How the Knicks Could Get Good Soon… Enough

The Knicks have been the model of dysfunction as an organization. However they really need to only make one big move to change the direction of the franchise. They’ll need to make a whole bunch of smart moves and good draft choices, but one big move can change the franchises fortune and it’s not all that hard a move to make.

Trade Zach Randolph.

Now i'm not the first to suggest how the knicks can fix themselves so i may not be breaking new ground here. However as i said i think with some patience, some shrewdness and one big move the Knicks can get back on track.

Simply put if the Knicks trade Zach Randolph they will be back on the path to success. Getting rid of the 3 years left on his deal will put the Knicks in position to be under the cap by the summer of 2009. Marbury, and rose come off the cap in 2009, if they can find a trade to get Randolph’s contract off the books by then that’s approximately a total of 41 million coming off the books that summer. This would put the knicks at around 42 million dollars of committed payroll by then. The current salary cap is about 55 million and going up about $2 mil a year. If one assumes the salary cap for summer of 09 is $57 million at least the Knicks could have up to $15 million of free cap space.

Now I’ll start by detailing how they trade Randolph. Well Cleveland could be a taker for Joe Smith, Aaron Snow, and a draft pick. Both are expiring and Randolph fits a need for them. Or maybe GS for Al Harrington and a sign and trade for one to two year for Matt Barnes. How bout even a sign and trade with Miami for Jason Williams and ricky davis (one year contracts for both of them). I’m not saying it will be easy because the league knows he’s a loser, but there are teams he is a fit for.

They would still have David Lee a good rebounder and a great fit as a 6^th man bringing energy off the bench. (Probably not a good enough defender/scorer to be a fulltime starter but definitely worthy of good minutes). They have Jamal Crawford a good combo guard who can get you high teens in points a game. Eddy Curry is a good post presence who despite a complete lack of defensive intensity can score and rebound quite well.

Let’s say the Knicks get Jerryd Bayless in the draft, (a realistic projection based on the draft mock lottery) now you have Bayless at the point, Crawford, and Curry starting. You have balkman or Richardson to play sf, both who can be decent role players and you have Lee coming off the bench with Nate robinson backing up at PG. Your gapping hole is at c with the need for a defensive big man.

Now the Knicks could opt to try to draft one (maybe Thabeet or Robin Lopez falls to them early second round or they trade up for a late first round pick) or just be content with Randolph Morris, Curry and Lee upfront for a year. Or they can try to sign one. This summer they have no cap space. Realistically their options for 09 are limited with not too many talented guys being unrestricted free agents, the following guys are worth looking at who are restricted free agents although it’s unlikely they’ll able to pry any of them away as Indiana, LA, NO, and UT will clearly match offers for their guys:

Marvin Williams (restricted)
Raymond Felton (restricted)
Jason Maxiell (restricted)
Danny Granger (restricted)
Andrew Bynum (restricted)
Hakim Warrick (restricted)
Chris Paul (restricted)
Nate Robinson (restricted)
David Lee (restricted)
Channing Frye (restricted)
Francisco "Paco" Garcia (restricted)
Deron Williams (restricted)

So the smart move is to wait till 2010 where the following players can be unrestricted free agents (ignoring guys like Shaq and Ben Wallace who will both be about 80 at the time) :

Joe Johnson
Ray Allen
LeBron James
Dirk Nowitzki

Josh Howard
Marcus Camby
Rip Hamilton
Stephen Jackson
Tracy McGrady
Dwyane Wade
Michael Redd
Tyson Chandler
Eddy Curry
Amare Stoudemire
Brad Miller
Manu Ginobili
Chris Bosh

Lets say you can’t get Lebron because he goes to Brooklyn and D-Wade wants to stay in Miami well Imagine Chris Bosh or Josh Howard being inserted in that lineup. Or how bout Tyson Chandler in there? So now you have Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry, Balkman/Q, Crawford and Bayless. I think you’ve got yourself a team now. If Lebron does sign in NY which is still a possibility given the lack of progress in Brooklyn then to borrow from Steven A… quite frankly you’ve got all you need.

Live from The Rock: Big East Battle

Originally post here

I’m sitting here live The Prudential center in Newark writing about the Syracuse versus Seton hall game and wanted to share it live with the chair. This is game two of two that I got a chance to be a member of the press. My seat was about 7 feet from the court to the left of the cameras at the free throw line. The game is sold out, but only the first deck is open. One might wonder why they didn’t open the second deck and as I write this 40 minutes before the game I suspect they didn’t want the stadium to be overwhelmingly Orangeman fans as I suspect a strong contingent of Syracuse alum in the area would have bought the tickets.

The game is pretty big for both teams, if Seton Hall loses they could potentially miss the big east tournament, while Syracuse if they want to ensure themselves of an at-large big they will need to beat Seton Hall and Marquette and probably still win a game or two in the big east tournament.

Donte’ Green came over about 40 minutes before the game during shoot around and sign autographs for two young fans in Orangeman sweaters. While another women came down and took a picture with Paul Harris even though she didn’t appear to have a credential or tickets to be down on the court. She was a cute girl though so I don’t think Harris minded. Syracuse guys were out shooting and warming up long after Seton Hall guys had gone to the locker room. Its possible Seton Hall guys had warmed up more prior but SU looked like the more focused team.

The crowd is a little late arriving to their seats but that’s not surprising given the 7 o’clock start on a Wednesday and the multitude of things to do for the fans on the concourse.

I must admit… I’m completely biased in this game, having grown up a Syracuse fan going to games at the Carrier Dome from as long as I can remember I’m a pretty big Syracuse fan. And as a guy who lives in the same town as seton hall and is jewish I have no love for the team that comes along with a priest. That being said I’m a member of the press tonight so I’m unbiased I won’t be outwardly rooting for anyone and will try to provide a partial analysis of the game.

Based on what I saw when I came to the last game at the rock and my trip up to the Carrier Dome this Saturday I think SU will crush SHU, but we shall see.

7:01 The anthem is always an interesting thing to watch, Syracuse had their arms around each other, SHU had their arms over there hearts. So that either means nothing, or that Syracuse loves each other and Seton hall loves their country?

7:10 Harvey for SHU and Ongenaet for SU traded early threes showing Belgians apparently can play basketball. But Syracuse was otherwise sloppy while SHU settled for threes against the zone. Ongeneat the man who no one can pronounce his name with all 5 of Syracuses early points. Seton Hall fans told coach Boeheim to shut up and all was well. SU 5 SHU 3

7:18 Seton Hall is clearly inept versus the zone… sad since they play a good amount of it themselves… if SU knocks down some of the open shots they've been getting this game could get ugly. Onuaku with a couple buckets and will be at the line after the 12 minute tv time out. SU 13- SHU 8

7:27 Seton hall went to the press and was able to force some turnovers, but Donte Green was able to start knocking down some shots. Seton Hall despite being a less talented team was playing very hard keeping themselves in the game. Scoop Jardine pushed the lead to 11 and a fan behind me is calling for BLOOD! 28-17 SU

7:37 Syracuse has a HUUUUGE advantage on the boards and Paul Harris threw down a SportsCenter dunk. Watch for it... assuming anyone on the chair watches sportscenter anymore... SU 34 SHU 24

7:48 SHU came back within 5 but Donte Green hits a couple threes to bring the lead to 11. SU extended the leads to 15 and you could hear the “lets go orange” cheers start. The half ends with the SU up 17… I could probably stop now…

8:11 Big Delay at the start of the second half. The coaches and the refs were having a discussion. They decided to take two points off the board because “they hadn’t committed a foul and therefore the foul shots didn’t count"… can you do that???

8:30 My wireless connection gave out for awhile you didn’t miss much a few Syracuse turnovers a few giant seton hall cardboard heads (Bobby Gonzalez and a player) in the crowd. And seton hall got within 11. 58- 47

8:50 Syracuse continues to turn it over, SHU capitalizes and cuts the lead to 9 with 5 to go and the crowd finally comes to life. maybe this won't be a blowout after all... naaaaah...

8:51 Bobby Gonzalez is fun to watch on the sidelines, even if his team isn't so much right now...

9:00 Pirates cut it to 7 with 3 minutes to do and with no Donte Green (4 fouls) on the floor the orange look timid. Gotta give it to seton hall for not packing it in. but Harris scored 2 buckets to push it back to 11 with 2 to go…

Syracuse Knocks down their Free throws and wins the game 85-73.

Post Game Coach Boeheim came out quickly and talked about the inconsistencies of his freshmen laden team and how they needed to cut down the turnovers. saying they make great plays at times and awful plays at other times. He talked about Arinze's effort on the boards saying basically "a lot of nights he's satisfied with getting 4 boards, and we can't have that; but tonight after i took him out he was very aggressive." He gave Seton Hall their due saying they're a tough team talking about the same they won against Louisville and talking about their tough press

Coach Gonzalez took his sweet time coming out so i couldn't stick around.

Overall a great time. and I hope the AGMer's out there at least enjoyed this a little.

Nets Effect: Breaking it Down

So the trade deadline came and went and the Nets took one of two necessary moves. They traded away Jason Kidd the best thing that ever happened to the franchise. However as I wrote before he was traded they needed to do it and after seeing the trade I have to say Jason Kidd is still the best thing that ever happened to the Nets because they made out tremendously in this deal. In short they weren’t any good with him, he’s getting old and he’s very expensive. On top of that he asked for a trade so while he seemed to be playing hard I don’t think his head was truly in it. I wish him the best and I’d hold no grudge if the Mavs win the championship, but this needed to be done.

So now it’s done and as I said I think the Nets made out very well. They’re saving nearly 7 million in cap space for next year and they made off with a point guard who’s ten years younger then Jason Kidd and statistically speaking a better player right now. Granted he’s probably not the team leader and doesn’t set quite the tone as Kidd, but he’s quicker, better defensively, he’s locked in at a very affordable price and oh btw did I mention 10 years younger. Between him and Marcus Williams I’m very confident in the Nets future at the point guard position.

Unfortunately they were not able to move Vince Carter and really get some real cap space for the summer. Instead they’ll still have him around with 4 more years left on his contract. They’re going to have to hope he can be efficient on a nightly basis for the rest of the season. Notice I didn’t say great just efficient. If he takes good shots, gets to the basket, shoots a high percentage, doesn’t turn the ball over with stupid passes then he can be a very efficient and effective player. Whether he scores 17 points or 30 as long as he’s shooting 50% or greater, rebounding and passing well the Nets are a team to be reckoned with.

So the Nets are left with Harris, Carter, Jefferson, Boone, Marcus and Sean Williams, Maurice Ager and Stromile Swift. There’s plenty of talent there and they’ve won 2 of 3 since the break/trade. So the questions remain how efficient will Carter be, how will the William’s and Boone develop and how will Harris fit with the team once he returns from his ankle injury?

I think they’ll find a way to make the playoffs (not saying much in the east) but unless they’re able to catch Washington for the 6 seed it’s most likely a first round exit for them. If they do catch Washington they could probably find a way to beat Orlando a good but not great team, but either way I don’t see a long playoff run in store for the Nets.

Live From the Rock

Can also be seen on Armchairgm

Last night I was able to get a press pass for the Seton Hall versus Depaul men’s basketball game at the new Prudential Center aka the Rock in Newark NJ. While Newark is not the nicest area and I wouldn’t advise walking around aimlessly at night, the area surrounding the arena seemed very safe and it’s actually not a bad area with the NJ Performing Arts Center right next door (essentially). It was a bit of a run around to get the credential but when I finally got to the place to get my credential they were very friendly and helpful.

Now I could give a recap of the game, but being that it was Seton Hall versus Depaul I don’t think to many people are particularly interested (even if the game did end up being exciting coming down to the wire.) Instead I will focus on the atmosphere of the game and the arena. I got into my courtside seat about a half hour before the game. To my left underneath the basket was the student section and the Seton Hall band, always a great part of college basketball and Seton Halls band didn’t disappoint. In all honesty though, I could have used a little more cowbell.

The crowd was a little late getting into their seats and initially I assumed they just didn’t come as this isn’t exactly the biggest of rivalry games. However it seemed they were just a little late getting into their seats, which is understandable given the amount of things to do in the arena. There’s a bar, a “Belvidere” lounge overlooking the court, games, balloon making and face painting. I was very impressed by the amount they had going on for the kids. I was also impressed by the overall arena. It’s structurally impressive on the outside, but inside the amount of screens and quality of the video scoreboards and screens were top notch. The place basically puts the Izod center to shame.

Before the game Seton Hall was lead out by the cheerleaders and the Pirate. The cheerleaders while not the worst I’ve seen made me long for the Pac-10. The Pirate while agile was not quite the best costume I’ve seen. The game started and it was clear neither team was quite ready for the big time. Coach Bobby Gonzalez is a very energetic coach and coaches his team well, but they’ve got some work to do before they’re going to challenge the upper half of the Big East. I think Gonzalez was a good hire out of Manhattan and with some of the young talent they have like 6-11 freshman Mike Davis they could make some noise next year.

It’s overall a great place to go and I definitely suggest checking out the Prudential Center for either a Seton Hall game or a hockey game. I’m going to be back there in a couple weeks for Seton Hall versus Syracuse a sold out game and it should be a lot of fun even if I think Syracuse is going to destroy the Pirates (which despite living in the same town as Seton Hall I’m ok with since I grew up a Syracuse fan.)

The Nets Effect: Time to Break Out The Dynamite

It’s tough as a fan to say goodbye to the best thing that’s ever happened to your franchise and for the Nets Jason Kidd is that thing. In the years since he’s been here the nets have had the most success as a team since Dr J was lacing up his Chuck Taylors and rocking his short shorts over in Long Island. The Nets having won ABA titles had never even been to the NBA finals never mind won one since they entered the NBA. With Jason Kidd the Nets have made the playoffs every year, had their first ever 50 win season and made the NBS finals twice. Certainly having Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, Kerry Kittles and recently Vince Carter has helped, but Jason Kidd was unquestionably the driving force behind this success. For that reason I've held off on writing this article for over a week as I wanted to hold out hope.

Now coming to the close of his career the Nets are struggling and Jason Kidd has realized what any Net fan has to realize: it’s time to move on.

The Nets currently stand at 18-26 having lost 9 in a row including last nights loss to Minnesota where they allowed Al Jefferson to score a career high 40 points. As bad as the Nets have played recently they’re still only ½ a game out the playoffs, so one could argue the Nets should keep the team together and make a push for the playoffs. Heck the Nets have played the Magic tough, and on any given night could compete with the elite teams in the league. They’ve beaten the Magic, Trailblazers and Lakers on the road. However the fact still remains they’re 8 games under 500 and have lost to Minn, NY twice, Sacramento and the Clippers; some of the worst teams in the league.

So your options are keep Kidd and fight or give in to his trade request and start over. I think as a rational fan you have to say thanks for the good times Jason, and good luck in your new destination. If the Nets trade Kidd however Vince Carter needs to go with him. I’m not even interested in talent. If I’m the Nets I look for draft picks and cap space with an emphasis on cap space. In the NBA you rarely if ever get fair value in terms of talent when you trade a star. If the Nets can get Kidd and Carter off the books by the end of the year they will be significantly under the cap. More than 20 million to be precise.

So how do they do it? How bout Kidd for Jason Williams and Ricky Davis. Pat Riley has been looking for point guards, and I can’t imagine he’s willing to wait around on a rebuilding effort. With Shaq on the book for an extra year then Kidd this is low risk for the Heat and the Nets get 19.8 mil off the books at the end of the year. Throw in a draft pick and you have a steal. Will this move make the Heat better? Probably not, but they’re over the cap next year anyway and as I said I can’t imagine Pat Riley is willing to sit ideally as his team stinks it up.

Now for Carter this will be a much bigger challenge as he just signed an obnoxious contract extension. However it is possible. Riley might take a similar deal for Carter instead of Kidd because as I said he’s desperate. If he will then you can deal Kidd to the Mavericks or any of the other interested suitors. If not perhaps your other best option is LA. With Corey Maggette and Elton Brand both having ETO’s at the season end, the Clippers could fear losing either one for nothing at seasons end and could believe bringing in Carter will help them sell some tickets. For the Nets you can either let them both walk or end up with a good player. Now of course the Clippers may not be too upset at letting them walk and thus a deal might not happen there either. Trading Carter will not come easy, but if you’re going to build around your young talented pieces (Marcus Williams, RJ, Sean Williams and Josh Boone) you need to find a way.

The NETS Effect: Kiki is Coming to Town

Having seen Ed Stefanski leave to be General Manager of the 76ers the Nets apparently wanted to bring in more help for Team President Rod Thorn. Today the Nets named Vandeweghe special assistant to the team president in a role that will essentially replace Stefanski. As a Nets fan the question is clear, should you be happy or afraid?

The answer to that question is much less clear and quite frankly I don’t know how to react. Vandeweghe is the same man to draft one of the all time greatest draft busts Nikoloz Tskitishvili. However in the same draft he orchestrated a trade that brought them Nene, and Marcus Camby for a 25^th pick in that draft (which New York took Frank Williams) and Antonio McDyess. Camby being the reigning defensive player of the year you have to say that’s an unquestionably good deal.

He also drafted Carmelo Anothy which I don’t think anyone would question, but considering Anthony was clearly the second best prospect in that draft at the time I don’t know how much credit he gets for it. In 2004 he traded away the rights for Jameer Nelson to Orlando for a 2005 first round pick. The pick turned out to be a number 20 pick which they used on Julius Hodges who’s only claim to fame is having been shot. Not a great move but considering Orlando had won the lottery the previous year I guess the thinking was it would be a higher pick than number twenty.

You could blame him for giving Kenyon Martin a huge contract since Martin has been a bust, however Martin was 26 years old at the time coming off a season averaging 16.7 points and 9.4 boards a game. (nearly a double double) On top of that Martin had improved every season he had been in the league. Can’t really predict a player is going to end up needing micofracture surgery.

So welcome aboard Kiki let’s hope the good you bring to the team outweighs the bad… and stay way from those foreign guys.