TripleThreat wrote:Knixkik wrote:2 things this front office can do short of landing a superstar
Two things this front office could have done, specifically Leon Rose
1) The hard line stance taken with Bullock should have been the exact same hard line stance taken against Rose, Burks, Noel and to some degree Randle. And the same with Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier.
I.E. We are happy to have you as a bargain, but there's a price point where we will just wish you well on your journey elsewhere. This prevents death by multiple Middle Class Contracts. Guys who eat minutes in front of your young players and draftees and are proving difficult to impossible to trade.
2) As I suggested prior to last off season, "rent" out all that open cap space. Take in a bad contract or two and reap in some young players and draft assets for the trouble. That way all Thibs has on his roster are young players and draftees and has no choice but to play them. The team can get to the cap floor, still rebuild it's asset base and learn what the young player can or cannot give them long term.
You don't create a practical environment for young players by handing out a **** ton of MCCs to fringier type veterans that block their minutes while the team is coached by a guy who tends to lean on his veterans more often than not.
Leon Rose can't bitch about Thibs not giving young players burn if he's saddling this roster with an endless number of veterans who chew up cap space, minutes, arguably can't really help this team win consistently and are going to be tough to trade off.
Knicks could have swallowed up a John Wall or a Westbrook or a Davis Bertans or something like that and had more draft picks to show for it. And let's get real here, Brock Aller is doing a good job mining assets in the back of the draft.
Look at the Grizzlies. They are doing a great job mining value players from the back of the draft and in UDFA, but they also aren't blocking those guys with a ton of veteran contracts in front of them. Sure they are taking in a few "bad contracts" but hope those guys can offer some usefulness or some roles, but they aren't getting in their own way.
Dolan just needs to have a "brand name" like this was some dumbass fashion show. It has to be Phil Jackson or a Leon Rose. Who gives a ****. Find a guy like Troy Weaver or a guy like Brock Aller, a young grinder versed in how modern front offices need to work and operate, and give them full control over the team and get out of the way.
The rent of cap space failed as a strategy. OKC team salary is $80M as we speak and they got nothing for that space to rent. If the Knicks went that direction, it would have been 2 teams competing for the same thing - didn't work the previous year for the Knicks and they chose a different direction.
Knicks had and made decision at the end of last season after going Linsanity-light: Do we bring back these guys or do we **** on both the team and the fans after the miracle season they just had.
For me, it was a Lose-Lose-Win situation and they went with rolling it back and offered 2 year deals with a 3 year option for everyone (except Fournier). They may have even offered Bullock the same deal but he got a better 2.5 year guarantee from Dallas.
Lose-Lose-Win cause the FO most likely knew they overachieved. You don't bring back the guys, you **** on the fans and the fans **** on you ALL SEASON. You bring back the guys knowing they overachieved, and you know it's mostly likely a lose/underperform situation. There was a tiny shot as getting past .500 and into playoffs quite frankly (the win scenario). Lose-Lose-Win.
But they gave themselves a tiny out with the 2 year deals. They got a couple of vets who they need to keep at value who would be expiring. Will Rose, Burks, Noel, Kemba have any value at next year deadline or as trade parts this offseason? Kemba, hard no. Noel, prob no. Rose and Burks only if Knicks start strong this upcoming season.
4/18/2022 9:25 PM
