Well, keeping in mind that it's just a regular season game, this was a bad loss where the Mavs didn't even play well. Even though those are some of the best teams, it calls into question what the Knicks' ceiling is. Does the current squad really have a chance to compete for anything above 4th best in the East? And how good can they actually become next year and the year after?
They really don't have much maneuverability with two massively overpaid players, especially as the new CBA nears. Melo's contract balloons up to 21.5m in 2013 and there is absolutely no way another team (although never hold your breath on the Magic or Clippers) will take that on under the new CBA. Amare's is 21.6 and Chandler's remains around 14m.
Even if we're incredibly generous and offer a salary cap of 65m (60m or below is far more likely,) that's 57m tied up between three players. The Knicks already blew their amnesty with Billups. Lin is a RFA next year, and do the Knicks really have the money to give him a competitive contract? I'm sure they'll do it, but it's going to cripple them over the next 4 years.
I know we often talk about just how bad Knicks management is, especially with the Carmelo deal, but I don't think people are going to realize just how stupid it was until next year and the year after. The reason Mark Cuban didn't think Chandler was worth 14 million was because under the new CBA there's increasingly harsh penalties for going over the cap, so the absolute value of every player is going to go down even if their relative value remains the same. The Mavs' cap was over 80 million last year so Chandler at 13m was fine. Now that they're down to 70m this year and even further below next year, it's just not realistic.
The Lakers and Heat are the only other teams in a similar situation but one of them already got a couple championships for it and the other is on the verge of it. The Knicks aren't just spending championship money for above average performance, they're locked into it until 2015 unless someone bails them out.
On March 07 2012 16:14 Jibba wrote: Well, keeping in mind that it's just a regular season game, this was a bad loss where the Mavs didn't even play well. Even though those are some of the best teams, it calls into question what the Knicks' ceiling is. Does the current squad really have a chance to compete for anything above 4th best in the East? And how good can they actually become next year and the year after?
They really don't have much maneuverability with two massively overpaid players, especially as the new CBA nears. Melo's contract balloons up to 21.5m in 2013 and there is absolutely no way another team (although never hold your breath on the Magic or Clippers) will take that on under the new CBA. Amare's is 21.6 and Chandler's remains around 14m.
Even if we're incredibly generous and offer a salary cap of 65m (60m or below is far more likely,) that's 57m tied up between three players. The Knicks already blew their amnesty with Billups. Lin is a RFA next year, and do the Knicks really have the money to give him a competitive contract? I'm sure they'll do it, but it's going to cripple them over the next 4 years.
I know we often talk about just how bad Knicks management is, especially with the Carmelo deal, but I don't think people are going to realize just how stupid it was until next year and the year after. The reason Mark Cuban didn't think Chandler was worth 14 million was because under the new CBA there's increasingly harsh penalties for going over the cap, so the absolute value of every player is going to go down even if their relative value remains the same. The Mavs' cap was over 80 million last year so Chandler at 13m was fine. Now that they're down to 70m this year and even further below next year, it's just not realistic.
I agree with all of these points. When the Anthony trade was announced, I cringed because of the new CBA that was looming, and that the owners wanted split that would massively favor them (such as the dreaded 53-47 split); this would put Amare and Melo's contracts up to 80% of the cap in their final years. The Knicks are going to match whatever another team offers Lin when he becomes a RFA unless Lin massively fails off of marketing potential. The Knicks draft pick mess doesn't help in the future either; the only reason that the Knicks have 2013 and 2015 1st round picks is because the league mandates that teams cannot trade consecutive first-rounders (or must have one pick).
Ok guys, quick fantasy question! I need a SG with Hamilton constantly being out (however I'm keeping him on my team), the problem is I need a SG who does more than just provide points (which is why Hamilton is such a good fit for me). I'm thinking of dropping Corey Brewer, he was picked up mainly to see if he'd be better for me than Ronnie Brewer, but I'm not really feeling him - and given how Ronnie Brewer will hit the bench and return to less PT when Hamilton returns I don't feel like going to him again.. so any idea of decent SG's to aim for?
I know there's a few better than Corey Brewer out on waivers already, i.e. George Hill might be a solution.. I've looked at Gary Neal too, but I'd like a few more steals than he gets. The two other players I've been eyeballing is Gordon Hayward & Roddy Beaubois - Hayward came off the bench last night and played really well, and he avg. quite a few assists.. Beaubois on the other hand can play anything from 40 to 6 minutes depending on Carlisle's mood which could make him more of a liability than an asset :\
On March 07 2012 21:59 Ace wrote: If the Jazz give him more minutes and touches, Hayward is the top pick. Otherwise Roddy because he'd get lots of minutes.
The problem I have with Roddy is the inconsistency in minutes, he's all over the place in terms of minutes from game to game which isn't really what I'd want.. but yeah, Hayward is probably the better choice, perhaps more off the bench than as a starter, because he becomes their #1 guy on offense with the second unit
Edit: Picked up Hayward, thanks for the feedback Ace
I think Celtics will make another run at it. Feels like they weren't trying too hard first half of the season, given they stay healthy and can keep up their shooting I see a few upsets coming. Pietrus seems to give them defensive edge and breakaway points in many situations, kind of like Tony Allen back in a day. Rondo's backup is already decent, the only major hole is lack of center/rebounding, I wonder if they can trade someone good? Looking forward to rest of the season.
On March 07 2012 21:59 Ace wrote: If the Jazz give him more minutes and touches, Hayward is the top pick. Otherwise Roddy because he'd get lots of minutes.
The problem I have with Roddy is the inconsistency in minutes, he's all over the place in terms of minutes from game to game which isn't really what I'd want.. but yeah, Hayward is probably the better choice, perhaps more off the bench than as a starter, because he becomes their #1 guy on offense with the second unit
Edit: Picked up Hayward, thanks for the feedback Ace
Or you could make a trade with the guy that has Joe Johnson in your league :p
On March 07 2012 18:55 igotmyown wrote: When did people start caring about the Knicks? Coming out of the woodwork.
They had a bench player called Jeremy Lin, and it turns out that he works pretty well with the rest of the Knicks' bench.
added to the fact that they already had bonafide superstars in Amare and Melo (both of whom really need to step it up), the potential is pretty overwhelming but it hasnt really fired against good teams yet. If this doesnt click the Knicks are in a mega hole for reasons already discussed.
On March 07 2012 21:59 Ace wrote: If the Jazz give him more minutes and touches, Hayward is the top pick. Otherwise Roddy because he'd get lots of minutes.
The problem I have with Roddy is the inconsistency in minutes, he's all over the place in terms of minutes from game to game which isn't really what I'd want.. but yeah, Hayward is probably the better choice, perhaps more off the bench than as a starter, because he becomes their #1 guy on offense with the second unit
Edit: Picked up Hayward, thanks for the feedback Ace
Or you could make a trade with the guy that has Joe Johnson in your league :p
The thing about Dolan is that he isn't even a owner like many of the other team owners, who paid for and own a team in full.
He controls the Knicks through control of Madison Square Garden, Inc. (via multiple-voting shares), which was spun off from Cablevision, where he is the CEO. When he plays owner and fiddles around with things, it's not even all his own money at stake, but those of shareholders as well.
I'm actually kind of worried that not only will the team not be able to improve its roster next season, but will be worse off if any of their revitalized 2nd unit players want more than what they get now. I'm sure Lin will improve dramatically between seasons though, and there's no way they'll let someone so valuable (commercially) leave.
Just when I am worried lakers might fall to Wiz, the Wiz take the next 3 possessions and toss up 3 pointers with 22 seconds left in the shot clock each time. Lol.
PS: There was 4 minutes and change left on clock, and Wiz up by 6
On March 07 2012 18:55 igotmyown wrote: When did people start caring about the Knicks? Coming out of the woodwork.
They had a bench player called Jeremy Lin, and it turns out that he works pretty well with the rest of the Knicks' bench.
added to the fact that they already had bonafide superstars in Amare and Melo (both of whom really need to step it up), the potential is pretty overwhelming but it hasnt really fired against good teams yet. If this doesnt click the Knicks are in a mega hole for reasons already discussed.
The potential is huge, the talent is actually cancelling itself out.
On March 08 2012 11:14 MassHysteria wrote: Just when I am worried lakers might fall to Wiz, the Wiz take the next 3 possessions and toss up 3 pointers with 22 seconds left in the shot clock each time. Lol.
PS: There was 4 minutes and change left on clock, and Wiz up by 6
I think you need to be more than worried. Wiz up 5 with ~9 seconds left.
EPT
