"You start looking at well, what are our potential needs? Walsh said. “I think that’s where this went down to in the sense that it was felt that in the immediate future, potentially, that shooting could become a problem for this team. So that was the reason for Anthony Roberson because that’s what he can do.”
D'Antoni:
Mike D’Antoni stated the obvious “Our offense is way ahead of our defense.” The Knicks are averaging 110 points and shooting 47 percent through three preseason games, but opponents are averaging 111 points and 49 percent shooting. “We’re looking pretty good,” D’Antoni said. “The ball is moving, the floor is spaced. Our problem right now is that defensively we got to get a little bit — not a little bit — better, but a lot better. And then learn how to win games.”
OK !
So we Know, Ewing is a very good defender.. Blocks shots. 2 of our biggest needs. (we gave away Balkman for NOTHING he was our leading shotblocker)
So D'antoni (and everyone else who has been watching) thinks our offense has been decent, and its our DEFENSE that needs work. SO why Donnie, why would you try to explain your decision like it was actually a basketball decision??? We have PLENTY of shooters on this team. Nate, Gallo, Craw, Q, Steph, shoot shoot shoot some more. We need ANOTHER shooter? Not a defender who can block shots.
WHERE IS THE LOGIC I SWEAR TO GOD ISIAH IS STILL RUNNING THIS GODAMN TEAM !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Money? So it was money... MONEY?? WAS IT REALLY MONEY?
Lets break that down.
You cut Jerome James.. You pay him over 12 mil to sit home (nobody else will sign him)
You keep Jerome James.. You pay him over 12 mil to sit on the bench.
Result either way = Jerome James gets 12 mil to do nothing.
You are not keeping his contract in order to trade it, because it expires BEFORE 2010.. So any deal you make involving James brings salary BACK and would HURT our chances of getting under the cap in 2010.. So James will not be traded.
So basically, if your James Dolan.. It comes down to how much it would cost to sign Patrick Ewing Jr. to a 1 year deal. 500k? 400k?. So really if you are going by LOGIC.. this is what your telling me.. Either James Dolan wont pay 500k (not likely since he has paid a tun and always has opened his check book).. Or Donnie Walsh is just too stubborn to buy anyone out.
I actually believe its neither of these scenarios. I believe that Donnie Walsh actually thinks Jerome James could possibly contribute and that is what scares me more than anything. From Knicks Knacks:
http://njmg.typepad.com/knickknacks/2008/10/patrick-jr-cut.html
As for James, when asked about the fans' displeasure with him, Walsh tap-danced a bit, saying, "I have no background with Jerome James, except he did not play last year. [two games], so I understand the fans' thinking. he is under contract to us and we honor all our contracts.
"He's in the position that I've had other players in on this team: go out and prove yourself. It'll be up to him to prove it in practice."
This scares me so bad, do you realize what this means? Donnie Walsh has done absolutely NO homework on his current roster. That means the last 3 years or so were absolutely WASTED!!!!! Everything we learned about all these players, the pros, the cons etc etc... Nothing has survived. We had to sit thru season after season of "rebuilding" so that we could EVALUATE what we had.. And its obvious what we have at this point.. To EVERYONE EXCEPT DONNIE WALSH!!!!!!!!! No wonder he didn't extend David Lee, he has no idea what kind of player he is!!!!
The fact that he has given Jerome James a "Clean Slate" is just disgusting. If there is one man in professional sports that does not deserve a "Clean Slate" it is Jerome James... The smallest bit of research would have told Donnie that... Just because he wasn't here when Jerome James showed up to practice hung over 50+ times, and out of shape to every single training camp, doesn't mean it didn't happen.. And doesn't mean it wont happen again.. and again.. and again.
Heres to hoping Donnie does some homework, and heres to losing all hope I had in him as a GM. With one, "meaningless" 15th man roster decision. Which actually should have been the easiest decision he ever had to make.