You can just feel the season crawling closer!</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'><span> PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP </p> PG - Stephon Marbury </p> Despite the fact that this guy can't seem to do or say anything right when there is a microphone in front of his face, he deserves some credit for what he did on the court last year. While he'll never be the kind of point guard that leads his team in the way that Jason Kidd or Steve Nash does, he was truly trying to become the kind of on-floor leader that Thomas was looking for, and as frustrating and unrewarding as it may have been for Marbury, he gets points for trying. Because of his attitude and his contract, he'll likely be in New York until at least 2009 when his contract expires and he's thirty-two, so he's going to have to continue down the path he started last season because he and the demands of the franchise aren't going to split any time soon. Plus, with no other option at the point now that Steve Francis is gone he's going to have plenty of court time to figure out what it is that NBA coaches have been pleading for his whole career. </p> SG - Jamal Crawford </p> There isn't much one can say about Crawford that hasn't already been put out there. Here is a tremendous, yet streaky, scorer that would be greatly serviced by being placed on a better team with better coaching and better teammates where he could figure out what it would be like to be a Ben Gordon or a Monta Ellis; the kind of player who can get away with just scoring because of the quality of players around him. However, Crawford remains stuck on a team where Marbury duplicates his skill set and he must allow Curry, Randolph and Stephon to get the right of first refusal before he can assert his role in the offense. He'd be one of the most attractive trade targets if only his contract wasn't in the $8 million per year range because teams like Orlando and Minnesota could desperately use his backcourt scoring. As it is, he is forced to stick it out another four years in New York blue and orange. </p> SF - David Lee </p> There is no guessing who is going to get this position come the start of the season. Thomas has been astoundingly against starting David Lee in the past and may very well continue to ply his services off of the bench, but as of right now he is their best, and most sensible, option at the small forward spot. He is an exceptional rebounder - especially on the offensive end - and he is an obscenely efficient shooter at 60%. Should he not be tabbed to start for the Knicks look for Renaldo Balkman or Quentin Richardson to man the spot, each bringing a very distinct look to the position, be it defense and hustle or shooting and rebounding. No matter what, Thomas has options here and just because someone starts the season here doesn't mean they'll end it here. </p> PF - Zach Randolph </p> It is a very good thing that Randolph has developed a fairly consistent mid-range game, because otherwise they'd have to widen the lane at Madison Square Garden to make room for both he and Curry to operate down there. If Randolph can maintain the kind of production that he demonstrated last season while also staying out of trouble he will most likely become the new franchise player for the Knicks. As much as they've tied certain seasons to Marbury and Curry in the past, Randolph is better than both of those players and he has shown a greater ability to work on and improve his game than either of those two. If he pans out as the team's starting power forward, the Knicks may try to get out of the four remaining years on Curry contract while the getting is still good. </p> C - Eddy Curry </p> Of course, perhaps Curry could turn around and prove that he, too, is capable of development as a player..okay, stop laughing. Curry has demonstrated an almost stubborn approach to development and commitment as an NBA player. To watch the Knicks last year was to watch the most reluctant 20 point per game scorer in the NBA operate. Curry looks utterly unconvincing in the role of franchise player, regardless of what his stats would lead you to believe. He was literally force-fed the ball for every minute he was on the court, most big-men's dream, and he still looked to pass out or over-dribble too much. Combine that with the fact that he is laughably disinterested in rebounding for someone his size, and I don't even know if he's even been asked to play defense given how bad he is at it and this guy starts looking more and more unattractive as a centerpiece all the time. Say what you will about Isiah Thomas, but he likes his guys to at least think of defense and rebounding once in a while and if Curry can't bring himself to at least make an effort in either of those areas Thomas will tire of his offensive abilities quickly.</div></p> MORE AT THE LINK</p></span> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mynetsforlife)</div><div class='quotemain'> Isn't Lee a PF?</p> </p></div> </p> He played some SF minutes last season.</p> </p> Personally, I do not think the Knicks will be a playoff team next year. They still are very lacking in perimiter scoring, have zero post defense, and Stephon Marbury is acting wierder than ever now. This team was extremely in-consistent last season and I don't think that will change this up-coming year either. By adding Zach Randolph they pretty much got another Eddy Curry on this team, both our lazy and don't play a lick of defense. I doubt Jamal Crawford will tune down the chucking as well. The Knicks did better than expected last year but still only won 33 games, this team hasn't progressed but I think they've gotten worse. </p>
Whats the deal with Isiah and David Lee. He wouldn't give up Lee to the Bulls in the Curry trade (I think that was before Lee's rookie season as well...so he hadn't proved anything), yet he is refusing to start him? </p><div><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" width="425" height="350"><param name="height" value="350" /><param name="width" value="425" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rYY338_JgvI" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="350" width="425" wmode="transparent" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rYY338_JgvI"></embed></object></div>
We got a younger youthier playerth. Seen it before but I love it.</p> </p> Is he trying to say a left handed player shoots with his left hand? No way.</p>
