OFFICIAL NEW YORK KNICKS OFFSEASON THREAD: TRAINING CAMP

[the gr8]

Lebron

and yes i do not want to trade Marbury but if we do not get Rose, i would still like for us to give getting barbosa a shot i love hs game and he would be greatrunning the ppoint. He is young and will be a tremendous player.

 

[nyk orange and blue]

Isiah got it good right now

[h1]ISIAH IN EUROPE ON SCOUTING MISSION[/h1]
[h3]By MARC BERMAN[/h3]
[img]http://www.nypost.com/seven/05152008/photos/sports079.jpg[/img]

ISIAH THOMAS
Scouting two prospects.

May 15, 2008 -- Isiah Thomas is living the life. While Mike D'Antoni was being introduced at a Garden press conference Tuesday, Thomas was far, far away - scouting in Europe, The Post has learned.

According to a source close to Thomas, president Donnie Walsh dispatched Thomas last week to France and Italy. Not a bad absentee job. Thomas is not just there for the cuisine and wine. Walsh wanted him to scout two lottery possibilities in Danilo Gallinari and Nicolas Batum.

It was Thomas' first assignment since being fired as head coach April 18, two days after the season, and reassigned to a role with no title. Walsh said he would seek his advice, and The Post reported the former KnicksNew York Knicks

president/coach likely would have no office.

There's a chance Thomas also will show up for the pre-draft camp in Orlando, May 27-30.

Thomas watched Gallinari, who plays for Milan, and Batum, of Lemans, in their club-league games. This week the Italian League and French League hold their playoffs. D'Antoni once played for Milan.

Walsh said the Knicks, who don't have a foreign player, will be more involved internationally with D'Antoni.

"I think Mike has a great feel for international players," Walsh said.

It's unknown if Walsh consulted Thomas about D'Antoni during the coaching search. Nevertheless, Thomas was a big D'Antoni fan.

"He respected what Mike did in Phoenix, but it was hard not to," a Thomas friend said.

When Thomas took over the coaching reins before the 2006-2007 season, he talked about being Phoenix East, but it never transpired. After benching big men Eddy CurryEddy Curry

and Zach Randolph this season, Thomas talked often about the NBA becoming a "small man's league."

Thomas, who had three years and $18 million left on his contract, is expected to seek a more visible role elsewhere but felt it was better having a job while he looked.

Thomas can take credit at least for putting Walsh in a position to get under the salary cap after the 2010 season for a run at LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But Walsh will have to make some difficult trades, including dispatching Randolph's contract, which has turned into Thomas' most egregious move and could cost Glen Grunwald his general manager job after the draft on June 25.

Gallinari, a 6-foot-10 small forward, is considered a definite mid-lottery selection. He can run the floor and handle the ball and fit into D'Antoni's "Seven Seconds or Less" offense. Batum, a 6-8 shooting guard, is at best a late lottery pick.

The Knicks are seeded fifth in Tuesday's lottery with an 18.3 percent chance of jumping up to the 1 or 2 position, meaning they would have a shot to nab point guard star Derrick Rose. The Post reported Tuesday D'Antoni believes Rose can be the next Steve Nash.

If they can't get Rose, there isn't another pure point guard worthy of a top 8 selection and hence, Stephon MarburyStephon Marbury

likely would play out the final year of his contract. Walsh said he likely will not trade Marbury's $21 million pact because he doesn't want to get back any contracts past 2010, which shoots down the theory the Knicks would want Phoenix favorites Boris Diaw or Leandro Barbosa.

As for the lottery, Walsh said, "I'm not comfortable at all. I really want to win it. There's good talent, but 1 through 8, obviously 1 is going to be better than 8."

The Knicks can't fall worse than 8.

Walsh said D'Antoni will come to the lottery with him and sit on the dais.

"His wife told me he was lucky," Walsh said.

[email protected]

 

[nyk orange and blue]

Leave it to the resourceful David Lee to immediately find the best tutor possible to get an early start on the Mike D'Antoni system.

Lee said after he heard D'Antoni had accepted the job as the Knicks' coach, he sent a text message to Steve Nash. The two-time MVP point guard of the Phoenix Suns, who spends most of his offseason at his Greenwich Village flat, replied with a promise to work out with Lee this summer in New York.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-spknix0515,0,1616858.story

 

[woodside718]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...08-05-14_stephon_marbury_may_bounce_back.html

The possibility of Lee being packaged in a trade with a teammate with a big contract (Malik Rose) is a distinct possibility. "I don't (think) anything is off the table," D'Antoni said of the roster in general. "I think you go in every day and turn over every stone, 'How do we make the team better?' It might not happen so you're going to have to win what you have." NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...08-05-14_stephon_marbury_may_bounce_back.html

 

[allen3xis]

If it means we can deal Zach and open up more space...I'm not against that.

Lee is a nice player...but he can be found again.

 

[johnnyredstorm]

I said it a few months ago, in order to clear the cap and give Knicks a better future, Lee will have to be traded. As long as we get a nice mid to late firstrounder included I'll be happy.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

I'd trade Lee+Randolph for an expiring in a second. I love Lee, but if he helps us unload one of our horrible contracts, I'd be with it.

Not Malik, though. Doesn't Malik's contract expire in a year or so?

 

[blackmagnus514]

ya'll wanna trade Lee?

switch siders!!!!!!!

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Not that I want to, but I'd be willing to if it helps us get under the cap faster.

When does Randolph's contract expire?

 

[harlemtothebronx]

 

[nycknicks105]

LONG TIME..and i'd keep Malik, his contract expires soon.

 

[nycknicks105]

HTB, how long did that take you to get?

When i did it, it took me 5 times.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Yuck, what a mess.

And that was like the 10th time. We did get the #2 pick and draft Beasley like 4 times in a row, though.

 

[the gr8]

Originally Posted by NYK orange and blue

Leave it to the resourceful David Lee to immediately find the best tutor possible to get an early start on the Mike D'Antoni system.

Lee said after he heard D'Antoni had accepted the job as the Knicks' coach, he sent a text message to Steve Nash. The two-time MVP point guard of the Phoenix Suns, who spends most of his offseason at his Greenwich Village flat, replied with a promise to work out with Lee this summer in New York.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/ny-spknix0515,0,1616858.story

Lee is that dude, nobody works like him

If they can't get Rose, there isn't another pure point guard worthy of a top 8 selection and hence, Stephon MarburyStephon Marbury

likely would play out the final year of his contract. Walsh said he likely will not trade Marbury's $21 million pact because he doesn't want to get back any contracts past 2010, which shoots down the theory the Knicks would want Phoenix favorites Boris Diaw or Leandro Barbosa.
I knew Walsh was smarter than that. I knew he wasnt Isiah. i knew that those rumors were made up by media idiots who want marbury out even thoughwe will lose 20$, i knew Walsh had some logic.

and

Isiah loses GM, Pres, and Coach and he finally gets the job he deserves

EDIT: and about trading Lee. i mean i am opposed to it but if we can get some cap relief by trading him by clearing out contracts and getting some talent inreturn i see where your heads are at, but if you talking about trading him for picks you must be out of your %%+%!$! mind. Aint nobody outside the top 5 inthis draft gonna help us more than Lee right now... maybe not even some people in the top 5.

 

[the gr8]

"This plays perfectly into what I'm trying to do," Lee said of the system, which is similar to what he played under Billy Donovan at Florida. "My advantage against other bigs is I'm quicker and faster; I'm never going to be stronger than most of the fours or fives at this level, though I am always trying to get stronger and I will always compete physically."

Lee is THAT dude

 

[nyk orange and blue]

nah i don't want to see Lee traded lol maybe Nate Robinson

 

[nychiphophippo]

Originally Posted by HarlemToTheBronx

been my avy for a minute now

 

[woodside718]

saw the espn ticker during the cavs celtic game stating that dantoni is interested in ewing to be an assistant coach and even though he is under contract inorlando they will let him negotiate.

 

[big j 33]

I'd love to see Patrick back in New York, but I also like seeing him work with Dwight and try to bring his game along in Orlando. Of course, the Magic aremy second favorite team since I live in Florida, so I'm slightly torn.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Bring Pat back home D'Antoni!

 

[the gr8]

Originally Posted by HarlemToTheBronx

Bring Pat back home D'Antoni!

Break the curse

 

[nycknicks105]

^^would love to see that happen. Maybe we are cursed.

 

[the gr8]

'Antoni Big On Crawford, Robinson, Less On Lee

---

New York Daily News -
Mike D'Antoni likes players who can score, which could mean David Lee and Renaldo Balkman will be less effective this coming season.

"Mike doesn't like guys like Lee who can't shoot," a D'Antoni confidant said. "He saw him as a non-scoring power forward when he came out of Florida. But that's why a guy like Jamal Crawford is going to be around. He will thrive in Mike's system. And he likes Nate a lot, too. Mike likes guys who can make plays from anywhere on the court."

I mean cmon give Lee some credit, his shot has improved vastly and it will keep on improving. Son works his #%* off and has already hit up Steve Nash. Howcan you not be big on that, and he is a great athlete for a PF which would work extremely well in Mike's system. At this point though it looks like Leemight be dealt in a deal where we would trade away XZach or Eddy to open up some cap room, but teams might not be willing to do it unless they get a guy likeLee.

And i can understand why he likes Nate and Jamal. I see Jamal as a perfect 6th man for his team, he is our leader, and him coming off the bench brings animmediate scoring threat. He loves to shoot and will definitley get his shots, and he is also a superb athlete. and i can see Nate as the perfect backup PGbringing some enegy off the bench in this system.

And about Balkman, i know he cant shoot but i can see him working as well because of his athletisism. They need a defender in there so he can serve as kindof like a Marion because he is so good at defense, but on offfense he has the ability to run the break, or run in transition and throw down dunks. I dont knowi see him working perfectly in this system, i really dont get why he doesnt like guys like Renardo or especially Lee.

 

[blackmagnus514]

Jamal WILL be a starter. take it for what it's worth.

 

[the gr8]

^^he will start, but i think his game is better suited for a 6th man