Posted by JayNYC:

Posted by Panos:

I think the question is moot. The REAL question is:
WHY THE HELL DID ISIAH NOT PROTECT THE PICK 1-5?
Are we going to be the first team in history to
trade away a pick only to have it turn into the #1 of the draft?
No team should ever let that happen, esp., for someone
that's a question mark like Curry. Like Briggs said,
months ago, you need some insurance against disaster.
I scoffed then, but I take it back. He was 100% right.
If we end up losing the #1 pick in the draft, that should
be grounds for firing Isiah. Period.

WHY? The answer is simply this.. Isiah nor did any fans in their right mind think that we'd be challenging for the worst record in the league. This team is severely underachieving, no matter how you look at it. We have key talents at just about every position.. Zeke thought that he was dealing away a mid-round selection at best. Believe it or not, he should be correct in that assumption. And lets face it, we likely would never had a deal if we did have these lottery provisions.
[clip...]

Fact is, since neither you, me Isiah nor anybody else thought we would be challenging for the worst record, probably neither did Paxson. So protecting the pick would probably not have been that difficult.

Posted by Knight:

The unprotected pick this year was about the only thing of value we gave up. Sweetney and Thomas weren't worth a hell of alot to us or anyone else during the summer. Isiah gambled and I think it was a good gamble. If I could take back the trade I wouldn't--remember that we also got AD in the deal which we turned into Jalen and a mid-first round pick.

So what? We could have had all that AND the pick protected.

Posted by Panos:

Posted by Knight:

The unprotected pick this year was about the only thing of value we gave up. Sweetney and Thomas weren't worth a hell of alot to us or anyone else during the summer. Isiah gambled and I think it was a good gamble. If I could take back the trade I wouldn't--remember that we also got AD in the deal which we turned into Jalen and a mid-first round pick.

So what? We could have had all that AND the pick protected.

You don't know that and you will never know that.

Fact is, since neither you, me Isiah nor anybody else thought we would be challenging for the worst record, probably neither did Paxson. So protecting the pick would probably not have been that difficult.

WOW.. Kudos on the spin job. I'm kidding, but you may be right about that as well. Maybe the language of the deal could have been revised in favor of a lottery protected pick for NYK. Assuming Paxson and everybody else believed that we'd be better than our records indicate. Regardless, what's done is done!!! The facts are the facts, we stink they get a high pick as compensation for Eddy Curry. Is it justified, probably not.. but it is what it is. Now its up to our Knicks brass to make us better and try to rewrite the wrongs. We as Knicks fans just gotta keep the faith, and hope that they make sound decisions that make us better in the future.

"And that's the bottomline cause Jay NYC said sooooooooo!!!"

The funny thing here is that all the Bulls have from this trade now is some hope that they get lucky with one of the players in the draft--a draft in which there are no consensus star players, a draft that looks to be deep enough for us to get a great talent in the middle of the first round. Oh, and we also have Jalen Rose and his expiring contract next year.

It's going to be 2 lottery picks after next year for Curry.

Posted by TheloniusMonk:

McK1....What makes u think these are the ONLY players he monitors? You say phrases 'one track mind' and tunnel vision. Just because it was leaked to media that he was interested in these players and it came into fruition doesn't mean these were the only players he coveted to say he has 'tunnel vision'. It's been leaked to media at various times that Isiah has liked Kobe, Harrington, Walker, KG, Rasheed Wallace, Crawford, Curry, Francis, K Mart, Miles, Gasol and plenty of others as 'reported'. He 'reportedly' monitered all of their situations as well as made offers for some (so they say). I'm sure Isiah also 'monitors' a host of other players' situations as well....from the highest of talents to role players. And of course now Larry is in on the 'coveting' thing as well. So to say the guy focuses on a certain player and no one else is bogus. After all, that's what 'one track mind' and 'tunnel vision' indicate.

Kobe, Harrington, Walker, KG, Rasheed Wallace, Gasol

Players Isiah had no chance of getting. Because of their contract status, you have to at least call

Crawford, Curry, Miles

players he actively and openly coveted for a couple of years. He was trying to acquire Curry and Craw in Indy. Don't know which side killed the Frank Williams - Darius Miles exchange when Miles was in Cleveland.

Francis, K Mart

Brown requests

Posted by joec32033:

Posted by McK1:

Posted by joec32033:

Right now Curry would be the #1 pick in this draft--if not then a definate top 2 (See Emeka with his back problems going 2), albeit at a more manageable 3/4 yr. contract.

[Edited by - joec32033 on 02-12-2006 12:21 AM]

he wasn't even the no. 1 pick in his own draft.

OK.......who would you pick in this draft over Curry...we'll start from there.....remember he would have been in college 4 years now, 4 years of body and game development......who would you pick over him?

I'm not bashing Curry, but I have a hard time seeing this as a sound argument. If you are comparing Curry to the current draft, despite the fact that I think it would have been last year's draft that he would have been a college senior, then you cannot say "he would have been in college 4 years now" because he did not attend college and get that kind of experience. We have to compare his 4+ years in the NBA, with less development for the most part, than those who come out with 4 years of college ball experience now.

Also, part of the equation is completely up in the air until AT LEAST next year because we MAY give Chicago a high or higher pick next year.

The question, at least, should be is Curry worth a top 5 pick this year (probable) and the increasing potential of giving the up a high pick next year. Certainly the Bulls may struggle next year, and we could at least get a somewhat high pick. The problem is we don't know what is going to happen.

What makes many fans concerned, is the lack of belief that this team will be much better next year, and the fact that the Bulls are generally a better team than us now, even with their poor record. This is ESPECIALLY being that they are in the East, where a poor record can get you in the playoffs, and once you make it, even if your record is bad, you automatically are out of the lottery. That's why fans hope Denver just misses the playoffs this year so we can get a lotto pick. The Bulls, despite their poor record, are in a similar situation.

[Edited by - PresIke on 02-12-2006 5:38 PM]