Even the most optomistic New York Knicks fan on the planet knew this would be a long season. At 1-6, it's obvious we will be one of the worst teams in the league. However, there are a few things we can look forward to this season.

Trading Latrell Sprewell: Chances are we will trade Spree at some point this season. But to where? Rumors say only Dallas, Portland and Phoenix would be willing to do a trade. Names like Nick Van Exel, Ruben Patterson, Dale Davis and Derek Anderson are hot.

$4.5M Exception:Who knows what $4.5 can get you right now through a trade. One thing is for sure, we are not getting anyone who is going to replace Antonio McDyess. However, we can add a solid piece to the puzzle if we are smart. There is no reason to waste money on another veteran role player. Nobody can save us right now. We should only do this trade if it brings in a young player with a reasonable contract. Names like Stromile Swift and Marcus Fizer come to mind. Those are type of players we need. We don't need players like Shawn Bradley.

Charlie Ward & Travis Knight: This is one of our strongest assets. Ward and Knight's $10,957,779 combined contracts expire after next season and teams that are trying to clear cap or aviod the luxury tax would die for this package. We must use this wisely. This package can land us a very good player.

2003 NBA Draft: All of us would love to start rebuilding with our new "LJ" Lebron James. James is the Ohio HS'er who has been compared to everyone from Kobe Bryant to Magic Johnson. At 17 years old, he took some pro players on the Cleveland Cavaliers to school last summer. If not James, multi-talented players like Carmelo Anthony and James White wouldn't be too bad.

Frank Williams & Milos Vujanic - The Future?: Don't worry Knicks fans, the Ward and Howard Eisley Era will soon end. The jury is still out on both F.Williams and Vujanic, but if you believe what you read, we have 2 very talented young PG's. F.Williams was nicknamed "The Glove" in college and has great penetrating skills. Vujanic is the best European PG right now who can score at will and get into the paint. One of them should turnout good enough, I hope.

Antonio McDyess Will Be Back: He will forver be labled "soft" or "injury prone" for the rest of his career. But if you saw what I saw during those 3 Pre-Season games, you know Dyess is a warrior and a hardworker who will do everything in his power to return. Remember, he's 28 years old. There is still chance for him in the NBA.

There you have it guysgals. Six things we can look forward to. The future is not as dark as the media is making it out to be. I don't think we're going to suck for 10 years. We will be back in no later than 2-3 seasons. Mark my words!

Some very good points there. However, I doubt this will quiet the ever complaining, win now fans that dominte the Knick loyals.

Get McDyess back playing for a full season and the Knicks will be competing for a top playoff spot in the east next year. His preseason games made a believer out of me.

Trading Spree right now is not the answer. Dolan has to chill and not make his sudden virtuosness get him and Frankie in a deeper hole. Let him play to after Christmas and the offers will get better. Pfizer, Penny, Ruben Patterson (worse character-wise than Spree) and most of the Phoenix package are garbage. A Pippen deal (19 million off the cap in 2003) would be nice this year. It would give us one of two things we need right now 1> cap 2> youth.

Let's remember, Layden has to use that injury exception in the next three or four weeks.

As far as young talent and draft: Shaq is pretty much the only elite center left in the NBA. Dikembe, Vlade, Robinson, Sabonis, all losing skills or retiring after this year. Whoever finds the young guy who takes over as dominant center, in this league of 7-footers who play SF, is in good shape for the future. So, I'd look for that first, but if that person isn't out there, I'd go for the best player. Even if we don't get number 1 pick, at this point we're cruising for top 3 pick.

Well they need to do something with it and not just waste it by allowing it to expire. However, they also have to be careful not to tie their hands with contracts like Anderson and Eisley. If Layden hires more BUMS like them for the long term by trading away some of our only height then we will be in an even deeper hole.