I will certainly admit it if/when we compete for a chip with a team built around Stat and Melo. I can definitely see the forest through the trees in that trade. You're right, it's about the future, not this season or even next.

Moonangie wrote:

holfresh wrote:I really hope when it's time to man up about this trade, the guys who are most vocal against it, steps up when it's time to step up...I like how Melo gets compared to DLee, Vince Carter, Arenas, and McGrady to prove a point...Where Melo's teams has done nothing but win and he led them there seven consecutive years...Denver was more than willing to put 20 mil per year on the table to keep this guy...Yet we think the pieces that has led us to 30 win seasons were the way to go...Can't Wait!!!

I was against the trade because it gutted our roster for a player that makes us a little bit better offensively, but has the special talent of being able to close out wins in tough games. That's something we (arguably) will need to be a contender. We lost some ball movement as a result, and with Chauncey's slowness and disinterest, we have basically become a no-defense half-court team.

I will certainly admit it if/when we compete for a chip with a team built around Stat and Melo. I can definitely see the forest through the trees in that trade. You're right, it's about the future, not this season or even next. Apparently, the plan is built loosely around the wedding toast (or Dwight, if he'll have us). They want to make The Garden a three amigos arena, and that would have involved letting go of most of our roster. Some might claim it was a blessing that we gave them up now since we only have to move Chauncey (as an expiring contract) and loose change in a trade for a starting PG.

If I could go back to mid-February and make the decision myself, I'd roll the dice and wait for FA. If he went to NJ instead, maybe Utah would have approached us about Deron. Who knows? I am glad we have another all-star on the roster. I'm willing to invest myself in the "three amigos" strategy if we can get it going before Amare gets too creaky. When all's said and done, it may be the only way we were ever going to beat LeDouche's boys or Da Bulls.

My problem with a '3 amigos' strategy is there is already a team with the same strategy, and with better players. How do you reconcile beating the heat with the same strategy?

But let's not give Dolan more credit than is due. I don't think there was any strategy involved in the trade. Dolan is a spoiled brat who wanted his shiny toy no matter the cost. He got it, and now he's happy, but we're all suffering with higher ticket prices and an inferior team.