Uptown wrote:Fiz could be in over his head for all we know but last year was clearly a tank job and an evaluation of the roster. This season will reveal some things about Fiz as a coach, however, this is still a roster of several odd parts that don't fit and need time to gell. In today's NBA, if you do not have a really good pg and 3 point shooters, its going to be tough to keep up with the rest of the league. During the last 10 seconds of the Blazers/Mavs, I watched Terry Stotts call a clear out for pg, Lillard to go one on one score the game winner. If a coach doesn't have access to elite level talent, then he has to be a little more innovative, I get that. But in the end, its a players league. The best players win. I dont have many complaints about the front office, but they did not do Fiz any favors. We should have turned the keys over to Frank and Dennis. I thought it was a bad idea to sign Peyton. If we felt we needed a pg upgrade, we should have signed someone who is undeniably better than both Frank and Dennis, and Peyton is not that. One of Morris and Randle would have been fine, not both IMO. Also, I get the idea of singing 1 year rentals as we are able to clear the decks in the summer, but it's not easy on a coach when you have some guys trying to "get theirs" as they know they are not a part of the long term future.
What you say *can be true* but there are other avenues as well.
If you read the streams of Twitter and forum posts on the subject, there's a large loud contingent who insist that "We don't have a PG" and "We need a premiere PG".
I disagree. I think we have three young, potentially great PGs here in NY. DSJ, however, may have back injuries that render his potential null as his game is wholly dependent on athleticism.
But both Payton and Frankie were highly touted draft picks and both have yet to reach the 5 year NBA threshold for becoming the player they will become. The argument can be made that fans would prefer a 5 year proven and well-rounded version of either but that's not the team we have at the moment. They are all young for the most part.
Its okay. We aren't winning a ring this year. We just aren't. To sweat the PG position as a show-stopper is ludicrous - play who we have - they will meet us when and where we are ready to compete seriously. Its that simple. And we'll learn to win along the way.
And I think sometimes the best players win but other times the best teams win. If we win it will be in the latter category.
I think the FO surrounded Fiz with exactly the lunch pail players he is most comfortable with. I actually think that's what will make a coaching change that much harder.
Who said you can't rebuild in NY