2010-11 NBA Season

[Jigga]

So Knicks fans... in 2012... D-Will or CP3?

I wouldn't care if either one came. D-Will already said he wanted to come, and I think CP3 did also. Paul might be a better fit because I've always seen him as more of a passer, and not as much of a scorer.

I don't think D-Will himself said that he wanted to come to New York...yet. Some reporter (I don't remember who) said that "someone close to Deron Williams" said that he'd like to play for the Knicks. Williams himself pretty much said that he'd be the one to say that he would go to the Knicks if he wanted to. There's still a good chance he leaves Utah after next season, but at this rate, I don't expect him to go until then. Of course, that's just my opinion, and I haven't heard anything else.

If Deron Williams is able to cut down the Utah State Lamdmark that was Jerry Sloan, you better believe that he's got it in him to hold the Jazz franchise hostage and force a trade to New York, ala Carmelo.

I'm curious to see what they would have available for trade. I guess they can give up Chauncey's expiring contract and every draft pick until the end of time. It'll be interesting next year, for sure.

[NJTank]

I just realy don't think this makes the Knicks better, especially not for the future. Kinda scratching my head here. I mean, Ray Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, K-Mart, Nene, Afflalo is just as threatening as Billups-Melo-Amare and 9 no-namers

Agreed, I really don't like this team now. I'm fine giving up Felton and Chandler, but Gallo was just too much.

So, you want Carmelo, but when the team gets him, you're STILL unhappy? GTFO.

He sounds a lot like a certain Mets fan on these boards. Must be a NY/NJ thing.

Trust me it is.

That it is

[Starchild]

After having time to process this and wrestle with whatever conflicting feelings I may have had, here's what I've come up with:

I've only been on this planet for 25 years, and only since I was about 8 or 9 years old can I remember truly understanding and enjoying basketball, so the 80s don't count for me. I've lived through good and bad times as a Knicks fan. I've watched Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, John Starks, Anthony Mason, Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby - all big-time contributors on playoff and NBA Finals teams - get traded.

As much as I liked Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov and, to a lesser extent, Wilson Chandler... I'll live. The Knickerbockers just got one of the top 10 players in the league, and arguably the best pure scorer in the league (Kevin Durant being the other in the equation). I'm not going to sit here and whine and complain over losing guys who never came close to sniffing the playoffs or any kind of REAL consistency in their games. Gallo was a Knick for 3 years. Felton for half. Mozgov for half. The attachment is superficial. Nobody is REALLY attached to those guys. They're attached because for so long, the organization was a joke, and thus, Knicks fans, rightfully so, cling to any glimmer of hope. Point is, all of the pieces in the trade on NY's end were good or slightly above-average players on contending teams. Felton was a rental from day one. Chandler was gone in the offseason regardless. Mozgov is a reserve center. In return, the Knicks get a top-tier player in Carmelo, and not to be understated, get Chauncey Billups to replace Felton in the rent-a-point role! Mr. Big Shot! A guy who went to 2 NBA Finals. NBA Finals MVP. SEVEN consecutive Eastern Conference finals, EIGHT overall when you consider 2008-09 with Denver. Plays defense. Veteran leadership. And, if that wasn't enough, has a huge expiring contract that come next season, could be used in a trade for another, more permanent point guard. Billups, in my eyes, fills the kind of role Derek Harper filled in 1994, which was HUGE. I'm not saying he's putting the team into championship contending, but the man's impact should not go unnoticed. If I have to pick a point guard that I trust at the end of games, and I have to choose between Felton and Billups, I don't know how anyone can rationalize giving Felton the ball - and that's coming from a fan who really dug Felton's stint here.

Knicks fans that are complaining need to shut up. You go get the stars, then find complementary guys. James Jones, Eddie House, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Erick Dampier, Carlos Arroyo, Joel Anthony, Juwan Howard. Look at those names. Those are the Miami Heat members sans Wade, James, Bosh and Miller. Kendrick Perkins, Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, Marquis Daniels and in years past, James Posey, PJ Brown and Leon Powe. Boston Celtics sans KG, Pierce, Allen and Rondo. Hell, go back to 1996-1998. Judd Buechler, Steve Kerr, Randy Brown, Dickey Simpkins, Jason Caffey, John Salley, Luc Longley, Ron Harper. Chicago Bulls outside of Jordan, Pippen, Rodman and Kukoc. Point is, those are ALL replaceable guys. Guys who can hit open threes, defend in spurts, provide rest and fouls for the big guys, rebound the ball, block shots. Not studs. The Bulls went from Paxson to Kerr. B.J. Armstrong to Ron Harper. Bill Cartwright to Luc Longley. These guys are a dime a dozen. If you have a chance to get a guy who is in the upper echelon of the NBA, you do it. They moved 90% of their assets... but what were you saving the assets for? If not Melo, you probably wind up having to dump all those pieces NEXT year on Paul or Williams because the Nets would've got Melo for JUST AS MUCH. The precedent would've been set.

[Jigga]

Time to change the sig to "Where 2011 happened."

[Lights Out]

It's easy to say that a team should get a couple superstars first and then get the roleplayers, but IIRC, the Knicks don't have much cap space left now with Melo. You're either going to have a great starting lineup and a D-league bench or an okay starting lineup and a good bench, when in reality, the best option is a great starting lineup and a great bench.

And this is not even going into how dangerous this Big Three trend is for the survival of the league, since there's also been long-spread rumors of Chris Paul to the Knicks. There's only a select few superstars in the league, and too many franchises for each to have a Big Three of superstars. The gap between good teams and bad teams is already way too wide. If this Big Three nonsense continues, it will widen even further, and there will also be less good franchises.

---

In semi-related news, Danilo Gallinari may not be a Nugget for much longer. The Clippers are in trade discussions with the Nuggets for him. Git'r done, Olshey.

[cameroncrazie07]

From what I hear, Carmelo is likely to wear # 30. He can't wear 15 because it's retired, and he's always loved Bernard King who wore that same number.

[jhans203]

From what I hear, Carmelo is likely to wear # 30. He can't wear 15 because it's retired, and he's always loved Bernard King who wore that same number.

He's wearing #7.

[cameroncrazie07]

From what I hear, Carmelo is likely to wear # 30. He can't wear 15 because it's retired, and he's always loved Bernard King who wore that same number.

He's wearing #7.

Yeah my bad I had heard that earlier.

[Starchild]

It's easy to say that a team should get a couple superstars first and then get the roleplayers, but IIRC, the Knicks don't have much cap space left now with Melo. You're either going to have a great starting lineup and a D-league bench or an okay starting lineup and a good bench, when in reality, the best option is a great starting lineup and a great bench.

Of course. It's not that it is really easy, exactly, but it is unquestionably easier to get the complementary role players than it is to acquire a top-tier talent like a Carmelo Anthony. It would be foolish to suggest that a team hold onto replaceable role players instead of going out and getting the franchise player. It's a star-driven league. Guys l like Gallo, Chandler, etc. are all incredibly important, but they're not going to put the team on their back for stretches.

From what I hear, Carmelo is likely to wear # 30. He can't wear 15 because it's retired, and he's always loved Bernard King who wore that same number.

He's wearing #7.

Yeah my bad I had heard that earlier.

Kelenna Azubuike wears #7. So I guess, unless Azubuike gives it up, Melo will be in a different number.

[tBBP]

Well...I forget what LeBron's reasoning for choosing #6 was, but 2+3, +1 = 6. In regards to Chris Bosh, 4 - D Wade's jersey number = 1. So, Melo could do something similar: 1 + 5, +1 = 7? Except Starchild mentioned that number was already taken, so 15 - Amare's jersey number = 14??? Or is that taken, too?

(I know...I really need to get to sleep soon. That is...if I can get off shift. )

[Lights Out]

This has probably been the Clippers' worst game of the season so far. At least they took the Cavs to overtime. This is just good old-fashioned rolling over to a decent team.

Gallo can't come fast enough.

[IceCap]

This has probably been the Clippers' worst game of the season so far. At least they took the Cavs to overtime. This is just good old-fashioned rolling over to a decent team.

Gallo can't come fast enough.

The Cavs loss denied us the Cavs/Wizards anti-Finals we all wanted to see. Circumstances make that one worse

[cameroncrazie07]

It's easy to say that a team should get a couple superstars first and then get the roleplayers, but IIRC, the Knicks don't have much cap space left now with Melo. You're either going to have a great starting lineup and a D-league bench or an okay starting lineup and a good bench, when in reality, the best option is a great starting lineup and a great bench.

Of course. It's not that it is really easy, exactly, but it is unquestionably easier to get the complementary role players than it is to acquire a top-tier talent like a Carmelo Anthony. It would be foolish to suggest that a team hold onto replaceable role players instead of going out and getting the franchise player. It's a star-driven league. Guys l like Gallo, Chandler, etc. are all incredibly important, but they're not going to put the team on their back for stretches.

From what I hear, Carmelo is likely to wear # 30. He can't wear 15 because it's retired, and he's always loved Bernard King who wore that same number.

He's wearing #7.

Yeah my bad I had heard that earlier.

Kelenna Azubuike wears #7. So I guess, unless Azubuike gives it up, Melo will be in a different number.

I think he'll give it up.

[The_Admiral]

Bulls trade James Johnson to Toronto for a late first in 2011. James Johnson blows and added nothing, so it was very courteous of Toronto to take a bum off our hands in exchange for a draft pick that could be of value. I think this gives the Bulls four picks in the first round, so with the Bulls not exactly in need of a youth movement, this is certainly setting the stage for that 2-guard we need.

So the Raptors turned Chris Bosh into James Johnson. Hm.

[NEW.ERA]

Another classic Bryan Colangelo move.

[Saintsfan]

It's easy to say that a team should get a couple superstars first and then get the roleplayers, but IIRC, the Knicks don't have much cap space left now with Melo. You're either going to have a great starting lineup and a D-league bench or an okay starting lineup and a good bench, when in reality, the best option is a great starting lineup and a great bench.

Of course. It's not that it is really easy, exactly, but it is unquestionably easier to get the complementary role players than it is to acquire a top-tier talent like a Carmelo Anthony. It would be foolish to suggest that a team hold onto replaceable role players instead of going out and getting the franchise player. It's a star-driven league. Guys l like Gallo, Chandler, etc. are all incredibly important, but they're not going to put the team on their back for stretches.

it's pretty much impossible to build an NBA team through the draft. You might be able to get one decent guy through the draft, but you need 2 high draft quality players to challenge. Once you have 1 great player, your chances of getting another high draft pick go down immensely. Even the great Bulls teams 20 years ago used free agency and trades to help build.

It's all very well bitching because another team got good. But that's how you build an NBA franchise. It's hard, and it's why big cities tend to take most of the titles.

[mania]

Well...I forget what LeBron's reasoning for choosing #6 was, but 2+3, +1 = 6.

It's his national team number.

[mania]

WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski

by gkketch

Utah has agreed to trade All-Star point guard Deron Williams to Nets in multi-player package, Yahoo! Sports has learned. Deal is done.

[Starchild]

WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski

by gkketch

Utah has agreed to trade All-Star point guard Deron Williams to Nets in multi-player package, Yahoo! Sports has learned. Deal is done.

Derek Favors, Devon Harris and two 1st rounders it looks like. Great trade for Jersey/Brooklyn.

[rams80]

Any chance Utah goes back to Sloan on its hands and knees now?