If the Knicks close out Boston in 4 or 5 does that change your outlook...

[Who]

On defense, yes KG can still be the quarterback, but he needs a center next to him.  On offense, you feature Rondo and Green (or Josh Smith if you can swap Green and some pieces for him) and let sully and avery continue to develop.  And add in our 15 pick from this years draft (you never know).

I think Josh Smith would be perfect for KG. I think someone like him (a PF) would be better from a defensive standpoint than bringing in a center and sliding KG back to the PF position.

I would happily trade Jeff Green to the Hawks to get our hands on Josh Smith this summer. That trade could really help this team.

[SparzWizard]

On defense, yes KG can still be the quarterback, but he needs a center next to him.  On offense, you feature Rondo and Green (or Josh Smith if you can swap Green and some pieces for him) and let sully and avery continue to develop.  And add in our 15 pick from this years draft (you never know).

I think Josh Smith would be perfect for KG. I think someone like him (a PF) would be better from a defensive standpoint than bringing in a center and sliding KG back to the PF position.

I would happily trade Jeff Green to the Hawks to get our hands on Josh Smith this summer. That trade could really help this team.

Couldn't we land Josh Smith without giving up Jeff Green in the offseason?

[CelticConcourse]

If we lose in 4 or 5, it's retirement time in Boston!

[Drucci]

On defense, yes KG can still be the quarterback, but he needs a center next to him.  On offense, you feature Rondo and Green (or Josh Smith if you can swap Green and some pieces for him) and let sully and avery continue to develop.  And add in our 15 pick from this years draft (you never know).

I think Josh Smith would be perfect for KG. I think someone like him (a PF) would be better from a defensive standpoint than bringing in a center and sliding KG back to the PF position.

I would happily trade Jeff Green to the Hawks to get our hands on Josh Smith this summer. That trade could really help this team.

But getting Smith would only make our offensive woes worst. There would be absolutely no spacing with a Rondo/Bradley/Pierce/Smith/KG lineup.

[Who]

On defense, yes KG can still be the quarterback, but he needs a center next to him.  On offense, you feature Rondo and Green (or Josh Smith if you can swap Green and some pieces for him) and let sully and avery continue to develop.  And add in our 15 pick from this years draft (you never know).

I think Josh Smith would be perfect for KG. I think someone like him (a PF) would be better from a defensive standpoint than bringing in a center and sliding KG back to the PF position.

I would happily trade Jeff Green to the Hawks to get our hands on Josh Smith this summer. That trade could really help this team.

But getting Smith would only make our offensive woes worst. There would be absolutely no spacing with a Rondo/Bradley/Pierce/Smith/KG lineup.

Maybe move Bradley to the bench and replace him with a shooter/defender. Use Bradley as a combo guard high minute bench player.

[Who]

On defense, yes KG can still be the quarterback, but he needs a center next to him.  On offense, you feature Rondo and Green (or Josh Smith if you can swap Green and some pieces for him) and let sully and avery continue to develop.  And add in our 15 pick from this years draft (you never know).

I think Josh Smith would be perfect for KG. I think someone like him (a PF) would be better from a defensive standpoint than bringing in a center and sliding KG back to the PF position.

I would happily trade Jeff Green to the Hawks to get our hands on Josh Smith this summer. That trade could really help this team.

Couldn't we land Josh Smith without giving up Jeff Green in the offseason?

I think they would have to give up Pierce or Garnett in a three team deal otherwise. Or Rondo.

If you wanted to keep Jeff Green.

[GreenFaith1819]

My outlook - as far as the future?

Nope - doesn't change a thing.

I still believe in this team RIGHT NOW, but as for the future I do still hope and expect Danny to keep this squad together for ONE MORE run.

Get Rajon back healthy...get Sully back a year older (and less prone to silly fouls from the officials), get Jeff Green back a full yr after his surgery.

Call me nostalgic, whatever - I still love this group right here, and still believe that while the window is in fact just about closed, there is STILL a glimmer of an opening left.

[quidinqui33]

On defense, yes KG can still be the quarterback, but he needs a center next to him.  On offense, you feature Rondo and Green (or Josh Smith if you can swap Green and some pieces for him) and let sully and avery continue to develop.  And add in our 15 pick from this years draft (you never know).

I think Josh Smith would be perfect for KG. I think someone like him (a PF) would be better from a defensive standpoint than bringing in a center and sliding KG back to the PF position.

I would happily trade Jeff Green to the Hawks to get our hands on Josh Smith this summer. That trade could really help this team.

Couldn't we land Josh Smith without giving up Jeff Green in the offseason?

I think they would have to give up Pierce or Garnett in a three team deal otherwise. Or Rondo.

If you wanted to keep Jeff Green.

The hawks are going to want a young player for Smith at this point to pair with Horford and Teague.  Green is actually perfect for them.

As much as I hate to give up Green, I think this is the type of gamble Danny needs to make this off season while Green's stock is relatively high.  I think Green and some combo of Lee/Terry/Crawford/Bass gets it done.

Now the freethrow shooting and general kuckleheadedness of smith makes me nervous, but the guy can play and gets rebounds and blocks.  Plus him and Rondo love each other.

[lightspeed5]

rondo was the x-factor, and sullinger is the trojan horse that noone sees coming that puts us over the top and lets us beat miami.

[BballTim]

On defense, yes KG can still be the quarterback, but he needs a center next to him.  On offense, you feature Rondo and Green (or Josh Smith if you can swap Green and some pieces for him) and let sully and avery continue to develop.  And add in our 15 pick from this years draft (you never know).

I think Josh Smith would be perfect for KG. I think someone like him (a PF) would be better from a defensive standpoint than bringing in a center and sliding KG back to the PF position.

I would happily trade Jeff Green to the Hawks to get our hands on Josh Smith this summer. That trade could really help this team.

Couldn't we land Josh Smith without giving up Jeff Green in the offseason?

I think they would have to give up Pierce or Garnett in a three team deal otherwise. Or Rondo.

If you wanted to keep Jeff Green.

  Isn't Smith a FA? You don't send out players like Rondo or Pierce in sign and trades, maybe something like Bass, Lee and a future first or two.

[Lucky17]

rondo was the x-factor, and sullinger is the trojan horse that noone sees coming that puts us over the top and lets us beat miami.

We're going to leave Sullinger in American Airlines Arena so that a bunch of Greeks can jump out his belly and unlock the gates when LeBron and Wade are asleep?

[mmmmm]

My outlook definitely has not changed.

This year's team turned into a crap shoot with all the roster upheaval and changes - our current starting lineup played less than 40 minutes together the ENTIRE regular season.

So my expectations for how this team would do in the playoffs have always been:  Unpredictable.   They could get swept.  They could come roaring back.  Who knows?

I'll try to enjoy whatever they do.   It's a story, no matter how it ends.

As to the future - again, no change in my outlook.  As I've written about elsewhere in a forum post, Danny pretty clearly has set this team up for a major rebuild in two years, when all the major contracts expire together.   Any moves we do before then are only incremental.   So I am mentally prepared for us to have at least one really tough year before the major surgery happens.

As others have commented, a lot depends on what happens with KG & Pierce for next year.  If they both come back, given a healthy Rondo & Sully and further development of the rest of the cast (especially Green & Bradley), there is no reason the team can't be competitive next season.   

 If KG & PP retire - even if they took $1 buyouts (which isn't realistic to expect) we simply WON'T have enough cap room to sign anybody significant so don't get your hopes up.   If they outright retire we still would only end up with around 7-8M of cap room.   So if that happened, I'd expect we'd suck next year AND the following year.

So my preference is that KG & PP come back, we try to contend for one more year.  Then tank the following year and finally trade their expirings contracts the next season for someone really good, while staying above the cap and getting into the lottery at the same time.

[bfrombleacher]

So my preference is that KG & PP come back, we try to contend for one more year.  Then tank the following year and finally trade their expirings contracts the next season for someone really good, while staying above the cap and getting into the lottery at the same time.

My friend, you need to post here more.

People here have absurd myopia.

[Evantime34]

It changes my outlook in that I think it greatly effects if kg and pierce will retire.

[Celtics4ever]

I think that we are old and beyond our prime, so this would not change my outlook.   I think Celtic Pride will surface and prevent the broomstick from falling, however.

The Knicks can't stop Shav they can only hope they can contain him.