New York made perfect post-basketball career sense.

It's only a metter of weeks before he hosts Saturday Night Live.

l “Baron should be a pretty good fit in New York. The opportunity and challenge obviously exist, and that’s when he’s at his best. He won’t prop up his feet, he’ll get after both.”

l “His physical condition is always questionable and the likelihood of injury is pretty high. If he’s not in shape, it’ll be a chore to get him to that point. But once he gets in shape you can keep him there.”

* “He’s a little difficult to coach. Sometimes Don Nelson looked the other way. Other times, he came down hard on him. ”

* “It’s not good when your point guard only practices when he wants to practice. It can undermine a team and a season. Guys know when teammates are bull spitting. He’d tell you his back is bothering him, his groin is hurting, you know, things that are undetectable.”

* “Baron turns it on and off like no one I’ve ever seen. But he’ll help the Knicks because he can create for everyone. He’ll get into the creases and get Tyson, Amar’e and ’Melo uncontested layups or dunks. He has great vision. The bigger the game, the better he’ll play.”

* “Baron and Mike [coach D’Antoni] should get along OK ... if Mike can figure out how to stop Baron from pounding it, especially at the end of quarters and shot clocks when he always shoots it. Inevitably, he settles for an off-balance 3.”

* “Mike’s thing is to get it and go, spread things out, and let players hoist away. Baron will like that because he doesn’t want to run plays anyway. But that’s not really Melo’s game. Get him the ball early in the possession and he’ll beat anyone.”

* “Baron better learn to play the drums or another instrument. He can be the leader, but the Knicks already have two lead singers. And, in the end, even one of them is probably going to wind up unhappy.”
* “People don’t realize that Baron can defend anyone. It doesn’t matter if they’re bigger or stronger. You can put him on Kobe [Bryant] or LeBron [James] and he can hold his own for an important play or in a pivotal part of a game. He’s that strong and his butt is that big.”

* “It was great roll of the dice in light of how little ($1.4 million) they’re laying out for Baron. He can own New York. He’s a Renaissance Man, hip-hop, cool, into making movies; the documentary he shot on gangs was great. He’s got all sorts of stuff going. He’ll be entrenched in the New York scene in no time.”

* “Off the court, Baron is a great guy, a pleasure to hang out with. You want him to be that on the court, but, very rarely, he wants to be that. You watch, he’ll play great, trick the (bleep) out of ’em, get a great new deal.”

VCoug wrote:

OasisBU wrote:It's seriously a Knicks Christmas.

Remember LJ had a bad back too and that worked out pretty well for NY. I know its not the same but I am excited.

Plus we still have room to sign others - this is crazy.

LJ had to retire in 2001 after only 10 years in the League because of his back.

How much did LJ weigh?
What sort of diet and training regimen did he use?
How big were the guys he had to bang with?

Davis can extend his career by taking care of himself, doing some extra pilates/yoga, eating right, and learning how to sit properly to remove stress on his lumbar region (i.e., good posture can dramatically improve lower back condition).

This is 2011/12, not the 1990s. Davis will be fine if he does the right things. And he's only signed here for this year at vet minimum. Don't try to bring down the Xmas cheer with negativity. He's the real deal and will make a major impact on our fortunes.

Looks like MDA is establishing roles right from the get go....

Rookie wrote:Alan Hahn - Melo very engaged in practice this season. A lot of discussion/input about O and D strategy. He's also now running the point full-time

Looks like MDA is establishing roles right from the get go....

Urhm, I guess this is until BD is healthy?

"“We’re starting this group tomorrow,” D’Antoni said. “We’ll see on Sunday. I would say the group we start the two games will probably start Sunday. I want to leave it open a little bit in case we have a change of heart or think something looks better. “But I’m thinking we stay the same for a little bit and give it a chance. After two or three weeks, which means we’re already in the season, we’ll make changes if we need to.”"

RonRon wrote:

martin wrote:

Rookie wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:

fishmike wrote:who is the best player Baron has ever been teamed with for any extended period of time?

Health concerns are an issue, which is why the depth with Shump/TD is important. That being said he's not a run/jump guy. Never was. This is not a scenario where Steve Francis breaks a wheel and isnt a good NBA player. [This is correct. It could be a Tracy McGrady, where his kind of good, just isn't good enough. Cept that here, we only pay 1.4M or 2.5m.]

This move could fizzle... every move can, but the piece is the right fit. [and his nickname is Boom Dizzle. Got to love that !]

Davis is the kind of player who will enjoy setting up easy shots as much as making them. You just watch. This is the right pick for this offense. [and his upside is all-star caliber. His downside is IR. We understand the risk. Its worth it]

Honest answers above in bold.

If the 2.5M is still available, need to give consideration to Arenas as a 6th man. I don't mean to 'starphuck' this team, but those kinds of players can fill a bench and may have significant trade value later. I would seriously think about it and get a sense of Gilbert's mindset these days. Especially if Balk can play with some confidence. The practice squad games would be ultra competitive. :)

assuming the roster is at 13 with the 2 d-leaguers not guaranteed...we can do both Arenas and a forward

OK, then AK and KMart can split the $2.5M.

Do we still have our 2.5 mini exemption, after acquiring Baron Davis, for sure? I have been trying to find out, however, I keep reading things that doesn't really indicate either or.
I hope we get to keep it, it's not about the money, its about the ability to retain a player for 2 years. It works out better, with security, the player can know
what kind of a role to play and to work on during the off season.

haha, they are both FA's, ill be happy with getting one of them for a 2year deal. Baron Davis, getting amnestied, is getting payed for his old contract, and anything extra is like a bonus. He also gets the best chance to be a NBA Championship contending team, with a legit shot at the starting PG. I believe he really likes to play in New York, as his career, he I have seen him play some great games in the garden vs us. He loves the spotlight and the crowd, this time though, they will be cheering for him. If he is serious about wanting to play for New York it would be great.

It would be better if he left the 2.5mini exemption out for us to use to complete the additions of a forward or a shooter to spread the floor, as we seriously need both. If he takes the 2.5 exemption, I would prefer a 2 year deal, player option or prefer team option. Either way, at that price its a steal if he is healthy.
I think we still need a shooter and a forward that can play both SF and PF. Kmart and Ak47 would be great, however, if we went this route I prefer cutting JJ unless we can package our players to free up roster spots, while adding quality players to our core.

Peja, is a great shooter and smart player to go with Ak47, I think they both will fit in this system perfect. Ak47 is in Europe, playing in their league, he is 30, and still has some game left in his tank. With Peja being 32, I am pretty surprised I haven't heard any rumors about him to a team either. Like I said, they are both high IQ bball players, Peja played a starting SG role 1 season ago, and a 8-9th rotation role with the Dallas Mavericks last year. While Peja is capable of playing SG, while closer to SF, I see him as a nice fit for this system. Last year, watching him on Dallas, at 6'10 he knows how to use his length/size, vs players that have the speed on him. He can be used even at PF vs a 2nd/3rd unit player, where he can use his range effectively, and for players that he is bigger than at SG/SF, he also has a little post up game, which can be use to shoot over his opponents and could be a mid range whether facing the basket or posting up at times as well.

Ben Hansbrough, is a player that wasn't drafted and I believe he is in Europe now. He is an interesting player with good range, at 6'3 he lacks the handle/athleticism that scouts question if he can make it in the NBA. They question his ability to create his own shop, get his shot off, and if he is capable of guarding PGs or SG's. Regardless on the right team, he can be used the space the floor and at the very worse be a limited PG in the 9/10 rotation. He could be a similar to a developing, Redick, as it even took him 2 years find his game. With the worse possible downside of a Rautins, he can range from a mini Jimmer Freddette, JJ Redick, or Andy Rautins 2.0. I think he is somewhere between Freddette and Redick, however, we will have a lot of PG/SG's in which he is a great shooter but a tweener in that mode as well. If we do pull of a trade, while getting back good value and freeing roster spots. I think he is worthy to pick up and can be used as a development player. The 2.5m exemption, can be broken up to be used for players for 2 years contracts, and by the deadline
if we can't find a veteran worthy enough to keep on our roster for the future, I would consider to using it on D League and players that weren't drafted.

I think we are missing some needed post up players in our system as well, with Melo and then Tyson Chandler, being our best post players. Melo doesn't always use his post game enough and it is a great weapon to have, especially for playoff basketball. Wilson Chandler and Gallo, at least one of them usually had the ability to be a post option, and is one area we
missed. Shooters are needed and in general, it creates a good chemistry and a good shot when we have a presence. Amare isn't really a great post player, he is more comfortable and prefers good cutting while facing the basket, with a pull up or driving in for a dunk or layup. Tyson Chandler is very big, while if he can get a nice position 1v1, with limited moves, he can easily finish with great position closer to the basket. A post option, opens up games for shooters and cutters, an area where Field's actually excels at.
A healthy Baron Davis, gives us the ability to run quality pick and rolls, and with some post plays, it will really open up our players games.

We are lacking roster spots as I don't know what contracts Green and Hunter, were given. Davis makes some of our players expendable and Fields is a UFA after this season, in which we must use our MLE to keep. Jorts and Jordan are both 2nd round picks in which will have the same scenario in 2 years. Anyone know what 1stRound picks we still have that is trade able?
While I think Fields is closer to a 6th/7th man in the tweener mode of SF/SG, I do not want to let him walk in the summer for free or use the MLE to keep him. I would much rather package him with our assets for a better quality player that fits us better. Watching Bibby play, he still has some game left in him, and now I see why we signed him, as he looks a lot better than TD running the PG. With the addition of a healthy Davis by the trade deadline and Iman also being able to run the PG or SG as well. Whatever position Iman plays, he will do whatever the coach ask him to play, he is a combo guard, with the skill set and size to play both positions.

The reason why I feel Iman should be given some looks at the PG are

1) he played PG his entire life

2) his size, skills, and athleticism makes it hard for any PG to guard him. While he can lock down most PGs and give anyone a tough time.

3) his weakest part of his game is currently his shot, at SG, we would be missing a good shooting option to space the floor.

4) his combination of skills, size, and athleticism allows him to post other PG's. He can bring up the ball, either push the tempo, or isolate himself for a post up play, be another person drawing double teams with Amare and Melo, or just attacking the basketball by penetrating to the whole or pick and rolls. It is a great luxury to have

5) with players like Brandon Roy, Tyreke Evans, Dwane Wade, Westbrook, they all played or play PG. We have seen all of these guys DOMINATE at that position and Brandon Roy
has states in the past, its a lot tougher when he was moved to the SG. While he is capable of scoring on SGs, he lost the advantage of size that he had on the opposing PGs.
When Blazers added Andre Miller/Bayless, he never saw back minutes at PG. He had to work twice as hard, using his quickness and strength vs a bigger player. He also had to guard the SG of the opponent at all times, which he lost that advantage of size/strength/ and athleticism. Brandon Roy had knee problems in college and at the NBA but him losing that advantage when playing SG, didn't help his injuries either. He had to stay low vs the bigger player, putting more pressure on his knees as he posted up. I don't want the same to happen to Shumpert. I feel we already got us a steal and he is going to be our 4th star to the team. Brandon Roy didn't mind play SG but it catches up with you and he had to work much harder, without the advantage and ability to dominate. He wanted to play some minutes at PG to make it easier for him physically where he could dominate and he never understood why he couldn't get some minutes back at the position he came in the league dominating in as a rookie. It's a luxury for Iman to be able to dominate at the PG position, while I realize he can play SG and SF at times, I would like to preserve his body and allow him to dominate in the same way.

6)There will be many times, players like Derrick Rose, Wade *with Lebron running point*, Westbrook are going to be the smallest players for the opponent. While Iman has the ability
to guard PG, SG, SF, his strength would be to dominate whoever is guarding him on both ends with the exception of these players. However, he will tire these guys out, by the 4th quarter, they won't have the stamina/legs to easily hit a shot or even a free throw.
Miami, with the acquisition of Battier, already said they will go with Lebron at the PG at times. Fields doesn't have the ability to hold any of these guys down, with the best scenario being guarding Battier, which he has the ability to also post him up or shoot over him in the baseline. They both played PF in college, but Battier excelled in playing a tougher conference and was a bigger threat. He has the ability to shoot over his guy, post up, and pass it out to the double teams. Fields doesn't have the quickness to stay in front of these guys and contend their shot. If he stays too close, he will get burned, although, Tyson Chandler will be there to help him out at times. *Bosh pull him away and get a wide open shot as well* Now in this scenario, who will be guarding Wade or Lebron. While Iman can probably do the best on either one of them, it will be a tough cover for Carmelo to go out and guard these guys, where he usually likes to cheat and grab the rebounds. However, you can't let these guys get a wide open shot or drive easily penetrate as well.
This is where, I would have loved a player like Dunleavy, Grant Hill, or Prince. TD or even Baron Davis at Wade, would seem to be the best option, however, a nice rotation of players that would make Wade/Lebron work for those 3 quarters on both ends, seems to be the best option, with Chandler in the middle. Ariza/Wilson Chandler are nice athletic and long player, I can see us having a chance to attain, especially now with the acquisition of BD, it makes some players expendable. Dunleavey, Grant Hill, and Prince are players that have good IQ that aren't as physically talented as Ariza but their brains could make up for it. It's fine, because we added Tyson Chandler, and that is our biggest need to accomplish first.
However, we do have the assets to make the a rebuilding and young team to consider at the deadline. If we are serious about being Eastern Conference Finals, we will likely bump in these scenarios, and I would like to have the tools to counter it by then. Teams we have to consider, where we have to come up with a game plan to defend are

1) Miami
2) Celtics
3) Bulls

It is a possibly where we might face all 3 of these teams, with a team with Dwight Howard as well. I am not even mentioning the West Coast teams, which we there are too many possibilities for me to mention. This is where I would like to enhance our 2nd and 3rd units, using the season to master and execute the game plan of defending these teams, our road to being Champions. Adding quality players, versatile lineups, and a deep bench goes a long way...

This is where the 2.5m exemption, could come in handy and is realistic for a players in the caliber of AK47 or Kmart, adding Peja for veterans minimum, and possible trades by deadline
Our assets in which we can afford to trade, aren't necessarily needed to use all, and are replaceable with FA's include

1st round pick
Fields
Balkman
Walker
TD
Jordan or Jorts both are raw talents in which will be FA's in 2 years and would we could only use our MLE to keep on our roster, similar to what Fields will go through this summer

We all have our own views and opinions on how we should target, what we need, and which players are expendable. I would appreciate and respect any thoughts about your ideas or mine, to the solutions, on our road to building a Championship team for the next years...

I admire his effort, but I am really curious: Does anyone actually read these insanely long posts? I sure don't. Not that RR doesn't post thoughtful and well-researched ideas. But his posts cry out (loudly) for editing.

fishmike wrote:

HARDCOREKNICKSFAN wrote:

Rookie wrote:Alan Hahn - Melo very engaged in practice this season. A lot of discussion/input about O and D strategy. He's also now running the point full-time

Looks like MDA is establishing roles right from the get go....

From the soundof that, it seems like Melo is trying on his "Point Forward" hat.

Melo is stepping up if he's able to run some point and D up.

I think MDA really rides Melo until Diddy is healthy and I like that. I would really lean on Melo.

I like the starters. They all look good. I like Douglas/Fields/Melo/Amare/Chandler. Bring Shumpert off first when one of the bigs needs a rest and go small and fast. I probably rest Amare first. Then in the 2nd qtr rest Chandler and play Amare at center against the other team's 2nd unit.

Its going to be very exciting. Fields, Shumpert and Douglas are all going to be proving their worth until Baron comes in. I think the guy who gets squeezed out (and possibly later dumped) is Bibby.

My gut feeling tells me our final rotation looks like this:
Davis/Fields/Melo/Amare/Chandler with Douglas/Shump/JJ/Jorts in the 2nd unit

+1 to that rotation, but I think it will be Iman first off the bench. MDA is high on his upside and TD can be such a nincompoop. It will also probably depend on the game situation.