2015 NY Knicks offseason thread, Los Almighty appreciation thread

[johnnyredstorm]

2 years 20 million w a team option on the 2nd year which we decline i can live with

but i rather go after monroe and robin and try to moneyball the 2

 

[the gr8est]

zing will never be a center

and west is about to be 35, 8 mil a year just for mid range shots and leadership 

im good

Zinger is listed at 7 ******* foot 3. He is athletic and has even said he wants to become a center.

If he can't become a center in an era of NBA basketball in which rim protection is valued 10x more than physicality, and players like chicken legs Tyson Chandler can win DPOY, than he needs to take his soft ******* *** back to Latvia. Sorry.

And this is coming from the guy who said he wanted to draft Zinger before we even drafted him. But the Knicks didn't spend our 4th ******* pick on a soft ******* "stretch 4." **** that.

IMO Melo is our long term stretch 4. We drafted Zinger for his uniqueness. His versatile offensive  game as well as his ability to become a ******* rim protecting center, which was our greatest need after PG coming into the draft. We did not draft Zinger to play the 4. I think he know that. That is why he said he plans on being an NBA center himself.

What better rime to start than the present? And what better way to do that than to sign David West?

 

[flyeed]

 

[you go boy]

the most david west should get is 3-5 mill no need to waste the cap space on his old as... he could be good leadership but i rather use the cap space elsewhere

 

[Master Zik]

Are we going to be signing Thansis (sp)?

Other then his contract, is there any other reason why we want to move Jose so badly? If healthy, I think that he's still be able to provide quality minutes in the teens and he doesn't seem to be a terrible locker room guy.

We all the foreigners we have on our team, maybe we're making a pitch to Gasol

I don't like his game, especially for that money. If it weren't cuz we were going nowhere I'd easily rather have Prigs here than Caldo. I can't just ignore his contract cuz if it was gone we'd be able to secure someone better in FA.

 

[the gr8est]

 
you gonna have to wait about 4-5 yrs if you want zing to be a fulltime center, hes a sf in a centers body

make him a starting center now and hes bbq chicken

it took tyson chandler 7 yrs to become a respectable big man

That is why you sign David West.

 

[the gr8est]

 
man we dont need a 35 yr old for 8 mil a year

we need a 25 yr old greg monroe with all star potential

David West is a short term good fit. Greg Monroe would cost this team 5 years and $80 million and would make us one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA for the foreseeable future. And how do you plan on giving Monroe the max but also see Zinger to not be a center? That **** doesn't even make sense.

Melo/Monroe/Zinger would never work IMO. We don't need to overspend on Monroe just because he is the best PF attainable right now on paper.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Rather just go all in and grab Monroe and Robin being zinger off the bench and see what happens.

Next year's free agents are juicy but front court wise there isn't anything spectacular. We could hope for Durant but that's probsbly just a pipe dream.

 

[don ramon]

yeah not too sure about monroe for a long, expensive contract

maybe before we got this latvian guy, but not now. would be real unbalanced up front

 

[xbiker47]

I must be one of the few who does not want to lock ourselves up with Monroe

 

[the gr8est]

 
bring zing off the bench until his body develops and he could handle guarding starting big men and sign a cheap center short term

And what do you do when Zinger's "body develops" and you are still paying Greg Monroe $15 mil a year?

Im thinking maximum upside with this team. I am sure Zinger will have speed bumps in the short term but I would rather go through that than sign a guy we could only go so far with like Monroe.

My winning formula of Melo/defensive-minded-combo-forward/rim-protector has not changed just because we drafted Zinger. I just have high expectations of Zinger because I believe in him and because IMO he needs to be our rim protector if we ever want to be a contender again with Melo in his prime.

Monroe would be the safe route. This team isn't going anywhere serious committing to Monroe for all that $ in the long term. It would be another Melo/Amare like situation.

Get West in the short term, especially because he can help ease Zinger into the NBA physically. IMO Zinger NEEDS to be our rim protector of the future so we might as well let that be known from the start.

West could handle that in between forward spot for now. He is the kind of player we need. KD is likely just a pipe dream, but there are other players available next summer who I think would be much better fits than Monroe, and could help us out on defense. We don't need another scorer in between Melo/Zinger. It would be nice to get some offense out of that spot, sure, but defense has to be priority #1 next to Melo and Zinger.

Players other than KD available next summer who IMO could fit this spot well include Terrence Jones and my personal favorite… MKG 

 

You also never know what will come of the trading block between then and now. IMO it would be a mistake to sign Monroe just because we can.

 

[xbiker47]

Do we have any chance what so ever at a possibility of landing KD?

Our franchise is cursed

 

[don ramon]

Our franchise is cursed

 

[the gr8est]

 
melo needs more scoring options

a defensive minded combo forward and rim protector will lead to mediocrity 

The 2013 Knicks should serve as a flawed but effective formula for what works with Melo.

Besides injuries, there was a reason why Melo was at his best with JR Smith as his secondary scoring option but never the more talented Amare.

The 2013 Knicks provided Melo with a stable rim protector and a perimeter scoring "Robin" to Melo's "Batman," in JR Smith.

This concept does not need to be followed step by step but it is a solid baseline for what works and what should not be repeated.

Zinger should develop into a far better scorer than Chandler was, while never being quite the rim protector. But if Zinger can become a serviceable rim protector, he still fits the mold. The scoring would add a new/better dimension that Chandler never had.

Zinger could definitely become Melo's "Robin" with time offensively, that is the hope, but he and Melo will both need help defensively. This should be the primary responsibility of whoever the Knicks go after to round out their front court. Especially because Zinger likely won't ever be the DPOY that Tyson was.

Monroe would cause a very similar issue to what we had with Amare. I don't see it ever working. Even if it does work offensively in the triangle (although I am skeptical of even this, because I think Melo is at his best with a fast pace team and with shooters around him like 2013), I highly doubt that Melo/Monroe/Zinger could ever become even a competent defensive unit.

Knicks should be looking for the perfect kind of role player in that third front court spot. A good fit who offers defense before offense. We need a player like that and in order to find the best possible fit, IMO you need to look beyond the box score to do so. Hopefully Melo/Zinger can do enough box score filling. West could be a good fit in the short term. Players like Jones or MKG could be better long term solutions.

Melo does need some scoring help, but IMO that would be best addressed (in addition to what Zinger will become) in the form of a guard, Particularly at 2 guard. Especially because Phil has only coached MJ and Kobe at the 2 

 

 

[itshlittt]

monroe is a center guys not a pf

 

[the gr8est]

 
that 09 nuggets team had no so called "rim protector" just good team defense

and enough scoring options that melo could rely on "nene, billups and jr"

team defense>>>rim protector

09 nuggets >>13 knicks

Using that same exact concept how exactly does a Melo/Monroe/Zinger front court provide good "team defense" as opposed to Melo/West (or a better long-term option to be named later)/Zinger?? 

 

And that team defense concept is exactly what I am talking about. Another great example of Melo getting scoring help from the backcourt (Chauncey, JR) while getting good "team defense" from the front court (Nene, Kmart, Birdman, Kleiza).

Nowhere in Melo's success with the Nuggets or the Knicks is there a player like Greg Monroe. The closest example to Melo playing with someone like Monroe (offensive minded max contract PF who is a liability defensively) is in NY with Amare. Which was an unmitigated disaster despite high expectations.

I would imagine Melo and Monroe to play out very similarly. And its not like Monroe is some once in a generation type talent who is good enough to overlook him not being an ideal fit. Dude is a good player who has never sniffed the playoffs. Not the kind of guy we need to be handing max dollars to right now to be Melo's de-facto sidekick. Pass.

 

[the gr8est]

 

 monroe has a similar playing style to prime nene 

the only reason amare and melo didnt work was because amare was always hurt 

and when he finally was healthy he was washed up, plus dantoni trying to make melo a point forward didnt help 

 Monroe has a similar playing style to prime Nene despite Nene being one of the best post defenders in the NBA, I guess?

And injuries were far from the only thing that held Melo and Amare back from succeeding together. Get real. That team with Amare got worse right when we got Melo and immediately got better when Amare went down. Late in 2012 and then during the 2013 season. Melo and Amare were always most effective separately.

 

[youngin33]

Beating a dead horse here, but Melo quit on D'Antoni way before D'Antoni quit on the Knicks. D'Antoni never had a shot after we traded for Melo.

 

[hsalem]

Was on vacation all this week without phone, american television, or internet. Missed the draft.

You kidding me?

 

[hsalem]

We passed on Mudiay? What did I miss. Dead serious. And Grant is my boy from ND, but Phil can't be serious with this. 

 

[pmatic]

As free agency approaches, Knicks thinking 'big'

Twenty-seven million dollars doesn’t buy as much as it used to but Phil Jackson will enter free agency Wednesday desperately needing a starting center, shooting guard and a more traditional power forward than first-round European 7-foot-1 sharpshooter Kristaps Porzingis.

Jackson is trying to split the money three ways — no easy task — but their draft-night haul that also included former Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant sharpened free-agent needs.

Desperate for tough forwards, a new name to surface is Pacers power forward David West, who surprisingly opted out of his contract this past week that would have paid him $12.5 million. West, 35, could be a great short-term fix and perhaps be had for a starting salary of $9 million across three years.

A big-man tandem of West and defensive center Robin Lopez, who is expected to leave Portland, could serve as a cheaper option than giving the whole $15 million to presumptive favorite and more attractive signing of Greg Monroe, who will seek a maximum contract starting at $15 million. West and Lopez could agree to deals that combined value a little more than $15.5 million next season.

The southpaw Monroe will meet with the Knicks next week and has more low-post skills than West and is just entering his prime. West is just past his prime, but is a more rugged defender and has interest in the Knicks.

Monroe spent five seasons on awful teams in Detroit, though he’d be a terrific fit in the triangle in the post. The Knicks do have Spanish League center Guillermo Hernangomez, whom they are very high on after trading for his rights Thursday on the way next season. He was selected 35th by the Sixers.

And remember, there is no “D” in Porzingis.

“Finding a big that can help defend and anchor the defense would be a priority, a veteran guy who has done that before who can help us up front and be physical,’’ Knicks coach Derek Fisher said. “That was regardless of who we would’ve taken in the draft. Size up front, that will be big focus for us.’’

With the draft-night trade of Tim Hardaway Jr., Portland’s burly 6-foot-6 shooting guard Wesley Matthews becomes a priority despite his Achilles tendon rupture that ended his season prematurely. The stock on Matthews figures to decrease after his injury but a report this week said he still seeks a deal starting at $13 million.

For a little less, the Knicks could get San Antonio’s shooting guard Danny Green, a Long Island product who is an excellent defender, comes from a winning program and a solid 3-point shooter. Atlanta’s DeMarre Carroll is a wing that also would rejuvenate the defense and knows Fisher well.

A troika of Lopez ($9 milliom to start), West ($8 million) and Green ($10 million) isn’t marquee stuff, but would empower Fisher’s soft, 17-win defensive squad.

The Knicks are expected to monitor the LaMarcus Aldridge sweepstakes but his max contract starts at $18 million and that would leave little to haul in two more solid players. Defensive center DeAndre Jordan would be a terrific catch but the Houston product is zeroing in on Texas — the Rockets and Mavericks.

This is where Jackson’s vaunted presence as a marquee recruiter comes into play and his sale of the triangle offense.

“We have quite a bit of money sitting there,’’ Jackson said. “Whether it’s completely used is an unknown. We have to go out and make the promise and make the hopes for somebody else to come here we have no idea. There’s no promises in this free agent season.’’

Jackson has desires to re-sign Jason Smith as a backup center and try to lure back combo guard Alexey Shved, who had an excellent brief stint late in the season.

It might be challenging. The Knicks prefer not to use any cap space to do so. But if they don’t renounce their rights, there’s a scenario of being able to re-sign them and go over the cap.

http://nypost.com/2015/06/27/the-players-knicks-have-in-mind-to-provide-short-term-fix/

I see two players getting the majority of the cap space then giving the rest of the cap space to spare parts (Smith and Shved).

 

[hsalem]

Kristaps gonna be here on day 1, right? I never understood the drafting and stashing of foreign players.

 

[Mister Meaner]

I think we gotta go after Monroe. Not even in his prime yet and figures to work well in this system? Phil seems to be in it for the long haul so why would you sacrifice this signing for a 35 year-old? Both can help you win now as well, so...

 

[hsalem]

Give me Danny Green for cheap.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Was on vacation all this week without phone, american television, or internet. Missed the draft.









You kidding me?

This **** almost ruined my vacation. I sat in my room at 8pm and watched it happen.

Now to come back to the country and figure all of this out.