Posted by sebstar:
Posted by BlueSeats:
Posted by sebstar:
And the Knicks were just brimming with assets when he took over the job?
Yes, the ability to offer lottery draft picks, Euro prospects and cap space (via expiring contracts and a willingness to eat horrific contracts, like penny) are highly valuable assets to teams who do want to trim payroll and or rebuild (ie, Phoenix, Chicago)
An argument could probably be made that no GM in the history of the league has had the assets at his disposal to do what Isiah has done.
Wow. Interesting way at looking at things.
Prospects? We talking about Frank Williams, Vujanic, Lampe, Sweetney, ext. All were borderline prospects, if that. Where they at now? Milk carton.
Lottery picks? How many lottery picks did Zeke give up? I thought the only one was last year and we all know the circumstances behind that. He traded picks that were mid to late 1st rounders unless I am lapsing here.
We were headed to the lottery in isiah's first season. We gave that pick to the suns in the Marbury deal. Has we kept it I believe we might have gotten Igoudala in the draft. The other pick in that deal becomes unprotected in '10, so that too
may become a lottery pick. In the Curry deal went what became the #2 pick, and if we're in the lottery this year that would make a 4th potential lottery pick traded.
To say he gave up the most assets out of any GM is just a bizarre statement when taking into account the roster that was assembled under Layden. He had SOME assets, (expiring contracts, absorb money) but nowhere near the level you describe. He had to make moves, to say otherwise would be naive at best; his margin for error was slim, and he made mistakes obviously. Hence we're still average at best.
Not all assets were
given up but they were at his disposal. Consider MLE's, coaches, buyouts, alleviating teams of burdensome contracts. etc.
Tell ya what, instead insinuating I exaggerate and calling my statements "bizarre", how about you show me other GMs who've traded as many first round picks and taken on as many burdensome contracts, thus facilitating other team's rebuilds, as quickly and to the same extent as has Isiah. Name one GM a team would call before Isiah when they have a project "star" with a questionable attitude and bad contract to unload. Name one GM who's had more money to spend than Isiah on coaches or players.
Proving me wrong would go a lot farther than zesty rhetoric.
This is his team and his organization now, so I am not going to play the retroactive blame game and throw everything on Layden's lap, but a little balance and perspective on Zeke's tenure here would be appreciated.
IMO, that balance needs to come when assessing how our assets were utilized, not by denying the amount and power of them.
3/14/2007 9:17 PM
