The reason why I say we cannot go without a center is because of a simple fact. If the opposing team has a center, and we have no one to match something like that, then we have less of a chance to win. It's that simple. I can't think of one team EVER' that has won an NBA championship without one. It really is close to impossible. I know we made the finals a few years back, with the explosiveness of Spreewell and the blocking ability of Camby, but when we had to face the two giants, Duncan and Robinson, I knew for certain that we were facing a mountain to climb over and the odds were just too high to overcome that, with out at least one' true center. You also have to remeber, we got to the finals on pure luck. Remember the game against Miami (if I'm not mistaken). Remember the famous 'the bounce' from Houston? If not for that, we more than likely would not of made it. So that is just one' of several examples why we cannot go without a center. Now having an 'effective' one is another question.

Ben Wallace is not your 'typical' center. He just happens to be very, very strong. Sort of like our old Charles was. Not tall enough to block a whole lot of shots, or shoot over a lot of centers, but strong enough to block them out or force them to shoot it outside. But Ben may be a bad example, seeing that the bulls have a solid outside shooting game. Yet another needed trademark for a team, any team, if you want to win it all. Could you imagine if the bulls ended up getting KG? With Ben at foreward position, who could stop that? It's depressing to think about.

Amare is a center, but not one of the elite's like what Shaq was or Duncan for instance. Or even a Yao. You have to have one of the biggest, if you want to compete. So next to those giants, someone like Amare would have to be questioned. He certainly has the height and size to be a center, but maybe there is a bigger question here. Maybe guys like him, who aren't as giant or unique as the others mentioned, maybe he'd have to be rethought of as a big foreward.

As far as paradigm? It has already begun, when guys like Dirk, Yao and a few others came into the league a few years back. It's just a matter of time before they win it all. When Tim and shaq are finally gone, if not already, then those obviously will be the giants of the land. It's such a no brainer. Who want's to nominate me to run the Knicks. I'll make all' of the right moves (well' certainly not dumb one's) and bring us back to respectability. And if I couldn't take this team to another level, I'd give it to someone who could, because I love my Knicks and want them to win it all.

If G.S. wins it all, then I'll beleive it. But I say this with respect. It's absurd to think of Lee playing center. We had Harrington (depressing to think about) and I'm telling you and everyone else, you need a center. I don't like to admit to being wrong about anything, but when I am, I'm the first to admit it. I don't think I'm wrong about that. As a matter of fact, I know' I'm not wrong about that. Remember when they tried to make Kurt into a center. It was a complete joke! I still can't beleive they did that!

4949 - mentioning Othella Harrington and David Lee in the same sentence is just plain wrong. Different skill sets. Lee can actually jump.

Kurt Thomas was a center by the default of being the tallest ambulatory player rather than by the design of the GM. and he played next to...

check it out

Whether GSW wins it all is not the point. It's not simply about being a "copycat" franchise... but more about matching the best five on Knicks roster to complementary spaces on the floor and making the most of the developing talent.

I was offering an alternative approach... for all the posters whose only goal in life is to bust on Eddy Curry... without offering a more viable alternative.





[Edited by - misterearl on 04-28-2007 10:06 AM]

Posted by Allanfan20:

So long as our fans have such low standards, the Knicks will have low standdards. It's so effin' sad, and now the same crap is trying to buy my Yankees.

This observer is thinking that if you are a Yankee fan, you might have to start lowering your standards right quick.

As for the Knicks, some fans have the patience to watch these guys build and develop into a team a single year after they were a discombobulated, disjointed, disrespecting 23 win jumble. This fan sees progress in our finding an offensive focus to build around, just a year after we were feeding Malik Rose for 14 foot jump shots with a second left on the shot clock. Some fans appreciate that we have some compelling, skilled and still improving young talents just three years after being the oldest team in the league, that we are acquiring some talent in the draft after being historically the worst team at making use of that resource.

Do those fans have low standards, or perspective.

Because perspective is what fans need when a team is rebuilding, not low standards. And that is the irony here. The very same fans who say "We need to rebuild, Isiah sucks" are validating his (really MSG's) approach by behaving like a 9 year old girl whose mom has gone to the check-out at Toys R Us without filling her cart with Bratz dolls; booing a developing team and a coach that had at that point 10 games to put them together...emptying out the blue seats despite the fact that this team is a million times more interesting, and has ten times more potential, than the 2003 team that was filling the stands.

Wondering "Why are we being compared to the worst"? Maybe because three years ago we werethe worst. I liked the chart of Eddy Curry's efficiency rating that was posted yesterday. It showed progress each year. I look at the Knicks the same way. For the first time in a while that slope is clearly positive. We haven't taken the shortest route to get there, true, but thats the reality of the NBA and more specifically the reality of building a team run by the corporate behemoth of Cablevision and the fickle New York City fan base.

No one who takes the time to relate their views to other Knick fans on this or any other forum would be ultimately happy with a middling 40 win team. To accuse those fans with perspective of being so is disingenuous. But if we are, say, a 42 win playoff team next year thats positive progress. We continue to shed salary with a view toward cap space thats progress. Believe you me, I'll be front row and center protesting at MSG on draft day looking for change if I don't see that progress next year. Perspective, not unlimited patience.

I think we are much closer to getting this thing right and I see no need to shift direction to what I think is a weaker form of Ball. Perhaps GS is a great match for Dallas, but then will they be able to do the same things against a team like the Rockets or Spurs if they met? It's hard to say. All I know is that Historically, it's better to have a Center or Post oriented offensive options.

Right on. History tells us you don't need a powerful post presence to win a championship, but it helps. But now the debate is totally academic. We have one, a guy who routinely demands double teams and occasionally triples, opening up the games of our other offensive weapons (such as they are). You don't have something like that then ponder what we could do without it. Unless you are just chewing the fat, or the Curry.

Har, har.

Posted by Elite:

I would be so excited if we could trade curry for a young prospect/draft pick

Curry IS THAT YOUNG PROSPECT!!! Tell me just who you're going to get aside from Oden or Durant that is gonna have a bigger impact than Curry will have for this team? You seem to be forgetting just how tough he is on the other team. This guy was EASILY a 20+ scorer if he had hit just a tad higher % from the Foul line. Also despite all the bashing, for him to reach All Star level he has to improve in areas considered the easiest part of the game to fix for a guy with his physical gifts. It's certainly not a case of him being uable to do those things. I think it's all mental for him. He needs to learn how to focus on all aspects of the game. I don't know if he'll ever get to the point where he's as focused as KG but I do think he's going to improve.

RemBee76 is right. Too many NY fans are simply impatient and basically hypocritical, cuz they say they want a rebuild and yet we have a team LOADED with young talent and they don't want to allow these players to develop. SO what does that say about them? As he said there's a total lack of perspective when it comes to this team. Some want to point only to the final win/loss total as if that is the REAL story with how this team was developing this year. WELL IT'S NOT!
You all know full well that this team is better than the final record we ended up with. You all know that the young players on this team have shown they have the talent and desire to play in this league and we have a pretty bright future here. Curry, Lee, Balkman and Collins all showed some growth. Vets like Steph, Q and Jamal were really starting to jell and if they can all heal up as expected, they should be just as good next year if not better. There's so much complaining and not enough recognition of what we have and where we are headed.

for all the posters whose only goal in life is to bust on Eddy Curry... without offering a more viable alternative.

I don't care about busting on Curry. What I care about is the fact that there are far, far, better centers out in the league who can do a lot more for us. Just because I mention this, it doesn't neccesariy mean I'm busting on Curry. And I stand firmly on the grounds that you 'cannot' and probably will 'never' win without one. I'm talking about the trophy. The ultimate win. No one can do it. The only way to do it, is if every' team went without one. And we know that will never' happen. Oh God, Harrington was sick looking. I hated the dude. I mean who do the Knicks think they're fooling? Kurt' Orthella' Lee - all of these guys being suggested as centers? Let's stop sinking to new lows. Be for real man!

Yeah, I know it's not that simple. But if Curry is better than all centers in this league, then I'm the President of the United States. He's better than nothing, but he's not the best and we will only get as far as what he has to offer. I think the record for the most part reflects that.

[Edited by - 4949 on 04-29-2007 02:42 AM]

I think Curry will always be soft on defense. Frye was lost this year because IT was developing Curry. Frye plays best at center. He is a smart player and I like smart teams (Championship Knicks for example). If we can trade Curry (at his highest value now) to Seattle, Portland, or Minnesota, then we could use their #1 to get Corey Brewer. I love his all around game. Front line of Brewer, Lee, and Frye; let them play for a couple of years and watch what happens with the rest of our young 'n's. If none of them turn into stars, we will have several very good players to go out and get "the man".