and...




Isn't everyone tired of the soft, tender, Knickerbockers? Yes we need size clearly. Its not that simple though. We need nasty, "I'm gonna get you sucka" size.

Think about this team...

PG: Tyreke Evans - I won't compare rookies to legends like others on the forum. I'd like him to come in and be what Ron Harper was in his best Knick days. He's listed at 6'6". You know he's probably 6'3", but he's wide and would be a monster for opposing PG's to guard. He penetrates and gets to the line with ease and that's what we would need him to do. In a spread offense he would just be a beast.

SG: The Mayor - You like this kid's development. If he's at the two he's a great defensive presence. With Tyreke, Ron and Gallo on the floor he would be your fourth scorer and would be a serious plus in that role.

SF: Ron Artest - Making people forget 2010, the local kid, the right local kid comes back a man to save the franchise and gives the Knicks attitude and makes the Garden crowd go crazy for defensive intensity again on a one year deal. He's crazy enough to do it, and on a one year deal the Garden would sign for that. (I hope)

PF: The Rooster - With all of that toughness at the 1,2 and 3 spots, he would be able to play free and easy and do what he does best, which is shoot the lights out and make great setup passes.

Center:
#1 - Buy the Pistons top #2 pick (they have two) - get Gani Lawal - 6'10 with a 7'2" wingspan, plays defense and can run - if Lawal's not there, then you still need to do the same thing and take Vornado in the same spot.

#2 - Eddie? if you can get 10 min a game from him, great
#3 - Sims/Sene - between the two, one has to get minutes and be able to fill out the rest of the minutes

Bench:
Duhon is a solid backup at the point and can play along side Evans for stretches - give him 25 min a game
Harrington is a great scorer off of the bench and can play PF when the matchup doesn't favor Gallo
Jeffries can fill in at Center against small teams, and play bit minutes otherwise
Hughes will add to the defensive mindset off of the bench. I don't care if he's a volume shooter, he'll just have to not shoot if that's a deal breaker.


A team like this would be brutal for guard oriented teams to play against and would bring attitude back to the Garden in a big way.

Center is going to be a big hole to fill, but it will have to wait for Stoudemire, Bosh or a short term player in 2010. Maybe a trade deadline deal if we're winning in 2009.

This is an aim high plan. LeBron's not coming... I'm coming to terms with that. Might go against some of MikeD's tendencies. Your thoughts...?

From Alan Hahn


Artest has that black-sneaker Knick mentality of the past

When the Kings were looking to deal Ron Artest last summer, of course they came calling to the Knicks, who, during Isiah Thomas' tenure, were rumored to want him. But Donnie Walsh, who had Artest in Indiana and dealt him away out of necessity following the Malice at the Palace, declined. We envision Walsh, who was knee-deep in Stephon Marbury, quoting Jack Nicholson's character in As Good As It Gets:

"Sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here."

Perhaps it was just never meant to be. But as you watch Artest battle like he has in the playoffs, stand up for himself and his teammates, speak with such entertaining candor, you can just tell he grew up on the old black-sneaker Knicks of the 1990s.

And wherever he learned to play this game is the meanest place on the planet.

Just listen to this story he told after the game last night:

A year after passing on Artest last summer, Marbury is gone and the need for the type of gritty defense that only belongs in those black sneakers (remember when they used to symbolize the playoffs?) is so vividly evident that perhaps Walsh would reconsider Artest, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

First, the reality: Artest, who has brought his snarl to the Rockets series with the Lakers (tied 1-1), will be looking for a lot more than the $5.8M mid-level exception, which is the best the Knicks can do for a free agent. Artest made $7.4M this season and, at 29, is still very much in his prime. His ability to play rugged defense, willingness to use his body and a fairly-consistent ability to score should motivate the Houston Rockets to re-sign him (they own his Bird Rights) to a better number than the MLE.

[Bloghost note: He may have been ejected in Game 2 for his confrontation with Kobe Bryant, but by making an issue of it he may have forced the NBA to scrutinize Bryant's elbow and suspend him for Game 3.]

There is the option of a sign-and-trade, but the 2010 Plan wouldn't allow that kind of a move. Of course things could change with that 2010 Plan quickly if LeBron and D-Wade both sign extensions this summer. Things would change dramatically.

We don't need to explain the history here with Artest. By now, all Knick fans know too well about Ed Tapscott and the 1999 draft and Fredric Weis. Artest still bears the scars of that night and the pride of Queensbridge still longs to one day be in orange-and-blue.

As he's shown with the Rockets, he's a great supporting-cast piece in the right situation. I believe Walsh was correct to avoid bringing him in this past season, considering the demolition that needed to take place. Artest is better off in a successful environment. He would be far too unsettled to endure a rebuild like this. To start the season with Artest and Marbury under the same roof would have been too combustible (ol' Starberman would have giddily typed his fingers off with all the sensational quoteage).

It turns out the move to Houston was best for Artest, who is back in the playoffs, where he can be the most effective as a stopper and an energy booster.

But the Knicks could sure use him, especially if they wind up not getting LeBron and still have to face him four times a season.

Just bloggin.


[Edited by - johnwallace44 on 05-08-2009 8:14 PM]

to paraphrase orangeblob, artest has a weak brain. i GUARANTEE no team will be winning with him on the floor.

one ejection in 2 games. start of his usual trend. it's all rationalized now because of the kobe hate and because ron didn't punch, choke or go into the stands.

just watch.

Posted by JohnWallace44:

Houston is great this year without TMac BECAUSE OF RON - I mean, how much time needs to pass before you leave the Detroit stuff behind and look at his talent?

it was only the one detroit game????

how many times did ron melt down and f things up for indiana in the playoffs? he has no ability to keep his head in the game under pressure.

let's just both watch this series and see what happens.

Ron-Ron coming here pretty much depends on whether DW can let the Indy stuff go.

He's definitely crazy as hell. There's no disputing that. But when he's right, I dont think there is a better teammate a player can have, or a better player a fan can root for.

Man, that dude gives it 100 all the time. That can be good or bad, but he didnt get Ron Ron True Warrior nickname for nothin.

[Edited by - sebstar on 05-08-2009 10:18 PM]

I was hoping Isiah would bring Artest in while Marbury was still here. I would like to see how far a team of mostly insane basketball players gets in the playoffs.

[Edited by - basketballjones on 05-09-2009 00:02]

Its not just about Artest, its about Evans... we have to take him in the draft. Its too hard to find PG's and Centers. We need to fill one of those spots this year.

yea artest would be awesome here but how can we get him when houston is going to want to wrap him up?

A one-year rental of Ron-Ron to help us make the playoffs wouldn't be a bad scenario. (Emphasis on ONE YEAR RENTAL).