Posted by kam77:
You know what all this arguing proves about the Knicks?
We are a mediocre team.
I will surely admit we're a mediocre middling mid-level, middle-of-the-road team. Check out this post from nyknicks12 in the NYtimes forum
In the games I've seen this year, approximately the same number of games as last season, I can see a big difference in Stephon Marbury that does not necessarily reflect in his numbers.
He doesn't tune out of the game when he is on the bench. He is demonstrably more vocal on the floor. He gives "attaboys" to his team mates and from my observation his game reflects a "What do you need me to do? What will help us win?" attitude.
Right now this team is exactly positioned where it should be given the level of talent and experience going out on the floor... they ain't bad. And NOT BAD was the best we could legitimately hope for this season. I may not have posted much this year, but I have been consistent in using "Not bad" as my measuring stick.
This is where this team should have been last year. This year they should have had a reasonable EXPECTATION to a. Make the playoffs and b. Do better than one and done.
This team as presently constructed should have been an OK to Pretty Good team this season, but that would have been unjustly ignoring the god-awful clusterfreak of last season.
It is TOTALLY evident that last season may be laid squarely at the feet of Larry Brown - whose hiring I supported.
Isiah brought these players here and has sold them on his vision.
Sometimes it ain't pretty, but there ain't no quit in this squad.
As the Answer Man used to say,
"These guys don't do nuttin' easy."
Throw out last season's disaster and Isiah has not only raised the Knick ship of state from the floor of the Atlantic (division), he has it gaining steam and going in the right direction.
The dude deserves props.
THIS WAS A GREAT POST! To start with this team came from the bottom at the start of the year, so what exactly is the point of saying they're not a title contender. As if that's some new bulletin. I think ALL OF US, already agreed that we couldn't expect this team to be in such a short time. In fact even if you go all the way back to Isiah's 1st year, it's not that reasonable to expect that he would turn that old tired team over into a champion inside of 3 years. So I really don't get the point of this argument at all.
2003-04 You can't really hold this half season against him. His moves actually did make a difference, but I can't hold this half year against him
2004-05 He gave it one more shot with the old order of H2O and KT and once he saw that this was a waste and could convince Dolan of that, he moved quickly to go in a new direction.
2005-06 Lots of moves, good draft picks and a new coach. It should've been the start of a new beginning.
2006-07 The team develops a sense of self and comes together. Making gradual improvement is a good sign.
Now looking at this period of time exactly how could any GM have remade the team in that short a period of time into a Title contender? How many other GM's of losing teams like us, have succeeded in doing that? The closest team I can think of is the Suns. Even they aren't a lock to make it to the finals. Besides that team had a much better base to start with at that time, than the Knicks had back when Isiah took over.
3/12/2007 4:02 PM
