HA, now that I've gotten your attention or maybe stirred up an emotion you've considered, I've got news for anyone who has still not come to terms with reality:
We are rebuilding and have made several major steps towards tearing Isiah's roster apart.
I think some have not come to terms with this and I can't fathom why. I'd like to make a few simple points.
Our 6-3 start was a mirage and to think that was going to carry over into a 50 win season was the optimist in you drunk off of god knows what. We played inferior teams who were also banged up at the time and whether or not we made the trades we were going to come down to earth and those signs were already showing prior to the trades.
This team if intact was going to win anywhere from 35-38 games. Maybe we snuck into the playoffs maybe not. Yet this was not a team that was going to surprise us with 44 wins and an advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs.
Donnie and Mike were smart to give the team a chance to show what it was and it did not take them long to realize they already witnessed the best that roster was going to be. They realized the goal here is to win a championship not scrap your way into the playoffs and get embarrassed there. They also realized what five years of Isiah taught us: This roster was NOT a core that you build on.
As well as Crawford and Zach's individual stats were we must face reality on both players: They are highly flawed, they score quite inefficiently (don't kid yourself: Crawford was not maintaining 45% shooting for a season the signs were already there he was tanking it as usual.), they play no defense, they stagnate the offense, they looked good as individuals but they never made their teammates look good.
Both contracts destroyed any chance of building a new team in the summer of 2010 so they had to go.
Now in the wake of the trades we are short handed, undermanned, imbalanced with nothing but forwards, but folks, THIS is what rebuilding looks like!
If we get a few bodies back we'll be more competitive again but for a change our GM and Coach have an actual PLAN for the team. In order to even get to the start of their plan we need to go through about 2 years of deconstruction. It's not pretty but it's going to lead to better things.
In the meantime sit back and watch the little things within games and stop worrying about the playoffs or what ifs regarding Crawful and Zachass. Again, 6-3 was a mirage, it was not leading towards 12-6 and 24-12, 48-24, etc. No way, no how, no chance. No trades we're probably 10-8 and sliding in the face of a very tough schedule. Whooptie doo? Yeah, whooptie doo.
Walsh did great so far in liquidating those two terrible players and their contracts. Marbury is going to be gone sooner than later. Curry will eventually be out the door - and suddenly? Isiah's trash is gone.
Just give it time and come into the present reality: The KNICKS are REBUILDING!!!
Something we should have started doing in 2001! ...and 2004, and 2007, and 2009. Well, now it's going to begin in 2010. At least ITS GOING TO BE DONE this go around!
Anyways, hope you've all had a good holiday season, I ate so much damn food all I did was poop for two days.
12/5/2008 9:35 AM
