fishmike wrote:you know... the whole cap space thing is about having a chance to sign a star. Lord knows we have debated it long enough and everyone knows the hardest thing to get in this league is a star to build around. There is so much luck involved in getting one of these players. There are like 8-10 in the league. Dirk, Lebron, Dwight, Kobe, Durant, Wade, Duncan, Nash... a couple others.

To me its worth giving up some assets for a chance to aquire a player or god forbid players of that caliber.

Now its likely we dont, and thats ok. Thems the brakes. We were in it. We tried. We had our shot. You get the idea.

What happens after doesnt have to be the end of the world. If you can bring back the guy who made the all star team at a reasonable rate (my pick is 6 years $70mm, starts at $9mm) your roster is a clean slate. You have Douglas, Gallo, Walker, Lee and Chandler. You have a pair of 2nd rounders and about $25mm in cap space left to make deals.

So let Walsh make deals. Thats always been his strong point since he's been an NBA GM.

I guess the real question will be how much of a shot did we have to sign one of those players? And then, what does Walsh/Dolan do after we miss out - assuming that is what happens.

My fear is by going all in with the trade to Houston of our future picks, we go all in this summer, and end up massively over paying for 2nd tier talent. We then proceed to be good enough to not be in the lottery, but not quite to make the play offs. And then we start signing guys to the MLE and screw our cap all over again, and the last ten years turns into twenty.

Had we stayed pat at the deadline, we'd have had enough room to offer a max deal. But if we missed out, we could have turned around and proceeded to suck, and try rebuilding through the draft. Possibly not resigned Lee - because face it, why pay him that kind of deal if really, we're a thirty win team with him- and really try to tank for 2011.

DrAlphaeus wrote:Hey Sergio, do u live in the city? Just wondering.

I see jimi's point, and I live here
too. Grass is greener?

Some people love cities, some people (like Durant) love the boondocks.

Yup, live in Queens and work in the city.

You're right, New York is not for everyone. It takes a mentally strong and ****y son of a bitch to play in this city infront of these fans and this media. I want to believe players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh WANT that challenge. To revive the New York Knicks eclipes anything they would accomplish in any other city.

Putting yourself in position to get guys is fine. But for someone that is supposed to be the godfather he hasn't shown much wisdom.

Crawford won the sixth man and Zach was an All-Star. Donnie turned that into nothing. He moved too quick, especially with the start we were off too. You take Brook Lopez, period we needed a center. Our coach doesn't really have a style out there. The offense didn't run smooth or look efficient. You sign your asset in David Lee. He had a great preseason before his free agent year he was looking strong and 7-8 milluon gets it done. Now it's a bear free agent market and the guy is one of 3 players to average 20pts and 10rbs. You think we aren't going 3-4 million per year above to retain him if we don't lose him to the Nets.

The guy signs Chris Duhon to the full exception for two years. Was that really necessary?

I'm sorry but if you can get 3-4 great point guards in one draft and you come away with a hyprid you're not doing you're job.

I'm getting excited about Joe ****ing Johnson. His team can bearly beat the Bucks who don't even have there best player. They are being led by the point guard we passed up and the center we traded away five years ago in Kurt Thomas (Who we should sign in a heart beat this offseason).

There is no way in hell anyone chooses NY or Miami. Better weather, women, same nightlife, more bang for your buck in real estate and no state income tax. Why does Bosh the only free agent that's going to leave want to freeze his ass off in NY when he can play with a top 3 player that can carry a team with nobody to the playoffs.

Listen if you have a small foward you don't draft another one same goes with a power forward unless it's a huge upgrade and the best player available is on the board.

If anyone really thinks we are getting Lebron, Wade or Bosh to come play with Gallo, Douglas, Chandler, Bill Walker and Eddy Curry i think we are really mistaken.

Repeat after us, "there is no quick fix... even in New York... and even with (cough) cap space"

Lebron is happy where he is, Dwayne is a better fit in Chicago and Joe Johnson is not clutch in the playoffs

Chris Bosh and David Lee are redundant

and I love David Lee

Marv wrote:

misterearl wrote:What fishmike said

Repeat after us, "there is no quick fix... even in New York... and even with (cough) cap space"

Lebron is happy where he is, Dwayne is a better fit in Chicago and Joe Johnson is not clutch in the playoffs

Chris Bosh and David Lee are redundant

and I love David Lee

and then the big question will be, are we better off with what we have to show for our signings or would we have been better off with 1 max slot + jordan hill + our 2012 first-round pick + not giving Houston the right to swap first-round picks in 2011.

It seems like the history of the franchise and Donnie Walsh's storied career rests on the answer. Maybe his tombstone will tell this story.

Perhaps the future of the free world rests on his very shoulders.............

The end of basketball as we know it

NY sports writers will kvetch over The Lebron Monologues for years to come

meanwhile, the franchise formerly known as the Sonics shocks the world

you heard it here first

Andrew wrote:Did the Lakers start their building process with Kobe or Shaq? Paul Pierce was drafted 11 years ago. Does where you start really matter?

Ah, but it does matter Andrew.

Championship Team MVP
Los Angeles Lakers --Kobe Bryant
Boston Celtics --Paul Pierce
San Antonio Spurs --Tony Parker
Miami Heat --Dwyane Wade
San Antonio Spurs --Tim Duncan
Detroit Pistons --Chauncey Billups
San Antonio Spurs --Tim Duncan
Los Angeles Lakers --Shaquille O'Neal
Los Angeles Lakers --Shaquille O'Neal
Los Angeles Lakers --Shaquille O'Neal

I could have gone on but you should get the point from this.

Take a look at the list above. You would notice that the only times a teams draft addition did not win the MVP for their championship is the Los Angeles Lakers and the Pistons. But if you remember correctly the Lakers had a strong draft addition in Kobe Bryant with whom that championship would not have been possible. I am calling Kobe a draft addition because he wasn't drafted directly by the lakers but was a draft acquisition nonetheless as they traded for him. By the way Shaq was signed 7 days after Kobe's draft rights were traded to the Lakers, so officially, yea they started with Kobe. But lets not get bogged down with semantics. The point is he was very good and very cheap. Thats what makes this work. Also, the fact that Pierce was drafted 11 years ago does not dispute my assertion.

The only exception noted above is the Detroit Pistons and that only is because they were able to collect players who were extremely talented and did not demand that much money. I guarantee you 9 times out of 10 that wont happen. As a matter of fact if you look at the long list of nba champions in this era you will be hard pressed to find another team like that. Even then, the Pistons only won one championship.

Like I said, go to the draft and get a championship level talent. If you dont score one in that particular year, bide your time and wait for the next year. After you have your young championship level player go to free agency and add to your team. Everyone should know this.

Of course you rebuild with top 3 draft picks. But we don't go down that deep to rebuild because of ownership and fans. So the old saying "you can't rebuild in NY" holds true cuz we don't do it for what ever reason.

Kobe was basically a 13th pick. Lakes took a HS kid and commited to let him develop. Took Kobe 3 years to become Kobe.

Closest time we could have rebult was under Layden when we had expirings coming off the books and our picks. Would have still taken a year or two longer. Nobody would have it, it was a "crisis" and the Ssvior Isiah come in and the big buzz became him and Marbury.

Yeah, Im all for rebuilding and Im long on record for it.

Nalod wrote:They could not move Paul Pierce with his contract. I would not say them built around him but built despite him and it worked. It would be like Marbury if we surrounded him with starphuch talent and it worked provideing the douche bag got on board, which Pierce did.

Of course you rebuild with top 3 draft picks. But we don't go down that deep to rebuild because of ownership and fans. So the old saying "you can't rebuild in NY" holds true cuz we don't do it for what ever reason.

Kobe was basically a 13th pick. Lakes took a HS kid and commited to let him develop. Took Kobe 3 years to become Kobe.

Closest time we could have rebult was under Layden when we had expirings coming off the books and our picks. Would have still taken a year or two longer. Nobody would have it, it was a "crisis" and the Ssvior Isiah come in and the big buzz became him and Marbury.

Yeah, Im all for rebuilding and Im long on record for it.

you’re letting layden off way too easy imo. He got canned after he had traded camby and nene for dice who immediately crumbled to the floor. that was his equivalent of the eddy curry gamble and the mcgrady gamble. so far we're 0-2 on these big gambles.

Marv wrote:

Nalod wrote:They could not move Paul Pierce with his contract. I would not say them built around him but built despite him and it worked. It would be like Marbury if we surrounded him with starphuch talent and it worked provideing the douche bag got on board, which Pierce did.

Of course you rebuild with top 3 draft picks. But we don't go down that deep to rebuild because of ownership and fans. So the old saying "you can't rebuild in NY" holds true cuz we don't do it for what ever reason.

Kobe was basically a 13th pick. Lakes took a HS kid and commited to let him develop. Took Kobe 3 years to become Kobe.

Closest time we could have rebult was under Layden when we had expirings coming off the books and our picks. Would have still taken a year or two longer. Nobody would have it, it was a "crisis" and the Ssvior Isiah come in and the big buzz became him and Marbury.

Yeah, Im all for rebuilding and Im long on record for it.

you’re letting layden off way too easy imo. He got canned after he had traded camby and nene for dice who immediately crumbled to the floor. that was his equivalent of the eddy curry gamble and the mcgrady gamble. so far we're 0-2 on these big gambles.

But Dice's injury was not related and Dice was a big time in prime player. That is an old arguement but if you recall the 18mos that followed we did nothing. We drafted, we did not trade a pick, we did nothing but be PATIENT.

Im not saying Layden did not deserve to be fired, Im saying that we were in a position to tank and rebuild and I really believe its Dolan (as any owner) who determines the direction of the franchise and the GM follows. Layden was bad at exectution I certainly agree. Layden had teh Marbury deal on his desk and maybe he didn't think it was a good Idea. Maybe he did, but it didn't get done on his watch.

I by saying we were ready to rebuild under Layden was not an endorsement of his acumen but the assets that we had and expiring at that time.

Camby was always hurt and Nene is really not that good. Dice was spectacular! Dice in his return has been better than NENE. Camby has been quite a suprise.