gunsnewing wrote:And damn near 20yrs and They still haven't figured out what to do with capspace
There is a massive difference between "cap space" and "cap flexibility"
Raw cap space has rarely done much for any team. Steve Nash to the Suns. Shaq to the Lakers. LBJ to the Heat. Durant to the Warriors. Very very few impact FAs move teams and very few FAs in total make a massive impact to their new team.
Cap flexibility is different. Useful veterans on expiring contracts. No bloated Stoudamire type anchor contracts to kill your cap. Lots of short term younger players on cheap contracts. Lots of cost controlled guys on their rookie deals outperforming their actual market value. Most of the money focused into positional value - Pivots who can defend the rim and wings who can guard the perimeter and his three point shots.
"Value" is just that, raw value.
If the Knicks have 3 centers but FA is mined and a guy in the 4th tier of FA is a center who they can get at a bargain rate and he's not chronically hurt and he can be productive and desirable in a trade, then you sign him. Trade him later if you need to do it, but teams who are rebuilding should never ever pass up any kind of value.
Two pennies converted into a nickel.
Two pennies and a nickel converted into a dime.
Two dimes into a quarter.
Three quarters into a dollar.
You build "value" by stockpiling assets. That means you take in a flier contract and you trade him at the deadline. You absorb an expiring deal to get a young player or a pick or both.
Jrue Holiday does nothing of that kind for you. He's a cap eating net negative player.
When Kent Bazemore signed off the Warriors bench for 2 years and 4 million with the Hawks, that's a good signing. An asset like that is useful or trade worthy and at worst, the cap hit is not massive.
If you have a rebuilding roster, you need to keep parts moving. Long term contracts for players in decline don't do that for you.
"Role players" Who gives a flying f**k if it's a "role player" Does that signing or trade operate as increasing the incremental value of the teams asset base?
Does the player help the two dimes into a quarter principle?
You get enough quarters in your pocket, then you can reach for a couple of dollars later down the road.
The great teams, in any sport, the Baltimore Ravens, the San Francisco Giants, the San Antonio Spurs, are always looking to take those progressive baby steps. Getting a little better at a time until it all adds up. The Knicks should operate no differently.
Signing Jrue Holiday to a massive contract as a free agent is lazy, irresponsible and avoids the basic tenets of actual team building that more successful franchises show as a baseline blue print.
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) Aldridge was a reasonably good gamble at 4 years, 20 mil. Not a steal but an acceptable gamble. Carroll at 15 mil per was overpaying though not as badly as the overpaying we've done. He didn't have a long enough track record of strong play to justify that contract.
2/7/2017 3:11 AM