knicklover
Benchwarmer
NYKnicks15,
I understand what you are saying and would consider his behavior a ploy to get traded to NY if he didn't have a history of behavior that suggests he needs professional help and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "team". The very fact that we think it's possible that he would be willing to get technical fouls and start trouble with the coach in order to accomplish his goal of getting traded is telling you that he's putting himself ahead of his team right now - a team that for the first time is healthy and still has a shot at the playoffs. That's a terrible sign by itself. It reminds me of the kind of behavior we just got rid of.
If all that doesn't convince this would be a major error (especially if we gave up one or more of our young prospects or draft picks), let's try it from another direction.
IMHO, even if the Knicks got Artest for NOTHING (which won't be the case if we get him before the trading deadline), he would not take the team to the championship next year any more that Kidd or Carter would (2 other deals I think would be a horror show). All those guys would do is make us good enough to never a get a decent draft pick and in all probability get stuck with another unmovable contract.
The Knicks are still light years away from a championship. I didn't think that was the case coming into the season because I thought there was a good chance guys like Lee, Balkman, Curry, Collins, Robinson, and Crawford were going to step up their games to a new level. Robinson has made some progress, but no one else really has. Given that reality, what we need to do now is sit out out the bad contracts, keep hoping at least one or two of these guys does develop a mid range jumper, stop eating at Burger King etc... and try to trade for expiring contracts and draft picks. It's frustrating to lose every night. But other than hoping the kids develop a little, that's what we should be rooting for. That way we'll get a good pick next year. We also aren't that far away from dumping a bunch of overpaid players and making room for a legitimate all star that doesn't come with any baggage. We need a 3-4 year plan from here and must be patient. Trading legimate young long term assets and draft picks for players already at or past their peak to turn us from a horrible team into an 7th-8th seed is a very bad idea if you are trying to win a championship.
I don't mean this to be personal because I know a lot of you guys know more about "basketball itself" than I do, but I suspect that many of you are too young to have seen what it takes to win and to build a championship team. You can't think about these things in terms of players you happen to like, the local boy, the guys you would like on the team. It takes long term planning and paying attention to intangibles.
Metro had it right the other day when he was talking about not caring about losing now, getting draft picks and expiring contracts etc... He's wrong today to want Artest, but I understand he's thinking with his heart and not his head today because he likes Artest, as do the rest of you.
I understand what you are saying and would consider his behavior a ploy to get traded to NY if he didn't have a history of behavior that suggests he needs professional help and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "team". The very fact that we think it's possible that he would be willing to get technical fouls and start trouble with the coach in order to accomplish his goal of getting traded is telling you that he's putting himself ahead of his team right now - a team that for the first time is healthy and still has a shot at the playoffs. That's a terrible sign by itself. It reminds me of the kind of behavior we just got rid of.
If all that doesn't convince this would be a major error (especially if we gave up one or more of our young prospects or draft picks), let's try it from another direction.
IMHO, even if the Knicks got Artest for NOTHING (which won't be the case if we get him before the trading deadline), he would not take the team to the championship next year any more that Kidd or Carter would (2 other deals I think would be a horror show). All those guys would do is make us good enough to never a get a decent draft pick and in all probability get stuck with another unmovable contract.
The Knicks are still light years away from a championship. I didn't think that was the case coming into the season because I thought there was a good chance guys like Lee, Balkman, Curry, Collins, Robinson, and Crawford were going to step up their games to a new level. Robinson has made some progress, but no one else really has. Given that reality, what we need to do now is sit out out the bad contracts, keep hoping at least one or two of these guys does develop a mid range jumper, stop eating at Burger King etc... and try to trade for expiring contracts and draft picks. It's frustrating to lose every night. But other than hoping the kids develop a little, that's what we should be rooting for. That way we'll get a good pick next year. We also aren't that far away from dumping a bunch of overpaid players and making room for a legitimate all star that doesn't come with any baggage. We need a 3-4 year plan from here and must be patient. Trading legimate young long term assets and draft picks for players already at or past their peak to turn us from a horrible team into an 7th-8th seed is a very bad idea if you are trying to win a championship.
I don't mean this to be personal because I know a lot of you guys know more about "basketball itself" than I do, but I suspect that many of you are too young to have seen what it takes to win and to build a championship team. You can't think about these things in terms of players you happen to like, the local boy, the guys you would like on the team. It takes long term planning and paying attention to intangibles.
Metro had it right the other day when he was talking about not caring about losing now, getting draft picks and expiring contracts etc... He's wrong today to want Artest, but I understand he's thinking with his heart and not his head today because he likes Artest, as do the rest of you.
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