Posted by diderotn:

Great thread, but I don't believe that we necessary need a Phil Jackson to reach the promise land in N.Y. It is all about Steph learning to develop that killer instinct.

Posted by fishmike:

I have to slightly disagree with your statements about the Bulls. Even without Mike the Bulls gave the Knicks all they could handle in a second round series.

The first 3 titles had Bill Cartwright, and excellent center and Horace Grant, a bonafide double double guy that was every bit as good or better then Oakley. They also had some dead eye shooters in Paxson and BJ Armstrong.

The second 3 they didnt have the center but Kukoc was a guy that could play 4 positions, handle the ball and shoot the lights out. Put him with possibly the best rebounder ever and some big bodies to clog the lane and some nice role players like ron Harper and Kerr and you have a pretty good team there also.

If you saw some average teams + Mike you werent watching.

I hope hope hope that Steph and the Knicks can undergo a Piston's like change. Build a winning team, then make a move for a guy like Sheed that can put you over the top. Remember the Pistons were 32-50 with Ben Wallace and Stackhouse. They got Rick Carlisle to coach and the only player change Dumars made was to sign Cliff Robinson and the next year they were 50-32. I hope like hell we can develop that kind of chemistry.

I will say this.. at least we have young players that can develop into something special. This time last year we were hoping KVH, Deke, McDyess and Houston would somehow return to a time earlier in their career when they could either play or werent broken. Now I can at least take solace in Crawford, Ariza and Sweetney's upside, even if we struggle at times. Based on our lousy conference I still think we can win the atlantic and 45-48 games.

yes, the year Jordan was out the bulls were still great. Jax best year coaching. Of course they were a great team, but man to man on paper they did not jump out like the Star phuched team Phil had last year. And remember, that was the year Pippen would not get in the game and sulked about the last shot.

That team out grew Phil and really could not gone much longer if at all. But it was how that was a TEAM is what stands out in the year with no Jordan.

I have yet to read phils book, but I really don't like KOBE now for what kind of team mate he became. The rape thing was pretty nasty, but it was a personal thing. Kobe is a meglamaniac!

Kobe was fixtured to be mike, but the difference was when Phil gave mike a book, he read it. Kobe did not.

When Phil writes a book, I'll read it. Im surprised phil did a tell all book, but he has been a stand up guy and perhaps his therapist told him to "write it down". I don't know if he told him to publish it!

I would never have thought Shaq would come out of this looking as good as he does, and Kobe so bad.

Posted by teslawlo:

Phil Jackson might or might not get us over the hump, but it certainly will at least increase our chances of getting to another level.

[Edited by - teslawlo on 10/28/2004 19:53:02]