I've seen this team play out like this, and my hunch is next year and the future is bright. I can't remember where I saw a young team lose a lot of close games, and the next year they start to win those. Maybe it was early Ewing.

This isn't blind fanacticism like nixluva. This is a legit belief that next year, we start to win these games.

I am confident in our FO. Confident that these players- this core group we can debate- will continue to grow, and next year, we start to see them win these close games.

We've seen flashes. We need more depth, more discipline, yes, more talent.

But, Briggs, you are wrong. This group is the group that becomes a winning franchise, and we don't need no starphuchs!

Knixkik wrote:Health is always the biggest factor but this is a playoff team next year as it stands. We need to add one or two playmakers and they don't have to be big pieces. Just incremental changes and having this group grow together can make all the difference. I'm expecting Dotson to become a rotation player next season and frank to grow into a starter. We can add a wing in the draft and see where that puts us.

So you want to bring back a Jarett Jack player at PG hope Daymean Dotson gets 1000% better and draft a guy who wont see the light of day around 12-15?

You think that is better than signing I Thomas? Its not even close????????????????????????? Pick 12-15 isnt very good this year!

Two guys I really want--Isiah Thomas from free agency and Spencer Dinwiddie with a trade with the nets. Because of cap considerations I cannot add more than that without being unrealistic. I would definitely use my draft pick to unload cap with the Nets if they give us Dinwiddie.

Instead they need players that are going to learn and grow together without costing a fortune.

The problem with this team now is that they play differently in the 4th quarter. The ball stops moving. Kanter should play. He creates more positive than negative, IMO.

Right now, without THjr you cannot make rash decisions on this team. He is a key player that has been out over a month and a tough month to boot.

GustavBahler wrote:As much as Im a fan of Thomas (hard not to be) signing him to a max deal would be like Amar'e all over again.

I dont care what the money is--as long as its 5mm more than the other guy. IF he shows healthy all year and passes MD tests that hes good to go--pay him. Or we can keep going 30-52

Knixkik wrote:

Welpee wrote:Signing IT would show that our organization hasn't changed at all. It would be a typical Knicks-type move. I would totally envision Knicks fans complaining about how he can't penetrate or get big buckets or deliver passes in the clutch because of his lack of size. I guarantee you Ainge was thrilled to get rid of IT and not have to make that decision on whether or not to sign him to big money.

Yeah exactly. IT is someone who fans here would turn on pretty quickly when they realize he can be a black hole and doesn't play defense/isn't capable on defense. We are building an identity here and while Porzingis is struggling to score efficiently, getting Hardaway back and adding 1 more scoring wing this summer in a 6th man role would completely change that. He just needs help from playmaking positions so he's not put in iso situations constantly. It's pointless anyway, because we know Perry isn't going anywhere near IT. His window of this quality play is too small. I hear Briggs talking about guys like Porzingis struggling to sustain long NBA careers, but i am positive a lot more 7-foot+ guys stay relevant in their 30s than guys below 6-feet. That's a fact. We are going to build this thing steady and not make any rash decisions. We need playmakers, no doubt, but we can get them for less than 100M and younger than IT.

Only way to beat Boston.

NYKBocker wrote:

franco12 wrote:Stop with the Isiiah Thomas threads!!!

I've seen this team play out like this, and my hunch is next year and the future is bright. I can't remember where I saw a young team lose a lot of close games, and the next year they start to win those. Maybe it was early Ewing.

This isn't blind fanacticism like nixluva. This is a legit belief that next year, we start to win these games.

I am confident in our FO. Confident that these players- this core group we can debate- will continue to grow, and next year, we start to see them win these close games.

We've seen flashes. We need more depth, more discipline, yes, more talent.

But, Briggs, you are wrong. This group is the group that becomes a winning franchise, and we don't need no starphuchs!

I agree but what is wrong with the nixluva approach?

This team is learning and growing. These are called growing pains. A little tweak here and there and we are going to be contenders for many years.

My call out about nix is he has always been positive, despite reality.

I have a gut feeling, an intuition that I haven't had before. I think this group can get back to the playoffs. Maybe not this year, but next for sure.

BRIGGS wrote:Starpuch

trading young players and lottery picks for player

examples Eddy Curry Cramelo Mcdyess Marbury

signing a free agent who is a star? No starpuch

BRIGGS wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:As much as Im a fan of Thomas (hard not to be) signing him to a max deal would be like Amar'e all over again.

I dont care what the money is--as long as its 5mm more than the other guy. IF he shows healthy all year and passes MD tests that hes good to go--pay him. Or we can keep going 30-52

I'm wondering where the money to sign a player like IT will be coming from?? Is this just another imaginary offseason of signings again? Even if Kanter doesn't opt in we still won't have the money to sign IT as long as J.Noah's contract is on the books which will be for 2 more years after this year. Unless you're gonna come up with a bunch of hypotheticals of things we can do to clear the money but they'll only be hypotheticals and will never happen. Are you gonna say we should stretch Noah? Which would hurt us more then help us. Are you gonna trade Timmy and hope Kanter doesn't opt in? Isn't gonna happen. Are we gonna trade C.Lee and Kanter and only bring back expiring contracts and draft picks? Could happen i guess but would be very hard to do.

I just see us signing IT as more of a dream then reality.

And the Nets aren't gonna trade Dinwiddie either cause all i hear is that they love him.

Bonn1997 wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Starpuch

trading young players and lottery picks for player

examples Eddy Curry Cramelo Mcdyess Marbury

signing a free agent who is a star? No starpuch

So it's impossible for an FA signing to be a starphuck?

Nope. Who wouldn't want IT on this team anyway for nothing but cash?

Would you say the same for Amare?

What's impressed you so much in his 3 games back anyway? The 44% shooting? The 6+ turnovers per 36 min?

Let me see--arent you the same guy who said a ten game sample is not much? How about the 29 points and 6 assits + the ECF he did last year? Do you even know who I Thomas is? Because that is a silly statement?

Hes not going to avg the same on Clev that he did on Boston--what we are looking for is health--we know the guy can play.