MSG3 wrote:Am I crazy, or do we have one of the top 3-5 rotations in the league? Especially if we are able to grab Posey?

PG: Barron/Bibby/TD
SG: Shump/Fields/TD
SF: Melo/Fields/Walker(/Posey?)
PF: STAT/Jorts/JJ
C: Chandler/Jorts/JJ/Jordan

LAL, Chi and Dallas probably have equal or better rotations. San Antonio as well. Miami has a better big 3 but not the good depth. Indiana has some depth now. Boston has no bench. Who else?

We have a GREAT roster. So excited to see the Knicks fielding a true contender. Just have to stay healthy.

that's the lineup i would start. and i think they are pretty damn deep. all the big name guys on our roster are at the right point in their careers where they start to focus on winning a ring or two.

i was thinking - in 2006 if we had this same lineup, it would have been more athletic and explosive, but almost all the guys are better and more mature now.

for the first time in a long time, the knicks can be LEGIT contenders.

(it'd be nice to add a backup 4 and maybe another shooter, but i'm not gonna quibble.)

MSG3 wrote:Am I crazy, or do we have one of the top 3-5 rotations in the league? Especially if we are able to grab Posey?

PG: Barron/Bibby/TD
SG: Shump/Fields/TD
SF: Melo/Fields/Walker(/Posey?)
PF: STAT/Jorts/JJ
C: Chandler/Jorts/JJ/Jordan

LAL, Chi and Dallas probably have equal or better rotations. San Antonio as well. Miami has a better big 3 but not the good depth. Indiana has some depth now. Boston has no bench. Who else?

We have a GREAT roster. So excited to see the Knicks fielding a true contender. Just have to stay healthy.

MSG3 wrote:Y

blkexec wrote:Fields is the perfect player to start with Davis, Mello and Stat.
He keeps the ball moving and just does all the smart plays.

Shump can use that second unit to be the go to guy....And help them with that scoring punch / momentum plays. Plus, I want to see Shump and TD put that lock down on most guards.

You could go small with Bibby, TD, Shump, Jorts and JJ.....Lots of flexible lineups with this team, up and down the entire roster.

Good point about Fields with BD. a lot of people say he struggled with the addition of Melo. Maybe it was more the subtraction of Felton.

The thing wirth Fields is that he is a shooting guard who cannot shoot ( a high percentage). His game is more adapted to playing in the paint with cuts and slashes to the hoop and grabbing boards. With Melo, Stat and Tyson in there it would be hard for him to get into the flow of the game. I think he will be better playing backup SF when Melo is out with TD playing SG and Bibby running he point.

From one time all stars, some rising stars, and everything in between...

Some of us would have probably liked Baron Davis before we got Felton and after we saw how Billup's wasn't ideal to run SSOL with PnRs.
And now we all get a huge discount at him.
Whether he comes back and produces is a question?
However, he isn't in the same category as Redd or Areanas.
He was still highly productive last yea and I would prefer going for a player that showed they still had game.
Rather than praying on a player to come back strong after a major surgery or to produce at their younger careers.

Biddy stands for Baron and Bibby

and we basically bought them on Ebay for 99 cents

RonRon wrote:I don't know about 2.5m for him, I was hoping he would come at a discount.

2.5m can be used to lure players that weren't amnestied.
Like seriously, Baron basically got a super bonus from the Amnesty clause already.

If he does get the 2.5m exemption we have left, I hope we could have added a team option for next year.
In case, we can't attract Nash or we can use the money to fill other positions.
Although I think Nash will still be a great mentor to Iman, I want him to be our PG of the future.

Baron is a steal, if he can produce at the same level as last year, he destroyed us and teams himself.
He still has game or at least didn't show signs of decreasing since he played last year.....

As for Gilbert, he was great b4 surgery. When I saw him in Orlando, he looked done.
Can he pull, a Grant Hill? I don't know...
But he had no legs, lift, penetration for sure, and it affected all parts of his game.
Even his shot that he once use to drain from DOWNTOWN long balls.
He use to be able to penetrate and pass decent.
But he didn't have any of that last year. Was it because he just had no legs and not in shape?
We don't know but its probably not possible for him to be compared to the same player he once was 2-3 years ago.
So, unless, we have roster spots, and are willing to waiver him if he isn't productive, I wouldn't give him another shot with us...
I remember reading he came back 20 pounds lighter as well, so its possible, but i think its unlikely for him to even be half the player he once was.
But if he doesn't have that ability to penetrate, I don't see him being a productive player anymore.
Depending on the terms of contract for Green and Hunter, signing Davis, could be our last roster spot already.
It's unfortunate, I hope Davis recovers and does things to stretch and stay active on a bike or something.

Do you guys prefer him to be a 1 year stoppage player like Bibby? Or would you prefer it to be a 2.5m player or team option?
Kevin Garnet is the guy I want, would give him a max 4 year MLE, if he wasn't happy with the celtics this year.
If he is willing to take less and bring Ray Allan over, I believe we found Jesus with God by the Knicks side to make up for Jordans years...

You are kidding... Are you?

loweyecue wrote:

MSG3 wrote:Y

blkexec wrote:Fields is the perfect player to start with Davis, Mello and Stat.
He keeps the ball moving and just does all the smart plays.

Shump can use that second unit to be the go to guy....And help them with that scoring punch / momentum plays. Plus, I want to see Shump and TD put that lock down on most guards.

You could go small with Bibby, TD, Shump, Jorts and JJ.....Lots of flexible lineups with this team, up and down the entire roster.

Good point about Fields with BD. a lot of people say he struggled with the addition of Melo. Maybe it was more the subtraction of Felton.

The thing with Fields is that he is a shooting guard who cannot shoot ( a high percentage). His game is more adapted to playing in the paint with cuts and slashes to the hoop and grabbing boards. With Melo, Stat and Tyson in there it would be hard for him to get into the flow of the game. I think he will be better playing backup SF when Melo is out with TD playing SG and Bibby running he point.

Good point about Fields....and very true. He's more affective as a slasher or pass and cut type player, looking for back door opportunities. Basically what he did before Melo got here. I personally don't think it's Feltons subtraction, but rather Melo's addition. With the paint / block per-occupied now between Melo and Stat, Fields SG abilities are being exposed.

But if you compare him to our other options at SG, in my opinion, he's still the best fit chemistry wise. To make him more effective, just have him as the first player to sit down....So later in the game, he can come back in when Melo subs out.

I like his size and in-tangles at that SG spot....and at 6'7 he brings more size than TD against other proto-typical 6'6 SG's....Shump doesn't seem to be the type of player to impact the game without the ball, as much as Fields.....Plus Fields has a higher NBA IQ right now, so I trust him more than a rookie. Depending on the matchups, you can play BD and TD at times, with BD guarding the SG on defense, but running the Point on offense.

Lots of flexible lineups out there with this roster....on offense or defense!

blkexec wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

MSG3 wrote:Y

blkexec wrote:Fields is the perfect player to start with Davis, Mello and Stat.
He keeps the ball moving and just does all the smart plays.

Shump can use that second unit to be the go to guy....And help them with that scoring punch / momentum plays. Plus, I want to see Shump and TD put that lock down on most guards.

You could go small with Bibby, TD, Shump, Jorts and JJ.....Lots of flexible lineups with this team, up and down the entire roster.

Good point about Fields with BD. a lot of people say he struggled with the addition of Melo. Maybe it was more the subtraction of Felton.

The thing with Fields is that he is a shooting guard who cannot shoot ( a high percentage). His game is more adapted to playing in the paint with cuts and slashes to the hoop and grabbing boards. With Melo, Stat and Tyson in there it would be hard for him to get into the flow of the game. I think he will be better playing backup SF when Melo is out with TD playing SG and Bibby running he point.

Good point about Fields....and very true. He's more affective as a slasher or pass and cut type player, looking for back door opportunities. Basically what he did before Melo got here. I personally don't think it's Feltons subtraction, but rather Melo's addition. With the paint / block per-occupied now between Melo and Stat, Fields SG abilities are being exposed.

But if you compare him to our other options at SG, in my opinion, he's still the best fit chemistry wise. To make him more effective, just have him as the first player to sit down....So later in the game, he can come back in when Melo subs out.

I like his size and in-tangles at that SG spot....and at 6'7 he brings more size than TD against other proto-typical 6'6 SG's....Shump doesn't seem to be the type of player to impact the game without the ball, as much as Fields.....Plus Fields has a higher NBA IQ right now, so I trust him more than a rookie. Depending on the matchups, you can play BD and TD at times, with BD guarding the SG on defense, but running the Point on offense.

Lots of flexible lineups out there with this roster....on offense or defense!

That's the key to our roster -- flexibility. There's tons of it, especially at both guards and small forward. With Davis in the house, D'Antoni now has no excuses not to get this done. He has a deep roster that has enough big-time talent, athleticism, size, experience, youth and defense. He has all the ingredients he should need now; it's up to him to mold them and get this team among the elite and seriously in the title mix.

If I'm Dolan, I am expecting nothing less than a title run now. I don't want to quantify exactly what that means, but I think we all know what we are expecting to happen come playoff time. I am not saying we are the best team in the league. But I am saying that a really good coach would have us playing as well as anyone. Coaches do make a difference. D'Antoni now has the chance to prove he's a really good coach. Otherwise, he's gone.

blkexec wrote:Phil Jackson is licking his chops right now.....

Yeah, I have no clue what Phil is thinking. Half of me thinks he really wants to coach the Knicks next year, because of his obvious ties to the team and because he feels he would have everything he needs to win another title and be a hero in NY. But the other half of me can't help but think that he is sitting in his ranch in Montana (or wherever he lives), just enjoying the good life without any pressure. I mean, to go from retired out west to moving to NY to take what would be the most pressure-filled job in sports is a pretty radical change.