Idle Worship

The Knicks have completely revamped their team from last year. They added 5 rotation players and 3 second round rookies to a depleted roster that only consisted of 5 players, including Eddy Curry. Is it enough to have promising youth? The fanbase has been crying about building with the draft for years. The Knicks don't have a player over the age of 28. They have Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, Gallo, Bill Walker and Anthony Randolph still on their rookie deals. Their potential all of a sudden isn't enough for the fanbase anymore...now they need a superstar.



Wait don't the Knicks already have a superstar on the roster? Amar'e Stoudamire is every bit a superstar. He's arguably the best power forward in the NBA. He puts the POWER in power forward. He had a freak accident with his detatched retna and seems to have overcome his microfracture surgeries. That's not enough to save him from the boo birds of gotham. All of a sudden Amar'e isn't SUPER enough. They need super DE Duper!!!



The Knicks fanbase are star struck by the Lebron fiasco. Their attention has been immediately spun towards Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul. It doesn't even seem to matter than each player is currenty under contract. It also doesn't matter than the Knicks already have players at the small forward and point guard position that could do the job. The Knicks actually have 3 small forwards in Gallo, Wilson, and Anthony Randolph(kid needs a nickname) with the potential to be all-star calibur. Gallo alone showed that he is capable of taking on scoring responsibilities. For the final 8 games in April of last season, he averaged 22 points, 2.8 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 39 minutes per game. Believe it or not but those numbers rival Carmelo Anthony's. What if Gallo comes into camp in shape and actually makes those numbers a reality for the New york Knicks over the course of the season? What the heck would they need Carmelo Anthony for? Granted, Gallo's skillset is closer to a Peja Stojakovic when he was with Sacramento, but Peja was putting up 20/5/2 during that time period. Peja was no slouch while with the Kings. Peja also played next to Chris "Don't mention me and Darko in the same sentence" Webber who was quite similiar in stature to Amare while in his prime. This would be a wait and see approach but why shop around when you have good stuff at home?

Anthony Randolph is an intriging player because he is a 6'11" player that can block shots like Camby and handle the basketball like Lamar Odom. He can be a key reserve that will rack up minutes backing up all front court positions. He allows Turiaf to start and can slide Amar'e to center for stints or man the position himself according to matchups. You can't have that option if you trade this kid for Carmelo Anthony...or Chris Paul for that matter. Speaking of which, What is so wrong about giving Raymond Felton a chance to run the point for the Knicks? He's not Chris Paul...he's not Steve Nash either. Why does he have to be 2 of the best point guards the league has ever seen? Why can't the dude be a solid point guard just like so many other starters in this league? How good was Terry Porter in his Portland days? How good was Terrell Brandon in Clevland/Minnesota? Derek Harper in Dallas? Nick Van Exel with the Lakers? Mookie Blaylock with Atlanta? There are a list of point guards that were awesome. They weren't Stockton, Isiah or Magic but they were very good point guards on some great teams. Raymond Felton needs his chance to prove himself. He's never played with a finisher inside like Amar'e. He's never played with a shooter like Gallo. He's an uptempo point guard as well who's been asked to pound the ball for 90% of the shot clock. He'd be in an offense that allows him to do the things he's good at.

When did Knicks fans become star struck? Yeah the Knicks haven't had a huge name here in quite some time. Reality of it is these "stars" all laughed at us when the Knicks were down. They see their boys team up in Miami and now they wanna do the same. Chris Paul came out looking like a clown with his no leverage trade demand. The Knicks also look foolish mortgaging 2 seasons just for Lebron, Wade and Bosh to go to Miami like they probably always planned. When do you say to yourself "enough already!" The Knicks can't keep its own players on eggshells wondering if they will be on the next plane out when a "superstar" becomes available. What if they don't trade Carmelo or Chris Paul? Who's next? We need to gather some sort of pride as a franchise and fanbase. Are we chasing championships or are we star gazing? Are we Knicks fans or are we superstar groupies?

Stop....now think about it!

A Point Guards Song

Once upon a time, after alot of losing, there lived a center named Patrick Ewing and he didn't know what he was doing. He needed an Ace. Someone to erase his mistakes and get him easy baskets so his energy won't go to waste. (Clyde eat your heart out!!!)



Mark Jackson was drafted 2 years after Patrick Ewing and the two meshed well that first season. They became somewhat of a Stockton/Malone tandem that was rare to see in the Eastern conference of that day. "Jax" won rookie of the year averaging 13 points and 10 assists, a bonified double double. The Knicks thought so highly of him that they drafted Rod Strickland who went on to have a stellar career in the NBA in his own right. Right away there was rumblings in the locker room and in the media about whether Jax and Rod could co exist. Many thought Rod Strickland was the better, faster more gifted playmaker. It might have been true, in fact it was, but it didn't stop the Knicks from trading Rod away for the old champion in the twilight of his career Maurice Cheeks. Mark was still on the team through all this. Still trying to get more dynamic at the point guard spot, the Knicks draft Greg Anthony who was fresh off of leading the UNLV "Running Rebels" to a national championship. "Jax" could not get a break and finally was broken way from Knick organization as part of the infamous Charles Smith trade.



Where am I going with this? Simple...Mark Jackson is 3rd place on the all time assist list. He's behind John Stockton and Jason Kidd and in front of Magic Johnson and Oscar Robinson. He bounced around the league but at the end of the day he is in the books as one of the greatest passers of all time. Rod Strickland went on to make max level money with the Bullets/Wizards and is one of the best point guards of his era not to make the all-star team. Maurice Cheeks was a world champion with the 76'ers. Greg Anthony...well he was more known for his fight with Kevin Johnson and nearly punching Phil Jackson in the face after hitting a 3 in a playoff game, lol. Bottom line with the history lesson...Point guards are a dime a dozen. Being good at what they do means nothing as well. Throughout history, point guards have changed addresses just as much as head coaches have in the NBA.



Kelly Tripuka on MSG's "Knicks Night Live" (awesome show btw)said Chris Paul reminded him of Isiah Thomas. Now I see where he's coming from but Chris Paul is not Isiah Thomas. If Isiah stood on his heart he would drift off into outter space. That statement is true even after his playing career was over. Staying on the subject, Chris Paul is arguably the NBA's best point guard at this point. With that said, he only played 45 games last year and in his absence Darren Collison emerged as a more than capable starter. Darren Collison averaged 18 points and 9 assists as a starter and often ran the team better from a team standpoint than Chris Paul did. Does it tarnish Chris Paul's status in the NBA? Absolutely not. Paul is still the best, but the job can be done easily if someone with the right talent comes along.



Back to the Knicks, ironically Isiah Thomas saw himself in a young point guard once. As the Knicks President/General Manager, Isiah's biggest move was trade for, again, arguably one of the best point guards in the league in Stephon Marbury. Marbury was 20 points and 8 assists walking into any arena. At one point he was in the same sentence as Oscar Robertson as being the only other player to average that over the first few seasons they played in. If you said Marbury was the best, at the time you weren't too far from the truth. Long story short, Isiah's gamble cost the Knicks cap space, talented role players, upcoming rookies and future draft picks. That's exactly what its going to cost to get Chris Paul. Not saying that Chris Paul is going to end up on ustream eating vasaline and dancing on his nightstand like a chippendale dancer. What I am asking is...what if Chris Paul doesn't work out. What if he has an injury that sets him back and he is never the same? Easy...someone will come in and do the job like history suggests. At the present time, the Knicks already have a starting point guard in Raymond Felton. How catastrophic would it be if the Knicks traded for Paul and he gets hurt again. The Knicks would lose the farm and still have Felton doing what he was signed to do, but without anyone to pass it to.



Donnie has proven to be very patient. So patient he's the butt end of jokes amongst Knick fans. After the great work he's done so far this off season, he should "take his nap" and catch the highlights of the Chris Paul rumors on ESPN like the rest of us. Let Raymond Felton come in and do the job he signed up to do before Chris Paul opened up his big mouth. His word carrys no weight and he has 2 years left with no trade clauses in his contract. If he is as good as Isiah Thomas he'd grow a pair and take the team he's with to where it needs to go himself.

Pop goes the Weasel

There is one thing about the NBA that holds true time and again. If it works for one team, it becomes the trend of the entire league. Nothing has changed this time around when Chris Paul makes it known at Carmelo Anthony's wedding that he wants to try and "take his talents to south beach"(shoutout to "Cash" from ultimateknicks.com forums) and team up with Melo on the Knicks. It's not really possible for that to happen but it put the Knicks nation on alert because it is very possible to get at least one of them in the near future. It's no shock that Chris Paul would be the first to openly speak about "corroberating" with other "superstars" about "joining forces" on the same team. Chris Paul is very much the loud mouth on the court. He's always talking and screaming things at his opponents. Former Knick Nate Robinson knows all about that having shared heated words with Paul seemingly everytime they faced each other. It's a shame how someone that was inciating such altercations nightly would be so willing to leave his club to try and do what the "South beach studs" did.



As reported via CBS Sports, Chris Paul has notified his team that he would like to be traded to the Knicks, Lakers, or Orlando. The Knicks just signed Raymond Felton and he isn't eligible for trade until December 15th. The Lakers are currently running the triangle offense and don't need a ball hogging point guard. That leaves Orlando who actually could use his talents roughly 235 miles north of south beach. They have Jameer Nelson, draft picks and fillers to make the best offer in my humble opinion. If he wants to take showers with Dwight Howard that's his business. All jokes aside, Orlando and New Oreleans should make this deal. New Orleans already has a top notch replacement in Darren Collison who average 18pts/9 assists as a starter last year. That team needs some rotation players and flexibility for the future. Orlando needs a player that can find the shooters and make life a little easier for Dwight Howard. Paul also has the abilty to create his own shot which Orlando just doesn't have right now. Match made in heaven. Not bad for a copy cat.



The Knicks need not budge. Raymond Felton brings defense and toughness to the point guard spot. That's something that hasn't been seen since Ward and Childs were here. Raymond also brings energy, speed, ball handling and finishing ability that hasn't been seen since Rod Strickland was backing up Mark Jackson. Felton above all else is durable having only missed 11 games in 5 years as a pro. Chris Paul thought of as the best point guard in the league, arguably so but he's coming off a year where he only played 45 games. I wonder what fans will say about? Some are still crying about Amar'e microfracture and detatched retna for which he bounced back quickly from both without setback.



Again Knick fans have to gather themselves and remember where they are from. Most Knick fans are New Yorkers born and raised. Old school New Yorkers would say "F*** outta here! We don't need you!" Somewhere during the last 10 years we've lost our grit. We are Dave Debusschere. We are John Starks. We are Charles Oakley. We are the greatest city in the world and have been through alot to sit and hope some "superstar" would come to New York to save us. FUGGETABOUT IT!!! Let's embrace the guys with the stones to choose the Knicks first without trying to conspire with their shower buddies. Let's embrace Amar'e that took the first step showing this is where he wanted to be. Let's embrace Raymond Felton who took less money and less years to play in the Mecca. Let's embrace Gallo for wanting to "feel the pressure" of the big stage in NYC. Let's embrace the enthusiasm of Turiaf and Anthony Randolph who know this is their opportunity to be somebody in this league.



Grow a pair New York...seriously...at least until Carmelo demands a trade.

Athleticism, Shot Blocking? We got that

Despite what expectations the media and the franchise set for itself the last 2 seasons leading to the beginning of the 2010 free agency period, Donnie Walsh did well. He's also proved he was well prepared to implement his Plan B. In fact, Plan B might have been Plan A all along since it is now clear that there was some form of tampering going on that will likely get addressed in the next NBA Collective bargaining agreement.



The signing of Amar'e Stoudamire proved that the Knicks in fact were in control of their own destiny. Even before that "Decision" the Knicks already had a deal in place with Golden State sending David Lee for Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azubuike, and Ronny Turiaf. Once it was finalized, the whole climate surrounding the Knicks changed. Now all of a sudden, the Knicks can block shots...all of a sudden Amar'e was the eldest statesman at 28 years old. The Knicks all of a sudden are young and athletic. Amar'e Stoudamire's statement before the official press conference, "The Knicks are back!!!", all of a sudden doesn't sound too far from being a reality. All the Knicks needed was a point guard. Rumors spread immediately that Amar'e was pushing the Knicks to sign Luke Ridinour because he was close to Nash and was able to hit the 3pt shot consistently. Donnie didn't take the easy way out...he instead went for the proven defender...proven ball handler. A kid proven to have guts, strength and toughness with the speed and creativity to run and uptempo offense.



He chose Raymond Felton who played AAU basketball for Dan D'antoni in the 8th grade and also won a national championship leading the North Carolina Tar Heels uptempo attack. There is no question the man was born to play a running style. You would be a fool if you said he had a chance to display those skills under a Larry Brown coached team. Larry wants to slow the pace and for the PG to give up the ball early. He also was adamant about getting the ball inside to the post where frankly there is no threat in Charlotte. Early in his career, that organization had Felton playing shooting guard. Regardless of his past experience, Felton is essentially "Home" now. D'antoni wants his point guard to push the ball and force tempo. He wants his point guard to operate in the pick and roll making creative decisions. He needs his point guard to react. Raymond Felton will be like a kid in a video game store this season...especially with the horses he's inherited.

On paper the Knicks are right there with the best talent the Eastern Conference has to offer. Chicago has a potential starting line-up or Boozer, Deng, Noah, Rose, and Ronnie Brewer. Compare that to the Knicks probable starting line up of Amar'e, Gallo, Turiaf, Felton and Wilson Chandler. I'd say the Knicks are on par with that team...again...on paper. Games aren't won on paper. They also aren't won on WWF style, pyrotechnics laced, circ de sole'esque, Rocky horror picture shows either.



The Knicks will run. Not because they finally have the players that can do it...well yeah...but they will run because that's what the coach in place demands of his teams. The Knicks will not be "Suns East". I think the level of toughness is different now. These Knicks will defend and if you are caught sleeping...players 1-10 will all dunk on you. This is where we are now and this is what Knicks fans should take with them during the days leading up to training camp.

"Knicks are back" Indeed!!!

What happens in Vegas...transfers to NYC

Vegas Summer league is currently underway and this much we know...these games are sloppy and frustrating to watch at times. The pressure is on a lot of these guys to prove they can contribute to a pro level team home or abroad. Not many surprises so far...I believe Charles Garcia might be the one player on every body's mind when looking at the Knicks Vegas roster. So far this blogger has seen more action in Vegas...er at least on the court.

Highlights:



Landry Fields - he's a ball player. He can do just about everything well out there. He's very focused and aware of what's happening around him. He mentioned getting used to the speed of the game. He's done well so far not doing too much yet being very productive within the flow of the game. He's a keeper.

Patrick Ewing Jr. - his strengths are his defense and slashing/finishing ability. I've noticed a tweak in his shooting form as well. He's been able to knock down some threes this summer with confidence. He needs to work on his handle and in between game as well if he wants success in the nba. He's definitely a Nba talent.

Toney Douglas - he is NOT a point guard. As pointed out to me by Tommy Dee via twitter he is tied for fourth in Vegas with 6 assists per game. In the 3 games played so far, I can't recall Toney making and impact with his passing ability. He's a drop it off kinda guard. He's not making anyone better and is always thinking shoot when a pick is set for him. With that said, his offensive and defense is on point. His role as a pro is simply a guard. He will fill Nate Robinson's role off the bench but at 6'2" and wont be such a liability on defense (and in the cabeza O_o).



Not much else to speak on. Jerome Jordan is a project at center. Andy Rautins is a 3pt specialist. Marcus Landry will stick somewhere...blah, blah, blah...

***





Captain Optimistic aka Phil Weber aka "The Riddler" sat court side with Clyde and Mike Crispino to talk about the "wheeling and dealing" the Knicks have done the last few days. I've never heard anyone in the league talk with such joy and optimism in my years following the league. This season you can't help but drinketh of that Kool-Aid. The Knicks have a whole new roster of players that play with pride...they play with energy and they play with spirit. That is the direct opposite of the type of talent the Knicks have had the past few years. You get a sense that this group will mesh well together. There won't be the type of freelancing and selfish basketball we've seen in the past. Too many Knicks fans take the easy way out, like Lebron James choosing Miami, by saying "Oooooh the Knicks suck"...That's past tense at this point because the bad seeds..and vibes have been deleted off the roster. The Slate is clean...and there is still plenty of flexibility to make some more improvements to the roster.

Lebronathon: We all got hosed

Former Knick and I wanna say former New Yorker Mark Jackson proclaimed that he was proud of the way Lebron James handled this situation. He stated that he sat down with his kids to show them an example of sacrifice, and class. No way was this handled with any class. No way is this something I would use as a positive lesson to my kids on how to handle themselves in any situation. No way as a competitor...no way as a New Yorker should anyone proclaim that this fiasco was in anyway "OK".

Make no mistake about it. This was not a "Decision" by Lebron James alone. This was something that has been planned ever since they became friends. Ever since they signed their contracts a few years ago to all finish in 2010 they knew what they wanted to do. They were going to handcuff the league into making space for all 3 of them to play on the same team. We are all victims here. It's sad to hear the reaction of the Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. He totally lost touch with this "betrayal" angle. As I explained its deeper than that. This has been a high jacking of the NBA. You can hear it in the conference call Bosh and Wade made after the "Decision". They automatically started talking that "one day it's me, one day it's him, one day it's him" nonsense. Come on now...how can we look at this with grown up common sense and not see this was something totally staged. I mean he had a "Special" broadcast on ESPN to announce this like he's Barack Obama announcing the Wall Street reform.



The angle the news outlets are shooting at us is he game up money, stats, and notoriety for a chance at winning a title. Going back to Mark Jackson, the word "Sacrifice" is coming into play. No sacrifice here. The only sacrifice made was the energy and attention placed on this whole fiasco. It's almost sacrilegious how people were carrying on. At the end of the day that's what these super ego "superstars" crave. They want to be adored. They get power from manipulating the masses to lose themselves in an effort to please them. Like Pharaoh's in Egypt and moguls of today. Let THIS be a lesson to all. Don't let your appreciation or admiration for an entertainment figure corrupt you to the point where you lose yourself in the spell of their narcissism.



Before you jump down my throat, teams had to put themselves in a position to sign 1 or 2 of these guys. We'll talk about the Knicks since that is my blogs primary focus. The Knicks put all their eggs in the 2010 basket because they had no choice. After being in salary cap hell ever since Patrick Ewing was traded for the bums he was traded for almost a decade ago, they had to try. Scott Layden should have a permanent handicap sticker in his car window for what he did to the Knicks. Isiah tried at least to get the big names. Too bad he didn't think to evaluate who he brought over or what came out of his mouth. Donnie was brought in to press ctrl+alt+del on the Knicks franchise. In that respect, he succeeded. He also succeeded in attracting a talent that legitimately wanted to play in New York in Amare Stoudamire. If Lebron signed with the Knicks would their be an uproar. Probably, but more like an NBA conspiracy to get the Knicks back on top. What happened with this "Lebronathon" is 3 guys getting together and trying to handicap the league for an opportunity to legitimize their need to be adored.



Howard Beck of the NY Times tweeted last night: "OK, just one question: How many of you would honestly object if those three guys just got signed by your team?"

Knick Great Clyde Frazier said it politely but clearly angered: "He(Lebron)took the easy way out"

That's old school. That's a competitor. That's the NY way. Who did you beat to get to the top? As I said in my last blog...if they win multiple championships together, when they talk about it years later, what satisfaction will they have in saying they beat nobody to get their rings. Fans say automatically, "Well there's Kobe in the West...". So we are just supposed to follow a 2 team league. Why even play the season? Wade said himself tonight "a championship is a championship". It doesn't work that way. Simply having the hardware means nothing. Sheeet Greg Kite has a few rings. In his case, they mean absolutely nothing to anyone, not even his family and friends. The greats know who they beat and they still talk about it and us fans can agree cuz we saw it with our own eyes. That's respect that is due. That's why there are Legends and then there are Posers. No way would Barkley in his prime leave The Suns or Philly to play with Micheal Jordan. Jordan himself had a shot at playing with Ewing in NY. Reggie and Gary Payton also had that opportunity at the peak of their careers. As competitors they didn't even think about it.

This is where I stand on this whole fiasco. I stand by it and to quote Forrest Gump "That's all I have to say about that".



*drops the mic*

Lebron needs to remain Sucka Free

(Sorry all...no funny pics this time around...it's all business in this one)

Its roughly 17 hours till Lebron James announces his free agent destination on his historic television special tentively called "Decision". The rumors have been flip flopping so fast it has literally made fans heads spin. The strongest Rumor at this hour is Lebron will find his way on the Miami Heat's roster to play with Bosh AND Wade. Now there have been some "Big three" trio's in the past, most reciently Kevin Garnett, Pal Pierce, and Ray Allen with the Celtics. The old Laker teams had Jerry West, Wilt, and Elgin Baylor. The "Showtime" Lakers had Magic, Jabbar, and James Worthy often faced the Celtic big three of Bird, McHale and Robert Parish. Though those names are arguably better or equal to this possible "Super Trio", with the state the NBA is in right now, I personally do not think its the right decision to make. The talent in the NBA is horrible. There are only a handful of teams that are legit contenders. The Celtics were an aging bunch that relied heavily on their youthful bench/reserves to carry them to the finals against the Lakers. With that said, no other team even challenged them in the East. The West was no better. The Lakers hardest match before the Celtics was a scrappy group of over achievers surrounding a 50 year old Nash and Amare Stoudamire. Amare has since moved on. Kevin Durant and his group of college all-stars and Dirk and his choking Mavericks are the only teams worth mentioning in the West.

Aside from mashing possibly 3 of the top 5 talents in the league on one team, you'd have to ask each of them: If you win a championship...who did you beat? Isiah Thomas takes great pride in saying he beat the best to get his championships. He beat the Celtics with Bird, McHale and Parish. He beat a young and dominant Micheal Jordan. He beat the "Showtime" Lakers. He beat Clyde Drexler and his great Portland team. In the 80's, The Lakers and Celtics faced each other in the NBA Final 3 times in epic fashion after taking out some superbly talented and physical teams. Same as Isiah Thomas, when the other legends like Magic, Bird, and Jordan speak about winning their multiple championships, they talked about who they beat. They seem to take more satisfaction in knowing they did beat some great players and teams on their road to become champions.

This Lebron/Wade/Bosh fiasco has been embarrassing. Nothing is set in stone at this time, but these guys seem happy to hold hands on their way to possibly competing for the NBA Championships together. They'll have to ask themselves years later...WHO DID YOU BEAT??? If they do link up and win multiple championships no one will respect them. The NBA legends that they claim to look up to will not welcome them into the fold. When you have conversations years from now, nobody is going to give them respect for handcuffing this watered down league. Miami Heat fans have also expressed this sentiment on message boards. This Knick blogger will go as far as calling this possible threesome CORNY.

Rivalries is what made the NBA the great organization it is now. When Magic went to the Lakers and Bird went to the Celtics, every historian will tell you that they saved the league. The Patrick Ewing Knicks though they never won a championship, they went to WAR with the Celtics, Pistons, Bulls, Pacers, Heat, and Magic during the 90's. Some of the greatest basketball games ever played were during this era where all the teams were just so tough top to bottom. There were times where the superstars of that era could have joined forces, case in point, that other super free agent year back in 1996. Jordan, Gary Payton, or Reggie Miller all could have joined Ewing on the Knicks. They all chose to stay with their clubs and instead tried to get some of the second tier guys to help them stick it to each other.

This is a different era. This is an era where young men of all ethnicities sag their pants below their butts as a fashion statement. They blatantly use the "N" word in public like there is nothing wrong with it. There are no leaders and most of the role models are out there doing things that could rival something you'd see in cheesy 80's movie. With that said, you can understand why Wade/Lebron/Bosh would have no problem joining forces. I wouldn't put it pass them to have their own reality series surrounding this.

Again...nothing is set in stone. Lebron still has the chance to make the right decision in signing with the Knicks. I'm not just a homer saying that...He can't play in Mike's shadow and walk past that statue everyday in Chicago. Meanwhile the Nets/Clippers are collectively the large and small intestine of the NBA. Bosh and Wade together was always the best situation for both players careers and the Miami franchise. They could use the remaining cap to build a fine team. The Knicks essentially signed the best finisher in the league in Amare Stoudamire. With the ball handling Lebron does, Amare's skill set fits in perfectly. Knicks still have Gallo, Chandler, Toney Douglas, Bill Walker and the contracts of Curry/Lee to fill out the roster. They'd also have roughly 2-3 million to sign another rotation player. The best situation for Lebron has always been New York.

The opportunity to take the NBA to the next level and possibly reach another golden era is in Lebron James hands. It would be a sad day in sports if he decides to join up with his shower buddies from the olympics. We're all at the edge of our seats and simply can't sleep until we hear it outta the "King's" mouth. Let's hope he makes the right decision. History is waiting.

My pitch to the King

Peace Brother Bron. What's good? How's everything? Shoulder? Oh ight that's good to hear. The kids? Nice man...yeah time flies. My little guy is something else too, he's a comedian...yeah. What's in the bag kid? Ight no doubt just checking to see if I need to go get my bag, nah mean? Yeah well have a seat my dude.

I got a couple of DVD's and stuff about the city...well actually I HAD some DVD's...I gave them to this crackhead in the parking lot in exchange for him watching my car. You don't need to see them anyway...sheeet man you been to NYC before right? You seen Brooklyn's Finest right? The Warrior's? Sex in the City? Yeah yeah...same shit bro. I kid but I don't have to sell you on the city right? See that's what I'm saying.




Well seriously, we want you in orange and blue next year..."Thank you captain obvious" Hahahaaaaaa yeah but listen dude...you averaged 27pts, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for your career. I think you looked great and made it look easy but you have been seriously overworked. In the playoffs, teams have just been sending 3-4 defenders at you at all times and you are dead tired by the conference finals. I wanna put the ball in your hands as the chief ball handler. Sounds like I'm giving you even more work but what we wanna do is cut the middle man. You running the point automatically screws up anything the defense had in mind because you are getting the ball first off the inbound. So there is no ball denial or worrying about a double team as soon as you get it. You would be the orchestrator in the pick and roll. You'd also would have the freedom to call plays and direct traffic...freelance and take the shot anytime you got it. Pretty much what you've always been doing. Thing is you will have full reign over the options we plan to give you. First off we have Danillo Galinari...Kid can shoot the lights out and can put the ball on the floor when he puts his mind to it. He's a fine passer too so you could find yourself catching some back doors and alley oops off the give and go with this kid. So its either a three point shot or the kid could find you open when you give it up. We've already spoke to Mike Miller as well and you already know that brother can knock it down from 3. He'd be your backcourt mate. Both guys will end up stretching the floor out for you to do your thing. Mike Miller has experience running the point as well so dude could very well spell you and let you take breaks every few possessions.






We'd like to give you a finisher inside and our boy Amare sound's like he's down with it if you come aboard. We like to run a pick and roll set and I dunno a defense out there that could stop either one of you guys in that scenario....they double the roller and you tear down the rim. They double you and Amare tears down the rim. Simple mathematics King. As I said before...Gallo and Miller will make teams pay if they fall asleep watching the Lebron and Amare show. We'll still have Wilson Chandler around for the time being. Not really sure if he can be moved to square up more talent. Regardless the dude could finally play the 3 spot and fill in slashing lanes. He'd also end up guarding guys you would have been guarding.






That's all we got Brother Bron. We still plan to move Curry...it's possible we could pawn him over to Minnesota for Al Jefferson, or wait and see if another player comes available like your boy Carmelo Anthony. You tell me Brony. We got your shooters in Gallo, Miller and sometimes Wilson...We got your finishers in Amare and possibly Al Jefferson. Oh baby don't forget Bill Walker bro. You're gonna like him. Kid gets up big time and he showed a great feel for the game. He'd be another finisher for you. Toney Douglas is another guy that can knock down the three and push the ball.

Ight man so let's just lay it out:

4: Amare Stoudamire
3: Gallo
5: Al Jefferson
2: Mike Miller
1: Lebron James

Bench: Wilson, Walker, Toney

We would also have our 3 2nd round picks signed and room for 4 minimum vets for leadership/locker room presence.

Ball is in your court Bron. Amare and Al are in our back pocket. Miller is down if you are. I know you have other meetings...just hit us back asap cuz we wanna get this plan poppin the sooner the better.

Great meeting up son. Peace Bron...one love.