The New York Raptors. A mistake we cannot afford to make!

wap.realgm.com/site?t=HsKHl56Ki1s4Aux0s1nW7g&sid=realgm

Contenders across the league have built teams with a similar template: acquire at least one star player, establish a hard-nosed culture based on playing a disciplined defensive system, and make a splashy trade if necessary to complete the roster.

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This is a very long but interesting article. If I didn't know any better I would think this is about the Knicks.

It details the importance and make-up of viable PLAYOFF teams, that being at least a shooting star (duh) and 1 if not 2 shot blockers- something some have advocated for us for some time.

Obviously we'll try for James. Our second best option (sans CP3) is what's debatable.

Here's the top shot blockers today:Howard, Horford, J Smith, Bynum, Gasol, Camby, LBJ, Millsap, Diaw, Pachulia, Marion, Noah, T Allen, Bryant, J Oneal, K .artin, Webster, Anderson and Boozer.

cont'd...

A case can be (was, is) made that If we don't acquire LBJ- then 1 if Not 2 of these players MUST be signed (or traded for) by Donnie Walsh this off-season.

Walsh CANNOT let D'Antoni's Influence affect his decisions to do what's been proven as a formula for success!

Needless to say; a legit scorer to pair with Gallo and/or Chandler is the next priority. Notice I am rating the acquision of quality big men MORE of a priority than a wing player/scorer or even a PG (as I said last year).

This is b/c without a legit star (LBJ, Wade, etc) we need a foundation, and as the article points out, the interior defender is a major part.

I will go as far as to say: (reluctantly) Chandler and Gallo are EXPENDABLE if getting a legit big.

Added... David Lee CANNOT (IMO) be here going forward b/c he will never be an intimidator (see Bosh and the Raptors). He must be used to acquire what we need b/c he is 1 of a few real assets we have (until we release him).

Great article! Food for thought.

www.realgm.com

Article title: Playing the Wrong Way

I like this thread.....however it argue the main point I been expressing for the longest.
Lebron James is a natural "Point-Foward" that belongs at the SF position.
This season when Mo Williams went down Lebron took over the PG spot and almost had three season injury in this process trying to defend PG, SG, and SF. Micheal Jordan had sidekick (point-foward)Pippen, plus Paxon, Harper, and several PG.

I argue persistently at the start of the 2008-9 season of forcing Wilson Chandler first full season in the NBA to play PF and then SG with little to none of his playingtime given at his natural-SF-position.
The Knicks spent two seasons in a row without developing Wilson Chandler at the SF position inwhich he been playing in H.S., College, and was drafted to the Knicks to play.

Gallo can not play any position other than the SF position in the NBA his first three full seasons in the NBA.
Carmelo Anthony can not perform at his best if he is force to play any other position other than the SF spot.

We watched two seasons of Harrington setting-up his offensive plays as a SF beating his man off the dribble from the peremeter to take it inside to "hang on the rim" for a dunk (the same move u would see from Kobe, Lebron, or D.Wade). That offensive play from way out on the peremeter is not the move u want from your PF doing? we dont see Duncan, Dirk, Bosh, Gasol, Boozer, or even David Lee setting up on offense like that, b/c Harrington is a 6.9 SF on both sides of the court.

After two consecutive full seasons of David Lee.....every Knick-Fan should know by now that David Lee is a natural "starting" PF in the NBA.
Putting David Lee in any other position weakens his performance and his teammates performance on the defensive end of the court.

The last time the Knicks had two ledgit NBA bigmen in their lineup was "Zach & Lee" two natural PF.
After that bigman tandem we had to wait until the last 10 games of this season to find a player in the D.League who have a little experience in positioning himself as a team center on both sides of the court (Earl Barron), so Lee could play at his natural position PF, Harrington could play at his natural position SF, Gallo could play at his natural position SF, and Walker could play at his natural position SG.....now after two wasted seasons with 10 games left in this season the headcoach could finally draw up some design plays on offense and defense with players at their original position to compete well against NBA oponents...

As for the Raptors their best bigman frontcourt lineup was "Barg, Bosh, and rookie Villenuva crashing the boards". Why things didnt work with J.O'Neal, or Marian, or Turk is an open discussions of opinions from coach to players.

That's why I believe either Chandler or Gallo must be traded. We have a log jam at the 3 and keeping them just forces D'Antoni to use players out of position.

Walsh MUST force D'Antoni to deal with the player HE knows are good- f what D'Antoni feels.

What D'Antoni wants will actually not be best for our long term plans. Walsh must provide us with a legit team regardless of D'ant. If coach can't work with'em then too bad- he should quit, but he's smart enough to kno his reputation is at risk.

I have confidence Walsh knows what's needed. F the Center or PF that can hit threes! He knows we need interior defenders and a legit scorer- that should be his priority, not his coaches fantasticle wishes.

Like I said... if D'ant had Nash, Amare & Co. and still couldn't win...

what does everyone think our team will achieve with less?

I agree, **** 3 point bombing centers. They're worthless in the NBA unless they're mad rebounders. In FIBA, brilliant......But that's literally a league apart.

Now, all you have to do Mr. Red is find us a center! Good friggin' luck.... I gave up eons ago.

Crazy8s said:

I agree, **** 3 point bombing centers. They're worthless in the NBA unless they're mad rebounders. In FIBA, brilliant......But that's literally a league apart.

Now, all you have to do Mr. Red is find us a center! Good friggin' luck.... I gave up eons ago.

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Gallinari & Lee for Bynum and a throw in to match was my proposal.

Look, we had a few trade chips but no cap flexibility.

Now we got, little to no chips and a ton of space.

It almost seems as valued as a guard or shooter is... it's almost twice as hard to find a quality big.

But, we don't really need an all-star big, but a defensive big. My issues with coach is: if we combine the lack of available bigs w/ his lack of value for a big...

we will not acquire one, which as I and others and this article states means we won't be sh*t!

So, it's up to Donnie to ignore D'Ants wants for unconventional players and provide the organization (which supersedes D'Antoni) with what's best for our future. A Big Man!

further that means... we've come too far to not trade ANYONE on this team if needed to acquire one. That means Gallo, Chandler, Lee AND Douglas (Curry of course) are all expendable for a quality big.

If we don't get one (either b/c D'Ant doesn't want him or not available) THIS TWO YEAR DUMP PLAN WILL BE A FAILURE- don't get it twisted.