Lipstick on a pig
If the NBA is, indeed, a players’ league, then the New York Knicks’ front-office transformation this year will amount – to coin a phrase – to putting lipstick on a pig.
Basketball operations boss Donnie Walsh is universally well-respected. New coach Mike D’Antoni is universally well-respected. They are the lipstick – and the rouge, blush, mascara and everything else new and attractive about the Knicks. Neither, however, will play a minute for this year’s Knicks who, on paper, look an awful lot like last year’s train wreck.
A quick scan of the Knicks’ roster the week before training camps opens reveals only three departures from last season’s unremarkable and hapless cabal on 33rd and 8th Avenue: Freddie Jones (an unsigned free agent), Randolph Morris (a free agent signed by Atlanta) and Renaldo Balkman (a 2006 first rounder – taken one pick before Rajon Rondo – traded to Denver for a 2010 second –rounder.) Doesn’t exactly look like a house-cleaning, does it? In their places are free agent Chris Duhon, lottery pick Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Ewing, um, Jr.
So how good can the new-look Knicks be when virtually all of the old-look Knicks will still be around? Well, that voice of gravitas, Shaquille O’Neal, weighed in last week and said D’Antoni alone could result in 15 more wins for the 23-win juggernaut of a year ago. Then again, Shaq was also the one who offered that Kevin Garnett was not a legitimate MVP candidate last year and added that KG didn’t play any defense.
We know this much. As a coach, D’Antoni historically is probably somewhere in between Hall of Famer Larry Brown, who won 23 games in 2005-06, and franchise destroyer Isiah Thomas, who won 33 games in 2006-07 and, after being given an extension, won 23 games in 2007-08 with the league’s most underachieving and overpaid roster. So would 35-40 wins would be a realistic goal?
The 2008-09 Knicks will test the long-held theory that a coach in the NBA can make only so much difference. There will be a different style, for sure, and there will be an air of stability and possibly even tranquility that was absent (and unimaginable) a year ago. But unless there is a roster overhaul, it really is lipstick on a pig.
But, Knicks fans, have patience. (I know, that’s been the operative phrase for a while, but now it really means something.) Walsh and D’Antoni don’t really care a whole lot about this season, at least in terms of the Grand Vision. They’re better off in the short run making incremental progress while assembling low-salaried assets so that they can have a decent roster and a low payroll in the summer of 2010.
That is not only when payroll anchors Stephon Marbury (who could be – gulp – the second highest paid player in the NBA this season), Malik Rose, Jerome James (who still has a picture of Thomas over his bed) and Quentin Richardson will all be off the books. (Marbury, mercifully, comes off after this season, when he presumably will move to Salerno. The others will be off after the 2009-10 season).
That also is the summer that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all could become free agents. New York is New York. D’Antoni is a renowned players’ coach. The Cavs, Heat and maybe the Raptors will be going nowhere. You already know this story. But, for now, it is only a story, even though there are fewer people who actually knew the identity of Sarah Palin a month ago than who think James will be a lifelong Cav. He’s a Yankees fan. One of his buddies is Nets’ minority owner Jay-Z.
So look for 2008-09 to be your basic weed-out season, sort of like “running a lice comb through the budget process,” to quote ‘The West Wing’s CJ Cregg. With many of the big-salaried players near the end of their contracts, Walsh might find some takers who actually might desire ‘So and So and His Expiring Contract.’ Marbury would fall into that category if anyone actually wanted him.
Until then, try to imagine Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry playing in D’Antoni’s free-flow offense. Not an easy thing to do. At the other end, however, they’ll thrive in D’Antoni’s ‘Let The Opposition Wear Themselves Out Scoring’ defense. There will be a lot of interest in Gallinari and even in newcomer Duhon, a somewhat curious offseason signing given the number of guards, big and small, on the roster.
But what there is now in New York, undeniably, is hope. Walsh has a proven track record and is anxious to rebuild the team. In D’Antoni, he has a coach who loves offense, is easy on his players, and also can be viewed as a valuable recruiting tool. But hope is not a short-term thing. It’s a long-term thing. It isn’t going to be vocalized or used as any kind of sales pitch (Come See The Knicks: Back on the Way to Being Relevant!) because that’s bad form. Season ticket holders are paying too much money to have that message drilled into their heads, even if they’re smart enough to know. Which they are.
Instead, look for messages of “change” – there’s a concept! – and some form of restoration of dignity and respect around the league. That’s a big and important step. At this time last year, the Knicks and Madison Square Garden were a public relations disaster and a league laughingstock – and that was before the basketball team even played a game. Mercifully, those days are gone.
But with the roster still pretty much intact – and, apparently, not a lot of takers out there – it’s going to take time for the team to be competitive and back in the water-cooler dialogue again. Walsh and D’Antoni are a start. But the rest of the group doesn’t look all that promising, at least not for 2008-09.
The NBA a players’ league? The Knicks sure hope not.
Xavier Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
I agree that without major roster overhauls, the few cosmetic changes won’t result in any significant change in win totals. However, I submit this:
The Knicks WILL win 33-38 games IF and only if they can get rid of Zach Randolph, and Eddy Curry can return to 06-07 form. Remember, the only reason why the Knicks didn’t make the playoffs that year was because 4 of their top performers were injured at the crucial stretch of the season. It is easy for people who are not Knicks fan to forget that we were 7th in the NBA in Eastern Conference race before we lost Q. Rich, Crawford, Marbury, and the highly valuable David Lee to injuries.
If Steph is bought out, Zach is traded, then that means more touches for Curry, Crawford, Chandler (who should have a break out season this year if he starts), Richardson, Robinson, with Duhon making the right decisions as a floor general. Remember, in D’Antoni’s system there are more touches since they don’t use the whole shot clock.
If these conditions are met, and the Knicks still flop, then I shall literally write my words on a sheet of cardboard, and eat them (with hot sauce).
Ron Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 2:14 pm
I definitely agree as far as the rebubilding. However I really don’t think the knicks should put all their eggs in the 2010 basket. The fact of the three premier free agents listed above only Bosh seems to be the most realistic target. With that being said, as good a player as he is, he is not as dynamic as a Wade and Lebron. I look back at the 2 proposed trades this offseason for the clippers and the grizz and outside of paying a portion of Zach’s last year(Memphis) I didn’t see trades which would harm our long term growth. Both teams wanted a first round pick, but consider this: The knicks were picking up darko/marco ortim /cuttino who all can do better in D’Antoni’s offense than Zach, but did Walsh actually inquire about getting the likes of DeAndre Jordan, who is considerred at this point the biggest steal of the draft. Also Javaris Crittenton’s name had came up who I feel would thrive with the run and gun offense. Netither player has even begun to tap into their rich potential, and for a 2010 first round pick I feel this would definitely help us get on the right track. In the end, my argument is simply this Bosh is with a Raptors team full of talent, Wade now has Beasley and the Matrix with him in south beach and even Lebron has Mo Williams to help out a bit….as competitive as these guys are I just don’t see them leaving teams with potential to win to come to a roster with a majority of over-the-hill primadonna’s who outside of rose and Q has never been past the first round of the playoffs…..In the end, doesn’t matter how tall the buildings are or the payroll you can shell out….it all comes down to WINNING, and this roster outside of Chandler, Gallinari, Nate shows nothing that can project down the line of winning!
Rashidi Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
I think Nate is due for a breakout season once Marbury gets out of the way.
Per 36 minutes
Nate: 17.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.1 apg
Marbury: 14.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 5.1 apg
How does Nate compare to other shoot first points in the league?
Per 36 mins
Monta: 19.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.7 apg
Barbosa: 19.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.2 apg
Lou Williams: 17.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 4.9 apg
Mo Williams: 17.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 6.3 apg
Mike Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
Uh, you’re not coining a phrase. In fact that phrase was recently famously used by a presidential candidate.
Knicks Fan Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 3:24 pm
The Knicks will be a playoff team if everybody is healthy and conditioned. Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford will most likely be the leading scorers. If Chandler manages to play the way he did in the summer league, he will be a problem. Eddy Curry should be back this year to his 06/07 form and Zach Randolph is probably going to get his usual 20/10 if he listens to D’antoni. Danillo is still a project as of now. Q Rich will get better because of his experience with the system. David Lee always plays hard regardless of conditions. So, this year should be good if things work out well but then again knowing the knicks, something will mess them up. If Lebron doesnt sign in 2010 with the greatest market team in the league, I’m sure D Wade wouldnt be as dumb not to.
Billy Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 3:30 pm
On the first day of training camp the Knicks should put Zach Randolph on a treadmill and not let him off until the first game of the season. Then maybe he can run the high pick n roll with Duhon (should have been starting over Hinrich most of last year) similarly to Amare and Nash. Spot Q Rich (ppl forget how well he did for the Suns a few years back) and Crawford at the 3 point line then start Chandler or Lee at the 4 to be the energy-do-everything guy. Keep Curry on the bench until his treadmill burns out then maybe he can sniff the floor. Buy out the cancer known as Stephon Marbury and bring only Robinson, Jeffries and Danilo off the bench and there’s your 8-9 man rotation. Fast, agile, uptempo players. This team could hit the 35 - 40 win mark if the hustle and run.
As far as the 2010 free agent class, I think most ppl forget that these players can get the most money from their current team (See Michael Redd a few years ago when he turned down the Cavs max deal for the Bucks max deal). That being said, I don’t see Bosh or Wade leaving their teams. If Wade leaves, I say he goes home to Chi-town to play with Rose and Deng. Lebron will probably leave, but his boy Jay Z will be in Brooklyn not Manhattan. So I see Lebron heading to the Nets.
So then the real test will be on for Donnie Walsh. Can he re-build this team and make them a contender without getting one of the big free agents in 2010? Only time will tell..
Ford Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
The Knicks don’t necessarily need Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, or Chris Bosh to be a good team in 2010. Make a couple of trades that fits Mike D’antoni’s style of play and you should be good. If they didn’t have Zach Randolph or Marbury, the team should look like this for 2008/09…
Starters: Bench:
Nate Robinson Chris Duhon
Jamal Crawford Anthony Robertson
Wilson Chandler Quentin Richardson
David Lee Danilo Gallinari
Eddy Curry (Blank) Get any shot-blocker from a trade
…None of these players have ego problems so hopefully it should be good.
Utilize the 2 minutes Jerome James can provide you with shot-blocking. I know that Jerome James cannot handle the run-and-gun offense so I suggest him to just stay back on defense.
Malik Ahmed Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 9:27 pm
I loved the hiring of both Walsh and D’Antoni : finally some REAL basketball geniuses in the franchise.
The conservative approach they are taking to the roster is a breath of fresh air instead of the panick moves and shuffling of the roster for the sake of shuffling by Isiah. Although signing Duhon to a midlevel was a bit of a stretch its just a 2 year deal giving them cap room in 2010 : the year of Lebron / Wade / Bosh.
Ultimately Knicks fans lets face it, the next 2 seasons are just scrimmages : 2010 is where the Knicks start their quest for a championship.
will Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 9:34 pm
I am a diehard Knicks fan, I don’t think that we should short change what Stephon Marbury can do for our team. I believe in giving second chances. Stephon is in his last year under contract and he will be a serious threat to opposing teams with a little help from the right coach in the right system. Let’s not cut our nose to spite our face with talk of a buy out or trade. Stephon will be playing for a new contract if not with us then with someone else this makes him dangerous and useful. Let’s go Knicks !
Mike Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 9:41 pm
Let’s be honest here. The Knicks are not realistically going anywhere with the roster as is. The best thing we can hope for is to flip contracts for shorter ones.
Can Eddy Curry do well enough in this season that he’ll opt out in search of a better contract? Unlikely.
Will Zach Randolph be motivated under this coach to play smart ball? Unlikely.
Right now there’s a few things that they should do.
Bite the bullet on Marbury’s contract and buy him out. Get him off the team NOW, we’re better off without him then holding onto him and the media coverage that follows him. His whole team didn’t want him back last year, is this year going to be any different? Leave him in the past with Isiah’s Error Era. I’m sure he’ll latch onto Boston or San Antonio to nab a ring.
Buy out Mardy Collins as well. He’s a nice guy, but he’s got no jumpshot and isn’t very quick, which means there’s no point in him being around D’Antoni’s system.
Lastly, convince Jerome James to either retire or buy him out as well.
These three moves fill the need in eliminating players for being over the max. limit and getting rid of 2 malcontents in Marbury and JJ, and getting rid of a player who doesn’t fit in Collins.
Eliminating Marbury and Collins opens up playing time for Duhon, Nate, and Roberson.
Eliminating JJ just puts one of the bad mistakes Isiah made in the past.
We need to distance ourselves from that era as much as we can and getting rid of Marbury and Jerome James, albeit small moves, are steps in the right direction.
manic Said,
September 21, 2008 @ 11:56 pm
8-9 man rotation? This is Mike “I only play 6 or 7 if there is foul trouble” D’Antoni you are talking about. He had a much better bench in Phoenix but didnt use it, why would he suddenly decide to use the garbage on the Knicks pine?
Raptors, Mortal Kombat and a Charley Rosen link « Arsenalist Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 12:05 am
[...] Quality posting at HoopsHype where the author points out that there’s a good chance that Zach Randolph will start the season as a member of the Knicks thus nixing the idea that they’ll will be a different team this year. There’s no doubting that the Knicks roster is oozing with enough slime to pollute an ocean but Zach Randolph is a little different. He’s the one dysfunctional Knick whose talent can be brought out to good potential if a coach is able to harness his emotion and gangsta attitude by channeling his anger properly. The identity of the Knicks has always been that of a strong no-nonsense defensive team that hustles and that’s exactly what’s been lacking in New York since before van Gundy left. Defense brings discipline and D’Antoni hardly addresses that problem so it becomes inevitable that the undisciplined Knicks will continue to struggle. [...]
marco Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 3:33 am
hola, como fan de los knicks desde españa, quiero decir que despues de todo lo que hizo o mejor no hizo isaiah thomas cualquier cosa puede ser positiva. la cuestion del cambio de entrenador puede resultar bien pues por primera vez quiza concuerde el estilo de juego que pone en practica entrenador con el tipo de jugadores que tiene, hecho importante porque creo que en estos ultimo años no ha sido asi. en cuanto a las incorporaciones me parecen bien debido a que muchas veces la gente que viene a los knicks sin hacer mucho ruido son los que acaban siendo queridos y reconocidos por la aficion (caso de starks o mason). veremos que da de si la temporada pero creo que sera mejor y espero ver un juego vistoso y alegre.
Rashidi Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 4:18 am
The Knicks are working on a medical retirement for Jerome James. They aren’t eligible to apply until MLK day, a year after the last time JJ played (coincidentally, I was there).
Luke Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 8:03 am
The knicks will be better than advertised .the past few years they have been derailed by internal drama moreso than opposing teams .When they are healthy and have the benefit of some drama free moments they won .The first thing they can do is remove Marbury who is a major distraction and keep the focus on basketball and they will be good enough for an 8th seed.
Room12 Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 8:07 am
First, in response to Nate’s breakout yr. He’s a game killer… he shoots the Knicks out of close games with one of the worst fg%s in the league. Trade him for a used gum.
But to address this silly article by Peter May. Let’s take a look at the coaches of recent ring wearer. Thibs (who made the difference and should have been the direction the Knicks went), Pops, Brown, Phil, Riles. Anyone there seem formidable???? Yes, Virginia the league’s success has followed skill coaching.
This “players league” thing is fools’ (see May) gold. The winning teams yr in and out have been coached systems not players teams.
Finally, May might be able to tell someone…anyone… three occasions where KG came up big under pressure. Shaq was right. He wasn’t MVP caliber and his D is given too much credit. A player can still be great AND over rated (file under Kobe, Gil and Melo).
This article is an attempt to gain readership by luring a large market team’s fans.
Celtics247.com » Blog Archive » Today’s Links 9/22 Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 8:13 am
[...] Atlantic Division Give Me the Rock Player tiers by position: Point guards Hoopshype Lipstick on a pig - Peter May Portland Trailbloggers Ray Allen is excited for Darius Miles Lex Nihil Novi Not so [...]
John Mc Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 8:53 am
How dare you call Donnie Walsh a pig:)
Salim Knick Fan Till I Die Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 10:00 am
I think people forget that with both Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas the team was doomed from the jump. As good as Larry is/was he hurt them by over coaching them. He made it so that they looked over their shoulder after every play. No body can play good ball like that. Everytime you touch the ball you thinking I better do something or he’s going to pull me… Then there was Isiah…. he destroyed the team through the media. I have never been a Stephon Marbury fan… ok maybe when he was with Georgia Tech… but I’m saying…. as a pro he has always been a cancer to any team he has been with. But I will say this I saw him trying to play in the system that he was asked to play and he did ok. Not good…. but ok. I thought he was going to have a better year last year… but then Isiah threw him under the bus and they started having their problem and it affected the team. As for Zach… I don’t understand how every one wants to get rid of this guy when he was one of the only guys next to Crawford and Nate that never gave up. They can be down by 20 and he wants to ball and he wants to score. He was our 20/10 dude last year. Where was Curry??? Crying in his milk cause Isiah went to the MEDIA and said that all he is good for is a few baskets that’s it. He was a no factor too often.
I think the Knicks will have a better year just on the fact that they have a coach that wants to win. ANd for the first time in a long time management and the coach are on the same page. And I don’t see them running to the media to air out their business. Isiah destroyed the Knicks last year. Think about all the games they lost in the forth quarter… a lot of those games were because of bad coaching not just because of who was on the floor. Think about his substitutions… I remember one game against the Hornets, Chris Paul was having a problem with Nate… Nate was giving it to him and Paul couldn’t do nothing about it. So what happens…. right when the Knicks were on the verge of upsetting the Hornets? Isiah pulls Nate out… for no reason what so ever and the Hornets win. I saw that too often with Isiah. I think at a certain point he just wanted to make sure the Knicks would get a top draft pick.
I like the team we have and I think with the right point guard (Nate can be that dude) we can make the play offs and be a problem.
space Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 10:01 am
rashidi
ah ha… you are actually good luck for the knicks. go watch a few more games an d maybe marbury might go down too. let me take that back. i don’t feel that jerome james is a bad player. he is decent. it took him a while to get it together that last season in seattle before his big lazy payday.
the knicks cancer was from the top down. not in the middle. isaiah was bad news for the team. the players walked through mud going through all the media and commentary. at least they have something to look forward too with d’antoni.
this is really like year one to see if they have chemistry after they got a ‘real’ coach. one who thrives in solving chemistry questions. my concern is actually the subtraction:
getting duhon is nice back court stabilizer,
getting gallinari is a nice look to the future
getting ewing is ok because i know he has a lot more potential then people give him credit for, but losing balkman and jones kills the blue-collar heart defensively-capable players on this team save david lee, and randolph one of their last true big bodies in a eastern conference that features
jermaine o’neal & bosh in toronto
hawes & headcase in chicago
‘you know who’ in orlando
brook lopez now across the water with the nets
hibbert & nestorovic in indiana
rasheed & whoever in detroit
not cool to be a starting center with no true backup in new york. they are still getting 10+ more wins this season.
C Fatz Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 10:35 am
It IS about time for this. The Knicks administration apparently didn’t respect their fans enough to give them credit for understanding the need for a rebuilding year (called the ‘R’ word in Madison Square). For at least 8 years now, there has been a need for that franchise to stop spending and accept two or three losing seasons while they retool. Finally they have someone in Donnie Walsh who understands that and has a vision for implementing that.
Perhaps now, or better put, perhaps in two years the Garden can get back to being the Mecca of basketball.
C Fatz Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 10:42 am
The above comments are not a shot at Isiah Thomas. ‘Zeke thought he could catch lightning in a bottle. His plan was to catch bargains in the form of players that no one else wanted, but who possibly might turn out to be sleepers, or successful reclamation projects.
If Jerome James had panned out and become what Thomas envisioned for him the mid-level exception would have been a steal for him. If Eddy Curry could rebound and would get himself in condition he would have been a steal. If Z-Bo could expand his game to include actually playing basketball on the defensive end Isiah would by now have replaced Phil Jackson as reigning basketball guru and swami know-it-all. And don’t get us started on “if Stephon Marbury…”
As it turned out there was no lightning in any of the bottles Isiah payed so much for and the conservative approach of allowing over-the-top contracts expire and rebuild through the draft and via responsible and reliable free-agent acquisitions was the way to go all along…Who Knew!?!
CF
Jax Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 11:26 am
key for the Knicks to improve this season : Chandler and Duhon!
id Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
walsh and d’antoni are not universally respected. I think they are both absolute morons and do not have a shred of respect for either of those clowns.
The knicks are funny. Let’s not try to talk about them in a serious way, let’s just look forward to when they come to play our home town team so we can go to the game and laugh at this awful team!
stuckey Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 1:03 pm
the Knicks?
that is a very weak roster
stuckey Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 1:06 pm
if, if, if, if, if, if….
Neilverson Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
Q Rich and Roberson will NOT be on the squad in 2010! No way.
Knicks Suck!!!! Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
Chandler and Duhon………….ROFLMAO you have got to be kidding. KNICKS SUCK!!!!!!!! And so do their fans!!!
With the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA Draft the New York Knicks Select
Danilo Galinari
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
He didn’t even play a game yet for your team and booing him? Oh yeah I am sure LeBron will WANT to come their when he is a free agent. The fans are sure LOYAL!! HAHAHAHHA
Knicks Suck!!!! Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 1:26 pm
and for all you haters, if you ever have to reply to my comment. You can’t do it without repeating the words Knicks Suck!!!! HAHAHA
Liptstick on a Pig? - Knicks City Forums Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 2:20 pm
[...] Liptstick on a Pig? Lipstick on a pig September 21, 2008 @ 12:55 pm · Filed under LeBron James, New York Knicks If the NBA is, indeed, a players’ league, then the New York Knicks’ front-office transformation this year will amount – to coin a phrase – to putting lipstick on a pig. Basketball operations boss Donnie Walsh is universally well-respected. New coach Mike D’Antoni is universally well-respected. They are the lipstick – and the rouge, blush, mascara and everything else new and attractive about the Knicks. Neither, however, will play a minute for this year’s Knicks who, on paper, look an awful lot like last year’s train wreck. A quick scan of the Knicks’ roster the week before training camps opens reveals only three departures from last season’s unremarkable and hapless cabal on 33rd and 8th Avenue: Freddie Jones (an unsigned free agent), Randolph Morris (a free agent signed by Atlanta) and Renaldo Balkman (a 2006 first rounder – taken one pick before Rajon Rondo – traded to Denver for a 2010 second –rounder.) Doesn’t exactly look like a house-cleaning, does it? In their places are free agent Chris Duhon, lottery pick Danilo Gallinari and Patrick Ewing, um, Jr. So how good can the new-look Knicks be when virtually all of the old-look Knicks will still be around? Well, that voice of gravitas, Shaquille O’Neal, weighed in last week and said D’Antoni alone could result in 15 more wins for the 23-win juggernaut of a year ago. Then again, Shaq was also the one who offered that Kevin Garnett was not a legitimate MVP candidate last year and added that KG didn’t play any defense. We know this much. As a coach, D’Antoni historically is probably somewhere in between Hall of Famer Larry Brown, who won 23 games in 2005-06, and franchise destroyer Isiah Thomas, who won 33 games in 2006-07 and, after being given an extension, won 23 games in 2007-08 with the league’s most underachieving and overpaid roster. So would 35-40 wins would be a realistic goal? The 2008-09 Knicks will test the long-held theory that a coach in the NBA can make only so much difference. There will be a different style, for sure, and there will be an air of stability and possibly even tranquility that was absent (and unimaginable) a year ago. But unless there is a roster overhaul, it really is lipstick on a pig. But, Knicks fans, have patience. (I know, that’s been the operative phrase for a while, but now it really means something.) Walsh and D’Antoni don’t really care a whole lot about this season, at least in terms of the Grand Vision. They’re better off in the short run making incremental progress while assembling low-salaried assets so that they can have a decent roster and a low payroll in the summer of 2010. That is not only when payroll anchors Stephon Marbury (who could be – gulp – the second highest paid player in the NBA this season), Malik Rose, Jerome James (who still has a picture of Thomas over his bed) and Quentin Richardson will all be off the books. (Marbury, mercifully, comes off after this season, when he presumably will move to Salerno. The others will be off after the 2009-10 season). That also is the summer that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all could become free agents. New York is New York. D’Antoni is a renowned players’ coach. The Cavs, Heat and maybe the Raptors will be going nowhere. You already know this story. But, for now, it is only a story, even though there are fewer people who actually knew the identity of Sarah Palin a month ago than who think James will be a lifelong Cav. He’s a Yankees fan. One of his buddies is Nets’ minority owner Jay-Z. So look for 2008-09 to be your basic weed-out season, sort of like “running a lice comb through the budget process,” to quote ‘The West Wing’s CJ Cregg. With many of the big-salaried players near the end of their contracts, Walsh might find some takers who actually might desire ‘So and So and His Expiring Contract.’ Marbury would fall into that category if anyone actually wanted him. Until then, try to imagine Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry playing in D’Antoni’s free-flow offense. Not an easy thing to do. At the other end, however, they’ll thrive in D’Antoni’s ‘Let The Opposition Wear Themselves Out Scoring’ defense. There will be a lot of interest in Gallinari and even in newcomer Duhon, a somewhat curious offseason signing given the number of guards, big and small, on the roster. But what there is now in New York, undeniably, is hope. Walsh has a proven track record and is anxious to rebuild the team. In D’Antoni, he has a coach who loves offense, is easy on his players, and also can be viewed as a valuable recruiting tool. But hope is not a short-term thing. It’s a long-term thing. It isn’t going to be vocalized or used as any kind of sales pitch (Come See The Knicks: Back on the Way to Being Relevant!) because that’s bad form. Season ticket holders are paying too much money to have that message drilled into their heads, even if they’re smart enough to know. Which they are. Instead, look for messages of “change” – there’s a concept! – and some form of restoration of dignity and respect around the league. That’s a big and important step. At this time last year, the Knicks and Madison Square Garden were a public relations disaster and a league laughingstock – and that was before the basketball team even played a game. Mercifully, those days are gone. But with the roster still pretty much intact – and, apparently, not a lot of takers out there – it’s going to take time for the team to be competitive and back in the water-cooler dialogue again. Walsh and D’Antoni are a start. But the rest of the group doesn’t look all that promising, at least not for 2008-09. The NBA a players’ league? The Knicks sure hope not. SOURCE: HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Peter May
Tito Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
D’Antoni has a plan and so does Mr. Walsh. This is something Isiah Thomas never had and was bluffing every one in New York. As a Knicks fan that lives outside of the Tri-state area, I have experienced how a GM/coach can damage the future of a franchise. The Knicks have to be competitive and look like a team who’s on the way to getting better. People point the finger to Marbury like he was the main reason why the Knicks as a team couldn’t perform. I know that Marbury isn’t the sharpers person to interviewed but he has alot of talent that has been misused on a half-court offense that only slows down his game. The only reason he was traded from the Suns was because of the heavy contract. Otherwise, D’Antoni would’ve kept him on his plans. That being said, he has 1 year left on his contract and is training on his own. We all know that D’Antoni let Nash play and execute plays with no defense whatsoever. Marbury is no Steve Nash but Steve Nash never plays defense. Maybe D’Antoni can cut some slack on Marbury and let him play the way his known to play basketball.
Room12 Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
Hey Ksucks
If you can’t see Chandler is a talent…. that’s what it is… you can’t see… ignorance is bliss….. but what would one expect from someone who has the word sucks in their name.
Ron Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 8:29 pm
The Knicks are headed in the right direction, but they still need a GPS receiver to make sure they get to the correct desination. The hiring of Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antonio (not to mention booting Isaiah out of town) will serve as that guidance. The core nucleus of the Knicks are young, players like David Lee, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallarini and Nate Robinson. However, these are not legitamite stars and in many cases unproven players. No question Jamal Crawford will thrive in this system, while players like Quentin Richardson could set the NBA record for most 3 pointers attempted; yet there is not a player who can take over on any given night and be the clutch player that can take over in critical situations. Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph are all malcontent players who the Knicks would love to release blindly, but in all reality the NBA does have a salary cap, so this is easier said than done. The point here is that the Knicks need leadership and a player who can take control. The signing of Chris Duhon provides the Knicks with a veteran, defensive minded point guard. However, the fact of the matter is that in Mike D’Antoni’s system, defense is an after thought. Bottom line….the 2008-2009 NY Knicks will have a rather sharp learning curve, but more importantly this season will give the front office a good indication of how far along they are from that final destination they were all brought in for, the playoffs. And folks, from this standpoint, it seems that the NBA playoffs are just too many miles away.
liljeff1 Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 9:21 pm
FIRST OF ALL LEBRON IS A YANKEE FAN NOT A KNICK FAN. COULD YOU JUST IMAGINE LBJ AT THE GIANTS GAME WITH A DALLAS COWBOYS JERSEY ON. NY CITY FANS JUST DONT UNDESTAND THAT YOU ARE A BAD TEAM AND NO ONE IS BEATING DOWN A DOOR TO PLAY WITH YOU. NO ONE WANTS TO TRADE WITH YOUR BAD PLAYERS. MIKE DANTONIO IS ONLY A GOOD COACH BECAUSE HE HAD GOOD PLAYERS IN PHONEIX. THE GENIOUS COACH WANTS TO RUN IN THE EAST BUT WE KNOW THIS WILL NOT WORK, BY THE WAY IS THAT NOT WHAT ZEEK WAS DOING. PS CAVS CAN PAY LBJ MORE MONEY THAN ANY OTHER TEAM . ASK YOURSELF THIS WOULD YOU RELOCATE FOR LESS MONEY WITH BAD TEAMATES JUST TO LOOSE, HE CAN DO THAT AT HOME!
knicks suck mega balls!!!!! Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 9:55 pm
WOW U HAVE A TALENTED PLAYER. If that is what you have gotten out of all the argument you my friend are a douche. The whole argument was the crappy lineup the knicks will have with Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, Wilson Chandler, David Lee and Eddy Curry. that is not a good team especially not even a PLAYOFF TEAM. You have less talent in that lineup than you do in your current. The roster you have now should put up based on TALENT alone 40-45 wins and make the playoffs. But you suck mega balls. I still got you to say Ksucks….lol, good enough for me!
knicks suck mega balls!!!!! Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 9:58 pm
We both know what you really meant!
knicks suck mega balls!!!!! Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 9:59 pm
walsh and d’antoni are not universally respected. I think they are both absolute morons and do not have a shred of respect for either of those clowns.
The knicks are funny. Let’s not try to talk about them in a serious way, let’s just look forward to when they come to play our home town team so we can go to the game and laugh at this awful team!
Amen brother
jjj Said,
September 22, 2008 @ 10:00 pm
hahaha Knicks suck mega balls has got it down!!! The knicks blow. I cant wait until they face our team this year. We play them 4 times!!! 4 wins during the season is at least a gaurantee for our grizzlies!
HAHHAHAHAHA
space Said,
September 23, 2008 @ 11:08 am
LEBRON?
first off, lebron is playing the world. he knows he will be on the market and is doing his part to entertain’ the idea that he is leaving cleveland. wearing a yankees cap is like wearing a dallas cowboys cap. it doesn’t mean he want s to go play as a maverick. people see the cap and lose all control and find some imaginary hope. —NOt. get real. its a set up to get what may be the largest contract in history. just one more conference finals appearance in either year and the boy KinG is set.
anyway— the knicks are about to part with the mighty stephon. for the record, he has always been a bad point guard with good skills. steve francis is much the same except he is the better point. but he isn’t even in anyone’s active rotation. what? someone will snatch up marbury. miami, orlando, haha… maybe even minnesota. the knicks are do not field a bad team. they just fielded a bad coach who made bad personnel moves both during the game and during the signing period. they may not make the playoffs, but they will scare a few squads and bump a team or two from making it. practically every team that made it to the eastern playoffs will repeat save atlanta— that final spot is wide open for the knicks. who even picked atlanta to even make the playoffs last year?? anyone?? a 40-win season can get them there. hell a 35-win season just might do it too. just keep their head up and beat the completely lost teams of the league. who knows.
roster-wise look at it like this.
every team in the nba and nearly every player has an unlikely hole and an unlikely +plus. durant can score, but shoots with low accuracy, iverson doesn’t distribute well, but does everything else great, kidd is slower and older but sees the floor, dhoward is a beast but isn’t a 30-point threat more than once every two weeks. so curry doesn’t rebound like shaq- his scoring makes up for the extra rebounding that lee will provide. its a matter of give and take and having a coach who will put them in better situations to score and win. he made boris diaw look like a ast round draft pick, turned an old man point into a two-time mvp and went deep into the playoffs after losing johnson, then losing amare to injury, then trading the matrix. not a bad resume. SO maybe if he gives jamal crawford a defined role. maybe give half that team definition to their own games and you add 10 games right there.
add a coach who knows how to win with a proven system [ignore the nash thing] and thats another 10 wins. +plus d’antoni knows he has something to prove. most importantly- jerome james is in a contract year. if he can still play he will be busting his butt to get look good and get that one last deal LOL. richardson isn’t hurt this year, marbury will be gone [keep those hands locked in prayer- you in the corner- don't let go marbury's still here!], the raptor’s & wiz are just one injury from being out of the playoffs too [open spots already], a few other knicks are playing for their futures elsewhere if not here [lee, robinson, chandler]. just don’t discount them. they have all the makings of decency… and a legitimate coach. even though i don’t like him because he overplays his starters —but that’s a side issue.
there’s always a sleeper. the knicks are that sleeper.
just for that i will actually root for the knicks when they play. HA!
C Fatz Said,
September 23, 2008 @ 11:54 am
Hey guys cut it out, you’re splitting my sides. Chris Duhon the Knicks future? Really? c’mon Jacks you can do better than that.
And Tito, talk about damaging the future of a franchise, what about Scott Layden who intentionally sabotaged the Knicks up for the future then returned to Utah. That was a crime.
jjj Said,
September 23, 2008 @ 2:12 pm
Knicks suck
jjj Said,
September 23, 2008 @ 2:13 pm
ps….. so do the jets, yankees, and giants….lol
24hRx. Said,
September 23, 2008 @ 7:41 pm
“Walsh has a proven track record and is anxious to rebuild the team.”
What, into Indiana?
No thanks!
what it is Said,
September 23, 2008 @ 10:18 pm
The Knicks have become (old) Portland east. Gallinari as the 6th overall pick should be getting at least 30 mins per game. But, Walsh has no balls, so he won’t pull the trigger on sending him to Memphis.
stuckey Said,
September 24, 2008 @ 11:37 am
whose a worse general manager? isiah thomas or elgin baylor
i
LC Said,
September 24, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
LeBron isn’t going anywhere because: The Cavs can significantly offer more $ than any other team. He’s already # 3 in the world in endorsements of any athlete, winning a championship or two would do more for his earnings than moving to NY. His family and friends, with the exception of Jay-Z, live in Akron. In 2010, the Cavs will have the salary cap space not only to resign leBron, but ALSO to sign DWade, Bosh, or whoever. LBJ wants to win,and the 2010 Cavs will be his best shot to do this.
The Knicks will be be better, (hard to be worse), but they still have the worst ownership in sports.
dave Said,
September 24, 2008 @ 12:24 pm
I understand why they have limited flexibilty but why not unload Randolph for whatever added flexiblity they can get and buy out Marbury? You can start teaching the players you want to keep how to play the right way and vastly improve morale. If everyone loathes marbury, why keep him? He makes the Knicks worse and no one will take his contract.
noah Said,
September 24, 2008 @ 1:02 pm
lipstick on a pig? pete may is obviously sexist.
cc Said,
September 24, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
u morons r pathetic to think ur gonna get lebron the knicks are garbage and they’ll always be garbage and dantoni will probably be fired by the time lebron becomes a free agent anyway and at that point the cavs will have at least one championship or at least go to a championship i should say which is more than enough to keep lebron in cleveland and while the knicks are in ny that doesn’t mean lbj would want to just jump ship to a non playoff team now please use ur brains and comprehend that even people at espn.com say lebron will probably resign because cleveland is where he started and this is where he build his legend being the first cleveland athlete to lead a team to a ring in over 40 years which is how legends are made not by leaving to a crappier team for more money douchebags and please take down that nyccsi for lebron site down ur embarassing yourselves
C Fatz Said,
September 26, 2008 @ 10:39 am
Hey, In the village men AND women wear lipstick.
jmaaan Said,
September 26, 2008 @ 6:07 pm
Wow, Knicks fans are delusional. I thought Raiders fans were lost, but this is amazing. Look, the Knicks are bad….period. End of story. The point this article makes that you should take solice in, is that there is hope. In 2 years they will look better. They’ll have 2 high draft picks, salary cap space and a better chance at getting rid of the pieces they don’t want.
Robinson is not a starter. A fact illustrated by the Knicks signing of…wait for it…..Chris Duhon. Duhon can defend and run an offense, making him a serviceable backup. Kinda like Eric Snow. Robinon is slightly talled than a Keebler elf, doesn’t have good shot selection, can’t defend normal sized point guards, and doesn’t create for teammates. He’s Earl Boykins. A backup scoring combo guard with a huge defensive liability.
Q hasn’t played well since he was in Phoenix. Even without considering his injury history, his shot selection and pg% are horrible. Look for him to make the bigget improvement this year. Back into a repectable NBA player.
4 and 5 are overpriced and underwhelming positions for you. Curry should be a reclamation project for another team. One that can overcome his horrible defense, rebounding, and shot blocking by putting him next to an athletic, defensive minded, good passing 4. This is not the system nor the roster for him.
Honestly, your best chance this year? Marbury. That’s scary. But if wanted he could still do 16/6 and flow with your 2 and 3. That might be enough in the East for you to get 35 wins and sniff the playoffs.
That doesn’t mean the team is good and is a fairly long shot. For real success you’ll need a roster overhaul and Peter is explaining how that might happen over time.
Ben Said,
November 24, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
hopefully lebron doesn’t screw us over lol…there’s no gurantee he will come…until then…it’s all nate baby…just watch him dunk and dance lol…http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1859735478/bclid1859720801/bctid2454972001