corvetteknick wrote:I could hang it all on Melo if that's what you are getting at, but he's the least of this team's problems. For $7M, Lance Thomas is trash and for 4 years?

$7mil is less than the MLE next season ($8.5mil). He's been battling Plantar fasciitis all season- he was good last season, hopefully he bounces back next season once the injury has healed. He's a great character guy, and a hard worker- very good vet to have around the younger players. He is the least of our problems

corvetteknick wrote:I would be good with Smith or Monk. The Knicks will need to to get into the 4-6 range, and think they can legitimately do that. As is - this team is bad, and last night showed that against a depleted 76ers team - there is no pride or structure that will see this team win more than 6-7 more games this year. Signing Noah to a ridiculously stupid 4 year deal was bad, and even at $6M-$7M, Lance Thomas is pure garbage, but Phil outdid himself hiring a snot-nosed loser like Hornacek as coach. Mark Jackson needs to be the new coach come next season, and hopefully Phil will get the axe.

Is this Hof on a new login?

smackeddog wrote:

corvetteknick wrote:I could hang it all on Melo if that's what you are getting at, but he's the least of this team's problems. For $7M, Lance Thomas is trash and for 4 years?

$7mil is less than the MLE next season ($8.5mil). He's been battling Plantar fasciitis all season- he was good last season, hopefully he bounces back next season once the injury has healed. He's a great character guy, and a hard worker- very good vet to have around the younger players. He is the least of our problems

Melo is a 25 mill 25 shot black hole.... but he's the last of our problems when taking about Lame Thomas making less than the mid level exemption....

You have now entered the twilight zone

More important...Good sized guard with all-around game who can shoot, distribute, play D, and has a high BB IQ.

Not asking for too much.

sidneydeane wrote:justin jackson?? seriously? 3rd year and just doesnt look special to me . stats sre good but notvas good as tge others who are first year. i think lonzo mighht be overrated too but we will have to wait asnd see . fultz is a beast he will be no.1. smith coukd be in the 5-8 range probably where we pick

Yes, Justin Jackson. I don't think he's a solid value for where the Knicks will likely pick with their own "natural" pick in the first round. However, if he falls somewhere in the 2nd ( again I don't think this will happen), I think he's be a tremendous value in the 2nd round.

This is stuff I said in the post above, but I'll say it again.

Yes, I like Justin Jackson better than Josh Jackson. I actually like him more than a lot of guys going far earlier than him.

I think Tatum is the best overall value for where the Knicks will pick with their natural pick. I think he's a good target that's a practical fit and practical range for how the draft board might shake out by the actual draft.

I RARELY tout players for the draft here on this site. Last time I touted player targets, I said trade back and target Devin Booker ( draft) and Jae Crowder ( free agency) and garner more assets in the deal. I got mocked by some folks here. Well I don't hear those MFers chirping now.

I hate Bill Belichick, but something he's noted for doing by other established coaches is he looks at what a player CAN DO, instead of what a player can potentially do. Who was it? Sebastian Telfair had raw tools out the wazoo. But practically, one has to look at what a future NBA player can do, instead of hoping what he could be if every single situation panned out in an ideal sense ( nothing ever does)

I think the time to reach a bit is when you are picking in the TOP 3 of the lottery. This is where you swing big, and you either hit big or miss big. I can understand that. And the Knicks MIGHT pick in that range. But if they don't, if they fall into that 8-10-12 range, then I think you have to focus on fundamental players. Luis Scola was not a sure thing coming out of the international leagues. But look at the guys footwork. I'm not saying he was Kevin McHale 2.0 or Tim Duncan level footwork, but his tool set was very very very refined. His fundamentals were very good. He was a pretty good player, not a raging All Star, but a pretty good player.

Never let "great" be the enemy of good.

I value guys who are fundamentally good basketball players. Maybe they don't have the plus "jump out of the gym" athleticism, but so what. You can win with good fundamental basketball. And barring that, it's the kind of style of play that I think the Knicks need and the fanbase will truly embrace.