I love the Knicks trade

[wdleehi]

Who says the coach is going to be the long term coach if the players are not a great fit for his system?




Melo and Amare can be good defenders in the right system.  Put a good low post defender next to Amare and let Amare be the weak side defender.  He would excel at that.  


As for Melo, he is the same type of defender Pierce was before he bought into defense.  If Pierce can do it, why not Melo?


They have two pieces and the location that is attractive to other stars.  They have the expiring contract to make a move next year.  And as Melo has proven, a player in his last year can dictate where he goes.  



NY has set themselves up to be a player in the near future.  This season, they get to build chemistry with Melo and Amare.  They do not have the needed depth this season to win it all, but they do have the talent to make life miserable for the 3rd seed in the 1st round.  It makes the top two seeds much more attractive as to avoid NY and Atlanta in the 1st round.  Two teams that could pull upsets for one round.  

[jgod213]

The only way these "super teams" are going to win is if they can fill their bench with decent people who want low money.  With all the 'stars' on a few select teams that leaves all the other teams overpaying for everyone else.  Teams like the Celtics, Spurs, Lakers, and Mavs who are deep and have actually built a team will always be at the top.

The only way these "super teams" are going to win is if they can fill their bench with decent people who want low money.  With all the 'stars' on a few select teams that leaves all the other teams overpaying for everyone else.  Teams like the Celtics, and Spurs who are deep and have actually built a team will always be at the top.

there fix it for you.

This happens every single season.  Heck the C's signed Shaq for the LLE this past off season.  Big Z went to Miami for the minimum.  Every year there are plenty of veterans chasing rings that will sign for minimum or near minimum dollars.  The Knicks in NYC and with a lot of roster flexibility are going to be very active from the get go this summer in that market and are going to get some very effective role players for very little money.

Yeah i'm with you here.  I agree with the folks who like this trade for NY.

Yes Amare and 'Melo don't "get it" defensively...yet.  Ray and Paul were considered average defenders, at best, before they came together with KG (and 2 great defensive coaches) and committed.

Defense is an art, but more than anything its about effort.  If you put Melo and Amare next to a defender who "gets it" and has the clout to expect it from his teammates, then i think this team becomes scary good.

They've got all the offense they need right now.  If i were a Knicks fan i'd be hoping NY isn't done.  If they can move some of these extra pieces (walker/douglas/carter/brewer/ect) for some more defensive depth at the 4/5 i think this team becomes an immediate factor in this years title chase - if for nothing else playing spolier to us/orlando/miami/chicago.

[BballTim]

The only way these "super teams" are going to win is if they can fill their bench with decent people who want low money.  With all the 'stars' on a few select teams that leaves all the other teams overpaying for everyone else.  Teams like the Celtics, Spurs, Lakers, and Mavs who are deep and have actually built a team will always be at the top.

The only way these "super teams" are going to win is if they can fill their bench with decent people who want low money.  With all the 'stars' on a few select teams that leaves all the other teams overpaying for everyone else.  Teams like the Celtics, and Spurs who are deep and have actually built a team will always be at the top.

there fix it for you.

This happens every single season.  Heck the C's signed Shaq for the LLE this past off season.  Big Z went to Miami for the minimum.  Every year there are plenty of veterans chasing rings that will sign for minimum or near minimum dollars.  The Knicks in NYC and with a lot of roster flexibility are going to be very active from the get go this summer in that market and are going to get some very effective role players for very little money.

Yeah i'm with you here.  I agree with the folks who like this trade for NY.

Yes Amare and 'Melo don't "get it" defensively...yet.  Ray and Paul were considered average defenders, at best, before they came together with KG (and 2 great defensive coaches) and committed.

Defense is an art, but more than anything its about effort.  If you put Melo and Amare next to a defender who "gets it" and has the clout to expect it from his teammates, then i think this team becomes scary good.

  PP was a very good defender when he was younger. I don't think the same could be said about Carmelo.

[guava_wrench]

NY is still far from a "superteam". They are still way behind where Phx was with Amare, Nash, Marion, etc. They are more like where Denver was with AI and Melo.

It is still way too early to start comparing what NY has to what Miami has. Amare and Melo aren't even close to Lebron and Wade. Lebron and Wade excel in everything except 3 pt shooting. Amare and Melo are one dimensional (and Melo also isn't a good 3 pt shooter). Lebron and Wade have always been able to involve their teammates in the game. Melo? Forced shots off of isos. Lebron and Wade also took smaller contracts. That means that Miami is getting ridiculous value from their all stars.

[guava_wrench]

The only way these "super teams" are going to win is if they can fill their bench with decent people who want low money.  With all the 'stars' on a few select teams that leaves all the other teams overpaying for everyone else.  Teams like the Celtics, Spurs, Lakers, and Mavs who are deep and have actually built a team will always be at the top.

The only way these "super teams" are going to win is if they can fill their bench with decent people who want low money.  With all the 'stars' on a few select teams that leaves all the other teams overpaying for everyone else.  Teams like the Celtics, and Spurs who are deep and have actually built a team will always be at the top.

there fix it for you.

This happens every single season.  Heck the C's signed Shaq for the LLE this past off season.  Big Z went to Miami for the minimum.  Every year there are plenty of veterans chasing rings that will sign for minimum or near minimum dollars.  The Knicks in NYC and with a lot of roster flexibility are going to be very active from the get go this summer in that market and are going to get some very effective role players for very little money.

Yeah i'm with you here.  I agree with the folks who like this trade for NY.

Yes Amare and 'Melo don't "get it" defensively...yet.  Ray and Paul were considered average defenders, at best, before they came together with KG (and 2 great defensive coaches) and committed.

Defense is an art, but more than anything its about effort.  If you put Melo and Amare next to a defender who "gets it" and has the clout to expect it from his teammates, then i think this team becomes scary good.

  PP was a very good defender when he was younger. I don't think the same could be said about Carmelo.

Agreed. He defended under O'Brien.

[wiley]

NY is still far from a "superteam". They are still way behind where Phx was with Amare, Nash, Marion, etc. They are more like where Denver was with AI and Melo.

It is still way too early to start comparing what NY has to what Miami has. Amare and Melo aren't even close to Lebron and Wade. Lebron and Wade excel in everything except 3 pt shooting. Amare and Melo are one dimensional (and Melo also isn't a good 3 pt shooter). Lebron and Wade have always been able to involve their teammates in the game. Melo? Forced shots off of isos. Lebron and Wade also took smaller contracts. That means that Miami is getting ridiculous value from their all stars.

much agreed.  That's why I consider them semi-desperate for an elite defensive and/or intimidating center, to cover up for others....They'd be better off with Dwight Howard than Chris Paul as the next piece, but maybe that's obvious regardless......(although a Chris Paul plus Kendrick Perkins combo would probably outweigh Howard and Billups, etc....hmmmm, that's close....)

[Phil125]

Making it work with D'Antoni is going to be a tough one.

I dont understand this. D'Antoni almost took a Suns team to the finals with no real defensive stoppers. Heck he took an Amare-less Suns team to the WCF.

2008 -- lost to San Antonio, 4-0, first round

2007 -- defeated LA Lakers, 4-1, first round
        lost to San Antonio, 4-2, conference semifinals

2006 -- defeated LA Lakers, 4-3, first round
        defeated LA Clippers, 4-3, conference semifinals
        lost to Dallas, 4-2, conference finals

2005 -- defeated Memphis, 4-0, first round
        defeated Dallas, 4-2, conference semifinals
        lost to San Antonio, 4-1, conference finals

2003 -- lost to San Antonio, 4-2, first round

Show me the big playoff series win there by Coach D'Antoni.

Pre Pau lakers?  or the 1st year without Nash/Don Nelson gone Dallas team?

They didn't beat one good solid team in a series his whole time in Phoenix.  And with a less talented team now he's going to start going off?  With the CBA up there is no way they are getting that 3rd star.

Great regular season but got stomped by good teams in the playoffs.  The Bulls and the Heat will be rolling the Knicks for years to come(and hopefully the C's if they can sign somebody big in 2 years).

[jdub1660]

Actually, I think the Knicks are headed in the right direction. They have signed two Cornerstone forwards and a very good (though aging) PG. They will be in a position to make a play for another free agent after next season, when Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard could become available. They have the buzz of NYC which, like the glamour of LA, is enticing to many people including young NBA players. I think the Knicks are finally getting it right. 

TP. I doubt they'd win it all this year or next, but they will contend in one of the two. And during that time Billups will be great as their PG until Chris Paul joins them year after next.

[Phil125]

TP. I doubt they'd win it all this year or next, but they will contend in one of the two. And during that time Billups will be great as their PG until Chris Paul joins them year after next.

With the new CBA looming it looks impossible for CP3 to sign with the knicks unless he is willing to take something like a 50% pay cut.  Which I do not see him doing.

[pearljammer10]

I think this was a trade the Knicks had to make.  Where were they going with a core of Amare / Gallinari / Chandler / Felton?  That team's ceiling seems to be the second round of the playoffs every year.

Obviously, Amare + Carmelo (plus Chauncey in the present) isn't enough to win a championship.  Their title chances will largely be shaped by what happens in the summer of 2012, with CP3, Deron, and Dwight.  However, the Knicks are now in position to set up a future title run, when they weren't before. 

Absolutely. The Knicks were going to be a 6th seed team and continue to be a 6th seed team with this core. Felton has a two year and wasn't in their long term plans, Chandler wasnt going to be resigned for the money he'll be looking for, Gallo was inconsistent and Mozgov looks like Darko 2.0. Now they have two superstars that can play together for the next decade. Chauncey can help them this year with his presence and could be a huge factor in a major trade next year with his expiring deal. Love it for the Knicks...

However, I also love it for Denver. They have a crazy good 10 man rotation now.

Lawson/Felton
Afflalo/Smith
Gallo/Chandler
Martin/Harrington
Nene/Birdman

It certainly isnt championship material but that lineup has potential to make some big noise in the playoffs while being very exciting to watch. Both teams make out very nicely here.