Walker has been an amazing spark plug talent. Like a more powerful Ariza type. Every team needs that "scrub off the bench" that comes in and jams the ball down the opponents throat. We had Ariza do it. Cavs have Hickson doing it. Now we have Walker doing it.

That Nate trade suddenly looks spectacular!

Gallo looked very good last night. Seemed to feel good. Didn't see any back spasms last night that's for certain. Had to love the aggressive drives. We need that every game. No reason Gallo can't drive 3-4 times a game for an easy layup.

Granted the opponent didn't have much defensive stopping power but that shouldn't be a reason to not try to drive the ball.

I liked what I saw from those three last night.

Interesting to see TMac start at PG. The game is so slow to him. He just calmly runs things without incident. He too looked like he was moving okay. He's definitely stiff and slow but I don't recall him hurting last night.

Overall, some nice little positive signs from four players last night. Four players who may be here next year.

shift du jour

McGrady said, "I have the skills to play that position -- with the ball in my hand, I'm able to move the ball, make plays for my teammates, create problems for the other team."

Stop it with Lee areddy. There is no 2010 plan. None. Nada. Zip. The plan is 5 years, whether Walsh says it to the press or not.

2010 goal - add one star free agent, make the playoffs

McGrady
Walker
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

2011 goal - add one free agent or one first rounder pans out and win a playoff series

Lead guard upgrade
McGrady
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

2012 goal - one trade in the DeBusschere tradition, to make it all work all the way to the ECF

Lead guard upgrade
McGrady up upgrade
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

don't believe the hype. From where the Knicks are - the franchise is at LEAST two years away from consistent excellence. It will require excellent timing using cash a lure, intelligent drafting and a large dose of good luck.

Rome, New York was not built in less than 5 years and if you have watched the Knicks as long as I have you understand one fundamental truth.... passed down to me from a wiseguy Usher at Madison Square Garden during the 1999 playoffs vs Miami:

"dese guys don't do nuttin da easy way"

fishmike wrote:

Childs2Dudley wrote:

misterearl wrote:Childs2Dudley

Stop it with Lee areddy. There is no 2010 plan. None. Nada. Zip. The plan is 5 years, whether Walsh says it to the press or not.

2010 - one free agent

McGrady
Walker
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

2011 - one free agent or one first rounder pans out

Lead guard upgrade
McGrady
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

2012 - one trade in the DeBusschere tradition, to make it all work

Lead guard upgrade
McGrady up upgrade
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

You must be living in fantasy land.

First off, Chris Bosh is not signing here to play with David Lee and broken down McGrady trying to run PG. He's better off staying in Toronto.

Second off, no David Lee is vastly overrated around these parts. He simply isn't that good. I thought Zach padded his stats. Well, Lee takes it to the extreme. Lee gives 0 effort on defense so he can put all of it on offense. It's sad that a guy his size doesn't put a body on anyone in the paint. The guy has 0 presence down low. It's pitiful.

Third off, I didn't waste 2 years anticipating this year so I can be told to wait another 2 years to be good again. This is the year. Now or never. When Walsh made that trade, he went all in. I'm all in too.

how do you pad stats and shoot 55%? I guess the other parts of his game that have developed from not existant to very good since he's been in the league should be overlooked also?

You look at this guy's overall game and what he's done since being drafted and say "I hope he's gone next year" ...tells me alot about what you know about BB

I know a lot about ball, my friend, trust me. You don't need to insult my basketball intelligence because I refuse to build my team with David Lee as my main big man and/or player. I simply do not think he is good enough in that role and his piss-poor defensive effort is enough to convince me of that.

misterearl wrote:Childs2Dudley

Stop it with Lee areddy. There is no 2010 plan. None. Nada. Zip. The plan is 5 years, whether Walsh says it to the press or not.

2010 goal - add one star free agent, make the playoffs

McGrady
Walker
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

2011 goal - add one free agent or one first rounder pans out and win a playoff series

Lead guard upgrade (named Ricky Rubio)
McGrady
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

2012 goal - one trade in the DeBusschere tradition, to make it all work all the way to the ECF

Lead guard upgrade
McGrady up upgrade
Gallo
Lee
Bosh

What team will Chandler be playing fo and what did we get in return for him?

"childs2Dudley - if you have just ONE example of an NBA franchise employing this business model of signing max free agents as the core strategy and ascending to greatness in one off season, I would love to see it." ---> none. and this is why the last trade has been viewed as the "all in" as im sure you have seen. going all in and the result is mediocrity for 3 more years??? thats the plan? id rather have not made the trade and been able to STILL do your 3 year plan having the benefit of keeping draft picks/no swaps.

Also we can improve the perimeter D which is the start of our defensive problems. Going with a big backcourt like lastnight could help. Maybe adding a Tyson Chandler or Tyrus Thomas for some shotblocking. I wouldn't throw Lee out the door when we could find another big to help on D.

fishmike wrote:

sidsanders wrote:ao bosh signs here to do what he is already doing in tor, being a second tier team and hope they can improve? why not go to mia if wade stays there? whats his draw to come here if the plan is to maybe be a non factor for another 3 years perhaps?

"childs2Dudley - if you have just ONE example of an NBA franchise employing this business model of signing max free agents as the core strategy and ascending to greatness in one off season, I would love to see it." ---> none. and this is why the last trade has been viewed as the "all in" as im sure you have seen. going all in and the result is mediocrity for 3 more years??? thats the plan? id rather have not made the trade and been able to STILL do your 3 year plan having the benefit of keeping draft picks/no swaps.

Here's one:

Didnt the Suns use MAX CAP space to sign a player who would become a two time MVP and go from a lottery team to a 50-60 win team every year?

Lakers signed Shaq to a max contract and that started a Laker's dynasty

Magic would have been in good shape if TMac and Grant Hill stayed healthy.

Detroit's most important signing was Billups (finals MVP and FA signing).

There are lot of examples of teams paying a for a big FA which resulted in turning a team around.

nash wasnt a max contract (or do you mean max free space phx had?), was shaq gonna go anywhere else? those teams also had some decent parts already in place. the knicks will have 2 guys who see regular mins guaranteed of returning next year barring further trades. the knicks case seems to be more extreme than most...

fishmike wrote:good post. Ignore every other aspect of his game. Scoring, rebounding, passing, ball handling, FG%, FT%, improving his game every year, shooting, professionalism, attitude, good teammate... those mean nothing.

Nobody is saying give him the max, but we would be lucky to get him to sign for 6 years $70mm (that would start him at 9.5mm next year)

Lee's offensive rebounding rate has decreased this season as he is scoring off the jumper more.

djsunyc wrote:

fishmike wrote:Didnt the Suns use MAX CAP space to sign a player who would become a two time MVP and go from a lottery team to a 50-60 win team every year?

Lakers signed Shaq to a max contract and that started a Laker's dynasty

here's the thing - dallas didn't ante up to keep nash b/c they didn't feel like he was worth it.

shaq turned down more money from orlando b/c he wanted to be an actor in hollywood. orlando was 1 year removed from the finals.

my point? if any of these guys want to play for ny...then it has nothing to do with anything else but their want to play in the city. it has nothing to do with money or coach or teammates. it has to do with wanting to take on the challenge of performing in ny. of course i'm only talking about lebron + wade + bosh b/c they are the only ones that will be offered the max from their own team.

but when it comes to the other guys - ny can probably outbid their own teams so their motivation would be money and nothing else.

all this talk about playing for a winner does not apply to the knicks.

Orlando offered him something like 61M dollars. He was insulted. He went to LA. They offered him something like 63M. He was going to take it until the Heat offered Juwan Howard 105M. Shaq got upset. Felt he should be the highest paid player in the game. LA then came back with a nearly double offer of 121M. Shaq went to LA. And as we know the league eventually voided the Juwan Howard contract signing.

But, Raptor troll (self admitted at that, of which I commend you), at least get your facts straight. Orlando didn't offer him more money. Not even close.

And as far as a player leaving a shyt hole like Cleveland for NY (or CHI, or LA, or MIA) would it be that far fetched? Clyde said when he got traded to Cleveland it was like being "traded to Siberia, man. There was nothing to do and nowhere to go."

If LeBron wants to be a true King he can't do it in Cleveland and he and everyone else knows that. It has nothing to do with the teams. It has to do with the venue.

Don't feel sad because Toronto is a kiddie park compared to New York. Your very own superstar Chris Bosh might leave that wasteland for NY to play alongside a re-upped David Lee with the promise of Melo in 2011.