Earl,

I think what you saw was good of Balky, but lets set a high standard and think what your really saw was a good level of professionalism that we don't get from most of our vets.

Guys like Kidd and Billups don't have the most talent in the league but are the leaders because of effort, clutch, and take ownership in the success and failure of the team.

When you annoint a false profit a captainship like Isiah bestowed on Marbury then your going to have some inconsistancy.

Im not bashing on Marbury, he is who he is, but Isiah was wishing upon a Star(PHUCH) when he empowered him with out earning his strips.

Kudos to guys like Balky and Lee who are really chasing their dream with effort and spunk.

Posted by Nalod:

Earl,

I think what you saw was good of Balky, but lets set a high standard and think what your really saw was a good level of professionalism that we don't get from most of our vets.

Guys like Kidd and Billups don't have the most talent in the league but are the leaders because of effort, clutch, and take ownership in the success and failure of the team.

When you annoint a false profit a captainship like Isiah bestowed on Marbury then your going to have some inconsistancy.

Im not bashing on Marbury, he is who he is, but Isiah was wishing upon a Star(PHUCH) when he empowered him with out earning his strips.

Kudos to guys like Balky and Lee who are really chasing their dream with effort and spunk.

Don't you know that KVH was the reason why the Nets lost to the Lakers in the 2002 Finals, well according to the Captain. I thought it was the Captain's bad play myself.

Posted by misterearl:

Balkman and Lee for Co-Captain in 2009.

2009 Starters - Curry, Randolph, Chandler, Nichols and Collins

Sixth man - David Lee.

Who Got Next - R Morris, (player traded for Crawford) Zeke's next sneaky draft pick

that's 9

balkman's our captain but not even in the rotation?

Masterplan - good catch. I wouldn't mind seeing a spot reserved for Greene. But that will be a stretch. cool. Greene and Balkman make eleven.
One more spot reserved for Isiah's next sneaky draft pick and let's go to work!

simrud - you have the so-called (cough) plan in your possession?

oh yeah... While you were sleeping Isiah Thomas has completely renovated the roster he inherited with the most compelling batch of young talent the Knicks have ever had in the history of the franchise.

let me repeat.... in the history of the franchise

The fact that you are campaigning to rid the roster of the last two players with double-digit experience (Marbury and Rose) is both perplexing and humorous.

what roster are you watching?

dude, it has already been blown up.

the question is: do you have the patience to watch the knicks kiddies (with three years or less of NBA experience) find their collective voice?

[Edited by - misterearl on 07-19-2007 6:07 PM]

The Almost Nearly-Magnificent Seven

hey, that's kinda catchy

Did I say seven?

Dagnabbit, I meant to say eight.

Because you know I love David Lee.

One of the details that has received little mention from Summer League is the professional demeanor of the young guys. There wasn't much jivin' or high-fivin'... no posin' or chest bumpin'...nunnadat.

the new guys just went about their business with poker faces and few signs of self-propitude. Randolph Morris has yet to crack a smile. Nichols shows little emotion after busting another three and Chandler looks like he's trying to find his way to the high school cafeteria.

But make no mistake about it... they can play.

February 2008

C Curry/Morris/James
PF ZRandolph/ Lee/ RMorris
SF Jeffries/Balkman/Chandler
SG Crawford/Nichols
PG Collins/Nate

That's 12

Nichols can play SG for sure. I have coming in for Collins because Nate can play PG than. Basically a 3 guard rotation.

Lee is far better than you think if you think starting him is sad.

And you are going to have to wait for 2-3 years either way because we are not a contender with current veterans, and our young guys will not be ready until 2-3 years from now.

Your veterans Crawford, Curry, Randolf, Jefferies, Marbury there in lies the problem of teaching professionalism to a crop of young talented role players.

A move needs to be made asap to move at least two members of the veteran team

Posted by misterearl:

Nalod - I'm looking ahead. Marbury a false prophet? A bit melodramatic, no?

You can cite as many examples of botched quotes, pouting fits, playground bravado, or bad attitude as you want but Marbury has also played through pain and always given the effort to win. He may not have always done it the way we would like but he has played like a player who has been confused by too much different information.

False prophet?

Hardly.

He's just a hometown basketball player trying to finish his career on an up note. Personally, I hope he goes out a winner.

Isiah gave the knicks to Marbury and they both said all the right things about everything your suppose to that lead to all kinds of expectations regarding not so much wins, but the competitive nature of the team.

Think Isiah asked Marbury about larry before he bought him in? Wasn't Marbury all publically about larry when he bought him in? Maybe he gave it 20 games before he tuned him out? Shame of both Isiah and Marbury for starphuching themselves into thinking it was gonna be different.

No, I don't back off form "false prophet" because Isiah bought hiim in to be the man and he is really turning into a crackhead philanthorpist!

Marbury playing hurt? They all play hurt, and for 20 mil you play hurt. And lets be real, he sits plenty when he is not right. WHat NBA player does not play hurt?

Nobody said Steph can't play, we just question "can he think"?

ANd I think your team leader has to be someone of a good communicater and not a blotto head.

Big money has corrupted this team.



[Edited by - nalod on 07-20-2007 1:58 PM]

Posted by misterearl:

MS - are you looking to win basketball games or run a boy scout troop?

The responsibility for setting the team code of conduct and teaching professionalism lies with the coaching staff.

You may not like Crawford's shot selection but he works and says the right thing

You may not like Curry's body type, his contract or the trade, but he is only 24 and still learning after averaging 20 and 7 which does not suck that bad

You may not like Zach's police record or the fact that he's lefthanded ...but he is a baller... if Malik Rose or David Lee averaged 23 per game you'd be kissing them on the lips

You may not like Jeffries contract, his pencil neck or his ugly shot, but he is still 6'11 and gets in the way on defense

You may not like Marbury's demeanor, his facial expressions, his past, his shoes or his ghettofabulous sense of style but guess what...

he plays with his heart on his sleeve, drives the ball hard to the tin and not afraid to play through pain and that's cool with me.

Guess what? Isiah will have a talk with each of them

I ain't worried about this season. To be perfectly clear, after seeing them in person in Vegas.. I'm quite looking forward to the new mix.

in the immortal words of marvin gaye, "let's get it on!"


[Edited by - misterearl on 07-20-2007 10:37 AM]

Misterearl: I like this post and agree with most of it(I think the reason people don't like Marb's is completely different than what you make it out to be), but don't discount the things people don't like. The reason people don't like Crawford's shot selection, Eddie's "body type"(being out of shape, let's not sugar coat this one), Zach's police record, Overpaying for role players etc. is not as simple as hating the players. The reason people dislike all these things you mention is because until the majority of these things, and some of our other problems change, we will not compete for anything beyond the title of mediocrity. We all know that if this roster starts to win and begins to compete for a title it will be when Eddie is in shape, Zach stops getting in trouble, we have a PG that leads and does not pout when his team is making a comeback, and our role players are hungry to earn their playing time, not resting on bloated contracts. People complain because they understood that reality long ago and wonder why it took Knicks management 7 years(since Patrick) to get on board.

Posted by misterearl:

bippity - the post-Ewing Knicks jogged in place because of the strategy used to deal him away. A decade of damage? Five years? Who knows?


somehwere the sylabus changed and suddenly the Knicks are much younger. In two years they will look NOTHING like they looked in 2004.

did it take too long? who knows?

I have YET to see anyone offer anything more than fantasy scenarios based on wet dreams of someone giving up quaility for dreck. It doesn't work that way.

It simply doesn't. In the case of the Knicks it has been a laborious procress to turn old into young and bad into better.

to be certain there are still things to be fixed on the Knicks. From the evidence of the Summer Knicks things are not so dismal as those stuck in the past want to offer.

Things that needed to be addressed? The three spot was one. I'm not saying it has been fixed, but the alternatives are better than they were a year ago.

Same with the four spot.

People complained about Frye and what you have now is a potential all-star who was runnig with the wrong crowd. Whether New York is the place for him remains to be seen. It's the simplistic "you can't have two low post player" analysis that slays me. Zach Randolph is more outside-oriented than the so-called knowledgable NY fans want to give him credit.

Eddy Curry is a work-in-progress at 24. If he's out of shape, guess what?... you plug in David Lee or Randolph Morris at center and call it a day.

I simply can't get with non-stop bitching and moaning before they have played a single game as a unit.

I simply can't

[Edited by - misterearl on 07-20-2007 2:51 PM]

See Mr. EArl I think Knick fans are prone to over reaction in both directions. If we draft or trade for a player they don't want than the team is doomed for the next 30 years. If a fan criticizes a player for not doing what he is paid to do, it is considered biotching and hate. The reality is and I'm still waiting for someone to deny it. That day in the future, whenever it is that this team is competing for a title, you will look at the roster and guys like Curry will be in great shape, and guys like Zach will not be getting in trouble. WE all know this to be true, so why is it wrong for a fan to ask for these things? I guess I don't understand you on this. Should I be okay with Eddie being out of shape and not working hard on defense?

See, I agree with you in a couple respects. I like the new blood. I want the transition to this new blood to happen right away but am willing to give it time. I think we have talent to be a playoff team next year and like last year am not going to sing about gloom and doom before the season starts. The possibility is definitely there(like last year with Marbs and Francis) that Curry and Zach can't messh so it's fair to ask this question without being labelled anything. FAns have seen these types of players selected by us before and I guess are tired of going down that road. You may not agree with them, but I think you should be able to understand their point of view. While I will not sing gloom and doom, I will also not settle. Getting better at scoring and passing and teamwork need a little time to develop. That we can wait for. The improvement of the rookies we can wait for. But being in shape and playing defense is a priority that can be changed immediately. It can change our destiny immediately. And until players like Curry and Zach make some of these things a priority we will always be telling people to be patient and will never see results. The players need to raise themselves to a new standard. It's the only way to win. That as a fan, I'm not willing to compromise.

[Edited by - bippity10 on 20-07-2007 3:23 PM]