Alternate Take
Popper: "So have they filled the roster with finishers or just plain finished? One week into camp there are little signs of trouble."
The Answer Man: Every NBA team has injuries. Derek Rose went down with a horrendous injury to his knee and suddenly the Bulls are changed, possibly for months, perhaps years. No one knows.
Popper: "In an arduous NBA schedule it's hard to imagine a group that includes the 40-year-old Kurt Thomas, 39-year-old Jason Kidd and 38-year-olds Rasheed Wallace and Camby is going to survive without more than its share of problems."
The Answer Man: Kurt Thomas played 53 games averaged 15 minutes. He also shot 47 percent from the field. Cool. In NY he will be counted on for about 10-12 minutes a night.
Jason Kidd played 48 games and averaged 28 minutes last season. Playing behind Ray Felton, he can play 15-20 effective minutes with less wear and tear. Pablo Prigioni is insurance. Prigioni is a huge leadership upgrade over Toney Douglas.
Marcus Camby played 59 games and averaged 23 minutes. Backing up Tyson Chandler, who averaged 33 minutes in 62 games, translates into both playing fewer minutes for both. How? There are 48 minutes. Chandler can go 30 and Marcus can go 18. See how that works?
The best part? Any quality time that Rasheed Wallace can bring is a bonus. He can cameo at center or get Amar'es back for 8-12 minutes of defensive mayhem and long distance shooting.
Piece of Cake.