Chandler wrote:not trying to be a debbie downer about the tank, but it's not a panacea by a long shot! -snip-So while it's nice to think about a shiny-new top of the lottery pick, it's far short of being magic. Personally I'm super conflicted about it because i think it creates conflicted message to the team
Not by a long - long shot! True. But I don't think its sending any adverse messages per se.
I think the Knicks view it this way. The team already has a handful of very talented, too young to compete players on its hands. We aren't winning anything anyway and developing these kids is the only thing worth doing. Winning games is masochistic. So the default by-product of this development year is a potential draft position that yields yet another talented kid - no harm done. AND! maybe, just maybe, we are lucky enough to land one more franchise-esque long term keeper.
In reality, this is the only sane way to approach this basketball season.
Chandler wrote:Trying to be an optimist, I'll stick to the notion that there is some secret system and plan for our team and that Fizdale is either somehow developing individual skills or doing some Karate Kid-shit waiting for a more opportune time (e.g., next season) to reveal that he actually has an offensive and defensive system and strategy (sorry I'm disqualifying a zone defense).
I'm frustrated as well. Its one thing to lose but its another not to play the kids systematically while instilling a philosophical and pragmatic system in their DNA. Play the aces until they drop. One of Geno Auriemma's players was interviewed about how she felt about so much redundant practice. She answered, "We don't practice to avoid making mistakes, we practice to always do it right." or something to that effect.
The benching of Frankie has me concerned. Benching players for not getting it right doesn't add up for me. Make him play and get it right every time his number is called. The kid's a unicorn. Next year is meaningless without him playing right. This is a simple priority and as a team the coach has to coach to play the right combinations - not play musical chairs.
Chandler wrote:
Also I hope people disillusion themselves about a big FA signing. While everyone would be psyched with a prime FA we all have to consider that the top guys will make max money wherever they go. Unless KP comes back this season and shows he is a big deal still, there is very little incentive for a top FA to join this hot mess. NY will have higher taxes and at least a historically dysfunctional chain of command (with the current FO probably rated as unclear). (FWIW this is perfectly fine by me. I think were at least a few years away from reasonably thinking a big FA will push us to where we all want to be)
I agree. This nonsensical talk about MAX signings makes less than ZERO sense. First it means we spent this year developing players we'll need to jettison next year to fiscal constraints. And what will we have? A max player or two who will need to be surrounded by aging vets hungry for a ring. And any youngster who is kept on the roster will be on a very short leash if the team is winning to keep Max Dollars happy. These kids are too young for that. We'd be back in mediocrity hell by mid-season.
I can only hope the FO realizes this and is discreetly letting people speculate as they choose. I think the rebuild is real. Frankie, Porky [assuming he's healthy], and Knox are blue chip futures. Trier, Mitchell, and Kornet - diamonds in the rough. And Vonleh, Mudiay, and Dotson are found gold.
The rest of the team doesn't matter in the big picture. You play these guys, you pay these guys - FIRST THINGS FIRST. They are developing a chemistry.
Signing a MAX FA to disrupt this is a good idea -- WHY?
I don't see it.
Chandler wrote:
If the Knicks wanted my advice it would be to focus on winning ways moreso than wins. If for example they honestly feel having Kanter and Mudiay playing starting minutes is teaching the rest of the team to play the right way then so be it. If they think it will add to wins but not the development of the other team members then it's a bad choice.right now i find a huge number of their decisions so perplexing i think we have actually regressed from Hornacek and Fisher. The only thing that gives me real hope is a number of their players who i just think play with the right professionalism or passion: KP, Frank [though he's been disappointing, i think he would thrive with a better coach], Knox, Mitch, Trier, dotson, Vonleh, even Kornet to a certain degree. Everyone else i think is too old for our time line or simply does not play "winning" basketball.
I pretty much agree. OTOH, I want to see Mitchell and Kornet playing the lion's share of center minutes, Kanter needs to go by Feb.