great stuff from NYisMECCA.com:

I would have loved to written it myself, but I will re-direct you all to my man Joey at STRAIGHTBANGIN, a great blog for all-things Knickerbockers, Michigan Wolverines, Hip Hop, and Pearl Jam adoration. Here is what I thought was quite poignant and prophetic, something that many people (including myself) had a hard time coming to grips with, as the return of the Prodigal Son AKA Stephon Marbury AKA Starbury to New York was so hyped and so rewarding after the Years of Layden Doldrums. Fact of the matter is, Stephon Marbury has been as much of a disappointment, as much of a disaster, and as responsible for the years of dysfunction and malfunction under Isiah Thomas as Isiah Thomas is himself. Zeke pushed his chips to the middle of the table going for Steph, and Marbury's selfish nature and me-first mentality killed the team slowly after a playoff berth in year one.

From Joey at Straighbanging:

The ugly Marbury Experiment's denouement should come as no surprise. Acquiring him was the kind of desperate activity that Isiah Thomas always mistook for accomplishment, and surely tethering the team to a selfish career cancer was misguided, at best. But hey, that was Isiah. And sadly, that was Marbury. The heralded-homecoming narrative that was always attached to Steph, even once he had come back and the team had sputtered--Coney Island's finest! That's what's up!--always rang hollow because, well, who really thought Marbury was going to bring a championship with him? His track record as a professional argued otherwise, and anyone who has read the The Last Shot or who has heard the stories about Steph and his family surely had a good sense that behind the rhetoric and PR, Steph is always going for dolo.





Regarding the Duhon signing, I am obviously unimpressed. Duhon is a backup point guard -- described on one Knicks message board as a Charlie Ward reincarnation (and probably rightfully so) -- but the fact that Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni recognize the importance of two things shows that the Knicks ship has begun to face the right direction.

First of all, it shows that they realize the importance of the free agent class in 2010. Duhon was signed to a two-year deal, and Walsh has made it clear his main goal is getting the team under the salary cap for the 2010 offseason, blown out of proportion by media pundits as THE YEAR OF LEBRON. True, LeBron will probably exercise his PO (player option, as Baron Davis and Elton Brand have both done this offseason) and become a free agent after the 2009-10 season. For all intents and purposes, LeBron is headed to New York -- but to play for the Brooklyn Nets, who will relocate to a phatty stadium setup in a reemergent Brooklyn and still be owned by Jay-Z, a close friend and mentor of LeBron. LeBron could sign with the Knickerbockers and play in the Mecca, but odds are he will play in Brooklyn (he recently said it was his favorite city), still be in the huge market of New York, and have a CHINESE teammate (YI!) Think about it, LeBron said his career goal was to be a global icon, and going to Brooklyn affords him that opportunity and the chance to do it with one of the only people LeBron has looked up to in his life in Young HOV.

Regardless, do not fret, the free agent class of July 2010 could be stronger than a Dutchmaster Green leaf rolled with OG Kush. Here are some other potential free agents of note for the 2010 offseason, ranked based on their order of importance as seen by the eyes of El Miz:

(FYI: PO means player option, a clause which they can exercise to become a free agent and sign for a longer contract and more guaranteed cash money. UFA means unrestricted free agent, which means they are no longer contractually bound to any team, though a team with which they have been playing for can sign them a longer contract.)

1. Kobe Bryant (PO)
2. Dwyane Wade (PO)
3. Amare Stoudemrie (UFA)
4. Chris Bosh (PO)
5. Joe Johnson (UFA)
6. Manu Ginobili (UFA)
7. Dirk Nowitzki (PO)
8. Steve Nash (UFA)
9. Tracy McGrady (UFA)
10. Michael Redd (UFA)
11. Marcus Camby (UFA)
12. Ray Allen (UFA)
13. Rip Hamilton (UFA)
14. Josh Howard (UFA)



OH WHAT, you mean to tell me that Kobe Bean Bryant, last season's MVP, has a player option and could be enticed to leave LA LA Land and play for his childhood idol (D'Antoni was #8 as the MVP of the Italian League, Kobe grew up in Italy watching D'Antoni, Kobe wore #8 as a youth in the League, what do you think Cheech?) OK, I agree, Kobe would probably want to stay in LA with the young Bynum and Gasol and The Goods, but who knows.

OH WHAT, you mean to tell me that Dwyane Wade, 2006 Finals MVP and 1-time NBA Champion COULD BE a free agent. OK, I agree, DWade will probably want to stay with young B-Easy, possibly James Posey or Corey Maggette, and probably Shawn Marion. Scratch that.

OH WAIT A SECOND, you mean to tell me that Amare Stoudemire, who has played under D'Antoni's tutelage in Phoenix for much of his young career, is a free agent. Amare is an absolute freak, and as the list dictates, Esteban Nash is a free agent as well, all could not be well in Phoenix.

OH NOW HOLD THE FARM, Sleepy Joe Johnson AKA Silent Joe AKA Mr. Johnson is a free agent, the same guy that carried a hapless franchise to seven games with the World Champs, he is a free agent? This is a guy who I could see signing up for the Fun 'n' Gun. Silent Joe has also played with D'Antoni and will probably be itching to get out of the ATL after Josh Smith bolts for Philadelphia or Golden State this month and they return to their lottery, penny-pinching ways.

IS THERE AN MVP ON THAT LIST? Oh wait, its Dirk and Steve Nash, two former teammates in Dallas. There's Nash, a two-time MVP with D'Antoni who will be very old and probably not the right guy to run the D'Antoni Machine. And there is Dirk, a one-time MVP who took his team to a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals before completely imploding (and never really recovering).

There is also Manu Ginobili, arguably the most competitive player in the NBA, 3-time NBA Champion and 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist. There is also Michael Redd, the sharpshooter for the ReDeem Team this year and a very talented offensive player. There is Rip Hamilton, an NBA champion.

There is also this little tidbit: the Knicks owe their 2010 draft pick to the Utah Jazz by way of the...STEPHON MARBURY trade. We finish where we started. Walsh and the Gentleman Thief know they have two seasons to rid the team of its junk and build a core, and only one more lottery pick. With the Chris Duhon signing (and expected Stephon Marbury buyout), the team is indicating it will tank the 2008-09 season, trying to get a high draft pick and convert. It will give minutes to Danilo Gallinari, David Lee, Wilson Chandler, Nate Robinson, and Renaldo Balkman and, like throwing mud at a wall, hope some of it sticks. It will attempt to trade Zach Randolph or Eddy Curry, or both. It will probably trade Jamal Crawford, not because he is a particularly bad player (he was probably the best player on the Isiah Era Knicks, a distinction as Honorable as being the World's Tallest Midget or having the World's Ugliest Slutty Girl) but because his contract runs into the 2010 offseason. Jared Jeffries, who knows what they will do with that bum, probably package him with David Lee and hope a team will take his sorry ass.

The Duhon signing might not be particularly relevant, but it was an indication that the Powers That Be (GM Donnie Walsh and Head Coach Mike "Gentleman Theif" D'Antoni) recognize that a culture must be changed before the free agents can be coaxed. People will want to play in New York as long as it is not a circus. If there are promising young players and a plan, and cap flexibility affords the Knicks to be able to wine and dine a LeBron or a Kobe or a Dwyane or an Amare or a Joe or any combination of the thirteen very talented players listed above, things can change.

New York is the Mecca, after all.

at this point, the re-iteration of the "2010" plan is a sell job. basically saying the knicks will stink the next two years but "you better believe we're going to make a major splash in 2010."

garden is undergoing major renovation and will looks completely different and state of the art. expect some major trades/signings to happen that summer. championship trades/signings? probably not. but definitely starphucking will be involved.

[Edited by - djsunyc on 07-08-2008 02:18 AM]

Posted by Ira:

LeBron is clearly the prize in 2010. Wade's a great player, but he has an injury history that clouds his future. Bosch and Amare are all star caliber players, but I wouldn't call them franchise players. The rest will be 30 something or close to that and you have to hesitate about giving them long term contracts.

Absolutely right.

How many people will slit their wrists if Lebron doesn't even leave Clevland?

Its all about cleaning up almost a decade of mismanagement.

The age of these players in 3 years is interesting. T-mac and kobe would both be 32. What type of player will these guys be in 3 years?

if we don't get Bron or Wade we still have other options open to us if we have the cap space to sign a bigname... i'll settle for signing Amare or Bosh in 2010 & going after another bigname in 2011... having options is the key.