Blueprint for Success

[FuryRealm25]

The Knicks, in reality, are only 3-4 pieces away from truly contending, and tanking the season, when you think about it, is probably the best thing that could have happened. Lets say we do go on with the 45-37 record, we lose in the 2nd Round, we have a low draft pick, and there's a chance Isiah would not trade the people that need to leave in order for this team to move on. Sort of like the Mets in the year 2000. They made it to the World Series, and they felt they didn't have to do anything to improve a team who had just lost in the World Series. Turns out, they ended up with one of the worse records in the league.

In order for this to work, Isiah needs to be pretty damn creative, and gets some draft picks. There are tons of players in this draft who are going to be stud or bust. Most of them international, but in order for this to work, you must take chances. Like the San Antonio Spurs, who scouted incredibly well, and drafted Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to support Tim Duncan. We need this type of draft to move on to the next step. But before going to the next step, we need more than one pick, and in order to get that pick, we may have to take a 2-3 year contract. Rebuilding works if you have the players, no matter what the cap situation. A team with player at the age of 27, 24, 19, 22, 21, and 20 is just a good as a team with players at the age of 27, 24, 19, 22, 21, and 20 with other players who have large contracts. As long as those players are getting the playing time, they will develop, and once they mature you can use those soon to expire contracts for another piece or pick.

Now how shall we get that pick? Toronto is in for the lottery, and they would be willing to give up a pick, especially when you'd offer Nazr Mohammed, this year's 2nd round pick, and future 1st round pick for Alvin Williams and their 1st Round Pick. Nazr will have an expiring contract, and he is also someone they've been interested in. They also get rid of Alvin's atrocious contract that goes on till the year 2007-2008. There's the extra pick. But why stop there?

Kurt Thomas is at his highest trade value, and there's a team out there, who wouldn't mind the contract, and can use the extra depth, badly. The Sacramento Kings. With Vlade gone, and Ostertag being a piece of crap, they don't have a real backup PF/C if either Webber or Miller were to go down. Kurt Thomas and Bruno Sundov for Greg Ostertag, Matt Barnes, Michael Bradley and their 1st round pick should do the job. Ostertag's contract expires after next year, and Bradley and Barnes are just filler.

Now you have 3 picks, and a horrible Alvin Williams contract. Time for the draft, and chances are you'll get a top 5 pick with yours or Toronto's pick. Draft Andrew Bogut. He'd become the new starting center, the center we badly need. Good post player, good shooting touch, should play the pick and roll with Marbury pretty well, and can rebound well as well. He'd become a very good player under Phil Jackson (if he were to come), and would still be good without him. The next pick, draft Rudy Fernandez. Rudy Fernandez is a SG, something we are loaded it, but you can not pass talent. Fernandez can replace Allan Houston in the 3 man rotation. He has decent ball handling skills, can get to the rim, smart basketball player, and is the type of hustle player in the backcourt that will get Crawford and Marbury playing with energy. He's played some SF at Europe, so a 3 guard lineup at times would not be the worst thing. With the next pick, i'd take LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge will be the yang to Sweetney's ying, swatting shots, and being the Camby like player on defense and the boards. He's just 19 years old, and has put up better numbers than Wayne Simien did in his freshman year, at about the same amount of minutes.

We are almost done. After hiring Phil Jackson (or before) (hopefully), we must make another blockbuster trade. This trade should be with the L.A Lakers. With Yao Ming sweepstakes coming up, and after the Lakers miss the playoffs (hopefully again), the Lakers will be more than willing to give up a year if it means getting the big man. This means they'd be willing to give up Lamar Odom. A trade that would send Penny Hardaway and Tim Thomas for Lamar Odom and Briant Grant should do it. Briant Grant's contract ends at the same time as Houston's and Odom can be our starting 4 of the future, rotating with Michael Sweetney, and LaMarcus Aldridge.

That leaves us with the following team:

PG: Jamal Crawford/Jamison Brewer/Moochie Norris
SG: Stephon Marbury/Rudy Fernandez/Allan Houston/Alvin Williams
SF: Trevor Ariza/Rudy Fernandez/Lamar Odom/Matt Barnes
PF: Lamar Odom/Michael Sweetney/LaMarcus Aldridge/Vin Baker
C: Andrew Bogut/LaMarcus Aldridge/Briant Grant/Greg Ostertag

At the start of the year, we'll still have the expiring contracts of Moochie Norris, Greg Osterag, and Vin Baker. Allan Houston and Briant Grant's contracts both expire in the same year, and the only strangle hold contract we will have that will not be part of the core will be Alvin Williams, which lasts only a year longer than Houston's. The team will probably be the most versatile team in the league. Ariza can play 2 positions, Crawford and Marbury 2, Odom 4, Bogut 2, Aldridge 2 (and will still be growing), and Fernandez 2 (and possibly 3). The starting lineup, and Fernandez, as well as Alvin Williams when healthy all have very good ball handling skills. Are good passers (even Bogut), so a lot of cutting and dishing should work well in the triangle. And most importantly, Crawford will be 25, Marbury 28, Ariza 20, Odom 27, Bogut 21, Fernandez 20, Sweetney 22, and Aldridge 20 at the start of the year. Average age between that core: 22.875.

This team should grow together, and hopefully get us that title.

What do you guys think? And what other ways can we improve this team.

[ECross]

Good plan, but you're relying too much on trades. I doubt the Lakers would trade Odom, because I don't think Yao is going to leave Houston.

[FuryRealm25]

Good plan, but you're relying too much on trades. I doubt the Lakers would trade Odom, because I don't think Yao is going to leave Houston.

With this team's cap problem, it's probably the only way we'll improve. A horrible start next year (Lakers), and not making the playoffs this year (Lakers) would be our only hope in trading for Lamar Odom.

[rtn393]

Quality stuff Fury. This is an example of a trade post worth discussing, as your ideas are mostly plausible and backed up with reason.

I posted something similar in this thread -

http://www.nykfanpage.com/forum/viewtop ... 3&start=20

I had the same idea about Odom and Grant. I dont think LA would do it this summer, but as the trade deadline approaches next season if the Lakers are struggling, having money to throw at Yao and Amare in the summer might be very tempting to them. Grant expires the same year as Houston, so his horrible contract wouldnt effect the Knicks situation. Odom's goes the same length as Steph's (5 years) with high numbers, but he's the type of guy you'd want in free agency with cap space anyway. He's young (just turned 26), is versatile, plays unselfishly, and is a big man. He can hold down any postion on the court in the East.

If you're trading KT, getting a draft pick and a cut back on salary commitment is the way to go. Not getting insanely overpaid one-dimensional swingmen (hint hint). I wouldnt mind the Sac deal you talked about. I mentioned a Houston one in the link up above. Another is KT for DeClerq, Stevenson, and a 1st. Or KT for Scot Pollard and a first. People always try to get big names to come back in deals. Smaller scale deals with picks would help the team more in the long run.

I wouldnt mind dealing Nazr either if the right deal came along. But the Knicks traded this years 2nd round pick to Atlanta in the TT/Nazr deal, so thats already gone. The Knicks cant trade future 1st's until 2010. It's a complicated scenario, but Isiah traded a future first with heavy protection until 2010 to the Suns. The Knicks cant deal one until the Suns get that pick. And Alvin Williams salary is nearly completely covered by insurance. So I dont see Toronto doing that deal.

As far as the draft is concerned, I agree with you. The Knicks should compile as many picks as possible. In the lottery, I still would take Chris Taft over Bogut, but Bogut may change my mind since I havent seen him play since the olympics. If both those guys are gone, Tiago Splitter is another lottery-worthy guy. For mid-to-low first round, Fernandez, Ronnie Brewer, Charlie Villenueva, Hakim Warrick, Aldridge, and Johan Petro come to mind.

[ECross]

so the knicks wouldnt be a good team until the 06-07 season... not bad, fax this to isiah thomas asap!

[fareli14]

I haven't even heard about half those guys! and we're gonna have 16 players on our team?

[FuryRealm25]

Thanks. I really think Isiah should look for those type of trades for KT (As you mentioned the Magic trade, Houston trade, Indy trade, NJ Trade, or the Sac trade) instead of looking for someone that will provide immediate impact right away as he was with wWally. He needs to rack up the draft picks.

As for Nazr, now that I think of it, a contender would most likely take him instead of a high lotto team. With his deal expiring he can provide the missing piece or depth off the bench, and once the run is over, he can be let go. We'd get back a bench player along with a draft pick.

And here's to hoping the Lakers fail miserably this year and the next, as I honestly do think, and you do too, that it's very possible a trade like that can be executed.

[FuryRealm25]

I haven't even heard about half those guys! and we're gonna have 16 players on our team?

Just let go of Jamison Brewer I guess. Don't worry about the guys, once they enter the NBA and develop, you'll know them.

[rm3027]

Good post Fury..a lot of thought went into that. The important part is tearing it all down and rebuilding with great young players like Fernandez and especially Bogut and getting a lot of draft picks. I wouldnt bank on the trade with LA for Odom but a similar trade getting a player like that would be ideal.

[FuryRealm25]

Good post Fury..a lot of thought went into that. The important part is tearing it all down and rebuilding with great young players like Fernandez and especially Bogut and getting a lot of draft picks. I wouldnt bank on the trade with LA for Odom but a similar trade getting a player like that would be ideal.

Yeah draft picks is the key. This draft class is deeper than people think. These trades, and hoping for an Odom type of trade, is the way to rebuild with the cap problems we have.

[SlingBlade]

quality stuff

[knicksfan4life]

that would be good fury nice job. I'm actually high on Aldridge.

[BenNY89]

Good luck! :roll: