If I Had My Druthers . . .

Contracts, ping pong balls, and movability aside, this is what I would like to see happen this off season.

KEEP:
Nate, Jamal, Z-Bo, D-Lee, Wilson Chandler, Ro-Show

DUMP:
Eddy Curry, Q, Malik Rose, Steph, JJ #1, JJ #2, Randolph Morris, Fred Jones

SIGN:
Ron Artest

DRAFT:
Roy Hibbert/DJ Augustin

Obviously, the dumping part is the hardest. I'm assuming our draft pick will be somewhere between 7-11 like it always is except when we trade it, and it jumps up to #2. I don't know what the NBA rules are on this, but can players be traded for draft picks? i.e. could we trade eddy curry for a mid-first round pick. If we can (i'd probably even take on some bum with a 6ish million dollar per year contract to make the salary work with curry's. Then I take Roy Hibbert with our #7-10 pick and DJ Augustin with our pick for Curry (hopefully around #14-#16). Both of these players should be there with these picks. We should then be able to package either JJ, JJ, or Fred Jones in with a Malik Rose/Steph deal, dumping those three players as well. That leaves us with Q, and two of JJ, JJ, and Fred Jones. Which is fine, Q and whoever it is can either ride the bench or be sent to the Steve Francis/Penny Hardaway Houston 'rehab facility'. What I really want to see on the Knicks is people with attitude who look like they actually enjoy playing basketball and care if they win or lose. I've loved eddy curry forever, but its clear that he just doesn't really give a shit and is never going to rebound, blocks shots, play defense, or show up every night on a consistent basis. this is why I opt to keep Z-Bo, you at least know he loves to ball and comes ready to play. And he's still one of the better rebounders in the NBA, a guy who is just always near the ball. Stack the Knicks with people who want to compete. Jamal, Nate, Z-Bo, Artest, I'd even like to sign a veteran point guard for a year, someone like Sam Cassell. A guy who has been in the playoffs, a guy who has won before and has attitude. Ron Artest is like this. Then you take a shot blocking, rebounding, defensive presence in a Roy Hibbert, put him next to Z-bo, with Ron Artest at the 3, and then nate and jamal at 1, 2, or hopefully dj augustin/sam cassell at the 1, jamal at the 2 and nate off the bench-- you got yourself a team.

I understand how unlikely this is to happen, but it doesn't strike me as impossible. Obviously it is bc Dolan Isiah (who will be back next year) are primates, but those pieces aren't impossible to acquire. Ron Artest is finally a free agent and there is no reason he shouldn't be able to live up to his word and sign with us for our mid-level exception. as far as Hibbert and Augustin, they are both projected as mid to late first rounders. i expect those projections to jump after the tourney (esp. augustin), but we should at least be guaranteed one of them with our pick. I'd like to think we won't have any lower than a 5 pick, but even if its 8 or 9, we should still be able to snag one of them. then if we could unload eddy curry, or even david lee, for another mid-first round pick, we just might be able to scoop both of them. i know the sam cassell thing is never going to happen, but there are tough veteran guards out there who have been to the playoffs and know who to win. i think its so imporant for the knicks to acquire guys who have been in the playoffs and had success there. i think it really just changes the makeup of your team.

These are all just dribblings and fantasies for the most part, but I think what us Knick fans have learned over the past several years, and everybody claims to know this, but few can apply such a magnification glass to it, but we've learned how imporant it is to have players on your team who play with heart and pride everynight and who genuinely love to play the game. i dont think you can say that about a lot of these knicks- think eddy curry, steph, jj, jj, steve francis, all these idiots. i love this kid dj augustin. he stays in a defensive stance the whole game, every game, defines pass first, shoot second, always looks to make the extra pass, has a 10 to 1 asst. to turnover ratio, and leaves it all out on the court. we don't need more offense from our center, so if you put a shot blocking/altering and rebounding guy like roy hibbert next to z-bo, with ron artest at the 3, you've got a damn good rebounding team and some serious defensive presences. jsut my thoughts, i'd love some feedback . . .