Who will be the next ex-knick to win a title?
A disturbing pattern has occurred to me over the years. Players not good enough to be Knicks have gone on to play minutes for other teams that go deep into the playoffs. Not anywhere is this more apparent than with the San Antonio Spurs. Forget Matt Carroll and Charlie Ward, although both wore Knicks jerseys before trading them in for Spurs ones. The Spurs’ signing yesterday of Demarr Johnson doesn’t even surprise me anymore when you consider what the future has had in store for some of these former Knicks. Just consider this:
DeMarr Johnson– signed yesterday with the Spurs after playing for Denver for a few years, DeMarr was cut by the Knicks.
Jackie Butler– Isiah balked when Butler asked for decent money for his services. Butler signed with the Spurs instead and rode the pine with them last year, was cut after the spurs won the 2007 NBA championship. Butler is currently not on an NBA roster.
Nazr Mohammad–traded to the Spurs for Malik Rose, Nazr started at center for the 2005 NBA Champion Spurs and played for the Pistons the following year.
Ime Udoka– Currently a San Antonio Spur. Formerly cut by the Knicks.
Matt Barnes– A key player for the revamped Warriors that knocked out the Mavs. Definitely cut by the Knicks.
Kurt Thomas– Key part of the Suns team that SHOULD HAVE BEAT the Spurs and won the title, the summer of the Horry “hip check” injustice that featured Tim Donaghy as one of the three officials that dreadful day. Thomas was sent packing from the Knicks after a feud with Stephon Marbury. The Knicks received Nate Robinson and a damaged-goods Quentin Richardson in exchange for the defensive specialist currently with the Sonics.
Tim Thomas– a member of the Phoenix Suns in 2006. played a key role against the Lakers in playoff victory. Traded to Chicago in the Eddy Curry deal, a deal that incidentally isn’t looking as good this year.
Shandon Anderson– won an NBA title with the Heat after being bought out by Isiah Thomas
Michael Doleac– despite great high screen-and-roll chemistry with Stephon Marbury, Isiah Thomas shipped Doleac off the island. Doleac washed ashore with the 2006 NBA champion Heat.
Trevor Ariza– was definitely headed for more playoff action with the Magic this year and probably still is now that he is Laker.
Antonio McDyess–injured during his tenure in New York, McDyess is still contributing quality minutes for the Detroit Pistons, consistently in the top tier of teams in the east.
Channing Frye–the blazers are the hottest team in the league having won twelve in a row.
My point is not that these players were the key to championship success–most of these players are roll players I admit–but rather that these players were singled out by this Knicks organization as factors preventing success, players that simply had to go. How can so many of these players that are perceived as losers by the knicks go on to win often immediately after departing New York? Think about it, the past four years, the ONLY knicks with any playoff battle stories are the players Isiah voted off the island.
So far this season, odds are once again looking good that another ex-knick will win an NBA title before any current knick sees a playoff series.
Just bloggin’. I am a knicks fans that is simply tired of missing the playoffs. Last year was an awful ending to a promising, exciting year. This year is a horrible beginning to a… well, put it this way: the Knicks can’t even successfully lose. Despite all the embarrasing blowouts, there are still three teams that are better than the Knicks at tanking games right now, Minnesota, Memphis and Miami. Still 50 games to go, but what exactly does a Knicks fan cheer for at this point? Either you got a 32-win season, or lots of lottery ping-pong balls and no promises of the top pick. Either way, that’s not much to cheer about right now.
BARF,
Mi hermano serio–Prospero Ano de salud y prosperidad.
I co-sign on fiddy above. The fellas all turned into ABS.
When in doubt, you go with what ya know! This should not be all so dramatic but it is the NBA.
KFLL
Steady, a most prosperous next year to you my brother.
Artest Faces Elbow Surgery, Leaving Kings Further Depleted
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 30 (AP) –Sacramento’s Ron Artest could face possible surgery this week to remove chipped bone fragments in his right elbow, a team spokesman said.
Artest missed his second straight game Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. The Kings are 2-8 without him in the lineup, and went winless in their four-game homestand.
He is averaging 19.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 19 games this season. An eight-year veteran, Artest missed the first seven games this season while serving a suspension. He also didn’t play in a Nov. 21 game in Phoenix because he was visiting his ailing daughter.
The shorthanded Kings have also been without leading scorer Kevin Martin (strained groin) for the last 12 games, and injured point guard Mike Bibby has yet to play this season.
Warriors need a point guard to spell Davis down the road
The Warriors, once again, are in need of a reserve point guard now that they’ve learned Troy Hudson is possibly out for the season after unavoidable hip surgery.
In Hudson, the Warriors hoped to address one of their notable weaknesses — a backup for starting point guard Baron Davis, who has a history of injury and is playing a lot of minutes already this season. That need has suddenly resurfaced now that Hudson is expected to go under the knife in the coming days.
So, how can the Warriors refill this hole?
Will Isiah start dealing with the open-minded Stefanski?
Sixers’ Stefanski begins to make mark
PORTLAND, Ore. – This is Eddie Stefanski’s 76ers debut. The honeymoon is over. Never mind all the handshakes, all the meetings with the players, the coaches, the chairman, the marketing staff, the public and community relations staffs. This, trading Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz for the expiring contract of guard Gordan Giricek and a future first-round draft choice, is his first true stamp on the franchise.
Never mind that Stefanski isn’t thinking that way at all.
“I just feel like I was doing my job,” he was saying before yesterday’s 97-72 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
On the surface, Stefanski appears to have done marvelously well. If he chooses not to re-sign Giricek, he can have roughly $10 million of salary-cap space this summer, an asset with which he will have some real flexibility to wheel and deal in the free-agency and trade markets. At this point, no NBA team has more potential space.
The draft choice becomes viable starting in 2009 and can be used at any time through 2014, with different levels of protection during each of those seasons. The pick is not the one the Jazz acquired from the New York Knicks; it essentially will fall somewhere between No. 16 and No. 30.
The salaries were an easy match, with Giricek at $4 million and Korver at $4.4 million. The Jazz is now responsible for the two remaining guaranteed seasons on Korver’s contract: $4,781,818 and $5,163,636; he can opt out of the final season.
Stefanski has made no commitment to Giricek, either in terms of a possible new deal or in playing time.
“Going forward, we’ll both know if [Giricek] is a guy we want to keep,” he said.
He also said, “We have to do more things, to add more pieces to the puzzle . . . How much more we do depends on how we’re playing and how much interest other teams have.”
The Sixers, after a struggling start, had won 8 of 11 overall and four of five on the road when the deal went down Saturday.
“I’m all ears,” Stefanski said. “We do have chips people like.”
Wait, wait, wait….are we talking about getting rid of Zach?
If so, I hope you guys can give me some trade scenarios.
Why is Zach the problem here?
Why do we not get rid of Curry?
Are you kidding me?
Happy New Year fellow long time sufferers. Have a happy and healthy celebration this evening (and watch out for 5-0 if you have to drive).
Cooley I’m prayin’ for ya man. (#48) lol.
DVJ, I think the point is, although Curry’s contract is easier to move, Zach would yield more in return…AND…we already know what the Knicks roster plays like without Zach.
So do you trade the only center we have (who is also underperforming and lessening his trade value) for scraps or do you trade the consistent PF (on a team with more PF’s) who’s value is largely unchanged?
I’m thinking we need bodies. Zach will get us bodies (hopefully to fill needs) in return. Curry won’t get us much…look around at the league and tell me which team’s could use him. Now, look at their rosters and tell me who you want want back and would fill our needs.
I think if you like at the league and their rosters like this you will see that more teams could use Zach as opposed to Curry.
Now if we could move Zach for a piece that complements Curry the trade is not a waste.
Now whether or not our GM is thinking along those lines…I doubt it. Happy New Year DVJ
‘Impatient’ Wallace in no rush to break up faltering Griz
No one envisioned an 8-21 start to the Wallace/Marc Iavaroni Era. Even so, Wallace said the organization will remain grounded and avoid knee-jerk moves in chase of a quick fix.
“I don’t feel pressured or compelled to make a deal,” Wallace said. “When you’re in that frame of mind, you make mistakes. We like our talent. … I’m at heart an impatient guy. But there’s a process.
“I’ve been through difficult times. The most important part of getting through this is everybody staying together. … Under no circumstances can you become desperate. You’re going to end up in a more difficult spot than you are already in. I don’t want to push a panic button. We haven’t seen this team together for a long period of time. It would be premature for us to say who this team is.”
Wallace referred to injuries to 7-footers Pau Gasol and Darko Milicic and rookie point guard Mike Conley. Each has missed several games because of their respective ailments.
After reading these comments, I change my mind AFRICAN. Curry’s weak.
“We’ll keep moving in this direction
Has it been two weeks already?
Almost.
Isiah Thomas sidestepped a tough question two weeks ago, noting it would be fair to ask whether something needed to be done to address his status as head coach if the Knicks did not improve over the next couple of weeks. They are 1-4 since then.
So the question was alertly raised yesterday after practice.
“We’ll keep moving in this direction,” Thomas said.
And what direction is that?
“Me as the coach,” Thomas said.
I know a lot of us were thinking south right before the actual answer was offered.
Really, it’s not a surprise to find out that Knicks president Isiah Thomas has no intentions of dumping Knicks coach Isiah Thomas, but it’s a good way to check the man’s resolve.
He isn’t walking away from the sidelines and heading back upstairs to orchestrate the rebuilding from the front office.
Knicks owner James Dolan is going to have to fire Thomas, who’s failed to inspire. And with an 8-21 record, the players know there are not a lot of alternatives left.
Maybe a blockbuster trade?
It seems like something needs to happen. Nothing else has worked.
“We’ve tried everything. We’re trying to get wins,” Zach Randolph said. “He’s doing the best he can. It’s up and down. It’s frustrating, but he’s doing the best he can.”
Eddy Curry believes the status of Thomas is in the back of everyone’s mind.
“It’s not in the back of my mind,” Randolph said. “It really ain’t. I don’t know. It might be on some guys’ minds, but I just want to win and do the best we can do. We can’t give in. It’s too early.”
Jamal Crawford acknowledged the questions about the future of Thomas are unavoidable.
“When you hear it everywhere you go that’s difficult,” he said. “But me personally, seeing how he keeps us prepared, I know that it’s not him.”
On the injury front, Crawford believes he’ll be ready for Wednesday’s game against Sacramento. He did not scrimmage yesterday, but was shooting with a padded glove on a bruised right hand. Crawford swears he connected on 42 of 45 attempts.
Layups?
“No,” he said. “Mid-range. Just inside the arc.”
Curry was defending.
Bad joke. Sorry.
Stephon Marbury went the distance in practice. He still isn’t allowed to speak with the media. That might happen on Wendesday postgame. Thomas is letting Marbury decide whether to play or not, depending on his emotional state.
The conditioning is still a work in progress.
“He looked good,” Thomas said. “He got winded a couple of times. But the good thing about these kinds of athletes is they’re able to bounce back quickly.”
Curry was on the receiving end of a verbal shot from Thomas, who responded to the centerpiece saying there’s nothing he can do about the decision to bring him off the bench.
“If anything, I’ve shown I’m going to try to play the best people,” Thomas said. “The people who play the best, that’s who you want to play. Now to his credit, he did come in and have a good game yesterday. He had 12 points and eight rebounds. It shows me, while he may not like the bench, it definitely had an effect on his rebounding effort. If he continues to rebound, then the minutes are there.
“From that position, we need rebounding and some shot blocking. And if you can’t get the shot blocking, then you definitely need the rebounding. But you can’t get 16 points and two rebounds. That doesn’t work.”
No argument here.
BARF
It’s impossible to argue with your points. You make perfect sense in that theory.
I don’t know if we should trade Zach man.
What do we need that he can get us?
The elements I think we lack are
a) perimeter defense
b) consistant outside shooting
c) leader on offense (PG)
d) down low defense
a) Artest takes care of our first problem
b) maybe we can get an outside shooter with that zach trade
c) We can take care of that in the draft this year
d) maybe we can get a down low defender in the Zach trade as well.
So let’s start putting together some trade scenarios shall we?
Let’s not forget that we need a coach before anything!!!
Curry’s rightfully being singled out.
He’s got to be the one to step it up.
Next experiment is seeing if Steph’s return will help.
Lives, next, I’d like to see JCraw off the bench. If they can play the season out and make a run…then I’ll be looking forward to the off season and all the changes that it could bring.
I’m finding it difficult because I don’t know if teams would want Zach or not.
I see a trade with Philly that would work.
A trade with Atlanta that would work.
But I don’t know if they would trade for Zach.
Checking in. Atlanta’s riding higher than in recent times so I doubt that they would move anyone we would want.
Stay strong defenders. We are struggling and suffering but this can’t continue for much longer.
I’m not much of one for coveting OTP but we’re still coming up short. However, before any trade could be made, we have to find out what we have.
The kids must play!!
DVJ, after reading all the Curry comments and wondering how he can be confused about his role…it really bothers me.
His flaws are far from secret and reading his comments (unless they have been irresponsibly reported, which, of course, is a possibility) he seems to not understand what his problem is. That, is a problem.
Still, Zach would yield more in a trade.
If you trade Curry, can you possibly think you’ll get enough in return to complement Zach and Co?
But if you trade Zach (after his positive few month run in NYC)… I think we could get enough of a package in return to bring this team back to where they were last year and better…
How funny would it be if Zach is traded and the only piece left is FJones. I dont know man. I’d prefer to run the season out and give the reigns to Stephon (as per Jimmy on COSELLOUT) and look forward to dealing the expiring contracts for younger, healthier bodies.
DVJ, yeah I dont know either….not for sure at least. But within the right system and team concept, there’s no doubt in my mind that Zach is useful. You put him out there with a strong point guard…and a strong SF like Artest…with a center playing close to the rim who can get up there and block shots…
Andre Miller
Green, Young
Iguodola’ll make you Holla (Clyde)
Zach
Dalembert
Would be interesting…but what would we get back in return?
There are teams out there that could use…or restructure their team around Zach…
Memphis:
Stoudemire/Conley
Miller
Gay
Zach
Gasol
…I don’t know for sure. Its more important to think about getting some NEEDS back in return for a player like Zach, who could help someone down low.
But we definitely need some two way (meaning ALL STARS or LEADERS) in return.
Um, Charlotte traded their number…6 (?) pick for JRich. That’s the kind of deal that we need.
Trade the upcoming draft pick (which by the looks of it should be high) in return for a player who’s experienced…a leader…plays both ways…
and is redundant on his current team’s roster.
Anyone out there like that?
For Sonics’ West, clouds are clearing
Delonte West, sitting on the bench waiting for his prickly plantar fasciitis to heal in his right foot, didn’t get any more comfortable watching teammates Earl Watson and Luke Ridnour shine, at times, in the position.
“It’s not like you’ve got a vet and you’re bringing in a rookie and there’s a pecking order,” said West, who’ll play off the bench again tonight when the Sonics (9-21) host Philadelphia. “You have three quality guards that have all started and proven their worth in this league. It being my contract year, I had a lot on my mind that I had to just put aside and play.”
West, who was acquired in the draft-day trade of Ray Allen in June, started 125 games in three seasons with Boston. He was expected to be a key contributor for Seattle after a short evaluation process during training camp, but injuries kept him out of the rotation.
Trading Zach vice Curry would spell disaster!!
I know people are thinking that eliminating Zach would automatically make Curry revert to last season’s form…
I think not.
Too much has happened since last season.
I’ve never been a big fan of Zach, but he’s just what this team needs…..someone with a “warrior” mentality
I believe if he’s playing for a coach he truly respects and in a system conducive to his abilities, he could and would be more of a team player. But considering the current state of the Knicks and him being as competitive as he is, he feels the need to try to do too much.
I for one can work with that.
Curry, with all his subliminal bulshit, “I wonder how much longer coach is gonna be around” bullshit, is tryna play a game cause he wants Zeke, the man that took a chance on him and his suspect “heart”, literally and figuratively, gone soonest.
He’s a big, fat, unmotivated baby that’s content to just tread water.
Again, I’ve never really been a fan of Zach, but he’s definitely the lesser of the two evils.
I can live with his ills.
Good stuff fellas.
Steady, thanks for the recap at #44. I’m kinda glad that I haven’t been able to catch up with my reading.
I also wish I had time to do a year in review. I think enough happened that we could use a year in review. It’s been a pretty good year: Built up and tore down the FI’s spot; Fixed the New Day and got Brokeback so we broke off; Established A settlement of Defenders at the home of Starburyfan/Anonymous/Blogzilla/KnickDefense; made lots of friends; killed trolls coming from under MSM bridges; led a protest against “wacky” disrespect and won some customer service; watched the Knickerbockers turn to Knickerslackers in front of the Coach?GM who made them rich; Saw Dolan just serve mad ego to the fans and the maddening MSM; laughed, cried and nearly died and so much more.
BARF, your reasoning and analysis are always top of the line. At this minute, I am feeling you guys on Marbury mainly because Zeke has no idea how to solve the human issues beyond the court. I note that one of the reports of players miffed that Curry is sitting before Zach indicates that Zeke is losing but trying not to lose his players. Remember that half-ass reasoning from Zeke about starting Curry in Orlando because he wanted to see the team that jelled together last year. That sounds like some players making excuses and can’t get along garbage. And how can he tell us that he played the best players against Chicago. He’s punch drunk, but I co-sign on everyone’s assessment of the bitching-losing Knickerslackers. They need to jjoin a crying contest, because they give more effort whining than they do on the court.
So what the hell, Marbury-Jones start. But please not Marbury-Crawford. But we know Zeke and he doesn’t have the guts.
Curry is a “put bad word here.” THe mutherfuther is a nice guy, but how do you all of a sudden get eight rebounds in less minutes than you usually get five? How do you claim there is nothing you can do to get your ass off the bench when you have had every chance to stay in the starting lineup? And I’m not buying that Zach-Curry is a failed experiment? You need to go back and look at the games where they both got double doubles. I don’t mean the score, I mean the games. It has potential, but the players failed period. For this to work under these conditions Zach and Eddie would have had to be committed early in the summer like the newbloods were? Curry is a wus. He can play this game. He could be the man. Howard is a one dimensional beast with more effort than talent. Shaq is a shell of himself and his strategy of work my body, work my body into shape during the season has caught up with the old man. Ben Wallace ain’t diddly but a defender. Who else is left to play center in this Conference?
I think anybody who blames Zach for Curry’s shortcoming has lost their mind. I know not every player can play together, but why should Curry be given the post all to himself? And if he could or would rebound couldn’t he like anticipate where Zach’s shots are falling short and hustle a little for offensive boards. I mean God, don’t you remember the days of the reboundingd centers who would throw these mean outlet passes to the guards.
I have no simpathy for Curry because his effort in the CHicago game shows that he is a liar. He has not been trying his best. Where are his parents. They need to talk to his azz. But for now he needs to be a sixth man. He would be one of the best sixth weapons in recent (the past week) history.
I’m co-signing on most of States comments at #41 and almost anything BARF types today unless you are so advised. I need something to drink. Hey force MDs send some of that REMY my way please. I want to be like the Knicks — funked-up on New Years.
We are facing a funkin’ six game losing streak assuming the we cna beat an Artest-less Sacramento. You gotta be kidding me.
But you want to here some funny shyte? I am still praying for a fairytale (not as in Brokeback stories) ending to this drama. Steph becomes Starbury, gets focused and becomes the number one scoring option, taking over the team; Curry works his way back into the starting line-up by the post-season and there is a post season. The lineup of Steph-Jones-Jeffries-ZBo-Lee startles the league after running off a 8 game winning streak starting against Phil on Jan 25th and another long one beginning on February 19th. Yeah it’s funny, (a comment meant only for true Defenders and I will ignore the trolls) but I am a believer. (Note that I am crazy but not a fool).
Later folks.
Steady, I talked to my source about the 2008 Megamillions section in the NBA script and I was advised that there was a writer’s strike and those pages have yet to be completed. I hope to get a copy of the Final Draft before the end of the season. I did hear about a secret meeting between Charles Dolan and Stern where they spoke about a deal giving NY the Number 1 and sending Jimmy to Charm School in exchange.
@ Lives…
“I think anybody who blames Zach for Curry’s shortcoming has lost their mind.”
Thank you very much, brother.
Passin’ the Remy to my brother from another mother, Lives…..
happy new year to all the kings of the f’in hill