IN 14 months as Knicks president, Donnie Walsh's claim to fame is erasing two bloated salaries belonging to Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford ($27.4M) from New York's 2010 payroll, therefore giving the team roughly $34M in "additional" cap space to charm a couple collector items whose names escape me to forsake their franchises.

KNICKS BLOG

The operative word is additional. In all this time, not a single media mope (me, too) ever mentioned the Knicks already were $7M under the cap in 2010 when Walsh superseded Isiah Thomas.

I remain convinced the Knicks could've pressed for a playoff spot had the pair not been sent packing early on for Cuttino Mobley's sick ticker and Al Harrington's leading-man mentality, and Mike D'Antoni had done right by Stephon Marbury.

Still, there's no depreciating the fact Walsh has excelled in unloading the majority of Thomas' personnel monstrosities (the above, plus Jerome James, Malik Rose and Quentin Richardson -- dispatched to the Grizzlies for Darko Milicic on the sixth anniversary of Milicic being drafted behind LeBron James and ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, David West, Kirk Hinrich, T.J. Ford, Kendrick Perkins, Josh Howard, Chris Kaman, Nick Collision, Boris Diaw, Luke Ridnour, Travis Outlaw, Leandro Barbosa and Michael Pietrus, to name 15).

In the face of bombing in Detroit, Orlando and Memphis, Milicic, to his credit, has outlasted the 2003 first-round picks of the Knicks and Nets -- long gone Mike Sweetney and Zoran Planinic. That alone should be enough to assure him the first jump ball in 2009-10 and well beyond ... unless Eddy Curry is deloused of laziness in the interim.

Again, Walsh's forte is undeniably the disposal of bodies that rolled up on Thomas' beachfront. Yet even if Curry arrives at training camp with his ribs showing, no opponent will so much as think about touching him until his contract ($11,276,863; 2010-11) is in its expiration stage.

So much for faintly praising Walsh. Anybody can put a franchise on hold for two years while LeJesus decides whether he wants to flat-leave the Cavaliers, who have never said no to anything he's asked for (his words to me in late March) in owner Dan Gilbert's spendthrift pursuit of a championship.

What Walsh has done in the meantime made 41 nights at the Garden scarcely bearable for beaten-down season-ticket holders and figure to stay that insufferable in spite of the surfacing of Milicic: He paid a coach $24M for four seasons based on a system that prospers when its conductor is an MVP maestro and orchestra is in unqualified harmony . . . sat still when D'Antoni commanded little if any defensive accountability and didn't insist Nate Robinson, at the very least, act like a para-professional.

He signed a point guard who had his moments but whose body withered and whose bad habits continue.

He passed on Eric Gordon and Brook Lopez -- despite Curry exceeding the calorie cap and not owning a defensive stance -- and drafted the son of D'Antoni's former Italian teammate, a 19-year-old with a recurrently ailing back.

He imported Harrington -- allowed to stunt the growth of Wilson Chandler for far too long -- Larry Hughes, who confirmed why coaches quickly lose patience with him, and under-utilized Chris Wilcox.

Then, last Thursday, Walsh whiffed on Brandon Jennings. Instead he selected Jordan Hill after failing to intercept the Warriors for Stephen Curry or vaguely tempt the Timberwolves to part with No. 5 -- Ricky Rubio.

Talent scouts tell me Hill is solid and runs the floor well. In other words, he does what Wilcox does, only not as good, but definitely works cheaper; gotta save as much money for the following summer, even at the cost of Ws ... and very possibly one of the team's precious few assets in Lee, a restricted free agent midnight July 1.

Beautiful music to the ears of the Jazz, who own New York's prime real estate in the 2010 draft.

Conversely, "God created Jennings for D'Antoni's system ... minus the jump shot that needs improvement." That's straight from a friend of mine who knows a little basketball and has seen the kid play no less than 100 times throughout high school/AAU.

"Every year he was the best guard in his class," said a Western Conference GM who tried to obtain a second No. 1 to get him before the Bucks did at No. 10. "Then he went to Italy to play. You know how it works, out of sight, out of mind."

"Brandon is a freak athlete with a superior feel for the game and unteachable passing ability. He flaunts Pistol Pete flair, Isiah Thomas toughness with a nasty streak to match, doesn't take crap from anybody and always has the backs of teammates. Plus he loves New York. Used to come to the city to play at Rucker Playground and in other outdoor leagues. He would've reinvigorated the Garden.

"The Rubio-Pistol comparisons are comical," my friend snapped. "What, just because both are white, play guard, and have floppy hair? Rubio averages nine a game in Europe. Maravich averaged 44 at LSU. It's insulting to Pete and his legacy they're being compared."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06282009/sports/knicks/if_milicic_is_best_walsh_can_do__he_does_176567.htm?page=2

can't find much fault in what he is saying.

Yea, I read that.

He's just a sour-puss.

Vescey is a joke!!! Darko almost by default will be better in MDA's system. Any player that has real BB skills will get a boost under MDA. Darko may not be a guy that can generate his own but he can finish, catch and shoot, run and pass. He should fit well in NY.

With expectations being low Darko should be able to do enough to please the team and the fans. Q was a waste of space, but Darko fills a need. He'll be at home in this Euro style offense.

Posted by nixluva:

Darko almost by default will be better in MDA's system. Any player that has real BB skills will get a boost under MDA.

I feel you nixluv

+ God's offense =

Vescey has earned the Fire Bringer award for the week. No hold bars, no let down, just straight pure hate.

[Edited by - pharzeone on 06-28-2009 11:43 AM]

Posted by Cosmic:

He's a clown.
Put zero stock into that article and move on.
Not even worth discussing in any shape or form.
It completely missed the mark and is meant to antagonize.
Vecsey would do well as a RealGM shock poster.

I stopped reading when he made the comment about hill. He made the ability to run the floor a negative...LOL.. what an idiot.....

I can't find fault with Vescey's assessment other then off-loading contracts the Knicks continue to suck and aren't really closer to retaining Lebron.

Peter Vescey is usually off base; but honestly there is some truth to this article. It seems as if we are mortgaging everything for 2010. Donnie Walsh has made no secrets about his desire to be a major player in the 2010 free agency. He also mentioned 2011 as well, (Kevin Durant???).

I think Brandon Jennings is a talent, but his immaturity concerns me. I am glad we passed on him! The PG is an extention of his coach, and should be smart. Simply meaning, the point guard has to put him in position to succeed. Although he is a highlight reel waiting to happen, Jennings seems to be a knuckle-head and thus would be a POOR fit in the NYK system. As for Jordan Hill, he will be as good as his point guard. I like him as the #8 selection, Curry would have been nice as well, but I'm not mad at grabbing a 6'10 Shot Blocking, Athletic Big, that runs the floor and can hit the 17 ft Jump Shot consistently at all!

I do think the Knicks brass should be more aggressive in their efforts to make the team better now. However, Donnie Walsh has been doing this job for years at a high level of achievement. For that reason, I will continue to be patient and chose not to discredit his moves or lack thereof!

I'll take the wait and see approach.

vecsey has been consistent with his eval of walsh/mda era from the beginning. this was written last october

Regardless of whether Marbury's downgrading to bench warmer was practical or imprudent (my thought), D'Antoni "certainly knew he was going to take some bleep for it," Walsh said. But not from Walsh, who has never told a coach how to coach or who to play, except once, which must remain in confidence, at least until I write my autobiography, which should happen shortly after my children forget how to read. When Walsh went to Scottsdale to see D'Antoni, he told him he wanted him to coach the New York Knicks. Period.

"I didn't ask him about defense. I didn't ask him about offense. I knew his style. I told him 'I have faith in you.' "

It's that kind of unadulterated support that convinced D'Antoni to choose the Knicks over the Bulls, whose managing partner Jerry Reinsdorf was hemming on compensation and hawing on other pertinent particulars.

Pressured by Robert Sarver and vice president Steve Kerr to alter methods pertaining to defense and discipline (lack thereof), D'Antoni already had decided to annul his "arranged marriage" (Sarver's term) with the Suns owner who had bought the team four seasons earlier for $401M. Such an investment, Sarver believed, entitled him to complete compliance by employees. D'Antoni felt four years of guiding a championship contender earned him the right to continue to do things his own way. Risking a popular perception he was uncoachable, D'Antoni embraced the challenge to reverse the Knicks' mudslide.

I'm guessing a $24M, 4-year cozy arrangement made that decision less difficult. But it was Walsh's hands-off mindset that cemented it. "I'm not here to tell Mike how to get there. He's been doing this a long time," Walsh said. "If it doesn't work, blame me. I take full responsibility for what Mike does. I'm not ducking that responsibility."

Very noble.

But what about Marbury (and Eddy Curry)? What happens if Star Burst starts to act up and drags down the team? More importantly, will the Garden sell their seats?

I haven't seen so much money paid to people sitting around doing nothing since the last time I watched C-SPAN.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10312008/sports/knicks/walsh_backs_up_dantonis_call_to_bench_st_136129.htm?&page=1

Posted by CrushAlot:

Vecsey is definitely a contrarion and would have written the same article if the Knicks had drafted Jennings. The difference would be the focus would be on immaturity, lack of a consistent jumpshot, and D's lack of a reputation about being a disciplinarian. He is right about what Walsh did with the team last year at the draft but I think Walsh is healthy, settled in, has his guys in place and is following a plan.

I think you nailed it.

disagreeing with his stance doesn't make him wrong