nyknickzingis wrote:On Calderon, he's a great teammate, a good shooter, and a realiable ballhandler. He's also a pass first guy. Someone who plays unselfishly and puts the teams needs ahead of anything else. Go look at the body language of the starters. Many times during a bad start or during a rut, Melo/KP/Afflalo will not really communicate. It's Calderon who goes and gets them to get together in a huddle, talk, when someone makes a play he really starts to pump the guys up to get going. There's a big part of being the team's point that is beyond numbers. Even so on numbers, Calderon is worth what he's paid for his age and production and this market. He's a veteran point guard who is physically outmatched on many nights, but can shoot the ball great, very reliable handles and good decision making. Look around the league, it's not easy to find a point guard at 7 million a year who is both reliable in his decisions, reliable with the ball, a good shooter AND a great teammate. There's these little things you'll notice Calderon and Lopez do for the starters that go unnoticed. The points and hype goes to Melo/KP/Afflalo, but Calderon and Lopez are the glue guys. I feel our starting 5 is as good as any team's in the league aside from Golden State. They can go toe to toe with any of those teams. It's when it comes to 8-9 man rotation, you clearly start to see how we pale a bit in comparison to other team's. Our bench has some talent with Galloway, Grant and DWill, but only DWill can bring it on a nightly basis. The way I see it Calderon/Afflalo are solid, but with solid starters you need great bench guys coming in for them. Golden State for example is solid at SF with Harrison Barnes and at C with Bogut. Only their bench has them bring in Iguodala for Barnes, and Ezeli for Bogut. That's upgrading in a way if not maintaining the same level of play. It's much the same for the Cavs. Their starting 5 has positions they are no better than we are with Calderon/Afflalo. But their guys who come in for those starters are better than what we bring off ours.

As much flak Calderon get, he's been way better than Grant/Galloway. I am a fan of Grant/Galloway, but I also realize Calderon's value to the roster. I keep saying, the 3 man rotation of Calderon/Galloway/Grant is just fine for the Triangle and what we try to do on both ends for the long run (next year and maybe 2 more years). Once Galloway/Grant are more mature, they can be relied on for heavy minutes. Where we need help is 2 guard. Afflalo has tunnel vision. He's a solid scoring option, but not a great one. He's a one dimensional player on offense. The Triangle and our offense would be on a different level if we got a 2 guard that could pass the ball, be a triple threat. Drive, pass, shoot. We need that player at 2 guard that can give a team 15-20 points, 4-5 assists. DeRozan would be solid, Batum would be very good.

Agree on lost counts hit I have to disagree on afflalo. His title is shooting guard. His job is to take the scoring load off of melo. He also plays strong defense which goes unnoticed in the stat line.

I feel the goal is to get an afflalo clone. The rotations can help. The team is built pretty good. Needs something. It's truly the bench. An upgrade at the two and point would seal the deal.

But who? If Grant/Galloway/Thomas could turn into splash brothers junior that play defense, we are on our way.

BRIGGS wrote:

Knickoftime wrote:

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crzymdups wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

Knickoftime wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Our guards go 3 deep--aint gonna get it done in the playoffs.

Probably not, no.

That's why the other 28 teams will watch the two teams in the Finals.

Inferior talent.

That's defeatist---I dont do defeatist unless its in our best interests to lose.

I don't think there's a real way to upgrade the guard corps until the summer. I think next year we can legit contend for the finals if we upgrade the PG and add some depth at the 2/3. I'd love Batum. Sounds like Conley may stay in Memphis, but you have to ask him.

If the Knicks could get Tyler Johnson and Batum this summer? I think then you have an argument they could get to the Finals. They ain't gonna beat the Warriors, but they could get out of the East, unless the Cavs make major changes.

I dont want to be mean but it takes a real lot to be as bad as Jerian Grant has been. He had 1-2 games this year. Its of my opinion there are SEVERAL guards in the D League alone who are better than Sasha and Jerian. They simply cannot make a shot they can drive they cant do much if anything?? I mean position 4-5 ion the guard corp--we can make an effort to improve it. We need 2 God forbid injury than even worse.

You're entitled to your opinion about Grant.

You're ON RECORD as being way too impatient and way too premature on Lopez, but we'll roll with this anyway.

To suggest the Knicks are a D-League player away from being a legitimate contender - that THAT is the difference between contending or not, is just not credible.

Im not suggesting that--Im willing "in the right scenario" to bring back a pro guard under the age of 28 using Grant as trade bait. You seem to twist what other say way off. The Sixers just improved their team dramatically by trading 2 second round picks. Would you take Ish Smith right now for Jerian Grant---yep. Are there D league guards better than Jerian Grant and Sasha right now--you know there are.

Nope.

Smoth didn't begin to have a pulse in this league until his 4th season. During his first 3 seasons/121 games in the NBA, he was inferior to Grant.

And I don't know there are better guards in the league than Grant. Phil Jackson doesn't seem to think so either.

Either way, Knicks are not signing a D-League player and inserting them into the rotation.

Your comprehension skills are very poor. Is Ish Smith right now TODAY this moment much better than Jerian Grant? Easy answer YES.

Your question was - and I'm copying and pasting here - "Would you take Ish Smith right now for Jerian Grant---yep."

Nope, I wouldn't take Ish Smith right now FOR Grant. I'd hold onto Grant because sometimes rookies get better.

How did the Sixers acquire Smith--with not much. So my point is there are possibilities we can improve the team using not much. Well its done every year. Right now you cna insert 75% of the D league into Jeriuan Grants spot and you'll get atleast similar output. Hes been terrible. Jerian right now needs to go to the D league.

And how is your current Grant fixation any different than your previous Lopez fixation?

The point is Knicks just aren't greatly improving by adding a D-leaguer at the end of the bench to play a couple of mins a night.

I understand the appeal of the idea of turning nothing into something, but there is a reason why they guys are in the D-League and not NBA rosters.

So if you are the Knicks--you wouldnt try to look around the NBA LIKE Philly did with Ish? I know this--95% of the guards in the NBA are better than Sasha and Jerian right now.

Look? Sure.

But no, I don't expect the Knicks to bench Grant in favor of a D-Leaguer.

That is the anti-thesis of what it is to have a rookie.

If you don't want to live through rookie stuggles, don't draft.

Yeah he should be sitting--hes not earning minutes. I think its imperative a rookie earns minutes and we are not in a position right now to let a guy feel his way--we want to win?????? We are a playoff team that has potential to make a deep run--we need to look for was to improve our guard play and also the need for guard depth in case of injury.

How come you're not answering the Lopez question? You bailed on him prematurely and admit it. Isn't there a chance you're bailing on Grant too early too?

Either way, saying the Knicks are a playoff team with the potential for a deep run is somewhat superfluous. Knicks aren't at the moment one of the top 16 qualifying teams. If the Knicks have that potential, who doesn't?

The constant theme of your post Briggs is you seem to think it is just a matter of scouting D-League players and late first/second round picks. I think it's fair to point out this avenue is available to all 30 teams trying to improve their roster/record/playoff seeding.

The reason you don't see many draft picks (first or second round) make an immediate impact and the reason you don't see many D-League call-ups make any impact is because talent is incredibly hard to come by in the NBA. That's why marginal free agents get paid so highly in the NBA. The Knicks bought their own D-League affiliate. They have a success story on their roster in Galloway. They are obviously invested in development. Maybe the reason they haven't called anyone up despite an empty roster spot and a currently effective 13 man roster is they don't believe there is anyone who can help them?

Robin Lopez is a proven NBA player??

Exactly, so why bail on him after twenty games?

Seems like if you're not getting the exact results you want at any given moment, you're ready to dump the player.

Knicks1969 wrote:our PG spot might be the worst in the league

Might be?????

Andrew wrote:

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BRIGGS wrote:

Knickoftime wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Im not really interested in waiting 2-3 years. That being said I would like to try and move Early and bring in Christian Wood and send him to the D league. I like Wood long term as a 5-4 and will be CHEAP. I think its possible he wouldve been a top 10m pick IF he stayed in school. We dont have a defensive player in the back up 5-4 slot and Woods has more offensive upside than anyone not in our SL. Get him with Kristaps and I think he could go a long way training hard.

Now that were past the 15 roster spot--we need some pro guards. Jerian Grant does not have a game right now--maybe next year but not this year. Were going to have to give up to get and I would take the chance on the "right player" to move Grant if thats what it took(as long as the player is under 28) The Mets did this last year and went to the World Series.

It appears as if they believe no d league guy will help but Im sure they also realize our back-court deficiency

So the Knicks can't secure a berth in the postseason yet?

We're straight to making a long run are we?

Well the Mets were 41-41 at the same point. Once they traded for a couple of vets and then Fullmer for Cespendes they took off. Like I said the "right" trade.

Mets had something to trade.

Mets were supposed to be a championship contending team prior to the season starting too.

No they weren't.

bernard wrote:Name 5 NBA starting 1's worse than Calderon.

Knickoftime wrote:

bernard wrote:Calderon is among the league's worst starting 1's.

No, he isn't.

deron williams
knight
collison
clarkson
rose
mudiay

reub wrote:Mets signed Cespedes. Now we need Conley.

Mets made the moves to bring in the needed pieces. Will the Knicks?