Testing...testing...1..2..3..
The blog blackout lasted a little longer than expected, sorry for the downtime. Looks like we're up and running again.
Sitting in my hotel room in San Francisco -- rain, rain, rain -- watching the NBA on ABC doubleheader. Great ending to the Orlando-Boston game. The Kobe-LeBron matchup has been fun to watch and Mark Heisler's column in the LA Times today is worth a read. Heisler suggests that there are enough hints surrounding LeBron James to think he could be thinking about New York in 2010, when his contract option comes. Heisler says that Nike is already marketing LeBron as if he's in New York (perhaps some of you have seen the 30-story ad on 7th and 34th in Manhattan) and the lure to play in the big town could be there for LeBron when decision-time comes.
Heisler also points out that Isiah Thomas has gone out of his way to please LeBron's agents on other personnel moves.
See why you have to stand pat here? You have to get under the cap for possibilities such as this, which will be available to the Knicks in the next two to three years.
Most people don't see LeBron leaving his home state, but if you're the Knicks you have to set yourself up to at least be in the game if he does consider it. While you're at it, you can also be legitimately in the running for other upcoming free agents, such as Kobe, D-Wade, Nowitzki and Chris Bosh.
And speaking of the future....from a different point of view:
The most interesting Knick-related discussion during the ABC broadcast was when Jeff Van Gundy went out of his way to promote Mark Jackson as a future NBA coach and said if he was an owner he would give Jackson the keys to his franchise.
Any interest?
I like Jackson, but his lack of coaching experience (he hasn't even been an assistant) is an issue. What if Van Gundy came back with Jackson on his bench (and, of course, Patrick Ewing)? Would you accept that?
If you're discussing candidates, you also have to consider Greg Anthony among names to run the franchise. I've mentioned this before. If I'm James Dolan, Anthony gets an interview.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we? Right now the Knicks start this five-game Western roadie tonight against the Golden State Warriors. (The game is at 9 p.m. Eastern, FYI). A telling trip, no doubt. What do you think the Knicks need on this trip?
I'll check in with the pregame report for Oakland in a few hours.
Comments (12)
Listen,
First in line for coaching the Knicks has to be Reggie Miller, one of the smartest players of all time.
Before we get a new coach how about a defensive center (Dalembert) and a PG (Kidd). And Artest of course.
And by all means let's move Curry and Crawford before their expiration dates expire.
Crawford's been playing pretty well lately (not counting last game with Philly) - if the Knicks were lookin to trade him, his value might be higher than it has been in a while (ever?).
for a few weeks each season, we forget that jamal crawford doesn't play D
but isiah likes him a lot
so i dont think he is going anywhere
Jamal doesn't play d, but he's been shooting ad passing a bit better of late. He's still nowhere near the top of my list of guys I'd like to see shipped out though.
don't even THINK about trading jamal. we have a roster full of players who can't score on a night in, night out basis and you ppl wanna trade jamal ?? he's not a lock down guard but jeez.
also talking about basketball as an analyst and coaching it are two different things...mark jackson and greg anthony can talk about it all they want but who knows what they'll do when they're in it themselves 'WAIST DEEP'...we all know talk is cheap. give me a proven guy thank you.
"ISIAH PLEASE DRAFT JARVIS VANARDO - miss st.!!!"
Why Greg Anthony to run the franchise? If you take issue with Mark Jackson as coach because of his lack of experience, why would you want Anthony to run the franchise? The Knicks need someone with a proven track record of success. Unlike Isiah's track record of failure ever since he retired. Not that any of this matters if JD & The Straight Shot are still killing us softly with their song.
WITH EACH WIN THAT ISIAH NOTCHES IT ONLY GIVES HIM MORE AMMUNITION TO COVINCE DOLAN HE SHOULD STAY.
ISIAH IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE!
MARBURY IS THE ONE GOING SOMEWHERE!
HE WILL NOT BE WITH THE TEAM NEXT YEAR!
not that i want isiah to stay but i am just a realist.
dolan is stubborn and isiah is more charming than any car salesman so that seems to be a bad combination if you want management changes...
AND I AM CONVINCED THE MORE THE NEWSPAPERS WRITE ABOUT ISIAH GETTING FIRED OR REPLACED IT MAKES DOLAN MORE DETERMINED TO KEEP HIM HERE.
as for trading curry or jamal....
i like jamal.he plays hard and he actually cares.
trading him would kill the chemistry of the team.
also playing the point kind of hides his defensive liabilities...
NOW CURRY....THAT IS THE GUY WE SHOULD TRADE.
I CAN'T WAIT TO GET HIS KRISPY KREME EATING BUTT OFF THE TEAM.
BUT WHO WOULD TAKE HIM?
Toinght's game is a tuff one!
We can run only in spurts, when Nate, Crawford , Jeffries, Balk and Lee are on the floor! We try it with our bigs and GSW will
blow us out before halftime.
Marty may make things interesting because his natural flow is
a slow half court tempo! At 6'6 he can put a hand in BD's face!
Ellis scares me because the only one that can keep up with him in transition is Nate. Here is a match up of the Best offensive team in the league against maybe the worst defensive team!
We have our work cut out for us, but one advantage is if our
Bigs have an exceptional game in the paint, GSW has No one to stop them!
I'm just glad games aren't won on paper, so lets GO KNICKS!
For the most part I respect Greg Anthony and the way he handles himself as an ESPN analysts, but there's no I way consider him as a GM to run my team. I feel like you need to put in the proper work and accumulate adequate experience in some type of front office capacity before you can be rewarded with such a position. Phoenix hired Steve Kerr even though he had no prior front office experience, but he's a former NBA player with championship experience and has a great relationship and rapport with the owners (which seemed to be enough for Mr. Sarver) .
Now if you look at the job he's done since he's gotten there, some red flags should go up. 1.) Kerr decided it would be wise to trade Kurt Thomas, a veteran who is their best post defender, as well as future picks to Seattle to help keep them as far away as possible from the luxury tax. Although Nash never made a big deal publicly, he did voice his disappointment knowing that there's one less post defender and big man who can knock down the open 15-17 footer on his team. He also traded James Jones as well as a pick for money and trade exception 2.) Kerr said his whole reasoning behind those moves were financially they wanted to be able to keep the core together. But Marion is disgruntled now because even though Kerr said he wants to keep the core together, he still involves Marion in every trade proposal which of course perturbs him as he doesn't feel valued and/or appreciated.
Despite Kerr's chamionship experience as a player having dealt with many personalities and egoes, his stint as a GM so far has exhibited that you need prior experience in dealing with players from the front office perspective. Its also shown that GM's around the leauge will look to take advantage of young inexperienced GM's when they first enter that position.
Although Kerr is not responsible for Phoenix's lack of developing young talent, it seems like he killed any possibility of them doing so in the future.
After seeing the job Kerr has done so far with a team that already has a foundation and has been in the playoffs, what would make me want to hire somebody with no prior front office experience to the same position(GM) in a worse situation(NY)?
Can I have permission to smack the kid that said Miller should be our next coach?
WTF are you thinking?
But i do agree, he is very smart...BUT not for the Knicks!
But i do agree, he is very smart...BUT not for the Knicks!
Whaddaya mean, "not for the Knicks!"? Hey, in the old days we had future presidential candidates on our team.
Miller is perfect for the Knicks. He actually knows something about the game for a start.
As for Marbury, Houston has got to start thinking about salvaging what they can.
McGrady for Marbury and change has got to be looking very attractive in the next two weeks.
Hahn, Lebron's coming to NY in 2010 but he's not coming to the Knicks. Have we forgotten that his best friend has vanity ownership in the Nets?