Knicks' Walsh doesn't lose focus on2010

A year from now, Donnie Walsh's rebuilding plan for the Knicks will reach the ignition stage.

[Little Jimmy]

Forget Nate. He's at best a side show that is sometimes entertaining. He will never be a significant component of a champtionship team. Lee is a bench player on a championship team.

[jaimie]

Can someone please explain how its possible for one company to screw up so much? Sorry to get off topic a little here but is anyone else flabbergasted that Cablevision can manage to take on so much - Knicks, Rangers, and their own mega-horrible cable company (and i suppose this newspaper)- and still manage to bungle so much? See Rangers offseason acquisitions, see MSG renovation foulups/ticket prices, see my cable getting shut off for no reason!!!! OK there i'm done.

[Reggie Jackson]

We don't really need Nate. We should only bring back Lee at the right price.

[Jerry]

Its ridiculous to think that the Knicks would trade Lee or Nate after their great seasons. Both are young. Does trading one of them mean that anytime we draft someone and their 3 years are up they are going to be traded because we don't want to pay. The whole reason you draft someone is to let them become a valuable asset to the team. Do you think Detroit or Portland are foolish teams? How have they done in the past? Pretty darn good. They want Lee because they know he is a great person as well as a rebounder/scorer/hustler and that guys like that just don't come along every year into your lap. Nate is different, he may like to pound the ball a bit but the kid is only 25 and he has improved every year. Their was a stretch were he was dominant this season. I don't think Nate is a 10 year guy like Lee because his hops are what help him so much and when he gets a little older that will go away. So I say sign Nate to a 4 or 5 year deal and Lee to a 5 to 10 year deal and lock them up. They both have the heart of a champion. Nate can create his own shot, something none of the Knicks can do right now and if we get rid of him then there are going to be games where we just get shut down completely. The difference between winning 32 and not being in the playoffs and winning 42 is slight. I think we breached that divide with the picking up of 3 shotblockers in Sene, Darko and Hill. We also have Curry coming back who can score big time down low. I think he is the best scorer of the ball aroud the basket in the league. If his other deficiencies in rebounding/shotblocking/runnin g the court are ameliated by him losing some weight and becoming more focused he will be sought after by more than a half dozen teams. If we need to trade him we can do it then. Likewise with Nate and Lee if we need to trade them after we give them contracts for Lebron or whoever then do it then. Don't create cap space now and gut the team. The whole reason Isiah gutted the team before was to get Lee, Nate, Frye, Collins,Balkman, Ariza etc. Some of these players are gone already and I'm sure the Knicks are not just going to regret getting rid of Ariza. I think Frye, Balkman and Collins are all going to be players.

[Pete G]

Please, no Jason Kidd. Please.

[hooray]

Is Trent Tucker available?

[jay]

We Want Le Bron James......get it DOLAN?

[ejapinoy]

Pls. Pls. No Jason Kidd here - This man is done - going downhill real fast. Go after Rubio and give Chris D, Cutino Mobleys contract/ and future draft pick and Darko's expiring contract. Rubio already said he is not playing for Minnesota and his family only like "New York".
Go Mr. Walsh get 'Rubio'. thx.

[paulclevo]

You knicks fans are really setting yourself up for disappointment. Lebron is not going to come to New York in this, Lebron's first "free agency" period. Maybe in the second, but that is also a really long shot. Put some serious thought into NOT getting him. What are your alternatives?

[Truth Teller]

paulclevo wrote:

You knicks fans are really setting yourself up for disappointment. Lebron is not going to come to New York in this, Lebron's first "free agency" period. Maybe in the second, but that is also a really long shot. Put some serious thought into NOT getting him. What are your alternatives?

Totally agree. James is a pipe dream. He's going to stay with the Cavs, period.

No Jason Kidd. The guy is a tool who quit on the Nets and faked injury to get himself traded. He's not a professional basketball player, he's a has been and a chump.

To the guy who wants Nate for 4-5 years and Lee for 10 years...I get the value of Lee, but the Knicks need to be cap smart, and 10 years for Lee is nuts.

Nate is worth 17 points per game on a bad team. The idea here folks is to get some true star players. On a decent team, Nate is a bench player good for 10-12 points per game, and that isn't worth a 5 year contract at crazy money.

Lee at least can do his double-double thing on any team and is worth keeping for a reasonable price, not max money.

[Obreezy]

I dont know why so many of u diss Nate Robinson. Nate is young, lightning quick, full of heart and passion, he's a pesky defender, he's the ONLY knick that can create a shot anytime, he's getting better every year, he goes all out every single game, he can dribble, he can hit threes, he can dunk on 7 footers, and he's tough as nails. What the hell more do u want? Nate and Lee are keepers. I say trade Lee or Wilson Chandler "ONLY" if it gets us rid of Eddy Curry.

[IDunnoMyName]

I am admittedly not sure if the two papers are related, but an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press had the same introduction without crediting Alan.
"A year from now, Donnie Walsh's rebuilding plan for the Knicks will reach the ignition stage. T-minus 368 days and counting."

[JCS]

Seriously, I'm going to stop reading this paper if Cablevision keeps making you guys throw in a plug every time you mention the Knicks, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday, or the Rangers, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday.

[IDunnoMyName]

JCS wrote:

Seriously, I'm going to stop reading this paper if Cablevision keeps making you guys throw in a plug every time you mention the Knicks, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday, or the Rangers, who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday.

It's not a plug, it is made in the interest of full disclosure.

[NYStateOfMind]

Obreezy wrote:

I dont know why so many of u diss Nate Robinson. Nate is young, lightning quick, full of heart and passion, he's a pesky defender, he's the ONLY knick that can create a shot anytime, he's getting better every year, he goes all out every single game, he can dribble, he can hit threes, he can dunk on 7 footers, and he's tough as nails. What the hell more do u want? Nate and Lee are keepers. I say trade Lee or Wilson Chandler "ONLY" if it gets us rid of Eddy Curry.

I agree with you on what you've outlined on Nate Robinson. There's also other things to consider...

He's a turnover waiting to happen. Constantly is out of position defensively. Rarely puts his teammates in a position to effectively score. And there's the constant words to officials that puts the Knicks at a distinct disadvantage...

In other words, his basketball IQ is nothing short of abysmal...

[jerry]

I think it is ironic that the Knicks keep trying to rebuild but shed there drafted players like Ariza if they don't pan out right away (the guy is still 23). Then they turn around and BUY a pick for 3MILLION so the LAKERS can PAY ARIZA with a new contract. So the Knicks are now footing the bill for the Lakers with their own players so the Lakers can win championships while the Knicks pick up draft picks to rebuild once again. The Mets aren't the only Amazin team in NY, AMAZIN, AMAZIN, AMAZIN !!!!!!!!!!

[jerry]

I think the Knicks are ready to be very competitive right now with the mix of players they have, provided they bring back Lee, Nate, Chandler and Gallo. With the return of Eddie Curry, Sene and the pickups of Darko and Hill the Knicks have gone from a woeful team in the center position to one of the most stacked teams up front.

Curry is a low post scorer/half court player. Sene is a bit of both a great shotblocker and good rebounder, I have been harping on the Knicks to pick this guy up before he even got drafted. He is fast and is an eraser under the basket. Darko can score, run rebound and block shots as well as pass, he may be the best of the 4 around the basket and with the ball. Hill is going to give us some rebounding and shooting in the mid range as well as some flexibility with the PF. He can play minutes for Lee.

Then we have Gallo returning healthy. With him draining 3's and the pickup of some centers the Knicks are a DRASTICALLY changed team, they can now drop the ball down low and throw it out to Gallo. The Knicks are a playoff contender NOW. They will easily make the playoffs if all their players return.

If Nate and Lee don't return all bets are off. We need Lee as an anchor and Nate as an instigator, of points. He was learning to pass after he broke down the defense in his breakout season last year and now he will have 4 new guys to dump the ball to under the basket. YOWSA. That being said I still liked Henderson at 8 and Blair at 29 :), but can't always be negative.

[Truth Teller]

NYStateOfMind wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree with you on what you've outlined on Nate Robinson. There's also other things to consider...
He's a turnover waiting to happen. Constantly is out of position defensively. Rarely puts his teammates in a position to effectively score. And there's the constant words to officials that puts the Knicks at a distinct disadvantage...
In other words, his basketball IQ is nothing short of abysmal...

Don't forget...he does not listen to his coach, annoys some of his teammates and hasn't matured one bit since he came into the league.

[Truth Teller]

jerry wrote:

I think the Knicks are ready to be very competitive right now with the mix of players they have, provided they bring back Lee, Nate, Chandler and Gallo. With the return of Eddie Curry, Sene and the pickups of Darko and Hill the Knicks have gone from a woeful team in the center position to one of the most stacked teams up front.
Curry is a low post scorer/half court player. Sene is a bit of both a great shotblocker and good rebounder, I have been harping on the Knicks to pick this guy up before he even got drafted. He is fast and is an eraser under the basket. Darko can score, run rebound and block shots as well as pass, he may be the best of the 4 around the basket and with the ball. Hill is going to give us some rebounding and shooting in the mid range as well as some flexibility with the PF. He can play minutes for Lee.
Then we have Gallo returning healthy. With him draining 3's and the pickup of some centers the Knicks are a DRASTICALLY changed team, they can now drop the ball down low and throw it out to Gallo. The Knicks are a playoff contender NOW. They will easily make the playoffs if all their players return.

Are you high?

You're talking about a bunch of guys who have done virtually nothing in the NBA as if they're stars.

What did Curry do last year?
Darko?
Gallo?
Sene?
Hill?

[Obreezy]

NYStateOfMind wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree with you on what you've outlined on Nate Robinson. There's also other things to consider...
He's a turnover waiting to happen. Constantly is out of position defensively. Rarely puts his teammates in a position to effectively score. And there's the constant words to officials that puts the Knicks at a distinct disadvantage...
In other words, his basketball IQ is nothing short of abysmal...

Yes he does have some down sides which u outlined but those things are easily corrected with maturity, and good coaching. Could u imagine if he simply fixes these mental errors? He's improving every year so why assume that he wont improve on these things? I think he will, and @ the price we can keep him with, he's a steal. I'm from the Bronx and grew up seeing Ewing, Starks, Oakley, Mason, Ect. and as far as heart and passion night in & night out is concerned, I see it oozing out of him. He still has a "HUGE" upside 2 him.