The trade for Kanter mucks it all up. Likely He was the starter as KOQ as good as he is does not go starter minutes.
So whom to blame? Has to be phil, cuz without the NTC Melo is already gone two years prior and No need for Noah. That said, its also Phils Phault becaue not only did he sign Noah, he made it necessesary for Melo to be traded and we got a quality center in return in Kanter.
Than you have to blame Perry for Kanter because he made the trade.
PED's and missing 12 games? That's on Noah. Blame Melo for being a triangle snit and phil wanting him gone. Blame KP for stepping up to allstar status and being a no. 1 option making Melo not a priority (team about the same without Melo)......Blame Mills for not being Pop. Blame Dolan because its all on him anyway.
Blame Briggs for having too many ideas, Knicks1248 for not having enough, crush for keeping us informed, FIshmike for being logical, JRod for not, bonnie for statistical adherence and Martin for making this damn site. The blame game.

Horny obviously isn't enamored with D-only bigs. Not when Kanter gives you double doubles, and KOQ is attracting trade interest.

Perry manages to get even a 2nd rounder or two for Noah and he will be my pick for Executive of the Solar System.

EnySpree wrote:Not even.... Noah wants to play. If you think that's dysfunctional then you would love the Isiah years.... someone get Jmpasq the commemoration box set for Valentine's day

Jmpasq wrote:I know this isn't the Knicks fault but aren't you guys sick of the negative press making this franchise look like its a toxic environment for free agents. We can't go half a season without someone being disgruntled.

He got busted for juicing and has showed up several times out of shape. ( And no matter what the Knicks say in public, Noah could have showed up prepared like a professional)

He's had a long long long time to improve aspects of his game, he has not. That's on him.

This issue is really more about the conflict of guaranteed contracts in the modern sports era. It's not sustainable in the NBA anymore. No fanbase wants to wait 4-5 years for a contract to expire to start over.

The next labor war will make this a deal breaker issue. The NBA will want the NFL's model of payment/contracts. If Noah could be cut at any time for any reason and not get any more of his contract, do you think he'd keep acting this way?

I thought he would come back and be more productive this year, but he isn't. Phil
rolled the dice and crapped out. His biggest mistake, unless you want to talk about resigning Melo,
which is too divisive, I would assume.

Welpee wrote:Players union would never agree to an NFL model.

Not by choice.

Sadly, and this might be either really obvious or really sad for most here ( probably a bit of both) but most professional athletes in the US are living check to check.

Owners are tired of it. It's not just about the money, it's about the product on the floor and if it's sustainable. But the key issue is THE NETWORKS ARE TIRED OF IT. The ones who sign the checks for the massive broadcasting rights to these games. Stern built the NBA around individual marketing but this is infinitely difficult to do because large segments of the Western world do not relate to or are appealed to by NBA players. Not like MLB and not like the NFL.

Cut off checks for NBA players for 3 months, see what happens. 6 months. See what happens. A year. See what happens.

The current contract structure benefits the player, his family and his agent.

The NFL model benefits competitive play and team's ability to reboot/reload. "Signing Bonuses" operate as guaranteed money and the top/elite guys will command enough money to be nearly uncuttable/untradeable.

If LeBron James buckles, he generates enough revenue for the league to deal with his idiocy.

But no one wants to deal with the power play of a Noah. Or a Baron Davis. Rip Hamilton. Aging Tracy McGrady. Erick Dampier.

STAT is a good example. A "signing bonus" would have made his contract uncuttable for the first two years. By year 3, if the Knicks could have let him go, they would have. They would get the chance to rebuild, STAT would go back out and help some other team AT HIS CURRENT MARKET VALUE. More players on the market at the actual value to the league right then and there would make team building and rebuilding much easier. It's a better product on the floor, players have no choice but to play harder and keep improving their game. STAT doesn't get to give lip service to defense, he either improved or gets cut. Guys milking fake injuries would have to rethink everything.

You are paid what you are worth right now. If you want to keep your job, you better produce. You want to show up to the preseason out of shape? Well if you are LBJ, you can get away with it. But Noah? Sorry dude, hit the exit.

Welpee wrote:

TripleThreat wrote:

Jmpasq wrote:I know this isn't the Knicks fault but aren't you guys sick of the negative press making this franchise look like its a toxic environment for free agents. We can't go half a season without someone being disgruntled.

He got busted for juicing and has showed up several times out of shape. ( And no matter what the Knicks say in public, Noah could have showed up prepared like a professional)

He's had a long long long time to improve aspects of his game, he has not. That's on him.

This issue is really more about the conflict of guaranteed contracts in the modern sports era. It's not sustainable in the NBA anymore. No fanbase wants to wait 4-5 years for a contract to expire to start over.

The next labor war will make this a deal breaker issue. The NBA will want the NFL's model of payment/contracts. If Noah could be cut at any time for any reason and not get any more of his contract, do you think he'd keep acting this way?

Players union would never agree to an NFL model. That ain't happening. There's a reason the NFL is the only major sport operating like that, they had the worst player's union. You need to remember, nobody put a gun to the Knicks head and forced them to give Noah that contract.

While I agree that it would never happen. I don't believe its because they have the worst players union (Maybe they do maybe they don't). But the nature of the NFL, having fully guaranteed deals would probably devastate the league. Most players don't last long in the NFL.

NBA they play a more games, players careers also last longer due to it being a way less violent sport.

At the same time if they offered fully guaranteed deals. Then they would probably just offer less money. Like contract would strictly be signing bonus money.