- Phil Jackson, asked if he would be OK with laying the foundation for the Knicks’ turnaround – but not necessarily being around beyond his existing contract down the road to see it through.

With the changes in the salary cap, the competitive balance having shifted West, and the unpredictability of the available college sophomores, Phil Jackson knows his options are limited. He is already tamping down expectations and could recognize that his five years contract will last three years, at best.

Of course, debating the various permutations of roster combinations and te menu of available talent is an entertaining way to pass the time, but we must be clear... we are coming off the worst season in franchise history and are among the least productive teams in the league. Let that sink in a moment. Whether you an optimist or see the glass half empty, this is the business we have chosen.

The task of returning to simply being competitive will require patience and additional trial and error. Uncle Phil knows that there will be mistakes made along the way and his 2016 roster is still a work in progress. This is not a one year process. It is a three to five year deal, minimally.

Minimally.

So, boys and girls, we need to get real, look at the competition and take a deep breath. We have a long journey ahead.

knicks1248 wrote:

fishmike wrote:Its fluid. Things change very quickly. We have seen worst to first. I dont worry about the results so much as are we doing this right?

If the results don't add up to success, then your doing something wrong. I just don't understand your statement.

I always judge success by results.

What went on this year doesn't mean that we won't be successful this summer in revamping the roster. One thing has nothing to do with the other. These are completely different scenarios. This summer we have a top 5 pick and cap space with a good crop of Free Agents. That wasn't the case last summer. Not to mention they gained valuable knowledge from this season. They won't be starting from the same position as last summer.

knicks1248 wrote:

fishmike wrote:Its fluid. Things change very quickly. We have seen worst to first. I dont worry about the results so much as are we doing this right?

If the results don't add up to success, then your doing something wrong. I just don't understand your statement.

I always judge success by results.

fishmike wrote:Its fluid. Things change very quickly. We have seen worst to first. I dont worry about the results so much as are we doing this right?

fishmike - Please, whatever you do, do not lean on the San Antonio Spurs as your worst to first example. The supporting cast on that roster could play.

We are the 1973 Philadelphia 76ers.

You were saying....?

There is no Lebron James in this draft.

The Media and some fans are sold on this idea that we have zero talent and to some extent that is true but not totally. Most teams win with a core of 6 players who carry most of the work load and if the team is really good they have quality depth. We actually have some good end of rotation role players but we lack starting level talent and that is what this summer is going to be about. Phil has to bring in 3 quality top of the rotation players to go with our draft pick, Melo, Schved and Galloway. That is an achievable goal.

misterearl wrote:Melo, Schved and Galloway are not dominating anyone in the NBA.

Read my lips... If we were in a situation where the Knicks got the "upgrade" and everyone else stood pat, it would be lovely. Sadly, that is not the case. Upgrading does not make you better, it only means you are not falling further behind. There is not a single player on our roster that is coveted by another team. That should be all you need to remember.

Uncle Phil is starting from scratch and signing 3 quality free agents who instantly gel is a fantasy better than fantasizing about Halle Berry.

Mozgov has 16 points and 6 rebounds.

misterearl wrote:Melo, Schved and Galloway are not dominating anyone in the NBA.

Read my lips... If we were in a situation where the Knicks got the "upgrade" and everyone else stood pat, it would be lovely. Sadly, that is not the case. Upgrading does not make you better, it only means you are not falling further behind. There is not a single player on our roster that is coveted by another team. That should be all you need to remember.

Uncle Phil is starting from scratch and signing 3 quality free agents who instantly gel is a fantasy better than fantasizing about Halle Berry.

Mozgov has 16 points and 6 rebounds.

I do believe that upgrading the talent on your roster with starting quality players should make your team better. I fail to see your logic here. There's no way in hell this team is not improved if we drafted well and also added 3 starting quality players to a mix of some of the players we closed the season with.

I actually think this idea that we're starting from scratch is utter BULL ISH. We had a bad season, but that doesn't mean we can't improve this team. AGAIN. teams win with their top 6 rotation players carrying the bulk of the load. The job for Phil is to revamp this roster so that he has a quality top 6 rotation in place.

No one is saying we need to instantly gel or vie for a title in year one. Somehow that seems to be the thrust of many naysayers arguments. It's not the point. The Cavs didn't instantly gel, so why the F do the Knicks have to?

misterearl wrote:Melo, Schved and Galloway are not dominating anyone in the NBA.

Read my lips... [b]If we were in a situation where the Knicks got the "upgrade" and everyone else stood pat, it would be lovely. Sadly, that is not the case. Upgrading does not make you better, it only means you are not falling further behind.

Is it your contention that every NBA team continually gets better to infinity?

Those demanding or expecting immediate significant results are misguided. If the Knicks identify a a cornerstone player and several young core players to surround him with, and win 15-20 more games next year, I'm happy. As Fish indicated, the situation is fluid. Perhaps Melo decides he doesn't want to stick it out after next year and allows a trade to a contender for a good return. Perhaps he plays really well with the young core and they get the 7th or 8th seed. Each of those are improvements as well compared to this year and most of the past 2 decades.