PMFJB wrote:Anotha Knicks fan wrote:Dammit, I really wanted to get through the whole thread before responding, but I can't! Lol
Just want to say, those of you drawing the line in the sand at this free agency are only perpetuating the same crap we've gone through over and over again. Point is, if we can't get the targets we are aiming for, then you sign a couple of harmless short contracts, and try again the following year. There's no need to overpay some second rate player just because the NY pressure is telling you to do so.
At the very least we will have Melo and the rook next year. Only hoodwinking being done is by your damn selves if you think anyone can turn this mess of a franchise around in a season and change.
I think we all agree on that. Don't overpay BUT when you have a superstar you promised you would get help to and an impatient owner then you don't think it is free agency or bust?
Phil is trying to get better this offseason come hell or high water. If the top free agents shun us then he is going to be left overpaying for people. That is my biggest fear.
If he stands pat after missing out on free agency what does he tell Melo/Dolan? Then we go into 2015 being terrible again and not having our pick. Not a good place to be.
If Phil strikes out in free agency, (and by striking out I dont mean not netting us that golden goose egg of an agent (LMA, MG, etc) but not netting some other fit at a decent price) then he stocks up on young talent as he has been doing, and goes to bat again the following season) The difference between last year and this year is that now he can truly say that we are developing instead of catching the lot of you with this "compete now" double speak that all GMs do. The shine next year will be that we have the main cog on the roster (Melo) and an unbelievable draft pick (whoever it may be) plus some young assets on his side.
My main point is having the flexibility to strike when the opportunity is there, and not necessarily go all in with a losing hand as Walsh did (thanks R-DAWG for the correction)
As for Melo, honestly we don't owe him anything. He got his. He's playing for the team he wanted to play for, and is getting paid handsomely. It's a decision he made. I'm sure Phil painted the picture of a possible rebuild, and how this would affect his career. The fact that Melo is getting older and is "wasting his prime years" shouldn't bear any weight in how Phil makes his subsequent moves. He works for the NEW YORK KNICKS, not the NY Melos. He likes it, great, he can sit down with his shoulder/knee whatever injury he claims, and waits until Phil has the pieces he seems fit to run with. He doesn't, then I am sure the Bulls, Lakers, Clippers, etc of that time will put their bids in, and Phil or whoever is in charge will take the best offer (hopefully) that helps the team.
Flexibility.
I'm in no rush. Why rush it? We've been through a decade plus of rushing it by adding has beens, broken downs, on the whim of what may or may not be great.We actually have a chance to get either a once in a generation type of player, or a solid player, or even a bust... but we still have cap, and we still have the Melo chip. Why go all in when you don't have to.
Don't get me wrong, I did a backflip when the reports first said we got Reggie. When I found out we didn't, I looked into the trade a little further. Understand, initially I was a bit bummed because we didn't get anything of immediate value, but that feeling subsided when the reality of trading away JR, his contract, and all the other cap implications Shump's RFA status hit. Really, Shump hasn't been playing well for the past few seasons. Why wager on his health and what he could be, whne you could have a clean slate? If he's the cost of losing JR, then so be it. Good riddance.
As for the stretch provisioners **** on the trade because we have Calderon, can't we do the same with him? Or was that provision only made for the JRs of the world?
. i might have to follow your lead.
