The Knicks Fix

Life - I hear you, Duhon's talent is not great, I really haven't watched him enough to say anything about him, you guys have that scouted for me. What I meant to say is that he plays point guard, the position, at the NBA level. And of the other candidates on our squad, Robinson and Crawford are not pg's and there is no danger of their ever becoming so, and Mardy is nowhere near a starter, which leaves Duhon - the only point guard we have that is a starter compared to the rest of these cats.

The thing is, D'Antoni and Walsh are on the same page of building a TEAM (notice, no "I"). What I mean by that is they are getting guys to play roles, in a real scheme, playing real basketball - not getting guys that looked good one night in February. So Duhon is not the best, but he fits the job description. Its somebody else's job to be amazing, he just has to get the ball to amazing guy and not get beat by his man. Sounds simple, but surprisingly few players have the skill set or the mid set to do that these days. Fer Chrissakes, GMs run after Tyrone Lue!

I'm reminded of the deadpan I got from a friend when they announced the signing - "Welcome back Charlie Ward." Not a bad thing, certainly not Chris Paul (but there's only one of him currently) but I'll take ordinary if it plays D, doesn't turn the ball over, runs the squad, and hits the open shot. The problem is for the other 8 guys of the rotation to fulfill their roles. Ward with one superstar, a rebounder defender at the 4, a streak shooter at 2 and a sprung kneed power forward at the 3 made Mr. Jordan earn his paycheck every spring, almost won one, and certainly would have won more if Jordan had stayed retired. Against Houston, replace Charles Smith with Robert Horry, and the Knicks win.

Oak - I think there is hope. By the time the trading deadline looms, and these teams are only scoring in the 80's and 90's in jump-shooting offenses, Z-Bo's gonna look very sweet to them and then Walsh will have something to work with.

I haven't seen anything stupid yet from Walsh and D'Antoni, and that's good. No panic moves. I'm satisfied they are taking the right course so far.

Good analysis of C. Ward's game. Ward was a very good defender, tough as nails, and could run an offense. And as used to be pointed out ad nausem during Knick broadcasts he was also a great college football QB so he had experience running the show and dealing with crazy characters. Ward had a good outside shot, could penetrate when asked, and didn't turn the ball over much. He should have been a backup on a championship team and one of the first guys off the bench like Bobby Jackson, Danny Ainger or Mark Aguire.

That being said, I watched Charlie Ward play in college, I watched Charlie Ward play almost every game with the Knicks that I could, and Mr. Duhon, you are no Charlie Ward.

Duhon also has "character" issues, although he is no Stephon. Charlie Ward was probably the greatest teamate you could ask for and never would have skipped practice for a Duke game b/c he was pouting over playing time. Come November though I will be cheering for Duhon to do well, just as I did everytime J. James stepped on the court and Marburry came back from his "vacation". Hopefully we draft a PG in 2009 that Duhon can mentor and compete for playing time with.

BTW I think I'm delusional because I truly believe the Knicks have the pieces to win 50 games. IMO they are two players away, a PG and a shotblocker. All of the pieces that don't mesh I think can be brought together by a PG in the J. Kidd, Nash, C. Paul, B. Davis, or D. Williams mold (leader, pass first) and a shotblocker PF or C that can protect the rim and either Curry or Zach's mistakes. I guess that is the thinking that got IT in trouble though so its a good thing I'm not DW.

@Knicks4Life

50 Games?...
you have are reaching for the sky....LOL

i think that they could be an improved team
mainly because they might actually get coached
this year

but 50 games?
if they won 35 games this year
i would say that was a sucessful year

they have too many defensive holes
Zach and Curry....Big Snacks.
Crawford...

the knicks have talent but they are like
mismatched jigsaw pieces

replace Zach with Amare
and maybe now we are talking 50 games...LOL

No these Knicks can't win 50, but replace Duhon with a real PG and Curry or Zach with a defensive minded PF, in the East I think they can be very good. Hey the wizards won 43 games in the East w/o Agent Zero or Etan Thomas because of good chemistry and great coaching, why can't we? Are the Wiz really that much better than us?

@Knicks4Life

Actually...
the Wiz are a better team without Agent Zero
Gilbert plays no defense
and they seem to have better chemistry
when Gilbert is not on the floor
i think they made a mistake maxing out his contract
but he is the face of their franchise

if the knicks had traded zach and aquired
a defensive 4 we might have a shot
but the knicks need someone
to protect the rim
curry and zach at the rim
is like putting a red flag in front of a bull
"Olay"...LOL
i have never seen a center(Curry) get dunked on
so many times and never get mad about it

maybe the knicks should throw
a cheeseburger toward the rim;;;LOL
i bet Curry would block that.

How does Duhon have character issues?
Artest has character issues............
Rodman had character issues............
Zach has character issues..........

Just because Duhon missed a a couple video sessions doesn't mean he has character issues.

It kills me how fans put the players under the microscope the way they do.

Stop trying to judge people and let their play do the talking. Nobody here is Nastradamus or Miss Cleo so how do you know how the Knicks will do this year?
These are the same people who said we would be in the playoffs last year. Remember before the season started and people were making those predictions?

Just sit back and enjoy the ride that Dantoni is going to take us on. It should be an interesting journey and it's one I'm looking forward to.

1. I never predicted the Knicks would make the playoffs last year. 2. If we all sit back and "enjoy the ride" what would there be to blog about. If you want apathetic fans who don't care go to LA and be a Clipper fan. 3. Your own boy Alan Hahn brought up Duhon's partying and clubbing habits being a reason he was worried about giving the kid money. To me that is a character issue when you are being paid millions of dollars but can't stay out of the clubs on game nights. He also openly pouted all season last year about his playing time. That is another "character issue" that affects team chemistry.

Now at my boy NYC, remember who the Wiz were pre-Gilbert. Nuff said. They played well w/o him in the short term but long term they are not better w/o him. His defense is suspect true, but he may be the third most clutch player in the NBA and unlike many other players in the NBA his offense actually makes up for his defensive weaknesses. He is truly one of the most talented offensive players in the NBA. I don't hear people saying the Mavs are better w/o Dirk or the Suns better w/o Nash and their D sucks too. You just have to surround them w/ good defensive players or play up-tempo like the Suns do but have shotblockers who can protect the rim. He also, as he himself boasts often, makes his teamates better. Remember Larry Hughes, Caron Butler, Jarred Jeffries, etc. We are in full agreement about Zach and Curry so I won't even go there.

Cablevision ponders sales of sports assets

NEW YORK (AP) -- -- Nine months after shareholders rejected the Dolan family's latest bid to take Cablevision Systems Corp. private, the cable operator said Tuesday it is considering several options to boost its stock price including spinning off some of its diverse holdings.

Chief Executive James Dolan, who has long argued the market undervalues Cablevision, said in a statement the company is "actively looking" at options to close the gap between the company's operating performance and the market value of its shares.

Dolan, when questioned about Cablevision's recent acquisition of Newsday from billionaire Sam Zell, bemoaned the absence of any worthwhile assets in the Long Island newspaper's sports department.

"Hell, I couldn't get a shopping car at Home Depot with my current Knicks beat writer," Dolan said. "And the fine newspaper in Plano, Tex. won't even swap me their weekend obituary writer straight up for Ken Berger."

@Knicks4Life

i agree about Gilbert.
he made the wiz better and also
gave them national exposure
he is talented...
and he is mad clutch
but his knee problems worry me for a max player
if he goes down that could kill your cap
like alan houston killed ours

i am curious to see
how D'antoni uses the new pieces
the knicks have now
(Duhon,Gallo,and Robertson)
and mixes them with the isiah pieces

if we can develop some chemistry
maybe we can compete
and really at this juncture
that is all i want

last season we just quit on games
i hope that does not happen this year

@knicks4life
"1. I never predicted the Knicks would make the playoffs last year"

I never said you did. I was just making a point. Do you see your name anywhere in my sentence? Hush your mouth boy!!

"2. If we all sit back and "enjoy the ride" what would there be to blog about. If you want apathetic fans who don't care go to LA and be a Clipper fan."

No thanks!!! Who said we couldn't blog while enjoying the ride at the same time? Get your self together sucka and get off my b@lls!!!

"3.Your own boy Alan Hahn brought up Duhon's partying and clubbing habits being a reason he was worried about giving the kid money."

That only shows my point...Hahn is just another opinion here. Why should his be valued more than the next person. What does he know about Duhon that we don't already know. Let me tell you something son.....if you call a player that goes to the clun on game nights having issues, then about 75% of the league falls into that category. You can come to the city and see 90% of the Knicks and Nets at 2 maybe 3 clubs.
Who let this slacker in the blog!!!!

"He also openly pouted all season last year about his playing time. That is another "character issue" that affects team chemistry."

Is it me or did alot of players that played for Skiles on that Bulls team pout? Nobody likes playing for Skiles.

Put em up Chump!!!!!

You guys are starting to getting to get too sensitive in here, I thought us Knicks fans were supposed to have thicker skin that.... Not a Duhon fan but if you guys realized how many "high character" guys go out clubbing the night before and after the game you wouldn't make that correlation between one's character and their night life activities...it does say a lot about the level of professionalism (or at least the level of professionalism you might expect)...Malik Rose was down here (ATL) partying with Zach the night before the game and right after the game, and he's supposed to be the "championship tested, high character, veteran- lockerroom guy". Does that mean he's a bad character guy ? I don't neccessarily think so

yo alan, found another picture with you in it over on knicksdefense.

Funny piece Anonymous

C'mon DaJoka do you really want to go there with me on basketball. I don't know what a Wogu is so I won't even address you.

But @ DaJoka, since you failed to address my points with any reasonable analysis I'll try one more time. The Knicks are a bunch of malcontents who need a player who will lead by example. Nothing wrong with clubbing, I used to drink, on occassion, the night before track meets in college, but when people question your work ethic because you are out clubbing regularly before games and are underperforming due to your nightime activities you have to ask yourself, is that what the Knicks want in their starting PG/QB and full mid level exception. If you are not starting on a bad team and the starting PG is struggling shouldn't you be the last to leave the gym and the first one in. Maybe you just know nothing about work ethic.

Duhon's offensive game is also extremely limited and his D overrated. A.) Knicks need a guard who can penetrate and get to the line, Crawfor's weakness. B.) Knicks need a PG who can run an effective pick and roll with Curry and Randolph. C.) Knicks need a PG who can knock down a 3 pt consistently when Curry and Zach get doubled, D.) Knicks most of all need a leader who can take over down the stretch and put the ball in the right person's hands so we are not just running iso's for Crawford. Duhon can do none of that. Don't believe me about Duhon, look at the Bulls blogs, from people who see him play everyday, and see them laugh and laugh at us for overpaying for him. You can enjoy the ride with Duhon over the next 2 years, I'll keep bloggin and asking for an upgrade.

I imagine a DW blind follower like you want this blog to look like this with no criticisms of your daddy:

Alan: Knicks sign Duhon
Pete: Great signing by Donnie, wow he did it again
Old School Oakley: Willis did you see that we got D'Antoni and Duhon, I love Donnie.
Matt B: Did you guys see Donnie got new glasses. He's so great.
Peaceman: White guys wear glasses.
Willis; Those are actually the half-tinted A-2 High Impact SG101 eyeglasses made in Taiwain. I saw the signing Oak, another brillant signing by a brilliant man.
Anonymous: That beat hockey writer does another great job of carrying Dolan's jock strap by writing another great piece about Donnie's wise astute moves.
DaJoka: Donnie's my dad.

I'm done with you lame. I can't believe anyone who actually watches Duhon play regularly can sit here and say he is worth the full mid-level over 2 years or should be our starting PG. A serviceable backup who can play D, ok, but the starting PG for a marquee franchise because he has a decent ast/to ratio in limited minutes and used to be able to shoot a little bit?

Q Needs to work on the pot belly and the broke jumper and his ganster mentality rather then trying to do funny interviews..They arent even funny anyways..its stupid and he sucks and i would trade him for a bad of M & M's

Keeping 2010 alive
with my bulljive..

One more thing...I see he is down like 20 pounds this offseason beceause Mike is the new coach...So the fact he is stealing 9 million a year from the Knicks was never enough motivation to get healthy??

@BULLjive

That is my biggest pet peeve in all of sports. I can't stand it when I hear reports of players getting into great shape before the season, as if that's some sort of novel effing concept.

Oh, you think so, Doctor? You think maybe, just maybe, as a professional athlete, you should try to get in the best shape of your life?

Give me a break.

Players need to be held accountable. Skiles is not at fault for Duhon's regression last year. Skiles was fired on December 24, and then Pete Meyers took over. The next year Jim Boylan took over for the entire 2007-2008 season. Still blaming Skiles for Duhon's Dec. 25 - April performance and 2007-2008 disaster. Duhon has had three coaches and he still is not starting PG material. He has to be accountable for his lack of development.

"In January 2007, Duhon was suspended one game by the Bulls for missing practice the day prior because he claimed he overslept"

"Duhon did not play in Game 3 of the Bulls series against the Pistons because of a missed film session in 2007."

"[Duhon] went a stretch of 8 games without playing from March 9th to March 25th 2008 after landing in the doghouse after attending the Duke vs. North Carolina without notifying the coaching staff."

This is the Duhon I hope we are getting and will be chearing for:
" In a game against the Golden State Warriors on February 7th 2008, Duhon scored a career-high 34 points along with 9 assists, 3 steals, 2 rebounds and 4 three-pointers."

But that Duhon rarely if ever shows up. We already have an Eddie Curry.

@ NYC 2 - I have to go back to an earlier cheeseburger comment and say:

Eddy would not even have a shot at the cheeseburger going towards the rim, b/c Big Snacks would actually move (for the 1st time in a Knicks uniform) like a man possessed to snatch that burger and devour it!

I think we have uncovered the key to the Knicks "big man" camp before the season...

Lakers sign Chinese Magic

"The Lakers and point guard Sun Yue have agreed to terms on a two-season contract, the team confirmed Thursday. The Lakers hope to sign Sun formally within the next few days, team spokesman John Black said. "Hopefully, it will get done soon," Black said. Sun, known as the Chinese Magic Johnson because of his eye-catching playmaking ability, will face his future teammate Kobe Bryant when China plays the United States on Sunday in the Olympic Games opener in Beijing. The Lakers drafted the 6-foot-9, 212-pound Sun in the second round in 2007. He spent last season with Aoshen, his Beijing club team, and also played with the Chinese National team in preparation for the Olympics."
- Los Angeles Daily News

This kid is nice!!

@ knicks4life

Duhons defense overrated in comparison to what exactly ?Hes very good on the ball defender which cuts will help limit dribble penetration and the amount of easy baskets teams used to get against us .

His offense average he can drive either hand and make a layup and he can spot up for three but he wont be taking on games offensively but thats not his job anyway.

A- Crawford penetrates just fine and gets to the line at a good rate but he can only do so much when he is also the best three point threat as well.You need outside shooting with the legalization of matchup zone to really have consistent penetration. There is no one that that can consistently get into the lane from 27 ft away without having multiple 3pt threats on the floor.

B- For the knicks the pg doesnt need the ability to run the pick and roll as Crawford has that ability and is quite good at it.

At the start of the season Crawford came off the screen on the wings and either Zach or Eddy would be trying to establish post position if they got it he dumped the ball inside but if they didnt they immediately stepped out to screen and created a two man game that was very effective and efficient prior to Marburys blowup.

C- Duhon is a good enough shooter to keep defenses honest .

D- One of the knicks problems down the stretch was that Crawford was putting in 40+ minutes per game and was wearing down.They also had a issues with executing as a unit hence Isiahs over reliance on just clearing out the side and letting Crawford go one on one . Who can forget the first Miami game with marbury blowing off the set play and then throwing the ball out of bounds.

I think the team overall will be much better in that regard and I see several knicks hitting big shots this year.

Skiles loved Duhon and when favs were not being played he got the bulk of minutes so says a co worker of mine who flies in from Chicago once a week.Once skiles left they played the big money player Kirk and then traded for Hughes .

I dont forsee any issues with Duhon at all.I expect 11 pts and 5-6 apg with solid defense and see the rest of the player benefiting from that .

@ Luke. There we go. Nice comeback with a reasoned analysis. Duhon has the ability to finish but he doesn't. Maybe D'Antoni's offense system will give him the freedom to drive at will but with the Bulls he did not score and did not drive consistently. He looked lost the past 2 years. He is a better defender than we have at the point or 2, no doubt. But he is not a lock down defender like Artest, Raja Bell, James Posey, or a harrasing defender like Tyrone Lue or Bobby Jackson, who can change a game with there defense.

A.) I like Crawford's game but Crawford doesn't get to the line. He does that stupid fade away jump shot. or avoids the contact instead of finishing strong at the hoop. I don't know why you would say he gets to the line at a good rate. Plus Crawford is extremely streaky, when he is hot for a game you ride him, when he is off for the next two you need the ball in the hands of your PG. B.) You do need your PG to run the pick and role b/c Crawford is turnover prone and if you watched PHX play the majority of their offense down the stretch is pick and roles b/w Nash and Stoudamire. Crawford can throw the lob to Curry but other than that he can't squeeze the pass through spaces which you have to do when you are double teamed and the weak side defender is looming over to help on the screener. You don't want Crawford making those decisions. C.) In the past perhaps you would be right, but watching him last year he couldn't hit anything. Maybe his confidence was low, but I don't believe in giving someone that much money and hoping they rebound to 8.0ppg and 5 asst. Plus, if his work ethic is as bad as has been reported, how is his shooting supposed to improve. D.) If it were Marburry instead of Duhon, fine we have two players that can finish a game. But with Marburry likely gone, what other option is there now other than Crawford. And with Crawford what plays can you run except an ISO? Lets see how well Crawford grasps a motion offense before we start talking about how much better we are finishing games with him on the floor.

Following your logic, Crawford should be the PG, but guess what, we tried that and ended up with 23 wins. Nate is their best 3 point shooter not Crawford. When Crawford is on, you are right and I'm wrong. But watching Crawford the past few years I can tell you that he is not a player who can carry a winning team because he is too inconsistent. If our hopes of the Knicks improving rest on Duhon and Crawford, we are in trouble. And we have to improve if we ever hope to bring in a franchise changing free agent who wants to win a championship.

BTW I was responding to people who said that Duhon was pouting under Skiles and how everyone hates playing for Skiles and Skiles ruined him blah blah blah. I know Skiles gave him the most minutes ever as Duhon's first coach and would do a PG by committee thing with him and Hinrich. Skiles actually valued his D over Hinrich's and used Duhon effectively for what he was even starting him occassionly over Gordon at the 2. The fans would kill Duhon and Skiles would defend him. My point was that for everyone blaming Skiles for Duhon's regression, you are wrong, Duhon stinks and his inconsistent play is on him. For everyone claiming Duhon is worth the mid-level the best anyone can come up with is, he is a decent 3 point shooter and doesn't committ turnovers so lets give him the full mid-level? Is he really that much better a fit for this team than Bayless? Could we not have gotten a more serviceable PG and a shotblocker with the mid-level? Where would you rank Duhon amongst PGs in the NBA? This is not my blog so I'll leave it there . . .

comical....Alan where do you get these people? They're becoming softer than the Knicks interior defense!..I'm starting to see feathers get ruffled pretty easily here... Knicks4Life, I wasn't really talking to you or anybody else in particular (I don't get into all that, I like to keep it about the Knicks) just making a general statement about NBA players nightlife - and their level of professionalism (or a lack thereof)...Like I said I never was a fan of or thought highly of Duhon (extremely overrated coming out of high school when he went to Duke), but he does have a career 4:1 assist to turnover ratio ... "I don't even know what a Wogu is" - LOL..oh yea, and Wogu is my last name (I know, sounds funny right? lol); I REALLY don't expect other people to put their full name up (security reasons) but I like to stand by statements rather than hide behind a psuedonym (nothing against it but thats just me, I like accountability).

Life - of the PGs available to be signed at the time, who was better than Duhon do you think? Maybe Arroyo? (Somebody wanted him here, I forget who) As far as the whole MLE, that's a product of market conditions at the time. Alot of these guys get over payed as a result of the comp at their position at the time of signing. So you're right, but only in an ideal sense in terms of ranking all NBA PGs by talent. Its Dolan's money, he pays the lux tax, who cares. The important thing is the deal is only two years. You have to compensate a guy for the short time, or somebody, like the Magic will give him more years and more money. There is no hope of playing better with Crawford or Nate at the point. Somebody who runs the point was going to get a two year deal.

This is a rebuild, he is gone in two years, he is not the savior at PG. He's not supposed to be. He fits the bill now. Let's see what D'Antoni makes of him. You are right "If our hopes of the Knicks improving rest on Duhon and Crawford, we are in trouble." But they are not - Duhon is here for two years, Crawford may be gone by February. Walsh doesn't owe any of these guys a damn thing. It aint going to happen all at once. Zeke dug this team into the biggest hole it has ever seen. The first thing you have to do is stop digging.

@ Willis - the last line of your post is a keeper.

The first thing you have to do is stop digging.

The new Knicks mantra...

@ Willis

"Life - of the PGs available to be signed at the time, who was better than Duhon do you think? Maybe Arroyo? (Somebody wanted him here, I forget who)"

That somebody was me. He's battle-tested, and I think he would've done more for alot less. We could've gotten a shot-blocker with the savings.

But Duh will do.

@ Ben. I was just playing and I don't take this stuff personally. I actually enjoy a good debate that distracts me from work.

@ Willis. I won't go into all the PGs I thought we should have signed or drafted ahead of Duhon again (and yeah Arroyo was one of them), but your point is well taken about the need to stop digging. You and I disagree however in the market dictacting Duhon's money. I think this was a Jeffries midlevel/Balkman draft/Houston contract case of an agent making the Knicks bid against themselves. Having Duhon play the point for two years also sets back the potential development of a young PG who could be grooming and learning the position (Bayless, Augustine).

@K4l

There are no lockdown defenders anymore just good defenders who can spearhead a sound team defense.

The knicks dont need a shot taker but a ball mover at pg .A good enough defender to at least take away the drive at will aspect from the opponents pg .

As for Crawford

A- he doesnt get to the line enough compared to who ?among sg's he finished 12th in fta per game averaging 4.9 right in the mix there with Tmac,Jrich,Joe Johnson ,Rip ,and Roy and the only one that had major ballhandling responsibilities was Roy.

I think that if the knicks execute better the ball doesnt end up in Crawfords hand so much with the clock winding down and his fg% will rise as a result.

This past year he gave perhaps the most consistent performance of his career.His number one issue was too many three point shots with a pass first distributor next to him you should see fewer three's attempted and more shots off those curls and easier scoring chances which is what I think D'antoni is looking to do .

How is he turnover prone ? 2 turnovers per game for primary ball handlers is actually very good and coupled with the fact he gets 5 assists per game I dont know how he would be considered turnover prone ?

C-I think Duhon was just tired of the politics in chicago and could see the writing on the wall. You have guys pouting over extensions not playing hard tanking the team and yet they were still getting their minutes.Once the coaching change takes place you have temps trying to make a impression with the big money guys to keep their jobs and the team got worse .

I think he will be better not OMG the greatest signing ever better but hes not here to save the team and he will be appreciated for good defense taking care of the ball and making whatever shots come his way. The Bulls had stability at pg but found out after several years they needed a star to make the others around them better well the knicks are in the phase where we just need the stability.

D-Crawford plays just fine off the ball.Hes the one every coach so far has put on the floor at pg when thy need a play ran right even with the scrubs .Brown played him at point with all rookies and malik rose and they mounted comeback after comeback that year.Hes never had problems but hes never played on a team that was committed to it either and hasnt played with a pg that was committed to it in 3 years as well.

I wouldnt say Crawford is best at pg and to say we tried it is ridiculous . Having your pg quit midseason and moving your 20 ppg sg to PG for the rest of the season with no other scoring wings able to contribute is really not a try its a fall back plan for a season gone terribly wrong.

I dont expect Crawford to carry the team just to be a piece of a the puzzle .Im not gonna blame him for the other higher paid players consistently not showing up for the past three years.His personality is such where hes not afraid of someone else getting shine and is pretty well respected among the players around the league .If D'antoni can help him build upon last year and the knicks can find some success doing so that will be one of the biggest draws for a potential free agent in 2010.

By now D'antoni has probably watched every game of the past two seasons and has Herb right there to answer questions about who were out of position breaking plays etc. If he believes that the key changes right now is adding a ball mover then Ill just wait and see what happens because no one has ever doubted the talent we have just the directions of it.

I feel you Life, I was OK with the Gallinari draft, and didn't want another swashbuckler like Bayless, and felt Augustine was too small for the #6 pick. Damon Stoudemire redux. I believe in Gallinari's potential and liked his battle-tested-ness a la Bronxboys Arroyo. The two (Arroyo vs Duhon) are different flavors, just not sure either one is clearly superior. I think its probably a matter of who D'Antoni thought would fit best in his offense. Could Arroyo be considered a better shooter than Duhon or is Duhon's the better jumper?

Hard to say - the Magic had Arroyo before, no? And when they decided they needed a pg to back up Jameer (is HE that good?) , they pursued Duhon instead. I don't know man, Like I said to begin - I don't know Duhon well, I just like the fact that Walsh is putting together a squad with defined roles, that emphasizes playing as a team (another reason he gave for going for Gallinari - his IQ and emphasis on playing a team game).

But, touche, Life - we won't have Bayless or Augustine to groom - but I personally didn't want them, and Duhon's agent did do a very good job. Duhon IS overpayed - wait till we see the money Jannero Pargo is going to get, Oy! As far as the draft, I was really hoping we would have gotten another pick late and been able to pick up Chalmers or Dorsey.

Stop Digging
Enjoy the weekend, guys.

@ Luke, I'm about to leave so I'll keep it short but been fun: I'll start with the disclaimer again that I really like Crawford's game but I get fustrated with his inconsistency: the Bulls drafted Crawford in 2000 to be a PG but he could not grasp the concept and get his teamates involved so a few years (03-04) later they drafted Hinrich and the following year Duhon. On this very blog I have advocated converting Crawford into a PG in 2010 but he is not there right now for the reasons I described above.

Offensively yes Crawford's numbers improved but he might have been the worst defender on the Knicks last year after all the progress he had made under LB. Sorry but its true. And I love his game but he needs to be more agressive about getting to the line. I can't look up the numbers per min played but I'll post em Monday. My biggest problem with Crawford is if our plan is to get LBJ, Wade, or a player who is a SG or SF I don't think his game compliments another ball dominating player who would have to also expend energy guardnig the other teams best wing player b/c Crawford is so terrible on D. If we go after Bosh or another big man I think that combination with Crawford will thrive. Right now Crawford is our best player, he has to make his teamates better and he hasn't. Therefore, I wanted a PG who could. I want us to be better than 35 wins next year so that in 2009 we can be a 4 or 5 seed in the playoffs and LBJ, Wade, Carmello, Kobe, Bosh, or whomever will look at the Knicks and say they are going to give us a shot because we have a good base that could win a championship in a couple of years. Crawford, Duhon, Zach, and Curry ain't it. Lee and Chandler may be.

Maybe our future point guard:

Check out Spain's PG Rubio this Olympics. He's projecting to go top 5 next year if he declares for the draft, potentially even number 1.

Zeke dug this team into the biggest hole it has ever seen. The first thing you have to do is stop digging. Posted by Willis | August 8, 2008 12:14

2003 Knicks – easily the worst inherited roster this century and perhaps NBA history.

@ Willis, Please back your bold statement as fact ....then answer the above statement. The 2003 Knicks were the worst in History...before you blame anyone....name the lineup!

Borrowed from "MODI" @ Sports on my Mind,

@ Willis,

Pop Quiz: Who has averaged the LEAST amount of points during the 2006-2007 NBA Season?

A) Michael Redd
B) Gilbert Arenas
C) Ray Allen
D) Entire 2003 Knicks Roster


Media Backlash: No backlash here, mostly deafening silence which speaks volumes. Context matters. The media’s reluctance to bring up the HISTORICALLY pathetic roster that Isiah Thomas inherited while lambasting him is the classic “lie by omission”. Hey Media – Do Your Homework!: The answer is D. Go ahead, comb through every single NBA roster from December 2003 and compare it to the Knicks one assembled by previous GM Scott Layden. The results are astonishing:

· NINE of those players are OUT OF THE LEAGUE in 2007
· There is NOT ONE PLAYER from that Knicks roster that is still currently a STARTER in the NBA today while virtually every other 2003 NBA team still has a minimum of three starters still in the league[1].
· Only ONE player averaged more than 5 points per game in 2006-2007[2].

To paraphrase Charles Barkley, superb San Antonio GM R.C. Buford had Tim Duncan to build around, two-time GM of the year Bryan Collangelo had Chris Bosh and a #1 draft pick to build around… Isiah had Michael Doleac to build around. Thomas was left with no young budding talent, no major trade chips, and the most expensive roster in the NBA which ruled out any thought of rebuilding through free agency. By any fair assessment, the Knicks were, at MINIMUM, a 5 year turnaround project. By acting quickly and decisively dumping players before their trade stock completely plummeted Thomas has given Knicks fans a hopeful future within his first three years.
“Inherit the Windstorm” - Sizing up The Knicks 2003 Roster:

Roster Review: Their only great player (Allan Houston) had a bad contract and worse knee which soon forced his retirement. In 2003, young players like Frank Williams, Maceij Lampe, and Mike Sweetney were all thought to have significant future potential, but Isiah quickly traded them all before the secret became public knowledge. Williams and Lampe are now out of the league, and Sweetney may join them any day now. Their only trade chips of any value were aging Kurt Thomas and Antonio McDyess, not exactly Kobe-enticers. The rest of the roster was a collection of overpaid and over-the-hill Howard Eisleys, Charlie Wards, and Shandon Andersons.

Worse than an Expansion Franchise?: Yes. Much worse. Before the 2004 expansion Charlotte Bobcats ever played a single game, they had a far superior roster that included Emeka Okafor, Gerald Wallace, Jason Kapono, Brevin Knight, and Matt Carroll. Most were young budding talent acquired through the expansion draft. The Bobcats also had the lowest payroll, no expectations to win right away, and the freedom to lose big and stockpile draft picks without criticism.

Still waiting on your Zeke put the Knicks in the Biggest hole ever??????????

@knicks4life

Shut your mouth boy!!!!!!!
You sound silly with your statements.
Have you ever seen that Chinese/Japanese PG play before?
But yet you say he's nice.
Give me a break (not a kit kat fool)....

Duhon is a good defender and he can score. He's no Iverson but he is a definite upgrade over what we have now at the PG position. Stop complaining about Duhon.

We all remember when Duhon went to the college game when he wasn't supposed to be. He already made up his mind that he wasn't going to play for Skiles any longer. Skiles was fired last year son.

Duhon is the best logical choice.

@ DaJoka

Who is DUHON? I know who Arroyo is, But who is DUHON?
Is it a teflon product that don't stick?

LMAO@peaceman!!!!!!!!!!!!

If we would've got Arroyo, I think we all would be in trouble.

Who here said Arroyo is battle tested?
Arroyo hasn't been through anything.

Name one PG that was available this summer better than Duhon. Before you start making dumb statements, please take into account what we were willing to spend money wise and the 2010 plan.

Now, who would you guys have picked up?
If you say Arroyo then I know your just talking out of your arse.

Ya'll probably will say Arroyo because you don't want me to be right.

Let me hear it...............

DaJoka ,
ArE you kidding me? Name Duhon's High games and Lows for Duke!......Didn't think you could! Theres NONE! Webol....
If we didn't have a GM suffering from Dementia, Bayless, Augustin, Chalmers would be a Knick starting Guard!
DUHON???? tell about him ...ACE!

LMAO @ DaJoka ,
Out of 10,000,000 sperm......YOU WON???????

Matt B - you beat me to it! I was thinking of Rubio as being a player MD has to have his eye on - I know there are questions about his athleticism, but if his game does translate to the NBA, his skill set is a D'Antoni dream. He's also 17 years old.

I don't think Duhon is worth a full mid-level, but the key to his contract is the length. It's only two years. He's a stopgap. Knicks4Life - I think you're right that the Knicks will look to draft a point in 2009, and, if 08-09 is as unsuccessful as I expect (max. 30 wins - my prediction) than that will be a lotto pick. I could see that point being Rubio, with one more year of Duhon around to ease his transition as a rookie teenager.

Whether or not Duhon was the best choice as short term midlevel stopgap is open to debate. I'm not sold on Arroyo - what's he done? - but Duhon isn't the second coming Magic Johnson either. The question is can he hold the fort for a couple of seasons?

GOOD comment PETE,.
Can Walsh hold his Balder through pre season?
I don't think so!!!!!! We are Fuc####ked!
BTW....Will the Knicks win more han 18 games?
I think not!!!!! I'm not alone!!!!!! WE SUCK!

Hush your mouth Peaceman. Who you think you fooling?
Listen to me and listen to me close!!!!!!! I'm only going to say it one time.......maybe twice!!!!!!!
Danillo is going to be a better player than Bayless and Augustine. Why are you fixated on these guys? They played well (not dominate) in college. Gallo dominated in the Euro league. Which may I add is more difficult to play in than the NCAA.
Are you serious fool? You need to check yo self mafukka LMAO!!!
Get off them young niqqaz ballz and start looking for players with real skills. Na, I'm only kiddin I like them 2 players but they not better than Gallo nor will they be. Seems like you have a problem with Donnie because he replaced Isiah. You need to drop that way of thinking bro. It's so obvious you dislike Donnie because of Isiah but at the same time you want us to win...LOL.
Stick next to me patna, I'll show you how to do this son.
Countdown to Marbury being traded or bought out has begun. I personally think he's going to Miami in a trade that some way includes Marion. By the 20th game, all you Walsh haters will be slurping him talking about he needs to keep doing what he's doing.

DaJoka: Did you get your tickets yet?
Peaceman: For what?
(DaJoka rolls up his shirt sleeve to his shoulder, exposing his muscular arms)
DaJoka: The gun show son!!!!

Peaceman is DaJoka.

DaJoka is Peaceman.

Peaceman is not DaJoka and DaJoka is not Peaceman.
DaJoka is DaJoka.

Only speaking the truth guys when it comes to the Knicks.
I wish I could say we'll make the playoffs next year but with the addition of Brand in Philly, Beasley and Chalmers in Miami and O'neal in Toronto.....I doubt we'll finish anything but last in our division. Truth hurts doesn't it?
At least our expectations are low so incase we do have a good season it'll be that much better.