I, too, wanted Kenneth Faried. I was upset when we took Shumpert. But SHUMP has shown us why that was a smart selection. We need somebody to play defense on guys like Rose & Wade, & we had PF covered. No matter what KF does in his career, or what happens w/ Shump... this move cannot be questioned b/c the logic was sound.
I say the same thing for the '08 selection of Danillo Gallinari in the 1st round. I wanted Eric Gordon, but after watching the playoffs (seeing Lewis & Hedu shooting OLR to the Finals). SIDE NOTE: Unfortunately, Walsh couldn't grab a 2nd round pick in this draft. MIA did -- the took Chalmers. Another PG went at 45 (Goran Dragic). The theme begins quickly... Walsh's biggest failure was to find a PG.
IMHO, Walsh has to be taken to task for what he did to this organization. Not to diss the man, or anything, but his risky moves were questionable from the get-go. I respect his work ethic and all the professionalism he brought. He did a tremendous job to get us under the cap... but I ask: at what cost?
It began with his choice for head coach. If the message was that the plan is to lose for 2 seaosns... to suck... then the D'anotni hire was just a circus side show, to keep fans entertained for 2 years. Thibbs or M-Jax should have been hired. If we're gonna stink for 2 seasons, then just give a NYK a chance and see what they could do.
The D'antoni hire set the team back, b/c MDA wanted to win with his SSOL system, while losing. This made no sense, & it sent the wrong message. Aside from helping Wilson Chandler, I can't honestly say MDA did anything could for a young player Walsh put on his roster.
Then came the white flag. DISGUSTING. I would prefer the entertainment be good players & non-name coach, then for Walsh to give us a big name coach but crappy players.
Not that Steph Marbury or Eddy Curry were anything special, or that they would do anything in the 2008-2009 season... But both were productive the season prior. Curry was almost all-star caliber in 2006-2007 season. Marbury was still effective, being this was before the bottom fell out of his career.
Still, it made no sense (for the future of the NYK) to step in & alienate your "2 stars" from day-1, and to sap any value these "assets" might have had. Why didn't pump of their worth, we didn't pawn them off to some team at trade deadline... We got nada for these 2 guys. You couldn't have handled this situation worse, right?
Then came the bonehead move of all time: "The Knicks completed a wild day of trading on Friday when they sent Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley. The deal comes less than two hours after Donnie Walsh traded Jamal Crawford to the Warriors for Al Harrington."
We take our other 2 assets... Randolph & Crawford... and give them away for nothing. To recap: Walsh took 4 of our starting 5 from the '07-'08... 4 quality NBA players (at that point) and NYK got nothing in return except for cap relief down the road.
WHO COULDN'T DO THIS?
The goal for Walsh should have been the same, but his route was poorly chosen. If you're buidling for 2010, the first thing you want to do is STINK... TANK IT. What's the point in bringing in journeymen vets to be somewhat competitive? Go with youth, play all these raw kids and get high lottery picks, while hoping to develop a gem or tow.
The goal should have been to find TWO gems with your 2 first round picks in '08 & '09. The goal should be to find 1 gem in the 2nd round, or with another purchased draft pick, which would give you 3 solid, productive, roation players come 2010.
The goal should have been to turn your 4 "stars" (Marbury, Curry, Randolph & Crawford) into 2 quality, young NBA players. CALL THEIR BLUFF. You telling me that we had to deal Randolph & Crawford in NOv. 2008? You telling me some team would deal for either of them at trade deadline in 2010, a team making a playoff push?
FOOLISH going all-in for Lebron, but at least you can understand why... But to totally sacrifice the talent on the roster to do this? Assinine. NO WAY. Have confidence...
For example, MIA was able to cut bait w/ Beasley... Same with NYJ, who shed contracts after the 2010 season, for nothing. YET, to shed 1 yr & 4 mil of Jeffries, Walsh surrenders TWO first round picks (Jordan Hill & the 16th selection this year). That means, to shed 4 mil, Walsh gave away 2 solid, young players who would've helped us win from 2012-2015.
This brings me to the foolish Hill selection of 2009. With Jennings & Lawson sitting there... what were we thinking?
To recap, instead of having Ty Lawson & the 16th pick of this upcoming draft (maybe Austin Rivers or Fab Melo), we did what exactly?
Then came the Carmelo trade. Obviously, the owner Dolan stepped in and mucked it all up. I assume reports are true and that Walsh was against giving up the house. BUt, as GM, Walsh should have stood in the owners' way. he didn't. The trade went down on his watch.
Then there's the handling of the D-Lee situation. Another example of a failed move. Monta Ellis? Draft pick? Nope. We get nada... again.
I know Dolan gets the blame (rightfully so) for the Carmelo deal. But I can live w/out Gallo, Wilson Chandler, Timofey Mozgov, Anthony Randolph & Raymond Felton. The KNICKS are in bad shape right now b/c Walsh didn't draft properly, he made foolish trades to get under the cap, and he failed to find a young gem somehow, someplace...
The failed experiment that was the 2008-2012 Walsh-MDA reign netted NY nothing. It wasn't until Walsh left when we moved to sign Tyson Chandler, & draft Shumpert (OK, maybe Walsh gets some credit... who knows). But look at our roster... what else did he bring to this team?