NYK 10: The Crossover

[NYJets]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

I've been rooting for the Celtics anyway the last few years because of Ray Ray. The Knicks and Celtics haven't even been a rivalry in my lifetime.

[ehh]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Walsh was on 1050 this morning, summary courtesy of NT.

He wasn't allowed to talk about Lebron specifically but he did mention the following things:

When asked "How would you convince a free agent that is in his prime to join the knicks especially when they've had a losing record and with D'Antoni as the coach?"

Donnie said that he would tell the free agent(s) to look at teams like Boston before they got Garnett, Nets before Kidd arrived. All of those teams weren't considered contenders until the key player arrived. Also talked about how the Lakers were on hard times until another key player, Pau Gasol arrived. Each team needed the right players to complete the team. Donnie also said that he has the advantage of telling the free agent that he can choose which other free agent he would like to pair up to play with him.
He is committed to building a contender and fast. James Dolan is committed and willing to spend money to put together this team for Walsh.

Walsh said that would tell the free agents about the plans the team has in place for them. Not only personnel wise, but will talk about the transformation of MSG. (The renovation)
He will also tell them how NYC is one of the greatest cities in the world and how everything here is readily available.

Talks about how Danilo and Wilson Chandler would be able to contribute to a contending team.

He did not say anything about Tony Parker

Said that he will do whatever it takes to get the best team available.

But will not overpay or sign players that are not worth overspending and wasting away the cap space. May as well just wait for 2011 if that is the case. But will do whatever it takes to get the best team this summer.

that's pretty much all he said.

edit: When asked about David Lee

He said it's an advantage for the knicks since it gives them options

[Hassan Darkside]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Good to hear some logical words out of a Knicks GM.

[CMH]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

I'm so relieved the Knicks have Walsh right now.

The big thing for me is how he spends (or doesn't spend) the money if he can't sign the big stars.

[Porschebenz2001]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Good to hear some logical words out of a Knicks GM.

Yup.

Three words: Wait for Melo.

[Jeffx]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Good to hear some logical words out of a Knicks GM.

Yep, at least we know there's a 'Plan B'.

But I wish the media would stop with the 'LeBron Watch' nonsense. It's every day wit this crap. There's even a website called GetLeBron.com - pathetic.

[ehh]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Yep, at least we know there's a 'Plan B'.

But I wish the media would stop with the 'LeBron Watch' nonsense. It's every day wit this crap. There's even a website called GetLeBron.com - pathetic.

Chicago and Cleveland are equally as pathetic. Did you not see the "We are LeBron" video that the city of Cleveland made?

[ehh]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

For those who don't check the LeBron FA thread...

Knicks to Pull Out All Stops to Lure James?

Posted: 5/17/2010 5:43:00 AM
Source: Frank Isola of the New York Daily News

And since the Knicks don't have a successful team to use as a selling point, the club intends to use any and every resource possible to convince (LeBron) James that New York is the only place big enough for the NBA's two-time MVP.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh has refused to discuss what plans the Knicks have in store for James, who is expected to make visits to Chicago, Miami and perhaps the Nets and Los Angeles as well. Besides the Knicks formally calling James at midnight and giving him a tour of what the renovated Madison Square Garden will look like, little is known about the team's plans.

Several sources claim the Knicks will seek the help of James' favorite team, the Yankees, as well as an assortment of celebrities from movies and music. And since James has talked about becoming the pro sports' first billionaire team athlete, the Knicks will likely call upon a number of power brokers from the business world. Expect Donald Trump to be available.

Hollinger: Bosh Is Best Partner For LeBron This Summer

Stats guru John Hollinger of ESPN applies a range of criteria for analyzing who would be the ideal sidekick for LeBron James among the other free-agents and players on teams that have enough cap room to sign James.
Chris Bosh ranked the best teammate for James, followed by Dirk Nowitzki, David Lee, Amar'e Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer. Derrick Rose ranks eighth on Hollinger's list and Dwyane Wade ranks ninth.

Hollinger calls Bosh "the perfect companion" and says Lee is "near perfect," though he notes that neither Lee nor Boozer is adequate defensively.

Why Is Everyone Against LeBron Coming to New York?

Before game one of the Eastern Conference Finals yesterday — the series that doesn't have LeBron James and the Cavaliers — the ESPN/ABC pregame crew discussed the future of LeBron James. We will confess, the ESPN/ABC crew is not among our favorites: Stuart Scott is Stuart Scott, Jon Barry talks Very Seriously about nothing much in particular, Michael Wilbon gives in to his more sycophantic tendencies and Magic Johnson ... well, one would have thought by now that someone would have taken Magic aside and gently informed him he's incomprehensible on television, but if it's been twenty years and it still hasn't happened, it's probably too late. Anyway, they were talking potential landing spots for LeBron, and no one liked the Knicks. Barry actually said the Clippers would be a better place to go. Isn't this strange? Wasn't it just a few months ago that the general consensus was Cleveland or New York?

It was, actually, but that was a time when the question was different. The question, really, was: Would LeBron stay in a place like Cleveland, where he could win several titles, or would he leave, so he could make more money and become a more global icon? The assumption was that he could win the most titles with Cleveland. No one assumes that anymore.

But now Chicago is in the picture, and New Jersey, and the Clippers — even Miami: The Knicks are considered the selfish pick, the LeBron Doesn't Care About Winning pick. It has become the general consensus: Bill Simmons wrote last week that going to New York was the "Sonny Corleone Move," making LeBron's free agency roughly the 452,239th sports occurrence Simmons has compared to The Godfather. Simmons does rightly point out that saving basketball in New York and winning the Knicks a title would be the "best available accomplishment in team sports right now," but is still insistent that the Bulls are the pick. We think it's because he's rooting against the Knicks getting LeBron. We think everybody is.

One of the reasons we've enjoyed writing about the Knicks over the last couple of seasons is that, in a completely rare experience for New York sports fans, the Knicks have been underdogs. We've had pleasant upstarts, shocking upsets, wretched slumps, weird lineups, all kinds of wackiness — the kind of charming randomness that happens when no one expects you to win. We thought, by this point, after the last decade of pain, the rest of basketball might consider the Knicks the underdog franchise that we do. But the actual possibility that LeBron might leave Cleveland — as opposed to the theoretical it was before the flameout against the Celtics — has made observers turn on the Knicks. They see the Knicks as the Yankees: LeBron James is Albert Pujols, and everyone in the league who isn't the Knicks are the Cardinals. People have accepted that LeBron might leave Cleveland (even, strangely, Cavs fans), but the impurity, the crass move, appears to be going to the Knicks. It seems like cheating to the rest of the sport; New York, once again, getting whomever it wants.

That the Knicks have worked like crazy to build up the capital to go after LeBron, that they couldn't just toss money around like the Yankees, is beside the point. If LeBron joins the Knicks, people are going to be mad; if he joins the Bulls or the Clippers or the Nets, they won't be. If there's any solace to be had in that, know that despite the pain of the last decade, people still love to hate the Knicks. That's news you can use.

LeBron James reaches out to Eddy Curry, a move that may harm New York Knicks' chances in free agency (Cotdamn, Eddy)

LeBron James has reached out to the Knicks, which may or may not be such a good thing for Donnie Walsh's club.

James, according to a source, has contacted Knicks center Eddy Curry about working out together at some point during the offseason. There may be nothing more to it than the fact that James and Curry are represented by the same agent, Leon Rose. James and Curry also have close ties to noted NBA power broker William Wesley, whom the Knicks put in charge of Curry's workouts last summer.

But Curry's involvement in the Knicks' recruitment of James is interesting since the veteran center has had a famous falling-out with head coach Mike D'Antoni, which began as far back as D'Antoni's first practice with the Knicks.

The crux of their problem is that Curry has rarely been healthy or in shape since D'Antoni was hired. In fact, Curry has appeared in just 10 games over the past two seasons, a number that would be unacceptable to any coach.

Curry, however, according to team sources, feels that D'Antoni never gave him a fair chance and that he set him up for failure by pulling him from the lineup in early January just as Curry was attempting his comeback.

Curry even elected to have knee surgery during the season rather than wait until late April because he was convinced that D'Antoni wouldn't play him.

If James were to ask Curry about D'Antoni, chances are that Curry would not provide a glowing report. Several Knicks complained during the season about D'Antoni's lack of communication over their roles and status.

Whether that hurts the Knicks' chances of signing James remains to be seen. There seems to be no doubt that James and "my team" as he calls his agent, adviser and friends, are doing as much research as possible on prospective teams.

Nate Robinson, who left the Knicks on bad terms with D'Antoni, had told friends after the trade with Boston that if James asked him about New York he would tell him it's a great place to play.

Curry, however, hasn't had the same experience as Robinson, who was always a fan favorite.

What does help the Knicks is Curry's strong relationship with Walsh, the Knicks' president. Even though Garden chairman James Dolan stepped in last summer and demanded that Curry lose an unspecified amount of weight or face a fine, Curry felt that Walsh always had his best interests at heart.

Monday, Walsh reiterated that he is still optimistic that Curry can be an asset to the team. Curry's expiring contract instantly makes him an asset, but Walsh is talking about Curry making an impact on the court.

"There aren't many guys out there that can play with their back to the basket and score the way he does," Walsh said. "He's been working out here in New York so we'll see where he's at."

Walsh added that he was unaware of Curry and James making plans to work out. It is unclear if Wesley, better known as "World Wide Wes," will be involved in the workouts. Wesley is emerging as a prominent figure in the James sweepstakes.

There are reports that Wesley, who represents Kentucky coach John Calipari, is trying to leverage his client in a package deal with James. Three teams with salary cap space - the Nets, Bulls and Clippers - all have coaching vacancies.

[CMH]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Ok, first of all, if Calipari goes to the NBA, he'll be making the worst decision of his professional life. Stay in Kentucky and win there.

Second, that was my last LeBron is a Free Agent article I'm reading until he actually signs with somebody. The amount of speculation is absurd and annoying. No one knows where he'll go but everyone seems to know where he should go. It's going to be a circus when he signs and thousands of people come out and say: See, I told you.

Finally, who is Eddy Curry and why should anyone care?

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Yup.

Three words: Wait for Melo.

Umm...I want to advance to the playoffs and win series.

Not witness League Scoring Title Awards ceremonies.

We need winners and players who are committed to winning. Melo is not that.

[NYJets]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR6YL2z0hZE

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR6YL2z0hZE

Man...I didn't even laugh. Sucks big time for the true diehard fans.

It's incredible that it's really been THAT bad.

[Jeffx]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Folks, it doesn't get any stupider than this:

"...Curry went to Allstar in 2008 and took out the five-month personal loan at an 85% interest rate - legal only in Las Vegas."

WTF?????

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/05/25/2010-05-25_currys_cooked_over_570g_loan.html

[CMH]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

This made me laugh out loud.

"Mr. Curry appears to be a very, very generous man," David said. "He appears to have taken it upon himself to support every person named Curry on the East Coast."

[Jeffx]

Re: NYK 10: The Crossover

Curry guards his finances like he guards the paint.