N.Y. Knicks: Storm Brewing in the MSG Triangle

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

Phil Jackson Delivers Melo's World a Deflating Blow

New York Knicks: Phil Jackson has wrinkled Carmelo Anthony's space/time continuum since the moment he arrived.

Those weren't boos raining down from disgruntled Knicks fans sitting in attendance at Thursday's draft.  Wait a minute, yes they were - collectively reliving their worst Frederic Weis nightmares, and acting out.

They weren't the only ones.

When GM's start acting on the passions of their fan base, that organization is in clear danger.  It's no different when an organization's top star wields his opinion like an unsheathed sword.  In that scenario, the GM, backed by strong organizational conviction, must remain alpha.

There's the rub.  We're talking about James Dolan.  Among Isiah Thomas, Carmelo Anthony, and Phil Jackson, I suspect Dolan trusts Jackson least.

And so, without hesitation, and fear of recrimination, it was Melo amplifying the angry fan chorus on draft day.

Why?

James Dolan made it perfectly clear 4 1/2 years ago that he was abandoning pursuit of the team concept for the more marketable star system featuring Carmelo Anthony.  That's why Mike D'Antoni's system ultimately reverted to Melo Ball, and Mike Woodson's system ultimately reverted to Melo Ball.

Last season, even Phil Jackson's triangle offense, at some point broke down, and defaulted back to Melo Ball.  The priority, however, focused more ping-pong balls once Melo opted for surgery.  That said, now that Phil Jackson is in charge, he's outwardly re-instituting the team concept again, which appears to have Melo out of his comfort zone.

Anthony indeed underwent surgery to address his first major injury.  That sort of thing can weigh heavily on the mind of a 31-year old, particularly when his prime physical years are winding down, he's struggling with his legacy, and is now faced with his team's untimely rebuilding effort.

Unfortunately for Melo, Phil Jackson's reign as head guy in charge unofficially, or effectively, started with Thursday's draft, and Melo felt the effects with haste.  Thus, the selection of Latvian cager Kristaps Porzingis and the trading of Tim Hardaway Jr. inspired a contrary response from Anthony.

Fact is, Phil Jackson has wrinkled Melo's time/space continuum since the moment he assumed office. Jackson has been an intruder in Melo's World more than anything.  In fact, I'm somewhat astonished Phil and Melo hammered out a new contract when they did.

Ultimately, Melo stayed for the money.  Now, it's up to him to buy-in.

I do know this, Phil Jackson will be alpha to Melo, whether Anthony likes it or not.  That's a battle Carmelo will not win, unless, James Dolan comes to his rescue.



Mike

2015 NBA Draft Lottery at Barclays Center

From the desks of:  

THE HOOPS OF FLATBUSH  and  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

Home of the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery

New York Knicks anticipate having the best night of their season.

In the first ever NBA lottery, each team's logo was placed into an over sized envelope.  The envelopes in turn were placed in an over sized Bingo style spinning barrel.  Once mixed to Commissioner David Stern's satisfaction, he began the process of determining the order of selection for the June draft.  The last two envelopes remaining in the barrel belonged to the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers.

Commissioner Stern reached in once more, and opened the envelope containing the Indiana Pacers logo.  Attending on behalf of the Knicks was then GM Dave DeBusschere, whom triumphantly pounded his fist on the table knowing the Knicks had just won the first ever NBA draft lottery.  

David Stern then performed the formality of reaching in the barrel one last time to reveal a Knicks logo, winners of the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA June draft.

Of course, the Knicks selected Georgetown center, Patrick Ewing, and the rest is history as they say...

The conspiracy theorists claim the Knicks envelope was placed in a freezer so that Commissioner Stern could distinguish their envelope from all the rest, and award the struggling NBA charter franchise the #1 pick.

With a 17-65 record, the New York Knicks only won 20.7% of their regular season games.  Tonight will represent the best part of their season.  They just so happen to have a 20% chance of landing the #1 overall pick in the upcoming June NBA Draft, and can do no worse than securing the #5 overall pick.

Steve Mills will be the Knicks representative at this year's ping pong ball extravaganza.  My first question is why?  My next question is, why is Steve Mills still employed by the Knicks?  Then I'd like to know why the hell Phil Jackson hasn't fired him yet?  

And now..., and now....!  Steve Mills and IsiahThomas work in the same building again!

Does anyone get the impression that if Phil Jackson doesn't win the #1 or at least the #2 pick, that he's as good as gone?  Reason being, he doesn't need this crap, so why torture himself?

• In 1985, Brooklyn's own, and St. John's University star forward Chris Mullin was selected with the #7 overall pick by the Golden State Warriors.  Mullin is now in the Basketball Hall of Fame, and has returned to his Alma-mater to be their head coach.

Brooklyn Nets feeling the ramifications of Billy King's reign.

Five years ago at the NBA Lottery Show - because it has become just that, a side show replete with dwarfs, sword swallowing congenial twins, poodles with people faces, a teenage werewolf, and a bad dirty joke teller - Mikhail Prokhorov made his grand entrance upon the NBA landscape.

On national TV, he proclaimed with supreme confidence his intentions to win an NBA championship within 5 years.  When the host reporter asked what that plan entailed, Mikhail Prokhorov explained that if he told her, he would have to kill her - all in fun of course.

Five years later, the 1,825th and final day expired on Prokhorov's title mandate.

The Nets finished the regular season with a 38-44 record, which could have entitled them to the #15 overall pick in the draft.  However, Billy King traded the rights to this year's first round pick as part of the deal to acquire Joe Johnson.  The Atlanta Hawks, whom eliminated the Nets from this year's playoffs in six games, own the right to swap #1's with the Nets.  Atlanta will now have the 15th overall selection, and the Nets drop down to 29th.

That doesn't even begin to lend insight into the mess the Nets are in.  

Billy King's creation has gotten worse in each of the last three seasons, culminating this season in a sub .500 record.  He compromised the Nets #1 pick through 2018 as part of the failed trade to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.  He's additionally capped out AND paying the luxury tax.

Since the team's move to Brooklyn three seasons ago, the Nets have been in a supreme position to steal headlines, and outshine the Knicks, whom by their own folly have literally hit an all-time low. But, Billy King failed to seize the moment.  The most expensive team in NBA history turned into a miserable failure.  Billy King's machinations will have lasting ramifications, as noted, through the 2018 season.

 Whatever...

UPDATE

The New York Knicks 

will have the 4th overall selection in the June draft.

Mike

N.Y. Knicks: London Braces For A Royally Bad Show

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

The Knickerbockers are well on their way 

towards the franchise's first ever 60-loss season.

If they keep up this rate of futility, 70 losses is not out of the question.

NEW YORK KNICKS: Team Half Way Through Historically Inept Season; Phil of the Future Said, Blame Me.

...Okay, Phil.  Consider it done.

He nailed it when he spoke of this team's loser mentality though.

I became a fan of this team just after the championship years; right around 1974-75.

That year, they posted their first losing season after eight winning campaigns, and a pair of NBA titles.

Just my luck, right?

I watched that team either retire, or get dismantled.  I caught the back end of the careers of Earl the Pearl Monroe, Bob McAdoo, Dave DeBusschere, and agonized over the trading of Clyde Frazier.

I also watched their team mate, Knicks president Phil Jackson's playing career fade into the sunset.

I caught Red Holzman as coach, when Willis Reed took over, and when Red Holzman came back.

I dealt with the disappointment of Michael Sugar Ray Richardson, lived through the Hubie Brown days, and felt a sharp pain when Bernard King went down.

I was also one of the fans chanting - Fire Al Bianchi - and of course, endured the tenure of Isiah Thomas.

Who could envision this organization getting even worse, and making those seem like the good old days?

The present day Knicks have lost their last 15 in a row, and 25 of their last 26 games.  So far, they own an overall 5-35 (.125) record this season.

They need to post a 15-27 record the rest of the way just to avoid becoming the first ever Knicks team that failed to win at least 20 games in a season.  With Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith already gone; Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, and anyone else not named Melo on the endangered list; not to mention knee surgery looming for Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire struggling with his own knee problems; there are few who believe they can pull it off.

Another way of putting this into perspective: this franchise has never suffered the indignity of a 60-loss season, although they came close several times.

Before my time on this planet, the Knicks of the early 1960s were terrible (and only played 80 games a season):

• 1960-61; 21-58 (.266)
• 1961-62; 29-51 (.363)
• 1962-63; 21-59 (.263)* All-Time Franchise Worst
• 1963-64; 22-58 (.275)

The good times didn't roll in until the late 1960s and early '70s, when they moved into present day Madison Square Garden.

Then I came onto the scene as a young fan, and watched the 1970s close out with some pretty funky basketball.

After Red Holzman's last hurrah in 1980-81, Hubie Brown rode Bill Cartwright and Bernard King to a pair of playoff appearances before the franchise tanked again (after Bernard King's knee injury).

• 1984-85; 24-58 (.293)
• 1985-86; 23-59 (.280)
• 1986-87; 24-58 (.293)

Then, with Patrick Ewing, Mark Jackson, and Charles Oakley, coached by Rick Pitino, things started getting markedly better.  The Knicks made the playoffs every season from 1988 through 2001.  Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy led them to respective NBA Finals, but each fell short of a title.

Then came the Isiah Thomas era.  I'll say this in his defense: I was agreeable with his initial appointment, and at the time, totally on board with rebuilding the Knicks (which knowingly required patience).  However, his time here requires an entirely different conversation.  His relationship with James Dolan was a sad and destructive time in Knicks history.

What we need to know for this post, is that under Zeke, the Knicks twice matched Hubie Brown's mark for team futility:

• 2005-06; 23-59 (.280)
• 2006-07; 33-49 (.402)
• 2007-08; 23-59 (.280)

The funny thing is, a team composed of Zach Randolph, David Lee, Nazr Mohammed, Trevor Ariza, Jamal Crawford, and even Nate Robinson, would destroy this year's Knicks, even with a healthy Melo and Amare on the floor.

I digress....

Of course, then came the sacrificial season under Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni.  But, not even that season stood to be as bad as this unfolding one seems to be headed.  If you remember, at one point Donnie Walsh stripped the roster down to just 8 or 9 bodies, while he and D'Antoni pulled the plug on Stephon Marbury's playing time, and even reduced him to civilian clothes.

• 2009-10; 29-53 (.354)

Thursday's game is the official mid-point of the Knicks season, and they'll mark the occasion with a game in London, England, against Jason Kidd's Milwaukee Bucks.

Since when is trying to avoid a 16th consecutive loss considered exportable, much less prime, entertainment?

What on earth did the Brits ever do to the NBA to deserve this match-up?  We screw them the same way with NFL games.

Blimey!

...Cause in sleepy London town there's just no place for........the New York Knicks.  No.  Get down! - stuff Mick Jagger might say.

Mike

N.Y. Knicks: After Fulfilling The Guarantee, 'Bockers Drop 4th Straight

From the desk of:  DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

 

I'm sorry, but Red Holzman isn't walking through that door!

NEW YORK KNICKS: What Will Jim Dolan's Band Think About This Latest Loss?

On the heels of an embarrassing loss to the San Antonio Spurs at the Garden, Jimmy Dolan took a relatively small leap of faith and guaranteed his Knicks would defeat the Atlanta Hawks.  On November 13th, they did just that.

The Knicks then went on to lose their next three games consecutively.  Atlanta exacted a measure of revenge, while Houston and Detroit also had their way with them.  There were common motifs weaving their way through New York's streak, some being - They wanted it more; We didn't come to play tonight; The effort wasn't there, etc.

Said Coach Woodson - "I'm not here to teach effort!"

The fans response - "Fire Wood - Son!!"  Clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!

My opinion - Firing Mike Woodson would be the worse thing the Knicks can do.  What ails the Knicks is not his doing.  Additionally, firing Woodson just brings us one step closer to Isiah Thomas, doesn't it?

On Wednesday evening, Beno Udrih(!) and the Knickerbockers faced the Indiana Pacers, minus the services of Ray Felton and Amare Stoudemire.  Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks in minutes again, scored 30 points, and pulled down 18 rebounds.  Brilliant.  The Knicks still lost however, by a 103-96 final in overtime to the Pacers.

For the most part, they showed good effort though.  But you almost get the sense that someone, Woodson, someone from the media, anyone, even Dolan, wants Iman Shumpert sized up for set of goat horns after committing a nonsensical foul at a really bad time.  But if the Knicks want to trade him, they won't.

So when will the owner's next irrational outburst come?  After all, the Knicks have now lost six straight games in Dolan's new $1 billion dollar palace this season.    Perhaps, James Dolan can strum a blues tune to convey how he really feels.

Oh, my Knicks lost another game.

Yeah, my Knicks, they lost another game.

Now I need someone to blame,

because my team lost another game.

 

Oh, I can't take it no more.

No, I can't take this losing much more.

My team puts forth no effort on the floor,

and so I can't take this losing anymore.

 

I'm gonna find me another coach.

Yeah, that's what I'll do, I'll find another coach.

I'll stomp this one like a roach,

and go hire me another coach.

 

Bring it on home now!

 

I spent a lot of money on MSG.

But only got a ten year lease from NYC.

Oh momma momma can't you see,

What all this losing has done to me.

 

 

Mike.BTB

N.Y. Knicks: Glen Grunwald Out, Steve Mills Back In - How George Steinbrennian

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

(Walton Street, Williamsburg)

NEW YORK KNICKS: The Heels At The Garden Go Round And Round.

There you go!  If life works in cycles, James Dolan is lapping the field.  History has taught him nothing.  His long list of failures as owner repeat themselves.  This is why I'm so down on the Knickerbockers.

I can understand, if only theoretically that is..., if Dolan felt as if Donnie Walsh was imposed upon him by Commissioner Stern, and that Walsh wasn't necessarily Jimmy's kind of guy.  Fine.  But the fact that Donnie Walsh recovered this organization after being reduced to rubble by the previous administration, and was then rewarded by being shoved in front of an oncoming train downstairs at Penn Station, and for what(?) - to replace him with lightweight Glen Grunwald(?) - is what got lost on me. 

If you really want to know how Dolan felt about Donnie Walsh, look no further than how the Carmelo Anthony deal went down.  For a decade plus, Dolan never ever came close to sticking his unlearned nose into Glen Sather's or Isiah Thomas' business.  At the same time he was facing direct competition or the first time via the Brooklyn Nets, Denver put Melo on the market, and Dolan didn't just step on Donnie's toes, he broke them with a nut cracker in order to acquire the Nuggets star forward.

Sather (still does) and Thomas enjoyed absolute reign over MSG's teams for as long as they lived, right up until the Anucha Brown Sanders debacle forced David Stern to effectively break up MSG's triumvirate led MSG cult, which include among the ranks, an albeit lesser known, Steve Mills.  He was right there, front and center for a decade, playing an equal part in the Fall of Knickerbocker.

I had no particular like for Glen Grunwald, but without knowing for sure why he is no longer the GM, the fact Steve Mills is back in the fold is ponderous to me.  We all know Isiah Thomas still has a key to the executive bathroom, and has never really gone away.  Mills had his fingerprints all over the decision to bring Zeke to the Knicks.  And now he's back for an encore.  Do you want more?  He's back as GM and President no less.  Happy days are here again.

Meanwhile, Glen Grunwald has been reassigned within the organization as an advisor.  Right - How George Steinbrennian, and absolutely ponderous!

All that aside, it appears as if Allan Houston will be taking on a larger role with the Knicks.  That's another conversation.



Mike.BTB

N.Y. KNICKS ~ Dolan Shows David Stern's Guy The Door

NEW YORK KNICKS:  James Dolan Never Wanted David Stern's Henchman In The First Place.


Way back when, I did not at all criticize hiring Isiah Thomas.   The Patrick Ewing era had ended and the Knicks were gladly moving on under Zeke after having suffered through Scott Layden.   I think I remember most Knicks' fans looking forward to the changes Isiah Thomas would no doubt initiate.   Back then, that was all fine and well and not what this big point is all about.  


But since the day Donnie Walsh assumed his position with the Knicks, James Dolan has done everything an owner can do to step on another executive's toes.  Now Dolan finally got what he wanted all along; which is Donnie Walsh; David Stern's henchman; gone.


Thanks for rebuilding my organization I let Isiah Thomas destroy.  Now beat it!





Welcome To MADISON SCARE GARDEN;  The World's Most MEDIEVAL Arena!

Knick fans, say good-bye to the former GM "slash!" President, James Dolan never wanted in the first place. 


Once upon a time, the atmosphere inside Madison Scare Garden had become so polluted and wreaked of hot garbage that when Commissioner Stern caught a whiff of the sexual harassment lawsuit against Isiah Thomas and MSG, David Stern decided his New York franchise had fallen to an all-time low and instigated the replacement of Isiah Thomas with Donnie Walsh.


When you're the most powerful Commissioner in North American Sports, you get what you want.   And so, the Knicks (namely James Dolan) got Donnie Walsh.   But behind the scenes, the Knickerbockers (namely James Dolan) never got rid of Isiah Thomas entirely.  Dolan allowed Zeke to lurk in the shadows.  Now if you're James Dolan and you're favorite Teddy Bear just got taken away from you, how do you covertly take out your frustrations and seek revenge on your oppressor?   Answer - Corporate Passive Aggression.


And James Dolan, in his actions, insulted Donnie Walsh at every turn.


When Isiah Thomas was MSG's one man gang and running this franchise into the ground, his boss, James Dolan, never even so much as said Boo!  Isiah had Card Blanche.  And James Dolan blindly and loyally believed/believes everything Isiah said/says.  James Dolan assumed operating control of his Daddy's Knicks in 1999.  Once he settled on Isiah Thomas to run his operation, James Dolan pretty much disappeared from the picture, minus the time when Latrell Sprewell.....  ahhhh.  Why bother.


Dolan made one huge splash, albeit an inconspicuous public protest under the guise of MSG to block and successfully drown any chance of the West Side Stadium from being built along the Hudson River on top of the West Side Rail Yards.  That was James Dolan the entertainment mogul and capitalist protecting his business interests.  That's fair.


Other than that, and up until the sexual harassment suit brought against him, Isiah Thomas, and MSG, we never ever heard from James Dolan.  And never once did he inject himself, or intercede in Isiah Thomas' affairs as President and GM of the Knicks.  Committing the Knicks to Salary Cap high holy hell, and not to mention letting Stephon Marbury run amok, meant little if nothing to James Dolan.  Isiah Thomas was free of interference from his superiors.  For Dolan, business was still good.


But the person James Dolan trusted most; Isiah Thomas; was taken away from him by the big bad Commissioner.  And, it couldn't have come at a more worse time for James Dolan and MSG.  Up until now (in relative time) everything was fine at MSG as far as James Dolan the Capitalist was concerned.  MSG was always packed no matter the incremental destruction Zeke wrought on his team.


So why is the taking of Zeke away from Dolan at this particular junction in Knicks history so bad as I say?  It has everything to do with the Nets and their move to Brooklyn.


James Dolan the Capitalist is scrambling to fortify his defenses because he knows Mikhail Prokhorov means business.  And the closer the official move date to Brooklyn comes for the Nets, the more erratic James Dolan has become leading up to right now.  Fallout? - The scripted stepping down of a one, Donnie Walsh.


Fighting the West Side Stadium was a natural for Dolan as a business man.  But now with one of his Entertainment Empire's Jewels; MSG and the Knicks; in direct threat of competition from the Nets in Brooklyn, James Dolan finds himself fighting a two front battle against business and basketball.


For evidence that James Dolan the businessman knows how to fight a good business fight any time, anywhere, look no further than the notorious Battle of the Billboards.  That's good stuff right there.  James can fight that fight.  But when his Basketball enterprise is topic one, he always has, as he still does, run to Isiah Thomas for direction.


I'm not so sure Isiah Thomas would have been allowed to mismanage the Knicks much longer had Commissioner Stern not insisted on the change as the Nets move to Brooklyn drew closer.  James Dolan might have made a move for that very reason IF Zeke didn't have things turned around by "now"...  We are three years after David Stern saved the Knicks and their fans from Zeke AND Dolan.  And now the reality for James Dolan and the Nets in Brooklyn is officially one more season away, once the Finals conclude this month.


So when it comes to Donnie Walsh, James Dolan Did This:

* Originally wanted to retain and pay Isiah Thomas to be a team/personal consultant to James Dolan.

* Pure speculation?  Sure!  Dolan is convinced Zeke would have landed LeBron James and blames Donnie.

* Tripped all over his own Capitalist hooves in a free-agent signing frenzy trying to secure players before Mikhail Prokhorov did.  Stepped all over Donnie's toes and involved Isiah Thomas in their attempt to sign Amare Stoudemire.

* Tripped all over his own Capitalist hooves in a trading deadline frenzy trying to secure Carmelo Anthony before Mikhail Prokhorov did.  Stepped all over Donnie's toes and INVOLVED Isiah Thomas, whether directly or indirectly, in their attempt to secure Melo from Denver.  Dolan would have given Denver more had they just asked.  Walsh never had a chance to ply his negotiating craft.

* Did not allow Donnie Walsh to hire Chris Mullin on two separate requests.  James Dolan tells Walsh he'd rather re-hire Isiah Thomas instead.  The two have a concentrated disagreement over the matter.

* James Dolan concluded the Melo Trade Press Conf. by stating Donnie Walsh's contract extension would be settled in very time.  But no press conf. would have; could have; ended without at least one more mention of Isiah Thomas.



I say again, in all the years Isiah Thomas ran the Knicks, James Dolan said and did nothing to Isiah Thomas regarding the state of the Knicks.  That's when New York City was still a one team town.  If you don't think Brooklyn will have an impact on James Dolan's enterprise, you are mistaken then.  James Dolan is in full panic mode and is making his fan base pay for the renovations to keep up with the Jone's....er, Mikhail Prokhorov and Barclays Center.


Because James Dolan knew he needed those two stars badly, he practically beat down Donnie Walsh on his way to snag Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  And the Melo deal epitomizes my whole point.  Dolan didn't allow Donnie Walsh to negotiate a more responsible price for Melo.  But that's because James Dolan, like many execs in the NBA, is subscribing to the Two/Three Star Method, and are distancing themselves from team oriented Basketball at light speed.


Due to the plethora of players given to Denver for Melo, the Knicks were left with a roster barren of capable cagers after the third name down the list.  But James Dolan doesn't care that Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are incompatible players or that his bench sucks.  He just cares that he has stars.  After all, he is a Media Mogul.  He knows star power and the draw they have.


The best hands this organization have been in since the days when Dave Checketts roamed the hallways of what will soon be the "Newer MSG" are now waving good-bye to the fans as he says Good Luck to us on the way out.  Because we'll need it.


If they were building a baseball only stadium in Brooklyn, do you think James Dolan would have cared?  No, he wouldn't have.  And as a result, maybe his renovation of MSG may have come farther down the line.  You know what they say; - Necessity is the Mother of all Invention.


With the NBA sporting a second team within the borders of New York City, and not just the "Metro Area" anymore, James Dolan is scrambling.  As such, he didn't let his GM do his job to the best of his ability.  Dolan never wanted Walsh, thus he never trusted him.  James Dolan continually ran back or phoned Zeke.


In spite of all Dolan's panicing because the Nets are coming, Donnie Walsh still managed to straighten out James Dolan's Basketball operation.  And this is the thanks he gets.


Donnie Walsh never had a chance.  James Dolan just wants his teddy bear back.  He did to Donnie Walsh like what the Yankees did to Joe Torre.  They insulted and made him feel unwanted enough to make him want to leave.



What comes next for the Knicks is anybody's guess.  A safe bet to take is the Knicks' near future involves a Yes Man.



To that I say,  "Oh No!"





Mike.BTB

N.Y. KNICKS ~ Necessity is the Mother of Dolan's Motivation

NEW YORK KNICKS:  James Dolan didn't care Isiah Thomas ran his team into the ground.  So why does he care so much now without him?




First...It's Never Easy Saying Good-Bye.

We hardly knew ya but you will be missed.

The Fans' favorite Knicks team over the last eight or nine years has been disassembled before they could even finish a season together.  Since last November till now, this season's Knickerbockers have done everything short of winning a Championship to earn back the respect and admiration of the fans.  Truth is, they only achieved a slightly better than .500 record together, but it was a spirited and entertaining first half (plus) of the season and an effort we were appreciative of, as it made us forget our miseries suffered over the previous decade. 

There were players spread-out across the floor in Knick uniforms that were building fresh, new fan followings.  The two players drafted by the Knicks we enjoyed watching fill-out and mature; Dalino Gallinari and Wilson Chandler will be missed.  No one feels good about trading away one of your own.  And Raymond Felton..., a two year underdog singing, turned out to be a little Super Hero for five months.  Even Mozgov found comfort with the fans.  That's why perhaps the big trade news is leaving Knicks fans a bit melancholy despite the team hooking one of the biggest fish in the NBA.

Last night those guys were traded away for Carmelo Anthony and others.  He and Amare' Stoudemire now comprise a fearsome twosome on the offensive side of the ball for the New York Knicks.  In a star-driven League, the Knicks now have two of them.

Did the Knicks empty out the roster to make this trade happen?  Yes.
Was the price we paid for Carmelo Anthony too high?  No.

Wilson Chandler was a goner anyway.  Raymond Felton was a stop-gap point guard until we had a shot at acquiring Chris Paul or Deron Williams.  So, was Gallo and the rest of the package worth it for 'Melo?  You betcha!  You secure a guy like 'Melo when you can; especially when you can pair him with a talent like Amare' and continue trying to upgrade from there.  You do it because this is what Donnie Walsh has spent the last two-plus years working towards.


DOUBTERS BE DAMNED.   JUST STICK WITH THE PLAN!
Carmelo Anthony is a Knick today because Donnie Walsh's plan was followed.  He asked for two years and that he be judged based on year Three.  If the Knicks wound up not getting Melo, many in the Media were calling for Donnie Walsh's job.  He dumped salaries and freed up Cap space in a miraculously short time.  Yet, some in the Media called that feat simple and easy.  He added short-term upgrades to the roster and turned them into assets.  In Felton's case, the Media kept insisting he was a product of Coach D's system.  He then signed Amare' over the summer.  The Media then said the plan was to land LeBron and that Donnie was lucky to outbid the Suns by a year for Amare's services.  That's wrong!  LeBron was never the plan.  Donnie never said it was.  LeBron was available as a coincidence to the plan.  The Plan was to be in a position to sign Max-Contracts.  And now he has two after completing the trade for Carmelo Anthony with said assets and said cap flexibility.

For Knick Fans, you can start believing it now...., a plan actually came together for us.



There was a ton of speculation as to how much Isiah Thomas played a part in the negotiations to bring Carmelo Anthony here.  There is also rampant speculation as to whether James Dolan was intent on making this deal happen in defiance of Donnie Walsh' working model as the club's GM.  I was one of the skeptics..and still am.  I am not convinced Zeke's days with the Knicks are through.  Regardless,  Donnie Walsh laid many of the rumors to rest when he said he believed Carmelo Anthony was more intent on securing an extension before the CBA expires as opposed to becoming a free-agent.  That meant Anthony would have surely signed a more lucrative extension with the Nuggets or even the Nets than he would have otherwise.  Donnie Walsh believed that to be so...because Carmelo Anthony said so!  That's why Donnie said they signed off on the trade (while he was in Indianapolis and James Dolan in Los Angeles).

The trick now is to build a supporting cast around these two players.  The Knicks have about four years to accomplish this.  By no means is this a finished product just because 'Melo arrives tomorrow.  The need was and still is to play better defense and finding a quality Center to protect the paint.  We still don't have a Center and we certainly won't be playing any Defense now just because it's Tuesday.

The Knicks would be better served by getting Amare' back to his natural position and away from Center if they want him and 'Melo playing through a handful of injury free years together..  Additionally, someone needs to pull down some rebounds for this team.  This team can't even pull down a window shade as presently constituted.  Ronnie Turiaf obviously is not an answer at Center and he shouldn't even be a thought anymore.  You don't pump Regular into a Cadillac.  We've up-graded now and Center should be our next area of concern.

Chauncey Billups keeps the plan at point guard the same.  We're just waiting for other players to become available.  He isn't going to give us much defense either, but I have the utmost confidence he can still orchestrate from the point and set-up Amare' and Carmelo with smart professionalism.  That's all I'm really expecting from him.  Let's face it, we haven't been right at point guard since we traded Mark Jackson, so there's no reason for us to start snivelling about it now.



It's a TURF WAR.  It's as Simple as That.

But do you really want to know my unofficial, real reason why Carmelo Anthony is a Knick today?

As I eluded to in my recent post, Knicks-Nets; Tug Of War Spurs Rivalry , James Dolan all of a sudden has an active interest in his team?  With Dolan, it's never that easy.

James Dolan was never one to interfere in Isiah Thomas' affairs for the whole time Zeke ruled his Knicks.  A sexual harassment case brought against MSG, etc...was hardly enough to splinter James Dolan's support for Thomas.  Isiah had run of the ranch.  The only time James Dolan sprung to action is when a proposed West Side Stadium for the Jets was on the City's planning table.  James Dolan and MSG committed vast resources to thwart that from happening and preventing such a Stadium from infringing upon his MSG/Arena monopoly in the area.  Successful at blocking that project, he had no problem letting Isiah Thomas destroy the Knicks for as long as fans kept showing up to MSG with his monopoly intact.  In a city like N.Y. with it's immense population and tourism, not to mention arena events, an MSG void of fans or visitors is hard to pull off.

James Dolan never seemed troubled Isiah Thomas turned the Knicks into an unmitigated disaster.  Never.  The only thing that troubled him was that West Side Stadium and he threw loads of money at that problem.  James Dolan is only recently so concerned about his Knicks because:

ONE:  Like I said, he's a mess without Isiah.

TWO:  Being an owner of a crappy club never bothered James when Zeke was here, so why should he start caring now?  The biggest and real reason James Dolan all of a sudden cares about the Knicks and was seemingly so willing and desperate to trample over Donnie Walsh to get at Amare' Stoudemire; and why he pushed over baby-carriages and knocked over old ladies trying to get at Carmelo Anthony was because of.....

....Mikhail Prokhorov and the threat of Brooklyn infringing on his NYC monopoly. 

It's all Owners really care about.  They are all about the Capitalism aspect of it.  It's all they know and a good businessman can recognize a threat when he sees one.  Another team and another arena within the city limits is why to some extent Amare' and 'Melo are Knicks today.  I'm not saying Donnie Walsh or a good Exec wouldn't have made these moves as Knicks GM.  I'm just merely saying the only reason why James Dolan all of a sudden seems so preoccupied with the Knicks, unlike he was with Zeke around, is because his business is being threatened just like it was when the West Side Stadium talked popped up.  And just like then, he's throwing a ton of money at this problem.  Salary Cap, Shmalary Shnap ~ When Capitalists feel threatened, they throw money at their problems.

It doesn't matter who in the Knicks' Front Office collaborated on the Melo trade.  It doesn't matter if Zeke was in on it or not.  James Dolan the Entertainment Mogul was looking out for his business that's about to be faced with stiff competition.  For James, It's all about paying for a seat at MSG.  He didn't seem to care when the Knicks sucked and he was the only game in town though. 

Prokhorov hasn't spent anything yet.  But from one business man to another, Dolan knows his day is coming.




Mike.BTB

KNICKS vs. NETS ~ Tonight Newark; Tomorrow Brooklyn!

N.J. ~ BKN NETS:  Barclays Center Updates.


NEW YORK KNICKS:  I really think Fans and
Radio-Hosts need to start getting a grip!

The drama I'm hearing over Donnie Walsh's contract extension is utter nonsense!

Let's be clear, the New York Knicks are in the best hands they've been in since Dave Checketts was calling shots around here.  And to say, if Donnie Walsh doesn't secure Carmelo Anthony in a trade, his job should be in jeopardy?  That's preposterous!  But that's what I've been hearing on the radio lately.

The plan was not to clear out Salary Cap Space AND sign LeBron James is if were written in stone.  The plan was to clear out Salary Cap room first and foremost for the sake of flexibility and having an opportunity to sign a free agent or two.  The fact LeBron James was available this past summer coincided perfectly with our plan to create said cap room.  Our new found Cap relief  was never intended to sign LeBron James per-say, but his availability heightened every-one's want to secure his services.  The Cap "clear-out" needed to happen regardless.   LJ or no LJ, the plan was to gain Cap relief; Period.  And not to mention, this is really all old news!

Why bring it up?

Because, if Donnie Walsh doesn't get a trade for 'Melo done his tenure here should be questioned and perhaps his contract should not get extended, effectively ending his time in his current capacity?  Are you kidding me?

I don't want to go off on a Dolan and Zeke rant......but really? Are you kidding me?  Isiah Thomas had how long around here, and we are now actually calling for Donnie Walsh's job all of a sudden after he's assembled a team that has played better this season than it has in any of the last eight?  Are we really calling Donnie Walsh's work here a failure if he doesn't get 'Melo?  Really?

I'll tell you what; I'm going to ignore all that talk I heard this last week because it's some of the most absurd stuff I've heard come out of fans' and radio-talkies' mouths since someone said Zeke was doing a good job.

I'll tell you what else, the way everyone tripped and flopped all over each other, hoping we would sign LeBron was embarrassing!  That's right; I said it.  And when the smoke cleared upon his signing with Miami, that behavior of ours became topic one; about how much of a frenzy everyone worked themselves into and how the reaction and chase was unlike anything we've seen around here before.

Well, some of you are doing it all over again!  Yea, I'd like 'Melo in a Knick uniform just like the rest of us.  But I'm against looking and acting desperate to get him.  There!  I said that too.  Of course we need him.  But can we just relax ourselves please?!

Is this what the anxiety of a .500 record does to us now?

I'll tell you what anxiety is going to be.  Anxiety is the spectre of Isiah Thomas returning to this organization.
And anxiety will be the Knick fans here in Brooklyn who are looking-on with squinted-eyes as to how James Dolan handles Donnie Walsh's job status.

This arena will be operational with an NBA team in it sooner than later. 

If Jason Kidd would like, I can take him for a spin by the REALITY being erected on

Atlantic Avenue as we speak (in reference to his "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude).

Picture as of Saturday;  February 12, 2011

Sixth Avenue View with Atlantic Avenue at right.

But getting back to Anxiety?  Mr. Dolan, hasn't seen anything yet.  If he let's Zeke resume control of this organization, every-time his Knickerbockers come to Brooklyn, he's going to have to deal with all the former-Knick Fans on this side of the river who've had their fill of Zeke and Dolan both, and now root for the home-town team.

With every I-Beam put in place, the talk about the NETS coming is picking up "out here" in the Borough.

The Nets will already be gaining a fan in me.  The bigger question is will Dolan lose one...or more?  Does he understand the magnitude of the situation?  A lot of talk out here amongst us Knick fans in the "Borough"  sounds similar to what I just expressed.  If a possible...,  even remote chance of Zeke returning to the Garden coincides with the home-coming of the Nets to Brooklyn, then James Dolan and his Knicks will have a much larger problem on their hands than just Carmelo Anthony and how much of the farm we're willing to give for him.

BARCLAYS CENTER

BROOKLYN

CLICK HERE for my posting as/of  FEB. 9, 2011

KNICKS: YOU ~ US ~ WE ~ NOW...and Where?     Is the Battle of the Billboards Over?

NETS:  More Pictures From Barclays Center Construction Site.




TONIGHT

 

New York Knicks

vs.

New Jersey Nets

 

Prudential Center

NEWARK

Mike.BTB

NYKnicks ~ Zeke May Never Haunt Halls of MSG Again; Link

Every Basketball minded fan around the city has by now, no doubt, heard about Isiah Thomas' fantastic revisionist tales and the buff-job he's trying to spin about his days at MSG.  What sheer lunacy!  Many in and around the media have been tossing out the word delusional to describe Zeke's state of mind.  Michael Kay conducted an interview with Isiah on the heals of the initial shock waves Isiah's comments created soon after speaking with Ian O'Conner earlier for Ian's ESPN.com.  Point ~ Michael Kay was right when he said delusional was the absolute wrong word to describe Zeke's state.

Me?  I'd use Machiavellian; as Machiavellian as he's ever been and exactly the way we remember him.

Delusional?  Hardly.  Zeke was, as always, just being true to himself.  I heard nothing during Michael Kay's interview nor read anything in Ian O'Connor's transcript which leads me to believe Isiah Thomas was acting unlike anyone but, Isiah Thomas.  You can read Ian O'Connor's article HERE.

This day, his tact of choice was that of victim trying to vindicate his good name, playing on people's sympathies to again one day be in a position to avenge a wrong perpetrated upon him by the NBA; namely mocking his executive achievements and stripping him of his post.  What makes this day from left field any different from any post-game Q&A he played host to while he was Sith Lord of MSG?  He took responsibility for nothing 'wrong' then, and paints pictures of the past resembling a Botticelli now.

Above all, what has Knick fan's anxieties on high alert today, is the closeness, bond and friendship Isiah Thomas maintains with Sir James Dolan; Rey of MSG and our New York Knicks.

Donnie Walsh might be calling the shots now but we learned and know well, Zeke never really went away.  The scepter of his possible return has been making the hair of Knicks fans stand up from Coney Island to City Island, electrocuted and shocked that Zeke still, somehow, arches into our affairs in the third year after his removal from office.

Well I have good news for you Knick fans.  Please read this great article by Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo! Sports.  This article might, once and for all time, put our fears to rest regarding Zeke's MSG Come-back and possible Swan Song at the New Garden.

If what this article says is true, there will be no Rising like the Phoenix for Isiah.  In the mean-time there is only lunacy..., just like in Hitchcock's, The Birds.





Mike.BTB

Milk and Two Sugars: Knicks

OK...so here I am having my morning cup.

A day after learning how things went down over at MSG between Zeke, Donnie and Dolan, I am stupefied and with incredible disbelief Zeke is back in the fold with an alarmingly prominent position being dangled his way..

Here's the two sugars folks. Realistically there is only two things we as fans can do, because you can't fire the owner's son.

ONE ~ Don't go to games. Stop giving Dolan your money.  I know the chances of ever pulling that off are zero and none.

AND/OR TWO ~ Write a letter to the Board of Directors at MSG expressing a Vote of No Confidence with regards to Dolan.  That is something we can do.  Inundate MSG's mail room with letters of discontentment with James Dolan's handling of MSG and the respective teams.

That....or we need to buy up MSG stock shares and conduct our own hostile take-over.  But writing a letter is less expensive and you won't get ripped off on commissions.  But if we don't write those letters be prepared to be ripped off by James Dolan every time you buy a NY Rangers ticket, a Knicks ticket, step inside MSG, watch them on the MSG Channel, or even subscribe to his cable company.

Ya can't fire the owner as much and we like to call radio shows and James Dolan has to go.  It doesn't work like that.  We just can't fire the owner,

But the Board of Directors CAN!!

The Number Two Man on the MSG ladder was apposed to the idea Zeke be named GM of the KNICKS.

Imagine 40,000 letters arriving in some one's office with one central message; James Dolan must not be allowed to continue as M.F.I.C. of Madison Square Garden.

The New York Rangers have as much a stake in this as the Knicks.


I don't know what else to say....EXCEPT..
Thank You Donnie Walsh for not quitting on the spot!  You're a better man than me.  I would have been looking to punch someone in the eye. 

I sincerely apologize for our owner's lack of.....

Mike.BTB