| If I Were GM Of The Knicks This Summer... Authored by Tommy Dee - February 29, 2008 - 4:41 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | Final Thoughts On The 2008 NBA Draft This year's draft was decidedly more calm and casual than the Oden/Durant showdown, which made for a more candid and personal experience.
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Think about it, not only does this team have horrible contracts, it has A TON of horrible, immovable contracts, which means if I, Colangelo, Jerry Reese, Omar Minaya or even Christ Himself were put into power here there isn't one move that's going to fix things.
Getting the first or second pick in the draft, yeah that may help, but so long as they win one out of every four games that's not happening anyway. So forget sitting around draft night celebrating a big trade, we all saw how that turned out this past June.
Forget trying to build through the draft and acquiring draft picks, we already have 13 players on the roster for 2008, not including Randolph (Mr. first round steal) Morris.
Unless we make moves NOW, as in after the season, adding two picks will leave the roster at 16 and in the same uncomfortable logjam that we started this season with. Until we shed bodies we’re stuck. Then and only then will losing allow us to build for the future. We can't keep adding picks with players who can't be traded occupying roster spaces.
Ladies and gentleman this is going to take a ton of pure unadulterated suckdom before we see that light, but fear not someone has a plan which can set ourselves up in decent shape for a ripe Free Agent class following the 2009/2010. When you consider that Marbury's contract comes off the books, it's stands to reason that this thing should turn over the next few years, sadly unlikely before. As disheartening as that sounds Knick fans, it’s reality calling, and unfortunately we have to answer.
Since I write for RealGM, I figured that gave me license to hire myself as Knick GM and to turn this thing around. Like you I’m tired of watching this nonsense. So upon accepting my contract from Mr. Dolan, I told him I’m ready to bring back the good old days of effort and defense, and maneuvering the roster, like we did in 1995, so that we can get under the cap, bring in a star, and make the Knicks matter again. I warned him it may take a few years (hey what’s two more right?) but that I had a plan.
I like to think that there are three teams that I can trade with right now that can help us. Realistically, three teams in the ENTIRE NBA. So I have my work cut out for me. After scouring through Isiah’s black book, no not that one, the one that had other GM’s phone numbers, I started dialing frantically. Sure, there were a few guys who changed their numbers, but what else could I expect for a GM following in the footsteps of Isiah Thomas?
The way I see it Zach Randolph and either Eddy Curry or Jamal Crawford have to go. The former, clearly because of his salary, and he’s been a distraction lately and the others, well, because they are soaked with the stench of losing that accompanied the Isiah Thomas Era. That ship has sailed.
Curry, I really can’t stand, but then I think I should get to know him a little bit. Turns out he’s a nice kid who really wants some love. True, he’s a little soft, but he can score in the paint. That said, he really can’t rebound or block a shot. I mean it’s almost comical how bad he is and how limited his instincts are. Maybe he’d be better suited playing the 4, say, 20 minutes a night? That means I need a center who can block shots and rebound.
Jerome James? Nah, again that whole Isiah aroma thing, I think I’ll give him the number to my country club and have him work on his bunker game for the next 2 years. Just stay away from us.
Jared Jeffries, who along with the other JJ certainly haven’t brought the Knicks any “Good Times,” was a bad MLE signing too, but he tries, and he went to Indiana, oh, wait he played for Mike Davis not Coach Knight?
Well, either way I don’t thing he or Q-Rich under any circumstance could be valuable to other teams so it looks like we’re stuck with them. Hope they like the bench.
I considered a deal that would trade Curry and Malik Rose’s expiring contract and our lottery pick to the Kings for Brad Miller, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and the 12th, but they asked for David Lee to be included and they’d include Artest. Hmm. Then I thought, if the goal was to help my cap space, I don’t want Artest, especially if it costs me Lee, one of the most productive players per minute in the NBA and a fan favorite in New York. Artest is going into his last contract, and I heard he may want to sign here for the MLE, but he should be getting Rashaard Lewis money, he’s a top 5 two-way player in the NBA. He won’t come here and I don’t want to spend $15 million per over the next 6 years. So I told them thanks but no thanks.
Trade 1
So I traded Zach Randolph and our pick (today it's #5) to the Bucks for Desmond Mason/Bobby Simmons and the 8th pick. Why? The Bucks have some interest in Randolph so we sweetened the pot by dangling a top 3-5 pick getting back one of their bad contracts in Simmons, a good perimeter defender, who can contribute off the bench until he goes bye-bye in two years. Mason gives us a viable option at the two and has a good contract that expires after next season. Randolph would be a nice fit in Milwaukee up front with, Yi and Bogat, and they move up in the draft. The Bucks feel they can move Mo Williams or Michael Redd, but not to get into the top 5. We provide them that and a 20 and 10 guy to boot.
Trade 2
Sacramento called back, they said throw in Wilson Chandler and you have a deal. So they gave up Brad Miller, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and the 12th pick for Eddy Curry, Rose’s contract, Wilson Chandler and the 8th pick. I’m fine with that, I need a point guard and I didn’t really like anyone in that 8-1Jeff1 range, plus I get two shorter contracts. Yeah it cost me Chandler, who I love, but I kept thinking Monty Williams on HGH every time I looked at him. He’ll be a good role player and I wish him the best.
I got my point guard at 12 UCLA’s Darren Collison. He’ll come of the bench and give us a much-needed, ball-hawking defender. He’ll be a great addition and when our cap number comes down, we can evaluate if he can run our team, or be a great bench player for the next decade.
Then I traded Nate Robinson to Seattle for Johan Petro. Why? I’ll take a chance on Petro, he can do some things and we’ve lost Curry and Z-bo and Miller will need help up front. Considering Lee is now my starting PF I need Petro and Miller to split minutes. Oh and we have two years to evaluate him, maybe he’s having trouble in the U.S., he’s French. They make great baguettes in Manhattan. Anyway if it doesn’t work out he can dump him a few years.
Also by acquiring Mason, who can play the two and three, the backcourt will be filled with Crawford, Quentin Richardson and the rookie Collison so where exactly does Nate fit in? He’s a very talented player, but is he good enough to create such distractions like the one in Washington with Randolph? This team needs help guarding the hoop and Petro can help at 20-25 minutes per night, especially in the East. I’d beg for Seattle to include their second round pick, but they didn’t. I held out as long as I could but decided to make the deal.
- Sign Fred Jones
I know, I know, Jones is Isiah’s boy, but I like him a lot. Great perimeter defender, supreme athlete and can knock down the open 3 and doesn’t complain about minutes? Sounds like my kind of player. Let’s go 2 years/$14 million with a team option for a 3rd year.
Projected Knicks 2008-09 Roster (expiring contract year)
PG Jamal Crawford (2009 player option for 2010)
SG Desmond Mason (2010)
SF Bobby Simmons (2010)
PF David Lee (2010)
C Brad Miller (2010)
Bench
Darren Collison (rookie)
Fred Jones (2010)
Quentin Richardson (2008- player option for 09)
Johan Petro (2010)
Renaldo Balkman (2010)
Jared Jeffries (2009- player option for 2010)
Mardy Collins (2011)
Sharif Abdur-Rahim (2010)
Jerome James (2008- player option for 2009)
*Stephon Marbury (2009)
It’s a start folks, and I actually like this group. No they're not sexy, nor are they flashy, just a solid bunch of veterans. We saw that under Scott Layden you say? Well, kind of. The difference is this group, for the most part, are veterans at the END of their contracts, not those who earned a payday (Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisley). These guys may actually play with the pride that should come with the uniform. And with that effort, maybe they can compete night in and night out, get to .500 and possible a few playoff games. This way the younger players can get some much needed playoff experience before we bring in the right high-priced talent that can fit in following the 2009- 2010 campaign. I know, I’m getting a little too far ahead of myself, and I’ll never be asked to be the GM of the Knicks, but let’s face it, someone has to give us some direction sooner or later…right? |
