Tough break last night getting blown out by 40 points after such a great ending just 24 hours prior, when the Knicks pulled out the overtime victory in D.C. Either there was no gas in the tank, or Philly just has New York’s number this year, blowing the Knicks out three out of four times on the season.
There were some positives in the game once you got passed the sting of the blowout. Wilson Chandler dusted off his warm-ups, cleared away the cobwebs and came in and shot 50% from the floor, including some nice drives to the basket. Chandler finished with 8 points and 1 block in 11 minutes of second half play. This kid never sees the light of day despite being the 23rd pick in the first round in 2007. I know he can help with some things, he is a shot blocker on a team with no shot blockers, and those nights when Q isn’t fully Q, I just wonder why Wilson doesn’t get an opportunity to test the NBA waters with his seldom utilized talent.
And Eddy Curry at least contributed offensively in the first half, finishing with 12 points 6 rebounds and 1 block in 24 minutes. Something is better than nothing, and we’ve been getting a whole lot of nothing from Eddy Curry lately. Unfortunately, Eddy’s scoring coincided with the early hole the Knicks dug for themselves, and once they went through that stretch of 4 straight turnovers, there was no coming back. What a difference a year makes. This time last year, I was so pissed Eddy was not on the all-star team, he deserved to be on there–he really was effective when we force-fed him the ball. Eddy is basically a non-factor when he isn’t the first option on a team. And most the NBA knows even if Eddy does get the ball everytime, he’s still not going to play defense on the other end of the court.
The game was not competitive.
So it is a matter of hours before the trade deadline is here, and I have absolutely no idea if the Knicks will make a move. Rather than try to cook up a homemade rumor, I’d like to know who you think the Knicks should keep on their roster beyond 2008. Although I like quite a few players on the Knicks, Zach, Nate, Lee, Renaldo, to name a few, I don’t think there should be any players that are off limits if you can somehow get back young, defense-oriented players, because that to me has been their greatest problem this season, the abysmal defense that allows the opponents their choice of going to the hole for an easy bucket, or shooting wide open j’s all day. The knicks must try to address this issue either by 3:00pm today, or come draft day in June.
The Knicks are on the clock.
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Lives,
I was derilect in my fanship, friendship and “humaness” not to comment on that stellar post this AM. Useful. Most and very useful. I most appreciate that your post supports the profile (discerned through comparitive literary analysis or what we call here your blog DNA) that has emerged in my mind. Consistency is a true mark of a professional (I suppose that’s why we ask our heros never to miss a FT or to shoot 40% FG, miss lay-ups or blow breakaway dunks). From the moment I read you, I stated that you are a gentleperson and write like a scholar. Now I get to join your side as we argue for the merits/de-merits of the HBCUs in America. You know what’s good. That’s a topic for DC with the Force MDs and the poets’lounge.
KFLL
i’ll put it out there that mebbe dolan’s advertising for a new top-rank GM. for five years he’s given zeke all the ingredients he could fit in the kitchen, extended his contract when many were screaming for his head and now dolan’s turned up the heat — make it work, zeke! by cutting off funding to zeke, funds that might inflict more long-term damage, he’s cutting his losses; by keeping zeke til end of season he’s effectively saying, “hey GMs, it’s ok to work for me, look how loyal i was to zeke!”
does that make any sense?
Nice try, Charles, but nah. Pay them and they will come. Except for Chris Mullin maybe.
ok, it was worth a shot.
@CF
Yes, it does make sense,if true. The team is already a mess.But, the good news is that some contracts are expiring and they is some room to make some changes.
_________________LET”S PLAY GM__________________________
After this year: -Morris =810,000
-Fred Jones =3,300,000 contracts expire.
BUT,After this season you can trade Marbury’s expiring contract(21,000,000),Rose(7,101,250),JJames(5,800,000).The young pups contracts(Lee,Robinson,Balkman,Collins,Chandler)also expire and you may need some of that 21 million to keep Lee,Robinson,Balkman & Chandler. I would let Collins walk.That’s about 37 million off the cap in 2 years(not including the young pups).
There will be many teams willing to take Marbury’s 21 million expiring contract for BIG cap room in 09.
This could give the new GM some cards to play with in trading off some non-productive players(see ECurry,JJames,JJeferies),and adding other players.Thus remaking the team.
FM,
Here’s a Just Blogin’ for your #102.
NYC is King of the Fn’ Hill, Top of the Heap, A NUMBER ONE. We don’t need any gimmicks to attrack talent. JD has the coins and he uses them willy-nilly-monty. You can just guess who “nilly” was that HOF ABS.
KFLL
DLT, my eyes glazed over after “let’s play gm.” now i have a headache. i guess you’re sayin things aren’t as bleak as harlem painted in #82? good.
thanks for the extra bit there, steady. i always forget to tack that on (i’ll get it one of these days). keep in mind a top-rank GM can command good money pretty much anywhere. and GMs are wary of working with pita owners. i still think jimmy’s subtling making the case that you will have the room/time/resources to get the job done. that’s sexy stuff to GM. jimmy would do well to have HOFABS go hoarse for a few months (just in case).
jus bloggin (? was that proper usage?)
@CF
Yes, this year is looking very bad. We can only hope the players man-up and play good ball to make the season interesting for us.
As for next year, a 21 million dollar contract bring on many buyers.Marbury,James and Rose will equal 33 million in expiring contracts that any team will want.
Also CF,
I disagree with my mentor Steady.
We do have the money to bring in who we want, BUT,New York is a tough town that likes results fast. IF this new high-paid GM sees he has no cards to deal and will be stuck in this mess Zeke made,he will not WANT the job.
OK,
So….. what we have now is what we started with!
My Knicks …your Knicks…our Knicks!
Brother don’t be fooled by the perception that
we were the team that showed up last night!
We may be that! We may also be the team that beat the WIZ!
Remember John Lennon’s IMAGINE!
This is for the Artistic brothers amongst the Bloggers!
This song says it all with a beautful lady giving us the lead!
You have to be an Artist to understand this ..so I appoligize
to to all that don’t “get it. Reach inside my bruh’s
I hope Someone feels this Vibe! This is how I feel about MY KNICKS!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QnKRpvsgO0Y
Peaceman,
Wish I had your spirit.You always see the light in the Knicks’ dark tunnel.
Just don’t be “sad and lonely” as the song says.
remember this one? came out in ’05. i had no idea spike lee directed it, although there were two similar commercials with spike and a poster board of Larry Brown (he had just signed on at the time and expectations were high). hard to imagine that was three years ago.
i was trying to find a youtube clip of jerry ferrra saying that he’s a die hard and that he goes down with the ship, because that’s exactly how I feel right now. the knicks are a mess, they aren’t winning, but I go down with the ship, so you won’t see me rooting for boston or dallas this year, or any year. just take it one game at a time, ride it out. hopefully no more controversy. play the kids, expect the worse, hope for the best.
I’m still mad they replaced bobbito garcia with that girl at halftime interviewing the celebs. don’t get me wrong, the girl is easier on the eyes, but bobbito did a good job interview the celebs, no reason to replace him just for the sake of replacement.
I feel like a little kid that didn’t get anything for Christmas.
“The Trade Deadline is coming,The Trade Deadline is coming”
The Trade Deadline has came and has gone and didn’t leave us Knick fans anything.
I’m going to stop believing in the Trade Deadline. It only brings high hopes and doesn’t delivery.
i forgot about all the people yelling “fire isiah” in philly last night until I read this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/sports/basketball/22sandomir.html?ref=basketball
Hey fellas
I just recovered from my drunken stupor after yesterdays game.
Man what a hangover!
Lives
Thanks for looking out but BronxboyininMD meant Opie in a fun way.
OBTW while we are expressing ourselves through music…
Here is the one song that comes to my mind when I think of Isiah “Monty” Thomas
Betrayer!
If the ranting is too uninteligble here are the lyrics.
Fits Isiah to a T (Except for the reference regarding how one treats their mom of course)
This is a song which
I use to describe what I feel
About people like you
No sense for humanity,
No idea about life
This premise has been proved
You used my trust to
Satisfy your brainless lust
Your word isn’t worth more
Than a puke in a dust
[CHORUS]
Betrayer
Betrayer
Misleader, you twisted things
To satisfy
Deceiver, this greedy lust
You can’t deny
How could I be so naive
To believe all the lies
You so easily told
I think I’ve learned my lesson
Too late
The story took time to unfold
Now I see your true face
Behind your mask, a cheat, a fake
Your word isn’t worth more than
puke in the dust
[CHORUS REPEATS]
Ignorant twisted mind, maybe it
Would help
To think before you speak
From time to time
Pretend to be a friend of mine
But you would sell
Your mother if you could
For less than a dime
Intelligence lost, brain deseased,
So you will loose,
Fall to your kness
Guys like you I cannot stand
Maybe I must speak
Another language
Before you understand
[CHORUS REPEATS]
Good night yall
All storms pass even this shall pass!
D L T,
What an honor and blessing that you’ve bestowed upon me here. I firmly believe in the concept and have a few mentors myself. If one went by the name alone, mentors would have only shame and no following. The word mentor is derived from the French “mentir” which means to lie. Mentiroso is menteur which leads us to Monty. You follow me?
Seriously though, while just bloggin’, it’s OK to disagree on this particular point. I see your argument and it is also sensible to me. My angle is based on ceteris paribus–with all else being equal. I think the market rate for GM, coaches, and VPs of Bball operations has been set. The upper echelon types (there are about 5-7) will get the max at about $10 mil per. The lower tier types will come in at around $1.5 mil to $5.5 mil. The wild card (since we’re talking about Monty) is threefold: Dolan does not have to do anything with/about IT; there’s always “somebody” out there who will “ho” down and take the job just be in the NYC–though they may not be qualified (“The Jet” Smith comes to mind); and there will always be someone who comes through the door with a carpet bag in tow talking about how they can make things better despite the existing assets (or lack thereof) (see IT/ZEKE/Monty).
Overall, I say that playing Fantasy GM may be fun but it wears on the fanship experience. We never know enough about the corporate politrix or the economics of the franchise, the back-room deals, the NBA script, etc. to come up with a sensible and logical projection of events. Sometimes their actions defy logic. Take for example the Monty rotation or his refusal to coach the TEAM concept. We don’t know all the details so we can’t be too upset when it does not play out our way. That’s why I choose to simply remain steadfast in support of any who dons the Orange & Blue. Anyone who wants me to do otherwise can join me in some bar snacks of salty nuts and St. Pauli’s Girl.
Just bloggin’
KFLL
O&B,
Life is clearly imitating art here. Great post and on point through and throug.
KFLL
Yo Defenders! Whazuuuuuuup! Cheer up everybody.We wait for the ping pong balls and our slot.As much as Zeke does draft well,he’s probably gone at seasons end.If not,lets see if we can fill a need and then make some SMART trades in the off season.This is what I think will happen.I’m just happy no SILLY trades were made. Peace out Defenders.
George M. has a really good point. At least Isiah and Grunwald did not make matters worse. In the Defender fervor for change, the only real change that most believe will right the ship is Isiah’s change of address and Dolan’s change of hobbies. The address change is inevitable, voluntarily, involuntarily or mutually agreed upon. It will happen. although DOlan has surprised us all, all season long.
Isiah and Grunwald did not make matters worse — which contrary to popular belief was very probable. GM’s were looking at us as a fire sale. Many of our virtual GMs talk about our players as though they are untradeable, but as Steady points out, we would be surprised what is really tradeable when we understand the entire mix of economics and corporate politicks. We have tradeable pieces, but we were about to get fleeced. Monty has been holding his cards too far away from the table and face up. The other GMs had his cards and would have taken his players for the right price — they thought it was a buyers market.
Someone will pick up Curry and return him to a serviceable offensive force. He fits the profile for 25 teams that don’t give a damn about defense and need a big man to play about 20 minutes. Stephen is outta here, but his contract becomes a great asset to set us up for a major purchase in 2009. Someone will buy Randolph too. Character issues are just an excuse to get him on the cheap. Someone will take him and they don’t care if he becomes a journeyman — he is one of the better PFs in today’s NBA. In other words, flawed players get traded everyday, including yesterday but yesterday Isiah chose not to get fleeced. Good for him.
I will not say the season is over. I will leave that to the other fans and the actions on the court which will speak louder than my words. It ain’t over until the fat center loses the ball in the paint for the last time. But now the Knickerbockers are stuck with each other. Isiah and his crew can either ride the remainder of this season out with dignity or they can act like the Boston Celtics of last year — just die while increasing the value of some of their other assets like Chandler, Morris and Balkman. They can go from STANK to TANK, but guaranteed that they will do that in a way that will get them penalized ten times worse than any other team would. Your friendly press corp will take great glee in increasing the Dolan misery by extending their effort to have the fans boo and Stern be stern. Losing for the sake of losing would be a mistake. Losing because you suck is always appropriate.
__________________________
O&B, I was just being silly and trying to come up with another excuse to travel to MD. I assumed you guys were just funnin’ and I was buttin’ in by being desperately silly. As you know desperate times call for desperate measures.
__________________________
They are stuck with each other. We will find out what manner of men these guys really are. Watch Randolph very closely. That episode with Nate cuts both ways. It was good to finally see that someone was getting on Zach’s case and that Zach was doing more near the bench than laughing with Curry. We needed that passion. However, to throw water at a teammate in public, when you already have a reputation for volatility, for talking at you is very unimpressive although it leaves a bad impression of a overly emotional player. People talk smack all the time. Zach clearly lets the pressure get to him. No wonder he needs to avoid night clubs and strip joints. (I agree. Give Nate kudos for not spitting at Zach or kicking a chair or pushing a coach in his direction. A towel toss was quite appropriate. CF, no matter what Nate said, Zach was overly sensitive. Nate tossed words not water. Anytime a vebal fight escalates to physical action, that is a major progression to disaster. Zach reacted badly under pressure. Perhaps he felt like there was some truth to Nates complaint. He knows he should have taken a better shot and he had one three pump fakes earlier.) Watch Randolph. We will find out what he is made of and how well he understands this business.
O&B,
Unfortunately, that song was a perfect selection.
I will add however that the creation of Monty was a collaboration between Dolan-MSM-IT. MSG’s disdain for the press and the presses unprofessional hatred of the Knicks has us reeling and Isiah talking all kinds of trash to the press. (That phasing out the big man, got to me. I don’t know what purpose that silly comment served. The big man has already been phased out that is why teams with big men have been winning the chips chump.) Stern should let the Knicks modify their media policy to just say nothing. But, I guess the truth is that drama in NY still makes money for the NBA. Probably almost as much as winning a playoff spot these days. Oh, well.
New York Knicks – Daily Webs
NYC Goes From Hoops Heaven to Basketball Grave
Lee Encouraged By Knicks Of Late
A Taste of The High Life
Lives,
Re: “Anytime a vebal fight escalates to physical action, that is a major progression to disaster.” Very insightful.
I co-sign on the origin of Monty. I would only reverse the order and put IT at the root of it all instead of Dolan. Inside IT (as expressed by him directly to the public for all to see/hear/read) is the very essence of shiftiness and misdirections. It has served him well all his life so I’m not qualified to pass judgement based on the modicum of success he has obtained. Our friend Modi has already chronicled his body of work. We here at KnicksDefense just bristle at the jibber-jabber and jabbaworky; that’s why we blog.
Good AM Defenders.
KFLL
@Steady #117
That there….spoken like a true mentor.Show me the light!
Was it you(or Peaceman) who said “Artest or bust”?
…..well it’s bust.
Hey Steady, I can’t disagree with your order of emphasis. I would like to, but I can’t. I’ll settle for equal parts of each and that is not a complement to either component of the monster called “Monty.” Like you though, as long as they are cloaked in Orange and Blue, I will root for their success. Everyday is a new day and a new opportunity for redemption. (He better hurry up fast — no new day is promised.)
_______________________________________
Looks like I’m stuck in the house today. The kids are home too, but I’ll peek in between the Knick-like whuppins my daughter gives mini-Mii on the Wii. Who’s hanging out? What topic is cooking on the stove today? JayBee, what’s up? Almost time for a role call. Man, we might as well treat this like the pre-season for the pre-season. That was fun. DVJ and BARF were rolling.
______________________________________
I’m dying laughing. My 9-year old daughter just walked in and said “I thought they kicked you off the blog?” This shyte is sick. I am ill. See you later.
I’m really laughing because I try my best to act like I’m taking care of some important business. Sheeeesh. My cover is blown, AGAIN.
gotta make a new post for tonight’s game.
but first must pickup all the snow from the sidewalk (it’s still coming down and has since last night) and move it to the street corner to be plowed, also getting my uncle’s house first, could be a an hour, but probably less…
Steady & Lives
It is quite sad indeed that life is imitating/irritating art at this juncture. Even worse that we fans have to put up with so much smoke and Mirrors. While I can certainly understand Dolans reactions to an overzealous and excessive reaction to the NY Tabloid Sports Media, the media policy is making straight up people shifty, and shifty people (Monty) even shiftier.
But I digress, as Steady suggest all of us online GMs, including myself, have no clue of what other factors come into play in deciding which player traded, for what other package of player/s traded in exchange for, the market at the time of trade, the other social and league politics, which is not limited to those within the Knicks organization but also extends to the Machinations of David Stern, and his N.B.A. script and scriptwriters/referees.
In that sense, Lives you are on point, and although I had a mum feeling about nothing happening at the trade deadline, it is actually a good thing that all the pressure to make a move/change for changes sake didn’t result in Zeke pulling the trigger in a market in which the Knicks would have been hozed yet again.
But what direction do the Knicks go in for the remainder of the season. They are still mathmetically alive, and although that is little cause for hope, it is hope nevertheless. So I’m with you Lives, Steady, Peaceman, and all to the bitter end die hards in my resolve that I will continue to dream playoffs dreams untill the numbers cease to add up.
Like many have said here Zeke the GM has had a mandate to improve the team, and has at the same time had the task of working to make his moves pan out. So what did Monty do he slammed his head against the fist of reality, and has continued to force the slow footed, mismatched Z-Bo Curry combo out there every night. Adding Q into the Lineup when his performance didn’t merit it compounded the situation, and the team starts every game with a slow footed tandem at the power spot in which at least one of the Big Men never get into a consistent rythm. Monty served two masters this year 1) his ego/pride to make his deals look good; 2) Dolan in playing all the vets in an attempt to get the playoffs (still possible). Like Steady says, you can’t serve two masters, even more on point a house divided can’t stand,… and in this case Monty both Zeke the GM and Isiah the Coach show that they are a house internally divided by a number of factors that has brought so much misery to Knick fans all over the world.
DLT
Not bust just yet for Artest if there is any truth to this story in the New York Post.
Here is the story:
ARTEST STILL HAS SHOT AT KNICKS
By MARC BERMAN
RON ARTEST Stuck with Kings
February 22, 2008 —
‘Ron Artest still is not a Knick and Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph still are.
Artest, a Queensbridge product, will likely opt out and become a free agent and the Knicks can offer him the five-year, $30 million mid-level exception as a free agent.
But who knows who will be the GM and coach?
Isiah Thomas loves Artest and at one point last summer thought his addition could lead the Knicks to winning the East.
The Artest camp prefers the Knicks try to work a sign-and-trade with the Kings this July. But if not, the five-year mid-level could work if no other team is offering Artest a long-term contract.
“If there’s a competitive offer on the table, the hometown team would become very appealing,” Artest’s agent Mark Stevens said.
The trade values of Curry and Randolph became so diminished in recent weeks it made no sense to deal him now.
Curry, whose role has decreased dramatically since late December, was made available in a larger deal for Artest, but Sacramento would have had to take on Jerome James’ contract. Last season Curry was considered the franchise center.
One GM said during the All-Star break the Knicks “cannot win with both Zach and Eddy together.”
Thomas seems to realize it, too, but only Denver and Milwaukee seemed to show interest. The Nuggets are led by Mark Warkentien, who drafted Randolph in Portland and knows him well.’
Lives
LOL!
Seems like your 9 year old has kicked you off the blog
Oh one last point, at which juncture do we start putting in Morris, Chandler, James, and Collins, and Balkman on the steady?
The Knicks organization will have to make some decisions with the players listed above, and the Knicks have had more than enough time to see what the current roster can offer. None the players listed above have gotten consistent burn, and I agree that development, especially Balkman’s has been stunted. I guesee Monty is waiting untill all the numbers cease to add up to the possibility of a playoff run, in order to empty his bench and play the pineboys.
Here’s a good song to listen to while your in a drunken stupor on some tequila. The Kind of song I’d listen to when the Knicks are breaking my Orange and Blue heart with yet another blow loss.
I’m sure steady, DLT, and Peaceman would understand… since its in spanish- actually a remake of a Bolero Classic.
Of course lets go Knicks!
hey, don’t get me wrong brother Lives. i’m not cheering on what zbo did. if i were coach i’d make sure that beef is squashed b4 it festers. but as some of you have tried to teach me here, you gotta look at who we’re dealing with. some teammates you just don’t ride, you gotta approach em in a different way and pick your spots.
zbo is a prideful guy. he’s not an absolute mindless, raging hulk out there but he will never be the poster boy for self-control. we know this, it’s no secret. i’m sure he feels that getting barked at in public from an inconsistent 2nd year backup combo guard at that particular point in time was not warranted. i’ll go further and bet that he prolly felt like bustin n8 one in the chops and all he could think of to do was pitch some water. cool, calm and collected he aint, but it’s just a cup of water which, depending on the situation, will likely inflict less damage than some well chosen words.
if you’re gonna point a finger at zbo’s reaction, i think it’s fair to also look at if n8 was the guy to say anything (is he the coach? is he the savvy, decorated veteran?) and how/when he chose to go about it. i’m not saying that it didn’t need to be said (and we are only guessin at what he said, aren’t we?), but for a lot of people there are more factors to consider beyond the absolute (mere?) ‘correctness’ of a point (b’lee me, this i know).
i feel for zach. he’s the new guy on the team. got grief for not passin enough so he makes a conscious effort to up that side of things. team’s still losin like a mofo. now he’s got this musclebound chihauhaua (sp?) yappin at him that he’d love to punt into next week.
hard bein a millionaire these days
i think he’ll continue to work hard, but yeah, i’ll bet he’s had enough of the dysfunctions.
Oh no!
I am todays mass blogger.
Better quite while I’m ahead.
Check out the reads later this day.
Go Ny Go Ny GO!
Follymach @ 131
LMAO!
“musclebound chihauhaua”
Folly:
Yawwwwwn at #131.
Pure fuckry! Zach can do no wrong. It’s always someone else’s fault.
Affy, I’ll size up my man-love against your man-love any day.
But, more seriously, I’m just tryin for a lil balance. Sure, my view’s well an’ biased, but when I look at both sides of the equation, for me, this water incident is about a wash and it makes a small splash in the grand scheme of b-ball things
When two tempermental egos go at it (‘member Nate is no level-headed innocent), these kinds of things happen. Personally, I think zbo’s hosing down the lil terrier is a lil bit funny.
The unfortunate part about a thrown cup is that is reminiscent of our other favorite wayward son, Ron Artest, who responded VERY violently when a cup was thrown on him.
And of course, the incident was doubly unfortunate because it could birth the new website:
TWOKNICKSONECUP.COM
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