<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Site Updated: 11.15.05 -- Articles | 2005-06 Rookie Watch Next Update: 11.16.05 -- Articles NBA Approval Ratings By Nick Prevenas 11/11/05 We're ten days into the 2005-06 NBA season, which is far too early to accurately gauge any team's potential, but the perfect time to assess a team's performance. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with a simple gimmick that would allow me to discuss the NBA's major storylines while allowing proper leeway for unprovoked pot-shots. Thumbs up/down, one-five star ratings, A-F grades, 1-10 scales, and stock reports weren't going to do the job, so I'm going to use approval ratings. Apparently, ESPN.com readers use this method to voice their opinions on NFL head coaches and the Associated Press uses it to gauge the nation's feelings regarding various political issues. The NBA Approval Ratings are determined through a rigorous, scientifically-driven, detail-oriented process. Mostly, I watch countless hours of basketball and make up the ratings as I go along. Now let's do this! New York Knicks - 8% Speaking of the team previews, no preview generated more hate mail than my Knicks outlook. One particularly tasteless emailer asked if my negative comments were the result of a Knicks-related sexual assault when I was a young boy. Truth be told, I write these previews as if I'm rooting for the team and how I'd feel going into the season. If I were a Knicks fan, I would've been furious by the moves this team made and is continuing to make. C'mon, you guys root for the NBA's marquee franchise. You should NEVER be satisfied with contending for the 8-seed. With your limitless resources, you should never settle for anything less than contending for the title. New York is the basketball Mecca. Frazier and Monroe. Willis Reed. Bernard King. Rucker Park. The Goat and the Destroyer. To see the New York Knickerbockers stumble out of the gate to an 0-4 start is painful to all basketball fans. But anyone that follows how to put together a winning franchise in the NBA isn't that surprised. "Franchise player" Stephon Marbury (who has only played in three playoff series and has never won any of them) and Larry Brown have already started trading barbs through the media and the Knicks are looking to add another point guard. Nobody on the Knicks is too concerned with playing defense, which would be fine if they averaged more than 85 points per game. Their pitiful second half against the Blazers on Wednesday night was not the way the Knicks wanted to start out this tough west coast road swing. This team will be much better after the All-Star break when Brown sets a playing rotation. But for now, they couldn't be much worse.</div> I agree to the max...we need to stop settling for medicory and establish a winning atompshere/team
