If we were 9 deep and minutes spread

C Amare 34
F Gallo 32
F Chandler 32
F/G Fields 32
G Felton 35
C Turriaf 15
F Thompson 28
G Azu 16
G Douglas 15

If azu comes back like the old azu and we were able to add Thompson--we can compete with the bigger teams--get adequate rest for players who need it and add a high % scoring player for the interior

AnubisADL wrote:We NEED Carmelo. This team is stuck in purgatory at the moment.

Not good enough to go deep in the playoffs and not bad enough to get a high lottery pick.

Amare needs help to for us to get to the next level.

Nope--what we need is another big who can score and more efficient play from the bench. I like the starting 5 from yetsrday--would not change that. But adding a third big who can score and getting the old azu back would make this team a title contender right now. Felton and Amare are ball dominant players. If we added a third and started removing pieces--we could easily become Miami of the north.

BRIGGS wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:We NEED Carmelo. This team is stuck in purgatory at the moment.

Not good enough to go deep in the playoffs and not bad enough to get a high lottery pick.

Amare needs help to for us to get to the next level.

Nope--what we need is another big who can score and more efficient play from the bench. I like the starting 5 from yetsrday--would not change that. But adding a third big who can score and getting the old azu back would make this team a title contender right now. Felton and Amare are ball dominant players. If we added a third and started removing pieces--we could easily become Miami of the north.

We're not just a big away from a title contender...that's ridiculous. And Felton and Amare did not dominate the ball on their previous teams yet still excelled. Adding a go-to #1 option like Melo would only help the team, as well as opening it up for Felton/Amare, and likely put us in top 4 in the East. If we give up too much in a Melo trade, that'd be a different story, since depth is one of our best strengths on this team. But for a reasonable package, we should still be looking to trade for Melo.

BRIGGS wrote:I like Chandler Gallo and fields for my wings at a much cheaper price. They can score 20 without being ball dominant. You can see chemsirty forming. Obviously we have learned from Miami is the big piece is not necessarily the right piece and I firmly believe that now. Id really like to acquire Thompson from Scaremento and see what we have.

If we were 9 deep and minutes spread

C Amare 34
F Gallo 32
F Chandler 32
F/G Fields 32
G Felton 35
C Turriaf 15
F Thompson 28
G Azu 16
G Douglas 15

If azu comes back like the old azu and we were able to add Thompson--we can compete with the bigger teams--get adequate rest for players who need it and add a high % scoring player for the interior

Chandler, Gallo, and Randolph have not impressed me to the point of any of them being a deal breaker in a Melo deal. That also extends to the likes of Turiaf as well.

JrZyHuStLa wrote:We're a .500 team without adding any other all star.

i'd say we're above 500 w/o adding another star. knicks are 9-9 right now and gallinari and chandler have both been inconsistent. i would anticipate both will improve as the year goes on. chemistry will improve as well. plus randolph is still on the bench not giving anything. this team will finish something like 43-39 without another trade, which would likely put them at top 6 in the east.

i agree with briggs, carmelo is not whats needed. gallinari is younger and cheaper and his skills complement amare way more.

LOL @ Anubis, Gallo hasn't impressed you so far? Did you watch the games @ GS, @ LAC, or against the pistons? Gallo had HUGE game-breaking 3s in each of those. those 3 games are losses without him stepping up and burying tough 3s. that's pretty impressive in my opinion. his consistency hasn't been there but he has proven he can score and score when it counts.

i think chandler is the movable piece here. he's a 3/4 and the knicks have a 3 (gallo) and a 4 (stat). we need a true C who can play next to amare and allow turiaf to come off the bench. who that guy is i'm not sure, but it sure as hell isn't melo.

Our best prospects (Mos/AR) play the position we need the biggest improvement on (center). Our new favorite player (Felton) plays the other position we need the most improvement on (playmaking).

Someone like Roy Hibbert would be a coup. Problem is he's a star in the making right now. 2 years ago he was Mosgov. 3 fouls in about 15 minutes and looking like the NBA game is too fast. Now he's on his way to being a franchise center and will be an max player in 2 years.

Here's your choice: give up a couple prospects and picks for a guy like Thompson who has a mediocre ceiling (picture Marc Jackson or Magloire) but could certainly help us now or you keep pushing guys like Mos out there to speed up the development

As of right now I am staying pat. Mosgov really has good potential and quite frankly has shown more than Thabeet so far. Maybe if there is a firesale at the deadline I'm open to doing something w/ Curry's contract, but otherwise I am staying put.

What makes you think Thompson is even available?

Lastly the talk of Melo/CP3 is insane. If by some stretch of the imagination their teams would trade to us it would be a roster gutting king's ransom.

3 guys I think are reasonable targets:
Anderson Varejao: perfect uptempo center/garbage player next to Amare. 28 years old, doesnt need the ball to impact, kind of like a Turiaf only he can stay healthy. Long (but reasonable) contract.

Kirk Hinrich: Always loved his game. Can play both guard spots, much better than Douglas as a backup PG, hits the 3 and a terrific defensive player also. One year left @ $8mm after this year. Redundant in Wash

Iggy: big fat contract, but (until a sore hammy this year) one of the NBA's more durable guys. Really good playmaker (we need that!) and ball handler. Top flight defensive player. Can really crash the boards also.

Again... sure, I would love CP3, but thats a pipe dream. We have a nice combo of wing/forward types in Gallo, Fields and Chandler. Amare is great. Felton brings some great things but he's a mediocre playmaker at best. If I could get a reliable athletic center like Varejao and upgrade the guards w/ Hinrich or Iggy I think we can really bang with the more elite teams