good post sage. Change that improves talent is always welcome

Posted by technomaster:

I thought the Knicks were on a roll pre-Marbury--- and I thought with McDyess coming off the bench (and getting stronger over the next few months) that we'd have a chance to do some damage in the playoffs and arguably make a run for the title--- with talented projects/prospects waiting in the wings.

Briggs is right in many ways. The Knicks lost a bit of upside as a result of this deal. No more dreams of our Euro-lineup emerging in a year or two with Lampe & Vujanic leading a new-look Knicks team. Still, I have a hard time envisioning Lampe as the next Divac/Nowitzki/Ilgauskas. In spite of their names being used in high regard in the thread, I'm not convinced that high profile youngsters like Wilcox & Gooden will ever be more than just journeymen big men.

I don't think our prospects will be too bad, in spite of this trade. In 2007, most of the big Knick contracts are coming off the books--- we'll be left with a 30 year old Marbury as our prime salary concern. By that time Mutombo's playing days will be close to an end as will Allan Houston's. You'd think that Penny will be done after this contract--- why sign veteran minimum contracts when you already have $100mil in the bank?

KVH might still be a Knick then--- and over the next couple of years, the trade of McDyess will allow him to remain a prime scoring threat for the team-- I'd imagine over the next 3 seasons, he'll probably have a 20ppg/8rpg season. Does he have enough star power to be the #2 to Marbury? We might also still see Frank Williams, maturing as the Vinnie Johnson/Joe Dumars counterpart to Marbury's Isiah.

We might see Sweetney grow into the next Rick Mahorn... (ack!)

In the event that our team isn't winning, we still have tradable components in Kurt Thomas, Michael Doleac, Mutombo...

Also... in the backwards NBA salary cap situation we have now, guys with fat, expiring contracts all of a sudden have decent trade value for teams wanting to dump salary.

This shopuld keep them quiet techno, you and briggs seem to have your eyes open too. We all want the knicks to win, but some want them to win there own way.

Posted by BRIGGS:

I have noticed that everything that had come out of Isiah's mouth initially has turned up opposite.

What business do you know of that would take on 150mm in salaries and not expect a huge financial windfall--i.e it terms of basketball major playoff run and selling out every game?

When you have a team full of older players making mega millions and you go out and get a PG who will be 27 in a month, has had two operations on his left ankle and hasnt EVEN started his new contract of 20 mm per year and take on his 32 year old buddy who only is taking in 50 mm over the next 3--how the heck can you now say you are just starting a rebuilding job?

What you see is what you get. If this team doesnt win this year--when will it win? How many years does H2O have left on his 33 year old bones that are eroding? 31 YO KT? 42 YO Deke? 32 year old Penny? 28 year old Van Horn? To me, objectively I only see a very small timeframe with this team and I dont see how we are going to find high quality replacements. I said this destroyed the franchise for a minimum of 5 and upwards of 10 because somehwre a REAL rebuild will become necessary.
To many people heard the name Marbury and think it's Duncan Bird or Magic and it's not. We really couldve went in a more thurough direction.

Figure out a style of play. Find a coach who will implement that style and players who can execute it.

I will always believe this is a big mans game. You need two anchor players to win or atleast 1 very good one. KT has nice games here and there and Deke sure does protect the basket BUT what will these guys be in 3 years? gone???????

this trade made no sense. we shouldve stayed with FW worked hard with Lampe and made an effort to get an athletic anchor player in the draft along with perimeter speed and skill.

Ok Marbury is 20-8 but if FW is 13-7 and we used our assets in various ways and built the core of a team that had players mostly of the same age that developed together--isnt that the most sensible way to go?

I dont know, but we fUp.

i did'nt know 27 years is considered "old" in the nba. also who are some of the stellar draft "talent" we will miss that will turn this team around this may?

I think the ultimate goal for any franchise to put themselves in a position to win a title.

Player development is great fun--but you never know how hard the players are going to work to improve their games.You don't know if you have the right coaches to develop that hidden talent. It's tough working with "potential".

The Knicks had the opportunity to turn potential into recognized, proven superstar level talent. Would you rather have a guy who has averaged 20/8 for his entire career at PG or be holding on to two 2nd rounders who have not played a minute in the NBA (and hold on to one of the worst PGs in the game-- Howard Eisley)?

On paper, the Knicks got better foreseeably for the next 3 seasons than they were before. It'll take time to see the fruits of Lampe/Vujanic.

With Lampe, you wonder what his upside will be when 2 somewhat similar but greater athletic prospects are struggling too (Tskitishvili & Milicic). Neither is looking very Gasol or Nowitzki-like right now.

With Vujanic, you wonder how successful he can be when Marko Jaric, his Yugo teammate and a player many considered a much better NBA prospect, is struggling on the Clippers.

For some reason, we'd like to believe that we had the next Steve Nash and the next Dirk... it's possible, but we'll have to watch the Suns team over the next couple of seasons to see if our worst nightmare comes true. In the meantime, we'll hopefully be competing for a title while Houston/Mutombo/Thomas age and get closer to retirement.