Posted by bernard:

Putting your picks on IR means:
a) they're hurt -- not the case here
b) they're not ready but you still have confidence they can develop --I hope that's what's going on here, at least for Lampe
c) they suck, you know it, and you don't want to take the heat for cutting them after hyping them -- unfortunately, this may be the case w/ Vranes.

I'm with D&R: team's actions do not lend confidence that we've got much in Sweets, Lampe, Vranes or FWill. Most disappointed in Sweets. He was a lottery pick and had a few years of college. He should be ready to contribute now, and if he's not, he probably doesn't have all that much upside. He's no raw talent who needs to learn the game to exploit his athleticism. He's about as polished as players are nowadays coming out of school, but even with the polish, just doesn't seem to have what it takes to make an impact in the NBA.

I don't think this is Chaney being old school and wanting to play the vets. He's never said anything to that effect, unlike Riley and Van Gundy, for whom this was public MO. Problem is, none of the young fellas has shown enough to earn minutes ... and you don't give away minutes unless they're earned.

Posted by subzero0:

To defend the rookies, have any of the vets shown enough to earn minutes(think Shandon Anderson, Weatherspoon)? Does coming out of college and only playing poorly in the preseason mean that you will never be a good player?(think Vince Carter, Micheal Redd) Have the knicks ever given his young players a CHANCE and a reasonable amount of minutes to gain confidence? (think Frank Williams, Lee Nailon)

To answer your first question, remember that we as fans don't see most of what the players do. They practice almost daily, and the coaching staff sees a lot more than any of us do. So, yes, the vets apparently have shown enough to earn minutes over the younger players. That's how very bad the younger players are. Do you see why it is cause for concern?

To the second question, remember that the company line is "make the playoffs", it is not "make an exciting product for the fans" or "give the fans some hope for the future". Lampe will get his chance in garbage time. For now, the Knicks need to play the guys most ready to play NOW. They are simply not going to risk losing games by experimenting with Lampe, Sweets, and Frank. We may know more about basketball than Mills or Dolan, but not Chaney and his staff. No one thinks these guys are bad forever necessarily, but if they can't win games for us now, then they take a back seat to the more-seasoned, better players (yes, even the Knicks players). There is no rebuilding mode in NYC, nor will there be as long as Dolan is in charge.

Before I answer your third question ... Lee Nailon is not a young promising player. He's 28 years old. He's all scoring, absolutely no D, and he will never be more than a third-string level NBA player. That said, the Knicks played Ward after his first season, played Wallace and McCarty a lot considering their so-so talent, so yeah. You get your chance in practice, and when you get to play for a minute or two in real games. That's how it works. If you can't make it happen with what you are given, then you won't make it in the NBA.

It reminds me of American Idol tryouts. These fools sing a song (badly), get booted, then say "but I waited in line all day" like that's supposed to mean something. Life is not a charity, and not everyone gets to win, gets to be rich, or gets minutes when they stink. Deal.