My updated offseason plan

finestrg

Rotation player
Draft -

24 Erick Green - 6'3" combo guard, Va Tech - Big-time scorer who I believe led the nation in scoring. Very smooth, lead guard material. Very solid stats in all areas -- 25 ppg on 47.5% from the field/39% from 3 (excellent for a guard that takes over 17 shot attempts/game), almost 82% from the line on 267 total FT attempts (huge number--this dude can really get to the line), 4.0 rpg, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals (1.8 his sophomore year). Became much more comfortable running the team (esp. pick & rolls) this year. I think he could handle full-time backup PG duties behind Felton for next year...I've heard a soundbite where Green says how much he admires Devin Harris' game -- I can see that comparison and also, dare I say, a little Steph Curry. We've all seen how well Curry's worked out in GS, right? This dude would be perfect for us -- Pablo might go back to Europe; Kidd may/should retire (maybe we can facilitate that by offering him a front office position); and JR's probably gone in free agency. He'd help out at both guard spots and help replace some of JR's scoring. Most of the bigger draft mocks have him going after we pick. I think that's crazy -- to me, he's a lottery pick. Have trouble seeing how he's there at 24 but if he is, we need to take him.

With a deep 2nd round pick we acquire somehow - 6'10" PF Brandon Davies, BYU - made some news a couple of years ago at BYU - this is the kid that had sex with the girl on campus and got suspended. No biggie there at all. Complete no-issue. Excellent scorer in the post. Wide array of moves with good footwork and execution. He can also can the 15-18 footer. So-so rebounder/shot-blocker - I just love his post game. Just played great at Portsmouth, winning the MVP award. Bottom line: If Amar'e breaks down again next year, we're gonna need to come up with some interior scoring somewhere. I originally called for the Knicks to invite this kid to SL/training camp but I now feel he'll get drafted off the good Portsmouth showing.

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Piece together the rest going the bargin-bin FA route:

7' C Marcus Cousin - would be an excellent backup C to Chandler/3rd big man. Good size, hustles, very effective inside/outside offensive game for a big and he rebounds well. Very underrated big man that deserves a shot in the NBA. Guys with his size that can shoot the ball the way he can don't grown on trees.

6'10" PF JaJuan Johnson or 6'10" Craig Brackins - either guy would supply some inside/outside scoring on the frontline. Like either guy for the same reasons I want Davies. JJ had a lost year in the DL but the potential's still there. I thought he looked very good for Boston and I liked him a lot at Purdue. Out of the 3 scoring 4s discussed here -- I like JJ, Davies then Brackins, in that order.

6'10" PF/C Jordan Williams - monster rebounder at Maryland. If they feel they need some more rebounding/size up front, provided he's kept himself in shape, this would be my guy. Not too shabby offensively too. He's actually got a nice feel for scoring it in close out to about 15'.

6'7" SG/SF Jamelle Horne - Loved him in college. One of my favorite college players -- the talent and ability was there to be a star at the college level. Should've been developed much more than what he was at Arizona. Having basically a different coach ever year definitely set him back imo. Long, very athletic, very good 3-pt shooter who can also put it on the floor and get to the rim. Very underrated defensively too. I actually think he's got shutdown defensive potential.. Would be an excellent 2-way role player here.

6'1" PG Michael Loyd Jr. or 6'1" Curtis Jerrells - If we can't get Green or another PG-type in this draft, I'd like us to bring in either of these guys for Summer League for a closer look. I thought Loyd was very good playing behind Jimmer Fredette at BYU a few years ago (completely different player - this kid's a natural speedy PG with good overall ability) and Jerrells, likewise, was a solid speedy lefty scoring point at Baylor who went on to star in the DL and win a championship overseas with the Serbian team BC Partizan Begrade a couple of years ago... I like and respect Pablo and J-Kidd but I want to see the organization add some more speed/penetration at the point for next year to go along with Felton. I want us to come up with a more offensive-minded/fast PG who can take it right to the opposition, isn't afraid to shoot and can get deep in the lane to create for himself or others. If we can't find that elsewhere, these two guys fit the bill. 5'10" Pierre Jackson is another possibility in the 2nd round provided we're willing to add another deep pick.

We probably couldn't land all of these guys (wouldn't have the roster space) but I just wanted to lay out some solid alternatives. Just my 2 cents..
 
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metrocard

Legend


Erick Green would be a good replacement for JR Smith. Will be a good combo guard off the best, good fit for a uptempo team. He would need tighter handles and improve his defense. Offensively he's good, but not great which will mean hell be decent in the NBA. He finishes 49% at the rim and settles for floaters than picking up fouls (lack of strength or ability to absorb contact). That's a lot of missed field goals and wasted opportunities, we can only afford Melo to do that, having two guys chuck will be disastrous to ball movement. He's basically 95% offensive minded. Hard to have that kind of player on a team with Melo.

Better options at 24 would be

1. Giannis Adetokunbo

2. Dennis Schroeder

3. Shane Larkin



Marcus Cousins is a prolific rebounder, my deal with Cousins is that he's not athletic and doesn't apply shot blocking to his game for a 7 footer. Chandler isn't much of a shot blocker himself, so we'll be doing ourselves a disfavor. Cousins would be better off on a team like OKC who have shot blockers already. I saw a couple games of Marcus in the NBDL, when he's matched with undersized athletic big men they take him off the dribble and bait him into biting on pumpfakes due to his lack of lateral quickness and his tendency to leave his feet.
I see if the Knicks get a center, he has to be a shot blocker who has a decent basketball awareness on both ends.

JaJuan Johnson is a good defender, but very average at everything else, from rebounding to scoring. His scoring, he's a face up big man with no handles and an average jumper; making him easy to guard. His offense isn't something to rave about since he never beasted in the NBDL, but he does put up impressive shot blocking numbers...he's worth the look.

We need players to come here with potential to build on a dynasty, OKC/MEM/MIN/IND style. Young guys who have as much potential and skill as Iman Shumpert. Rest of the guys on the list kinda struggle to be matched up against anyone not named James White. If we're adding players to James White calibers, then we're not improving as a team.

1. Re-sign Pablo Prigioni
2. Re-sign Kenyon Martin
3. Don't oversign JR Smith or just let him walk because Shumpert should take on a 30 min + role at SG, which makes JR Smith expendable.
4. Get Jason Kidd an assistant coaching job after he retires
5. Find some kind of offer for Amare...
6. Draft Schroeder or GA, must have prospects
7. Resign Copeland
8. Trade Felton to the Jazz for their #21 Pick Draft Schroeder with this pick
9. Draft Adetokonbo with the #24
10. Draft Ricky Ledo (buy late 2nd round pick)
11. Sign Francisco Garcia or Tony Allen
12. Splitter/Kirilenko/Dalembert/J'Oneal/JJ Hickson/Blair are all unrestricted free agents. If we don't have enough cap space to sign one of these guys, I understand...but they should be major targets since they all can answer our woes at PF/C. I don't know how our cap situation to the fullest, so I'll leave these guys out for now but the interest in these big men should be at a high priority.​

2013-14 Knicks

PG - Prigioni/Schroeder
SG - Shumpert/Garcia or T. Allen/Ledo
SF - Anthony/Novak/Adetokonbo
PF - Martin/Stoudimire/Copeland
C - Chandler/Camby

before you sell out on my plan, understand this.

Felton's value is the highest it'll ever be in his career right now. If we don't use his value to acquire a draft pick and build for our future, we will regret it. Isiah style. We need young athletes with skill and high potential...Schroeder/Adetokonbo will obviously be raw like Ibaka, but they both have Ibaka's work ethic. Ibaka couldnt shoot before he came to the NBA, now he's hitting 3pointers. Can't miss out on prospects like these guys.

Garcia/Allen > JR Smith.

Let's face it, JR Smith is the streakiest Knick player since Crawford. Smith's defense is even shakey. Looks like Sprewell one day, looks like Crawford the next. Smith's low tendency to drive to the basket hurts this team. I know he's tight with Melo, but business is business. We should let JR walk, and get veterans who can defend multiple postions like Garcia or Allen. It'll improve our defense and team chemistry.


Another important point is that, we need to look to move Chandler and Amar'e.

Injuries are real, they affect players production, especially fragile big men like Tyson and Stat who have battled injuries for a decade. They got enough mileage in their career and holding on to them forever would be foolish.

If we can somehow give these guys to the Bobcats in exchange for cap space, it would be a win for us. Splitter/Kirilenko can replace Chandler and Blair can replace Amare...theres a good amount of big men out in this free agency who can contribute equally to a banged up Chandler and Stat for LESS MONEY.

monetary efficiency.
 

nyk_nyk

All Star
Damn Metro, your whole plan for updating the roster is meaningless. The Knicks are over the cap. Signing JR is a priority for the Knicks and they will offer the max they can at about 5.3 million because they have his early bird rights. If they decide to let him walk they are still over the cap and all we have to offer are minimum deals and the mini mid level at 2.5 mil. If Kidd retires, that would open up a little space but not enough. Resigning Prigs would pretty much offset that anyway since he'd qualify for a salary increase closer to 1 mil or more.

Your're not going to get anyone at #21 who's better than Felton while we are in win now mode. We don't have time for letting a player develop. These are Melo's prime years and we just need to keep getting pieces that work in the system. I agree with most of the FAs you mentioned but they won't be getting more than the minimum. Unfortunately, Knicks just don't have the cap space for any significant moves.
 

New New York

Quiet Storm
Not at all familar with the draft so I can't say much to that

If Kidd retires I would love to get Chauncy Billups a former player of Woody's and would give leadership we need, does he return to us after amnesty is question?

JR has played himself out of a big contract from anyone...it's hard to gauge his value but I doubt anyone over bids and he returns

Bring back KMart and Q Rich I think both will make impact with a full season

I think Camby has a favorable buyout...we should do it!!!

bring back Earl Barron and Jerome Jordan with non gaurenteed deals

Bring back Priggs

I wish there sign and trades because Cope and our first rounder would get us a solid contributer...but indifferent about Cope

Draft smart and this should be the extent of off season!

Felton/Billups/Prigs
Billups/JR
Shump/Q Rich/Novak
Melo/Stat/Kmart
Tyson/Kmart/Jordan or Barron

I personally hate 3 gaurd allignments but this is my projection per Woody's use of lilineups


I would go

Felton/Billups/Prigs
Shump/JR/Billups
Melo/Q/Shump (he's not a 3)/Novak
KMart/Stat/Novak
Chandler/Kmart/Stat/Barron or Jordan

little tweaks, no need to uproot a 53 win team just refine it...depth and experience

this is a 56-58 team, we clinch homecourt in 1st round (at least) likely win Atlantic, and I think have a better shot at winning it all
 

knickerbocker12

Benchwarmer
Prigioni/Felton
Smith/Kidd
Shump/Copeland/Novak
Anthony/Stoudemire
Chandler/Martin/Camby

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Maybe replace camby with a younger big, a trade for STAT won't happen, if it does then it would be great to use that money to get bledsoe and resign smith given Kidd retires. No need to go after paul.
 

metrocard

Legend
Damn Metro, your whole plan for updating the roster is meaningless. The Knicks are over the cap. Signing JR is a priority for the Knicks and they will offer the max they can at about 5.3 million because they have his early bird rights. If they decide to let him walk they are still over the cap and all we have to offer are minimum deals and the mini mid level at 2.5 mil. If Kidd retires, that would open up a little space but not enough. Resigning Prigs would pretty much offset that anyway since he'd qualify for a salary increase closer to 1 mil or more.

Your're not going to get anyone at #21 who's better than Felton while we are in win now mode. We don't have time for letting a player develop. These are Melo's prime years and we just need to keep getting pieces that work in the system. I agree with most of the FAs you mentioned but they won't be getting more than the minimum. Unfortunately, Knicks just don't have the cap space for any significant moves.

Not meaningless at all.

First of all, JR Smith shouldn't be a priority. He's a reserve player who's streaky and does 50% bad 50% good for the team. His staying or leaving won't make a difference, and we need someone like Tiago Splitter or AK47 over someone like JR Smith. This is why your post lacks substance and insight because you bought into JR Smith being the #1 priority like a fool. Knicks are in desperate need of interior defense.

Felton isn't that good, and I gurantee you Dennis Schroeder will be become a better PG than Felton. We have plenty of time. Melo will be in New York until he's 34 or over. It's so foolish to assume that because a team is building to win now it means that team can't acquire young prospect and assets to help that team in a rookie role and eventually in a bigger role like Iman Shumpert, Serge Ibaka and many others eventually developed into. Hibbert, and George weren't even top 5 picks, but Pacers grabbed them(even tho Hibbert was via trade) and now their whole team is built around these guys.

Nyk_nyk, your problem is you always play it safe and have this loser mentality where you want to stay the same and never change, status quo defending lame dude. Do your research and realize theres a lot of good prospects from 15-25 for the Knicks to grab. You'll fail as a GM.

"Win now" mentality is bull****. A team should put itself in the best possible position to win that season but also make it easier for themselves in the up coming seasons a head of them.

You're mentality is still stuck in the Isiah era, it's about time you bring yourself into 2013 and realize Knicks have a future.
 

metrocard

Legend
Prigioni/Felton
Smith/Kidd
Shump/Copeland/Novak
Anthony/Stoudemire
Chandler/Martin/Camby

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Maybe replace camby with a younger big, a trade for STAT won't happen, if it does then it would be great to use that money to get bledsoe and resign smith given Kidd retires. No need to go after paul.

This team isn't perfect, so you can't say it isn't broke. You always can improve a roster, settling for less is just a way to lose and not improve.

Improvement should always be a priority.

No need to go after Chris Paul discredits anything you say.

A top 5 player in the NBA and especially at PG should be highly coveted by NY, whether they have cap space or not. Don't be foolish.
 

Weissenberg

Grid or Riot
@NNY: Billups? I loved him during his stint with the Knicks, but let's be honest, he's too injury prone at this point of his career which eventually makes him completely unreliable. He missed 106 out of 148 regular season games in the past two years. Right now Chauncey Billups brings nothing to the table as a player.
 

DrB

Benchwarmer
Lets look at the BIG PICTURE. If one is talking a championship team rather than just making it into the playoffs then J. KIDD {great defense zero offense} could stay but not FELTON, K MART, CAMBY, NOVAK, WHITE, or PRIGNONI....all of who had wonderful flashes but could not match up with 1. the GRIZZLIES, 2. OKC with WESTBROOK 3. the Clippers, 4. and probably GOLDEN STATE and 5. the Spurs.....therefore, there are 5 WESTERN DIOVISION TEAMS PLUS the HEAT THAT ARE ...better than the KNICKS. If the PACERS win this SERIES then there are 7 TEAMS and I am not the only one ranking the knicks 8th overall. So that requires major rebuilding. The real problem is the comined Salaries of CHANDLER, MELO, and AMARE...it's as Simple as that. We've overpaid and are locked in for the next 2-3 yearas and Amare can't be traded.
 

Wargames

Starter
knicks are going to have to make some choices in my opinion. Some of them tougher than others

1. Is Tyson declining or was this playoffs just him being plagued with injuries? If they think the former, do you move him? Maybe to the clippers for De'andre Jordan (who isn't as good as Tyson if Tyson was healthy) and Bledsoe? Maybe they say **** it and go after Dwight Howard for a combo of Tyson and Novak? Or do they play it safe and most realistically and just try to draft his backup/replacement this year?

2. Do you package the expiring contracts along (Q.Rich, Barron, White) along with Camby and/or Novak for just one player who is slightly overpaid but can contribue all year.

3. Do we keep JR Smith.... Of course we keep him if we can afford him. JR is a Sixth Man. Even though he disappeared these playoffs and might mess up again. He is useful and right now the Knicks second best player. The good news is that the knicks are good at the draft.

knicks needs 2 years to get Amare off the books ..... Maybe it is impossible for us to become contenders between now but we can make sure once we have Amare off the books we can have a team that is good enough to be a real draw to the best Free Agents available. First thing first is making a team that can make it to the eastern finals.

Lastly this off season shows the knicks reliance on the 3 ball isn't going to work. Knicks need to rethink their offense they stuggled damn near the whole playoffs and they to make sure not to trade away the few good players they got unless its for clear upgrades
 

knicksince 93

Rotation player
knicks are going to have to make some choices in my opinion. Some of them tougher than others

1. Is Tyson declining or was this playoffs just him being plagued with injuries? If they think the former, do you move him? Maybe to the clippers for De'andre Jordan (who isn't as good as Tyson if Tyson was healthy) and Bledsoe? Maybe they say **** it and go after Dwight Howard for a combo of Tyson and Novak? Or do they play it safe and most realistically and just try to draft his backup/replacement this year?

2. Do you package the expiring contracts along (Q.Rich, Barron, White) along with Camby and/or Novak for just one player who is slightly overpaid but can contribue all year.

3. Do we keep JR Smith.... Of course we keep him if we can afford him. JR is a Sixth Man. Even though he disappeared these playoffs and might mess up again. He is useful and right now the Knicks second best player. The good news is that the knicks are good at the draft.

knicks needs 2 years to get Amare off the books ..... Maybe it is impossible for us to become contenders between now but we can make sure once we have Amare off the books we can have a team that is good enough to be a real draw to the best Free Agents available. First thing first is making a team that can make it to the eastern finals.

Lastly this off season shows the knicks reliance on the 3 ball isn't going to work. Knicks need to rethink their offense they stuggled damn near the whole playoffs and they to make sure not to trade away the few good players they got unless its for clear upgrades

The only way get dwight is with Tyson, shump, novak and something else, and idk if thats do-able with the new cba. Would u wanna get rid of shump, i mean we would be getting a real defensive player of the year... My first thing is a new coach. An x's and o's coach. Not a players coach. Would phil come even tho he said we were clumsy? Who knows

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2
 

PaPZ187

Benchwarmer
The only way get dwight is with Tyson, shump, novak and something else, and idk if thats do-able with the new cba. Would u wanna get rid of shump, i mean we would be getting a real defensive player of the year... My first thing is a new coach. An x's and o's coach. Not a players coach. Would phil come even tho he said we were clumsy? Who knows

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

Howard would be a nice defensive piece in the middle and provide some athleticism, but he is a little over rated IMO and I love Shumps potential.

I like Woodson, but we need a top of the line HC. My dream scenario would be to have Doc leave Boston and come back home to the Garden....but that's a stretch. I don't see Phil coming here but can't hurt trying. Maybe JVG?

Sent from my LG-P999
 

skisloper

Starter
Clippers will not trade Jordan and Bledsoe for Chandler......TC's lack of offense is showing as is with Perkins on OKC.

If there is anyway to get Bledsoe thats a move to make.....He would be our PG for the future.

Knicks need to draft a bigman..........

I would not bring JR back.......Yes I know he is 6th man and yes we if he signs with the Knicks its at 5 million ...to me you want winners and JR just does not cut it.....remember Jamal Crawford is getting 5 million .

We can say trade Melo and rebuild but Dolan would never do that.
I would trade Melo for Jordan, Bledsoe and 2 first rounders. Melo's a great player but its not just happenning in NY....now if we beat Indiana I will change my opinion :)

Then you have some youth with a Bledsoe and Shumpert back court for years to come.
 

Wargames

Starter
I don't think we would have to give them shump to make that deal for Howard (who I agree is overrated but could hold his own against Hibbert) if he is leaving LA the knicks are trading to match value and nothing more. Also Trading Melo isn't the issue. Melo is the knicks best player. The problem is that Hibbert is so clearly better than Tyson. If the Knicks can move Tyson or a re-signed JR (though I doubt that he will re-sign before the draft if he even does that) for some decent players and maybe to move up the draft (or get a second draft pick) maybe they should do it. If the Knicks can get a Big who is decent great if not then try to fill another spot on the starting lineup (like SF because realistically the knicks don't have one)

ALso there is the slight (and I mean slight) chance the knicks make a run at Chris Paul though why the clippers would help the Knicks with that by taking on Chandler is beyond me. Maybe the Knicks could go for Eric Gordon but his knee issues are pretty well known and would be a similar case to Amare in a lot of ways.

The most realistic move will be the knicks will once again package its collection of small and expiring contracts (bench warmers) and then use them then as the basis for sign and trade with teams who have players who are going to walk anyway but the players leaving would like the benefit of a slight salary increase before they come to New York. Examples would be players such as Lou Amundson, Rip Hamiliton, Barbosa, Omri Cassipi. IE players who are past there prime.

As I said Earlier Amare is the biggest issue roster wise. Its not his fault that he is injury prone but unfortunately thats the reality. The knicks could ignore it and continue to say "lets go for it now" or they could face the truth and readjust to go for it in 2015. I told ya'll that 2015 was going to have to be the new plan when we traded everyone for Anthony because between the cap and the fact we kept none of the starters we had before it was going to take time to be an honest contender. I mean it took the knicks 2 seasons just to find players who were starter quality to begin with.

The only Hail Mary I could possibly see for Amare's contract is maybe the knicks trade him to Phlly for Bynum (whose an expiring) because Philly has nothing going on and Amare might bring them some excitement next season and couldn't be worse than Bynum. I don't think that is a real possibility though but you never know.... someone traded for Bynum so there is always a chance.

EDIT: bynum is an expiring this year so that is not possible

The reality though is there are no real impact players acquirable out there who can help the Knicks in the short term. To make issues worse the New CBA makes it harder to acquire one if you can find them as well. Knicks need to hit it out the park in the draft (which isn't the norm for them. They tend to get starter quality players) and keep trying to move Amare for the cap space. Come 2015 the Knicks could have tons of cap space to build around Melo, as well as having a decent team already signed to the team.
 
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