franco12 wrote:

nixluva wrote:No debate! Amare/Felton vs. Lee/Duhon is a SUPER UPGRADE!!! Just that upgrade alone is enough to make an improvement in record, but then you add AZ, Turiaf, AR and an improved Gallo, TD & Chan and I believe this is a definite playoff team. This team actually makes sense. The last 2 years we just thru parts together in order to get to 2010, but this was thoughtfully and logically put together. We've gone from hoping that everything fell just right in order to get to the final playoff spots, verses, a team with a good balance of size, speed, shooting and power. I don't think the rest of the East is strong enough to keep the Knicks out of the playoffs.

So Nix- are you willing to state that if the Knicks fail to make the playoffs, that some combination of MDA & Walsh should be fired? And it looks like you'd be saying that MDA should absolutely be fired for not making the playoffs next year?

Haven't you learned that Nix is the Knicks Spin Witch Doctor, and he can put a positive spin on
ANY POSSIBLE situation regarding the Knicks, even if it complete contradicts the previous thing
he spun about?

franco12 wrote:

nixluva wrote:No debate! Amare/Felton vs. Lee/Duhon is a SUPER UPGRADE!!! Just that upgrade alone is enough to make an improvement in record, but then you add AZ, Turiaf, AR and an improved Gallo, TD & Chan and I believe this is a definite playoff team. This team actually makes sense. The last 2 years we just thru parts together in order to get to 2010, but this was thoughtfully and logically put together. We've gone from hoping that everything fell just right in order to get to the final playoff spots, verses, a team with a good balance of size, speed, shooting and power. I don't think the rest of the East is strong enough to keep the Knicks out of the playoffs.

So Nix- are you willing to state that if the Knicks fail to make the playoffs, that some combination of MDA & Walsh should be fired? And it looks like you'd be saying that MDA should absolutely be fired for not making the playoffs next year?

I certainly think they should be fired, prefably the coach..The east have 3 locks to make the playoffs, magic,miami,boston...5 spots are up for grabs..We have signifcantly upgraded our roster, and should be able to compete against every team in this league..

I'm also not buying having players with playoff experience really matters during the regular season cause other then Curry, JC, Lee, and Nate, our roster has been filled with playoff tested players. I don't think the THUNDER had one single player on there roster that had been to the playoffs.

We were primed and talented enough to reach the playoffs in 08, but we all know what happen.
we pick up a one legged McGrady for the last 29 games, and he gave us nathan..The mind set of the players on our sqaud (other then LEE) was im going to be traded any day now, some were even welcoming a trade..

When you play on the streets and you say you got next, and the current teams playing need a quick sub (for one reason or another) you could careless weather you win the game cause you got next anyway..

franco12 wrote:

Panos wrote:

franco12 wrote:

nixluva wrote:No debate! Amare/Felton vs. Lee/Duhon is a SUPER UPGRADE!!! Just that upgrade alone is enough to make an improvement in record, but then you add AZ, Turiaf, AR and an improved Gallo, TD & Chan and I believe this is a definite playoff team. This team actually makes sense. The last 2 years we just thru parts together in order to get to 2010, but this was thoughtfully and logically put together. We've gone from hoping that everything fell just right in order to get to the final playoff spots, verses, a team with a good balance of size, speed, shooting and power. I don't think the rest of the East is strong enough to keep the Knicks out of the playoffs.

So Nix- are you willing to state that if the Knicks fail to make the playoffs, that some combination of MDA & Walsh should be fired? And it looks like you'd be saying that MDA should absolutely be fired for not making the playoffs next year?

Haven't you learned that Nix is the Knicks Spin Witch Doctor, and he can put a positive spin on
ANY POSSIBLE situation regarding the Knicks, even if it complete contradicts the previous thing
he spun about?

No I know- its unreal how any one person can be that delusional focused on the positives.

For a while, I waited Isiah's moves out and saw the potential positives- but at some point, you realize that there aren't any quick fixes (unless you're Miami).

The failure wasn't cuz we didn't have the talent, which was my main argument for why they should make it. It always came down to the Mix of players, their mental attitude towards playing team ball, defense and sacrificing for the team. We've had enough talent to get to the playoffs. Guys like Zach, Lee and Jamal have been solid NBA players. However there was always some key flaw to the mix and attitude of the Players and coaches.

Anyway, I don't believe that MDA should be necessarily fired unless it's clear that he was the reason the team underachieved. If the team plays hard and misses by a game or 2, mainly due to young players not being ready or injury, then to some degree I could accept that. It's a very narrow set of circumstances tho. Not much else would be acceptable as an excuse. This doesn't differ in anyway from how i've felt in the past. I have argued that serious injury and inexperience has been a problem in the past. This time tho I think we should see significant growth from some of our young players. I fully expect that MDA will have this teams full attention and that much like his 1st year with Duhon, Zach, Lee & Jamal playing well this team should look like a solid NBA team. I think that 2008 team could've been .500 if kept together, but I think this team could do even better than that. I think this team has more size, defense and overall balance. It's just a better team IMO. This team also fits MDA the best since he's been here.

fishmike wrote:38 wins is a disaster. You have a 5 time all star bigman in his prime. You have a very good veteran PG. You have a couple of young up and coming players who can play and contribute right now. You have a lot of size and some very good role players as well. Its a young team but Felton/Amare gives you a veteran stabalizing presense, and both guys play very hard and very tough and play to win the game. This team is extremely big and athletic. Its got a lot of multi skilled players, guys who can handle, shoot, post, score, push, defend, etc. The only thing its a little light on is playmakers. After Felton there isnt much there and losing Lee and his high post passing will really hurt, but thats the only real weak spot.

I will certainly accept that wins might be hard to come by for some early stretches because its a young group and a they have not played together but I would EXPECT this to be a .500 team by the all star break at the very worst. After that we should be good enough to rattle off some nice streaks, like winning 10 of 12 or something like that. We are big enough and so long as Felton/Amare stay healthy smart enough to win games.

We dont have a SG, but Chandler/Douglas both bring good things there and we have shooters to spread the defense.

Barring an extended injury to Felton or Amare this is a 45 win team. We should beat up on the lower echelon teams plain and simple. We are too big, too skilled and too deep not to beat up on the losing teams of the league. Likewise we should get some wins against the upper echelon teams (certainly at home) as well.

I EXPECT to win 45 games and make the playoffs. If it takes some times for us to gell and figure things out fine, thats normal, but I also think its a pretty unselfish group who wants to win. No matter how good you look on paper we werent as good as Bos/Orl because they are established. Obviously Miami is going to win a ton of regular season games with that line up. No reason we cant go after the Hawks, Bulls, Bucks in the standings. Teams like Cle, NJ, Cha, Phili, Toronto, Pacers... we are simply better and should be winning a very high % against these guys. Thats how you pump up your record.

Only injuries should keep this team from being in the 45-50 wins range, IMO. I would be pretty pissed off with 38.

MDA has a lot of assets to work with. He is going to downplay the talent we have on the- he is not the kind of coach to through out crazy expectations- but you have to think that he is pretty pleased with the pieces he can play with, and if Azubuike returns to form, we will have more than enough at the SG position to have an excellent season.

Just wish we could get the show on the road now so observation can replace speculation around here.

The best is yet to come.

Any continued talk of Carmelo is bordering on the Lebron frenzy that was manufactured for ratings

Where is Jerome Jordan these days and why hasn't he signed a contract?

There are fans that want the Starphuch and think that is the key to winning.

Yes, I'd like Melo here but only at the right price and only if our coaches see him as being a big cog of the master plan.

He is stat whore shooter in the same vein as Big Dog Robinson and Glenn Rice but would he be a good piece in the machine or a black hole in the offense. MDA can do special things but he has to have his guys.

LIke a player who believes in his coach and buys into a system a coach has to have his guys that he believes in as well.

Lets hope Dolan leaves his basketball people alone.