Knicks Obtain Camby in Sign & Trade Deal

"Camby's contract will be for $13.2 million over three years. The Rockets will receive guard Toney Douglas , center Jerome Jordan , forward Josh Harrellson and second-round picks in 2014 and 2015, according to a league source."


I'll be honest, when I first saw "$13.2 million" I was shocked (even spread out over the three years). But an average salary of $4.4 million per season is actually good value for what Camby brings to the table. His rebounding, defense, and veteran leadership will surpass any value Josh Harrelson, Toney Douglas, and Jerome Jordan would've provided this season combined. Those two 2nd rounders were "sweetners" and the only real incentive for Houston to play ball; but despite their low superficial value, I think those two picks (and the "cash" which is really just New York having to pay all of Toney Douglas' salary) was the point where New York overpaid for Marcus Camby.


Regardless, Camby adds depth to the Knick's frontcourt and will primarily serve as Tyson Chandler's backup (an upgrade over Jared Jeffries). I wouldn't mind bringing back Jeffries for the veteran's minimum to serve as our 3rd big; but the front office needs to shift their focus onto finding a 3rd string PG and wing players who can fill out the roster and who are committed on the defensive side of the ball.

The Million Dollar Decision

The Summer of 2010 was filled with rumors about all the big name free agents, and ended auspiciously with the signing of Amar'e Stoudemire. But after the mid-season acquisition of Carmelo Anthony the Knicks are poised for a very bright future. Making the playoffs (and showing positive signs) was a huge step for New York basketball, despite being bounced in the first round by Boston.

For the first time in a decade, the off-season will be about "now", the present, instead of "building for the future". Instead of dumping salaries, New York will look to fine tune their roster for a potential Championship run in 2011-2012. The Knicks have until Friday to either waive Chauncey Billups or pick up the final year of his contract. His team option is set to earn him $14.2 million next season, but only $3.7 million is guaranteed. Waiving him would only cost the team that $3.7 million and allow Chauncey to be an unrestricted free agent.

Obviously $14+ million is an extraordinary price tag for a point guard on the downside of his career. Although he has shown signs of his "Mr. Big Shot" clutch gene, hitting late 3's in the latter part of the season, his lingering injury concerns are cause for worry. The one factor hindering New York from cutting ties with their point guard is the lack of available point guards this summer. Who would replace Chauncey? The options leave much to be desired: Andre Miller, T.J Ford, Mario Chalmers, Carlos Arroyo. Many fans argue to keep Billups for one more season to "bridge the gap" until 2012 (Chris Paul/Derron Williams), but it's blatantly clear that the Knick's biggest hole is at the Center position. Picking up the option on their 34 year old point guard would leave little to no money to throw at a big man, or even add depth to the bench. They could always waive Chauncey and re-sign him after July 1st for less money, if he's willing to take a major pay cut. That would be similar to what the Spurs did with Richard Jefferson last summer. Billups knows he won't make anywhere near $14 million a season on the open market, but with the Knicks financial situation he could definitely find more money somewhere else.

Honestly, unless the Knicks can get Chauncey for $7 mill or under I would be fine with letting him walk. The teams till has Toney Douglas who has really redefined the term "combo guard". Douglas has been an offensive spark plug and the team's best perimeter defender (where Billups was a liability on the defense end), although his performance has been up and down all year. With Amar'e and Carmelo, scoring is not essential for this team's starting point guard so Douglas is capable of taking over the reigns for one season. One of the answers is currently on the roster, Anthony Carter. Sign Carter to a one year deal for around $1 million, he can split time with Douglas and be the back up in 2012. Anthony Carter was, in my opinion, the biggest surprise of the Melo-Trade. Seen as a throw in, Carter was thrown into late game situations and flourished on both ends.

Then use the draft as well as the free agent pool to find one or two "true big men", and possibly even a bargain point guard. Roger Mason, Shelden Williams, Jared Jeffries, and Derrick Brown all come off the books this summer: saving the team around $3.5 million. An intriguing option is Aaron Brooks, a free agent making just $2 million a year. Phoenix will surely part ways with him and if the Knicks could get him cheap then ideally he could run this offense.

There are a couple of big men who New York NEEDS to sign: Alexis Ajinca and Deandre Jordan. Both could be signed to long term deals at an affordable price (less than $2 million a year). Ajinca is only 22 and is 7'2, with a wingspan of 7'9". He doesn't have to score, he just has to get rebounds and block shots. Same with Deandre Jordan, who is a block machine down low. The team would still have $10+ million left to play with, either to get more talent or save for a play at Chris Paul. The only upside to taking Billups' option would be if come February New Orleans makes CP3 available. A trade where New Orleans gets Chauncey (and his would be expiring contract) would match salary-wise. But even without Billups, packaging: draft picks, Fields, Douglas, *the point guard* (say Brooks), and some young guys should be enough for the Hornets--a team in financial disarray looking to salvage something for Chris Paul.

Charles Jenkins- Hofstra's Pride & Joy

"Last Monday Charles Jenkins was summoned to the office of Hofstra athletic director Jack Hayes, and who could blame him. The last time Jenkins had been in Hayes' office, he got the news that Tim Welsh, who had just been named coach, was resigning after a DWI arrest and that Mo Cassara would be taking over. In a prior visit, Jenkins had been told that long-time Hofstra coach Tom Pecora was leaving to take the reins at Fordham"

But this the news was about Charles, Hofstra had decided to retire Jenkins' number 22 before his final home game, Saturday afternoon against Hofstra. Charles wears 22 in honor of his late brother, Kareem Albritton, who was shot back in 2001 at the age of 22. He was named CAA Player of the Year and is lock to win it again in 2010-2011. We have even heard Jenkins' name being mentioned in National Player of the Year talks, he is one of only three players to lead their conference in both points and assists (Duke's Nolan Smith and Cleveland State's Norris Cole).

Jenkins is currently Hofstra's all-time leading scorer with 2,441 points, surpassing Antoine Aguido's previous record, and will continue to add to that total during the CAA tournament. Jenkins is the second leading scorer in CAA history, behind only the great David Robinson of Navy. He was recently named one of 30 finalists for the Nasmith Award (for best collegiate basketball player in the country). Hofstra is sporting a 20-10 record, 14-4 in conference, good for 2nd place in the CAA. If they team can win its next three games they will be the in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001. Making the big dance would be a great way for Charles Jenkins to end his college career.

There has been many discussions over whether Jenkins will play at the next level. Hofstra has only produced one NBA player: Speedy Claxton 2001-2008, but has had many former athletes play overseas in places like Turkey and Puerto Rico. David Satriano of the New York Post said "Charles Jenkins showed yesterday why he has garnered national attention, and might be a lottery pick in this year's NBA Draft." This is a big leap for a guy who wasn't even listed in mock drafts back in the Fall. Jenkins is a phenomenal scorer but he does with efficiency, 53% from field goal range and 42% from behind the arch. Although he is only 6'3" Jenkins weights 220 pounds and is built like a linebacker. Whenever Charles isn't in the gym you could find him in the weight room. His body type is ideal for a NBA combo guard. Hofstra's senior guard is the fourth leading scorer in the country and each day his draft stock seems to be rising. In his senior season he had to deal with losing long time Hofstra coach Tom Pecora and and the resignation of Tim Welsh, all in a single off-season. In addition we saw the transfer of multiple Hofstra players following Pecora's departure to Fordham.

Hopefully the Pride can continue their stellar season and earn a bid into the NCAA tournament. Jenkins has one of the most consistent careers in recent history, most top scorers enter the draft after one or two seasons, but Charles was been at Hofstra for 5 years (after being red-shirted his freshman year). Experts and finally started placing Jenkins on their draft boards, late second round, but a team that has a guard need should really like at Jenkins. He can score from anywhere on the court, rebounds well for his size, and passes the ball like a true point guard. Look for a similar situation to the one we are seeing with the Knicks and Landry Fields: a senior guard from a "mid-level" conference who filled the stat sheet but got little recognition. Landry Fields was taken in the second round but is easily outplaying every rookie selected ahead of him, including guys like John Wall. If it wasn't for Blake Griffin (injured prior to the 2009-2010 season) Landry Fields would be the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Whichever team "gambles" on Charles Jenkins will hit the jackpot. I see him immediately playing significant minutes at both guard spots. His handles, shooting ability, and defensive skills will make him a valuable asset for a rebuilding team. The perfect "win-win" situation would be for the Chicago Bulls to draft Jenkins in the second round. The Bulls' weakest link is Keith Bogans at SG, but the team still has Kyle Korver off the bench. Bogans and Korver can hold their own until Jenkins develops and learns the system. Jenkins would be a great compliment to Derrick Rose and ironically is a hybrid cross between the style's of Rose and Deng. If Jenkins can develop into his role within a season or two the Bulls will be the favorites in the East and a dangerous offensive machine.

"Stat & Melo, The New Ewing-Starks"

"Stat & Melo, The New Ewing-Starks"

After almost a year of anticipation, Carmelo Anthony is finally a Knick. Seven months after missing out on LeBron the Knicks pull off a blockbuster trade to bring Carmelo to New York.

To acquire Anthony, the Knicks are sending: Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, the Knicks’ 2014 first-round pick, two second-round picks New York (acquired from the Golden State Warriors in the David Lee sign-and-trade) and $3 million. The Knicks will also trade Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry's expiring contract to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will send Corey Brewer to New York. The Knicks will receive Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman, and Anthony Carter.

But everyone is wondering if the Knicks gave up too much for Carmelo and how the front office is going to replace all the talent they gave up. But if you look around the league, there are a ton of affordable players who can play key roles for New York next season. The Knicks gave up four role players for a super star (and a role player in Billups). Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams come off the books this summer, Billups has a team option in his contract for 2011-2012 (to bridge the gap until Chris Paul), and Balkman is signed to a very affordable salary and can be a useful big man in his second run with New York. Many people are also questioning the Knicks financial flexibility in the future, but they are set up well to supply Stat and Melo with very solid role players.

Obviously the two major contracts are Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony's long-term deals. The Knicks have both players under contract until 2015. In yesterday's trade the Knicks shipped away Eddy Curry's ridiculous expiring contract. But they also shaved off other smaller financial obligations such as Gallinari and Randolph who were signed until 2013 and schedule to make a combined $10 million that season. Chandler will be a free agent in the summer either way and Felton was a short-term option with only one year left on his deal, at $7.5 million due next season. The Knicks will retain Bill Walker, Andy Rautins, Toney Douglas and Landry Fields for another season, all making between $700,000 and $1.2 million.

The next step will be filling the roster with affordable players who give the team both short-term talent as well as long term financial flexibility. The first move will be Ronny Turiaf who has a $4.36 million dollar player option for next season. I am not sure whether I am a fan of Turiaf accepting this option but he has every right to do so. He currently ranks 25th in the league in PER (Player Efficiency Ranking) among centers. Turiaf brings a ton of energy and excitement to this Knicks and it will be interesting to see how he plays the rest of the season. So far he is only averaging 18 minutes per game due to nagging injuries, but if he can stay healthy and play starters’ minutes at Center (25-30) then he is definitely worth the money. Roger Mason and Kelenna Azubuike are both unrestricted free agents and both have yet to see the floor very often. Unless they begin to show signs of life I would let them both walk and look to fill the void somewhere else. The most important thing for the Knicks may seem small but the team needs to retain Shawne Williams. Williams is making $885, 210 this season but he is a 6'9" forward who can play on the wing as well as down low. Shawne Williams is the perfect player for New York's system because he is an outstanding 3-point shooter, currently holding the best percentage in the league. I love the Knicks talent off the bench in terms of spurts of talent; Douglas is great on-the-ball defender and has greatly improved his shooting range. Toney was the back up for Felton and will continue that role backing up Billups (and hopefully CP3). Bill Walker had one of the best dunks of the season, a monster slam over Andrew Bogut (league leader in blocked shots) and he is the only remaining piece from the Nate trade. Walker is a better pure scorer than Nate and is also signed longer/for less money making him a steal. The final remaining Knick will be Syracuse native Andy Rautins. Rautins is an experience player from his days at Syracuse and on the Canadian National Team. He is a great shooter and hopefully will grow into a bench role next season.

Now comes free agency, the Knicks still have roster spots to fill and some money to spend. But the team will not go after any big name-high price guys until 2012 (Dwight, Chris Paul, and Derron) making guys like Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, David West, and Caron Butler out of reach. But we have seen the Miami Heat use almost all of their money on 3 superstars then surround them with role players and still produce an elite team. The Knicks will use a similar formula, a mix of veteran talent and youthful prospects.

There are some very interesting players available whom I would absolutely love to see in New York. The first on my list is Deandre Jordan. The Clippers have over $12 million invested in Chris Kaman next season, and also have young big men like Blake Griffin and Al-Farouq Aminu signed until 2014. Deandre will obviously be in a bench role if the Clippers retain him but it seems like they are more likely to spend money on big man free agents or in trades for veteran wing players. Due to Kaman's injury Jordan has been averaging 26 minutes per game and posting 7 rebounds as well as 1.7 blocks per game. Those two numbers alone are enough to make me think he could really help the Knicks. He is an efficient scorer and at 7 feet, Deandre Jordan can be a scary presence down low. In the East, the elite teams will have trouble penetrating to the hoop against Stoudeimire (2.2 blocks per game) and Jordan. The Knicks are already first in the league in terms of blocks, but would dominate with the addition of another Top 15 shot blocker. The front office should sign this young big-man to an affordable long-term deal before other teams realize his potential

The next piece if the 2011 Three Point Champion, James Jones. He is a free agent and Miami is in no position to be giving any players a raise, and frankly they don't care who they have on the bench as long as LeBron and Wade are playing MVP-level basketball. James Jones is a one dimensional SG/SF but that one area is exactly what they Knicks need, a pure shooter. James Jones could split time with Landry Fields at SG and play the SF when the Knicks go small, he will spread the floor and see a lot of open shots when Carmelo and Amare draw double teams. This will help everyone because teams will have to pick their poison against the Knicks if our superstars are surrounded by snipers. New York should sign James Jones to a short-term deal at around $2 million per season.

Marcus Thornton is a young player with a great offensive arsenal, except in New Orleans he has been in the doghouse due to "lack of work on defense". Such a thing would never occur on a Mike D'Antoni team where defense takes a back seat to offense. Marco Belinelli, Trevor Ariza, Marcus Banks, and Jarret Jack have all cut into Thornton's minutes but maybe he can carve his way into the Knicks rotation with his quick scoring style. He is making less than $800,000 this season and he’s a risk, but a small-short term contract could lead to a big return for New York next season.

Another big man who will be available is Houston's Chuck Hayes. Hayes is another guy who is getting an increased role due to injuries; Brad Miller has missed a lot of games for the Rockets as well as Yao Ming. Next season Houston will look to spend money and bring support for Kevin Martin. Jordan Hill, Luis Scola, and Brad Miller will all be on the roster and healthy next season so look for Houston to part with Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier, and Yao Ming. New York should definitely look to get a big man down low and after Deandre Jordan, Chuck Hayes is the best on my list. Hayes is an undersized center at only 6'6" but his 238-pound frame allows him to muscle in the paint for rebounds and he shoots at a high percentage from the field (mostly an around the basket guy). Hayes has less potential than Deandre Jordan, but is much more consistent (similar to Ronny Turiaf). Jordan and Turiaf would compliment each other best, but if Turiaf leaves then look for the Knicks to be a serious play at one, if not both, of these big men. He is making $2.3 million this year and will demand a higher payday than Jordan.

The Pistons have a talented second year player in Jonas Jerebko. He made the All Rookie Second Team, which has been an indicator of guys poised for breakout seasons: Kevin Love, Marc Gasol, and Eric Gordon (from the 08-09 team). Jerebko is another international stud and will hopefully want to play in New York, the media capital of the world. Similar to how Gallo loved the New York spotlight, Jonas Jerebko could flourish in New York and give the Knicks a lot of European appeal. The lanky big man can be a back up to Amare and learn the game from an All-Star power forward. This situation would be a win-win for everyone (except the Pistons). Another guy making under 800K who isn't expecting any multi-million dollar deals. This guy is for real. James Dolan needs to make sure we lock him up for a long-term deal, or at least a contract with team options.

Reggie Williams is part of Don Nelson's love of guards/wing players. On a team headlined by Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, and Dorrell Wright, Reggie Williams has had very few chances to break out. Golden State and the Knicks run similar styles: "don't play defense", so Williams would feel right at home in New York. He's another guy who may fly under the radar when times throw big money at the elite players. Similarly would be Shane Battier, but for opposite reasons. Battier does not put up good looking stats, but he ends up filling the box score. He is an outstanding defender, great shooter, extremely efficient, and is coming off a big contract. Teams are not going to pay a veteran-defender who doesn't score big money, so the Knicks should look to pay him (definitely less than his current $7 million deal). He has experienced a lot of hard times with Yao Ming in Houston and will hopefully look to pair up with two healthy superstars.

In the case that the Knicks decide to buy out Billups rather than pay him $14 million dollars, they need to look for a fill-in point guard, a one-year bridge until free agency 2012. Toney Douglas hasn't show signs of being a franchise or even starting point, and there are now NBA ready point guards that the Knicks could draft. This is a very hard void to fill, which is why they are very likely to keep Billups. Other options include signing someone like Sebastian Telfair, T.J Ford, Steve Blake or Mario Chalmers to a one-year deal. A more ideal situation would be to acquire Luke Ridnour from the Timberwolves in exchange for Toney Douglas. Ridnour is making around $4 million a year for the next 4 seasons and could be a back up for New York come 2012. Other less likely candidates would be Acie Law, Mo Williams, and Rodney Stuckey.

There are a large number of scoring wings, but this is not important with Carmelo and Amare at the forward positions. Guys like Marquis Daniels, Anthony Parker, Jason Kapano, Tayshaun Prince, and Tracy McGrady may be willing to sacrifice money for a chance to help bring a title to New York.

The Knicks did the right thing and got an elite scorer for a group of role players. In less than a year the Knicks have acquired two Top 15 players and returned to the playoffs, even after losing out on LeBron. As fans, we hated the front office for signing guys like Eddy Curry and Jerome James, making bad trades for Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway, and for trading away countless draft picks and potential superstars. Denver fans are going to be sitting home for the five seasons praying to be blessed in the draft with a once-in-a-lifetime player (again), hoping this time that the won’t lose him.

2011- The Year Of Love

Everyone knows LeBron James and Kobe Bryant will continue to rule the NBA hierarchy but throughout the first few months of the 2010-2011 season fans have seen some players begin to blossom. Who will to continue to breakout? and Who is going to fall back to reality?



Kevin Love- Right now Kevin Love is leading the league in rebounds by a wide margin and is cementing his place among the elite big men. Kevin Love has always been recognized as a solid player but he has never been mentioned in that "superstar" category. So far this season Love has proved he wants to be in recognized in that upper echelon of talent, and he certainly deserves to be. He is averaging 20.8 points and 15.5 rebounds per game, last season he averaged 14 and 11 but was seemingly overshadowed by the presence of Al Jefferson. With Jefferson's departure to Utah, Kurt Rambis has designated Love as the go-to-guy for this young team. The Timberwolves are filled with raw-youthful talent such as: Jonny Flynn, Wes Johnson, Ricky Rubio, Darko Milicic, and Michael Beasley. Injuries and inexperience have set Minnesota back a few years but despite their rebuilding process, the team is getting a high level of production from their third year big man. His most impressive performance came against the Knicks back on November 12th where he dropped 31 points to go along 31 rebounds. This was the first 30-30 game in NBA history since Moses Malone. That was the first of four 30+ point performances for Love, including a career-high 43. Kevin Love's game exists away from the basket as well; he is a versatile offensive weapon. In eleven games this season Love has made multiple 3-pointers and has had two nights in December where he shot a perfect 5 for 5 from behind the arc. He shoots 45 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3 point line, and 88 percent on free throws, proving he puts up high scoring numbers at an efficient rate. In the NBA, efficiency is what separates the league's stars from the rest of the field. Love will make a major push for an All-Star spot in the west and definitely deserves consideration as a backup forward. The starting front court will include Durant, Gasol, and Nowitzki but look for Love to be in contention as well, along with guys like Rudy Gay, David West, Tim Duncan, and Carmelo Anthony.

Should Knick Fans Be Optimistic Or Fearful?

Since 2008, Knick fans have dreamed of welcoming LeBron James to the Garden; but as the summer of 2010 passed by, Knick fans agonized at "The Decision", where the Big 3 decided to “take their talents to South Beach”. Knick fans cynically watch with a smile, as the Heat is only a mere one game ahead of the Knicks; both teams are hovering around .500. In hindsight, it's a bittersweet feeling. These same Knicks have shown signs of a bright future on occasion, while also showing signs of a regression to last season's woes.

We have been hearing demands to fire Mike D'Antoni as well as some fans screaming how Amar'e is a bust already. Those two statements, and others like them, are completely outrageous. This roster is filled with new faces and it's going to take time for a group of young guys to develop the necessary chemistry to win in this league. But there are a lot of positive things so far that hint a bright future which is why fans should keep faith and remain optimistic. During their recent 5 game winning streak the team went from 3-8 to a respectable 8-8. Winning those 5 games was no walk in the park as New York had a stretch of 5 games in 7 days, 3 road games on the west coast and a home and away series versus the Bobcats. Regardless of the opponent, winning an away game in the NBA is always a daunting task.

1. Amar'e Stoudemire is worth his max contract and is playing like an MVP caliber player.

22.6 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.2 APG, and 2.1 BPG

His assist and block numbers are career highs and his points and rebounds are exactly what we fans expected, All Star and MVP type numbers. Obviously he knows and fits into D'Antoni's system and once the offense begins to click we can expect all of his numbers to increase. Amar'e has played much better basketball than Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer has yet to see the court in a Bulls uniform. The Knicks came away with the best deal when it came to signing a high priced big man.

2. Raymond Felton has been the biggest surprise so far this season for the Knicks and maybe in the entire NBA.

It looks like we finally found our franchise point guard; Raymond Felton is putting up the best stats of his career (career highs in: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, ft%, 3 pt%, 3 pointers made, and field goal percentage). 18 points, 8 assists, and 2 steals a game is much better than we expected after Felton averaged 12 points and 5.5 assists last season with Charlotte. He has been criticized for his inability to run the pick and roll with Amar'e and for not being a D'Antoni point guard like Steve Nash was for the Suns. But even if that is true, imagine how much better the Knicks and Felton will be once he learns how to play the two-man game with Amar'e. Felton has been a great defender, clutch shooter, and smart leader all season and will continue to flourish in this system. He is getting everybody the ball and making this offense click. We expected Amar'e to fill the stat sheet but Felton is not far behind.

3. Rookie Landry Fields

The starting shooting guard role was the major point of discussion in the off season, Azuibuike was brought in to play that position; but, he is still recovering from injury and is yet to play a game for the Knicks. Roger Mason and Andy Rautins were thought to be perfect for this system where the shooting guard does just that, shoot 3's. But both players are not even in the rotation and have yet to impress the coaching staff. Chandler and Gallo both were mentioned as potential starters but with their size and offense style they both were better suited to play the opposite wing, with Chandler being the 6th man. Both Douglas and Fields impressed fans with their hustle and defense enough to earn consideration for the starting position. But Douglas is still more of a point guard with a shooting guard style of play. Douglas is probably the best perimeter defender on the roster but his combo guard style did not fit the needs at the 2. So as the season began rookie Landry Fields got the nod to be the team's starting shooting guard and has made the most of his opportunity averaging 11 points and 7 rebounds. Fields is the team's second leading rebounder, which is very impressive for a guard. This should not come as much surprise because Landry Fields average 22 points and 9 rebounds last season at Stanford playing on the wing. He almost always the height advantage over his defenders seeing as he is 6'7", which makes rebounding a huge advantage for the team. He makes the hustle plays and is always working hard and getting up and down the court. He is not the conventional shooting guard for D'Antoni's system, but the way he is playing you can't argue he deserves the minutes.

4. Anthony Randolph's Averages Per 48 minutes (11.6 points, 14.3 Rebounds, and 3.18 Blocks)

Anthony Randolph was supposed to be the main piece of the David Lee trade, a player with All Star potential who has been hurt. Fans had high hopes of Randolph have a Gallinari type breakout season but so far he is barely seeing playing time. The first few games he played in a Knick's uniform did not resemble his high flying-highlight reel style we saw in spurts over for the Warriors. But recently he was put in during a blowout and showed signs of a higher basketball IQ, instead of forcing the ball he slowed it down and made smart passes. Although he finished with 0 points and 2 assists, everyone has to be pleased with the improvements in his mental game. Let's hope his erratic play and constant fear of making a mistake is part of his past. Randolph is only 21 and still has that same potential plus he would be a perfect center in D'Antoni's system. He could block shots, rebound, score on the fast break, and be a presence down low on both sides of the ball. The Knicks have already transformed into a high quality defensive unit that can block shots and cause turnovers at will so with the addition of Randolph down low this team could give any offense a hard time.

The future looks bright for the New York Knicks and fans should be optimistic because as the season goes on the wins will start to come in bunches. Amar'e is one of the best players in the NBA, Felton is playing like a top 5 point guard in his first season under MikeD'Antoni, Chandler is the front runner for 6th man of the year award and is playing to impress in hope a new contract, Gallinai is always a threat when he has the ball and is one of the most versatile wing players in the league, and with the vast depth and young talent on this roster we can look forward to a fun season of quality basketball for the first time in this decade.

LeBron and "The Decision"

As a Knick fan every since 2008 I have put all my hopes and faith into signing LeBron in 2010. But as the summer approached I realized we had serious competition. New York, Chicago, Miami, LA Clippers, Dallas, New Jersey and of course Cleveland all were in the hunt. I immediately knew the Clippers were eliminated. There was no chance that LeBron would go to Los Angeles and be in Kobe's shadow and literally be playing in Kobe's house. The next team to go was Dallas because it was clear that Dirk was not going anywhere and the deal was too complicated to work out. The only reason people even mentioned Dallas is because with Mark Cuban anything is possible. Now New Jersey, even though it seems that New Jersey was in the race I thought they had no chance. If he would leave Cleveland he would not chose New Jersey over New York. The Nets are stuck in New Jersey for 3 years with no roster. This leaves Cleveland, New York, Chicago, Miami. I felt any of these were possible. At the time I also had thought Wade was considering leaving Miami for hometown of Chicago and possibly bring in LeBron. I dismissed the rumors of LeBron, Wade, & Bosh going anywhere together as a fantasy. All 4 had there features: Cleveland- his hometown, his team for 7 seasons, family, loyalty, legacy...Chicago- best core group of talent and money...New York- best city in the world, marketing, msg, money...Miami- flexibility, good city, smart management. In my reasoning I did not attach Wade to Miami. I then narrowed it down to two: Cleveland and New York. Of course I am biased but I have reasons. Cleveland will always be in it because it is team and home, but if he was going to leave why would he go to Chicago where he will always be #2 to MJ and compared in every way. In Miami there is no one on the roster unless he brings people with him and with Wade it will always be wade vs lebron to the fans. The fans would be most understanding to a move to New York because it is the greatest city and a major career opportunity outside of just basketball. He could rebuild a team and be the King of New York. But when LeBron announced he was joining Wade and Bosh in Miami for a big 3 it was career suicide. For Wade and Bosh this is a good move because Bosh has a chance to get his max money and win titles (he is not worries about legacy since he is not one of the greatest of all time) and for wade he already has his ring and is staying at home. But LeBron is concieding any chance at being considered the greatest player of all time. No matter what he does he will never surpass Kobe, Michael, Magic, Kareem, Bird, and Russell. All were players who were commited to intergirty in the game. All of whom also have won a large number of titles. Even if LeBron wins 4 rings in the next 6 seasons he will be behind a large number of people. He put himself into a situation where Wade will always be better than LeBron due to the 1 ring advantage. If he had stayed in Cleveland and proved his loyalty then he had a chance to stay there for the rest of his career and even if he only won 1 or 2 titles he would still be in the top 10.

My Projected New York Knick's Starting Lineup

PG- Raymond Felton- The Knick's signed him to a 3 year deal after LeBron's decision. Felton has averaged about 13 points and 6.5 assists in his first five seasons and never missed more than 4 games in a single reason. He can be a key addition and immediately have an impact as the team's point guard. Felton shot 39% from 3 point range last season and will have a lot of opportunities to shoot the long ball in D'antoni's system. Adding Raymond Felton is a good move because it allows second year PG Toney Douglas to remain in the back up role. Felton adds to a good young core of talent in New York and can spread the ball in this fast paced offense as well as being able to drive and hit 3's when necessary. I love this signing because he is also a above average defender and has always been healthy, some refreshing news for Knick fans. With Chandler slashing to the hoop, Gallo being a matchup nightmare, and Amare down low Felton should be able to rack up the assists. I predict that Felton will average around 13 points and 7-8 assists a game. This is a much needed change as Duhon (a free agent) had seen a sharp decrease in his numbers.

SG- Wilson Chandler- In his fourth season season Chandler is most likely going to be the starting shooting guard on this team. Even though he is 6'8" and listed as a SF he seems to be the only option to fill the need at SG. This will be his first year as a full starter. He has shown he has the ability to get to the hoop and finish strong. Chandler could be a primary scoring option. Last season when T-Mac arrived McGrady was the primary option and took away time from Chandler. None the less Chandler made the most of his chances and will see an increase in shots. Last season he averaged around 15 points and 5.5 rebounds as well as 2 assist. It will be interesting to see how more playing time, shift to SG, and the addition of Amare of other role players will impact his numbers. The wild card in predicting Chandler's stats is Kelenna Azukuike. Azukuike only played nine games games list year but should be healthy for the start of training camp. Azukuike is 6'5" and will most likely be a used as wing player either at the 2 or the 3. I can see a competiton between Azukuike and Chandler for a starting spot but I think Chandler will start off. The shift from playing SF to SG might see a drop in his rebounds but an increase in assist. Wilson definitely needs to work on his 3 point percentage because he will see a lot of looks in this offense. Ultimately I can see that being the reason why Azukuike may move into the starting SG role with Chandler being the 6th man & backup SG/SF.

SF- Danilo Gallinari- In 08-09 (his rookie season) he did not see much playing time and was insignificant. But last season was a breakthrough. His second year in the league out of Italy "Gallo" was one of the few bright spots on the Knicks. He was a fan favorite and a unique player. Gallinari was amongst the league leaders in 3 point shooting and will be used so spread the floor. At 6'10" he almost always will have the height advantage over the opposing SF. He can either stay on the wing knock down shots, post up a smaller defender, or drive to the hoop with his quickness. The pick and roll betwen Gallo and Amare will be deadly and should be the focal point of the Knick's offense. I expect to see increases in his points and rebounds as he matures and improves. He was a lot of potential and can even go down and play the 4 or 5 in a smaller lineup. Look for him to be used on drive and kicks and to work the post. He plays good defense and is very coachable and energetic. Look for him to emerge as the leader of the wing on the Knicks. Azukuike or Chandler can also see some time at SF depending on the type of lineup. Watch out for his rebounding and blocks to sky rocket with his height and leaping ability.

PF- Amar'e Stoudemire- He is the Knick's prize this offseason. The summer of 2010 was supposed to be about LeBron, Wade, or Bosh for the Knicks, unfortunately all three teamed up in Miami. With Joe Johnson, Dirk, Pierce, and Rudy Gay all re signing with there teams the Knicks were lucky to get Amare in the beginning. Teams like the Clippers and Nets are now left with money to spend and no one to give it to. In my opinion Amare was the second best big man in this free agency class. With Bosh leading it, Amare is a better player than Lee and Boozer. This is the first time the Knicks have had an all star that is not out of his prime (or injuried) in a long time. Amare's is seen as a superstar in this league. He won rookie of the year in 2002, is a 5 time all star, and was named to the All NBA second team last season. Upto this point he has spent his entire career with the Suns and has been a major part of some teams. Amare played under D'antoni and knows the system. This is a huge move for the Knicks and gives some hope to the fans. Undoubtedly Amare will be the primary scoring option and leader of this team. He has suffered some injuries to his knee and eye but played and started all 82 games last season. His stats are of course very good and he brings a low post presence to the Knicks that other teams should fear. I think if he stays healthy he can put up numbers as high as 25 points with 10 rebounds. We saw David Lee average 20 and 12 and Lee was a double double machine in New York. I see no reason why Amare cannot grab 10-11 boards in this fast paced offense. He will do a majority of his work down low and also shot some jumpers. With Gallo and Chandler on the wings Amare will have a lot of options and should get a few assist per game.

C- Anthony Randolph- I do not know if Randolph will start off the season in the starting lineup but he should definitely be in it before December. He was one of the players that the Knicks received in the David Lee start this offseason. He is also the most coveted of the three. This kid is full of potential and at 6'10" is extremely athletic. He was injured last year and played sparely in his rookie season but Randolph showed signs of superstar talent at times in those games. If you just look at his stats you may see a nice young big man to come off the bench and play some strong minutes but I see more. I see the potential for a starting center that can score 15 points and grab 8-9 rebounds. Not to mention countless blocks and a major presence down low. I'm basing this on a few highlights of him but we haven't seen him play much at all. If he can develop a mid range jumper then the Knicks have a franchise big man that can be used in many ways. I compare him to a Gerald Wallace or a Lamar Odom with a higher ceiling. A big man that can run up and down the court and be a scoring threat in the open court. I don't see him doing much "back to the basket" work but maybe he can develop that which will turn him into an all star. The move to get Randolph was one that had a purpose to trade Lee who was a free agent in return for something. The other two pieces, Azukuike and Turiaf can be role players off the bench but Randolph has tremendous potential. I can see someone else beginning the season at center. If Randolph stays healthy watch out for him when he Knicks decide to run or as a help defender. Currently his body is not as big as needed and he needs to hit the weight room to be able to go up against some other centers.

Bench:

I see Douglas being the back up PG to Felton (again), Kelenna Azukuike as the 6th man getting a lot of minutes (like chandler), Bill Walker will be a "Nate Robinson" type scoring spark off the bench, Andy Rautins as the sharp shooter (Eddie House last season), and Earl Barron as the back up big men at PF/C. The rotation will include: Felton, Gallo, Amare, Chandler, Randolph, Azukuike, with Barron and Douglas in the mix. It seems as if the Knicks are full of young players but there is not enough room for everyone. Out of the three rookies I think Rautins is the best but can't see him getting much time with all these guards. Landry Fields and Jerome Jordan will most likely sit back and watch for the time being. While Curry and Turiaf are the veterans bigs ready for garbage time.

PG- Felton/Douglas

SG- Chandler/Azukuike/ Walker

SF- Gallo/Azukuike/ Rautins

PF-Amare/Barron

C-Randolph/Turiaf

Curry should be traded by the deadline and rookies Landry Fields and Jerome Jordan are nice pieces for the future.