MLE time... let's round things out...

I don’t like how everybody wants Shumpert starting over Fields already. The guy hasn’t played one NBA game and people are saying he should start right away? Screw that. He has to prove himself in training camp first, just like Landry did. If he earns the job, then great. More power to him. Also, resign Derrick Brown? Did we forget about Bill Walker? He has a ridiculously cheap option that they should pick up. He’s way better than Brown anyways. As for free agency, I don’t want to sign too many players. I’d like to have at least one or two roster spots open by the start of the season. Speaking of free agents, I want the Knicks to give Bonzi Wells a chance to prove himself. I have a thing for NBA comeback attempts.

Kenyon Martin
JR Smith
Michael Redd
CJ Miles
Grant Hill

vet’s min
Ryan Hollins
Kurt Thomas

if we can afford him
Jamal Crawford, although I’d rather sign two of the above than just Jamal

set aside $1m for
Shawne Williams (we don’t have his Bird rights)

re-sign
Shelden Williams
Anthony Carter

nice knowing you
Roger Mason
Jared Jeffries
Andy Rautins

And Redd is done. You might as well give Houston another tryout. Or Rautins.

I see no need for Anthony Carter if Shumpert is around. They’re pretty similar except Shumpert should rebound better.

Pick one between Shawne and Brown.

Go after another big guy and point guard. There probably won’t be any available. Maybe try for Wilson Chandler.

On teams like the Knicks, you need rugged guys who do the little things and can also hit an open shot, but nothing else.

So sign Brian Cardinal to a min. deal. You probably shouldn’t give out long deals. We want to get Gallinari back in 2012, right?

resign ExtraE & JJ
Sign KT
Do whatever possible to get Chandler back

Someone will prob have to go for chandler (I would honestly be willing to trade both Toney and Landry to get Chandler back… throw in Balkman maybe? If chandler signs an offer with us, they may not wanna match and be willing to take a Sign and Trade)

guards: Burps, Sherbert, IllWill, Walker
Fowards: Melo, STAT, ExtraE,
Big Guys: KT, Jorts, Safari, JJ & JJ

Guys like Rautins and Brown can fill out bench. Someone else I guess… PEjr?

of course… the CBA will make this all moot.

Right now we have like 7 guys who can play and are legit: Melo, Stoudemire, Billups, Landry, Shumpert (most likely), Douglas and Turiaf. Definitely re-sign Shawne. That makes it 8. Ideally we’d add another big man, bring over Jerome Jordan, and get another wing (preferably a shooter). Assuming there’s some form of the MLE, my favorite realistic big would be Kenyon Martin. I know he isn’t a center, but he’s the same size as Amar’e and Turiaf so it wouldn’t be horrible to see him play some minutes there. I think it takes the full MLE for one year (maybe a team option for a second year). Jeff Foster, Nazr Mohammad, Joel Pryzbilla and Kwame Brown are all options for back up center too. So is re-signing Shelden. The ideal wing would be Grant Hill for the minimum but either Micheal Redd, Anthony Parker or Tracy McGrady for the minimum would be good too. It would be nice to have a shooter at starting SG allowing Landry to play more of his natural SF position.

I also think it would be wise to look into trading Douglas. I like him a lot but we really don’t need him right now. His shooting is awesome, but way too inconsistent and he got wrecked by Rondo in the playoffs (I know he was injured, but still). By drafting Shumpert we pretty much have our back up PG and SG. Having a guard rotation of Billups/ Fields/ Shumpert/ Veteran (Redd or Hill or McGrady or Parker) would be good. We need to look into trading Douglas for a bigger wing or big man. Three names that I’d like: Jason Thompson, Omri Casspi or Robin Lopez. Any one of them would be an awesome addition. But I’m worried we can’t get much for Douglas because it was rumored we were shopping him before the draft and we still came up with nothing.

IMO, it would be awesome to start the year with this rotation:

PG: Billups/ Shumpert/ Carter or any FA
SG: Landry/ Redd/ Shumpert
SF: Carmelo/ Casspi/ Shawne
PF: Amar’e/ Kenyon/ Shawne
C: Turiaf/ Jordan/ Kenyon/ Harrellson

Great balance. Shooters with Billups, Redd, Casspi, Shawne, and Melo. Defenders in Turiaf, Shumpert, and Kenyon (possibly Jordan, Landry and Harrellson). Enough youth to keep the pace up and maintain assets but at the same time, enough veteran guys for crunch time and experience.

Perfect fit for this team. Rugged post D would compliment Amare’s weakside shot blocking well. Plus he can hit a shot (he isn’t a one dimensional guy), and can rebound really well (about 10 per 36 minutes). Also, Houston should let him go because they drafted yet another tweener forward and have Patrick Patterson waiting on the bench (lastly they got a pf/c in Donatas Motiejunas in their draft-night trade). They have no need to pay Hayes.

and someone who can handle the rock when billups rests.

Billups/ PG billups wants to mentor or have a drink with (veteran)
Fields (should play the 3)/ TD/ Shump
Melo/ Extra e/ Bully
Amare/ Hopefuly Chuck Hayes
Turiaf/ Jorts/ Jared/ Jordan

15th slot for rautins or ewing jr. or another min waged vet?

other than the center position (tho chuck can play the 5 dependin on matchups), i like this team. I just hope theres money for a back up pg and chuck and another decent big. i doubt all three, but hopefully at least two. jus gotta wait and see what the cba is gana be like. hopefully theres some perks in it that can allow us to offer more money. i would ffer the most money to chuck or the decent big. i dont really wanna lose anyone except at the center position, 15th slot, and bully.

imagine td and shump lockin down the industry of nba guards. im prayin for a breakout season for TD. If he DWTDD, on a consistent basis, then hopefully it may not be long before Shump follows. THEN hopefully the two can spread the defense virus to their teammates.

You’re not going to be able to sign Crawford for a portion of the MLE.

Also, depending on how accurate the story is that NY will only offer 1yr FA deals so they don’t tie up 2012 FA money, the team will be greatly impacted by just who would even be interested.

And according to Walsh’s comments, aren’t they planning to run Iman from the point. So the long term intent would be a PG//SG combo of Iman/Fields together

Melo shoulders the scoring burden with Amare, but now the cupboard is bare and no one to take Center minutes from Amare. That abuse is where I see Amare wearing out

There are so many assumptions about Big Shot bouncing back; but as a first hand observer for years I’m not convinced

Big Shot has worn out during the playoffs for the last several years due to putting in too much during the regular season. Diva Coach Karl & the Nuggets completely wasted Big Shot by burning him up during the regular season. Last summer he played in the intl tourney and it’s possible that’s the real reason why he was worn out and injured for most of last year.

But it’s also quite possible Big Shot’s tank is just about empty.

I think it would be a major error to add Sam Dalembert to a long contract. Adding someone like Kwame, would be much smarter.

Btw, anyone else realize that if there is no more MLE than we could end up adding multiple MLE type talents for cheap. IF there is no MLE, that means players start choosing teams for the actual team instead of money. That leaves them with the option to either re-sign w their current team, go to a team w cap space (only so many and most aren’t good) or sign for cheap w the team of their choice. That would put us in one of the most favorable situations in the whole NBA. Maybe only Miami in a better spot, but some FAs would choose NY over Miami. Also NY’s market would allow them to get more money from endorsements to compensate for their lower salary.

Also, another thing that could greatly help us in some way is an amnesty clause. Sure, we’d be kind of screwed over cuz we really have no one to use it on and probably waste it on Balkman…. BUT that rule would make many good but overpaid players FAs. I’m talking guys like Biedrins, Rip Hamilton, Artest, Arenas, Lewis, Davis, Roy, Bargnani or Calderon, Gooden, maybe Garcia or Salmons, possibly Joe Johnson or Marvin Williams, Haywood, Thabeet and Richard Jefferson. That list is just pure awesome, especially when you consider that each player would be getting a lot of money from their old contracts (amnesty still makes the owners pay the players, just remove them from the books) so they’d almost all take discounts (and if there’s also no MLE, it’s even better for us). But wow, just look at that list. Imagine adding Biedrins or Haywood along with Rip or Roy. That changes our outlook completely.