2015 NY Knicks offseason thread, Los Almighty appreciation thread

My dude, i would drop my Knicks fanhood and become the biggest 76ers fan in the world in a second.
 
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they mutally cancelled the meeting when he realized he wouldn't be a fit here...

i thought it was "LOLKNICKS & PHIL ARE SO DUMB LOL THEY COULD'VE HAD ALDRIDGE & MELO OMG"
 
Another great piece by @THE GR8EST Makes me open and actually hoping for Nate Robinson to be our 15th man

http://g42sports.com/4-ballad-nathaniel-cornelius-robinson/

“Nasty the Villain”

Let’s start this one off with another Nas quote. Or a Nas nickname that I once used for Nate Robinson. Nasty Nate, or Nasty the Villain. Nate the Great, if you prefer. Or even Kryptonate, who was technically the villain to Dwight Howard’s “Superman” BS so it still works. I like “Nasty.” It defines little Nate’s game and like I said before, I’m a big Nas fan.

Slow summer. It’s July and I’m not a baseball fan. Let’s head into the weekend on a high note with the player who was all about fun: Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson. Saying his full name kind of makes him sound like an aristocrat. Which the Dutch “Knickerbockers” of old Manhattan Island whom the team was named after were, so it also works. Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson of the Knickerbocker aristocracy. I like it.

I think this will be my last Knicks-related article for a while, but who knows? I can’t predict the future. But this is my 4th article here on G42, and #4 has always been my number since I rocked it playing high school basketball, so it holds sentimental value to me. I want to use #4 to make a case for the Knickerbockers’ very own #4… Or at least #4 to me (but #1 in the heart!). The reason I decided to rock that number so proudly… Nasty Nate. Let’s dive right into it.

Derek Fisher recently made some brief July-esque headlines about wanting to add a point guard to the 15 man roster who can push the pace of the offense off the bench. This mostly garnered headlines because the comments, as well as Phil Jackson’s comments about wanting to pursue a veteran backup center, might stand in the way of signing flavor-of-the-moment summer league standout Maurice Ndour to the 15 man roster. But Ndour just signed with Dallas yesterday anyway.

I had a whole thing written out about Ndour and the pros/cons of having him on the roster, but **** it, I’ll save y’all the rant. Whatever. When it comes to Summer League basketball, it is important to abide by the typical Las Vegas standard: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Ndour played nicely in Sin City, but a lot of fool’s gold has come out of the desert before. I’m not sweating losing him too much. Especially with other prospects available, different needs to fill, and limited spots available on the 15 man roster open.

At the end of the day the Knicks currently have 11 players signed to guaranteed contracts. Langston Galloway and Ricky Ledo are also signed to partially guaranteed deals, increasing their likelihood of making the team. Galloway is essentially a mortal lock after emerging last season as the Knicks lone feel-good story and earning All-Rookie 2nd team honors.

Ledo is an intriguing prospect, who I strongly believe should make the 15 man roster. Ledo is a raw talent but he is young and brimming with potential. He is an athletic 6’7 2-guard who can shoot from the outside and handle the rock like a point guard. His skillset reminds me a lot of ex-Knick Jamal Crawford. He is nowhere near as skilled as Crawford is yet, but I believe he has the potential to reach a similar type of level if he continues to work on his game.

The consistently bothersome NCAA eligibility requirements cost Ledo his lone season of college ball at Providence College, which caused him to slip out of the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft. But the former McDonald’s All-American out of Providence, Rhode Island has long been a prospect who has peaked my interest. He was a player the Knicks considered selecting before we ultimately drafted Tim Hardaway Jr. and I was extremely happy when we signed him last year. He has shown flashes, and on a team lacking young talent with no draft pick next season, it might be wise to keep a project like Ledo around. Try to untap his potential instead of letting him go prematurely. Still, he is far from the lock to make the final roster that Galloway is, and he will have to earn his spot through training camp and the preseason just like the rest of the bunch. As it should be.

Assuming that at least Galloway makes the final roster, there should be 3 open spots open for competition for the Knicks 15 man roster. 2 if you include Ledo as part of the final roster, as I believe he should/will be. Summer League performers who should at least be invited to camp, assuming they don’t get a guaranteed deal elsewhere (like Ndour), include Alex Kirk and last year’s 2nd round picks (besides Cleanthony Early), Greek Freak’s little big brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo and French big man Louis Labeyrie. I wouldn’t be opposed to giving the gritty Jimmy Barron a camp invite either, but he is beyond a long shot to make the team.

Greek Freak 2 and Labeyrie can’t get a guaranteed deal elsewhere because the Knicks still own their rights, meaning that they can only play for the Knicks, Westchester Knicks, or Europe pending a trade or being waived. I guess you can include Travis Wear as still in the mix, who somehow made it on to the 15 man roster last season. But does anyone still think he really belongs in the conversation with his complete ineptitude last year (except for spoiling Cleveland’s home opener, which was awesome) and the summer league? I certainly don’t. Especially with the emergence of others around him as intriguing prospects. Besides Wear, each one brings a little something to the table and could even contribute in some respect to the 2015-2016 Knicks. Depending on how the season plays out.

With Fisher’s public lobbying for a point guard and Phil still searching for a reserve center, you could essentially cross off any chance that Thanasis and Labeyrie will both make the roster. Labeyrie is likely headed to another year of being stashed away in Europe. That would leave two roster spots open for either Greek Freak 2 (or GF2… I like that nickname), Alex Kirk, a veteran reserve center, or a veteran point guard who can push the pace.

Exploring Veteran Avenue, few realistic options still exist barring a trade. As far as centers/big men are concerned, the free agency crop is pretty much baron… Ex-Knick Earl Barron is still available. But he was never able to carve out an NBA role in his prime, so I wouldn’t expect much at 33 years-old. Elton Brand has been a rumored target, but it is uncertain if he will play in the NBA this season and he also really is not a center. But he could be a solid addition for the veteran’s minimum, even as just a controlling locker room presence like many of the players who helped the 2013 Knicks were. Of course there is also Knicks fan heart-throb Reggie Evans. But Evans is old, limited, and also not a center. I am sorry to say, but Evans once again isn’t really the guy we need to sign after bringing in Kyle O’Quinn for a similar expanded Reggie Evans “goon” role. Some things just aren’t meant to be. Basically, we are extremely limited looking to free agency a center.

If the Knicks really want a backup center, the best option available is probably Alex Kirk. But if the Knicks prioritize Thanasis as a prospect more so than Kirk, they can just as easily delegate backup center duties to Porzingis (which might even be helpful for him in the long run), and have other big men like Kyle O’Quinn, Derrick Williams, and even Melo compliment King Zing at the 4 at alternating stretches when RoLo is on the bench.

As far as point guards go, Steve Blake has been a rumored name due to his connections with Phish (Phil + Fisher) from the Lakers. But Blake is still a member of the Pistons for now and could hardly be considered the “pace pusher” Fisher is looking for. Other options could include still unsigned Norris Cole and Luke Ridnour. But neither one has been linked to the Knicks in any way and they might not want to sign a vet’s minimum contract with the 17 win Knicks. Especially someone like Norris Cole, who is still young and could probably get a larger contract elsewhere or sign for the vet’s minimum on a contending team, like Prigioni just did with the Clippers. Best of luck to Pope Prigioni, by the way.

However, there is one PG on the market that nobody seems to be talking about, who I honestly believe Phil Jackson should at least take a long hard look at. I am talking about none other than our old friend Nasty, the Villain. #4.

Now, this article is being written with a somewhat humorous tone during July boredom by an admittedly diehard Nate fan. I could fully acknowledge that. But would it really be such a bad thing to try and bring Nasty Nate back to NYC? The place where it all started? Signing Nate Robinson to the veteran’s minimum would be the very definition of a win-win situation… In July. Hear me out.

For starters, there is no concrete evidence that Nate still couldn’t smoke any of these other free agent point guards on the B-Ball court. Word to that old “Above the Influence” commercial. He certainly was better than anyone else available in his prime… Just ask Steve Blake’s ankles.

His most recent shot at the NBA came in the form of subsequent 10 day contracts playing for his old head coach Doc Rivers with the Clippers this past season before being released shortly before the playoffs. The Clips already had an established group by that time and it likely made it more difficult to hang on.

Before that, Nate was playing productive basketball in Denver before tearing his ACL. Something that admittedly, likely has a lot to do with why he is now jobless at only 31 years old. Considering that Nate is the very definition of a player who relied on his athleticism to produce, being one of the best natural athletes I have ever seen play in his prime, it makes it extra tough to recover from an injury like that. But if Nate has retained even some of that freakish athleticism (Nate is still the same gym rat he always was), he could be the pace pushing PG off the bench we are looking for, and he has always had a nice 3-point stroke. Something that is considered prerequisite for a triangle point guard. Nate’s lack of size limits him from being a prototypical triangle point, but Fisher will be looking to push the pace more this season. Especially early on in possessions. This is why he is looking for a pace-pushing point guard. Off the bench, Nate has as much of a chance as anyone to bring that to the table, while still being able to fit in the triangle offense due to his outside shooting.

The year before the torn ACL, Nate played the best basketball of his career during the 2013 playoffs for the Chicago Bulls. Only two short years ago. He filled in for Derrick Rose better than any other backup point guard the Bulls have had during Rose’s long and well documented injury history.

He willed the Bulls past the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. This run was highlighted by a 34 point outburst in a triple overtime thriller in Game 4 of the series, which was arguably the greatest game of his career—putting everything into context. Nate dropped 23 points in the 4th quarter of this game (one point shy of tying Michael Jordan’s Bulls playoff record) and overcame a double-digit deficit in the final three minutes of regulation with the Bulls on his back, before eventually sealing the deal for Chicago in the third overtime. The Nets stormed back to win the next 2 games against the undermanned Bulls, but Nate still helped lead the Bulls to a Game 7 victory in Brooklyn.

I would like to add that all of this ironically enough helped out Knicks fans like myself who get a kick out of watching the Nets suffer (I can admit, I’m a hater). That Game 7 loss in Brooklyn as well as blowing that double digit lead in Game 4 to pretty much just Nate, proved to be the motivating factor behind the Nets looking to add “toughness” in the offseason. This, of course, forced Billy King to be the Billy King we all know and love and make the extremely ill-advised trade for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry. Which blew up in their face in a remarkable fashion. It crushed the Nets for years to come, as they are still dealing with cap issues to this day and do not own their own first round draft pick until 2019. Long live Billy the King.

Nate had another lightning rod game in him, with his 27 points leading the Bulls past the eventual NBA Champion Miami Heat in a thrilling Game 1 victory. The Heat would follow up this loss by sweeping the next 4 games from Chicago. Still, Nate’s playoffs were enough for Denver to invest a multi-year contract in him before he tore his ACL during the first season of his contract. He was traded to the Celtics earlier this season, who subsequently released him. He then signed with the Clippers, who also released him. This leads us to where we are today.

So maybe Nate is the best free agent pace pushing point guard out there right now. We do not know for sure that he isn’t. Maybe he can make a glorious return from injury in a similar fashion to Ricky Bobby, Nate’s favorite movie character portrayed by Will Ferrell in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. There is potential upside in that regard. More so than a Steve Blake or Luke Ridnour, in my opinion. But there is something else that Nate can definitely bring to the table that no other potential signee can. The ability to be an immediate fan favorite who can electrify Madison Square Garden, no matter what.

In order to fully explain the extent Nate won fans over during his time as a Knick, especially while never competing in a playoff game, I need to go into at least a few of his most electrifying Garden heroics. Let me start by stating that there has never been a player more fun to watch dropping 30+ points than Nate Robinson. Maybe that is my bias speaking as a Knicks fan, but there was just something special about that tough little ball of iron dropping buckets left and right. As he did quite often during his time here, reaching its apex during his 17 PPG campaign during the 2008-2009 season. His last full season in New York. His last season as New York’s #4.

Particular moments that will ALWAYS stand out to me are the “Shake and Bake” game in which he dropped 41 points leading the Knicks to victory with Ricky Bobby himself (Will Ferrell) sitting courtside cheering him on. Nate ceremoniously celebrated each bucket by screaming “Shake and Bake!” (As he started doing earlier in the season, a tribute to Ferrell’s character Ricky Bobby), and even enjoyed a courtside “Shake and Bake” fist bump with Ferrell himself. In true Nate fashion. Always the entertainer. Enjoying the moment and stepping up the most when the spotlight is the brightest. His career high 45 point game vs the Portland Trailblazers was incredible to watch as well… Word to Steve Blake’s ankles.

Those two I came up with off the top of the dome, because Nate’s performances really were something to watch. Even if they always occurred on losing teams and took place almost a decade ago. That alone should tell you all you need to know about Nate’s electricity. There are coach’s players and there are player’s players. Well, Nate is a fan’s player. He is a gritty underdog and champion of the common fan. He is a gladiator, as Reggie Miller annoyingly yelled over and over again on the TNT telecast when Nate Robinson won his first slam dunk contest. **** Reggie Miller, but he was right. He was there to put on a show for the Garden crowd and there was no way to not be entertained when he was on his game. Because when he was on his game, he put on a show. Of all the Nate Robinson shows, there is one particular night that stands tall above the rest for the tiny man.

Nate’s peak Knicks moment ironically occurred during the low point of his Knicks career. The setting is New Year’s Day 2010, the location is not MSG but rather Atlanta, and the game I like to call the “*** you D’Antoni” game. A brief summary…

Nate had scored a team high 24 points on a November 29th 2009 loss to the Orlando Magic, the defending Eastern Conference Champions at the time. The following game, on December 1st, Nate played about 10 minutes before head coach Mike D’Antoni took him out of the game. He wouldn’t step on the court again for another month. The Knicks were playing Chris Duhon pretty much exclusively at point guard, drawing the ire of many Knicks fans, including myself. D’Antoni eventually gave in after yet another poor start by Duhon exactly a month later vs a talented Atlanta Hawks team. He decided to sub in Nate late in the 1st quarter after 14 consecutive DNP-CDs. And to put it simply, Nate ******* dominated. He was absolutely unstoppable. He was nasty. The villain.

Nasty dropped 41 points on 18-24 shooting in 38 minutes and chipped in 8 assists and 6 boards for good measure. More importantly than that, he scored 19 of the Knicks last 21 points after being down 13 heading into the 4th quarter. Robinson displayed his nonstop motor, converting 2 game-tying shots to send the game into overtime and then scoring 11 of the Knicks 13 overtime points (he assisted Wilson Chandler on the other 2 points) to lead the Knicks to a thrilling victory to kick off the new year. It was to date, the most electrifying basketball performance I have seen from a Knick. For me, it even surpassed Melo’s 62 point game as well as Jamal Crawford’s 16 straight made field goals in-route to 52 points.

Maybe it had something to do with his height. Nah, check that. It definitely had something to do with his height. Like I said, there was never a player more thrilling to watch get buckets than the diminutive Nate. But it was more than that. It was his will and his gamesmanship. It was the way he took whatever the **** he wanted and let nobody stand in his way after being emasculated to the bench in favor of Chris ******* Duhon for 14 consecutive games. He was hungry and he wanted it the most.

As his close friend and mentor in both high school and on the Knicks, Jamal Crawford (who was a member of the Hawks at the time), said after the game, “He did whatever he wants.” Poor grammar there, ‘Mal. But you get the point. David Lee, who grew up alongside Robinson on the Knicks, said that “It was unreal to watch him play tonight.” It truly was.

It is indescribable how surreal he was. I remember watching the game on my laptop on some ****** streaming site while vacationing in Florida, and going absolutely bizzerk come 4th quarter. My family members had to ask me what the hell was going on and I simply told them, “You have to watch this.” This is very unlike me to do, by the way. I am extremely superstitious when it comes to my Knicks, and normally would be against jinxing my team in that kind of way. If I am watching the game alone and witnessing greatness, it needed to stay that way. Drawing extra attention to the performance before it was complete was essentially jinxing it… Every fan knows this.

But this was must see television and Nate was in a kind of zone I had never witnessed before from a Knick. He was unjinxable on this magical night and he flat out delivered. Every time he touched the ball everyone knew what was going to happen. And by everyone I mean ******* everyone. Myself, everyone else watching the game, the Knicks, the Hawks, D’Antoni, and most importantly, Nate. He was going to attack, and he was going to score. No matter what. D’Antoni said it himself after the game, “We were kind of like ‘Everybody get out of his way.’” Complex game plan from the most overrated offensive “genius” in NBA history, who benched the people’s champion for a month straight in favor of Chris ******* Duhon.

So my family members and I gathered around the terribly streamed game playing on my laptop and watched Nathaniel Cornelius continue to dominate through the 4th and OT. Everyone in my family was utterly amazed despite not understanding the context of the situation like I did, or being the Nate fan that I was. It was an unbelievable performance. On New Year’s Day 2010, Nate was the King of New York. His teammates roused him with applause when he entered the locker room after the game.

It was truly Nate’s shining moment on the Knicks. On that night, everything seemed like it was going to work out. Such optimism. 2010 had been the Knicks target year for the past 2 years, after all, and Nate took it in his own hands to kick off the “new era” in the grandest way possible. Despite public trade requests during the prolonged benching that even got Nate fined 25k, it seemed at that moment that all would be right. After the game, Nate told reporters, “This is where I want to be. And I hope that I can stay… It’s a new year, a new start, and I’m not looking back.”

It was a special moment. A month later, Nate won his second consecutive slam dunk contest and third total on the Knicks. Unfortunately, this would be the final highlight of the exciting Nate Robinson era of Knicks basketball as we knew it. He was traded at the deadline to the Boston Celtics for some scraps, and as we all know, a couple of months later 2010 did not work out as hoped for the Knicks. 5 years later, and here we are. Worse off than we were when Nate last laced them up for the orange and blue. Maybe it’s time to make things right.

One thing that always stood out about Nate, in addition to his overall electricity, was his ability to transcend the win-loss record. Nate consistently related to and won over the Madison Square Garden crowd. He became a beloved icon in New York City even throughout consistent losing. This had a lot to do with his electricity on the hardwood, but there was much more to #4 than his dynamic play.

It was partially about his bubbly/fun personality on and off the court. Always the showman. This was highlighted by the “Shake and Bake” moments as well as when he did his Call of Duty salute at the free throw line, which he promised he would do to a fellow gamer who didn’t actually believe he was playing with Nate Robinson. It became one of his many trademarks.

Watching the little guy school everyone on the floor was not only thrilling to witness, but it also made him a more relatable figure to those of us who aren’t 6+ feet tall. It was easier to resonate with little man Nate than some of these 6’8+ genetic freaks of nature.

But I think more than anything, it was his drive. His will. Not just being the little guy like others before him, but the little guy with the biggest heart. A guy who blue collar Knicks fans unanimously respected because of his non-stop energy, tenacious intensity level, and leave it all on the floor mentality. Desirable traits for any Knick to possess, regardless of size.

Moments like the “**** you D’Antoni” game emphasize this mentality more than anything else, which is why it stands out so much. But there was much more to it than that. He showed this all the time. Even during Nate’s rookie season he won the fans over by playing his garbage time minutes with the intensity level of an NBA playoff game. During the Larry Brown season nonetheless, which in my opinion was by far the most pathetic season in team history. He went all out all the time. “Heart over Height,” as his autobiography was even titled. Which I read, of course. Any diehard fan should do the same.

It is all part of Nate. His very own New York State of Mind or “State of Nate,” as he likes to call it. I like to think it is one in the same because Nate loved playing for the Knicks and the Knicks fans loved him right back. He showed off many of the same heart pounding pride and purpose characteristics that drew myself and others to John Starks before him—despite Nate and Starks being flawed basketball players. Nate, as well as Starks, stood out to the fans for reasons that went beyond their skill-set.

Nate was a player who came in here and won us all over almost instantly. Despite being a key member of one of the least successful stretches of Knicks basketball of all time, Nate Robinson became a fan favorite like few I have ever seen during my time as a Knicks fan. He seamlessly resonated with the New York City fan base. Knicks fans like myself gravitated towards him in a way that is almost indescribable. Like most things related to being a diehard fan are. As I discussed in great detail in my 2nd article, The New York State of Mind.

This is why signing Nate is really the ultimate win-win situation… For July. He is a figure at Madison Square Garden who transcends losing. This is his greatest attribute that nobody else could possibly bring to the table. Look, I remain hopeful. I hope that the Knicks are successful next year. I hope that the rookies overachieve and I hope that each of our free agent signings are able to take their game to the next level in expanded roles for all of them. I think there is a possibility of all that happening. But I am also realistic. There is also a possibility some of it happens or even none of it happens. I wouldn’t necessarily count on it after last season. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, as they say.

Jerian Grant and Porzingis are both projects and there is a high probability that they experience speed bumps, especially early on. There is a chance that Robin Lopez isn’t the defensive enforcer we hope he will be and more of a product of winning Portland Trailblazers basketball, and we overpaid him. There is a chance that Arron Afflalo’s best days are behind him. There is a chance that Derrick Williams is doomed to be another high draft-pick cautionary tale and Kyle O’Quinn is nothing beyond a bench player. Basically, there is a chance that the Knicks will suck again.

If we do suck, wouldn’t it at least be nice to see Nate back on his first home court? The place he best fit in during his NBA career? There would be no downside to signing him to the vet’s minimum. I mean, despite Melo and Nate maybe not getting along, due to the infamous 2007 Knicks-Nuggets brawl, in which both players played a key role. But I like to blame that more on JR Smith. Because **** that mental ******, who Nate wonderfully tackled into the MSG stands in the way most fans have wanted to do during countless occasions in the years following.

Besides, Jared Jeffries also played a key role in the incident, and he and Melo got along flawlessly during their time together in New York. Enough so that Melo trusted Jeffries enough to pass him the ball when he was wide open during the final seconds of a critical Game 2 loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2011 playoffs, which Jeffries of course dropped, because he is a scrub. But Nate is no scrub. At the end of the day, I am a firm believer that the rules of real recognize real will win out amongst teammates as much as it does with fans. And Nate and Melo are as real as they come in the NBA. Especially in New York City. Because both of them have too great a love for the Knicks to let some petty drama of 8 years ago stand in the way of a common goal. Maybe that is my homerism and bias towards Nate writing, but maybe not.

Maybe Jerian Grant struggles to adjust and Calderon furthers his decline and we are able to get some productive minutes from a rejuvenated Nate as that “push the pace” point guard off the bench that Fisher has spoken about. Kind of like the player he used to be in New York. A little more controlled, a little less athletic, but still Nasty the ******* Villain. The player we all grew to love. That would be awesome to see. A lot more awesome than seeing 65 year old outsider Steve Blake “instill triangle principles” off the bench while playing at a snail’s pace.

That is clearly high upside thinking for a player no team seems to be looking at. Maybe things click and we don’t need Nate or maybe Nate truly is too hobbled to ever contribute in the NBA again. A lot of possibilities exist on an unproven Knicks team. But would any situation really be that bad?

In my completely biased opinion, Nate can do no wrong here. As long as Nate is back home, the Garden will immediately be a happier place, and thus the world will be a little bit better. That alone makes him a better option to round out the roster than players who can do a lot of wrong, especially if the Knicks are bad. Or at least not contribute anything positive, which would essentially make them part of the negative.

Think about it… Even if Nate is bad, he will still be good. Because we believe he in his goodness. The idealism of Nate Robinson is arguably more valuable than the player Nate Robinson. The positive energy he can provide to the Garden would be enough to counteract any sort of poor play. Nobody else we can sign for the minimum in July is capable of doing that and potentially contribute to the team.

If the Knicks are looking for production from their 14th or 15th man, we are basically ****** anyway, so might as well have some fun with it. Right? If the Knicks suck again, we should at least go after the player who has proven to possess the innate ability to transcend losing. Somebody who can make losing a little more sufferable. One of the worst parts of this past season was that Knicks fans had nobody to rally behind. There was the Langston Galloway story, but the Knicks were so far gone by that point did anyone really get behind it? It was very team driven, in my opinion.

No one besides Melo had a meaningful connection with the fan base last season. This remains true. Nate has that. When the Knicks used to play meaningless basketball games, I would still regularly tune in to catch my favorite player play… As well as to listen to Clyde’s smooth vocal styling and rhyming… And also to see what suit he was rocking, of course.

But Nate has the ability to bring a similar Clyde-like element to the team that has been missing. Someone the fans love and relate to regardless of on-court performance. Clyde obviously doesn’t play anymore, but he still draws Knicks fans into MSG telecasts. Because Clyde was a beloved Knicks player with a cool swagger that makes him entertaining as **** as a color commentator with his legendary “Clydeisms.”

Nate is successful at attracting attention in a good and fun way. He is someone that draws in fan attention in itself. This can actually help the rest of the team by dimming some of the spotlight off the other Knicks, who will be experiencing enormous pressure right out the gate, and ease fan venom if only a little bit if we underperform again. This can be especially helpful for the rookies, who will likely be under a thick Knick-fan microscope all season long. Even if it is unfair.

Nate can’t come in here and change all this, but he has commanded the spotlight in New York since he was a rookie. Even when he does so unintentionally. He draws in fan attention at all times. He would provide us Knicks fans with something to distract ourselves just a little bit. Like giving a crying baby a toy to play with. We are the crying baby. Nate is the toy. That sounds demeaning to both parties, but I say it out of the most utmost respect to both my fellow Knicks fans (the greatest in the NBA, by far) and Nate.

The concept of Nate being positive for the fan experience also holds its weight if the Knicks become a winning team this season. If the Knicks do end up overachieving this season and make some sort of playoff run, guys like GF2 or Kirk or Steve Blake would be nothing more than innocent bystanders along for the ride. We aren’t going to do anything this season if we have to rely on those kind of players to play meaningful minutes. Not only does Nate arguably have more upside on the court than a Steve Blake would, but Steve Blake could never compete with what Nate could on the bench.

Nate is almost as entertaining on the bench as he is dropping buckets. Nobody has better bench antics than Nasty Nate. Whether he is dancing on the sidelines, jumping on top or even over his teammates (word to Big Baby), or even just improving team morale by cracking jokes, Nate is a natural on the bench. But more important than his antics is his connection with the Knicks fanbase in itself.

Nate is entertaining and a fan favorite. Even on the bench. Is there anything wrong with wanting that as a fan? I don’t think there is. I want to see our little ninja back at the Garden. Even if he is just a towel waver. Who the **** cares? Is that really so much to ask for? From a player who we can sign for the vet’s minimum? For a fanbase who is constantly forced to suffer with this team for so long? I don’t think it is and I don’t think I am alone in supporting this notion.

We are all in this together and every once in a while we deserve a Nate Robinson. Teams shouldn’t be built around fan notion, I have been on record supporting this stance. But every once in a while, when the right situation presents itself, fans deserved to be garnished.

In the same way we deserved Patrick Ewing Jr., and instead got Anthony Roberson, who contributed absolutely nothing. In the same way we didn’t deserve Chris ******* Smith, but were forced to watch him make the 15 man roster anyway. Some appreciative franchise we continue to root for. **** free food and soft drinks and 50% off merchandise on the last game of a terrible season… Not that I am in any way, shape, or form, not condoning that (it was really cool to see the Garden hallways turn into the Bronx Zoo, as well as purchasing 5 Knicks hats in one night), but if you really want to show fan appreciation, sign Nate for us. For the vet minimum. Just once, throw us a ******* bone and try to make the Knicks fan experience a little more enjoyable.

Thankfully, the Knicks do not do mascots. Not because Robin Lopez would try to fight it every ******* night, because mascots are gimmicky as **** and gimmicks like that do not fly in New York City like they would in Oklahoma City or Milwaukee or Miami… Or Brooklyn. Y’all aren’t off the hook for the Brooklyn-Knight or whatever the **** that was… People don’t forget!.. Come to think about it, it is actually pleasantly surprising that James Dolan hasn’t tried to incorporate a mascot for the Knicks… Props for that much, Jimmy. You still suck.

But just because we don’t need stupid *** mascots degrading the World’s Most Famous Arena, running around trying to pump up the crowd in New York City, doesn’t mean the fans can’t have something or someone of our own to relate to and be attached to. A kind of symbol who encompasses the collective New York personality. Take a look at Boston, for instance. Boston is very similar to New York City in their dedicated approach to sports, I have come to realize. It is why we despise each other so much. They do not do mascots either.

For years, Brian Scalabrine served as the Celtics’ unofficial mascot. His Irish look with his glaring red hair and fun personality seamlessly resonated with the extremely Irish city of Boston and the Celtics fanbase. They took him in like we took Nate in. He was one of them, despite also being a member of the team. Scalabrine would never fit in New York City like he did in Boston, but us Knicks fans could still have someone like that of our own. Somebody who encompasses the New York state of mind and connects with the fanbase on a level that goes beyond basketball. That someone should be Nate Robinson.

The little tough guy who fans fell in love with from the moment he was drafted in 2005. That is the kind of players Knicks fans can resonate with. Gravitate towards. Rally around. Nobody is more entertaining to watch on the sidelines. If the Knicks play some winning basketball and Nate is along for the ride as somebody who can pump up and energize the Garden faithful, even as a towel-waving onlooker, that right there is the New York City dream team.

Something similar happened when Rasheed Wallace joined the team prior to the 2012-2013 season. Rasheed never even played for the Knicks but it didn’t matter. In another kind of indescribable way, New Yorkers loved Sheed’s entire swagger immediately. I was at the home opener that year when the Knicks ran the Miami Heat out of the Garden. It was ******* awesome. Maybe the best Knicks game I have ever been to (I know, depressing).

Of course, that game stood out most because it made a major statement of “We’re coming for you” to the defending champions. But like Nate’s Garden heroics, it was deeper than that. It was definitely heightened because it happened right after Hurricane Sandy shook up the city. It definitely helped that I had some bandwagon Heat fans sitting in my section, screaming at the top of their annoying lungs for every stupid *** LeBron (**** so close to making it through an entire article without mentioning his name. Oh well) dunk, who left during the 3rd quarter in typical Heat fan fashion, to rounding cheers and taunts from the Knicks fans in my section. But it was made all the more emphatic when Mike Woodson inserted Rasheed Wallace into the game late in the 4th quarter after chants of “Sheed!” from the Garden crowd, and he drained the first three he took. The Garden went wild like it was LJ’s 4-point-play. It was a special night. Like New Year’s Day 2010. In very Nate-like fashion.

So quite frankly, I don’t give a **** whether Nate Robinson is over the hill or not. I don’t give a *** what number he wears either, now that Arron Afflalo will be wearing #4 for the Knicks. Nate will always be the Knickerbockers’ #4, in my eyes. I just want to see the little homie with the big heart back at the Garden. If he is able to contribute, then it would once again be a sight to see at Knicks games. It would be serious nostalgia, and he would fill a need in the process.

But regardless of on court success, Nate will carve out a role as long as he is back in New York City. His true home away from his native Seattle. If he needs to be delegated to full-time towel waving duties and garbage time minutes, so be it. It would be still be awesome. It would still be some sort of spectacle. Getting Nate back on this team could only be a good thing. It is the ultimate July-esque win-win.

So how about it, Phil? Throw us Knicks fans a bone. Give the Ballad of Nathaniel Cornelius Robinson the opportunity to continue. I maintain the stance that Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby has one of the greatest movie endings there is. Give Nate the chance to have the same kind of ending to his NBA career… “Shake and bake!”
 
@THE GR8EST  3/3 so far with the articles, another great read 
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@ShamsCharania: Undrafted Harvard guard Wesley Saunders has agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the New York Knicks, league sources tell RealGM.

anyone know anything about this guy?
 
nickmaz96 said:
@ShamsCharania: Undrafted Harvard guard Wesley Saunders has agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the New York Knicks, league sources tell RealGM.

anyone know anything about this guy?
Click to expand...
Benchwarmer.

Edit: He might actually get PT though on the Knicks. Not a bad college player. Fundamental dude but didn't excel in just one thing. Had a HS teammate of mine play at Cornell so I watched him play about 2-3 times a year. 

Damn near surprised he made the league though
 
Last edited:
on Saunders:

@brosales12: Harvard grad, two guard, so-so athlete, decent scorer, strong, good playmaker out of the P&R.
 
nickmaz96 said:
@ShamsCharania: Undrafted Harvard guard Wesley Saunders has agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the New York Knicks, league sources tell RealGM.

anyone know anything about this guy?
Click to expand...

He gets buckets. He had a great tourney in March as well
 
worst case scenario he will be good as travis wear and best case scenario hes a decent player that finds a role on this team and plays really well and gets a contract somewhere else like copeland...1 good thing about the Knicks is they find a gem every now and then who is undervalued and we pick them up for the low and they turn out to be somewhat decent... hopefully we can continue that trend
 
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