[Hustle]

"Knicks president Isiah Thomas has tried for the past two years to acquire Walker and was hoping at the very least to make a run at the power forward when he becomes a free agent this summer. However, the Knicks can only offer Walker a deal starting at $5 million while Boston is expected to offer Walker a contract for at least $7 million per season. Had the Hawks never traded Walker, the Knicks would have had a good chance of signing him. Now, not only can Boston offer him a more lucrative deal, but Walker wants to re-sign with the Celtics." New York Daily News

Actually Walker at 5M would be a steal, but imagine

Marbury
Crawford
Houston
Walker

There is only one ball, and you also have to defend it.

 

[Ballscientist]

Why does NBA create Isiah Thomas as a gm?

He can help other teams to improve. He can help other teams to make the money. (share the Lx taxes from Knicks)

 

[SeaNet]

It is not just you. After he finishes burying the Knicks for the next 15 years, he's going to be heading over to the Pentagon to negotiate the purchase of a truckload of $1500 toilet seats.

 

[tempe85]

The only good thing I've ever seen Isiah do was the Nazr for Rose plus 2 first round picks trade. Other than that he's been pretty bad all around.

 

[Kmasonbx]

When you look at the job Isiah has done you have to understand the situation he inherited. Layden is the one who burried the Knicks not Thomas. Do you remember the contracts he handed out to Houston, Eisley and Anderson? Overpaid all 3 by a huge amount. Thomas was limited in what he could do from day 1, so he made the best trades he could. The trades he made at the deadline this year were excellent. People say why didn't he dump salaray, well it's not that easy when you don't have players that other teams want for more then a couple of years. The Knicks got better at the deadline, which doesn't mean much but if he dumped salary all it would mean is that the Knicks were only a little less over the cap. There is nothing Isiah can do to get the Knicks under the cap, whether you 2 million over or 50 million over you can only offer players the minimum contract and it wasn't like he was going to cut 50 million in pay roll in a couple of years. The way I look at it adding another few million doesn't hurt them anyway because it will take about just as long to get rid of 50 million as it would 58 million. At the same he made the Knicks a little better. It will take Isiah a few more years to straighten the mess that Layden left for him. Until then the Knicks will stay around the 8 seed in the East and maybe 1 or 2 of these draft picks turn into something.

 

[Ballscientist]

When you look at the job Isiah has done you have to understand the situation he inherited. Layden is the one who burried the Knicks not Thomas. Do you remember the contracts he handed out to Houston, Eisley and Anderson? Overpaid all 3 by a huge amount. Thomas was limited in what he could do from day 1, so he made the best trades he could. The trades he made at the deadline this year were excellent. People say why didn't he dump salaray, well it's not that easy when you don't have players that other teams want for more then a couple of years. The Knicks got better at the deadline, which doesn't mean much but if he dumped salary all it would mean is that the Knicks were only a little less over the cap. There is nothing Isiah can do to get the Knicks under the cap, whether you 2 million over or 50 million over you can only offer players the minimum contract and it wasn't like he was going to cut 50 million in pay roll in a couple of years. The way I look at it adding another few million doesn't hurt them anyway because it will take about just as long to get rid of 50 million as it would 58 million. At the same he made the Knicks a little better. It will take Isiah a few more years to straighten the mess that Layden left for him. Until then the Knicks will stay around the 8 seed in the East and maybe 1 or 2 of these draft picks turn into something.

How about expiring Dice ... for Penny... trade?

At this moment there is nothing he can do to cut the payroll.

 

[MemphisX]

When critics say Zeke is an idiot I know they have little understanding of the crap he inherited. It wasn't jut bad...it was real bad. He couldn't 'dump salary' because he had contracts NOBODY was swallowing. The only way he could acquire more assets was to take on more salary. That team is a lot more talented then it was two seasons ago.

I give Zeke a C+.

 

[SeaNet]

Ballscientist, I just want to say that I am honored.

 

[urwhatueati8god]

The way the Knicks are set-up, they can't sign anybody until Houston is gone. Isiah has stated that he wants to try and make it so as many contracts on the team as possible expire with Houston's. The only people who don't right now are Marbury, Crawford (both whom are part of the Knicks future), Rose (who he got draft picks for), and Kurt Thomas (who will likely be shipped out). Everybody else will be gone either in 05-06 or 06-07 when Houston's contract ends. It's crap now, but I'm not writing him off until Houston is actually gone or until he makes some stupid long-term signing. I do wish he'd get rid of Marbury or Crawford though.

 

[Kmasonbx]

How about expiring Dice ... for Penny... trade?

At this moment there is nothing he can do to cut the payroll.

It's not even like that made a difference. If they keep Dice and his contract expires they are still over the cap so it's not like keeping his expiring contract would have given them any extra flexibility. The way it's set up now in NY in about a 2 year stretch they are going to go from way over the cap to right around the number. All their big contracts pretty much expire at around the same time.

And what MemphisX said is basically what I said, and I agree he has not done a bad job, and I'm not saying he's done a great job either. But people act like he came in and the Knicks were in a position where they were about to become contenders. He inherited a fringe playoff team in horrible financial standing and they are still a fringe playoff team in horrible financial standing. The difference now is there is light at the end of the tunnel, unlike 2 years ago when he took over.

 

[SeaNet]

It's not even like that made a difference. If they keep Dice and his contract expires they are still over the cap so it's not like keeping his expiring contract would have given them any extra flexibility. The way it's set up now in NY in about a 2 year stretch they are going to go from way over the cap to right around the number. All their big contracts pretty much expire at around the same time.

And what MemphisX said is basically what I said, and I agree he has not done a bad job, and I'm not saying he's done a great job either. But people act like he came in and the Knicks were in a position where they were about to become contenders. He inherited a fringe playoff team in horrible financial standing and they are still a fringe playoff team in horrible financial standing. The difference now is there is light at the end of the tunnel, unlike 2 years ago when he took over.

What about all the draft picks and prospects he gave away to get Marbury?

 

[speedythief]

Isiah didn't come into a good situation, but look at the way he left Toronto and Indiana.

It's not just you.

 

[Pan Mengtu]

When critics say Zeke is an idiot I know they have little understanding of the crap he inherited. It wasn't jut bad...it was real bad. He couldn't 'dump salary' because he had contracts NOBODY was swallowing. The only way he could acquire more assets was to take on more salary. That team is a lot more talented then it was two seasons ago.

I give Zeke a C+.

So they've went from a bad team with a lot of immovable contracts to a bad team with even more immovable contracts?

F

 

[Kmasonbx]

What about all the draft picks and prospects he gave away to get Marbury?

He gave away unknown commodities for one of the best point guards in the NBA, who happens to be from New York. Who knows how those prospects are going to turn out and the draft picks, they could end up being worth nothing.

Do you understand how happy Knicks fans and media were when that trade was made? In NY if you don't keep the media and fans happy you will be public enemy #1. You think the media cared when Malciej Lampe and a first round pick and whatever else were traded for Stephon Marbury, an All-NBA player?

 

[SeaNet]

He gave away unknown commodities for one of the best point guards in the NBA, who happens to be from New York. Who knows how those prospects are going to turn out and the draft picks, they could end up being worth nothing.

Do you understand how happy Knicks fans and media were when that trade was made? In NY if you don't keep the media and fans happy you will be public enemy #1. You think the media cared when Malciej Lampe and a first round pick and whatever else were traded for Stephon Marbury, an All-NBA player?

I am fully aware of how the New York media operates (I grew up in NJ). And he made a big splash w/ Marbury, 'an All-NBA player' (not according to me or any All-NBA lists, btw/), who besides being a perennial loser record wise, also made the following approximate comment during the Nets series... 'I need to play 48 minutes for us to have a chance to win... I can rest on defense.' That is not kind of statement that anyone you can build a championship team around would ever make. For what Isiah gave away you've got to get the cornerstone of a franchise. Steph has never given any indication that he can be anything other than the cornerstone of a perennial loser.