the suns model--no there isnt going to be another amare any time soon, BUt that doesnt mean we can find three extremly fast run-jump athletes who can get up and down the floor and a 5 who may be undersized, but can also move up and down


Does JC fit this mold? YES, he can be the spot up 3 man.


Players that intiially can play this style that we can acquire?

#1 Gerald Wallace comes to mind. Hes an unrestricted FA and Im beginning to spin the way I think of things and I think that this may be the best way to go IF we can spend it. It should be enough because there are so many high profile wings that are fA at higher $$$

#2 Draft--absolutley, Joey Graham Wayne Simien and Nate Robinson. All are extreme athletes who play in high tempo styles. All have tremendous nBA bodies and extreme athletsicm.

#3 For our young guys, Ariza is a keeper, Sweetney a trade prospect.

#4 Do what we can to see if we can get Kwame brown at almost any cost. Hes going to be my anchor player in this system and i think that its going to cost Wash a tremendous amount to keep Hughes--and they cant afford to lose him. They have played well without Kwame and if we could package Sweetney Nazr+Norris +3mm and take Etan and Kwame , I will do it. It gives the Wizards cost savings and two players who will help them a great deal.


We will need to buy two draft picks, or buy one and offer another down the road.


So in conclusion

Do what it takes to get kwame.

Sign Gerald wallace to a maximum contract

do what it takes to get into position to acquire 3 athletes out of the draft who fit in an uptempo system buy them like portalnd di do what it takes--every year they are available--we dont want scrubs on the bench anymore


that would leave us looking like this

C- Kwame 7-0 265
PF Simien 6-9 255 SF Wallace 6-7 215
SG Crawford 6-5 180
PG Marbury 6-2 200
C Etan thomas 6-9 255
F Joey Graham 6-7 220
F Ariza 6-8 200
F JYD 6-9 210
G Robinson 5-8 190

Houston plays sparingly as a need shooter. We wont play any guy 40 minutes but rather two squads that play near 30 and near 20 and we can mix and match. TT and Hosuton are the 11-12 guys

Let Baker Hardaway expire along with moochie on IR to get rid of salary

this would be a much more exciting brand of basketball--it would be a winning style a nd it would have a chance within a few years to be an elite team give or take soem manuevers.

atleast it represents structure and style of play quicker guys who can get up and down the floor and play better D

not spending so much money and getting rid of the dumb salaries. not trading those contracts to take on so much more money. Taking on Thomas is small compared to what we have done.

And realistically i think something like this can be done. No more vets, no more trying to take on ounwanted players.

aggresive in the MLE aggresive in the draft aggresive in trade that makes sense

start sheeding he sht


no webbers etc.. and let the chips fall

that should read sign wallace to a max MLE

the suns model is get lucky

they got lucky that Amare turned into a stud and not a Kwame Brown.

they got lucky that Nash was signable as well as picking up q.

And they got lucky that all the parts meshed together.

Some of the games we've lost I've really begun to think we're one player away- unfortunately, that one player is an all star and plays upfront.

Most teams seem to acquire this kind of player in the draft- and I gotta think that's probably our only hope to get a quality big.

Briggs I like your plan but you call for the Knicks to draft 3 plaers (Graham, Simien, Robinson). Do the Knicks have 3 draft picks?

I think that's the general direction the team needs to move in. They have some nice pieces to build around, now get rid of the older, overpaid ones and bring in younger players who will be obviously cheaper.

It's going to take a while to build a contender, the Marbury/Crawford backcourt is, in my opinion, a real nice addition to this team. I hated the Vin Baker signing. I love JYD. I'm not a big Houston fan, esp. at his price, but you can't get rid of him b/c he makes so much. I wish Jamison Brewer would play over Moochie. I think its time to trade Kurt and Nazr in an effort to obtain those younger players, Kurt especially. Nazr is nicely priced and is an expiring contract, he could get you A LOT. Kurt is a nice player who runs the pick and roll well, but, let's face it, his 2" vertical and lack of ability to post up really hurts the Knicks. I love Ariza, he'll only get better with more time.

Thats my general consensus of the team. I agree they should trade Kurt and Nazr to obtain some younger players, live with Houston, wait out the Penny and Tim Thomas deals, possibly convert one in a sign and trade. Draft smart, spend the MLE wisely.

Kurt and Nazr should be wanted by a TON of teams at the deadline. If Indiana is making a push with Jackson and O'Neal back, would they move Artest, Croshere, and a number 1 for Nazr, KT, and Moochie. They get a backup PG behind Tinsley, two forwards to solidify their frontline, and really don't lose much.

Knicks have the best two-way player in the game playing at the 3, combined with Marbury and Crawford in the backcourt next year. They won't have a frontline for the rest of the season, but who really cares, they're not doing anything this year? Sweetney can get 40 minutes a night and they can determine if he's a good player, use the picks on athletes (Nate Robinson, Joey Graham, Wayne Simien, Hakim Warrick, etc), use the MLE on Stephen Hunter or Kwame Brown or Chris Wilcox, those are the moves I'd be looking at.

[Edited by - bigsm00th on 01/12/2005 13:49:15]

Nazr is actually younger than Marbury- if he can play like he's played, he's an ok center. Its the 3/4 and bench that would need help.

its style of play...

trade up (if needed) to draft Hakim Warrick. There's your poor mans Marion.
Use Sweetney and an expiring contract like Moochie + cash in a sign and trade for Stro Swift

Sign Steven Hunter to the MLE

Marbury/Barret?
Crawford/Houston
Warrick/Ariza
Swift/JYD
Nazr/Hunter

you still have the majority of your expiring contracts to use at the deadline when they are the most valueable.

nice BRIGGS. but i do agree w/SmOOth i believe we have 1 first rounder, and 2 second? (i "think" 2 second) i'm pretty sure graham is going to be a first round pick, and simien could be lottery. now to me simien would be first on that list due to the fact that we have ariza to play the role of graham. also as much as people would'nt like the idea of trading sweets, simien is more agile and quicker for obvious reasons. as BRIGGS would say, S-I-M-I-E-N spells boozer.

TMS... depends on where Warrick falls. I dont think we have a shot at a top pick, but something in the 9-12 range is very possible. Heck, we will probably only be in the mid teens, 14-18ish. You can just use straight up cash. You could use Moochie and take back a longer contract, there's a few options. Where there's a will there's a way

Posted by teslawlo:

I'd like to see the suns win a championship first before modeling our team after them, as impressive as they currently may be....

As much as people boast on this being more entertaining, what's wrong with modeling after the most "ENTERTAINING TEAM" in the league!