Like all loyal Knick fans I am deeply frustrated. Since I sit here powerless to do anything here is what I would do if I were the Knicks organization.
#1 - Say goodbye to Isiah.
Isiah was a great player, and not too bad of a coach. However, he has been a distater as a President and GM (Ernie Grunfeld where are you when we need you). The only move that I feel Isiah has made that has been good for the Knicks is to move a bunch of the dead wood (Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, and Antonio McDyess) for Stephan Marbury. While Stephan has fallen short in his career of becoming the point guard we all hoped he would, he is still a great player. And while some of you may say that McDyess is playing well in Detroit, he is only a role player off the bench and he has a lot of help, he is not capable of being the main guy anymore. All the other moves have essentially been a wash.
I fear that out of despiration, he is now ready to trade our younger players to obtain players that are good in name only and in reality they are out of gas such as theo Ratliff. I do like Theo, but he is injury prone and at 33 is on the downside of his career with three big years remaining on his deal.
Actually I do like the recent deal for Jalen Rose. I am not sure if this is Larry's deal or Isiah's but Jalen can still play serious offense. and when Steph is back will allow the Knicks to spread the defense better.
#2 Set the lineup and rotation
My starting lineup would now be:
Steph at the point when he returns
Jalen at the point until steph returns. Jalen is not a natural point, but he is more reliable at that spot than Crawford or Robinson. When steph gets back I move Jalen to the two or three.
David Lee at the three (note that the six game winning streak the Knicks had, David Lee started all six games). He is one of the only guys on the team that does a lot of important things without the ball. Note that he gets more than half his points with putbacks and followups on others shots. Whether he does most of his minutes at the three or 4 does not matter, what does matter is that he is a good influence on the floor and he steadies the team.
Channing Frye starts at the 4. Let him develop.
Eddy Curry at the 5. I hire a personal trainer to live with Curry and get his butt in shape.
Off the bench
Qyntel Woods (a Larry Brown pickup, not Isiah).
Malik rose - good ballplayer, smart, good efender, but does not really fit in Larry's scheme. however, he is a good guy to put in at the end of halfs and the end of games when you have to shut other teams down.
Jackie Butler - is becoming a serviceable backup center.
Mo Taylor - trying hard to change his game and adjust, not bad offensively, but I would rather see Frye and Lee get his minutes, let them develop.
I would use Nate at the two of the bench, his style of play is distruptive to other teams.
#3 Trade Crawford/Ariza and if anyone will take James....
Jamal Crawford can be an offensive machine. Earlier this year I though that he was making improvements in his game, taking fewer shots and improving his shot selection, however, he makes really bad decisions with the ball at critiacal moments. Also, other teams have figured him out, he can jack up the long ball but his drives are not as effective becasue teams have learned he can only go to his right.
Ariza, has talent, I love his hustle, those tow things make him tradeable, with only so many mniutes to go around, I would choose to give them to Qyntel Woods, David Lee and of course Jalen Rose, does not leave any for poor Trevor.[hr:4798db4d58]
#1 - Say goodbye to Isiah.
Isiah was a great player, and not too bad of a coach. However, he has been a distater as a President and GM (Ernie Grunfeld where are you when we need you). The only move that I feel Isiah has made that has been good for the Knicks is to move a bunch of the dead wood (Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, and Antonio McDyess) for Stephan Marbury. While Stephan has fallen short in his career of becoming the point guard we all hoped he would, he is still a great player. And while some of you may say that McDyess is playing well in Detroit, he is only a role player off the bench and he has a lot of help, he is not capable of being the main guy anymore. All the other moves have essentially been a wash.
I fear that out of despiration, he is now ready to trade our younger players to obtain players that are good in name only and in reality they are out of gas such as theo Ratliff. I do like Theo, but he is injury prone and at 33 is on the downside of his career with three big years remaining on his deal.
Actually I do like the recent deal for Jalen Rose. I am not sure if this is Larry's deal or Isiah's but Jalen can still play serious offense. and when Steph is back will allow the Knicks to spread the defense better.
#2 Set the lineup and rotation
My starting lineup would now be:
Steph at the point when he returns
Jalen at the point until steph returns. Jalen is not a natural point, but he is more reliable at that spot than Crawford or Robinson. When steph gets back I move Jalen to the two or three.
David Lee at the three (note that the six game winning streak the Knicks had, David Lee started all six games). He is one of the only guys on the team that does a lot of important things without the ball. Note that he gets more than half his points with putbacks and followups on others shots. Whether he does most of his minutes at the three or 4 does not matter, what does matter is that he is a good influence on the floor and he steadies the team.
Channing Frye starts at the 4. Let him develop.
Eddy Curry at the 5. I hire a personal trainer to live with Curry and get his butt in shape.
Off the bench
Qyntel Woods (a Larry Brown pickup, not Isiah).
Malik rose - good ballplayer, smart, good efender, but does not really fit in Larry's scheme. however, he is a good guy to put in at the end of halfs and the end of games when you have to shut other teams down.
Jackie Butler - is becoming a serviceable backup center.
Mo Taylor - trying hard to change his game and adjust, not bad offensively, but I would rather see Frye and Lee get his minutes, let them develop.
I would use Nate at the two of the bench, his style of play is distruptive to other teams.
#3 Trade Crawford/Ariza and if anyone will take James....
Jamal Crawford can be an offensive machine. Earlier this year I though that he was making improvements in his game, taking fewer shots and improving his shot selection, however, he makes really bad decisions with the ball at critiacal moments. Also, other teams have figured him out, he can jack up the long ball but his drives are not as effective becasue teams have learned he can only go to his right.
Ariza, has talent, I love his hustle, those tow things make him tradeable, with only so many mniutes to go around, I would choose to give them to Qyntel Woods, David Lee and of course Jalen Rose, does not leave any for poor Trevor.[hr:4798db4d58]