djohn2oo8
04-09-2010, 09:49 AM
THE NBA's free-agent hunting season is 11 weeks away and already one of the Knicks' prospective core targets is on the border of being bagged before even leaving the current owner's property.
By all testimony, the Spurs and Manu Ginobili are a couple days away, if not sheer hours, from reaching an extension agreement worth $40 million over three years.
Ain't that an unforeseen kick in the Knicks' ballooned cap! Current crowd-gripping and verdict-altering impact aside, imagine a minor marketplace like San Antonio overpaying a guard with age (33 on July 28), odometer and injury issues, damn any future luxury-cap implications.
Then again, Ginobili's pending re-enlistment should have been anticipated. Smaller markets, especially one that previously burned itself (sent Luis Scola to Houston to save money) and obviously learned a priceless lesson, cannot afford to make basketball decisions based on business if it means allowing assets to get away.
Over the last few years, many teams in the league, not just smaller markets, have been infected with such reverse-perverse -- not being in-it-to-win-it -- thinking.
Peter Holt changed direction last summer, spending freely to acquire or sign help (Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess) for Tim Duncan and keep the Spurs on the championship periphery. But the Spurs owner is really on the ball for clamping down so decisively on Ginobili.
Holt is wise to pay more now for someone so meaningful to his franchise -- past, present and future -- rather than risk losing him in a bidding war with the Knicks, or some of the other teams owning staggering salary space.
Last week, Kobe Bryant re-upped with the Lakers. Next week, Ginobili basically becomes a Spur for life. After that, 10 weeks remain for other clubs to romance precious players into re-enrolling.
Shows what kind of jagged competition the Knicks are in for this summer when the free-agent grab bag unties. If LeBron James isn't game to accept almost half of their $33 million surplus, you can kiss off Dwyane Wade, too.
Where will that leave the Knicks? Chris Bosh is next in line. As good as he is, he has not been good enough to take the Raptors anywhere worthwhile (two first rounds) in this, his seventh season. He is better defensively than David Lee, but across the stats sheet, there's not a discernable difference, and Toronto might get best of that deal. Bosh is a perfect Poncho to Cisco in Miami.
He will be available in a sign-and-trade. Is better defensively than David Lee, but across the stats sheet, there's not a discernable difference. Toronto may get the better of that deal. Bosh is a perfect Poncho to Cisco in Miami.
Dirk Nowitzki is staying in Dallas.
A perspective from someone on Atlanta's scene every day who, like me, doesn't believe Joe Johnson is leaving.
"J.J. doesn't give a rat's ass who coaches this team. Why wouldn't he love Mike Woodson? Every fourth quarter is Iso-Joe time. No matter how much solo pounding he does, he never is critiqued, criticized or cursed. He's on the right side of the double standard. Joe does deliver and he is a willing passer, but come playoff time, when defenses zero in (career .443 FG%; playoffs it's .413 as a Hawk) trouble is coming. And he knows he's getting max money [or close to it] from Atlanta if someone so much as bats their eyebrows lovingly."
Yao Ming? He may be less healthy than Tracy McGrady.
The Knicks once had an opportunity to sign Kevin McHale and got outfoxed by Red Auerbach. I have seen Paul Pierce, lately, and he's no Kevin McHale.
Think reuniting Amar'e Stoudemire and Mike D'Antoni is a good idea? When they were with the Suns, the coach, who places little emphasis on defense precepts, felt the player had no concept of his teaching. And vice versa.
Rudy Gay? The Grizzlies own the right to match any offer and will. Should someone call Michael Heisley's bluff and the owner does a sign-and-trade, what can Gay do for the Knicks that Danilo Gallinari isn't doing and is getting' better at? Carlos Boozer? When medically sound, he's all-league second or third team. The Knicks would be lucky to get him, as long as they get a legit center to compensate for his lack of size, but he figures to have more appealing prospects.
In the final analysis, the Knicks may have to "settle for" re-signing Lee. Something they had better do as soon after July 1 as possible . . . before the Nets lock him up and he becomes a perennial All-Star alongside Brook Lopez . . . and they are stuck adopting unadoptable free agents.
http://www.nypost.com/f/print/sports/knicks/bare_market_awaits_knicks_Pa4nxEugqipHUUBdticZPI
Uh-Oh -Carl Lewis
By all testimony, the Spurs and Manu Ginobili are a couple days away, if not sheer hours, from reaching an extension agreement worth $40 million over three years.
Ain't that an unforeseen kick in the Knicks' ballooned cap! Current crowd-gripping and verdict-altering impact aside, imagine a minor marketplace like San Antonio overpaying a guard with age (33 on July 28), odometer and injury issues, damn any future luxury-cap implications.
Then again, Ginobili's pending re-enlistment should have been anticipated. Smaller markets, especially one that previously burned itself (sent Luis Scola to Houston to save money) and obviously learned a priceless lesson, cannot afford to make basketball decisions based on business if it means allowing assets to get away.
Over the last few years, many teams in the league, not just smaller markets, have been infected with such reverse-perverse -- not being in-it-to-win-it -- thinking.
Peter Holt changed direction last summer, spending freely to acquire or sign help (Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess) for Tim Duncan and keep the Spurs on the championship periphery. But the Spurs owner is really on the ball for clamping down so decisively on Ginobili.
Holt is wise to pay more now for someone so meaningful to his franchise -- past, present and future -- rather than risk losing him in a bidding war with the Knicks, or some of the other teams owning staggering salary space.
Last week, Kobe Bryant re-upped with the Lakers. Next week, Ginobili basically becomes a Spur for life. After that, 10 weeks remain for other clubs to romance precious players into re-enrolling.
Shows what kind of jagged competition the Knicks are in for this summer when the free-agent grab bag unties. If LeBron James isn't game to accept almost half of their $33 million surplus, you can kiss off Dwyane Wade, too.
Where will that leave the Knicks? Chris Bosh is next in line. As good as he is, he has not been good enough to take the Raptors anywhere worthwhile (two first rounds) in this, his seventh season. He is better defensively than David Lee, but across the stats sheet, there's not a discernable difference, and Toronto might get best of that deal. Bosh is a perfect Poncho to Cisco in Miami.
He will be available in a sign-and-trade. Is better defensively than David Lee, but across the stats sheet, there's not a discernable difference. Toronto may get the better of that deal. Bosh is a perfect Poncho to Cisco in Miami.
Dirk Nowitzki is staying in Dallas.
A perspective from someone on Atlanta's scene every day who, like me, doesn't believe Joe Johnson is leaving.
"J.J. doesn't give a rat's ass who coaches this team. Why wouldn't he love Mike Woodson? Every fourth quarter is Iso-Joe time. No matter how much solo pounding he does, he never is critiqued, criticized or cursed. He's on the right side of the double standard. Joe does deliver and he is a willing passer, but come playoff time, when defenses zero in (career .443 FG%; playoffs it's .413 as a Hawk) trouble is coming. And he knows he's getting max money [or close to it] from Atlanta if someone so much as bats their eyebrows lovingly."
Yao Ming? He may be less healthy than Tracy McGrady.
The Knicks once had an opportunity to sign Kevin McHale and got outfoxed by Red Auerbach. I have seen Paul Pierce, lately, and he's no Kevin McHale.
Think reuniting Amar'e Stoudemire and Mike D'Antoni is a good idea? When they were with the Suns, the coach, who places little emphasis on defense precepts, felt the player had no concept of his teaching. And vice versa.
Rudy Gay? The Grizzlies own the right to match any offer and will. Should someone call Michael Heisley's bluff and the owner does a sign-and-trade, what can Gay do for the Knicks that Danilo Gallinari isn't doing and is getting' better at? Carlos Boozer? When medically sound, he's all-league second or third team. The Knicks would be lucky to get him, as long as they get a legit center to compensate for his lack of size, but he figures to have more appealing prospects.
In the final analysis, the Knicks may have to "settle for" re-signing Lee. Something they had better do as soon after July 1 as possible . . . before the Nets lock him up and he becomes a perennial All-Star alongside Brook Lopez . . . and they are stuck adopting unadoptable free agents.
http://www.nypost.com/f/print/sports/knicks/bare_market_awaits_knicks_Pa4nxEugqipHUUBdticZPI
Uh-Oh -Carl Lewis