you are right about one thing about houston being the x factor. if Houston can just stay in the game around 40 minutes a game, avg about 20 shots a game, and more if he's hot that night, then the knicks can be good. sprewell can't hog the ball like he did last year. if it's just not his night, give other people the ball... he can get it in the low post, and open shots. and camby and thomas both have to do their scoring in the paint, ie, put backs, tap ins, and open jump shots 8-15 feet. if we can get the offensive rebounds, and limit the other teams offensive rebounds by having sprewell and houston helping out with that, then they'll be in good shape. but if we can pull off a big trade, like trading sprewell and thomas/harrington for rasheed wallace, i think that should happen too, because rasheed wallace can make up for thomas, and you can start weatherspoon/anderson/johson at small foward

Posted by Dano:

Allan is the x factor. If he can be more aggressive and not pull the disappearing acts, then the Knicks will prosper.

I tell you what, I think JVG will be the X factor this year, with Camby being a close second. The Knicks have a ton of assets - both on the offense and defense, and heck, off the bench too - and it may come down to how Jeff implements the offense. We all know that NY plays solid D, now if they can only get a defensive rebound (Camby) and run a bit more, that could be the key to a good regular season and a good seed into the playoffs.

not as in jerry stackhouse, he is forced to shoot it because he's the only option on the team. i can say the same for iverson. sprewell is in the same catagory in the sense that he is not the primary option, yet when he struggles, he doesn't do anything to help the knicks like giving it off to houston, camby or whoever. if you look at sprewells assists numbers, it's kind of low. i know houston doesn't have any assists either, but sprewell should develop better ball handling skills. i'm not tryin to dis sprewell, coz he's my second favorite player next to RICE, but if you think about it, and the games that you watch him in where he struggles, he doesn't do much.

Posted by nyknyg:

coz he's my second favorite player next to RICE

what?

Posted by nyknyg:

allan houston doesn't defend period. my point was that sprewell needs to give the ball off more. if he's the heart and soul of the team, he needs do whats good for the team. on the nights that he can't score, he should be givin it up for other people. when he's 2 for 14, i think he should just stop shooting.

2 for 14? he's not john starks. now that player sucks. i hate john starks. during an old playoff series versus Indy, he brought his GOLF clubs on a road trip. That's when I knew he had no heart.

Posted by nyknyg:

you are right about one thing about houston being the x factor. if Houston can just stay in the game around 40 minutes a game, avg about 20 shots a game, and more if he's hot that night, then the knicks can be good. sprewell can't hog the ball like he did last year. if it's just not his night, give other people the ball... he can get it in the low post, and open shots. and camby and thomas both have to do their scoring in the paint, ie, put backs, tap ins, and open jump shots 8-15 feet. if we can get the offensive rebounds, and limit the other teams offensive rebounds by having sprewell and houston helping out with that, then they'll be in good shape. but if we can pull off a big trade, like trading sprewell and thomas/harrington for rasheed wallace, i think that should happen too, because rasheed wallace can make up for thomas, and you can start weatherspoon/anderson/johson at small foward

portland doesn't need another SF/SG

I always thought of Starks as a less talented Latrell Sprewell. Both are slashers and streak shooters(though Starks is probably a better shooter), both were/are the secondary heart of the Knicks(behind Ewing when he was around), and both were/are fan favorites. I'm just glad we were able to trade Starks and extras for Spree. We'd be in trouble if we didn't. Also can you imagine that Spree was originally almost sent to the Spurs? Yikes!

Agreed, you can't find a better trade then that. The only thing you have to remember is new york was taking a gamble at a trouble-maker. But this situation was the perfect one for Spree and the Knicks and it couldn't of worked out any better. Spree's gone from a troubled superstar to a team leader and class act while he still maintains his unbelievable skills. You have to respect a guy who takes his second chance and makes a whole new reputation for himself.