Not too great of a summer thus far if you’re a Knicks fan.
The highlights have been the trading of Q for Darko and the drafting of two more live bodies in Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas.
That’s about it, and it has been three full months.
Most Knicks fans believe Walsh is just being strict with our budget, but this is getting pathetic, because not only did aging veterans such as Steve Nash, Jason Kidd and Grant Hill (sad, because he is now a scrub compared to Chandler and we still couldn’t get him) all dis our Knicks in the end, we’re having major problems resigning from within, with David Lee and Nate Robinson being left in limbo for good majority of the summer.
Do you think Jason Kidd has LeBron on speed dial from last summer’s Olympic team? Think maybe Kidd factored in where LeBron might be headed before deciding to disrespect the Knicks yet again and scurry back to Dallas instead of fighting the good fight here in NYC?
I sat patiently while all this transpired, but then today I check in to find out we’ve given up on that oh-so tough to buy Ramon Sessions! We’re talking about not being able to sign an unestablished, predominantly unknown point guard when nobody else in the league is out there bidding for him.
Donnie Walsh, you don’t have to make big splashes like the last two guys that sat at your desk, but you do have to give the Knicks fans some hope that you are trying to do something positive with this roster, and not just sitting on your laurels and giving us another lottery-bound team with an entire NBA season remaining to be played.
Surely Donnie Walsh, a man of your expertise doesn’t believe you’re going to put asses in seats at Madison Square Garden selling us a starting five of Duhon, Larry Hughes, Wilson Chander, Danilo Gallinari, and Jordan Hill. That team has 23 wins written all over it, is your game plan now to shoot for a top-three pick in June of 2010? How sad for us, if that is the case.
I didn’t think you were that weak Donnie, but it may take less than the requisite four-year plan to judge your legacy here in NYC.
Do your job and make the Knicks better. Do something, Donnie Walsh. This ship’s been sunk for too long. Do something or admit that you can’t. Nobody will come here next year if you keep it the way that it is right now.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
stein speculates Lee could end up a Chicago Bull after hypothetical sign and trade.
They are apparently running the team to just make money, because it is certainly not to win games. If they were going to sell the team, they would be trying to pump it up with great players, but that is not happening. I agree, it is very frustrating to be a Knicks fan.
what’s good Paulnoize? I’ve been reading ya on some of these other blogs, you’re keeping it positive more than I could have so far this offseason. Good for you.
On again, off again, now the news sources are saying the offer from the Knicks to Sessions is coming.
Full MLE, this year, and the deal stretches for 5 years. Does this have any validity to it?
http://www.waow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10780832
How does Mike D feel about Sessions’ game? That’s what I’d be asking if I had the access these Alan Hahns and Frank Isolas are granted.
Fellas….of course as new yorkers we want things to move faster. but just based on his exp. I wanna give DW a little more time. I think since they have not wrecked the cap they need to be careful and keep the big pic. in mind.
DLee and his agent got gassed up.. and that is on them it’s a businees and they know that but they are disappointed they did not get theirs…
They thought a little too highly of themselves…we shall see
SaipanKnickster
For me, all will be forgiven with Walsh if he secures Sessions without destroying 2010 cap space. That’s the hold up, I’m guessing.
Isola wrote today that the better choice is Andre Miller, because he’s a consistent veteran and doesn’t get hurt very often whereas Sessions is unproven talent. I thought Miller did a good enough job running the show in Philly, but if they do better without him this year, Miller might be another Marbury (a player whose team improves once they leave town).
For me, I see Duhon’s first half of the year and think he’d fair better this year if there was solid help. TD could help, and either Sessions or Miller could help (in the latter case, Duhon, if still on the team, would come off the bench).
We might have two or three sign and trades before the season starts.
One to move Lee, and another to pickup a point guard.
Don’t think Jared Jeffries and Eddy Curry aren’t being shopped. Doesn’t mean there is a market, only that Walsh wants to maximize cap space.
I hear you on Lee. He thinks he’s going to be traded, but behind closed doors I wonder if he took it personally and wants to be traded.
I think Nate wants to stay, but that’s just my guy feeling on it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4351763
For some reason, I think we’d do better with Sessions over Miller in terms of wins. That’s not a scientific statement, more of a hunch as to who would do better in the garden in the system we have in place under Mike D’.
Physically Sessions might be a better fit.. But Miller obviously is more proven… I noticed that Dan D’antoni in his interview said that Sessions controls the the tempo very well. I also saw on an ESPN page somewhere… that a Milwaukee fan stated that in warm -ups Sessions drains it from outside… but does not shoot from there in a game.. if that is true is it confidence. The reason I like sessions more is because that gives us one up and comer altready… n he and the other young kats can grow together… since he came back from his hand injury w game n fire.. he seems like he has drive and fire.
I know walsh is tryying not ruin the plan becuse it would be foolish not to be in the game whether we win it or not.. gotta try….
I like Lee alot but he has gotta realize he is not a game changer and his scores do really translate into crunch time and he’s got the matador D down pat. he is actually more valuable to a good team…as a sixth or seventh man… his stats were good but who did he lock down? who did he even slow down.. i am no big fan of nates but at least when he wants he does get up on people.. Lee’s help D is even worse. and for his hops he should be able to swat some shots.
I know he played out of position last year and palys hurt but IMO his value is 7.5 on a good day.
The Duhon dropoff was management’s fault… and Donnies worst non-move so far…After JCraw got shipped out.. Duhon could not get a legitimate blow…I can see and agree that if the Knicks could improve @ that spot they should but Duhon was arguably the first half MVP.
I seriously hop EDDY is srious so we can ship him out for value….it will be nice to see the ripped(according to Hahn) Jeffries…Strange no news on Hughes and or Harrington this summer except for his shoes…
Insightful post from Saipan. Duhon was definitely first half MVP [he was second in the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio behind Nash for a while] and the failure to support him is the worst move / non move so far this offseason.
I also totally agree that Lee is an ideal 6th or 7th man on a good team. I think he is a solid player, and I want him to stay, but it seems that his agent is looking for a 2006 paycheck in 2009. Not gonna happen. Wouldn’t be prudent.
I would rather have Sessions than Miller because of the age issue. Championship teams are not built over night, and continuity and consistency should not be underrated. The Knicks know they need to build something. Lebron and DWade will probably not be coming next year. Bosh might, but it’s unlikely. Amare might want to, but that won’t be the answer. Yes, there are a *&%$load of eggs in the Nilo’s basket [and roosters can't even lay eggs!], but the core is developing. Adding a young, explosive point guard would be awesome. Let’s just hope the knicks can get him for a 2009 price.
what do you guys think of a sign and trade involving lee and boozer?
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705318964/Utah-Jazz-Knicks-may-have-interest-in-Boozer.html
doesn’t that directly effect the 2010 cap space concern?
Well..I guess they meaning the brass would consider Boozer as a 1a type in comparison to the 2010 class he’s got a better post up game compared to Bosh n is a little nastier on the court…. but he seems to be a dinosaur n I know he’s not…also injury issues… when did he play a full season?
But he’s the type that might make others think about moving here next year .. worth considering esp. if darko would pan out then he could be a 5 that does not clog the paint on O and he and Boozer could be a nice hi lo tandem…maybe we ought to investigate how close he is to the other 2010 prizes….
Cosign Starks4Three….Sessions would be a good peice to add to the young core… he seems hungry but humble
the article from Utah refers to Lee’s good defense….hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I must have skip-passed past the “good defense” of lee.
I hear you on the injury concerns. Last thing we need is another McDyess coming to NYC to sit on the bench.
Although.. Didn’t Boozer play very well with LeBron before he bolted to Utah?
Just bloggin.
if you have an hour to spare, you might want to read this. might.
http://knicks.realgm.com/articles/38/20090709/the_medias_bias_on_lebron/
Looks like a good read… got to do family stuff so i will check it out..
I guess by the second week of August we will know something.
I kinda liiked the Post article on Harrington…if he kicks it up a notch.. esp at to D , bounding and setting up teammates that will be an approvement…
Yes i did forget how to spell improvement
Knicksdefense…that was a well written article and on point as far looking and the needs of the media to selll … thus the hype and the differene between other markets and the NY negativity…..I personally just wait and see and not monitor LBJ’s every step and word..I know DW has a plan B… it ma not work but I know there is a plan good read.
check out this well put-together video from knicks blog “7 Seconds or Mess”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAHudVlVIkc&feature=player_embedded
I couldn’t see any of the summer league stuff, and this is exactly the kind of summary / breakdown i was looking for. Great video. Hill looks like he has a long way to go. Question: any insight on how big guys respond to Herb Williams? I’m just assuming that he is the big man specialist. Can he teach the proper footwork? Patience in the paint? How to help on defense? Is Herb a good coach?
Gotta love that Hill can stroke it from the outside. If they only had a really explosive player who could penetrate consistently, teams would struggle to protect the basket and stay with Hill and Gallinari.
The video says that Hill is not strong enough to guard Shaq and Dwight Howard. Clearly, he needs to get stronger, but, in his defense, no one is strong enough to guard those guys. That is part of why they’re so good.
yes nice vid…he definitely needs polish and to be mentored…
Starks4Three I sure hope Herb is up to the task..I maybe wrong but I thought that Aguirre is the one that had ECity rolling on offense a couple of years ago. Alot of Hill’s weaknesses can be taught, and the rest is the hard work to get right physically.
I did see him improve over the course of the five games.
Agreed, Aguirre taught eddy how to score the ball down low, but neither Aguirre nor Herb could help Eddy defensively, nor could Skiles or Isiah. Eddy didn’t want to play d.
Maybe a slimmer Eddy could, but that remains to be seen.
Nobody is teaching any of these guys how to play d.
That could be because defense is really from inside. Yes you can teach the fundamentals, but by the the time these guys get into the league, they should be well versed in the fundamentals of basketball on both sides of the floor.
I remember TD getting interviewed right after the draft, he had a quote that mentioned his defensive prowess as an attitude more than anything else. Defense is desire.
Those are two gifts as opposed to “skills” a player can develop, defensive desire and player height, you either have them, or you don’t.
I remember a quote from the 80′s, as a player, you weaknesses early on, and try to improve upon and compensate for them to get better. Can you see Eddy doing the small things to become a better defender? He can get up, all he has to do is “jump” like skiles said, but everytime the basketball is near him it was a foul, so I’m not sure what we can do to improve eddy.
Glad you liked the 7 seconds or mess video, check out episode #18, which focused on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqtlpy23Jxw” rel=”nofollow”>David Lee’s defensive shortcomings. Most of us are well aware of them, but with summer league over, and the Knicks apparently dragging their feet as to upgrading the roster(2010 salary cap, I know)it may be a dry couple of months on the Knicks blogosphere. It has been dry since summer league got out, with nothing but rumors and no reality. I don’t think the Boozer-Lee stuff is coming to fruition any time soon, or at all for that matter, but we shall see.
What asbout adding a free agent who can make an immediate impact to the knicks road to recovery. Who is in charge of recruiting. Check out Glen McGowan. He is a winner. Come on Knicks, Lets Win.