This is part II of the Talking Hoops series with Brian from over at depressedfan.com. For Part I, click here.
First off, I want to thank Brian for taking the time to do this, and for all his help with this site... we owe him a big debt of gratitude over here. I strongly agree that, if David Stern does fix the draft, Philly has Oden locked up. And Oden is the way to go, no matter how good Durant appears; here's hoping Billy King remembers the lesson learned by the Houston Texans this past year...
Brian may feel that the Sixers haven't given up on the season - the players may be playing hard, which is always good to see - but management has stuck a fork in the season. Trading Iverson for very much below value, then buying out Webber... this season is all about getting that top pick and clearing what they could of a horrible cap situation. The good news that was the direction to go in (if ever there was a season to tank, this is the one, with a deep draft), so it's nice to see that got that right.
Watch out with Brown - he's the true destroyer of the Knicks franchise. And his track record with rookies and young teams is less than stellar.
If I was Brian, I wouldn't trade places either - that was a throwaway question... however, while SML has long been accuse of being a Thomas-supporter, the reality is we don't think Thomas is great; but we acknowledge that the media representation of him is bias (see Larry Brown), and that there are worse GMs out there. One of those is Billy King. Rebuilding is nice at first because it gives the fans a sense of hope ("future hall of famer"), but the reality is never that easy. A half-dozen teams (minimum) have to rebuild every year, and many get stuck in rebuilding mode (see Hawks, Atlanta). Even those that land the premier star, if stuck with a crappy GM (see McHale, Kevin) can go nowhere despite having a Hall of Famer. The Knicks may not have a hall of famer to build around, but I would rather have Isiah as GM if they did - the man can spot talent.
Now to answer the questions posed to me:
a) If the Knicks make the playoffs, do you think there's any chance they won't get knocked out in the first round?
I don't think they will make the playoffs, but they'll be in the hunt until the end. Even if they do, realistical, no, they don't have a shot. But they do play well against good teams (beating the Heat w/Shaq and Wade recently; they also have beaten Cleveland, Indiana, Detroit, Utah and Chicago this season, and had one point losses at the buzzer to the Nets and Wizards recently), and the odds would be so long it would be worth a bet. But I harbor no false hope.
b) If someone offered you a bag of balls for Marbury would you jump at the opportunity to get rid of him?
Hell yeah. Same for Steve Francis and Jerome James. Here's the reality - if the Knicks could get rid of Francis or Marbury, their cap situation would be solid. But neither is going anywhere, sadly.
c) Do you really think Balkman's ceiling is higher than the 8th or 9th man in the rotation?
He's a hustler who plays defense, and is a great rebounder. He's David Lee with more blocks. Balkman also possess no shot (neither does Lee, though), and can't handle the ball for more than two seconds. Lee is infinitely better at passing. But the easiest thing to learn in the NBA is a little baby jumper, and some moves... I think next season Balkman can put Lee-like effort off the bench (that is, be a solid 6th man).
d) Is there anyone on this team right now who you're 100% confident will still be a Knick in 4 years?
Jerome James - he's signed until 2010, and who is stupid enough to trade for him?
e) What does Isiah have to do to get fired? Obviously sexual harassment, losing records and the luxury tax haven't been enough to get the job done.
The reality is that the losing record and luxury tax are not entirely his fault - Scott Layden left quite a mess. Do you know who the highest paid Knick is this season? Allan Houston, at 20 million. Making $8,500,000? Shannon f*cking Anderson. These are players left on the cap from THREE years ago - others that just got off the cap last season include Howard Eisley and Tim Thomas* at $22 million+ combined.
In order words, even if Isiah had done nothing for the past three years - signed no one, did nothing - the Knicks cap situation would still have been f*cked until the end of this season (three and a half years later).
a) My first question, to Brian, since he brought up Isiah - what has he done to warrant getting fired? I mean specifically as GM of the Knicks - I don't care what he did to the CBA, or at previous jobs; and I don't care about non-work related stuff (sexual harassment suits) or as coach (precipitating riots, if you believe the papers). I mean trades, draft, free agent signings, etc.
b) Hasn't Billy King done a worse job? What does he have to do to get fired?
c) You have AI2 (Iguadala). He's a keeper, I hope. Who else on the 76ers is sticking around during this rebuilding phase?
d) How soon before the 76ers pass the Knicks in the standings, in your opinion? Next season with Oden/Durant? 2008-2009? Basically, how long before the 76ers are even a .500 team again, much less a contender?
Looking forward to your response,
SML
*Note: Tim Thomas was acquired by Isiah Thomas straight up for Keith van Horn - however, their contracts are almost identical in length and salary (around 13.5-14 million), so Layden's original signing of van Horn is essential Tim Thomas.
Leave a comment
|
