Parker to Knicks Rumor

[Cebby]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

How am I delusional?

Because you think that the Knicks are actually going to be as good or better than what their media and fans think is going to happen this summer.

[NYJets]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

The list of teams he gave to his owner to arrange a sign and trade with would be the most obvious thing.



Yes, I think it's likely that he will turn down money to go to what will be an at best 30 win team over the duration of his contract.

People take paycuts all the time to go from average teams to contenders. I would think players would take a bigger paycut to not have to play for the team in the NBA in the worst position longterm.



He may be the best individual player, but he would be by far the worst value. Looking at what they had to pay Turk to come and Bargs and Jose to stay, they'd be looking at a huge contract.

Something like Hinrich, Gibson, and the #17 gives them much more flexibility at a much lower price.

They aren't in a win now situation, and even if they were you aren't going to "win now" by trading the best player from a forty win team for a much worse player on a 29 win team.

The list does not mean he needs a sign and trade. It means its an option.

People rarely take paycuts to go to better teams when it is their first long term contract. And none of Lee's statements or actions from last year when he was RFA to now make it seem likely he's interested in giving someone a discount. Also, none of the team's with cap room are going to go after Lee until the better players have decided what they are doing. So if gets an early offer from the Raptors because Bosh is making a quick decision, he's probably not going to turn it down to wait for other teams.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

The Redskins Comparison Cebby made was actually on point but I still see people are still overrating Chandler, Gallo, and Douglas.

[ehh]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

Because you think that the Knicks are actually going to be as good or better than what their media and fans think is going to happen this summer.

Oh yeah? Where the hell did I ever say that? Can you find a single time where I said "I think the Knicks are going to get LeBron?" Or Bosh? Or Wade? Or Boozer? Or Gay? Or Joe Johnson? No, because I never have.

I said there were realistic possibilities, and said what they were, when everyone was saying LBJ to the Knicks made no sense in any circumstance. I never said anything about thinking it was going to happen. I've said all along the Knicks have slim-to-no chance of signing LeBron/Wade/Bosh.

[Cebby]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

The list does not mean he needs a sign and trade. It means its an option.

If he wants to win, it's necessary.

People rarely take paycuts to go to better teams when it is their first long term contract. And none of Lee's statements or actions from last year when he was RFA to now make it seem likely he's interested in giving someone a discount. Also, none of the team's with cap room are going to go after Lee until the better players have decided what they are doing. So if gets an early offer from the Raptors because Bosh is making a quick decision, he's probably not going to turn it down to wait for other teams.

The Raptors still have to want him. Unless he's signing for about 6-8 million a year (and even that's not a lock), I don't see them wanting him, especially if they can ship Bosh to LA or Chicago. Bargs and Lee would be about the worst defensive frontcourt imaginable.

[Hassan Darkside]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

If he wants to win, it's necessary.

If David Lee wanted to win, he would have signed with Portland last summer.

The Raptors still have to want him. Unless he's signing for about 6-8 million a year (and even that's not a lock), I don't see them wanting him, especially if they can ship Bosh to LA or Chicago. Bargs and Lee would be about the worst defensive frontcourt imaginable.

It's not like any of the available bigs are known for their defense either. I don't see why you don't think a 20-11-4 guy would be wanted and Toronto would be much more content bringing an injury prone inconsistent Bynum or Taj Gibson over an all-star.

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

The Redskins Comparison Cebby made was actually on point but I still see people are still overrating Chandler, Gallo, and Douglas.

2 second year players and a rookie. Yeah...okay

[Cebby]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

If David Lee wanted to win, he would have signed with Portland last summer.

I would assume he was waiting for this offseason.

It's not like any of the available bigs are known for their defense either. I don't see why you don't think a 20-11-4 guy would be wanted and Toronto would be much more content bringing an injury prone inconsistent Bynum or Taj Gibson over an all-star.

Taj Gibson for 5 million dollars (plus a draft pick) over the next 3 years is much better than David Lee for 60+ million over 5 years.

If I'm the Raptors I'd rather tank with cap room than take on Lee. But I'd much rather have Bynum or Taj and Chicago or LA are much better spots for Bosh than New York.

[nuckles2k2]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

This is all I was attempting to say. Yes the article is on ESPN New York but Chris Broussard isn't a NYC beat writer, you can argue that his opinions are more objective than others you'd find on the site or in NY newspapers.

You could also consider this something of a test -- for the Cavaliers and for LeBron's other coach-less suitors. Contrary to popular opinion, LeBron doesn't yet want to run a franchise from top to bottom, hand-picking the coach and GM.

His ultimate desire is to have a coach and front-office personnel that he knows can get the job done. He wants someone who's shown championship mettle on the sidelines, someone who can pull off a Pau Gasol-for-Kwame Brown type deal, or add a Kevin Garnett/Ray Allen combo package to the roster. He wants a GM with juice and pull in NBA circles.

At 25, he has enough on his plate -- leading the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks and pregame skits -- without adding front-office duties to boot.

So with that in mind, let's look at the various brain trusts that are in hot pursuit of LeBron and see who's got the goods. For Knicks fans, this may finally provide some good news on the LeBron front.

But let's start in Cleveland, which -- according to LeBron's Larry King interview last week -- has an "edge" over the rest of the field. Gilbert has proven to be a good owner in that he's spent whatever amount of money necessary in his attempts to put a title team around James. It hasn't worked, but some may blame Danny Ferry, who recently stepped down as general manager.

The question in Cleveland is how does James view Ferry's successor, Chris Grant? Grant is respected around the league, having spent 10 seasons in Atlanta before joining Ferry five years ago in Cleveland. But even if James likes Grant, Gilbert may be the one ultimately pulling the strings. For instance, he's the one in love with Tom Izzo.

Whatever the case, the Cavs' situation is, to put it kindly, a bit muddled. We'll see how their coaching search plays out -- Byron Scott and Jeff Van Gundy also have the Cavs' interest -- but right now, all the uncertainty in the franchise can't be viewed as a plus.

As for the Knicks, owner James Dolan doesn't bring to mind Jerry Buss or Mark Cuban when it comes to success, but he is a big spender who gives his presidents an open check book. That, however, doesn't make him any different than Gilbert.

Where the Knicks look good is with team president Donnie Walsh -- a basketball lifer who built the Indiana Pacers into a strong franchise during the 1990s and beyond. Walsh is a solid team-builder who follows his gut, which has proven to be right more often than not. He went against the entire state of Indiana when he drafted noted Knicks killer Reggie Miller for the Pacers in 1987. Then, he put the right pieces -- Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, Jalen Rose, Antonio Davis and Dale Davis, among others -- around Miller to get the Pacers into the playoffs 16 times in 17 years. With the Knicks having several roster spots to fill, even if they sign LeBron and another star, Walsh's track record should bring comfort.

LeBron certainly likes Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, who got close to James as an assistant with Team USA, but LeBron also recognizes the importance of defense. He understands you can't win big without an emphasis on stopping people, and that's where D'Antoni falls short. Being a good defensive team takes a strong defensive philosophy, not just throwing a few good defenders out on the floor. The Knicks would be wise to hire a defensive guru as an assistant coach for D'Antoni -- and wise to force D'Antoni to listen to him!

The attraction of the Chicago Bulls is in their roster, not in their front office. Jerry Reinsdorf hasn't proven to be the open vault that Dolan and Gilbert have been, especially when it comes to paying coaches. Meanwhile, vice president John Paxson and GM Gar Forman raised eyebrows around the league with their less-than-stellar handling of the Vinny Del Negro firing. Paxson also raised his fists, nearly coming to blows with Del Negro in a postgame meeting.

Newly hired coach Tom Thibodeau has been a terrific assistant, but his quality as a head coach is unknown. He's represented by William "Worldwide Wes" Wesley, however, and Wes is a member of LeBron's inner circle. One would have to believe that at the very least, the Bulls got assurances from Wes that Thibodeau wouldn't be a deterrent to LeBron joining the Bulls.

New Jersey and Miami probably have the most attractive decision-makers in the LBJ Sweepstakes. The Nets' new owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, is made of money, and president Rod Thorn is one of the most respected men in basketball. He turned Stephon Marbury into Jason Kidd and two trips to the NBA Finals, then turned a disgruntled Alonzo Mourning into Vince Carter.

Thorn showed more intelligence Wednesday by agreeing to terms with Avery Johnson as the Nets' next coach. Johnson coaches defense and led Dallas to its only appearance ever in the NBA Finals in 2006.

Miami's strength is Pat Riley. Owner Micky Arison lets Riley do as he pleases, and Riley's shown he not only can coach a team to a title, but build one into a champion as well. He brought Mourning to Miami in his prime, then Shaq to South Beach just in time to squeeze a ring out of him. Then, he was able to get rid of Shaq and clear cap space just as The Big Fella was exiting his prime.

Eric Spoelstra is a solid coach, but he hasn't proven to be anything special yet. That's OK, because one imagines that if the Heat can manage to get LeBron and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade, Riley will be stepping back onto the sideline.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/n...ory?id=5270406

[ehh]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

Broussard actually said something positive about the Knicks and/or the city?

[nuckles2k2]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

lol

[wwharton]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

This is all I was attempting to say. Yes the article is on ESPN New York but Chris Broussard isn't a NYC beat writer, you can argue that his opinions are more objective than others you'd find on the site or in NY newspapers.



http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/n...ory?id=5270406

I guess I'm missing how this is what you were attempting to say. It's just a break down of the front office/coaching situation at each place.

[nuckles2k2]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

I guess I'm missing how this is what you were attempting to say. It's just a break down of the front office/coaching situation at each place.

I just don't see why NYC would be such a bad destination when we have a proven GM and a quality head coach who's actually had some interaction with a few of the available players in the FIBA and Olympic games. The only other team that beats us in the proven coaching department is Miami if Pat comes back to coach the team. Would players not look at that? LeBron just got done with a first time head coach who was on the staff of a Championship winning team as a defensive coach; is he going to willingly jump back into that situation not knowing what he's going to get from this man as a head coach? Cleveland doesn't have a coach at this point, and they're extending a contract to a college coach, albeit one who's good as hell, but still another unproven coach in the NBA. Then he has the possibility of Riley coming back or D'Antoni. One is a hall of famer, and he's experienced the other on a coaching staff before.

But I digress, how is NY's media telling it's audience that it want's LeBron, badly, any different from Miami launching a whole website to keep Wade or Chicago putting up billboards for LeBron?

Is it because we once had Isiah, who was a bad Gm....is it because it's New York? What is it? When you weigh full page ads in a newspaper & speculations vs billboards & speculations....one is slightly more sensationalized, so I dunno if you were just using the full page ad as an example or what...but that's not really all that much compared to a website and billboards. At least I don't think it is.

Just trying to be objective....yes I am a Knicks fan, but I'm not saying we're going to land 'Bron; I just don't understand how people act like this team has nothing going for it.

My whole point is that while other teams might have the advantage with current rosters, we're probably in just as good a position, if not better, than any other possible destination in terms of coaching & front office combo, except for the Heat if Pat came back.

[wwharton]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

My whole point is that while other teams might have the advantage with current rosters, we're probably in just as good a position, if not better, than any other possible destination in terms of coaching & front office combo, except for the Heat if Pat came back.

But that article doesn't say that... it just breaks down the position of each team. It's a fair opinion, I just don't see how you'd get that the article backs it (besides providing more info for the Knicks part of the discussion). Personally I don't think the Knicks are in a great position in terms of the front office or coaching. I think it's still a "TBD" position. The Wizards did a similar house cleaning from a seemingly impossible position and years later they still haven't done anything. The Knicks haven't even gotten out of the mess yet. They're clearly moving in the right direction but they haven't done anything to say the FO deserves a ton of credit. And D'Antoni is clearly a decent coach but he hasn't proven he can win anything and has serious question marks with teaching defense.

Like I said before, LBJ is not qualified to properly analyze each of these situations so there's nothing to say he wouldn't choose the Knicks over anyone else, but their situation just isn't all that great in the immediate future.

[nuckles2k2]

Re: Parker to Knicks Rumor

But that article doesn't say that... it just breaks down the position of each team. It's a fair opinion, I just don't see how you'd get that the article backs it (besides providing more info for the Knicks part of the discussion). Personally I don't think the Knicks are in a great position in terms of the front office or coaching. I think it's still a "TBD" position. The Wizards did a similar house cleaning from a seemingly impossible position and years later they still haven't done anything. The Knicks haven't even gotten out of the mess yet. They're clearly moving in the right direction but they haven't done anything to say the FO deserves a ton of credit. And D'Antoni is clearly a decent coach but he hasn't proven he can win anything and has serious question marks with teaching defense.

Like I said before, LBJ is not qualified to properly analyze each of these situations so there's nothing to say he wouldn't choose the Knicks over anyone else, but their situation just isn't all that great in the immediate future.

There's literally nothing I can say anymore. When I say that the strength of the Knicks right now is having a President of Basketball with the resume of a Donnie Walsh combined with a quality coach like D'Antoni.....post an article echoing the same sentiments...and state that is all I was trying to say from the beginning since no one else seemed to mention our GM or coach, while all you hear about other teams is who they are hiring and firing as GMs and coaches.

And then on top of that I have someone analyzing my statements and then analyzing the current situations for the handful of teams that can possibly sign LeBron...and then he tells me that LeBron isn't qualified to analyze these same situations. I don't know what kind of response you were expecting to get from that line, but.....really?

I'll let this be my last post in this thread since it's been a train wreck for a few pages now (a wreck that I have contributed to, but my contributions end here.)