Management FINALLY doing their job.

I have been an avid and loyal NYK fan since I arrived in New York in 1983. I as a lot of fans endured the Ewing era and left in disappointment with only one real shot at winning a title to only lose to the Houston Rockets, in 7 games under Pat Riley. We have watched NYK owner James Dolan profit from all of our loyalty and support of this franchise with no reward. Watching him hire coaches like John McCloud, Don Nelson, Stu Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy, Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkins, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas and Mike D’antoni as to some how prove he is trying to fool us into believing that he is trying to make the team better. Going out and hiring GM’s and team presidents like Scott Laydan (Utah Jazz) and Isiah Thomas (Toronto Raptor GM and Indiana Pacer coach).

He has ok’ed free agent signings of Eddie Curry, Jerome James, Shandon Anderson, Howard Eisly, Jonathan Bender., over pay for Allan Houston then stuck with his hefty contract for years, trades for bad contracts like Stephon Marbury, Antonio Mcdyess, Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Travis Knight (traded for Ewing to Seattle), Clarence Weatherspoon, Jalen Rose, Malik Rose, Antonio Davis, Zach Randolph, Steve Francis, Larry Hughes, Anfernee Hardaway, Tim Thomas, Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, Jerome Williams , Nazr Mohammed and Maurice Taylor.

Within a 4 year period, the NYK have traded away young drafted players Wilson Chandler, Renaldo Balkman, David Lee, Channing Frye, Trevor Ariza, Nate Robinson, Renaldo Balkman, Danilo Gallinari. Last two years NYK had quick 1st round playoff exits winning only one game with Star players Amare Stoudamire and Carmello Anthony. Coming into last season, the NYK amnestied PG Chancy Billups (had to make room to sign Tyson Chandler) and had a big problem at PG. They only had 2nd year player Toney Douglas and rookie Iman Shumpert a natural SG to run the PG. NYK then signed aged and injury plagued vet Baron Davis. He was unable to play right away due to he needing time to recover from injuries. It was an utter disaster, having Toney Douglas at PG. Carmelo had to play point forward to help facilitate the Mike D’antoni offense, which took him away from what his strength, scoring. Then the signing of Jeremy Lin, who was recently waived from Houston Rockets. He spent at least a month in the D-League. Mike D’antoni then put Lin in the first game at backup in a Boston Celtic game. Mike D’antoni then put Lin to start against the now Brooklyn Nets and then the legend of Lin-sanity began.

Well here we are in an offseason that was supposed to bring back the cohesive roster from last season. NYK wanting to resign players Steve Novak and Lin with early bird rights and were able to due to the ruling of arbitration between NBPA and the NBA. NYK instead signed Jason Kidd after a failed attempt to get Nash in a sign and Trade, traded Josh Harrelson, Jerome Jordan, and Toney Douglas to Houston Rockets for Marcus Camby, resign Steve Novak and JR Smith and finally do a sign and trade for Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas for Jarad Jeffries and Dan Gadzoric, sign swingman Ronnie Brewer. Also NYK sign swing-man James White and PF Chris Copeland (both played overseas).

C.Stewart @C_Paul22

New York Knick- Jeremy Lin fiasco.

A Lot has happened in the New York Knicks lately. New York Knicks sign vet PG Jason Kidd, then sign & trade for Marcus Camby to Houston for Toney Douglas, Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan and a 2nd round pick. Landry Fields signs offer sheet with Toronto Raptors for $20M four years, which Knicks do not match. Lin gets a loaded offer sheet that pays about $5M plus for 2 years and $15M the third year (about $28M). As of today, the Knicks made a trade of Jared Jeffries and Dan Gadzuric to Portland for Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas.

New York Knicks fans are upset at the fact that New York Knicks have decided, or so it seems, to let Lin go. Some feel New York Knicks should have locked Lin up with a contract early. Problem is if he took that deal, he would not have this offer from Houston Rockets and would have been traded for Nash.

Here is what I think happened. Woodson, Carmello and Chandler all went to California to visit Lin and convince him to be a backup PG, as to them having their plans to add Nash as the starter. Nash fully aware and on board with situation informed Phoenix Suns of situation, and worked to make a trade involving Landry Fields and some pieces. Lin realizing that he has become a phenom with New York Knick fans and the Asian community everywhere, feels along with his new agent(s) that he can be a starter on another team. He lets his buddy Landry Fields know about the situation. Fields then gets his agent to work on a big offer from whatever team is interested for big money. What this does is forces Knicks to match offer and not trade him too the suns in the Nash scenario. Nash wanting to be a Knick patiently waits to see what else can be worked out involving maybe Iman Shumpert.

The New York Knicks nixed (no pun intended) this scenario which then prompted Nash to ponder another option presented by the Los Angeles Lakers. Nash never envisioning such an opportunity to play for the Lakers organization (16 NBA titles) jumped at it. Lin and agent were also devising a situation themselves that would get Lin the best offer(s) and force New York Knicks to match. As that was happening, Jason Kidd was content to back up his buddy Deron Williams in Brooklyn. A new opportunity presented itself for him to become a starter in New York for the Knicks. I believe Carmelo, Chandler and even Amare (former teammate of Kidd in Phoenix) made a call to Kidd on the situation facing New York Knicks with the loss of SteveNash. Soon after Kidd is signed, JR Smith and Novak sign on right after. Also the Camby trade follows.

Lin sees the new scenario the New York Knicks have presented and decides to renegotiate the offer sheet with the Rockets to load it even more. Childishly, the Knicks finding was to not receive the official offer, as to buy time to make the trade for Raymond Felton. Also I am sure Felton was brought in and willing to play as a backup to future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and wanting like most players in Portland to get the hell out of dodge.

This brings us to where we are now. New York Knicks are on a 2 day time clock on matching offer to Jeremy Lin (since they were finally tracked down and received offer sheet). The New York Knicks are now going to make Lin wait the full 3 days to wait on their response which most have assumed, due to the recent events, to not match Lin’s offer sheet.

Just a theory.

C.Stewart @C_Paul22

Knicks Free Agency Situation

          The New York Knicks have already caused storylines in the early stages of summer. They have a lot of work to do with signing and resigning players, but let’s go over what has happened so far.

• Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak have been granted “Bird Rights,” which means that the Knicks can resign both of them without any salary cap penalty.
• The Knicks draft 6’8″ Greek forward Kostas Papanikolaou instead of addressing other needs in the 2012 draft. With other needs, like Iona point guard Scott Machado, still on the board, we swishhndish writers were left with a few question marks.
• J.R. Smith opts out of current contract with Knicks to test the free agency, but rumor is he plans to sign a long term deal with the team.
• Iman Shumpert sets January of 2013 as return date from ACL injury.
• Knicks sign Wingman James White. The athletic 6’7″ 200 pounder played last 2 years in Italy, and improved his game significanly both on offense and defense.  Watch out for him Knicks fans, he will be fun to watch!
• The Knicks fail to get Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns. Nash ultimately went to pair with Kobe in the Laker’s backcourt.
• Landry Fields agrees to offer sheet with Toronto, and Jeremy Lin agrees to offer sheet with Houston for 4 years $28.8 million. However, the Knicks will match the offer to Lin, but it is unknown whether or not they will match Toronto’s offer to Fields.
• Jason Kidd chooses to sign with the Knicks instead of the Mavericks

Current Roster

• Tyson Chandler
• Amare Stoudemire
• Carmelo Anthony
• Toney Douglas
• Josh Harrellson
• Jerome Jordan
• Iman Shumpert
• Jason Kidd         
• James White   
• Kostas Papanikolaou (Will be in Europe until 2014)

Free Agency Checklist      

• Don’t Let Jeremy Lin Go Elsewhere:  We have heard rumors of a few teams going after Linsanity, and he is getting a lot of money for playing roughly half a regular season.  The offer is 4 years $28.8 million.  Even though he may not be worth the price, he gives us Knicks fans plenty of hope for the future.  It has no effect on the salary cap, and you can’t put a price on a bright future, so why not?
• Resign J.R. Smith and Steve Novak:  With Shumpert out, and Landry gone, JR has not only become a priority, but a necessity to fill at the SG position.  As for Novak, there is no better shooter in the NBA.  You heard me, no better shooter.  He came off the bench and would put up 6-12 valuable points in a game for the Knicks. Both of these players did their jobs in valuable moments, and deserve to wear the blue and orange for another year.
• Get Scott Machado:  We swishhndish writers have written the name several times, but the Knicks just haven’t bought in yet.  A playmaker who led the NCAA at 9.9 assists per game.  He has great ball skills, is a great rebounder at the point guard position (averaged 5 per game at Iona), and plays smart.  As a backup TO the backup, and a hometown guy, it makes sense.  At least try him out in the Summer League.
• Get Another 2 Guard:  Not just any 2 guard, a two guard without a ball hogging and scorer’s ego.  Bring in a guy like Randy Foye from the Clippers to produce solid numbers in a role off the bench that he is used to.  Even guys like Leandro Barbosa, and Kirk Hinrich could play a similar role. With Shumpert out for the start of the season, and Landry gone, a 2 guard is a necessity.­
• Get a Tough PF to Play Off the Bench:  The Knicks could use a PF to rotate around Tyson and Amare.  Elton Brand just became available from the Sixers and he would be useful.  A guy like Reggie Evans would be tough on defense, and even a guy like Ersan Ilyasova could come in and help rebound the basketball.  Just three examples though.

-     Steven     @SportsTalkSteve

 

Knicks Draft Review: My Take..

Who? From where? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??? Then afterward I started to cheer for Machado. This is me last night at about 11:24pm when the Knicks took a guy for what reason I don’t understand.

I was pining all day for Scott Machado, the home grown prospect.(before my twitter account was questionably suspended). I even heard the crowd chanting his name before the pick and simultaneously Booing when the pick was made. Yes I understand its the second Round, Grunwald was going on a need based pick, I wouldn’t dare say that’s the best player available.

The focus must really be on Steve Nash and or other free agents grunwald better reel in somebody because if “hypothetically speaking” Jeremy Lin  walks away and all we are left with is the opportunity to sign Jason Kidd; we’re screwed, BIG TIME. The last time the knicks anticipated a big free agency they only Got a consolation prize in STAT whom in retrospect we vastly overpaid with an uninsured contract might I add but that is nothing new with James Dolan.

Well let me Drink to the fact that maybe we can snatch up Machado for the Summer league. We need to strengthen the bench and we use the draft pick on a guy whose name might not fit on the jersey, anybody remember Niko Tskitiosvili, in the same breath I don’t think I spelled that right. He won’t help this year and that’s a shame, I’m by no means saying that he’s a bad player, I just don’t think that pick was warranted when we could have gotten Scott Machado or any other key contributor.

I swear when I saw that Machado was there at 48 I was ready to write my victory article but after the official pick was made I was rather upset, but maybe I was higher on him than anybody else was. Thats off my chest, Lets proceed with Free Agency please.

- Nev «@KinGNev3»

Melo Time is Now

Watching all the festivities for the Miami Heat this morning I couldn’t help but think of what it would mean for the Knicks if this were to happen. Realizing that now all of the top 5 picks in the 2003 NFL Draft have a NBA Title except for Melo; yes that means even Darko. This just means that the pressure that Bron had on him to win that ring, save the First round or no ring jokes. I mean like ” if Melo were to fight Mosley he’d get knocked out in the first round” I expect to see them shortly. But its warranted.

You don’t simply force your way to another team in order to get popular, you should want to win championship. I am not sure what Melo’s mentality is at this point but I know he should feel a sense of urgency seeing his “friends” win a title if I was him I would have watched the parade and got upset too, minus hitting the fire extinguisher. I would hope Melo would come into this season trying to prove to everyone that he is a superstar, Knicks fans would love to at least see our team threaten if not defeat the Heat. This is all contingent on Melo’s approach on this season. He can win a championship despite it being in college and the disparity of the two talent levels. He still led a team.

I fully expect for melo to come with a focus and determination to be a better player defensively, offensively and also in a leadership role. If we can get a melo who takes over a game, shows “clutch gene”, consistently shows leadership and can push the knicks into contention for a title who’s to say what special kind of season we could have. So Melo should enter next season prepared to have a bullseye squarely placed on his back due to the recent champion and fellow draft class players. So now Melo the pressure is on, Learn to co-exist with STAT, Do NOT ball stop and make your teammates better. You came here to endure pressure well here is a 40 year worth of non championship, Big Market pressure.

-Nev « @KingNev3 »

Agenda: Bringing back “Mobb Deep.”

The finals are over Miami heat Dynasty has begun. Lebron has won the prize he has so craved, as has Bosh and Wade has his second. A big question for Knick fans will be what do Melo and the Knicks go from here. The Heat have provided the blueprint, to win a title. Their, stars relentless focus and determination was the driving force, and inspires the role players to perform on the biggest NBA stage.

In regards to the NYK, pressure is squarely on Melo’s shoulders to lead the team to a title. Amare in the court of NYK fan public opinion is not the to blame. Under D’antoni with Amare as the only star player, the Knicks were successful and had a good record and a playoff team before the arrival of Melo. To many fans Melo is the cause for the teams down fall all season. He has the reputation of being a “ball stopper” on offense. Also his presence has been a hindrance for Amare, who’s stats have dropped since Melo arrived. NYK went through a very unique period aptly named “Linsanity” which was the emergence of the first Asian-American NBA basketball player ever in the NBA and he in a 9 game span was sensational and led the Knicks at PG to 9 straight wins. During this run, Melo and Amare were out ( Melo out 7 games, groin injury, Amare out for about 6 games personal tragedy). The play of JR Smith, Steve Novak, Iman Shumpert, Landry Fields, Tyson Chandler, Bill Walker and Jared Jeffries were all elevated due to Lin in the starting lineup.

As the coaching change of from Mike D’antoni to Mike Woodson, the Knicks again went through resurgence with mainly Lin and the reemergence of Melo. This did however slowed down the production of the role players mentioned earlier which did not sit well with many fans and sports writers. The Knicks did as a team play well and came together in the second half of the season, to eventually make the playoffs and almost win the division.

Bringing back Novak, Fields, Lin, JR is imperative to Knicks success and quest for a title(s). The chemistry with this team last season was great. What is needed is focus from star players Melo and Amare, as well as their TOTAL commitment winning a title. Both players are not known for their defense and that NEEDS to change this upcoming season. Making too many changes to this team will slow down the progress already made from last season. One or two free agents are probably all that is needed. I had suggested Odom previously and firmly in support of what he can bring to this team. With the new ruling of “Bird rights” being granted for the signing of Lin, Novak and Fields will be helpful in the Knicks obtaining Odom, a Ray Allen or Andre Miller. Odom would ad versatility to the Knicks frontline, and Andre Miller a solid PG that can be a cable back up or starter, if needed to.

C. Stewart @C_Paul22

Steve Nash a Good Fit for the Knicks?

Steve Nash wants out of Phoenix if the Suns do not improve their team this offseason. The Knicks are a very possible destination for him.

                Recently, free agent guard Steve Nash has made his opinions heard about pursuing the free agent market. “The Knicks are a great franchise and I live in New York City (each summer), so I’d definitely consider them if they were interested,” was the quote that Nash recently stated about that possibility. While he is 38 years old now, he would fit perfectly for the Knicks for many reasons.  While he wouldn’t be the best player the Knicks have acquired recently, he would definitely provide the most value in a significant position.

                The first reason Nash is a great pick-up is because he would serve as both a compliment and a mentor to Jeremy Lin.  While Knicks fans enjoyed the sparks of Linsanity last season, he is not a starter yet.  He passes and scores well, but needs to learn to handle the ball better and cut down turnovers.  Nash has been arguably the best point guard of the 2000s because he is a great court general who can get the most production possible from his teammates through his leadership.  Jeremy Lin already has the potential, he just needs to learn from an experienced vet with two MVPs and eight all-star appearances.

                He can also reunite with Amare Stoudemire on another orange and white team.  The Nash/Amare combination used to be one of the most intimidating offensive forces in the NBA.  Since Amare left for New York, he has never played with a point guard near the caliber of Nash (As good as Felton was, don’t even compare him to Steve Nash).  Since Amare came to New York, he went from being the offensive centerpiece to deferring to Carmelo Anthony.  If Nash comes to New York, Knicks fans will see Amare’s production increase, and Carmelo Anthony’s production more cohesive with the team’s offense.

                Carmelo Anthony will not run the show for the Knicks, and Nash will take control.  He is a elite scorer in the NBA who takes and makes the big shots.  He is a superstar, but he just can’t keep making the decisions on offense though.  The Knick’s struggles during the season came from not Amare, not Tyson, not completely on the guard play, but mostly on Carmelo trying to live up to his ego as a scorer.  The Knicks do not need a superstar who shoots 25-30 shots a game, they need a complete team who can get reliable production from everywhere.  Steve Nash gets the most production out of every player on the floor, and makes great decisions.  The more great decisions made by the Knicks, the more likely the Knicks are to win.

                While the acquisitions of Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire were highly touted for the last couple of years, getting Steve Nash would be the best thing to happen to the Knicks in many years.

- Steve    @SportsTalkSteve