gunsnewing wrote:guys like KT and Sheed are valuable in practice. Keep things profession and no let up in effort. It also helps that a lot of these guys have rings. Now if only we had a championship core these vets would be really valuable. Right now their attributes are wasted on a team that will not win a championship and in 2-3yrs have no influx of youth and cap flexibility to sustain a 10 year run like the Ewing Knicks did. Layden/Isiah days are right around the corner. No cap flexibility, traded lottery picks etc

Just curious as to how you would have done it. Not trying to be flippant Guns. I'm all for a youth movement especially when the core has a Durant or a Rose but most teams don't get players like that because the odds are literally stacked against them. We went after LeBron, he went to Miami, and have been operating on plan B ever since.

I believe once Stat started to break down, mgmt decided that they had to get another star in a hurry so they got Melo. Lets say that we got another star instead of Melo (so we don't have to cover that ground again) The Knicks had a choice build a team around a star who was looking more and more like he might not hold up for very long or surround Stat with younger players and think more long term. The Knicks decided to go all in and try to get the most out of Stat while they could and give him some help.

If you want to blame anyone, blame Isiah for trading away all those picks for Curry. Most of the damage was done before Stat even got there. Until recently no one wanted to play in NY in part because of how the franchise was run and how they ended their contracts with players and coaches. If the Knicks can show that they have their act together after this 2-3 year run is over, I don't believe it will be as hard to attract talent the next time around.

As for Ewing, he is one of the 50 greatest players to ever play the game. Not easy drafting players like that.

Kidd, Prigioni, Camby (who can defend the three), Thomas and Rasheed Wallace.

If Mike Woodson dared to start them, The Answer Man guarantees they would play to a ten point lead.

"You don't get to be old bein' no fool."

gunsnewing wrote:guys like KT and Sheed are valuable in practice. Keep things profession and no let up in effort. It also helps that a lot of these guys have rings. Now if only we had a championship core these vets would be really valuable. Right now their attributes are wasted on a team that will not win a championship and in 2-3yrs have no influx of youth and cap flexibility to sustain a 10 year run like the Ewing Knicks did. Layden/Isiah days are right around the corner. No cap flexibility, traded lottery picks etc

I believe you are looking back at the Ewing years in a distorted way. We did not win a championship with Ewing mainly due to the Jordan roadblock. Although we had ten good years, the parts changed and were not always young. The reason for that good run was mainly due to Ewing and coaching. There was always a lament about never having a second star as part of the core. If people blog posted back then as they do now, there would be much of the same commentary that the team was playoff caliber but could not get over the hump. Sure 1994 was great, but we did not win it all.

We are not returning to the Layden/Isiah days as you intimate. That would be next to impossible under the new CBA. There are more stringent contract term limits, max limits, and a much higher penalty structure for Luxury tax. Given the Knicks three player core, and with most contracts falling off in three years, I believe the Knicks are managing their roster in the proper way to support that core. Veteran players who do not quibble over minutes and can contribute immediately. Sure a guy like Blatch has more youth and upside. But he will not be happy with 5 minutes a night....nor will he be here for three years given the cap structure.

After three years the Knicks will have Melo (option year), Shump, 1st Rounder in 2013, 1st rounder in 2015, Felton and possibly JR (on extension if he is playing well this year). If they do not compete at a high level during the previous years, they will have most likely moved some assets such as Tyson...perhaps for younger players or picks. This will be a relatively young core with some cap flexibility to attempt another run.

misterearl wrote:Go Hard Or Go Home

AnubisADL wrote:I posted a video of him at a pro-am over the summer. Dude still has hops.

I don't think he is going to be able to give you more than 10 quality NBA minutes a night though.

“(Coach Woodson) told me his ideas and his plans and I just wanted to see if I could fit in somewhere. If Coach needs me for two minutes, then I’m out there for those two minutes going hard. If it’s 10 or 15 minutes, then I’m going hard for whatever certain amount of minutes he has me there for."

How the Fuhhhuck can you not love this guy?
If nothing else, he's crazier than JR could ever hope to be.

We're old. We're hungry. It started with Tyson, but now the days of the lane being a free driving and parking zone are now completely, officially over.

Now we just need some explosive, consistent O. Inside/Outside.

Be afraid haters. Be very afraid.

misterearl wrote:"We're just gradually bringing him along," Woody said. "The fact that he's been out for a few years, we just don't want to push the issue. We've got to do some things from a medical and strength and conditioning standpoint to make sure when he hits the floor, he's ready to go." - Mike Woodson

Wise move to bring Rasheed along slowly.

misterearl wrote:Distractions And Mirages

nykshaknbake wrote:So it seems he probably hasn't been keeping up with practice or conditioning... nothing I've read says this isn't a distraction and a waste of practice time and resources that could be used for the rest of the team.

Nothing The Answer Man has read says that Rasheed has been welcomed with anything less than overwhelming gratitude and respect for his combustible skill set by his coaches and teammates. It only seems that nyshakeandbake has been superimposing his opinion on the actual events and first hand reports.

Waste of practice time and resources? Say what? You saying the Knicks are short on basketballs, rims and court space?

Maybe they can hire another assistant coach?

You know other than coming into camp so out of shape he can't take part in in training camp so far. Of course, his two year layoff was supposed to mean he was in better shape than his last year in Boston or his last couple of years in Detroit.

misterearl wrote:Distractions And Mirages

nykshaknbake wrote:So it seems he probably hasn't been keeping up with practice or conditioning... nothing I've read says this isn't a distraction and a waste of practice time and resources that could be used for the rest of the team.

Nothing The Answer Man has read says that Rasheed has been welcomed with anything less than overwhelming gratitude and respect for his combustible skill set by his coaches and teammates. It only seems that nyshakeandbake has been superimposing his opinion on the actual events and first hand reports.

Waste of practice time and resources? Say what? You saying the Knicks are short on basketballs, rims and court space?

Maybe they can hire another assistant coach?

What did you expect to hear the players telling the media how worthless he looked and that he can't shoot the rock anymore? What the hell is a combustible skill set anyway? There are limited coaches that have limited space they can cover, attention they can give and time, so yes to your 1st question. The approach to sheed should be I'll see it when I beleive it.

nyshakeandbake - Rasheed is 6'11 and plays tough defense. He can also shoot the ball. You think that offering him a tryout os a waste of time. I do not. It ain't that deep.

Coaches get paid big bucks to maximize the efforts of 20 guys. Twenty. The Knicks have six assistants, not counting Hakeem's cameo. It would seem there is enough manpower to go around.

If Sheed cannot play, he goes home. No big deal. If he can go hard for 10 minutes, he makes us better. What is the problem?

misterearl wrote:The Contender

Rasheed Wallace is not quite in shape yet and he’s using boxing to get there. Wallace donned boxing gloves and threw punches with strength coach Dave Hancock while the rest of the team scrimmaged. It’s unknown if Wallace will be ready Tuesday either. As Wallace threw punches on the sidelines into Hancock’s mitts, it was quite the surreal scene. Wallace has been known for being most combative with referees.
- Marc Berman

Rasheed Wallace's record against NBA referees is 57-2-0. That includes 33 knockouts, 22 unanimous decisions and 2 split decisions.

"Let's go to Harold Lederman for the scorecard..."

Remember the ref who ejected him for staring at him lol

Not a RashWeed fan. Im sure he is funny and a great guy, but I hope he don't pull that crap in a close game.