eViL wrote:lol. nice image.

Ha- I like the current image too, though I suspect it's not the one that was originally there!

I'm glad we got lucky for a change, every team needs it to be successful. I wouldn't say Novak was luck- he was a shrewed pick up and I remember Van Gundy praising him years ago with the Rockets. I wouldn't say the amnesty/ Chandler thing was luck either- it was the smart move, simply because Billups didn't fit in great here, showed he was injury prone and it was doubtful he would re-sign with us after the season. To me it was a good, quick move by the GM. Shumpert and Jorts were smart draftings

Lin was pure luck though, as was JR smith (we wanted to sign Shawne williams if you remember, and if we had we'd have no 2.5mil excemption.). Without Lin, we would be an absolute disaster and would probably have missed the playoffs, so in that sense Grunnie really owes his job to luck.

I'm not too concerned by Amar'es contract even if he declines further, as having Lin on a cheap contract balances things out. If Lin continues to play like this, he'd be worth at least 10mil per year on the open market (when you factor in extra business and sales in Asia).

I worry about what will happen if Lin suddenly starts playing poorly, or if he only accepts the qualifying offer this year- then we go back to being screwed.

nixluva wrote:Lin wasn't "pure luck". They could've signed any other available PG, but there was thought put into the decision to take Lin. I've been sayiing that MDA and Glen liked Lin from before and that they had their eye on him even before he hit the waiver wires. Once again i'm not just gonna say what I think, but read this as proof of what i'm saying:

I get what your saying, but I see it as luck, in that he was about to be cut for Mike James- I think Grunnie liked Lin but did not see him as being as good as he has played. Still, as you said, he put us in a good position for getting lucky by signing players with potential.

Actually, having mentioned Mike James, I kinda wish we had cut Bibby and signed him, just in case BD has any setbacks.

nixluva wrote:Lin wasn't "pure luck". They could've signed any other available PG, but there was thought put into the decision to take Lin. I've been sayiing that MDA and Glen liked Lin from before and that they had their eye on him even before he hit the waiver wires. Once again i'm not just gonna say what I think, but read this as proof of what i'm saying:

TORONTO -- During the Knicks’ rushed December training camp, interim general manager Glen Grunwald brought coach Mike D’Antoni into his office at their Greenburgh practice facility for daily meetings.

On the wall in Grunwald’s office is a greaseboard. During the frenzied free-agent period, the names of players put on waivers were listed on the board. Grunwald and D’Antoni discussed the players’ merits.

On Dec. 24, Jeremy Lin hit Grunwald’s greaseboard after he was cut by the Rockets. D’Antoni and Grunwald discussed Lin’s impressive pre-draft workout in Greenburgh on June 7, 2010, his penetration ability and knack for the pick and roll.

Grunwald had recommended bringing Lin in for training camp last season and earlier in December, but Golden State and Houston had gotten in the way.

“I remember Glen saying after Lin got waived, ‘He can run the pick and roll and be a playmaker better than anybody we had,’ ’’ D’Antoni recalled.

But the Knicks had enough point guards on the roster by then. In the season opener on Christmas Day, rookie Iman Shumpert sprained his knee and went out for at least two weeks.

The decision was made the next day when Grunwald told D’Antoni this was the Knicks’ chance to claim Lin — at least as a stopgap because his $788,000 contract wasn’t guaranteed. After 16 teams passed in waivers, Grunwald sprang.

“Lin and [Steve] Novak, they were both Glen’s calls,’’ said a person familiar with Grunwald’s daily waiver talks with D’Antoni.

Earlier that month, D’Antoni was more impressed by his new boss during the hectic period when the franchise did mathematical cartwheels — a series of maneuvers that began with Chauncey Billups’ amnesty waiver — to open enough salary cap space to sign center Tyson Chandler.

“Trying to get Tyson in those few days, his demeanor to deliver under enormous pressure was terrific,’’ D’Antoni said. “The way he went about it: calm, cool, collected through the whole thing.’’

Lin has morphed into a global sensation, suddenly a recognizable face around the world as the Knicks prepare to face the Raptors tonight in Toronto.

Grunwald? Most Knicks fans couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. He has remained invisible — despite his 6-foot-7 height — working behind the scenes in advancing former team president Donnie Walsh’s rebuilding agenda.

However, Grunwald changed Walsh’s master plan on a dime, thinking out of the box to heist Chandler from the Mavericks, being bold to claim Lin and sticking behind D’Antoni’s system during the Knicks’ slump. Even Novak, who was put on waivers Dec. 19, is looking like a find, with Grunwald seeing him as the perfect 3-point shooting ace for D’Antoni.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/invisible_grunwald_is_knicks_man_T1QtfRdUbngoBThHgNwQGJ#ixzz1nPfMZJzv

fishmike wrote:

nixluva wrote:Lin wasn't "pure luck". They could've signed any other available PG, but there was thought put into the decision to take Lin. I've been sayiing that MDA and Glen liked Lin from before and that they had their eye on him even before he hit the waiver wires. Once again i'm not just gonna say what I think, but read this as proof of what i'm saying:

TORONTO -- During the Knicks’ rushed December training camp, interim general manager Glen Grunwald brought coach Mike D’Antoni into his office at their Greenburgh practice facility for daily meetings.

On the wall in Grunwald’s office is a greaseboard. During the frenzied free-agent period, the names of players put on waivers were listed on the board. Grunwald and D’Antoni discussed the players’ merits.

On Dec. 24, Jeremy Lin hit Grunwald’s greaseboard after he was cut by the Rockets. D’Antoni and Grunwald discussed Lin’s impressive pre-draft workout in Greenburgh on June 7, 2010, his penetration ability and knack for the pick and roll.

Grunwald had recommended bringing Lin in for training camp last season and earlier in December, but Golden State and Houston had gotten in the way.

“I remember Glen saying after Lin got waived, ‘He can run the pick and roll and be a playmaker better than anybody we had,’ ’’ D’Antoni recalled.

But the Knicks had enough point guards on the roster by then. In the season opener on Christmas Day, rookie Iman Shumpert sprained his knee and went out for at least two weeks.

The decision was made the next day when Grunwald told D’Antoni this was the Knicks’ chance to claim Lin — at least as a stopgap because his $788,000 contract wasn’t guaranteed. After 16 teams passed in waivers, Grunwald sprang.

“Lin and [Steve] Novak, they were both Glen’s calls,’’ said a person familiar with Grunwald’s daily waiver talks with D’Antoni.

Earlier that month, D’Antoni was more impressed by his new boss during the hectic period when the franchise did mathematical cartwheels — a series of maneuvers that began with Chauncey Billups’ amnesty waiver — to open enough salary cap space to sign center Tyson Chandler.

“Trying to get Tyson in those few days, his demeanor to deliver under enormous pressure was terrific,’’ D’Antoni said. “The way he went about it: calm, cool, collected through the whole thing.’’

Lin has morphed into a global sensation, suddenly a recognizable face around the world as the Knicks prepare to face the Raptors tonight in Toronto.

Grunwald? Most Knicks fans couldn’t pick him out of a lineup. He has remained invisible — despite his 6-foot-7 height — working behind the scenes in advancing former team president Donnie Walsh’s rebuilding agenda.

However, Grunwald changed Walsh’s master plan on a dime, thinking out of the box to heist Chandler from the Mavericks, being bold to claim Lin and sticking behind D’Antoni’s system during the Knicks’ slump. Even Novak, who was put on waivers Dec. 19, is looking like a find, with Grunwald seeing him as the perfect 3-point shooting ace for D’Antoni.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/invisible_grunwald_is_knicks_man_T1QtfRdUbngoBThHgNwQGJ#ixzz1nPfMZJzv

the pure luck was that he's looked like a franchise PG. You cant deny that. Luke Ridnour fits Grunwald's description also. Please dude. This was a scrape bottom of barrel for a team with no floor general, and its not like he got in or impressed right away either

I disagree because if it was possible for them to get Lin before the season, they would've picked him up. Lin was on Glen's list. Also if he had a chance in training camp he would've beaten TD and Bibby out for the job. In a normal off season with a full camp the Knicks would've had time to fully train and evaluate Lin. Of course no one "knew" that Lin would take off this fast, but the talent was,there and that was one of the reasons they picked him up rather than any number of other PG's FA's and D League players. THE KNICKS CHOSE LIN above other options. WHY? Because the liked his talent and potential. They kept Lin rather than going after Mike James. WHY? Because they liked Lin's talent and potential and wanted to give him a shot before making a final decision.

BRIGGS wrote:This was a shtty team going nowhere that executed a lousy trade(Carmelo) got lucky with amnesty(Chandler) and from the looks of it signed a 100mm contract for a guy who played up to it for 60 games last year and now we may be up the creek. Waiting for Baron Davis to save this team--never ever wouldve happened. Both Lin(especially ) and Novak helped save this train luck and to be very honest it was luck. Now guys like dantoni grunwald etc... will be compensated heavily for this luck!!

What a joke. Haters of the Melo trade will go to any length to discredit it! The fact is that we got the 2 best players from that trade. Melo and Chauncey which we turned into Chandler. Melo and Chandler are key ingredients in our success and that's no luck. The Nuggets meanwhile will be a lottery team for years to come. Haters get over yourselves and admit you were wrong. The Knicks got 2 great players and have replinshed their bench much more quickly than you ever expected! YOU WERE WRONG!

mrKnickShot wrote:

FeltonandAmare wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:This was a shtty team going nowhere that executed a lousy trade(Carmelo) got lucky with amnesty(Chandler) and from the looks of it signed a 100mm contract for a guy who played up to it for 60 games last year and now we may be up the creek. Waiting for Baron Davis to save this team--never ever wouldve happened. Both Lin(especially ) and Novak helped save this train luck and to be very honest it was luck. Now guys like dantoni grunwald etc... will be compensated heavily for this luck!!

What a joke. Haters of the Melo trade will go to any length to discredit it! The fact is that we got the 2 best players from that trade. Melo and Chauncey which we turned into Chandler. Melo and Chandler are key ingredients in our success and that's no luck. The Nuggets meanwhile will be a lottery team for years to come. Haters get over yourselves and admit you were wrong. The Knicks got 2 great players and have replinshed their bench much more quickly than you ever expected! YOU WERE WRONG!

this post will go over well - I'm sure.

Heh..I started typing a response and then thought better of it.

The Giants were lucky that Welker dropped the pass but they were positioned to benefit from that wonderful luck.

crzymdups wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:You need to be positioned correctly to be lucky.

this is certainly true, but the lin situation is one of the most astounding diamond in the rough finds of all time.

there's luck and there's Luck.

Yes. Thats Hollywood worthy.

I know that people on this board give credit to MDA for seeing his talents but I think that he sh1t gold and who cares - I am just happy it happened to us.

eViL wrote:luck is always a major part of success.

Luck is when preparedness meets opportunity! If Billups' contract wasn't picked up, he couldn't be amnestied to give us Chandler. If we resigned Anthony Carter, we wouldn't have the space for Lin. We could speculate forever about our situation, but bottom line, WE'RE HERE!! Let us not question the ride. LET'S BE ABOUT IT!!