I had them ranked: Wade/Lebron 1-2 Amare-Bosh -3-4 Johnson Boozer Lee Felton Forgot about boozer to be honest in my initial ranking as I was typing this at work. But the way its not a failure is that the Knicks still got a top 10 player in the NBA (Amar'e) a good PG to hold them over until something else develops there, and got a good return on Lee who I dont think they ever wanted to keep anyway. Randolph has the upside to become a Marcus Camby type with a slightly better offensive game. That alone is better then Lee and they maintained their long term cap flexibility being able to sign a max in 2011 and 2012. Thats a success not a failure. Dude, youre way to smart to take what I said so far out of context.
Bulls had a terrible offseason. They missed out repeatedly all offseason and kept on settling. They targeted all of these guys and got none of them: Joe Johnson Chris Bosh Dwyane Wade Lebron James Mike Miller Quentin Richardson JJ Redick Eddie House That is a terrible offseason. They kept on getting their "second choice" over and over.
2011 AND 2012? not adding up. Once Gallo gets his extension, the third max gets cut in half. That is if you flat out dump Chandler and everybody else that expires. Felton is on the hook for two seasons as well...so 2012 is out of the question. 2013 ..maybe.
But statistically that level of rise is consistent, so in the end the idea that some players will come through or not come through is really mostly a factor of how good they are or aren't as players rather than b/c some players have ice water in their veins and others choke. And yes, I have no doubt that if LBJ gets several post-season opportunities he will end up with several great post-season performances and the idea that he is not clutch in the minds of some fans will be seen as ridiculous.
that's how i look at the knicks too. they took a bit of a risk with stoudamire's knees but if it pans out they have set the foundation for possibly putting together a championship team. they might be good enough to bag a 7th or 8th seed this year and if they can convince CP or Melo to come join them next year they will be right back in the discussion.
carlos boozer/ kyle korver/ cj watson and ronnie brewer is a good offseason no matter how you slice it. boozer will have a nice pick and roll with rose. korver shot 53% from the three. watson is a solid backup for rose. brewer had a bad hammy last year but should be a nice defensive presence for them. and if he gets back to 08 form 13 pts per game. the bench is much more solid now and they got a good 4 in boozer
It seems to me that you've been claiming that every athlete sees playing in NY as some special goal. I don't see any evidence of that, outside of maybe baseball. The Yankees do hold an elite spot in their sport, but that's not the case in football or basketball. NY is simply just another city in those sports so any belief that athletes in those sports all wish they could play in NY or that they would only avoid it out of fear is simply unjustified arrogance.
You have to spend the cap space on something. they spent theirs on their second choice at every position they tried to fill. CJ Watson is the only guy they targeted outright and got.
yes but they're a better team than they were last year. did they improve as much as they wanted no but the only criteria you can really use for the offseason is did you get better or worse. cleveland had a bad offseason, chicago a good one. not great but good
Seriously...honest question. Why is it most of the die hard Heat fans on here insist on calling people stupid or idiots? I mean it is obvious that anyone who disagrees or critisizes LeBron just doesnt know anything in your guys book. Fine, some of us realize that some of YOU are just big "homers" but the stupid this and idiot that?? I think Boik has moderated this thread very generously because he knows if one of you CRY BABIES (yes I did) gets a warning it will be because he is just a "hater Knicks fan"..... Be respectfull were all Club members for the most part and post here often....act like it.
All fair....BUT.. In the NBA it really is a zero sum game. You have cap space and when you use it..it goes away till the contracts expire. You have to make it count. for example. Last year, the heat paid 88 million dollars for 47 wins, a 5 seed and a first round exit. This year, they will be around 64 million and do much better, set to grow the payroll for 6 years and hover around that 88 million dollar number. The three max contracts almost guarantee that no bad contracts will be brought on. it is about Value. The Bulls did not get value. The Knicks did, so far (although I hate the Felton deal) but they have ample opportunity to screw it up with all of these expirings. basically...hire me to be the GM and the Knicks will be fine.
Personally, I would never resort to name to calling. But, the criticism of LeBron is largely based on nothing. He's just won two MVPs in a row. By any statistical measure, he's the greatest 25 year old in basketball history. Theres no basis for denigrating him as a basketball player whatsoever. The only thing he can be criticized for is being insensitive to Cleveland fans, thats really about it. When people come on here and say LeBron chokes in the playoffs or can't handle pressure, its not factually based.
The contract of Azubuike has two non guaranteed years left on. Turiaf has 2 years left. Curry has 1 year left. Timofey Mozgov has 1 year guaranteed and the other two are club options at 3M per). felton is a two year deal at 8.5M per but I doubt he makes it through those two years. Chandler is a FA after this year I believe. Either way he can be renounced or dealt as needed. Gallo isnt due for extension for a while. He signed a 2 year deal with two additional club options in 10 and 11 seasons. Bill Walker will be a RFA next year. Randolph and douglas still have time left on their rookie deals. And the contracts of the three second rounders from this year are not guaranteed. With Curry expiring and either a renouncing or trade of Chandler and Walker there is room to sign a max after the 2010 season. If they wait til the end of the 2011 season then Turiaf and Azubuike are officially expired, Mozgov can be renounced as can Toney Douglas. Anyway this is simply off the top of my head but Walsh was quoted as saying it a few weeks ago. They need CP3 and Melo. or something along those lines. Nothing less will beat Miami imo. I like the Stoudemire signing. His knee will be fine. the players who had microfracture were older then him when he had it. He has responded fine. I think age definitely has an effect on the way a body heals and when a lot of other players had the microfracture surgery they were on the wrong side of 30 when your athletic skills take a serious dive anyway. In a league based on athleticism this is the reason some of those athletes took a sharp decline. The eye was a fluke. As long as he keeps the goggles on a la James Worthy he will be fine The Bulls did ok but they pretty much locked themselves in to a cap sitaution where no matter what they do they probably wont beat Miami or Orlando with their current cast. Their depth is excellent but they dont have enough top flight talent with 1 top guy (Rose is a top 25 player, my barrier where you stop discussing #1 options on a team) and two guys who are really complimentary pieces on a championship level team (Boozer and Noah). I dont love the rest of their team at all. Its a mismatched team with a lot of duplicate pieces with similar skill-sets. See, that is where I disagree with you. The Giants are one of the crown jewels of the NFL. An original team thats come back to prominence with three titles in the last 25 years, 1 SB appearance and three NFC championship appearances. The Knicks arent that far removed from an era in which they went to two NBA finals and went a handful of Eastern Conference Finals. This generation of NBA players still remembers that era as much as the Isiah era. They are also an original NBA team with a long and storied history. Plus everyone knows that NYC playgrounds is where a large portion of the league comes from over the years. If you want to include hockey too since its the fourth major you can include the Islanders dynasty of 4 cups in a row and the Rangers win in 94. Even a freakin Ranger got it right when he said that winning a cup in New York was the most memorable thing he ever did. Call it arrogance if you want, I'm pretty apathetic at this point due to the haterade yourself and others are spewing. Its just different. Ive seen championships won in other cities and because of the media coverage and the fan bases its just not the same.
Stay on topic here fellas....name calling and taunting are not tolerated. If you see me guilty of it anywhere thats fine, ill warn myself too. I dont think I did though.
Boik..can you name the last 5 max contracts the Knicks gave out? BTW..here is where I got my info: http://heathoops.net/team-salaries/ Look at the Knicks..I see one max for 2011, and a ton of work to do to free one up for 2013.
Felton's third year is a team option year. How can chandler have a 2012 salary when he was a RFA coming back on a 1 year deal? If the cap stays at 56.1 with no increases even according to that the Knicks are in fine shape. Just decline some of the options years...
I agree that the Giants are a good organization, but that is what attracts potential FAs, not the city of NY. That's the whole point. What does or does not attract FAs is the quality of the organization, but yourself and others here have stated that NY is where athletes want to play simply b/c it is NY. But the fact is that there is no proof of that. Teams in NY, outside of the Yankees, do not attract anymore FAs than most other cities do. And even the Yankees FAs may be coming more b/c of the organization and the salaries in a non-cap sport than b/c of the city of NY. There simply is no evidence to support your claim that the city of NY has some special allure that makes athletes want to play there more than other cities.
he has the qualifying offer for that year. The key for the Knicks and for everybody really, is to never commit long term for anything over MLE money. it is why I advocate the clear the decks strategy. You can structure your salary structure in a way that allows you reload every year with a MLE player. if you keep that guy to 3 years, you can keep overlapping. For example...the Heat can add FOUR MLE players in 4 consecutive years and only then will they reach the salary levels of 09/10'. that is just brilliant cap work. Although, I know that Lebron will nail us for 150 for 5 in his opt out year and that will screw things up a little.
I agree that Chicago had a good off-season and that they are a better team. Their off-season was not as good as Miami's and I'm sure there is a level of disappointment based on what players they were hoping to get but I wouldn't say they had a bad off-season.
Chris_Broussard Shaq to Celtics likely done either tonight or tomorrow, source says. Shaq to ATL not totally dead, but Diesel most likely joining Celtics.
I don;t think it is fair that the NBA is going to allow the Celtics to use Wheelchairs on the court. wade could get hurt tripping over one. Riley should complain. at the very least, they should use walkers instead of the rascals they are intending to use this season.
Right but cant the Knicks choose not to qualify him if they chose? So how can you legitimately count that against the cap? Its an assumption. As far as hard cap hits go for next year it is right now Amare, Felton, Turiaf. Gallo and Randolph likely get picked up, Chandler could but Im not sure. Either he or Azubuike will be gone by season's end. id bet money on that. I agree on the clear the decks strategy which is what the Knicks tried to do but if you cant get it done, as the Knicks could not, this is the next best thing. Walsh has planned things out in a manner where the time frame during which more Max contracts can be brought in overlaps each other and by doing so has laid out a long term plan for the better part of half a decade as long as certain things dont change with any new CBA that may fall in to place next year. Like I have maintained all along...we're back to the Knicks and Heat once the Knicks get fully reloaded. The Bulls and Magic will likely fall short if/when this happens. Always skeptical of anything Broussard says but it makes sense with Sheed retiring.
he hasnt but I dont think hes coming back. Though I could see him doing a midseason return like Roger Clemens used to
When the Celtics go on the west coast, and read that the game starts at 10:30 pm eastern, do they automatically forfeit because it is past the bed time of 90% of their roster?
I want him on the Heat badly. he can flat out defend... he can shoot the 3. can you imagine him on this heat team? good lord. of course...he likes to get fat, and doesn't like to condition himself and the Heat is notorious for having strict conditioning standards. But I am a fan.
Makes sense. Hes older and basically only a factor for 30-40 games a year. I agree with all this. In a lot of respects he is what I hope Gallinari becomes, minus the attitude, technicals, and lack of conditioning. He isnt afraid of the big shots or the big moment in a game. For your heat he brings an element they dont currently have in my opinion, a skilled big man who can bang down low in the post. Hes also a guy who can block shots without hurting you in other aspects of the game. he stretches the interior defense of the opposition but hes best in the post when he plays close in my opinion. If the Heat have a missing element I think hes it. If the Heat meet the Lakers in the finals as I think they will, the Heat will need more size then they currently have as the Laker in my opinion will likely go with some lineup along the lines of Kobe-Artest-Odom-Gasol-Bynum. The one area Miami is still hurting is interior defense. Bosh is average on defense, though he rebounds well but Wallace does a lot of the dirty work type of stuff. I cant stress the length issue enough for the Heat front court
I'll actually be interested in seeing how the Knicks/ Nets develop over the next two years. They both have cap space. They both have their big men and a guard and they both have a little depth. The difference for this year is it seems the Nets are focusing on defense and the Knicks are focusing on offense.
This was 2 months ago?? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWX8GI3Pxy0"]YouTube- NBA Playoffs Heat Vs Celtics Game 5 Recap 04/27/2010 Boston Win Serie[/ame]
The thing is I'm not a homer or I at least recognize and admit when I may be biased. I'm the guy who said he respected Pennington back when he was a Jet and defended Sanchez this off-season. I'm also the guy who criticized Marino consistently while admitting he was my favorite all-time player. Just b/c I like or dislike a team or player I can be objective. When it comes to LBJ, I stated my opinion about him and his choices back when I thought there was no chance he'd be a member of the Heat. Those opinions stayed consistent to this day. When it looked like Wade might be leaving to be closer to his kids, I stated that I would understand that decision. Obviously I wouldn't be happy about it, but I also wouldn't be acting like a spurned GF and stating that he wasn't that good of a player. It is simply factually inaccurate to claim that LBJ isn't that good or hasn't played well under pressure or in the post-season. Those are ridiculous statements. They are not opinions. The fact is that LBJ has played better in just about every situation than the players that some are claiming to be better than him.
We don't have a problem there. Our defensive system is predicated on speed anyway. Joel Anthony gives us the shot blocking. Z gives us the 15 minutes of length and spot up shooting. Pittman and Magliore are 570 pounds combined and both are 6'-11". As for that lineup..the Heat would run that lineup ragged. Every switch could conceivably have a Odom or Gasol left alone with Wade or Lebron. You need quickness on the perimeter or you are forfeiting your matchup with the heat. Lakers would likely matchup with a small lineup to defend the perimeter.
Damn....Spo benched Lebron James, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, Big Z, Eddie House? No wonder we lost that series. BTW, I saw that series...so did alot of people. We win in 6 with just Bosh in that series.
Agree, both rosters have some nice young talent but they have to see if any of those young players emerge as real studs. See, I disagree, you defend the hoop versus that lineup because no amount of perimeter defense is keeping Lebron AND Wade from getting to the hoop so you need shot blockers and rebounders that will be hard to shoot over. The big men you have are largely unproven or utter and complete crap. Anthony is ok but Magloire and Z have seen better days at this point and Pittman has proven nothing.
Realism. 14 point lead in game 1 (4th quarter) does not get blown with Bosh. Pierce buzzer beater never happens in Game 3 because we win with some room to spare. That is 3-1 Heat right there. Wade played the Celtics by himself, with a little help from Que and Chalmers. With just Bosh and give him Miller for good measure...they win the series.
You defend the hoop against our lineup..get ready for a free throw parade. You better have 5 centers. Our big men all serve a purpose. Ask Dwight Howard about Joel Anthony. check Howard's numbers last year against him. You will be surprised. or not. Z is there to spread the floor. Magliore is there to cheap shot people. Pittman is the developmental guy. We can't have an all-star at every position. Although we tried.
Whatever you say chief. Anthony is ok, the rest I just dont see it. And Gasol is a lot more refined offensively then Howard is. His court awareness is just flat out better. Versus Bynum I dont think its as much of a mismatch but he cant guard both.
Melo won't sign extension and is preparing to sell his Denver home. http://mobile.twitter.com/AlexKennedyNBA let the speculation begin again....
