Posted by blueNorange:

Shed salary and get under under the salary cap, do bad for 3 more years, and sign a guy like Wade, James, Bosh, Anthony, etc via free agency and make him the marquee player for the Knicks.
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I agree 100% with Reggie, why can't Isiah think of this??

2 words... long range plan... ok, nevermind, that's 3 words.

I think - that Isiah is on the right track in terms of vision. I agree that this year every possible positive has turned negative. Although -we can see glimpses in the three game win streak, and also that they are definitely not getting blown out (like early in the season) -as well as the fact we have played competively agianst all the top teams recently (Spurs/Boston/Detroit).

Everything that can or could go wrong has:

1. Curry/Randolph - still haven't meshed - but that was expected - the only thing is that Randolph coming to the team has actually highlighted how bad Curry is - last year -itappeared as if he was a beast i the paint - this year - Randolph has exposed his limitations by playing center - he rebounds better, shoots midrange better, and is actually better moving up and down the floor and recently has shown - that in a year or two - he can take it to the hole pretty effectively (the final part of his game).

2. Marbury- with out his presence - and more important his committment - the Knicks suffer from a tremendous lack of on the floor leadership. Crawford/Lee have shown at every important time (Lakers/Celtics/Milawaukee-Lee bad passes/ Crawford- losing the handle or taking terrible shots at critical times).

Malik Rose despite being captian - is great at being a 'defensive' coordinator -but ultimately he is not the answer by a long shot. Marbury's loss in terms of his role - was Murphy;s Law for the Knicks - in terms of whatever could go wrong did.

When 3-4 of your key players are struggling - it is not a surprise that team looks so discombobulated. Throw in the fact that you are moving beyond fourth grade plays of throwing it in to the post or taking an outside jumpshot- and you have a very bad team.

Howeer - their potential is seen when they actually ca swing the ball and have patience for the open shot- as against Detroit/Cleveland/Washington etc. Even when they do this 30-40 percent of the time (Philadelphia/Milwaukee) -they can beat a bad team. Defensively - I do think they are getting better- I doubt you see them lose by 20 more than once or twice from Feb to the end of the season. They have come a long way -in terms of not folding-unlike earlier in the season where they really looked awful.

Well- i would say the vision was:
1. Bringing in a premier PG to lead the team -
2. Get two young shooters with potential (Q Rich/Crawford)
3. Take a gamble on an scoring center
4. Add to the team with draft picks -that will grow into the starters positions- Lee/Nate/Balkman/Collins
5. Pick up veterans for mid-level exceptions for some defense - James/Jeffries

Allow to jell for 3 years by which time :
1. your PG and draft pick trade get off the cap
2. Hopefully your shooters reach potential and you can trade them for draft picks
3. Get them all of the cap by 2010 - when your salary is only 28M and so - you have room fro Wade/Le Bron/Stodemire etc -http://hoopshype.com/salaries/new_york.htm
4. Have big expiring contracts in 2008/9- in case you want sign and trade for that crop of free agents http://www.stopmikelupica.com/2007/12/nba_salary_cap_analysis_part_1.php

or resign - your most promising draft picks to a 2-3 year extension
So you establish :
1. A core of youth - who are born and bred Knicks - Balkman/Lee/Nate/M. Rondolph/Chandler/Collins
2. Leave cap room when the monster class of 2010 comes out
3.Have expiring contracts for a sign and trade in 2009 - to get a Josh Smith/Elton Brand in a sign and trade.

So he has calculated far enough ahead for the 2010 mega-class of free agents - and I doubt Cleveland is going to be able to keep Le Bron and still afford to be a basketball team - they just don;t have the revenue structure that the Knicks have.

In short- he has 30M in expiring contracts for the 2008/2009 crop of free agents , if he doesn't find the franchis player in that one - he has 40M in cap room for 2010 and Le Bron. He has an additional 15M in expiring contracts coming up in 09/10.

So despite the signings of Curry/Randolph/Marbury/Crawford/Q Rich - he has made it so that by 2010 - the Knicks have more than enough cap space for Le Bron.

People are forgetting - Isiah walked into a 300M dollar salried tea - and that is substantially decreased - and would have been even more so - if not Francis/Rose - which I will continue to contend were Larry Brown moves. If we did not sign Francis - we would still have Arriza and we would not have Randolph or his salary. I do think that he looked a Francis and felt that it was worth payin the 5M extraa for 4 years to get a guy who will actually play and rebound for that salary - instead of pulling a McDyess.