of spoons minutes!!!

Posted by GoNyGoNyGo:

TKF - what is really funny is that Playa used to get on our former coach's nuts (and still does) for not playing his rookies. WE told him then it was because the team was a contender and the rookies (usuallya mid round pick) were not good enough anyway. Now he wants to play the VETS when the team is NOT a title contender and it has 2 draftees with top 10 talent! Listen up, playa. Sweetney and lampe are decnet players. They can contribute now as much as Spoon and Knight. for that reason, they should play and develop. NY making the playoffs depends on Dice and HOuston not Spoon and Sweetney!

Think.

Well said, again playas hypocricy is exposed..LOL.. As I said and well put by yourself, the knicks are depending on Dice, Houston and KVH, if we are depending on spoon, knight and eisley to be top performing support players then we are in trouble. those guys suck, Lampe and sweetney will only develop with some playing time, and I much rather have them on the floor than the 3 stooges...

playa just because you say something 100 times does not make it true. Are you now trying to get everyone against TKF and ME because we KNOW what you are all about and we are holdovers from the DN forum? From what i have read from TKF over the years, he has forgotten more KNicks hoops than you will ever now! Let others judge for themselves what we are all about. You need not try to persuade them. If you feel that is necessary then go ahead. I am sure it will not resonate.

You and Rosen can go now go to your weekly meeting of "how did that little SOB get such a great job and all that money" Haters club.

don't forget your line:
Hi..I am playa and I am a JVG addict. I hate him....He is a rat, how did he get this position? how did he win games?

LOL!!!

Maybe he will be a contract chaser. Has that fact changed your opinion of Larry Brown? How many jobs has that man held? Come on now. Be consistent at least....oh I forgot who I was talking to

Yeah that is right, I am nuts. You are always right.