Drilling Down: Why We Love Jeremy Lin

By now, we've all had a healthy dose of Jeremy Lin coverage. Some of us may have had our fill by now, but admitting thatpublicly would hurt your chances at running for The Presidency in 2028. Enjoy the Jeremy Lin train because it seems like it is just getting started. We've watched the media look at him with a raised eyebrow from his 25-point game against the Nets, to his play-for-play match against John Wall, to his 38-point game against the Lakers, to a teeth-gritting win against the T-Wolves. Now he's sitting at 5-0 while he has been a major contributor in the rotation, and 4-0 as a starter. There are no questions about Amare and Linbeing able to co-exist on the same court, but Melo's return poses the biggest threat to Lin's run. Luckily, Melo will be the whipping boy for the media and the NYK fans if Lin starts to cool off. When was the last time that a superstar would be the castaway for an NBA after-thought? That is something everyone is going to be paying close attention to. Lin has the support of the organization, fans, and team.

We're watching something great here. I think that we can all agree upon that. We've seen Lin execute the pick-and-roll with confidence and precision, drive hard to the basket, make big plays down the stretch, and put to rest the doubts about his shooting. His basketball intelligence and athleticism have been proven on the court. His days in the D-League are long behind him, and he has shown that he can lead one of the NBA's

biggest teams. For purposes of my post here, I'm not going to break that down any further. I'm more interested in the "Why?" aspect of Jeremy Lin. Why has the country taken notice of Lin? It's something that I've taken a lot of time to think about, and something that I feel we're all connected to.

The answer to that question is not as simple as some have made it out to be. The easy answer is one that a sports fan will tell you, "Well, he is an underdog story." To me, the answer is one step further than that. We can all see something in Lin that we see in ourselves. His story was only known to hardcore basketball fans before 2 weeks ago, but his story is well known to us now. Whether it is a long-shot school we applied to, a team we made, a business we started, etc. We've all felt that the world was against us at one point. When we overcome those obstacles, we take pride in our success knowing that something that wasn't supposed to happen to us turned out in our favor. We're watching a portion of our lives through Jeremy Lin.

To date, no one can really explain why a California All-State player in high school was passed up by virtually every major D-1 program in the country or why every NBA team passed up on him

during the draft even though he brought Harvard's team to prominence and broke records left and right. Could it be true? Supposed basketball geniuses, scouts, coaches, and general managers all passed up on Jeremy Lin? All the signs pointed to him being an NBA player, but they seemed to have just been ignored. Mike Breen reported on Friday's game against the Lakers that the Knicks trainers worked Lin out in Rochester, NY and said that he had some of the best agility they had ever seen. Still not good enough to draft him. He torched John Wall at the NBA's Summer League, and that was good enough for him to land a roster spot in Golden State. Problem was, they have quite a bit of depth at the point guard spot in GS, so he didn't have his chance. You know the rest of the story from there, but what went wrong? Why did he get passed up so many times when he clearly had NBA caliber talent? Drafting is an imprecise science as we all know, but Lin's case seems too obvious. We'll all be asking that question, but James Dolan and the rest of the Knicks management can rest easy k

nowing that they made the right gamble. D'Antoni can rest easy knowing that his hail mary decision to put Lin in the game against the Nets may have saved his job.

We respect his perseverance, dedication, and attitude above anything else. Rejection after rejection is tough enough for any person's mentality, but Lin's persistence is a model that we aspire to have. That is why we love this story. That is why we'll all keep rooting for this to continue. That is why people have come out with scores of T-shirts, renditions of "Lin-(insert word)", promotions, posters, trading cards, articles, and TV coverage of Lin. He is living proof of the age-old adage "Hard work pays off".

There is more to this story from a perspective not everyone can relate to, and not everyone wants to talk about. Well, lets just get it out there now. Ready? Ok...lets say it all together, "Jeremy Lin is an Asian-American." This is a perspective that I can obviously

write from a first-hand perspective on, and a major reason why I, along with so many other Asians in the US and around the world, can relate to Lin. The numbers seem to suggest that Asians are an underrepresented group in the NBA. A lot of people have asked me during this historic performance, well, what about Yao Ming? Why wasn't there this same following behind Yao? For me, it isn't even comparable. Yao is the exception. 7 foot 5 inches tall weighing in around 3 bills is not something that the majority of Asians can relate to. Along with that, Yao is a foreigner. Half a world away from the norms, culture, and customs that American-born Asians live with today. Lin, for the most part, is an atypical NBA player in physical stature. He is attainable in that respect.

Jeremy Lin is different than any other player of Asian descent that the league has seen. He is American born. A first generation Asian player that achieved success in the face of near impossible odds. He is from Palo Alto, a place known more for Stanford, Facebook, Apple, Google, and countless other tech companies, not producing NBA talent. He went to Harvard, a place that is known for claiming Presidents, Noble Prize Winners, scholars, and entrepreneurs as alumni, not NBA players. When it comes down to it, Jeremy Lin has broken stereotypes commonly placed on Asians with his background. That is something that we can take pride in regardless of your racial background, sexual orientation, or religious preference. He stands as a symbol of breaking down those racial stereotypes and boundaries. He is proving that he belongs in a place where many thought he didn't belong, and this is something that we've all felt at one point or another in our life.

We must give credit to Lin for handling the scrutiny with grace and humility because he has every right to throw it right back in the faces of everyone who doubted him. We're watching something relatable to all of us. If he falters, the media may come down on him hard because that is what they do, and that is what sells. As true fans of sports, we're a bit more informed than that. Fans know that no matter what happens in his career down the line, we'll remember that he inspired us, motivated us, and taught us through his life story and his play on the court.

Stay tuned. This just might be the start.

-Izzy

Stephon Marbury to Celtics Analysis

With the help of my friend Ben Fish, I was able to put together this post. Fish is a devout Celtics fan, and was able to give me a taste of what the Celtic faithful think about the Marbury acquisition.

Stephon Marbury is expected to clear waivers on Friday morning and is largely expected to join the Celtics. Marbury and the Knicks reached a buyout agreement earlier this week. Marbury was set to earn $21.9 million this season (the 2nd highest in the NBA). The specifics of the buyout were not made public, but it is largely agreed upon that Marbury lost only about $1.5-$2 million dollars in the deal. Due to Marbury's veteran status, he is set to earn a minimum of $1.5 million on a prorated contract. Marbury's projected loss from the buyout+ his Celtics contract are about $200,000-$500,000. Pocket money,comparatively. The salary caps of both teams go pretty much unaffected. The Knicks sitll own the highest payroll in the league with about $96 million after the Marbury buyout. The Celtics currently have a $78 million payroll and with the acquisition of Marbury, they will, in total, add $3million to that number, which includes the luxury tax penalty.

Boston benefits from the addition of Marbury by adding depth an already depleted bench, and more importantly, to the point guard position. Marbury will provide much needed ball-handling skills to a team that depends on Rajon Rondo to run the point. It will also allow for Eddie House to move to his normal, more natural position at the 2, as he is certainly not a ball-handler. Eddie House is a pure spot-up shooter. Moving him out of his comfort zone was the only choice Doc Rivers had due to the lack of options in the back. The extra playing time for Rondo only helped his game out. We have seen flashes of what Rondo can be, and most likely, will be in the years to come. Marbury hasn't played in an NBA game since January 11, 2008. We can expect that Marbury will be focused and ready to contribute to the Celtics playoff run. Marbury also has an incentive to contribute due to him not having a contract next year. His free agent status at the end of this year will basically mean that he is auditioning for NBA teams to sign him this offseason. Conventional wisdom has always told us nothing produces statistics from a player like a contract year. The NBA will get a very brief, and maybe skewed view of Marbury's ability to play. Rounding off the end of the season isn't going to convince a lot of teams that he still has high calibur productive capability, but I can see teams taking a chance on him for a low amount of money just based on what he has done in the past.

Lets take a look at what Marbury can bring to the Celtics. I have written about how Marbury could be potentially a locker room divider. Garnett has publicly stated that it wouldn't be a problem, as well as other Celtics. Winning will solve all of those problems. I don't think that Marbury will cause any sort of distraction, if for anything, because of his expiring contract. Marbury averaged 19.8ppg and 7.8 assts playing along side Garnett on the T'Wolves. However, don't try to pick up Marbury in your fantasy league just yet. Also, don't expect Marbury to come anywhere close to those numbers just because he is alongside KG again (I don't think any of you did). In fact, expect Marbury to average under 8ppg and about 5 assts with a couple of boards and a steal or two. I expect Marbury to avg about 15-17 minutes a game. From my memory of Marbury, which is fading by now, he is a dynamic player. I don't think that he was putting much effort in during his days in New York. That is one of the main reasons I don't want to cite his statistics from his New York days. I don't think those are indicative of what he brings to the table, and I don't think those are a good baseline comparison to what will go down for him in Boston. Marbury is a scoring point guard. He can create shots for himself, but that isn't what Boston wants him to be. Marbury needs to be a distributor. He needs to give Rondo some rest, and be able to maintain the same level of offensive production as if Rondo was out on the floor. Marbury will be asked to put the ball in the post, and hit shots. He will occassionaly get his number called on a play, and he will have to drive the lane and make shots. Simple as that. If Marbury starts throwing up 30 foot 3pters like he did in New York under Isiah Thomas, Marbury is out. The offensive focus is not on Marbury, and he knows that. He has to play within Doc's system and know that he is a role player. Marbury is extraordinarily quick with the ball, and his size has always been his selling point. He can create his shot by using his size. He can separate himself from defenders as well as drive the lane. His body type is very similar to Jason Kidd. Of course, their games are drastically different, but how many times have we seen Kidd use his size to grab a board or throw up a tough shot in the lane? Marbury is the same type of player. Marbury is incredibly good at attacking the spaces in defense. When defenses cheat too far, Marbury picks up on that and attacks the holes on the defense to create a lane for himself and get to the basket. His size gives him a huge advantage over a lot of NBA point guards, especially in the East. Marbury will be the best backup point guard in the NBA, and that is a valuable asset for the Celtics. His combination of skill and size will never give the other team a break. When the opposing team has to sit its starter, Marbury will be there playing with the ability of a starter.

All of this seems like a dream come true for the Celtics. Don't get too excited. The Celtics have built their team around defense. Marbury is notorious for his lack of defensive effort. He has played this way since his days at Georgia Tech so we can't attribute it to his lack of motivation in New York. If he is motivated, he can be a great on the ball defender. Watch Marbury on defense if you get a chance. He will get into a low defensive stance when he is trying, but straighten his back when he is not trying. He also likes to gamble on passes at the top of the key. Every time I have watched Marbury, he makes up for his lack of defense by gambling on a steal. The one kind of positive is that he keeps ball out of the lane by forcing the defender to the weak side, but when the ball gets swung he shows a low awareness of where the ball is and tends to get beat back door anyway. Those are just some of the highlights of Marbury's defense. I'm sure you all will be able to recall more specific details of Marbury's lack of defense, and also see more of his deficiency on the defensive end when he starts playing. If you think I am just making this stuff up, watch him or go read a scouting report. Plain observation over the course of 2 or 3 games will most likely reveal all of the things I just mentioned in this post.

Overall, I think the move will help the Celtics. I don't think that any other team in the league is as deep as the Celtics at the point guard position at this point. The closest team to matching their depth at the 1 spot is either San Antonio or Denver. No team in the East is even close. The Celtics won't even have to think about Denver, and San Antonio has a chance at the Finals, but the Celtics won't need to look at their footage before the 2nd week of May. This is a low risk in terms of finances and basketball.

Izzy

Contributions by Ben Fish

Larry Hughes for Tim Thomas/ Jerome James/Anthony Roberson Trade Analysis

Chicago's 2nd trade in 2 days. They send Larry Hughes and get back Tim Thomas, Jerome James, and Anthony Roberson.

Both these teams will come out of the deal financially equal. Hughes makes $12.8 million this year, and will be making about $13.6 million next year which is fine for New York because as long as Hughes is not on the books for 2010, it is all good with them. Hughes is a streaky scorer, and has the ability to put points up when he wants to. He was averaging 12ppg and 3 rebs in his 30 games for the Bulls this season. Don't let those numbers mislead you because Hughes did not want to be in Chicago. He made it clear that he wanted to get traded. That is what happened. Expect Hughes to increase his numbers in a place that he wants to be, and a place that is built solely off of shooting. I think this will keep the Knicks happy until they can flex their muscle in 2010. I do think that Larry Hughes can be a bit of a liability in the locker room, but that factor is a team-to-team thing for Hughes so we can't factor that in right now.

The Bulls get Tim Thomas back and some change. Tim Thomas feuded with former Bulls coach Scott Skiles, and rookie coach Vinny Del Negro has 5 new players on his team in the past 2 days. Tim Thomas is on the books for about $12.5 million over the next two season, and of course, expiring in the summer of 2010. It will undoubtedly be difficult to understand where each player fits into the system. Tim Thomas is a shooting 4 who can play the 3 or 5. I believe the Noah and Gray are going to see cuts in their playing time. I actually think that if Thomas is coupled with Brad Miller, that is an interesting 4 and 5 combo. Both of them like to shoot in the mid-range as opposed to posting up so I think that can stretch the defense. It looks like the Bulls got rid of Nocioni in order to acquire Tim Thomas, a player who is a Nocioni replacement. A very clever move by GM Paxson. Tim Thomas can provide an instant impact to the Bulls if used properly. Thomas averages about 9.6 a game, and occassionally goes off for a 20+ game. I think we can expect that level of production from him in Chicago too.

Izzy

Sports Links

For the first time since last June, when the site first started, I'm posting links to some interesting sports stories. More articles to come in the next few days about the Association.

I'm sure a lot of you have heard this, but this is the story of how DWade's divorce is hitting a low point. A lot of people have criticized the NBA for the culture of the players. We have heard of Michael Jordan's divorce, Shaq's divorce, and now Dwyane Wade's divorce. Three of the most high profile athletes in the world have had very high profile divorces, and they all happen to be basketball players? I hope there is no correlation here. Take what you may from this. I'm not sure of what to make of it. I hope it all gets sorted out, and is not that big of a distraction for Wade's play on the court.

Awesome story about Danny Granger's childhood with an emphasis on Danny Granger's dad, Danny Granger Sr. I'll let you all read the details for yourself.

Most valuable sports franchises in the world by Forbes. Unfortunately, no NBA teams, but I suspect that the Knicks would have been on the bubble for the top 10.

Westchester High has put out some really good NBA players over the years. Just a short little thing about Trevor Ariza and how Kobe visited the high school back in the day.

Obama has impacted all of our lives. We have all seen how the reaction to him taking office has been in the NBA. A few NBA players paid top dollar to get tickets to the inauguration. Apparently some people paid around $50,000 a ticket for a seat. Here is a link to show how important this was to the NBA. This is just one example of NBA players and teams reacting to the Obama presidency.

DishingDimes was just featured in this article from a great blog that focuses on college basketball during the college season, but the NBA right when the playoffs race starts getting heated up. Check the site out.

Izzy

What I'm thankful for

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I do have a lot to be thankful for in my life, but we won't go into that. We, as NBA fans, also have a lot to be thankful for in our basketball lives. Here is what I'm thankful for this NBA season.

The Knicks: Finally, one of the most storied franchises in sports is revived. It has been a tough few years for Knicks fans. As we all know, they have made some big moves in the past few years to compete this year and the next, and to set themselves up for the 2010 free agency period. This has to be encouraging for Knicks fans. Finally, some sense behind the moves of the Knicks front office. Good job Donnie Walsh.

The rookie class: This has been an amazing rookie class. Derrick Rose, OJ Mayo, and Michael Beasley are living up to the hype. After that, they have also been pretty solid. Russell Westbrook isn't playing as bad as the Thunder's record would suggest. He has been a steady contributor, and the rookie dubbed as 'most likely to bust' by myself and Greg Johnson, is proving us wrong. Unexpected rookies making an impact right now are DJ Augustin and Jason Thompson. Augustin dropped 25 and 11 assists and 5 rebounds in Jason Richardson's absense. The Kings also have to be happy with Jason Thompson's surprising development by averaging 11.4 pts and 7 rebs. Virtually unknown coming out of Rider, Thompson has potential to be a great player in this league who can be a legitimate 2nd option for a lot of teams, and also to be a very good defender. Golden State also got two great players who were undrafted in DeMarcus Nelson and Anthony Morrow. As a Wake fan, I was obviously bias against Nelson, but he has been a surprise for not even being drafted. I was also bias against the Georgia Tech star, Morrow, but I have always respected his game. Morrow has a very bright future in this league, and the Warriors proved the 'huge upside' phrase that gets thrown around way too much. Rounding out the great rookie class surprises are Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Mario Chalmers. All of which are making big impacts for their teams right now. Also, dont forget the Lopez twins who have been contributing some solid numbers recently.

The closing gap between East and West: For the last few years, the West has dominated the NBA landscape. It is great to finally see the gap closing in the league so we can stop the talk about re-doing the conferences and what not. It makes for great basketball, and it makes it fun to be a fan. It reinforces two levels of fanhood. The first is of your team, and the second, is of your conference. A fan can always stick to the side that "my conference has x,y,z teams" which always make for good NBA debates.

The Boston/LA rivalry: We got enough of this during the Finals, but it seems like we will be able to see this historic rivalry relived. As a Laker fan, I'm thankful for my teams success and I acknowledge that both Celtic and Laker fans are outrageously priviledged. Nonetheless, as a young basketball fan, it is great to be a part of such a historic rivlary revived. Many fans only get to read about the historic rivalries related to their franchises, and even fewer fans get to re-live the rivalry again. We could be on the fringes of that rivalry being re-started if both teams can keep this level of play for the next 5 or 6 years even if different players are apart of the rivalry.

The Donaghy scandal being left behind: When the scandal broke, it was a hit to everyone involved in the NBA, including the fans. It is now safe to say that the fallout from the scandal was less than expected. After the Pedowitz report and fast action from the league office, we have been lucky that it did not affect the sport more than it did. We can now rest and be reassured that it was just an isolated incident. We all know that it could have been much worse than it turned out to be. The basketball nation can now start a new chapter in the sport's history, and putting behind one of the darkest moments in sports history behind us.

Izzy

Al Harrington and Jamal Crawford trade analysis

It has been reported that the Warriors and Knicks have reached a deal in principle that will send the disgruntled Warriors forward Al Harrington to New York in exchange for guard Jamal Crawford.

This deal could not be any better for Al Harrington. He goes from the up-tempo pickup style offense of Don Nelson to the slightly more structured "Run-N-Gun" offense of Mike D'Antoni. Al Harrington will bring a new level of versatility to the Knicks. It is no secret that the Knicks want to trade Zach Randolph, Stephon Marbury, and Eddy Curry. There is serious interest in Zach Randolph by the Clippers and little to no interest in Marbury and Curry. In the mean time, having Harrington and Randolph up front in a speedy offense is D'Antoni's dream come true. Harrington's deadly three point shot will spread the floor and stretch defenses. Harrington does shoot an abysmal 39.2% from the field, but that number could go a bit higher if he starts to play with more passion than he did with the Warriors. Playing in New York will likely be a motivating factor.

Harrington has had 0 blocks this season which shows his lack of defensive effort, but did have a bit above a steal a game in this young season. Watching Harrington's play and body language this season made it clear that he did not want to be a part of the Warriors anymore, and this trade could not have come any sooner. The Knicks will be an excellent fit for him, and sets the Knicks up for the Lebron sweepstakes in 2010 (more on Lebron in a bit). Harrington has a year on his contract after this season so it could be used as another incentive to attract Lebron by having a jumpshooter at the 4 who will lessen congestion in the lane, and if it doesn't work out, Donnie Walsh can always tell Lebron that Harrington's $9.2 million comes off the books in the summer of 2011 and they can look for another wingman.

The problem for the Knicks in this trade will be how D'Antoni shares minutes in the front court. They have already benched Curry, and have no intentions of playing him. They have Zach Randolph, and young prospects, David Lee and Wilson Chandler. With 4 big men fighting for minutes one of them has to go. To be more competitive in the Lebron sweepstakes they need to get rid of Randolph. The Knicks are not looking at this season to make an impact in the league, they are looking to 2010, and getting rid of Zach Randolph's $14.6 million will go a long way in getting Lebron. Trading Randolph might not be as hard as it sounds. It has been reported while this post was being written that Donnie Walsh is ready to give up Randolph to the Clippers, and is just waiting on confirmation from the Clippers. This news should not be a surprise considering the Clippers have been looking to find a replacement for Elton Brand. Randolph's stock is very high at the moment due to his average of 20.5ppg and 12.5 rebs. If all goes as planned and they strike a deal with the Clippers who are willing to give $14.6 million in expiring salaries in exchange for Zach Randolph, the Knicks will be in the position they want to be in. Things are finally looking up in New York.

For the Warriors, Jamal Crawford is immediate help. When Monta Ellis comes back and can be put alongside Jamal Crawford, the Warriors could have a lineup with Biedrins at the 5, Stephen Jackson at the 4, Maggette at the 3, and Crawford and Ellis in the back court with Morrow, Azubuike, and the surprising DeMarcus Nelson backing them up. In the front, they would have a solid young core of Turiaf, Brandon Wright, and Anthony Randolph coming off the bench. Not exactly a dream team, but neither was the 2006 team that upset the #1 Mavericks. Point being, Don Nelson can get it done with a crew that you least expect. Crawford is a player who can hit big shots and create for himself. Both of those talents are very valuable attributes in the perimeter offense of Don Nelson. Crawford brings 19.4ppg and 4.4 assists to the Warriors, and will have no trouble making the transition from D'Antoni's offense to Nelson's offense due to their similarities.

All in all, this was a great trade for both teams. The Warriors have a team that will be able to compete in the West for that 7th and 8th spot in the playoffs, and the Knicks have a chance to make the playoffs while making dramatic moves to cut salary in order to go after Lebron. No one is talking championship for either of these teams, but in the NBA and professional sports in general, we all know that a team is only a few moves away from being contenders, and that is what we could be seeing right now.

Izzy

Waive Marbury!

Now that Obama is president we can get back to talking about basketball.

The Knicks have once again stated that they have no intention to waive or trade Stephon Marbury. I would like to know why. Here is a guy who is tied with Allen Iverson with the second highest salary in the NBA at $21,937,500. Here is a guy who is sitting on the sideline in street clothes with coach Mike D'Antoni having no intentions of changing that any time soon. Here is a guy who averaged 13.9ppg and 4.7 assts when he suited up last year.

Why is Marbury still on the roster? Why won't Dolan admit Isaiah Thomas' mistake and concede that the best way to go with all of this is to part ways. Every NBA fan, and even sports fan, knows that Stephon Marbury is the worst contract in sports. There is a reason for that. HE IS NOT PLAYING. Even when he was, he wasn't producing anywhere near his salary. The Knicks made a similar mistake with Alan Houston, but didn't learn. The funny thing about this whole thing is that the Knicks are the one franchise who laughs at the luxury tax. They are a franchise that will exceed the salary cap every year. They are due to pay $80 million in salary tax this year, and won't even think twice about it. Why do they care about holding onto Marbury? If they waive him, they have to incur his whole salary, but as I mentioned before, they don't care. It has become a child's game now. The Knicks are saying, "If you don't play for us, you don't play for anyone." Marbury is sitting on the sideline laughing and collecting his enormous paycheck.

Marbury won't accept a buyout of his contract. That is obvious. Would you? If you were the 2nd highest paid person in your profession, would you take significantly less so you could go work for another company for significantly less money? You can't blame Marbury. The only people you can blame are the Knick's front office officials. As fans, we just want to see players play. He is clearly good enough to be on a roster. With that said, at this point, as fans, we just need this whole thing to be cleared up. Fast.

Izzy

Tim Duncan made his vote public. If you are curious, here is who he voted for.

Like Father, uh, not really

The worst month of the year for the NBA is August. During the month of August I have had time to reflect on a lot of NBA happenings. I have come up with, what I have thought, to be profound thoughts, but upon approval from Phil, I have come to discover that my profound thoughts, have been very, well, unprofound. That changed yesterday when Patrick Ewing Jr. was traded to his father's old team, the Knicks. It caused me to think about not the trade itself, but about the pressure and expectation that has suddenly been put on Pat Jr. (not that there is no pressure when you are the son of a Hall of Fame player), now that he is playing for the Knicks, and not just any NBA team. I have reflected on the father-son duos of the NBA and sports in general, and about what this trade really meant for the Knicks. My conclusion may surprise you. Here are my thoughts on all of this.

Patrick Ewing Jr: I feel bad for the guy. Gets drafted in the second round and then gets dished to the Knicks. Most of the articles I have read on this story favor him going to New York. I look at this as the worst possible scenario for him. The public is a very unforgiving group of critics. People can't help but compare what is familiar to them.

Ask Luke Walton if he will ever be able to get out of the shadow of his father. No matter what he does at this point in his career, he will always be 'Bill's son'. Ask Jeffery Jordan how tough it is playing at Illinois. He probably couldn't even imagine what kind of pressure and what people would be saying if he played at Chapel Hill. Ask Drew, Jon, and Brent, who they are compared to? If they missed a free throw, announcers would have to hold their tongue before they could utter the words 'Rick wouldn't have done that.' Ask Coby Karl or Mike Dunleavy Jr. what sort of pressure they were under when they came into the league. Remember Stephon Curry in his legendary performance this past March? Who did they compare him to? His shot was like...Del's. At least Coby, Mike, and Stephon's fathers weren't considered some of the best players in the history of the game. No matter who you are, if your father played in the league, it will automatically attached inflated standards to your name. Once in a while you will get a Kobe Bryant, who can achieve legendary status that his father's career becomes more known after retirement. Or, if you are lucky, you will get a Grant Hill who is a five time all-star, a college standout, and has a career average of 21 points a game, and your father was an NFL legend who was a 4 time pro bowler who had over 1000 yards twice, and over 6,000 in his career. Even more rarely, will you have a Jimmy Walker and Jalen Rose. The late Jimmy Walker was the first pick in the NBA draft in 1967 and had an exceptional 9 year career averaging 16.7 ppg with Detroit, Houston, and Kansas City. Jalen Rose had a great NBA career with too many NBA teams to name, but averaging 14.8 his career, and even once averaging as much as 22.1 ppg with the Bulls. Kobe, Grant, and Jalen are exceptions.

This brings us back to our latest father-son player combo who has come into the league. Although Pat Jr. is in a very tough spot, you have to love his commitment, and courage to have the career he has had (Jeffery Jordan has to get a shout out for doing the same, even though Jeff will likely never see an NBA court). Patrick Ewing Jr. went to Indiana for the first two years of his college career and then transfered to Georgetown to finish off his career. It was a bold move, one that I'm sure his father was proud of. To put their careers in perspective, Pat Sr. averaged 15.3 ppg, 9.2 rebs, and 3.4 blks while he was a Hoya. Pat Jr., averaged 5.2 ppg and 1.4 assts. You don't have to be a statistician to see the incredible disparity between the numbers. Now, lets suppose, you knew nothing about either players' pro career, and they were not father and son, but brother and brother. Based on the numbers, you would probably say that Pat Sr. would be a good NBA player that had potential to be an All-Star one day. Few, if any, would say Pat Jr. had similar or even comparable potential. NBA teams must see something in Pat Jr. that would make them take a chance on him. The Knicks seem to be in the business of potential and taking Pat Jr. on the basis of potential is a little suspicious. He did not have an outstanding career and is best known for blocking a game winning shot against West Virginia that was about as close to goal tending as you will ever see. The question is, why? Why would the Knicks take an unproven player when they are a fading franchise. Pat Jr. has not proven he can make it. He was drafted on pure potential. His 6'8 and 240 frame gives him an NBA body, but does he know how to use it? Can Mike D'Antoni's coaching staff improve it? My guess is no.

I know that many of you are thinking that I am acting like Pat Jr. is a huge impact player the Knicks acquired, and it is still contingent on him making the roster. This post is more about me trying to be skeptical so Knick fans and NBA fans aren't so harsh on him if he flops. If he doesn't, it is a fairytale story that will probably be made into a movie one day, if he does, it was expected. The kid is playing in the biggest media market in the country, under the shadow of his Hall of Fame father. That is a lot of pressure, but he has dealt with this his whole life. He is probably phasing this out right now, but there is a bigger issue here. This is less about Pat Jr. than it is about the Knicks management. This is clearly a last ditch effort for the Knicks to acquire the best Knicks player in history's son in order to draw nostalgic fans who wish they were back in the 90's. This is a win-win for the Knicks. Fans will be drawn to MSG, to see what kind of player ol' Pat's son is. If the Knick's develop him, it will be the rebirth of their franchise, and it will be a story that will live in sport infamy. If not, at least it got fans in seats for a little bit, something the Knicks desperately need. It was a cheap rental. This pick up was strictly for a PR boost. Something that Knick fans should be extremely concerned about. Sports is about winning, and continuing to win, that is what keeps fans there, not parading around the shadow child of your franchise's glory days. Even the most devout Knicks fan is probably close to his or her breaking point by now, but if you are one of the fans who has looked the other way, be concerned.

Izzy

Ive been meaning to post these for a while.

Top NBA SF prospects in the 2009 draft.

Is Lebron really leaving? Seems like Cleveland is in the best position to do anything.

Off season to-do list: Knicks

Nowadays there are few people outside of Spike Lee with the courage to admit they are Knicks fans. Forrest, happens to be one of the true New York faithful left that I know. He is on top of all things Knicks and what I would consider a pretty good NBA historian. He has interesting thoughts about the Knicks, and the NBA (but we won't get into those), anytime you talk to him about it, including ideas such as keeping Isaiah Thomas in a front office position because he is one of the best talent evaluators in the NBA, Nate Robinson as one of the most athletic players in the league, and Danilo Gallinari being a good draft pick. While he doesn't defend those positions in this piece, he does give us a pretty good look into the present situation for the Knicks and the optimistic future outlook for the team.

Let’s be honest. Despite the recent hiring of proven winners in the coaching spot as well as in the front office, this is a franchise in shambles. The Knicks have not been a playoff team since 2001, and no, no one should count the 2003-2004 team which had a losing record and was swept out of the playoffs by the Nets in humiliating fashion as a “playoff team”. As if the on-court troubles weren’t enough, recent estimates say that the Knicks lost over 187 million dollars under Isaiah Thomas, which would easily have been enough money to lock up Allan Houston and Antonio McDeyess through 2012 with max deals.

Any discussion of what the Knicks need to do to get back to being an elite team has to begin with the summer of 2010. Lebron James has indicated that he might be leaning towards signing with the Brooklyn Nets instead of the Knicks. Regardless, this class could potentially include Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Rip Hamilton, Amare Stoudemire, Manu Ginobili, and Carlos Boozer. One can already see that the Knicks are looking forward to that summer, signing Chris Duhon to a two year deal so he could come off the books in 2010 where the Magic were offering him three.

So, keeping that in mind, let’s go through the Knicks roster and determine each player’s value as a combination of their talent, fit in D’Antoni’s system, and their contract.

Stephon Marbury’s career is done. We already knew from his stints with Minnesota, New Jersey, and Phoenix that he was not the type of player who was able to carry his team to victories on a consistent basis, but at least he was putting up All-Star caliber numbers. His numbers have declined each year with the Knicks to the point where he is now averaging just 13 points and 5 assists per game. Respectable numbers, but not good enough considering that during the 2008-2009 season he will be the second highest paid player in the league. Throw in his off the court antics, and Marbury’s impact on the team is solidly negative. However, it is essential that the Knicks do not trade Stephon. They will probably receive plenty of enticing offers given the $21 million that his contract will bring off a team’s payroll after next season, but the biggest problem with recent Knick’s personnel moves has been trading away such expiring contracts and tying themselves up with overpaid, mediocre players.

Another failed experiment is Eddy Curry. Curry refuses to get in shape, attempt to play defense, or pull down rebounds (Even in his best season, he was a 7 footer crashing the boards at a pathetic 1 rebound per 5 minutes rate). He can’t shoot, dribble, or run the break, so D’Antoni can’t have much use for him. The Knicks should just hope that they can somehow get rid of Curry for a player of less value but with a better contract. Another intriguing option might be to just cut him. Curry is terrible, but it is almost guaranteed that another team will at least sign him to the veteran minimum, meaning that the Knicks could reduce the amount that his contract is counting against the cap.

Zach Randolph is not such a clear-cut case. Although he is due to make much more than he is worth ($14.5 million next season, over 17 million in 2010-2011), he is obviously an extremely talented player. I don’t care how bad the team was, anyone who can average 23 and 10 in the Western Conference can play. There are some character and work ethic issues, but there are plenty of instances of players who ended up being successful after the media and their fan bases had written them off as selfish head cases that would never really “get it” (see Stephen Jackson and Paul Pierce). Randolph is also a mobile big man with handle who has decent outside range, which could work out well if D’Antoni does in fact try to implement his run and gun offense with the Knicks. While Quentin Richardson is another player who has underachieved in a Knick uniform, he has had success under D’Antoni before. So it might be wise, knowing that he is a player who thrives in a fast paced offense, to withhold judgment on Q until his contract, which is $10 million coming off the books in 2010, expires.

Jamal Crawford is another player who, given his shooting prowess and his excellent ability to handle the ball (only 2.4 turnovers in 40 minutes per game last season, and a devastating crossover), could shine for D’Antoni. He is also the only player on the Knicks not in his rookie contract that one could make the case is making about the amount of money he deserves. Jamal has been one of the few bright spots on this team for the last few years.

Malik Rose is an expiring contract that could potentially be used as a trade chip at some point this season. Jerome James and Jared Jeffries are both bad players who the Knicks are just going to have to let ride the bench until their contracts are up.

The rest of this roster is made up of pretty talented young players who could potentially make a great set of role players when the Knicks start contending for the playoffs. Nate Robinson, David Lee, and Renaldo Balkman have all proven that they can play at a high level off the bench. Wilson Chandler and Mardy Collins could fall into this category if given a few more opportunities over the next couple of years.

Now no one is suggesting the Knicks just stand pat and do nothing until Lebron comes along and saves the franchise. There are a few holes that could be filled to at least make this team competitive in the Eastern conference this coming year.

There are rumors that Monta Ellis has expressed interest in playing for the Knicks, and that the Warriors are open to losing Ellis in a sign and trade. Monta is one of the most talented young guards in the NBA. He had flashes this season where commentators were describing him as the next Dwyane Wade, which means that if you listen to John Hollinger, the Knicks could bank on getting the greatest finals performance in the history of the league if they could get their hands on Ellis. Honestly, if the Knicks could acquire Ellis one could make the argument that they could get out of Lebron mode and try to build around Ellis, Crawford, and Randolph. But this just seems like a fantasy. The Knicks simply could not give the Warriors comparable value for Ellis. On top of this, after losing Baron Davis, I can’t see Chris Mullin dealing Ellis unless he is getting truly amazing value for him. The only things the Knicks have to offer are a couple of young players and Marbury and Rose’s expiring contracts, which would put the Warriors solidly into rebuilding mode, a place they don’t want to be. Moreover, the Knicks just signed Chris Duhon, so it seems they might have already made their decision on a point guard for this upcoming year.

The Knicks need a true center, badly. One option would be trying to pry Nenad Krstic from the Nets. The Nets have given Krstic a qualifying offer, which means they have the right to match any contract another team offers him. This is irrelevant to the Knicks, because after signing Chris Duhon they could not offer Krstic a deal the Nets would not match anyway. However, Krstic is reportedly looking to force a sign and trade. The Knicks could potentially try to make a run at Krstic, as long as they don’t give up the expiring contracts of Marbury or Rose.

Other needs for the Knicks include shooters, for D’Antoni’s system, and defense, for a team that was 29^th in the NBA in points allowed per 100 possessions. Good shooters that are available this offseason include Ben Gordon, Brent Barry, Juan Dixon, DerMarr Johnson, and Bostjan Nachbar. Good defenders include Mickael Peitrus, Carl Landry, Matt Barnes, and Devean George. The problem with all these players is that the Knicks just don’t have the cap room after the Duhon signing to make a reasonable offer and would have to negotiate sign and trades which would most likely hamper them financially in the long term.

Thomas left the Knicks in a state where they are not going to be serious contenders even for home court advantage in the playoffs for the next couple of years. The best course for this team is to be patient, let their young talent develop, and not reinforce the same problems they have had over the last decade by mortgaging their future just on the hopes that they can grab a seventh or eight seed in the East.

Picture Sources: thegarden.com (first), theonion.com (second), nydailynews.com (third), sportsillustrated.cnn.com (fourth), nydailynews.com (fifth), rotorob.com (sixth), nba.com (seventh), hoopsvibe.com (eighth)

intro by Izzy