Big Apple Basketball: A DDPB Dynasty

[Cap Ologist]

Once a storied franchise, the New York Knicks have been stuck in mediocrity for much of the past decade. One mistake led to two, two led to three, and three turned to panic. And so after another frustrating season came to an end, Knicks owner Charles Rolen faced another long offseason.

The Knick fans have long been known for their loyalty, but even loyal fans reach a breaking point. Rolen could feel the grip his team once had on this city weakening. He sighed and poured himself another drink. He turned from his desk and looked out the window at the impressive skyline.

A buzz startled him from his thoughts. It was his secretary, Denise.

"A Mr. Ryan is here to see you," she said through the intercom.

"Send him in," came the reply.

Rolen stood as the door opened. Pleasantries were exchanged briefly, and the men quickly moved to the point at hand. Ryan had recently published a series of articles about basketball theory, and while he was no Bill James, he did seem to have a solid grasp on how to build a team. At least in theory.

As the men spoke for over an hour about tactics, contracts, personnel and coaching, Rolen's respect for the young man grew. Here was nothing more than a fan who had taken an academic interest in the game, who had studied hours of game tape, poured over the trades and signings, and analyzed coaches in ways coaches themselves never knew they could be evaluated.

Rolen had only arranged the meeting to pick the young man's brain, but as the evening wore on, he felt more and more convinced that this young man would provide the breath of fresh air the team and city needed. The job was accepted as quickly as it was offered, and the Knicks now had a new general manager.

[Cap Ologist]

The next day, Ryan and Rolen met to discuss the upcoming season. Ryan was brutally honest with Rolen, telling him that this team was going to be rebuilding and that they would most likely be stuck paying the luxury tax. Even though Rolen knew this already, hearing it didn't help matters. He asked Ryan to try to get below the luxury tax threshold. Ryan answered he would do his best, but that he would not sacrifice the future to do so. He knew that the reason the Knicks were in this mess was because they had often felt like they had to make a blockbuster trade. Those trades had failed to produce results on the court, and off the court, they greatly limited the team's future. It was going to be a tough pill to swallow, but Ryan hoped that the Knicks would finally take their medicine and quit putting it off.

Ryan knew that his biggest hurdle was to get rid of the losing culture that had become the norm. The player's contracts made most of them unmoveable, but the coaching staff could be cleared out with minimal pain. He chuckled to himself as he considered what a crazy world he had entered when paying over $7 million to buy out their contracts could be considered minimal.

The Knicks needed a coach who was a winner. Someone who would instill a toughness in them, someone who would never quit no matter how hard the road got. In short, he knew exactly who he wanted. Rudy T. Rudy T whose Rockets had defeated the Knicks in their last NBA Finals. Rudy T who had helped Houston overcome long odds over and over. Rudy T needed to be a Knick.

The only problem lay in convincing Rudy T to join the Knicks. After all, the man was a legend. He had won two rings, and now enjoyed a peaceful retirement.

It took Ryan several minutes to locate the number for Rudy T's agent. The agent listened politely for several minutes, before giving a noncommittal "I'll bounce it off of him and get back to you."

Frustrated, Ryan moved on to looking over possible assistants. He wanted to focus on assistants who could evaluate and develop talent. It would be several years before the Knicks could be big players in free agency, and so they must improve through the draft and by finding solid role players from the NBA scrap heap.

As Ryan studied assistants, his cell phone rang. It was Rudy T's agent. Ryan braced himself for the rejection he knew was coming.

"He wants the job."

As the contract details were discussed, Ryan's smile grew larger and larger. Finally, it was a done deal, and Ryan had his general. Ryan and Tomjanovich talked briefly to discuss coaching staff, and found that they shared similar opinions.

At the end of the day, the Knicks had signed four coaches to three year deals.

Rudy Tomjanovich, head coach, 3 years, $4.5 million
Kevin O'Neill, 1st assistant, 3 years, $650,000
Sidney Lowe, 2nd assistant, 3 years, $400,000
Tom Sterner, 3rd assistant, 3 years, $350,000

[Cap Ologist]

The next few days were spent working the phone lines, looking for reasonable trades that would help the team now and in the future. With each phone call, Ryan realizes that there are very few teams run as badly as the Knicks had been.

Ryan turned his attention to the draft class, highlighted by C Greg Oden and SF Kevin Durant. With the #2 pick in the draft, the Knicks were guaranteed to get one of them if they so chose. League rules permitted the Knicks to bring in 15 players for private workouts and interviews.

In a press release, Ryan identified the 15 players the Knicks were considering:

C Greg Oden
SF Kevin Durant
PG Taureen Green
PF Jason Smith
SF Julian Wright
PG Jared Jordan
SG Morris Almond
SF Giorgos Printezis
SF Wilson Chandler
SF Jeff Green
PF Josh McRoberts
SG D.J. Strawberry
C Aaron Gray
PF Ryan Coville
SF Thaddeus Young

I'd be very happy if the Raptors select Durant as their seems to be more SF talent likely to be there in Round 2. Hopefully Oden will tank in their workout.

[Cap Ologist]

There was a certain energy and calmness that Ryan felt as he finished looking over scouting reports on his way to the draft. Knowing that he would emerge with one of the top two rookies helped settle him down for his draft. Barring any blockbuster trade, either Oden or Durant would be wearing a Knicks hat in just a few hours.

Rumors were swirling that the Raptors were interested in Durant since they already had a formidable frontline with C Chris Bosh and PF Andrea Bargnani, but those rumors proved untrue when the Raptors selected Greg Oden.

Ryan sighed, knowing that even though he would be adding a great player, Toronto would be a tough opponent for many years with that lineup. It didn't take Ryan long to turn in his card with Durant's name on it. Oden was the better defender, Durant the better scorer.

Ryan sat back to watch the draft shake out. There were several players that would be great additions to the Knicks. And when it was his turn, he could barely hide his smirk as he turned in the name of Josh McRoberts, a PF from Duke. With his first two picks, Ryan had selected players who had played in big games in college.

Ryan made one trade after the draft, mainly to clear roster spots. Dumping salary just doesn't seem to be in the cards. He sends PG Nate Robinson, SF Renaldo Balkman and C Randolph Morris to the Charlotte Bobcats for SG Rodney Stuckey and their next 3 2nd round picks.

The Knicks will have two open roster spots to fill in free agency, but probably won't be able to find much help. Everyone in the league knows that the Knicks are a long way from being competitive.

Ryan's final bit of business before fielding his summer team was to renounce the contract of Kelvin Cato, which unfortunately would only shave $1.2 million off the payroll.

The summer league saw the Knicks summer team go 4-1. Durant was a beast, with a low game of 18, three games scoring at least 20, and capping it off with a 43 point outburst in the last game.

[Cap Ologist]

Free agency is quite boring when you can't afford to shop. The Knicks offered a 2 year minimum salary deal to Peter John Ramos, a 7'3" center. Other than that, they had very few phone calls returned.

After free agency and training camp, Ryan decided to send rookies PF Josh McRoberts and SG Rodney Stuckey to the Dev. League. They were going to be buried on the bench, and Ryan wanted to maximize the chances that someone would be willing to talk trade during the season.

Heading into the season, the Knicks have a payroll of over $91 million, well above the luxury tax threshold. Ryan secretly hoped that the team he had would prove competitive enough to give Rolen enough reason to forget how much it was costing him.

After the first month of the season, the Knicks were 5-9, not quite the start that Ryan would have hoped for. But all things considered, the Knicks will be lucky to win more than 30 games this season.

December saw the Knicks claw to a record of 13-17, coming within 1 game of .500 at one point. Most importantly they were in 3rd place in their division, a huge improvement from their long domination of the cellar.

January was another month easy to forget. The Knicks were 19-26, still third in their division, but most importantly still in the hunt for the playoffs, though it was by all accounts a longshot that they could make it.

February arrives with the news that the Rockets have place Yao Ming on the trading block. Ryan is instantly interested, but just doesn't have anything that the Rockets are interested in. He offers C Eddy Curry, C Channing Frye, PF David Lee and 2 1st round picks, but Houston still refuses.

Kevin Durant is selected to play in the Rookies/Sophomores game and takes Player of the Game honors as he scores 22 to lead his team to victory. Eddy Curry comes off the bench to score 5 in the All-Star game. Durant breaks his leg, and without him New York can only muster 4 wins, enroute to a 23-34 record.

The Knicks under his watch have at least matched the number of wins they had last season and still have 25 games to play. With Durant gone for the season, it's looking pretty bleak. Ryan decides to recall McRoberts and Stuckey for the stretch run. It's time to see what they can do against the big boys.

The season finally comes to a merciful end. After going 23-59 in the last year of the Isiah Thomas debacle, Ryan has at least pointed the ship in the right direction. They've improved by 11 wins despite playing the last 25 games with Durant injured.

Chicago goes on to win the championship in 5 games over Phoenix. Al Horford wins Rookie of the Year over Durant and Oden, averaging a respectable 14.6 ppg and 10.3 rpg.

Now, all that awaits is the end of the year meeting with Charles Rolen.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Cap Ologist

Durant breaks his leg

You sure you didn't draft Oden by accident?

[RedHawk00]

There must be something about re-building the Knicks...

[Cap Ologist]

JIMG: Just double checked, and no I didn't draft Oden. It's a shame too, because we probably could have ended up within a game or two of .500 if he hadn't gotten hurt.

RedHawk00: Just wanted a challenge. I started a dynasty a while back with Charlotte, and it was almost too easy. Figured I'd give the Knicks a try and see if I could survive long enough to turn them around.

[Cap Ologist]

Ryan walked down the long hallway to Mr. Rolen's office. The meeting was quick and to the point. Rolen wasn't happy, and was itching to make a change. For all his talk last year about understanding the need for change, the man just couldn't help himself sometimes. He was pissed, and rightfully so. Despite having the highest payroll, the Knicks had finished out of the playoffs.

What Rolen had conveniently forgotten was that despite the injury to their budding star, Durant, the Knicks were in contention for the 8th and final spot. Rolen reluctantly agreed to give Ryan another chance, but he made damn sure his G.M. knew that he was hanging on by a thin thread.

Ryan reemphasized the need for patience, admitting that this year's team would still have struggles as they would need another season to get out from under some truly horrible contracts, contracts that Ryan inherited. Rolen was in no mood to listen, and once again ordered Ryan to trim payroll.

Trimming payroll would be difficult, but hopefully with another year off the books on some of the deals, there was at least a glimmer of hope he could convince someone to take the deals off his hands.

Ryan knew that he needed to make no changes to the coaching staff. He had hitched his star to that of Rudy T, and come hell or high water, he would not turn loose.

And so the first few weeks of summer were quiet leading up to the draft. This draft is noticeably weaker than last years. Ryan tried his to make a few moves. SG Rodney Stuckey was drafted way too high, and his salary is more than he wanted to pay. So, after several phone calls, he decided to send Stuckey and SG Mardy Collins to Charlotte, the team that originally overdrafted Stuckey, for their 1st round pick in this year's draft, #14 overall.

For the Knicks, it allowed them to pick up another pick that they might be able to use to sweeten a deal enough to convince another team to take one of their many bad contracts. It also helped remove just over $4 million from the payroll, a small step, but a step in the right direction nonetheless.

Ryan quickly made another deal, this time sending contract headaches PG Steve Franchise, SG Jamal Crawford and C Peter John Ramos to Cleveland for C Zydrunas Ilgauskas and SG Larry Hughes, and their 2009 and 2010 2nd round draft picks. This deal helped solidify the team while also chopping off another $3.8 million in salary.

Z and Hughes both have 2 years remaining on their contracts, but they are significant upgrades. With as little job security as Ryan had, this was the kind of deal that could help bring him back for year 3.

Now, however Ryan had to decide what to do with his two first round picks. They weren't enough to tempt one of the teams with a high draft pick into trading down for, and the players forecasted to be available weren't terribly exciting. So, Ryan began to make phone calls once again around the league.

It's amazing what the offer of 2 #1 draft picks can do. Phones that had hung up too quickly now listened a little longer. Several hours in, Ryan got his first nibble. The nibble turned to a bite, and the bite sealed the deal. Ryan himself found the deal hard to believe, and kept waiting for it to fall apart, but it didn't.

The Knicks would send the #9 and #14 picks in the 2008 draft plus Stephon Marbury to the Chicago Bulls for PG Kirk Hinrich, SG Ben Gordon and SF Adrian Griffin. The Knicks were able to shave another $3 million or so off their payroll. The deal would send shockwaves through the league. In just a few hours on the day before the NBA draft, Ryan had successfully gained more talent without limiting the future flexibility.

Ryan was still saddled with overpaid, underachieving PF Malik Rose, SF Jared Jeffiries and C Jerome James. Rose was at least in the last year of his deal, and depending on the renouncing of contracts by other team, might still be shipped out. James and Jeffiries had 2 and 3 years remaining on their deals respectively, and would be much more difficult to get rid of.

Quentin Richardson was another player who had survived the trading blitz, for now. He was due to receive over $8 million for this season with another year still on his contract. Under the right circumstances, it might be possible to move him.

Getting rid of Rose and Richardson might go along way to improving his job security, especially if the new team he put together could make a playoff run. Griffin would also be dealt as soon as possible, for he was thrown into the Marbury trade to bring the salaries into compliance.

[Cap Ologist]

The draft saw little action from the Knicks. They selected a PG in the 2nd round, Fletcher Phillips, and intended on sending him to the Dev. League. As free agency drew closer and other teams began to renounce contracts, Ryan worked the phones. He was able to convince Orlando to take Malik Rose off his hands by switching 2009 2nd round picks. $7 million more was shaved off the payroll.

Ryan had his eye on moving Channing Frye, who was a solid player, but was in the last year of his rookie contract. Frye wanted at least $5 million a year, and Ryan was not interested in him at that price. Several teams needed help at center, and so Ryan sent Frye, PF Josh McRoberts, and recently drafted PG Fletcher Philips to the Bobcats for their 2009 and 2011 1st round picks. Although McRoberts was a favorite of GM Ryan, he would never develop past being a solid role player, and there were several of those available in free agency for the league minimum.

Ryan quickly struck a deal with PF Eric Williams for 2 years at the league minimum. The Knicks were now done to only $22.5 million over the cap, hopefully enough to stave off unemployment for Ryan after this season.

Ryan hoped to add a backup PG and another PF/C, hopefully as cheaply as possible. He signed PG Sebastian Telfair and PF Kwame Brown to deals similar to Williams. He then reached another 2 year minimum salary with PG Maurice Williams and C Patrick O'Bryant to close out the roster for the upcoming season.

Our opening day lineup:
PG Kirk Hinrich
SG Ben Gordon
SF Kevin Durant
PF Zydrudas Ilgauskus
C Eddy Curry

6th Man - PG/SG/SF Larry Hughes
7th Man - PG/SG Maurice Williams
8th Man - PF/C Eric Williams
9th Man - PF/C Kwame Brown
10th Man - PG Sebastian Telfair
11th Man - SG/SF Quentin Richardson
12th Man - PF/C Patrick O'Bryant

Worthless Pieces of Shit That Wear Nice Suits and Sit at the End of the Bench:
SF Jared Jeffiries
C Jerome James

On paper, the Knicks looked poised to make major strides this season. Now, all that remained was for the games to begin.

[Izulde]

I obviously approve your new backcourt. Be interesting see how the team meshes together.

[Cap Ologist]

On paper, we look really good. How that translates to the court will go a long way in determining whether there is a year 3 for Ryan here. There's no way I can cut salary enough to appease the owner, I'm just hoping that since I told him it was going to be a lousy year that a playoff run will be enough to pacify him. I'm pretty pleased with the results of the trades, it took a freaking long time to try to find the right combos to get them done. Would be nice to be able to put a group of players on the trading block and then the computer would generate offers they intend to accept. Nothing irritates me more than lining up a trade and then having the computer backout at the last second because they don't want to accept a player's contract. Now if I could only find a way to trade for Noah, you might start rooting for the Knicks.

[Cap Ologist]

Finally it's upon us. The regular season is finally here.

Game 1: @ Minnesota

Kevin Garnett welcomes us to his house with a blistering 36 points. Ben Gordon scores 22 to lead the way while Kevin Durant puts in 18. Eddy Curry is a beast in the middle with 17 points and 16 boards. Kirk Hinrich scores 16 points and collects 11 assists for his first double double in a Knick uniform. Minnesota jumps out to the early lead, but we tie it up at halftime. The second half belongs to us and we take the 97-86 win.

Game 2: Boston

After our opening win on the road, MSG is alive with excitement. Our offseason moves created excitement, and our road win did nothing but increase it. Boston gets a balanced team effort with five players in double figures. We counter with our own balanced effort. Gordon leads us again with 25 points, Kevin Durant scores 19 on 9 for 11 shooting. Curry contributes 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Hinrich gets another double double with 19 points and 13 assists. We never trail in this game and cruise to a 125-86 win.

Game 3: Philadelphia

Two games, two wins. A great way to start what is most likely a make or break year. Philly is led in scoring by their 2007 and 2008 1st round picks, Rodney Carney with 16 and Peter Kimbrough with 15. Samuel Dalembert and Joakim Noah each score 14 points. We are led (once again) by Ben Gordon with 26 and get another 17 points from Durant. Curry and Ilgauskas score 14 and 13 respectively, and Hinrich goes 3 for 3 in double doubles with 14 points and 12 assists.

Game 4: Los Angelos Clippers

Elton Brand enjoys the spotlight of the Big Apple, lighting us up for 32 points. Corey Maggette scores 17, but they are the only two who score double figures. We are led by .... Eddy Curry with 23 points and 9 rebounds, Durant scores 19 points. Ben Gordon is held in check with only 10 points, but Big Z and Kwame Brown each score 12. And Hinrich, well he got another double double, 17 points and 13 assists. The first quarter is back and forth and we hold a slim 3 point lead. We exert our defensive will in the 2nd quarter and hold the Clippers to only 16 points, allowing us to stretch our lead to 52-40 at halftime. The Clippers can cut into the lead, and we finish with a 111-96 win.

Game 5: @ Indiana

The first game of a four game road trip. Our confidence is growing with each game. Jermaine O'Neal comes to play and lights us up for 47 points, meaning 3 of the 4 power forwards we have faced have scored over 30 points. Slightly worrisome to say the least. Gordon bounces back from his disappointing game against the Clippers with 34 points. Larry Hughes makes his first big splash of the season with 17 points off the bench. Hinrich gets his double double with 14 points and 14 assists, and Durant scores 13 points. We have a 27-25 lead after the first quarter, but then slowly open up the lead throughout the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Indiana can't muster a 4th quarter comeback, and we take a 108-94 win.

[Cap Ologist]

Game 6: @ San Antonio

This will be our first true test of the season. San Antonio is still solid with Duncan, Parker and Ginobili. The Spurs get 25 points from Parker and 24 points each from Duncan, Ginobili, and Darko Milicic. Ouch! I knew our interior defense was bad, but Darko going for 24? We counter with 26 from Gordon, 20 from Durant, and another double double from Hinrich with 10 points and 12 assists. The Spurs come out of the gates redhot and lead by 16 after the first. We can't cut into their lead and go to the break still down 16. They extend their lead to 27 in the third, and we lose 117-100. Very disappointing, but also very revealing about where we are as a team.

Game 7: @ Houston

The next leg of the Texas triangle. Fortunately for us, Yao is out with an injury or he might go for 50. Houston is led by Al Horford with 19 points and we limit Tracy McGrady to 13 points. Hinrich scores 20 and collects 11 assists. Durant scores 16 and Gordon 14. We get 12 points and 16 rebounds from PF Eric Williams off the bench. The game is a tight, defensive struggle. It's 19-15 Knicks after one, 40-32 Knicks at half. Houston shaves 3 points off of our lead, but we continue to grind and pull away late for a 91-78 victory.

Game 8: @ Dallas

Dirk Nowitzki scores 29 to lead the Mavericks and Jason Terry puts in 21 points. Gordon awakes from his siesta and scores 29 to match Dirk, Eddy Curry gets 20 points and 18 rebounds, Eric Williams continues his strong play off the bench and goes for 16 points, and yes Hinrich gets another double double. It's 33-32 Dallas after one, but 62-53 Knicks at halftime. We outscore Dallas in the third and fourth to take a 118-101 victory.

Game 9: Cleveland

Lebron scores 22 to lead the Cavs, and is helped by former Knicks Peter John Ramos with 16 and Jamal Crawford with 14. We watch Gordon explode for 39 points and Durant chips in 23 points. No other Knick reaches double digits, thus ending Hinrich's streak of double doubles. Cleveland jumps out to an early lead, and we face an uphill battle most of the game. They hold on for a 90-85 win.

Game 10: Atlanta

After a disappointing performance, we need a strong showing to keep our confidence and momentum. Atlanta is led in scoring by Joe Johnson with 11 points, and Earl Boykins and Sheldon Williams each get 10. We are led by Larry Hughes with 29 points off the bench on 12-14 shooting, Gordon scores 18. We lead the entire game and give them a 98-68 beating.

Game 11: @ Toronto

With our interior defense struggles, this could be ugly. Toronto has a formidable frontline. They live up to their billing as Bosh scores 28, Bargnani scores 19, and Oden goes for 18. We get dominant guard play as Gordon scores 31 and Hinrich goes for 27 points. Toronto leads for the first three quarters only to see us mount a fourth quarter comeback as we escape with a 118-110 win.

Game 12: Toronto

They repay our visit very promptly, and they come ready for battle. Each of their starters score at least 12 points with Bosh leading the way with 34. We get another spectacular game from Gordon and Hinrich with 30 and 29 points respectively. Toronto again leads for the first three quarters only to see us mount another comeback to force overtime, but we're spent. Toronto pulls away for the 129-121 OT victory.

Game 13: @ Atlanta

After embarrassing them on our court, they want revenge at their place. Joe Johnson scores 21 points and Josh Smith scores 18. We get 34 from Gordon, and 19 points and 9 assists from Hinrich. We lead by 1 after the first, and gradually pull away the rest of the game to take a 107-90 win.

Game 14: Memphis

Pau Gasol exploits our defensive struggles to lead the way with 26. Mike Miller scores 18 and Memphis has three other players score over 10. We get 29 points from Hinrich, 19 from Curry and 14 from Durant. We lead the majority of the game and hang on for a 104-96 victory.

We close our first month at 11-3. A very impressive showing considering where we were last year. We suck at guarding inside, and we're going to have to get that fixed.

[Cap Ologist]

Our hands are kind of tied in improving our interior defense until some of the free agents we signed become eligible to be traded. I could trade Gordon for Emeka Okafor, but I'm worried that our offense might suffer too much.

Game 15: Orlando

The Magic come out with a very balanced attack with six players scoring in double digits. We get 46 points from Gordon, 24 points from Hinrich and 19 from Curry. We lead 35-20 after one and 65 to 39 at halftime. The second half sees us cruising to a 117-93 victory.

Game 16: @ Charlotte

Charlotte is led by Raymond Felton with 24 points, 18 points from Sean May and 17 points from Brevin Knight. We get another outstanding game from Gordon with 30 points, 21 from Eddy Curry and 17 each from Durant and Ilgauskas. Hinrich gets 14 points and 14 assists. We lead by 12 after the first, and by 23 at halftime. Charlotte mounts a comeback, but it's too little, too late and we hang on for the 112-105 victory.

Game 17: @ Memphis

The first quarter is very sloppy and ends in an 18-18 tie. Memphis comes out in the second quarter and opens up a 17 point lead. We can't mount a comeback in the second half as Memphis just dominates us. Pau Gasol leads Memphis with 27 points and 13 rebounds, Rudy Gay and rookie Landin Cammaerts each score 20. We get 22 from Gordon, 17 from Curry and 16 from Durant in a rather lackluster 109-89 loss.

Game 18: @ New Orleans

We have a five point lead after the first quarter, but we watch New Orleans tie it back up by halftime. We outscore New Orleans by four points in the third and fourth quarter and take the 125-117 victory. New Orleans was lead by Chris Paul with 27, David West with 25 and Peja Stojakovic with 19. We counter with 30 points from Gordon, 28 from Durant, 16 points and 11 rebounds from Eddy Curry, and Hinrich gets 14 points and 18 assists.

Game 19: @ Washington

We have another five point after the first quarter of this game, and take a slim 2 point lead into halftime. Washington takes a 1 point lead into the fourth quarter, and we scratch our way to a 111-107 victory. This game had 30 lead changes and 19 ties. Washington had 8 players score at least 8 points. We counter with 21 from Gordon, 20 from Larry Hughes off the bench, 18 points from Hinrich, 15 from Durant and 14 from Curry.

Game 20: Denver

We give the cardiac ward the night off as we open up with a 13 point lead after the first quarter, and take a 10 point lead into halftime. We extend our lead to 21 in the third quarter and pull away in the fourth quarter for a 122-95 win. Denver is led by Allen Iverson with 29 and Carmelo Anthony with 18. We get 28 from Eddy Curry, 23 from Hinrich, and 22 from Durant.

Game 21: @ New Jersey

We play good defense in the first quarter and have a 26-19 lead which we extend to a 57-47 lead by halftime. We outscore New Jersey 53-25 in the second half en route to a 110-72 win. Richard Jefferson leads New Jersey with 27 points and Nenad Krstic puts in 10. We get 29 from Hughes off the bench again, 22 from Gordon, 13 points and 17 rebounds from Ilgauskas, and 13 points and 12 assists from Hinrich.

Game 22: Detroit

We have a 30-20 lead after the first quarter. Detroit cuts it to 3 by halftime, and then takes a 2 point lead into the fourth. They pull away for a 109-96 win. Detroit is led by Richard Hamilton with 26 and Chauncey Billups with 23. We get 26 from Gordon, 22 from Durant, 16 points and 13 rebounds from Ilgauskas, and 13 points and 12 assists from Hinrich.

Game 23: @ Philadelphia

Philly enjoys a 21-20 lead after the first quarter, but it's tied at halftime. Then we take an 11 point lead into the fourth quarter. Philly can only shrink our lead by two and we take the 104-95 win. Philly is led by 18 each from Joakim Noah and Rodney Carney, their 2007 and 2008 top draft picks. We counter with a balanced attack with 6 players in double digits.

Game 24: Utah

We hold a 23-20 lead after the first quarter, only to watch the Jazz surge for a 50-44 halftime lead. We answer with our own surge to take a three point lead into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter would see yet another 9 point surge, only this time by us, as we take a 113-101 win. The Jazz were led by Deron Williams with 31 points and 21 from Mehmet Okur. We get 28 from Eddy Curry and 24 from Gordon. Hinrich gets another double double with 14 points and 16 assists.

Game 25: Dallas

We jump out to a 27-19 lead after one, and take a 52-41 haltime lead. We outscore Dallas by 12 in the second half and take a 112-89 victory. Dallas is led by Josh Howard with 24, Jason Terry with 18 and Dirk Nowitski with 14. We get 27 from Gordon, 24 from Durant, 15 from Ilgauskas, and 14 points and 11 rebounds from Eric Williams off the bench.

Game 26: @ Boston

We have a 31-30 lead after the first quarter, and a 64-63 at halftime. We open up an 11 point lead heading into the fourth quarter, and survive a late surge to take a 110-105 win. Boston is led by Al Jefferson with 22, Wally Szczerbiak with 19, and 19 from Paul Pierce. We get 28 from Curry, 26 from Gordon and 25 from Hughes off the bench.

Game 27: Charlotte

Charlotte takes a 22-21 lead after the first, and a 51-45 lead at halftime. We can't mount any sort of comeback, and lose 108-102. Raymond Felton leads Charlotte with 25 points and Gerald Wallace chips in 16 points. We get 22 from Curry and 20 from Gordon.

Game 28: Orlando

Orlando jumps out to a 5 point lead after the first quarter and hold on to it til halftime. We shave their lead to 4 heading into the fourth quarter, and then we take the lead late and hold on for a 105-98 win. The Magic are led by rookie guard Kosmy Iwinska with 24 and Dwight Howard scores 15 points and grabs 16 rebounds. We get 22 from Gordon, 19 from Curry, 19 from Hughes off the bench.

Game 29: Minnesota

Minnesota holds an 8 point lead after the first quarter. We trim it to 3 by halftime. Then we take a 3 point lead into the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter sees our defense come alive as we hold Minnesota to 9 points. Minnesota is led by Garnett with 38 points, but we hold everyone else in check. We counter with 22 from Gordon, 20 from Durant and 19 from Hughes off the bench.

Game 30: New Jersey

This was a game of streaks. We streak out to a 38-20 1st quarter lead. New Jersey streaks back to pull within 1 heading into the fourth quarter. We wake up from our sleepwalking and streak back out to a 13 point victory, 120-107. New Jersey got 25 from Vince Carter and 21 from Richard Jefferson. We were powered by 21 from Curry, 19 from Durant, 18 each from Ilgauskas and Gordon, and another solid bench performance from Larry Hughes.

We close out the year 24-6, 6.5 games ahead of Toronto for first place in our division. We boast the highest scoring offense with 108.6 points a game, but we're 20th in points allowed with 97.6 points. I guess it's a good thing some of my tradeable parts aren't eligible right now. It will force me to be patient and see how we continue to do as we start a new calendar year.

[Cap Ologist]

Alright, I unfortunately don't have time to do game by game breakdowns, but I want to keep going and see how it turns out.

Back to the action.

January sees us going 11-4, highlighted by home and away wins over Cleveland and Chicago. We have a 10 game lead in our division and a 3 game lead for the top seed in the playoffs. Quite a turnaround from last season.

We drop the first two games in February, but get back on track and win 5 of the next 6 before the All-Star Break, including wins over Boston, Miami, Philly and Charlotte.

Heading into the All-Star break, we are 40-13, with an 8 game lead over Toronto in our division and a 6 game lead over Miami for the top seed. Ben Gordon makes the All-Star team, but gets a DNP.

We're coming up on the trade deadline, and I'd really like to improve our interior defense. Ilgauskas hasn't played as well as I'd hoped, and it wouldn't be the end of the world to keep him. I'm hoping that with only another season on his contract, he won't be too difficult to move.

We send:
SG Ben Gordon
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas
2009 1st Round Pick
2010 2nd Round Pick (NY)
2010 2nd Round Pick (Cha)

to Charlotte for:
PF Emeka Okafor
SF Gerald Wallace

We win 8 of our first 10 (48-15 overall) after the trade, and the knot in my stomach at messing with a good thing begins to go away. We then hit turbulence and lose 5 of the next 8, (51-20 overall). With 11 games to go, we have a good grip on the top seed, but we can't afford to get sloppy down the stretch.

We return to our winning form, taking our next 6 and 8 of the final 11 games to finish 59-23, a 31 game improvement from last season. Not bad if I say so myself, hopefully that will be enough to save my job. I've spent way more than what I was supposed to.

We head into our first round matchup with Milwaukee completely healthy. We are the epitome of team, with 6 players scoring between 12 and 17 points a game. We don't have that one guy that can put us on his back though, and that worries me.

Durant averaged 16.7 points in his first full season, and hopefully he can step up and be the guy for us. Hinrich averaged 15.2 points and 10.4 assists.

Game 1: Home

We jump out to a 28-16 lead after the first period, but then Milwaukee gets hot in the 2nd period and we take a 2 point lead into halftime. Our two point lead holds through the 3rd quarter, and we crank out a 101-94 win. Kirk Hinrich scored 28 points to go with 9 assists, Durant scores 23 and grabs 9 boards, Okafor gets a double double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Redd scores 35 points and Andrew Bogut scores 20 points for Milwaukee in a tough game.

Game 2: Home

We take another early lead, but this time it's only 8 points after the first. The second period sees another 10 point surge, only this time it's done by use to take an 18 point lead at halftime. Milwaukee cuts the lead to 10 heading into the 4th, and we hope we have enough to hold them off. We do, and pull away for a 104-88 win. Eddy Curry scores 24 points to lead the way for us, and Durant again plays sidekick with 20 points. Okafor and Hinrich each get double doubles, Okafor with 10 points and 11 boards, Hinrich with 13 points and 12 assists. We do a slightly better job on Redd and Bogut, only giving up 25 points to Redd and 15 to Bogut.

Game 3: Away

Milwaukee feeds off their crowd and stakes a 4 point lead after the first quarter. They grind their way to a 9 point lead at halftime. Rudy T makes a few adjustments and we chip the lead down to 2 points heading into the fourth. But we can't quite get back on top and go on to lose 105-101. Redd scores 28 points to lead the Bucks. Durant scores 22 to lead us in defeat.

Game 4: Away

A big game for us to go up 3-1 or find ourselves in a best of three series. We jump to an early lead, 30-19 after one. The lead holds as we head into the third quarter, and we hang on for a 110-100 win to take a commanding 3-1 lead. Larry Hughes scores 24 points, Curry scores 23, and we have four others in double figures. For Milwaukee, Redd again has a great game, scoring 30 points in defeat.

Game 5: Home

We return to MSG for our first closeout game. We hold a five point after the first quarter, a six point lead at haltime. We open it up in the third quarter and take a 15 point lead into the fourth quarter. We hold on for the 104-88 win. Larry Hughes scores 28 points to offset Redd's 29, Durant goes for 20 points, and Curry and Hinrich each score 15.

#2 seed Toronto sweeps Indiana, #5 Boston upsets #4 Detroit in seven games, #6 Charlotte upsets #3 Miami in seven also. In the West, top seed San Antonio bounces Seattle in five games, #5 Houston takes care of Denver in six games, #3 Sacramento needs five to send the Lakers home, and #2 Phoenix is pushed to 7 games by upstart #7 Utah.

[Cap Ologist]

Conference Semi-Finals vs Boston

Game 1: Home

Boston just finished a seven game series while we've been home resting. Rust was a factor early in this game as Boston surges to an early 17 point lead, a lead that we could not overcome and lose 111-102 behind 23 from Hinrich and 21 from Hughes.

Game 2: Home

We simply need this game, we can't go down 2-0 and then head to Boston for two games. Boston jumps out to an early 6 point after 1, but we rally in the 2nd quarter to take a 3 point halftime lead. Boston trims it to 2 points entering the fourth quarter, and we make just enough plays to hold on for a 101-93 win behind 7 guys scoring in double digits.

Game 3: Away

This is a game we would like to have to avoid playing from behind again. Boston again builds a 6 point lead after one, and takes a 9 point lead to halftime. We cut the lead to three points heading into the final period, but can only watch as Boston pulls away for a 115-104 win. Hinrich leads us again with 23 points.

Game 4: Away

Must win. Tied at 22 after the first quarter, down by five at halftime, down by 8 heading into the fourth quarter. We come storming back to a 94-92 victory. Hinrich again scores 24 points, Durant scores 15 points.

Game 5: Home

Tied 2-2 in the series, with three to play, two of them at home. Boston comes to play and they have a commanding 16 point lead after the first quarter. We trim it to 10 points by halftime, and to three heading into the fourth quarter. But we just can't pull ahead. Boston holds on for a 110-105 win. Curry and Hughes each score 20 points for us.

Game 6: Away

Facing a closeout game on the road with an inexperienced team, but at least we have Rudy T. He's got that heart of a champion tucked away somewhere, right? We hold a 24-23 lead after one, but trail 51-49 at halftime. The Boston crowd is doing all they can to put that last nail in our coffin. But little did they know, Rudy T found his champion's heart at halftime. The team comes out with an energy they've been lacking all series, and dominate the 2nd half, powering us to a 114-90 victory. Durant comes up big with 30 points matching Hughes' 30.

Game 7: Home

It should be comforting to have Game 7 at your place, but they've already beaten us twice at MSG. If we play like we did in the 2nd half of Game 6, we'll be fine. Can we find the energy one last time to save our season, and possibly my job? For once in the series, we come out redhot, holding a 36-19 lead after the first quarter. And that would be as close as it would get as we continue to pull away, enroute to a convincing 104-71 Game 7 victory.

Around the league, we're the only series to last more than five games. Toronto defeats Charlotte, San Antonio beats Houston, Phoenix beats Houston.

Conference Finals: Toronto

Game 1: Home

After an emotionally draining series, I have my fears about facing a well-rested Toronto team. We have a 28-24 point after the first, a 57-52 lead at halftime, and a 64-61 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Toronto is just hanging around, waiting for fatigue to catch us. We find our hearts in the fourth quarter, and we pull away late for a 109-92 win. Curry scores 28 points to lead the way for us.

Game 2: Home

The fatigue that Toronto was waiting for in Game 1, hits us in Game 2. It's ugly. It's embarassing. It's a 94-66 asskicking. We scored 16 or less points in three quarters.

Game 3: Away

Stinging from the humiliating loss, we hope to bounce back with a travel day to rest. We hold a five point lead through much of the game, only to see the fresher legs of Toronto make a late surge to steal an 82-81 victory. Hughes did all he could to keep us in the game with 22 points.

Game 4: Away

Another big road test. Lose and we're probably done. Win, and it becomes a best of three with two at our place. It's tied after one, and we trail by six at the break. We make a surge in the third to take an 8 point lead into the fourth quarter. We manage to find a way to hold on and extend to a 114-103 victory.

Game 5: Home

Back home is a treat after our last few grueling days. We were embarassed the last time we were here, and Rudy T simply says 94-66 before the team runs out onto the court. Toronto is facing a desperate team, a team that wants revenge, and tonight we will have it. We cruise to a 90-74 win, a win that could have been more convincing if Rudy T hadn't called off the dogs late to conserve energy.

Game 6: Away

Now, Toronto is the desperate team. They match us basket for basket in the first, but we pull away in the 2nd quarter and have a comfortable 12 point lead at halftime. The lead stands at 12 as we enter the final quarter, and hold on for the 103-93 win.

Conference Champions. Two years after being the laughingstock of the league, and with my job on the line every moment, we've battled our way to the Finals where we will face #2 seed Phoenix who swept the mighty Spurs.

[Cap Ologist]

Finals: Phoenix Suns

After surviving two grueling playoff series, I'm not sure how much we have left. Fortunately, we have homecourt advantage, so we won't have to travel.

Game 1: Home

It's knotted 24-24 after the first quarter, and we open an 8 point halftime lead. We extend our lead to 18 as we head into the fourth quarter, and we hold off a furious Phoenix run to hold on for a 105-98 victory. Larry Hughes scores 30 points to lead us once again. He's really come into his own this playoff stretch, and any remorse I had over trading Gordon is gone.

Game 2: Home

Same song, second verse. Big lead for us early, valiant run by Phoenix to make it respectable at the end. This time, we take the 107-101 victory and the 2-0 series lead. Durant emerges from Hughes' shadow to score 31 points.

Game 3: Away

We jump out to a 30-17 lead after the first quarter. Phoenix trims it to 58-54 at halftime. We pull away for an 8 point lead heading into the final quarter. Phoenix has made late surges in Games 1 and 2, and we were fortunate to have a big enough cushion to hold them off. This time, our 8 isn't enough, and Phoenix gets a 119-113 win. We get a balanced team effort with 6 players in double figures.

Game 4: Away

We'll face Phoenix two more times at their place before heading back to MSG, we need to get one of these two games so we aren't playing from behind when we return home. This time we're tied after one, leading by 11 at halftime, but only by 9 going into the fourth. 8 wasn't enough, will 9 be? Fortunately, we're the ones who make a late run, and we pull away for a 95-80 victory.

Game 5: Away

All that lies between us and a storybook ending is 48 minutes. We have a 28-24 lead after the first, a 52-44 lead at halftime, a 71-67 lead after three. Then we go on a run, pull away for a 101-91 victory and our first trophy!

Back home, MSG is filled with fans watching the game. They're going crazy as the time counts down, and they deserve it. It's been a long time coming for them, and after enduring the Isiah Thomas years, they no doubt deserve it. Kevin Durant takes his first Finals MVP trophy, hopefully one of many to come.

Now, all that is left is to see whether or not I still have a job.

[Cap Ologist]

The phone call comes the next day, and I can tell Mr. Rolen isn't happy despite winning the championship just days prior. He begrudgingly congratulates me on our performance, before turning the conversation to money. Before sits a billionaire, who just made another $28 million this year despite paying a luxury tax and the league's highest payroll. And he's pissed about those few extra million.

From where this team was just a few months ago, it's night and day. We've been featured in many ESPN and SI articles about the rebuilding process. Fans in NY are proud to be Knick fans for the first time in ages.

Then the prick says, "We might need to go in another direction at general manager."

I'm stunned.

There's only one thing left to say.

[Izulde]

Congrats on winning the title.

And let me guess... you told him where he could go.