Thread Tools

Display Modes

**USSKittyHawk** · 09-28-2006, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Maurice Taylor probably wouldn't make the best witness tomorrow for the Knicks in their lame case against Larry Brown violating his $50 million contract last season.

Taylor, hoping to have his contract bought out before training camp opens Monday, told The Post the Knicks' mismatched roster was cause for their 23-59 demise, not the head coach. And Taylor isn't sure Isiah Thomas did enough in the summer to lift the club into the playoffs.

"First and foremost, we're a bad team," said Taylor, who arrived into New York yesterday from his home in Houston. "Let's get that out of the way first. It's not all of a sudden we weren't winning. How did Don Chaney do? How did Lenny Wilkens do? How did Herb Williams do? It's not like we were just bad lately. So I don't look at it as Larry failing miserably.

"The most surprising part is they fired him with so many years left on his contract," Taylor said. "And he's also a Hall of Fame coach."

The Knicks have recorded five consecutive losing seasons, making the playoffs just once in that span. They experienced a 10-game nosedive from 2004-2005 to 2005-2006 - from 33-49 to 23-59. That was far from the league's worst slippage, as Seattle and Houston each shared the league-high with 17-game slides.

With a coaching change and very minor tinkering to the roster, Thomas now says making the playoffs is "realistic." Taylor said he believes that's stretching it.

"Coming from 23 wins to talking about making the playoffs, you have a ways to go," Taylor said. "Maybe Larry could've won more games, but the truth is in the numbers and we had 23 wins."

Thomas said he thinks they won't this season, raving about the roster after Brown's firing. Thomas added a role player in Jared Jeffries and passed on the super-talented UConn point guard Marcus Williams at No. 20 to take an anonymous energy bench guy, Renaldo Balkman. Balkman likely would have been available at 29.

"There were a lot of changes around the league, but we didn't make any to the core of the team," Taylor said. "But we have a lot of young guys left so they're definitely going to get better."

With youngsters Channing Frye and David Lee at power forward, Taylor understands he has no role on the team other than as a valuable trade pawn because of his expiring $9M contract. At this stage, owner James Dolan, footing an embarrassing league-high $130 million payroll, wants to save money, not take on more long-term deals. So the Knicks approached agent David Falk about a buyout and the sides have begun preliminary talks.

"I would play the young guys, too," Taylor said. "They're not trying to spite me. I'm not saying what they're doing is a bad thing. But it's bad for me. I'm a much better player than what you saw in New York."

http://www.nypost.com/seven/09282006...arc_berman.htm

frank9007 · 09-28-2006, 12:25 PM

Does anybody really take the black hole serious? Bitter Taylor probably doesn't want to get embarrassed by Frye and Lee.

Zeke probably told him to beat out Lee and Mo just has to much pride for that. Mo Taylor is just looking out for himself.

Is anybody really suprised? Mo Taylor has an eye on his next payday and thats the bottom line. And Mo really just contradicts himself when he says he was better than what he showed last season.

Hey Mo if you think you were better than last season but the other guys on team were not? Everyone din't play up their game under the Clown. And his love for the clown just proves to me that he's just trying to get paid.

Mo Taylor also has a pride thing, he knows Isiah might look to trade him at the deadline. Remember Zeke's comments about MO? He said he was an asset and that it would make him valuable to aquire another player.

Mo said that he's a piece of meat. Hello Mo that is what you are and nothing more.

Mo Taylor is forcing the issue with these comments. At this point i want Zeke to either low ball him (1 mill) and get him out, or my option give him the Penny treatment and send his *** home.

alphadog · 09-28-2006, 02:28 PM

Taylor is exactly right.....and I didn't sense any bitterness from the article at all. Seems like he knows what is going on is the best thing for the current team. In fact, he says he would do the same thing. Where do you get the bitterness thing?

frank9007 · 09-28-2006, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphadog

Taylor is exactly right.....and I didn't sense any bitterness from the article at all. Seems like he knows what is going on is the best thing for the current team. In fact, he says he would do the same thing. Where do you get the bitterness thing?

He feels he's entitled to playing time based on years of expirince. Isiah said that he wants guys to fight for playing time MO doesn't want to do that and i know why.

He is not good enough to beat out Frye or Lee and he knows this. He knows the clown isn't the coach, and under Isiah he will be buried in the bench like he was supposed to be last season.

He doesn't want to give Zeke the satisfaction of trading his weak ***. Thats why he's making a stink about it.

All this other stuff about saying he would do the same ie playing Frye and Lee, is just sugar coating his real intentions.

=

L · 09-28-2006, 03:56 PM

Its a safer to bet that the knicks wont make it.
But all i think Taylor is doing is forcing Isiah into buying him out.

Cager · 09-29-2006, 05:29 AM

I agree that Taylor is just trying to help the Knicks buy out his last year. However, I don't agree that the Knicks can't make the playoffs. I think the biggest obstacles are rebounding and interior defense. If Curry does either then the Knicks should be OK and if he does then Mark Aquirre should be coach of the year. Lee and Frye are great but they are still too young to consistently perform at a high level so they need rebounding and defense somewhere. The guards can't stop any penetration so interior defense is more important than with other teams.

TwinkieFoot · 09-29-2006, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cager

I agree that Taylor is just trying to help the Knicks buy out his last year. However, I don't agree that the Knicks can't make the playoffs. I think the biggest obstacles are rebounding and interior defense. If Curry does either then the Knicks should be OK and if he does then Mark Aquirre should be coach of the year. Lee and Frye are great but they are still too young to consistently perform at a high level so they need rebounding and defense somewhere. The guards can't stop any penetration so interior defense is more important than with other teams.

As DaGrinch shed light on earlier, and I knew for some time, the Knicks were actually one of the top 5 rebounding teams in the league. That accomplishment is in part of strong perimeter rebounding which should only improve with more shots coming from outside the paint resulting in longer rebounds. We're not the strongest team defensively but we're at least capable of making teams work especially in a zone which we recommend. I think this team is playoff with last years roster if utilized correctly.

**Da Grinch** · 09-29-2006, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alphadog

Taylor is exactly right.....and I didn't sense any bitterness from the article at all. Seems like he knows what is going on is the best thing for the current team. In fact, he says he would do the same thing. Where do you get the bitterness thing?

i agree with you alpha Mo isn't bitter , he is realistic .

if the knicks won 60 last year they would simply play the best player available regardless of the circumstances...but they aren't so taylor will be buried and he knows it . he wants his money but he also wants to play so he will try to latch on to another team.

**cpawfan** · 09-29-2006, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Da Grinch

i agree with you alpha Mo isn't bitter , he is realistic .

if the knicks won 60 last year they would simply play the best player available regardless of the circumstances...but they aren't so taylor will be buried and he knows it . he wants his money but he also wants to play so he will try to latch on to another team.

So you believe that if the best players on the roster were allowed to play Mo would be among those best players?

**Da Grinch** · 09-29-2006, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpawfan

So you believe that if the best players on the roster were allowed to play Mo would be among those best players?

not really but he would have a better chance ...if lee slumps i could easily see mo being next in line for mintes over balkman and malik rose ...or if jerome james gets hurt (which i think is somewhat likely) he could get time .

but on this knicks team they are going to force feed the youngins time as they should . so even if lee slumps he may be given the rope to play through it and maybe instead of laying in case of a james injury ...instead they may play frye more at C ...stuff like that.

**Gotham2krazy** · 09-29-2006, 07:36 PM

Thank you for your insight Mr. Taylor, well I don't think any team would ever make the playoffs with attitudes like yours.

EwingStarksOakley94 · 09-30-2006, 10:29 AM

I actually think his comments are being completely blown out of proportion. He could have said much worse about a team who just told him "we don't need you and would rather pay you money to NOT play for us".

What did he say that wasn't true? I think his point about not beig bad only lately is very valid. He's spot on, the Knicks have been mediocre to down right unwatchable for like 5 years now (even when they made the playoffs with a below .500 record). Let's be honest about things here.

That being said, only one place to go - up up up!

Knickpride · 10-03-2006, 07:19 AM

Taylor is not even close in talent compared to Frye.... Frye is a hustler and deserves to play:-)

Thread Tools Display Modes

Thread Tools

Display Modes