by Stop Mike Lupica on May 5 at 6:00PM
We'll hit you up with a Knicks update tomorrow, particularly with our thoughts on the coaching carousel. Now that's it's stopped for a bit - Flip Saunders and Doc Rivers almost fell off the ride there - we can evaluate who is really available. Incredibly, George Karl hasn't been fired yet. That's very surprising to me. It also bodes poorly for Carmelo Anthony and crew... if they aren't firing the coach, then you know what that usually means. Some heads is getting traded.
Mike D'Antoni has gotten permission, supposedly, to talk with the Knicks and Bulls about coaching those teams. It seems high unlikely he would pick the Knicks over the Bulls, or better yet, the Raptors (Sam Mitchell, come and get your Dolan bucks), but who knows. Money + props for turning garbage into something + a team that is actually not too far removed from the Suns (meaning, okay, the Knicks don't play defense, either) might just equal D'Antoni, Knicks head coach.
Don't bet on it, though.
And while I would love to start the "Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks" ball rolling, it ain't happening. The only pickup I've read that might make sense "Jamal Crawford for TJ Ford". Why? The Raptors have two point guards; they need to roll with Jose Calderon, who is cheaper and puts up absolutely incredible numbers (how many 10 assist to 1 turnover games did he have as a starter?). Ford has a long contract, one that matches Crawford's in length. The Knicks don't need Crawford, they need a point guard.
The problem? One, the Knicks will likely look to acquire a point guard via the draft. The Raptors would like to get rid of Ford because he's not a healthy player. The Knicks already have more uninsureable, unhealthy young players than anyone in the NBA (Eddy Curry, Quentin Richardson). The Knicks need defense (OJ Mayo again comes to mind), and TJ Ford is too short to be a decent defender.
I'll have to think on this for a bit longer.
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Mike D'Antoni has gotten permission, supposedly, to talk with the Knicks and Bulls about coaching those teams. It seems high unlikely he would pick the Knicks over the Bulls, or better yet, the Raptors (Sam Mitchell, come and get your Dolan bucks), but who knows. Money + props for turning garbage into something + a team that is actually not too far removed from the Suns (meaning, okay, the Knicks don't play defense, either) might just equal D'Antoni, Knicks head coach.
Don't bet on it, though.
And while I would love to start the "Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks" ball rolling, it ain't happening. The only pickup I've read that might make sense "Jamal Crawford for TJ Ford". Why? The Raptors have two point guards; they need to roll with Jose Calderon, who is cheaper and puts up absolutely incredible numbers (how many 10 assist to 1 turnover games did he have as a starter?). Ford has a long contract, one that matches Crawford's in length. The Knicks don't need Crawford, they need a point guard.
The problem? One, the Knicks will likely look to acquire a point guard via the draft. The Raptors would like to get rid of Ford because he's not a healthy player. The Knicks already have more uninsureable, unhealthy young players than anyone in the NBA (Eddy Curry, Quentin Richardson). The Knicks need defense (OJ Mayo again comes to mind), and TJ Ford is too short to be a decent defender.
I'll have to think on this for a bit longer.
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2 Comments
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stopmikelupica
said
Interestingly enough, I was at a bar in Manhattan on Friday night called Johnny Utah's. It had nothing to do with Keanu Reeves.
There was a mechanical bull there. The serious kind... you have to sign a waiver to ride. Many women rode it.
Nice site, Johnny. I will have to check it out regularly.
why won't the NBA venture out of it's stable of tired nags?