OT - Celtics board challenge: How would YOU fix the Knicks?

[theman]

I gave this a lot of thought (2 minutes on the trade checker).

Sacramento Trade Breakdown
Change in Team Outlook: -0.8 ppg, +6.5 rpg, and -1.4 apg.
Incoming Players
David Lee
Malik Rose
Quentin Richardson
Outgoing Players
Ron Artest
Kenny Thomas

New York Trade Breakdown
Change in Team Outlook: -16.6 ppg, -6.5 rpg, and +3.7 apg.
Incoming Players
Ron Artest
Kenny Thomas
Jason Kidd
Outgoing Players
David Lee
Nate Robinson
Renaldo Balkman
Malik Rose
Quentin Richardson
Stephon Marbury

New Jersey Trade Breakdown
Change in Team Outlook: +17.4 ppg, 0.0 rpg, and -2.3 apg.
Incoming Players
Nate Robinson
Renaldo Balkman
Stephon Marbury

Outgoing Players
Jason Kidd


New York's Starting Lineup:

PG Kidd
SG Crawford
SF Artest
PF Randolph
C Curry

I'd think that is a playoff team. Knicks might need to send a pick to NJ.

[humblebum]

The first thing you do is you fire Zeke and you bring in a quality old school type coach, like a Don Chaney or a Paul Silas. The coach has to understand that this is a rebuilding process. You also have to go after a quality GM as well... and invest in a really good scouting team for both the College level and the Pros. The coach must institute a player personal conduct code and enforce it. Hire a good strength and conditioning coach and only play the players that stick to it.

The next step would be to cut loose from bad contracts by any means necessary. The main thing that needs to be done is to get the bad additude or lazy type players out of the gym and off the bench. That means you let Marbury sit out the year away from the team. You then cut loose Jerome James' contract. You let Malik Rose expire. Then you sit Q and Curry on the sidelines until they get in adequate basketball condition.

I'd start Robinson, Crawford, Balkman, Lee, Randolph with Fred Jones and Chandler as the major pieces off the bench. Commit to the youth exclusively in terms of playing time and make good selections in the draft.

No trading for big contract players or free agent signings unless they are of the high quality, positive role player mold. Let the youth develop. Play an uptempo, defensive oriented style of play to keep up fan interest and to instill the proper mindset in players.

[GregB]

**** side note: the bitches did the single worst most despicable thing I have ever heard in all of sports this year. When Marbury's father was initially hospitalized, instead of telling Marbury immediately, they told him after the game.

Instead of sharig his father's last few moments on this great Earth, Marbury finished a meaningless basketball game********

for that, the bitches will always deserve to suck and have isiah as a gm.

Actually, Marburys family told the knicks not to tell him until after the game.

[alwayslovetheceltics]

that was the knicks story.

Marbury's cousin went on the radio and explained that the knicks made that decision on their own. he said the family was pissed and that marbury would not play much after that incident. he did this a couple days after the death.

-= original quote snipped =-



Actually, Marburys family told the knicks not to tell him until after the game.

[eitanr]

I think you need to cleap up as much room as possible and rid the team of the negative influences. Clearing cap room completley for this team is very unrealistic, but you can set the team up to somewhat financially feasible come 2010 or 2011.

Trade 1: Quentin Richardson and Jamaal Crawford for L. Hughes and Ira Newble.
-The Cavs have expressed interest in Crawford in the past. Crawford can handle the ball, extend the floor for LeBron and be a much better wing offensive side kick than Hughes ever was.
Most importantly though, this deal unloads Q-Rich. Who, for whatever reason if not maybe to justify his bloated contract, was getting a lot of PT.

Trade 2: Kenyon Martin for Zach Randolph. Keep in mind this does not help contract wise. There is no team that would be willing to even shave the slightest cap room for Zach Randolph. What the Knicks need to find, is a team that is in desperate need of a playoff push and does not have a post player. Denver is also a perfect fit in that they have a defensive presence who can space the floor a bit in Marcus Camby. Also worst comes to worst Martin plays half a season every year. In that case it would force David Lee to log more minutes. It's a lot more annoying to overpay an offensive presence who under performs (see Shawn Kemp, Vin Baker, Grant Hill, Penny), then a defensive player (Ben Wallace, Trenton Hassell, Dan Gadzuric).

-In the draft, I'd hope to land OJ Mayo. I believe Mayo as all the tools to be a big time scorer in this league. He can score in a variety of ways: off the dribble, off the screen, and penetraing right to the hoop.

-Finally I'd fire Isiah Thomas (as coach...I read the thread) and would hire Scott Skiles. I liked what he did in Chicago for several seasons, basically taking a cellar team that seemed destitute after Jordan to a legit playoff contender. Granted this season was not the case for him. Though I do like the defensive intensity he brings and believe his a good motivator for a youth movement.
2008-09 Knicks
-Remember Marbury-Rose expire next season, and Jones and Newble this season...I'd just buy out those contracts as much as possible. Hughes' contract expires in 2010.

PF K. Martin/ D. Lee
SF R. Balkman/ J. Jeffries
C E. Curry/ J. James
SG OJ Mayo/ L. Hughes
PG M. Collins/ N. Robinson
-Coach Scott Skiles

[Pogue Mahone]

Good thread. If I was in charge, I would get a defensive-minded coach. I would then take drastic steps to undo all the bad that Lil Lord Fountleroy has done. To wit:

Trades

Trade 1

Knicks
Trade Zach Randolph, Quentin Richardson, Mardy Collins and Nate Robinson
Receive Jason Williams, Ricky Davis, Alonzo Mourning and Smush Parker

Heat
Trade Jason Williams, Ricky Davis, Alonzo Mourning and Smush Parker
Receive Zach Randolph, Quentin Richardson, Mardy Collins and Nate Robinson

The Skinny

NYK: It's all about the expiring. I would be willing to include David Lee, as well, but I would want Dorrell Wright to come back.

MIA: Get a front-court scorer to combine with Wade-Marion. Pay accordingly.

Trade 2

Knicks
Trade Stephon Marbury and Randolph Morris
Receive Gerald Green, Michael Doleac, Theo Ratliff and Antoine Walker

T'Wolves
Trade Gerald Green, Michael Doleac, Theo Ratliff and Antoine Walker
Receive Stephon Marbury and Randolph Morris

The Skinny

NYK: Sacrifice future trade chit for right now movable salaries.

MIN: Move the expirings one year forward, buying themselves time on making personnel decisions and better set themselves up to surround Jefferson and Foye.

Trade 3

Knicks
Trade Hamburger Curry and Jared Jeffries
Receive Ron Artest, Kenny Thomas and Justin Williams

Kings
Trade Ron Artest, Kenny Thomas and Justin Williams
Receive Hamburger Curry and Jared Jeffries

The Skinny

NYK: Rid themselves of that fat, fat man. Also get rid of Jeffries' contract.

SAC: Get a post-scorer. Shed themselves of Thomas' contract and Artest's looniness.

Trade 4

Knicks
Trade Jason Williams
Receive Mike Miller

Grizzlies
Trade Mike Miller
Receive Jason Williams

The Skinny

NYK: Get their starting SG.

MEM: Cut even more payroll to set up the team for sale.

Trade 5

Knicks
Trade Ricky Davis, Fred Jones, David Lee (Non-Simultaneous)
Receive Nene and Chucky Atkins

Nuggets
Trade Nene and Chucky Atkins
Receive Ricky Davis, Fred Jones, David Lee (Non-Simultaneous)

The Skinny

NYK: Buy low on an injured big man and provide their best prospect to do so.

DEN: Lose a quality big but get a low-cost, price-controlled rotational big. Trim a lot of payroll.

Trade 6

Knicks
Trade Theo Ratliff and 2010 NYK 1st RD Pick
Receive Andrei Kirilenko

Jazz
Trade Andrei Kirilenko
Receive Theo Ratliff and 2010 NYK 1st RD Pick

The Skinny

NYK: Acquire a defensive-minded quasi-forward with cartoonish athleticism.

UTH: Shed long-term salary and acquire future considerations in the form of a 1st RD Pick.

Final 2007-08 Roster

Point Guard: Atkins Parker
Shooting Guard: Miller Crawford Green
Small Forward: Artest Balkman Chandler
Power Forward: Kirilenko Thomas Rose Walker
Center: Nene Williams James

Waived

Wright ($3,240,000) Mourning ($2,762,500) Doleac ($3,120,000)

Final Salary

$87,397,737

Off-Season 2008

Re-signings

None

Expirings

Gerald Green, Justin Williams, Alonzo Mourning, Lorenzen Wright and Michael Doleac

Free Agents

Minimum-salary depth only

Trade Chits

Antoine Walker - $9,320,500 - Expiring/Team Option
Malik Rose - $7,647,500 - Expiring
Chucky Atkins - $3,240,000 - Team Option
Smush Parker - $2,400,000 - Expiring/Player Option
---------------------------
$22,608,000 Total

Team Needs

Starting Quality Point Guard
Bench Scoring
Big Man Depth

[kghatestolose]

Even if it was possible - I wouldn't fix them. They are in the east and I am a Celtics fan. One more soft cushy team for Boston to collect 4 wins a year from.... New York's deplorable condition works fine for me.

Go Isiah!

[Pats19andO]

Buy out everyone and sign d leaguers. Build thru draft and free agency

[Pats19andO]

Buy out everyone and sign d leaguers. Build thru draft and free agency

[Chief]

[SuperDeluxe]

(picture)

Can you say "we have a winner"?

[GreenGrizz]

I would trade everybody and start over with the draft

[GreenGrizz]

Get rid of young players like Robisnon and Lee before give them a new extension each. Would be lucky enough to land two mid first rounders.

Get a high second rounder for Balkman.

Trade Curry for a decent point guard.

Trade Randolph for an expiring contract along with a draft pick.

Keep Crawford.

Trade Jones, Richardson, Rose to contender teams for second rounders.

Go after big guys hard in the draft.

I think New York will be lucky enough to have a better team in two or three years continuing with lottery drafts.

[celticdude69]

Guys, I'm appalled at how many of you think the Knicks need to get rid of most of its players to get better. The Knicks is a playoff team on paper. They have the talent to win. For example, people forget that Zach Randolph was a stud in Portland. He was somebody who could singlehandedly carry his team. I'm willing to bet that if the Knicks buy him out now and sends him to the Celtics for league minimum, he'll become a stud overnight who can play some D. Crawford is a good player, and so are Balkman and Lee. Most of the rest aren't that bad as people think.

Now, why are they underachieving?

All because of these three: Isiah Thomas, Eddy Curry, and Starbury, to a lesser extent (he has not played for a while).

Starbury was cancer to the team.

Isaiah can't coach and doesn't get respect from the players.

And Isiah is stupid by designating Eddy as the franchise player. Curry is out of shape, never a hard worker, and plays without heart. Building around him is sending the wrong signal to other players in the team. Figure this-- if you're on that team and Curry is the man, what are you gonna think?

Here's what I would do to fix it.

1. Let this season play without any changes. And bring back Starbury ASAP. That will guarantee a very high draft pick.

2. After the season, move Isaiah from GM and coach to team scout. The guy has tremendous drafting abilities. Let him do what he does best.

3. Negotiate a buyout of Starbury and Curry. I wouldn't trade them because you won't be able to unless you package a good player or a draft pick. You don't want to do that.

4. Get a good GM and a coach. I like the idea of hiring Scott Skiles as coach. He can make this team play defense.

5. Let Isaiah do his magic in the NBA drafts.

By getting rid of Curry and Starbury, and with a good coach, this team is easily a playoff team.

[Mahoney_jr]

James Dolan is as much a problem for this franchise as Isiah is.