Those were stupid deals no one is saying sign the guy long term. He has a tremendous work ethic is young and has a build the Knicks need, provides two things the knicks need and doesn't need the ball and is a very solid role player.

Give the guy some more time he will put up better numbers.

Jefferies was never good and never showed signs. He is a nice backup center that can be thrown out there and do things well when you put duhon, chandler, gallo, harrington on the floor at the same time you need some interior presence

Posted by King1:

You want to bring in a guy for 5 million a year that cant score at all. He will mess your whole offense up because then you have no threat inside to score of pick and rolls. If Gortat cant score against backup bigs what is he going to do against starters. To me he is turiaf and you pay him 3 yrs 10 million at most

Whose expecting him to light the world on fire? I think 3yrs/10mill is a fine contract for him, I dont think he's getting anymore than that.

If you can get him cheap that would be a great sign. He is a big they desperately need on this team.

This is actually a smart signning. Not an Isiah signing, alah I just drafted Frye and traded for Curry let me sign Jerome James and not listen to anyone in the organization or in the world that the guy is a stiff.

Jefferies brought in after adding Balkman.

Our frontcourt is what? Lee/Curry and that's it right now and we don't know where we stand with Lee, chances are he is probably going to be traded.

Gortat is a very good role player he is only 24 years old and can bang, give some fouls, defend and rebound. We need a player like this to help anchor the front court. He isn't going to get a huge deal unless he goes off the next 5 games. we need two shotblockers on the court at all times right now chandler is the only guy we have.

You can offer him the full midlevel and then 2 million for the next two seasons

Posted by newyorknewyork:

I was thinking the same thing Cosmic though not on the level you are on. I would be scared signing Gortat because he would have scrub potential ala James & Jeffries. Walsh is smarter than to give him a 5yr deal though.

4.5rebs in 12mins is very impressive though

The stat line is nice but I'm glad to see at least a few people who understand my POV of how and why he gets those stats and why if he came here, to this roster, why those stats would evaporate and/or be meaningless, and we'd all be punching holes in our walls wondering why we got yet another Jared Jeffries player and contract on the roster.

I don't know why so many fans can not take a player and his stats from another team and understand that what he does on that team would not necessarily happen on THIS team. We don't have Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson on this roster. Those four players are better than anyone we have on this roster. Gortat on the Magic is a 8th, 9th man. On the Knicks he'd be a 3rd, 4th, 5th man. In the Knick role he'd stink it up because he is not meant to be in that role. On the Magic he looks serviceable. Yet, some refuse to take this into account, and assume that Gortat would do here what he would do on the Magic and somehow we'd look like the Magic if he were here.

I don't get it and I never will. It's an internet phenomena at that. All I hear in the "real world" when I talk face to face to anyone is that Gortat is doing a nice job backing up Dwight Howard. I don't hear a single person suggesting we blow a 5 year MLE on him and make him our starting Center and sit back and watch the championships roll in.

But, well, whatever.... You smash about five forums worth of scrub player discussions into one roster? What do you get?

C-Gortat
F-Ewing Jr
F-Matt Barnes
G-Chandler
G-Rodriguez
Ariza
Stephon Curry
Tyler Hansborough
Gallinari

...and a 70 win and NBA Championship prediction.

I mean, come'on. For christs sakes here. What is the love affair with garbage players and the desire to sign every single one to the MLE!?!?!?

I swear Isiah has infected half this fan base with some bizarre disease that forces fans to pretend that Gortat will be Ewing SR in his prime.

I can't read this crap anymore. Be it from the media or fans who read a positive media article and run with it like it's the golden chalice of youth.

Posted by MS:

I think if you played the guy 25 minutes a night you would be looking at 7-8pts 8rbs 1.5blks which is pretty decent.

That looks fair to me. That's basically doubling his minutes and production as is and shaving off 10% from those numbers to be more conservative.

Posted by MS:

I think if you played the guy 25 minutes a night you would be looking at 7-8pts 8rbs 1.5blks which is pretty decent.

Decent on what team? On our team we still win 32 games. On the Cavs, Magic, Lakers, etc.... it helps lead to 60 odd wins.

So you'd pay this guy a 5 year 40M MLE deal? To do that? Come'on! (not saying you would but this is my point!)

We are in NO position to try to accumulate 6-15 role playing guys we don't have any 1-5 players we want! This is like buying tires for a car you don't have!

My real world perspective is that he has looked impressive when he has been on the court and that there aren't alot of good big men around. I don't think anyone is getting a commitment beyond 2010 anyway so my guess is he will not be a Knick. I do think he will be a starting center for someone next year and will be successful. He looks like a guy that could put up 12 and 8 for a team if he was given minutes.