we have much more legitimate chances at a guy like Dampier.

There are retrcited FA that may be lost in a numbers game that are still young and potentially very valuable like Chris Mihm, who you would likely be able to get for cheap i.e 3 years 9mm or so. Chris Mihm is a way better version of doleac and doleac played well with marbury. Mihm is longer and has more of a presence in the block on both sides.

Posted by BRIGGS:

we have much more legitimate chances at a guy like Dampier.

There are retrcited FA that may be lost in a numbers game that are still young and potentially very valuable like Chris Mihm, who you would likely be able to get for cheap i.e 3 years 9mm or so. Chris Mihm is a way better version of doleac and doleac played well with marbury. Mihm is longer and has more of a presence in the block on both sides.

I'd be thrilled to get Dampier. I could live with a 12/12 center!

If Dampier takes a significant paycut (an MLE contract rather than making $16 mil over the next 2 years), it's hard to argue that he played well just because he was in a contract year. Why would someone play well simply for money and then voluntary take a pay cut?

Mihm showed a lot of improvement last year and showed some good hustle on the boards. I would say Doleac is a better shooter though.

Dampier obviously would be a good addition for us. We could use a rebounder and someone who can provide some kind of imposing presence in the middle. I don't like that he has a tendency to get lazy, but hey we're not in a position to ask for some kind of superstar. I don't think he'd take the MLE for us...he's in a position where many NBA teams are gonna be after him and possibly offer him more attractive situations.

If we can't get Dampier and we have to go for cheaper guys, how about his teammate Adonal Foyle? That guy can block shots at a ridiculous rate and could be a good change of pace with a guy like Nazr. He'd also be cheap coming off an injury marred year. Add Doleac in and that could be reasonably effective 3 headed center rotation.

here's what i think we should do

first try to sign damp to the MLE - if we cant do that then move on.
then try to sign crawford to the MLE max - if chicago matches then fine.
then try to split the MLE on chris anderson/mcdyess or something along those lines. my reasoning is this: with a lineup of
pg: marbury/williams
sg: houston (assuming he is healthy)
sf: TT
PF: KT
c: Nazr

I feel like we are weaker in the front court. even if houston is injured i think penny and marbury is a good backcourt, because penny can play the 1 and marbury the 2, and with penny's bball IQ i think that combo is solid. in the front court, Nazr is a very good backup-quality 5 - he can start on a team with a really strong 3 and 4, which we dont have. KT's numbers have declined and hopefully sweets can fill in. and I personally dont like TT - hes athletic but soft - anyone who starts talking trash to an opposingp layer like Kmart - while hes lying on a hospital bed with back problems - needs to get a reality check. TT has been a perennial underachieve, and i want him to succeed though i must admit each year that goes by i dont know if he ever will "break through".
therefore i feel like we should go after our center first , then go after craw (who i really like), and then try to split the MLE. maybe go after etan thomas before splitting the MLE, though i think washington will match the MLE for etan

I believe are targets should be

Dampier
Sheed
QRich (he is talented, and we won't get him but he is better than Crawford, and I wouldn't mind moving a young guy out for him)
Jackson (for a shorter term deal)

What I really want, though is for a young gun to come up and show us we don't need to go after these guys.....so we can concentrate on the post players...

If Isiah can somehow get rid of Shandon and tradeKurt Thomas so that Sweetney can play I'll be very satified.

If he only gets rid of Shandon, I'll be very satisfied.

Baker in his prime blows away Dampier, but he is past his prime and not reliable in any sense of the word. Dampier for the MLE is a good value. In the east he should be an impact player. Remains to be seen if we can acquire him, but atleast there is a very reasonable chance. We have 0 chance at getting guys like Crawford Thomas et al because their teams will match OR sign and trade and we dont have assets that these teams want. These teams CANNOT afford to let prime assets just leave.

A guy like Chris Mihm [if Dampier falls through} could be a steal and he's a guy who is caught in a numbers game. Unlike financial commitments we would have to make on a full MLE, a partial 3y- 9mm to a guy like Mihm could end up being the best value. If mihm gets 35 minutes a game, he will put up numbers close to or -perhaps even better than dampier for much cheaper.


I do know we have a rediculous 100 mm $ already spent on 13 players WITHOUT johnson ariza or baker signed--obviously not including any MLE guys. Some fans don't understand that the Knicks want YOUR money to pay for THEIR indiscretions. Thats why I stopped going in the first place. On top of that most teams that win have a good sense of the business side on how to manage the cap and that trickles down into every facet.

The Knicks still dont have a plan that I can see other than spend and cross your fingers still seems to be the soup de jour. I know Isiah came in and had a financial mess but he actually made it worse. I still have no feeling for what this team is doing.

Sure, why don't we just all give up on the team right now. Stop going to games, stop wathcing the games, stop posting, forget about them. Dude what is your problem? We have no chance of gettin Etan Thomas? Are you kiddin me? The Wizards have Haywood, Brown, how many young bigs can you develop at one time. You want them to match 5 mil just to keep Thomas? And then hope to trade him for something later? Meanwhile playin huge money to a backup player? Few teams are willin to pay that kind of money to a backup. As for Craw, Chicago just drafted Gordon, they still have Hinrich, and they drafted Duhon. How many combo guards do you want on your team? Why would they match 5 mil just to keep once again a backup? And one they don't even like? The point is while nothing is a sure thing, but chances are there. And suggesting that tradin for Shaq is easier is just ignorant and stupid.

Wizards have Jamison, Haywood, Brown, all guys who are supposed to play major mintues. You are tellin me they wills spend 5 mil on a guy to be 4th in there rotation? That just wount happen. And considering them a sure playoff team is laughable. They are the same dreadfull team as last year, just minus Stack and plus Jamison. Jamison had a similarily talented team in Golden State and they never even were respectable, let alone made the playoffs. Areans and Hughes are chuckers, a team with that backcourt will never go anywhere.

As for the bulls, Gordon is a hihg lottery pick, he better play for them or its a huge mistake to take him, so they have to assume he will play and probaly start. Lottery team can't afford to have there lottery picks coming of the bench. (NY is a retarded exception, Sweetney should have started, but we had Chaney and Layden then, and Sweetney was not nearlyas high of a pick as Gordon). They also have Hinrich, so that means Craw has to come of the bench. That does not make him happy, so he does not want to play for them. If not NY, some other team might offer more then the MLE like Denver, he is def not stayin there. And if he is going to leave, the bulls might as well get rid of one of there horrible contracts for our expiring deal to get somethign out of it.

use logic my man. first off, i think wash could flip the bill for thomas for 5-6mm per with ease since their cap number is 1/3rd of what ours is. we saw what frontcourt depth means to a team. again only a hypocritcal knick fan would think that a team couldnt pay a key reserve or even a potential starter 5-6 mm when we pay guys on our bench

moochie norris 3rd PG 4mm
penny hardaway 14mm
andersen 7+mm
deke 5mm
harrington 3+mm and thats not including the starting lineup that costs 60+MM


and again the same logic--crawford was a high lottery pick who has been improving every year and is still very young? just because they drafted a guy 3rd means that they should give this asset up for nothing-- i mean there is no arguement there. maybe crawford wont be there, but if hes not either a team over paid him or he went in a sign and trade. personally i doubt very much he is going anywhere.


these teams cant afford to give up assets like these for nothing.


wash line up of

C Etan Thomas Haywood Peter Ramos
PF Kwame Brown Jamison Thomas
SF Jamison Jefferies
SG Hughes Hayes Dixon
PG Arenas Blake

is just as good as NYs.