The Knicks FanBlog

According to NBA analyst Sam Amico (via Tommy Dee), the buzz is that the Nuggets want to trade Carmelo Anthony to either the Kings, Wolves or Nets.

Notice: Amico doesn’t say the Kings, Wolves or Nets want to trade ‘Melo, just that the Nuggets want to trade him there.

That’s an important distinction because (as Tommy points out) if ‘Melo doesn’t want to sign an extension with the Nuggets, what makes anyone think he’d sign one with this triumvirate of cellar-dwellers who gutted their roster to land him?

Tommy has sources stating that the Nets won’t give up their core youth for ‘Melo without assurances that ‘Melo will remain (despite their ability to put together an attractive package). But just for fun, let’s indulge the other two scenarios for a second.

The Kings aren’t going to part with Tyreke Evans so they would presumably have to include DeMarcus Cousins just to start the conversation. Throw in some draft picks and cap relief and the Kings have now seriously depleted their roster and future for seven months of ‘Melo.

With respect to the Wolves, you would have to believe that the Nuggets would be seeking to extract Ricky Rubio (which could evolve into a deliciously ironic scenario should Rubio’s people continue to try to push him to New York) from the Wolves along with draft picks and possibly Kevin Love or Michael Beasley or Wesley Johnson. For a rental. It doesn’t compute, but over the last two years we’ve witnessed that the Wolves are run by a buffoon who has such a delusional notion of his persuasive powers that he is willing to make incredibly reckless decisions and sort out the fallout on some unspecified future date. Beware of Kahn. He might actually give up something of value to pull in ‘Melo.

Add to the above scenarios the possibility that some other team could be intrigued just by the opportunity to rent ‘Melo. But are the packages the Nuggets are going to receive from any team other than the Knicks (or possibly the rudderless Wolves) — that are devalued by other teams’ reluctance to part with anything of tremendous value — still that much better than what the Knicks are offering? If so, Knicks fans are either vastly overrating their team’s talent, or underrating the Nuggets’ willingness to mollify ‘Melo.

Virtually every ‘Melo post has to end with the reminder that ultimately, ‘Melo is in control of his own destiny. In ten months, he’ll be a free agent, and after that he can sign with the Knicks for the new max or with the Lakers for the vet minimum. It’s also possible that Melo has enough money and knows that he’ll still be very well compensated on his next deal. Maybe he just wants to be happy.

I’m not persuaded by the recent media crush listing myriad suitors for Carmelo Anthony. Woj’s Yahoo piece yesterday felt like a hit job that was fed to him by people with the Nuggets and intended to serve two purposes: 1) to villianize Melo thus making a trade an easier sell to the fanbase and 2) to put Denver’s preferred suitors on notice that now’s the time to make their best offers.

Last week word began to circulate that the Houston Rockets are a serious contender for Anthony which hardly makes sense because, although they have significant assets to offer, they’re a good team that plays in the same conference as Denver and because playing in Houston really doesn’t vindicate any of Melo’s goals.

And don’t be fooled into believing that Anthony and his people aren’t holding the best cards. It’s likely that his stance is more fluid than this but, if Anthony decides that it’s Knicks or bust, he’ll be donning Orange and Blue by 2011 at the latest.

However, assuming Anthony is slightly more open-minded than that (and only slightly), Woj’s listing of the Nets and Clippers as the principal suitors suggests that Denver is now starting to seriously consider which teams could be viable candidates to both make an offer that Denver likes and satisfy Melo’s desire to play in a big market that offers him the ability to grow his brand.

From Denver’s perspective, the Clippers are in the mix for two reasons. First, they have very nice trade assets. Assuming they’ll refuse to part with Blake Griffin (which might not be a given because they’re the Clippers), they can still offer a package built around some combination of Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan and draft picks. I’ve seen some dismiss Kaman on twitter which feels like homerism considering that he’s a 28 year old center coming off a strong season while playing on a very reasonable contract. I think the Nuggets would absolutely want him.

Second, they’re the Clippers. Which is to say, even though they play out West, they’re a bungling organization that’s owned by a buffoon. Even with Melo and Griffin on the same team, the Clipps are among the teams out West that would be least likely to come back to haunt Denver in the long run if they made a trade.

Still, I don’t think Anthony winds up in LA mainly because he also knows that Sterling is the owner and I doubt he’d agree to sign an extension there.

But the Nets are a real threat and here’s why:

1. They have tradeable assets even if they don’t make Brook Lopez available. While no one can be sure that Derrick Favors is going to develop into a star player based on what we’ve seen so far, he was the third overall pick in the draft, clearly possesses tremendous raw talent, and teams loved him as a prospect going into the process. Add to that the fact that he’s under control on his rookie deal for the next 3 years and Favors is the centerpiece of a nice offer. The Nets also have Devin Harris, Troy Murphy, Terrence Williams, and Damion James to help round out a package.

On top of that, unlike the Knicks, the Nets have plenty of draft picks and, even with Melo, don’t figure to be much more than mediocre for a while. So those picks could end up falling in the mid-first round or better.

Bottom line, they can put together a credible offer.

2. It’s New York (well, almost). Although I do believe that Anthony’s first choice is to play varsity for the Knicks, the JV squad gets more uppity by the day and, if given the chance, they’d have something better than a puncher’s chance of convincing Melo to take up with them. Of course, Prokhorov and Jay-Z can’t hurt their cause and, remember, Anthony was born in Brooklyn.

Melo would be heading back east and (eventually) getting a chance to play in New York City.  More importantly, his wife will have more or less got what she wanted. Even if it’s not the Knicks, a chance to play in NYC and get his $65 million would probably just be too much for Anthony to pass up.

3. It’s not the Knicks. And I suspect that’s very important from Denver’s perspective. If Woj’s article proved anything, it’s that the Nuggets are loathe to appear as though they were bullied by Anthony and his people. The best way to avoid that perception would be to trade him to anyplace other than his first choice. I think it’s that, as much as anything, that’s driving Denver’s desire to do business with other teams.

Of course, as we mentioned above, Anthony can scuttle all that by calling Denver’s bluff and simply refusing to do an extension with any team other than the Knicks. But does he really want to be a Knick so badly that he’d pass on NYC and $65 million he’ll likely never see again? I doubt it.

Now just because the Knicks are behind the 8 ball doesn’t mean they have no shot. But their best offer may have to include taking on JR Smith as well. The Nuggets clearly want to be rid of Smith and it seems he has next to no value in isolation. So if the Nuggets want to unload him, their best chance to do so would be to tie him to Anthony.

Taking on both is something the Knicks can probably do more readily than other suitors, including the Nets. Some of the Nets more attractive assets (Outlaw, Morrow, Farmar) cannot be dealt until December 15^th making it difficult for the New Jersey to put together enough salary to match both players without draining the team of all its best non-Lopez talent. It’s something they might still decide to do, but they’d pay a heavy price, and it might be enough to make Anthony think twice about agreeing to do an extension there.

On the other hand, the Knicks can make an offer right now of Curry’s deal, Gallo, Chandler, and Turiaf or Azabuike to match Anthony’s and Smith’s combined salaries. So if the Nuggets are committed to dealing Anthony now and losing Smith at the same time, the Knicks may suddenly look like a prettier girl.

Interesting quote in a chat with HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy today that would seem to refute Andrian Wojranowski’s sources, who claimed that Houston is the object of ‘Melo’s desire. Kennedy writes:

I received a text from one agent several days ago that said “Carmelo Anthony has more interest in playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce than he does in playing for Houston, who could not even pay him.”

That is a pretty strong statement, and also seems to corroborate what Alan Hahn tweeted a few days ago along the lines of the Houston talk being a smokescreen.

The bottom line, as always, is who is going to give up all of their assets for a guy who would rather be in Sioux Falls? The NBA is crazy so I wouldn’t put it past some idiot GM to gamble on a rental, but it’s just unlikely.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski (via KnicksVision) all of the hype surrounding Carmelo Anthony’s desire to force his way to the Knicks is just that.

Despite significant speculation the New York Knicks are the team that Anthony would most likely want to join, two sources close to him insisted the Knicks have been overstated as an object of his desire. Privately, Anthony has expressed more enthusiasm over joining the Houston Rockets than the Knicks, sources said.

Wojnarowski’s sources also said LeBron was “leaning hard” towards the Bulls, my point being that every source has a company line to push.

I’m on record saying that I’d be happy if the Knicks traded for ‘Melo and I’d be happy (or maybe, I should say, wouldn’t be upset) if they missed the boat so the Knicks could get a better look at the youth they have.

UPDATE: I don’t know why it took me this until this morning to realize I entitled this post “Reigning on the Knicks’ Parade…”. What does that even mean? Fixed.

There have been a lot of positive vibes surrounding the Knicks this summer and with good reason. I feel very good about the squad and I think they are dynamic and potentially very exciting. However, I would be remiss as a Knicks fan to be pollyannish. It’s been a brutal stretch for fans.

On that note I’d like to share my two main concerns going into the year. Both relate to team chemistry.

1. ‘Melo casts a big shadow.

The white-hot spotlight just can’t seem to stop following the Knicks. For two years, since Donnie Walsh embarked on his cap slash-and-burn plan, the intensifying gaze from the fans and the media was set on LeBron James, Dywane Wade and Chris Bosh.

It finally ended. And no sooner did it pick up again focused instead on the likes of Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony in particular.

For all of Donnie Walsh’s successes, a by-product of his plan has been repeated chemistry woes. The rosters weren’t any good but that problem was compounded by spoiled, delusional vets thinking they earned something just because someone foolishly handed them ludicrous deals. Larry Hughes, Eddy Curry, Stephon Marbury, Al Harrington, Nate Robinson. Everyone was looking out for number one because they all knew they were Knicks on borrowed time.

Donnie put together a good, young, tough squad and now there is a chance that they’ll all be looking over their respective shoulders, pressing and wondering if they should pack their bags for Denver. Granted, the guys on the current iteration aren’t like the clowns of yesteryear in that in the current stages of their careers guys like Gallo, Randolph, Chandler, TD, Walker and Azubuike should all be hungry rather than entitled. But it’s still a concern.

2. Too much depth.

Knicks fans know that Mike D’Antoni doesn’t play a deep rotation. That’s a potential issue because the Knicks are nothing if not deep. Is there really a guy on the squad who should be a 10th, 11th, 12th, man? Ok, Eddy Curry could go in the last slot, but D’Antoni has been known to go 8 or sometimes even 7 deep and change.

My best guess as to guys who are definitely in the rotation is as follows:

C: Turiaf/Amare
PF: Amare/Randolph/Gallinari
SF: Gallinari/Randolph/Chandler
SG: Chandler/Azubuike
PG: Felton/Douglas

Maybe Mason gets in there as well. Maybe. But if not, how does he react? What about Walker? Mozgov? If one of those guys gets in, who is squeezed out?

There’s a lot to look forward to this season if you’re a Knicks fan but can they avoid chemistry pitfalls to put it all together?

Let’s hope.

In the second week of June I wrote that Carmelo Anthony will not join the Knicks in the Summer of 2011 as a free agent. I’m pretty sure he wants his extension this year, before the labor strife heats up and results in less of the pie being offered to the players. He already has a widely publicized offer for an extension from the Nuggets but he isn’t biting.

The scuttlebutt for months now is that ‘Melo won’t sign the extension and that he wants to come to New York. Somehow it becomes news though when Ric Bucher decides to “break” the old story that ‘Melo’s desires were made clear at his wedding. There is absolutely nothing new in Bucher’s article but it has Twitter abuzz that doings might transpire.

Regardless of what you think of ‘Melo (and I think he has elite level talent in one of the most important skills – scoring – that you can have as a basketball player), don’t expect the Knicks to land him just by waiting for him to fall into their lap as a free agent. Since I don’t think ‘Melo is going to become a free agent I have to believe he is going to give the Nuggets a list of teams with which he would sign a long term extension. Teams not on his list are unlikely to waste their time offering up the farm for a one year rental. But I firmly believe there will be some competition. Is he worth Gallo or Randolph…or both? That’s another story.

Since the day the New York Knicks signed Amar’e Stoudemire, some of the most knowledgeable NBA fans I know claimed that the five time All Star won’t be effective without Steve Nash. Guess what? They’re wrong.

Between 2004, the year Nash joined the Suns, and 2010, Stoudemire played a total of fifteen games away from his go-to point guard. However, combining that to the 2003-04 season (when Nash was in Dallas) and those fifteen games can give real insight into the future of Stoudemire.

(The totals of Stoudemire’s first season can be thrown away. He got limited minutes in the 2002-03 season and no one was sure in Phoenix if their new rookie could be accountable.)

There is something to expect of Amar’e with the Knicks, many New Yorkers just don’t know what it is. Based on his statistics without Nash, it is expected that Stoudemire put up the same numbers he did on the Suns. While that’s surprising – it shouldn’t be. I’m not saying the Suns won more when Nash didn’t play (they didn’t) or that Amar’e was the most important player on the court when Nash’s presence left the floor (he wasn’t), what I’m arguing however is that Amar’e does not need Nash in order to succeed.

How is success measured for Amar’e Stoudemire?

Simply enough: in points and in rebounds.

Amar’e is a leader on the court, but it’s his ability score and get the ball off the rim that can be measured.

In those fifteen games, Stoudemire averaged 23.2 points per game without Nash, dropping over twenty-five points nine times. Throughout his career, STAT has averaged 21.2 points per game. It is obvious therefore that based on his career, Stoudemire is actually better off when Nash isn’t there. Similarly, Amar’e has averaged 8.46 rebounds per game without Nash. Throughout his career, he boasts 8.9 reps per contest.

However, there is more than just fifteen games of sample material in which stats can be gathered.

What about before Nash joined the Suns?

A point guard is essential to the modern era of basketball. That’s fact. But does the point guard need to be MVP quality for Amar’e to play well? That remains to be seen. The starting guard for the Suns of 2003-04 was Stephon Marbury. At that point in his career, he wasn’t washed up and playing for a Chinese team.

However, with Marbury in the season of ’04, Amar’e averaged 20 and 9, further proving that Amar’e can be effective without Steve Nash. Mind-boggling, I know.

What about Raymond Felton – how does he play into the equation?

In many ways, Stoudemire is dependent on the point guard – someone to consistently dish him the ball. But what is misunderstood is that the point doesn’t need to be All-Star caliber in order for him to be effective. Rather, under D’Antoni’s system, the man bringing up the ball only needs to be efficient in the pick-and-roll and getting the ball to Amar’e.

Having played with just Marbury and Nash, Stoudemire’s worst point guard ever will be Raymond Felton… and that’s saying something. Felton has put up consistent numbers in an offense that tried to take him away from what point guards enjoy most: running the floor and being a leader.

The difference between Felton and Nash is wide, but for Amar’e it shouldn’t matter. Over their respective careers, Nash boasts two more assists per game than Felton, however the latter has had a much more difficult path getting them. Being in an offense that punished the guy bringing up the ball, Felton had difficulty “swishing and dishing.” This season though, under D’Antoni’s fast paced offense, its unlikely he’ll have a problem with that.

Statistically, Felton’s best season occurred one year before Larry Brown became coach. It’s reasonable to think that he can retain his 14 points and 7 assists per game of that 2007-08 season, potentially add to it as well. Felton has never had as dominant scorer as Amar’e and that will help him rack up the assists.

In conclusion, what is to be expected of Amar’e Stoudemire?

Everything he did in Phoenix over his career, should be brought to New York. Why such high expectations?

1. One hundred million reasons
2. Success without Nash

As we saw in the fifteen games from 2004 to 2010, Nash doesn’t dictate Stoudemire’s play. Even Marbury was able to help Amar’e produce quality numbers in his second season.

This season Stoudemire will show naysayers up. His success is not dependent on Steve Nash, rather its dependent on Raymond Felton .

Dan Miranda writes a Knicks blog called Knicks Vision that brings you updates, information and analysis on your favorite NBA team.

The first Knicks game I went to was Game 5 of the first round 1992 playoffs when the Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 94-87. I was 11 years old and since then I’ve been hooked.

That day, despite 31 points from Isiah Thomas – including 19 in a row in the 4th quarter – the Knicks knocked the Pistons out of contention. It officially signified that the Bad Boys were dead, replaced by a newer, younger version. A few years later Isiah could have joined the new mean team but turned down a chance to chase a title in the Big Apple, opting instead for retirement.

At the time the retirement didn’t register on my radar screen. Not a blip. I was too consumed with the Chicago Bulls to give a crap about Isiah Thomas. Dave Checketts is responsible for building the team that sparked my interest in the Knicks. James Dolan wasn’t in the picture. I, like many other fans, were here before him. Many others will be here after he’s gone. He didn’t make me love the Knicks and he won’t make me quit them either.

I’m a true fan and that means I float in the clouds and also swim in the abyss, even if all I experience until the day James Dolan dies is the latter. And since I’ll always be here for good or ill, I worry that our shared destiny as true Knicks fans is to suffer with an owner who has the resources to be beloved but the temperament to be astoundingly obstinate and foolhardy.

Isiah Thomas ultimately decided he did want to join the Knicks. He came and he burned the Garden down to rubble. Then he laid in the weeds for awhile but now he’s back in full affect. You know, the one who brought you the two worst seasons in team history? The man who brought you max mid-level contracts for Jerome James and Jared Jeffries is back. The man who brought you Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis and Zach Randolph and Vin Baker twice and Jamal Crawford’s $10 million deal is back. Larry Brown. Anucha Brown Sanders. Draft picks squandered. League high payroll. Back.

And it hurts all the more after this Summer when fans who bitterly entrenched themselves in divergent perspectives on Donnie Walsh’s plan, finally, for a flutter, could come together and agree that things were getting better. It lasted about 5 weeks.

It appeared to fans that they were making their way out of the desert but we all recognize now that those 5 weeks were just a mirage and we’re still stuck in the parched wasteland.

It isn’t about Isiah Thomas though. Everyone knows that the man is a failure. Not the least of whom is James Dolan. He knew (or pretended to understand) the Knicks’ performance under Thomas was unacceptable when he demanded “evident progress” and forced him to coach the mishmash of players he assembled. Isiah coached that team to a 29-34 record and James Dolan rewarded him with a contract extension before the Knicks ultimately tanked the rest of the year. It begs the question, what does Donnie Walsh have to do to earn an extension? Will the inevitable playoff run suffice? Call me skeptical. Anyway, Dolan certainly knew (or pretended to understand) that Isiah wore out his welcome when David Stern forced Dolan to push him aside. What did Dolan think all of that was about?

Dolan knows what Isiah did. Dolan knows he hasn’t witnessed a playoff game since April 25th, 2004. Dolan knows he bankrolled the most expensive payroll in the NBA and a $11.5 million sexual harassment settlement to boot.

I guess what I’m trying to tell you is, whatever what fans do, it won’t matter. It doesn’t matter what the media writes. A boycott won’t work: Fans like to think we’re financing all the awful contracts but James Dolan has infinite money and fans can’t hurt him by spurning his team at the gates. The Knicks are his toy. You can’t tell him what to do with it.

I know it’s futile but I want this post to serve as a petition. Sign your name name or whatever handle you want to use in the comments section. If we get a nice critical mass I’ll pass it along somehow to the people at MSG. There’s now a tab at the top of this site where you can access this post/petition in the future.

***

Dear James Dolan,

We know that the Knicks are your team. But your decisions affect us. Please do not allow Isiah Thomas have any more influence than he has over the last 2 years. Please do not bring him back in any kind of decision making role. Not now, not ever. Please do not take heed of his advice instead of the people who have proven to be successful in the league.

Truly,

Dan L

Knicksfan.net

Yes, it’s true. Isiah Thomas has been hired as a consultant for the Knicks. I thought he already was a consultant with limited influence, but I guess he has Dolan’s official imprimatur on the role now.

And most people are pissed. A 56-108 coaching record will have that affect. Not to mention a pretty repugnant performance as solely President and GM, a role in which he posted a similar record.

But then again, even though I enjoyed the month that the Knicks weren’t a laughingstock, I don’t own the team. All I can do is look at the situation and hope for the best. We’ve read on Twitter from Alan Hahn and Steven A. Smith that Isiah has great rapport with star players (though that doesn’t really accomplish anything if you have no cap space). [ Tommy Dee tweeted that this is fantasy]. And it may be. Anyway, it shouldn’t matter. Player$ only care about one thing. So I’m hoping for the best case scenario, which is that Isiah just wants to rehabilitate his image, and Dolan wants to help him.

Along these lines, I hope at most that Isiah will just bask in some of the success the Knicks are about to have, wrongfully take Walsh’s credit (as he already has), and land a gig somewhere else. That would be ideal. The next best outcome would be a sustained role as a scout/pitchman because Isiah, for all his faults, was pretty adept at identifying talent. ESPN.com named him the number 2 drafter of the last 20 years [Insider link]. I guess I could live with that.

What I absolutely don’t want to see is Isiah back as President/Coach/GM or any role with significant decision making responsibility. He had that role once and he failed. Miserably. It is of no solace to me, as some Zeke defenders point out, that Scott Layden was also atrocious. Knicks’ fans have lived through two horrible diseases and I would welcome neither one back.

Like the roach though Isiah has proven to be above all else a survivor. And he has unbridled ambition. I have no faith that he sees his long term role in the NBA as “part time consultant”.

So I can’t say I’m happy about Isiah’s return. If it was up to me I’d have left the page turned-like it is for Layden. It took 2 years for Donnie Walsh to undo Isiah’s damage. The entire subtext of Walsh’s tenure was a repudiation of the job Isiah did. And in these 2 years other people within the organization, like Allan Houston, have been paying their dues, waiting for their turns.

All in all while I do think Isiah has something to offer the Knicks, if I was Donnie Walsh I’d feel more than a little insulted right about now. And I’d be careful for snakes in the grass.