2010 is obviously the big season to gear up for... we should stop focusing on having many expectations on 2009 other than:

1. Developing Gallo into a worthy #6 draft pick
2. Forming some sense of team unity playing under Mike D
3. Having our vets increase their trade value
4. Unloading Zach, Curry &/or Jared Jefferies' contracts for shorter length deals if the opportunity presents itself

Making the playoffs is nice & dandy but we can't look to starphuch our way to get there like Isiah's been trying to do... thank goodness Donnie Walsh seems to feel the same way & is keeping 2010 as his main focal point... i hope no one here is expecting this team to make the playoffs next season.

since we lose our draft pick in 2010, the focus on making the playoffs needs to be that season... that not only increases the trade value of our vets, it also makes the Knicks a more attractive destination for prospective FA's that year... hopefully by then we'll see Gallo & next year's draft pick growing into integral pieces for our future along w/improvements in the guys we already have, & Donnie will be able to clear up some salary for the 2010 offseason sweepstakes.

[Edited by - TMS on 07-09-2008 8:27 PM]

Posted by TMS:

2010 is obviously the big season to gear up for... we should stop focusing on having many expectations on 2009 other than:

1. Developing Gallo into a worthy NBA player
2. Forming some sense of team unity playing under Mike D
3. Having our vets increase their trade value
4. Unloading Zach, Curry &/or Jared Jefferies' contracts for shorter length deals if the opportunity presents itself

Making the playoffs is nice & dandy but we can't look to starphuch our way to get there like Isiah's been trying to do... thank goodness Donnie Walsh seems to feel the same way & is keeping 2010 as his main focal point... i hope no one here is expecting this team to make the playoffs next season.

since we lose our draft pick in 2010, the focus on making the playoffs needs to be that season... that not only increases the trade value of our vets, it also makes the Knicks a more attractive destination for prospective FA's that year... hopefully by then we'll see Gallo & next year's draft pick growing into integral pieces for our future along w/improvements in the guys we already have, & Donnie will be able to clear up some salary for the 2010 offseason sweepstakes.

1. Don't care about developing "Gallo" into a worthy NBA player. He is the #6 pick in the 2008 draft, the suppose BPA on the board when the team drafted him. Not some project player taken in the late first round or second round. He shouldn't need to be develop, his game should grow on its own.
2. Other people that held that seat didn't have the luxury of taking time for team chemistry neither should a high price coach. That's what training camp and pre-season is for. Isn't that one of the main reasons this team didn't go with an inexperience coach like Mark Jackson.
3. I expect this to occur naturally since the coach was brought in for that reason, no extra season should be given because of the reason I listed above.
4. Don't really see how number 4 should necessarily conflict with the Knicks trying to make the playoffs.

I want this team to be under the same scrunity as every other year. I expect this team to make the playoffs because both the President and coach said that they had "good pieces" already in there. I can only assume they meant that Thomas was not able to make it work. The clock is on, no free passes.


[Edited by - pharzeone on 09-07-2008 3:37 PM]

You also have to taken into account replacing Isiah Thomas with D'Antoni.

I think the number one priority this season should be to establish some type of identity. As in the team could be described in one sentence. Like the Celtics were "a defensive juggernaut with a balanced offensive attack." I suppose you could have described the Thomas-era Knicks as "a hodge-podge of overpaid crap" but you get my point.

Posted by Pharzeone:

Posted by TMS:

2010 is obviously the big season to gear up for... we should stop focusing on having many expectations on 2009 other than:

1. Developing Gallo into a worthy NBA player
2. Forming some sense of team unity playing under Mike D
3. Having our vets increase their trade value
4. Unloading Zach, Curry &/or Jared Jefferies' contracts for shorter length deals if the opportunity presents itself

Making the playoffs is nice & dandy but we can't look to starphuch our way to get there like Isiah's been trying to do... thank goodness Donnie Walsh seems to feel the same way & is keeping 2010 as his main focal point... i hope no one here is expecting this team to make the playoffs next season.

since we lose our draft pick in 2010, the focus on making the playoffs needs to be that season... that not only increases the trade value of our vets, it also makes the Knicks a more attractive destination for prospective FA's that year... hopefully by then we'll see Gallo & next year's draft pick growing into integral pieces for our future along w/improvements in the guys we already have, & Donnie will be able to clear up some salary for the 2010 offseason sweepstakes.

1. Don't care about developing "Gallo" into a worthy NBA player. He is the #6 pick in the 2008 draft, the suppose BPA on the board when the team drafted him. Not some project player taken in the late first round or second round. He shouldn't need to be develop, his game should grow on its own.
2. Other people that held that seat didn't have the luxury of taking time for team chemistry neither should a high price coach. That's what training camp and pre-season is for. Isn't that one of the main reasons this team didn't go with an inexperience coach like Mark Jackson.
3. I expect this to occur naturally since the coach was brought in for that reason, no extra season should be given because of the reason I listed above.
4. Don't really see how number 4 should necessarily conflict with the Knicks trying to make the playoffs.

I want this team to be under the same scrunity as every other year. I expect this team to make the playoffs because both the President and coach said that they had "good pieces" already in there. I can only assume they meant that Thomas was not able to make it work. The clock is on, no free passes.


[Edited by - pharzeone on 09-07-2008 3:37 PM]

i should have rephrased what i meant when i say "worthy NBA player" i'm more referring to being worthy of being taken 6th in the draft... i have confidence that he's already a NBA worthy talent... & i disagree w/u, i don't think he should automatically become a worthy #6 player on his own... it takes the efforts of coaches to teach him the system as well & for him to work his butt off to become the player we all hope he can be... things don't just happen just because a prospect was highly touted going into the draft & put up some numbers in Euro Leagues or the NCAA... every player needs to be developed, even the great ones always look to improve on their games... Dwight Howard was taken #1 overall, does that mean he wasn't a project at all when he came into the NBA?

also, Summer league & training camp isn't the end of developing team unity when you're trying to teach guys a brand new system under a brand new coach... it takes time for teams to learn a new system & gain that sense of team unity that the very good teams all seem to have... we're not the Boston Celtics that have 3 superstar veterans here... i'm just asking to see some development of a team aspect this year... hoping to make the playoffs is completely unrealistic when you consider the roster we have & the fact there are some guys who will be very fully evaluated before moves are made either at the trading deadline or in the next offseason.

winning games will naturally increase the trade value of our vets, but that can also happen even if we're losing games, as long as guys go in w/the right attitude & play well in a team style of ball... there are teams out there looking for guys like that to fill holes on their teams... not many GM's wanna take on any pouty primadonna type vets in this day & age... this is why i listed that as a separate goal to aim for, because i feel this can be achieved w/o necessarily winning enough games to get into the playoffs... i'm hoping this will occur naturally like you're expecting it to, but you never know what type of drama will pop up during the season... i once thought Larry Brown was the best choice to coach this team... stuff happens.

& unloading Zach &/or Curry will definitely effect any chances of making the playoffs (if you actually believe there are any to begin with that is)... the reason i listed this goal is because we shouldn't let the desire to make a meaningless run at the playoffs take precedence over dumping those contracts if we can along the way... basically the goal is 2010, & that needs to remain the focus over the next 2 years.

u really think if Jamal excels in Mike D's system his trade value won't go up? there's a lot of NBA teams running an uptempo game these days... if he shows he can mature & become a better decision maker w/the ball & on his shot selection i have no doubt his trade value will go up... same goes for Nate IMO.

if Wilson Chandler starts to show some more growth in the coming years his trade value can go up too... also if Balk stops tokin' on the pipe & starts to play better defense the same can hold true for him... i'm not talking superstar calibre value here but improvement nonetheless.

agree w/u on Curry... the only question w/him is getting his butt in shape & staying out of foul trouble... he's either gonna tank his trade value next year by not being able to keep up or surprise us all & get back some of that confidence he was playing with the year before last.

i don't think Zach's trade value will ever change until it becomes an expiring... i hope he proves me wrong... Q Rich too because of his health issues & whatnot.

forget about Fishlips & Turd... those guys are lost causes... even when their contracts are expiring they won't have much trade value.

[Edited by - TMS on 07-09-2008 10:38 PM]

keep forgetting about that opt out clause... OK, u got a point there.

but to be fair using ur GS example Jamal is a way better player than Pietrus or Azabuike... not all that many 20 & 5 players out there to be had on the cheap these days.

i dunno if u can say that for sure... Al Harrington got traded from Indy when his value started to peak because he started to become unhappy playing in a reserve role off the bench... same thing could happen w/Chandler if he starts to develop, especially if the Knicks become committed to Gallo as their SF while Zach is still on the roster.

Posted by BRIGGS:

With the additions of Chris Duhon and Gallinari to a 23 win team with a much improved East--I dont think there are any expectations of playoffs.


29-53

Det went from 32-50 to 50-32 in one season. They added Cliff Robinson, Rebraca and Rick Carlisle. They lost Jerome Williams and Joe Smith. Sometimes the same team *isnt* the same team. Their core of Stackhouse, Ben Wallace, Corliss, Atkins.. wasnt much different. New role players and a new coach

Posted by TMS:

2010 is obviously the big season to gear up for... we should stop focusing on having many expectations on 2009 other than:

1. Developing Gallo into a worthy #6 draft pick
2. Forming some sense of team unity playing under Mike D
3. Having our vets increase their trade value
4. Unloading Zach, Curry &/or Jared Jefferies' contracts for shorter length deals if the opportunity presents itself

Making the playoffs is nice & dandy but we can't look to starphuch our way to get there like Isiah's been trying to do... thank goodness Donnie Walsh seems to feel the same way & is keeping 2010 as his main focal point... i hope no one here is expecting this team to make the playoffs next season.

since we lose our draft pick in 2010, the focus on making the playoffs needs to be that season... that not only increases the trade value of our vets, it also makes the Knicks a more attractive destination for prospective FA's that year... hopefully by then we'll see Gallo & next year's draft pick growing into integral pieces for our future along w/improvements in the guys we already have, & Donnie will be able to clear up some salary for the 2010 offseason sweepstakes.

[Edited by - TMS on 07-09-2008 8:27 PM]

I agree. Those are the goals for this season.

Posted by bitty41:

This type of thinking from fans is why I've lost almost all interest in the Knicks. The NBA just doesn't make sense anymore if winning isn't the objective why play sports just have the team do arts and crafts all season long instead play basketball.

what type of thinking do you not understand? you mean realistic thinking? or your type of fantasizing that every senseless starphuch type acquisition is going to lead this franchise to longterm future success? i don't think anything i've outlined above is irrational or unrealistic in our current state of affairs... expecting to make the playoffs w/the current roster is however IMHO.

i never said making the playoffs shouldn't be an objective, only that it should not be expected this season & is not an essential outcome of this upcoming season... we should look to address those other goals before any thoughts of making the playoffs enter into our brains is what i'm saying here.

btw, if what i or anyone else thinks is making you lose interest in the team you supposedly love that's pretty ridiculous.

[Edited by - TMS on 07-10-2008 05:46 AM]