Crazy⑧s
Evacuee
D'Antoni made a startling admission yesterday, during the Knicks' first summer-league practice yesterday at Valley High: One star may not feel comfortable coming to the Knicks next season without a marquee sidekick.
D'Antoni implored the Knicks must get significantly better this season to be more attractive to a free agent class in 2010 that includes LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Eight straight losing seasons haven't made the Knicks the NBA place-to-be, with Hill and Kidd using the Knicks as bargaining chips. The Knicks have cap space next summer for the superstar-studded free-agent class, but will James, Wade, Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire want to join a losing program on their own? Hill and Kidd didn't.
"That's why we might have to get two together," D'Antoni said. "Because by myself? I don't believe it totally [because] some guys think no matter what team they're on, they'll be really good."
However, squeezing in two marquee free agents is looking impossible, with predictions the salary cap could shrink to $50 million in 2010.
That's why D'Antoni said youngsters Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler will have to elevate their games this season to a point in which a player like James or Wade will want to join the band.
But how likely is that? Gallinari is doing running with the summer-league team as he recovers from back surgery and is essentially a rookie after playing just 27games. Chandler is recovering from ankle surgery.
"A lot depends on Gallo," D'Antoni said. "We got to have Gallo step up. We have to have Wilson step up. We got to have a good year. We have to show that Gallo is a budding star. Wilson is a budding star. Somebody's got to go, "those two guys and us two. Yeah, we can do that."
The 2010 plan is getting F'd in the A.
The reduced cap is a nightmare at this point.
No one could have seen it coming in such dramatic fashion BTW all you nay-sayers...you know it.
I'm gonna have to say that given all the signs, NEITHER Wade nor James will sign with us. I know it's early, but I'm gonna run with a 20/80% chance for James and a 25/75% for Wade.
Our biggest draw card for these two was the limitless bounty of NYC's marketing and bright lights. Now, with a heavily reduced cap and luxury tax, we can offer that lure to ONLY one player.
One. That's less than two. 2 - 1 = 1
And it comes with the apparent certainty of being a .500 team if not worse or a little better.
LBJ, Kobe, Wade, Dirk, Barkley, Robinson (to name but few) all couldn't and can't get it done by themselves, and we all know how bad Lebron wants that ring.
He's not gonna get it here @ this rate, not until 2012 - 2013...ish.
It's not a hopeless endeavor, at first it was full of optimism, but now, it's taken a solid boot right to the fruit.
We're still a better team than last year, we're no longer paying **** bags Marbury, Z Bo & Crawful multi millions to achieve nothing in their pathetic fashion. a 6-5 start aint ****ing shit and to say we'd have done better with 3 tards is pointless and moronic.
We've moved from #1 on the salary list to #9....
We're younger, more athletic, better defensively, have better shooters & passers, and we're tougher. All stated in my opinion obviously.
I'd like to end with a huge "Go **** yourself Isiah Thomas" and a huger "Good luck" to Donnie and Mike to sort out this gargantuan turd of an issue.