Let’s not get greedy.
How many players on the Utah Jazz or LA Clippers are household names?
When considering available free agents, what is the criteria?
Think about players who are 26 years old or younger, and on the rise.
Think about players who dive on the floor for a loose ball.

There is no quick fix for the long distance from 17 wins to the playoffs.
This could STILL be a three year process of trial and error, because like no other sport, the components of a basketball team must fit.

The point being, thinking about recognizable names without context is a huge mistake.
Scott Perry MUST know that temperament, willingness to adapt, loyalty to a cause, patience and humility are as important as three point range. Hit the open man.

I miss Danilo Gallinari.

at the beginning of the season i would have totally agreed with you. now i'm not so sure. why - the porzingis turn of events.

we were looking at going into next year with a 24 year-old homegrown 2-way all-star. quite possibly a dirk with better D for the next 10 years. no matter how i look at it that's a huge loss. PLUS - ntilikina showed no signs this year of being ready to be a starring 2-way player yet. dennis smith is very undetermined as to his ultimate level of play. so is knox. and we are looking at very long odds at landing zion.

so - my conclusion is i would take durant in any second that he's willing to come here. and i would love a marquee partner like kyrie. we're sitting on an amazing pot of gold in 2 max slots. we've got mitch, trier, our #1 and hopefully the development of knox, frank and smith to fit in. let's roll!!

#1 Pick - Franchise altering. Bring in Zion to pair in the front court with Mitch would be devastating defensively. It would also allow the team to hang on to all their young talent and allow Smith and Trier to learn fro Irving and Knox to learn from Durant. It really would be tough for those guys to pass up especially with Horford getting older and Hayward being a question mark. Obviously a lot depends on how the playoffs end, but the Clippers are making the case that they are the right option for KD. So that's a big concern, better coach, gm, owner and team, the Knicks don't offer any of those things, but the western conference certainly is a concern going forward.

#3 Pick - Let's face it, AD will be traded for a package featuring, Smith, Knox or Mitch (hopefully not), DSJR, our lottery pick and likely three future first two of which we just got from Dallas. But, keeping Mitch, Dotson Trier give us a decent amount of depth, with Allen as the backup pg, kornet and potentially Voleah staying. Kyrie and Durant both join, the Knicks go to the NBA finals.

#5 Pick - no difference making talent, KD chooses the Clippers with Leonard, Kyrie stays with the Celtics, KP returns healthy and is a superstar leading the Mavs to the playoffs and the Knicks are holding the bag and while Butler signs with the Nets and we talking about 2020.

misterearl wrote:
Dave DeBusshere was NOT marquee talent but he changed the franchise with his leadership and toughness.

well he was an all-star 3 years running when the knicks picked him up at age 28. i think in today's league he would have qualified as a max marquee player.

He is one of only 13 athletes to have played in both the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball

DeBusschere not only a three time all star he was the head coach of the pistons too!
DeBusschere was selected by the Detroit Pistons in 1962 NBA draft as a territorial draft selection. During his rookie season, he averaged 12.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and was later named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. However, DeBusschere was injured during his second season and only played in 15 games, resulting in the Pistons finishing with a disappointing record of 23-59.

In the 1964–1965 season, at the age of 24, he was given the position of player-coach for the Pistons, and thus became the youngest-ever coach in league history. However, this stint as coach was not successful and he became a full-time player. During the 1968–1969 season, DeBusschere was traded to the New York Knicks for Walt Bellamy and Howard Komives.

knicks1248 wrote:

misterearl wrote:One Max Player
Kawhi Leonard is three years younger, versatile and fluid as a ball handler.
Start with him.

Let’s not get greedy.
How many players on the Utah Jazz or LA Clippers are household names?
When considering available free agents, what is the criteria?
Think about players who are 26 years old or younger, and on the rise.
Think about players who dive on the floor for a loose ball.

There is no quick fix for the long distance from 17 wins to the playoffs.
This could STILL be a three year process of trial and error, because like no other sport, the components of a basketball team must fit.

The point being, thinking about recognizable names without context is a huge mistake.
Scott Perry MUST know that temperament, willingness to adapt, loyalty to a cause, patience and humility are as important as three point range. Hit the open man.

I miss Danilo Gallinari.

Im 110% sure that if Fiz was the coach for the jazz or clippers this season, they would be in the lottery..

I'm not hating on fiz either because i like him as a person, but he is a really clueless head coach.

I don't know what Fitz is as a coach, but the Knicks don't have anywhere near the talent the Jazz or the Clippers have, the Jazz especially.

Knixkik wrote:My hope is we finally get our 2 max free agents (KD and either Kyrie or Kemba) and can compete while developing a young core of Robinson, Knox, and our 2019 top pick. That would be our core 5 players, and building around them as best as possible. It can lead to sustainable success as we will have youth growing into increased roles as the 2 stars age. We also have a surplus of draft capital for the first time ever. The only question is can it lead to a championship. It really takes a lot of development, but also a lot of luck. We will see what happens.

The knicks haven't resigned a rookie contract since charlie ward(despite 16 first round selections), and have had just 1 player(melo) that had a tenure more than 4 yrs..this is over the course of 20+ yrs.

So to think that we will be grooming any of these young players like mitch, knox, dotson to be the face of the franchise or part of any long term core is about as far fetch as TRUMP at a Jay Z concert in webster hall.

This off season should be a 3 yr plan. I wouldn't sign any FA for more than 3 yrs this off season,definitely not in this day and age

technomaster wrote:

franco12 wrote:if we were playing a video game, yea, you could pick different players - but if KD is open to signing here, there is no reason to not do it.

He seems to have a physique and style of athleticism that will age very well.
<snip>

Yeah. Basically he can get the same money anywhere (he'll get taxed less in Texas or Florida). He'll have a whole range of endorsement opportunities and as well as job opportunities for his friends and families if he moves to NY or LA.

If he can get a championship for the Knicks, a franchise that came oh-so-close a few times (94, 99) but has been a disappointment for the large part of the last 20 years... he'd be legendary.

But yeah, it's not so simple, because it's not really the Knicks choices, it's where the FA's want to go.

I used to think that was a reason for Lebron to come here prior to his decision to go to so beach. But, really - trying to be objective and not a fan, if I am Durant and I can bring respectability to the Knicks and lead them back to the play offs year after year - then that is huge. That is endorsements, that is visibility. That is HOF cementing. That may get you over Lebron in the greatest player conversation.

I assume these things matter to players.

I don't think those same things are quite as available to him in TX and FL. And he is in the one place that is probably more expensive than NYC - SF/Bay Area.

knicks1248 wrote:

Knixkik wrote:My hope is we finally get our 2 max free agents (KD and either Kyrie or Kemba) and can compete while developing a young core of Robinson, Knox, and our 2019 top pick. That would be our core 5 players, and building around them as best as possible. It can lead to sustainable success as we will have youth growing into increased roles as the 2 stars age. We also have a surplus of draft capital for the first time ever. The only question is can it lead to a championship. It really takes a lot of development, but also a lot of luck. We will see what happens.

The knicks haven't resigned a rookie contract since charlie ward(despite 16 first round selections), and have had just 1 player(melo) that had a tenure more than 4 yrs..this is over the course of 20+ yrs.

So to think that we will be grooming any of these young players like mitch, knox, dotson to be the face of the franchise or part of any long term core is about as far fetch as TRUMP at a Jay Z concert in webster hall.

This off season should be a 3 yr plan. I wouldn't sign any FA for more than 3 yrs this off season,definitely not in this day and age

3-year plans are good for mediocre team to get good.
For underwater junkies it takes longer.
I would not bet on anything less that 6 years for the Knicks to get to consistent post-season runs.
No one can plan for own draftees to became the face of franchise unless it is a generational player like Bron.
Some say Zion is one but its not a sure thing.
Bringing 2 max of course changing the story and we see this happening a couple of times.
But are we ready roster-vise and image-vise to get them on-board?
No need to guess. We will find out soon enough.
It will take a lot of luck and precision from FO to pull it out.
In the meantime FO is doing aright thing by collecting assets and talent.
Quantity sooner or later will became quality. Just stay the course.