New Knicks!

(Cheddar Ben grudgingly gives A-Rod some respect for his A-pril following this piece from Sip.)

It's been too long since the season ended and I haven't quite found the right time. But oh dear, how bout these new Knicks. 4-15 since Jimmy Dolan's brilliant move to extend Isiah's contract with upside through the roof.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this team, trying to figure out any possible way to rationalize the decisions that they have made and the future in store. Through all my pondering I have come up with one pretty certain thought: The Knicks will be terrible for some time.

The Knicks have been rebuilding for about 5 years now. Where has that gotten them? Nowhere.

You can make a pretty stellar argument that, of all the teams that did not make the playoffs, the Knicks have by the least upside of any of them.

Eddy Curry was a 19 and 7 guy this year? How much further can he go?

David Lee was a 10 and 10? This one is the controversial one. Everyone loves this guy and he is definitely a hard worker. But his lack of talent and athleticism can only take him so far. What more can David Lee become? 12 and 12?

Nate Robinson should be out of the NBA in a year or two.

Jamal Crawford is solid but going nowhere fast.

And Channing Frye proved this year that his best season in his career may very well be his rookie year.

Really the two Knicks with the most upside are Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins. Isiah is a draft genius! How sad is that. If Balkman ups his coordination levels to say, Sip, he could be a solid small forward in this league.

Give Mardy Collins a jumper and he might be worth a rotation spot.

This my friends is the problem. The Knicks not only have no present, but they have no real future. Think about all the teams in the lottery.

Memphis: Rudy Gay and a top 4 pick in this draft.
Boston: Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Rajon Rondo and a top 5 pick in this draft.
Atlanta: Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and a top 6 pick

Charlotte: Emeka Okafor, Ray Felton, Adam Morrison(eek)
Philadelphia: Andre Iguodola
Portland: Brandon Roy, Lamarcus Aldridge
New Orleans: Chris Paul

All of these players are potential all stars with extremely high ceilings. The Knicks really have no one like them.

They are in a category with very few teams in the NBA. A group I like to call "Fucked." There are a few other teams who are close to this category.

Seattle doesn't have much going for it. They have a bunch of 7-footers, Luke Ridnour and Ray Allen who has a bloated contract fit only for the Garden.

Minnnesota has KG, Randy Foye and then not a lot going for it (I would trade any player on the Knicks for Foye).

Sacramento has really nothing going for it (Would trade any player on the Knicks for Kevin Martin).

The Clippers have enough talent to win 50 games next season.

There is one MAJOR difference between those in the "Fucked" column and the Knicks: These teams have a shot at Kevin Durant or Greg Oden.

Whichever team gets one of these guys immediately has a very very bright future. The Knicks will not be this team.

Which means this. There is not a team in the NBA, today, April 24, 2007 in worse shape than your New York Knicks. Not one with less talent today and no one with less potential in the future.

Pretty damn exciting!

VCD,

Sip

(Pics courtesy of thegarden.com, ign.com, cnn.net, aol.com)