Like patience... they were in a similar situation last year. They got a new GM, made some roster changes, got a new coach mid season and struggled although they did show some signs. Yet they were patient and essentially started the year with the same team they ended with. They dont have a great inside player.. Gasol is nice but he's kind of a tweener. Not a pure back to the basket type.

My point is I just hope the Knicks are patient. If we get lucky on a Sheed (not counting on it) thats nice, but otherwise I dont think its a bad thing to start next year with essentially the same roster. I want to see Marbury, Houston, TT, Kurt and Nazr play 40 games together AFTER a preseason and training camp. Let Penny, Shandon, Frank, Sweetney and co fight for the other 4 spots in the rotation.

I think people would be suprised how good that line up could be. I dont think Im being overly optimistic, I just dont think an injury plagued 30 game period with a new coach in a season with 22 different players on the roster is a good way to judge a group.

that is a much much younger team with many more athletes a great deal of length at nearly every position and a franchise type frontcourt player. this team is so far above the knicks it's not close. we have to many guys like KT andersen penny baker houston who are 30+ and regressing and happen to be core components

our team pretty much is Starbury nazr TT Sweetney and then many question marks-- we need to get younger and more athletic+ bigger. To me nothing has changed in that aspect-we need more size we need younger players at nearly every position. indiana doesnt have jermaine oneal and bender yet they beat dallas these teams are so far above us because they can win with injury--when we can win with injury when there are no excuses when the other[good]arent shooting a high% of layups and dunks+ FT--let me know. we need to start with a core anchor player in the middle to thwart lane penetration and some speed on the perimeter.

Fish: you're right, at least partially, imo. This team would get significantly better even w/o any further changes ... though not enough to win more than one playoff series w/o improved personnel. What I wonder is who you're asking to be patient -- Fans or Isaih?

I still think we're going down the right path. Even if we miss the playoffs this year, I'll believe that. We need to keep to the plan, keep trading our topped out talent for young or young-ish guys with some warts on them, and keep hoping that we get lucky s=with some of these deals.

i agree. i'm willing to wait till after the trade deadline next year to see where we are as a team. for all we know, isiah could've set us back a couple of more years...

as for memphis. they really do need to be commended on what they've done. they realized that they don't have a franchise superstar so they went the other route and tried to amass as much talent as possible. now, with them playing so well, everyone's stock is high and now jerry west can trade some players to get that superstar. he's an f'n genius. it just hurts to see how some coaches can get players to play above their heads with so much passion and a commitment to defense. i don't see it here with lenny. okay, he didn't get the benefit of a healthy roster and a training camp so i'm giving him time as well...

We are defenetly younger and have more proimise then in the beginning of the year, but a lot more needs to happen.

First of all, FW needs to be brought back to life, the kid won the starting job earlier this year, obviously he has enough talent to play 10 minutes a game behind Marbury.

TT needs to stay healthy, he has had way to many injuires. If he does manage to stay healthy we have our SF of the future for years to come.

Sweetney needs to start over KT. He already has the potential to lead the league in rebounding, what does KT has a potential to lead the league in? Oh, I know, illegal picks. OH will put up some hard competition there thogh.

Mohammed needs to continue his development into a Maglore type player, work on his jumper and get his shoblocking to a little over 1 a game. Can he do it? I say easily, he is already a great finisher and rebounder, especially offensvely, mostly because lo and behold he can jump as opposed OH, Deke, KT, etc.

Marbury needs to stay healthy, and we got our PG for many years to come, nothing more needed to say here.

Houston needs to be moved for something. Get somebody to take a chance on his bloated deal and busted knees. Get a pick and some garbage that you can release back along with some bad contracts that expire within the next 2 years. It does not even matter if it is a late 1st rounder. Just get rid of this cripple. Give up both 2nd rounders if need be.

Demarr Johnson should be devloped intensively and given a chance to play over Penny and Anderson. With luck he is good enough to start next year and get his pts of outside shooting, cutting and fastbreak, no isos for him, kinda like Kittles plays in Jersey. Considering he is athletic and has a shot, he can def. do that.

Bring Baker back for the MLE, realistically we wount be able to get anything better, and besides Baker is a nice bakcup C. Penny is fine backing up 2 and 3, and Anderson is a good defensive stopper of the bench.

So the rotation should be like this:
C Mohammed (12pts 10brds 1blk) / Baker (9pts 6rbs 1blk)
PF Sweetney (16pts 14brds 1blk) / KT (8pts 7rbs 1blk)
SF TT (15pts 5brds 3ass) / Penny (8pts 4bre 1stl)
SG Johnson (16pts 4brds 2ass) / Andreson (4pts 2rbs 1stl)
PG Marbury (21pts 2stls 10as) / FW (4pts 2ass 1stl)
Deke, 1st rounder
IL OH, Norris, Trybanski

That is a very young starting 5, and a venteran second unit, also with some youth in FW. Trade OH, Deke, and Trybanski along with a 1st rounder in a Marbury type deal to land another star player midway through the season.

I am surprised that so many people are down on Kurt and want Sweets to start over him ASAP. The ONLY thing I have seen out of Fat Boy is hussle. We've seen flashes on offense - potential - but nothing more. Ask Sweetney to do that over a 30 minute period and teams will eat him alive. Can he make the 15-18 foot jumpshot? No. Reliable in the post? No. Defensive stopper in the post? Don't think so. Weak side D? Help D? I do like his rebounding over Kurt. You can't really double off of Kurt, I bet you could do that all day on Sweets.

Lenny is in a no lose situation, getting minutes for FW, and Sweets, Demarr may be difficult because of the pressure to produce wins now.