Its Scenario Time!

Well, I can’t say I’m not disappointed.  The Knicks were expected to have the 5th pick in the draft at worst. I guess its just the way their luck has gone that makes it possible for them to have the 6th pick. But I’m not completely upset. Its the Knicks highest pick since they drafted Patrick Ewing first overall. And it gives me an opportunity to come up with likely and unlike scenarios that make like better in any way for the Knicks.

With Chicago having the number one overall pick (pfft, like they need it) its hard to say where they’ll go. It safe to say that Michael Beasley will end up in Chicago based on the fact that they already have a good point guard in Kirk Heinrich and what they lacked last season was a presence in the low post. That means Derrick Rose will be drafted at number to in Miami. That alleviates two issues. The Heat finally have a good point guard that would allow Dwayne Wade to focus on being just a shooting guard, and if Wade decides to opt out of his contract in the summer of 2010, the Heat will already have a good replacement. The Minnesota Timberwolves may want to go after the best available player at three which would happen to be OJ Mayo. That should be fun. The last time the Timberwolves drafted a 19 year old temperamental point guard, it was Stephon Marbury.

The Sonics could go point guard at four, but they have a decent player in Luke Ridnour so why not take someone who could be a valuable addition like Brook Lopez. Rumor has it that Memphis isn’t so satisfied with Mike Conley Jr at point guard so they might draft Jerryd Bayless from Arizona. Which brings me to the Knicks. The Knicks are an interesting bunch. An enigma. On the surface, they have a team capable of winning 41 games. But these players haven’t proven to be able to want to win, much less live up to their potential. Whomever the Knicks draft wouldn’t appear to crack the starting lineup because the incumbent would make too much money to come off the bench. I like Eric Gordon but he isn’t the true point guard the Knicks need. There’s a lot of speculation that the Knicks would draft Danilo Gallinari. I haven’t seen much of him although he seems to have ties to Mike D’Antoni.

Here’s where the scenarios come into play. What if the Knicks dont use the pick? What if they use it as bait to get rid of some of the dead weight on the team. Consider these possible offseason tranactions that may lead to very good things in the Knicks future.

Scenario #1: The Knicks trade Zach Randolph and the 6th pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Andre Miller, Rodney Carney, the 16th pick and a possible second round pick. 

 Explanation: Coach Maurice Cheeks has openly expressed his interest in reuniting with Zach Randolph. Cheeks coached Randolph in Portland and the Sixers are in need of a presence in the low post. The Knicks wouldn’t have to draft a point guard and Andre Miller would fill the void for the next two seasons before his contract expires. Gallinari could slip to 16 and if not there’s also Anthony Randolph from LSU, who is being compared to Chris Bosh, and DeAndre Jordan who is being compared to Amare Stoudamire. The Knicks would clear up some cap room by getting rid of Zach Randolph and if they could also get a second round pick in such a deep draft, it would work out on both sides. The Sixers could use the 6th pick to take Eric Gordon or DJ Augustin.

Problems: Its unclear what the Knicks would do with a backcourt including Andre Miller and Stephon Marbury, however it couldn’t be worse than a backup of Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury.

Scenario #2: According to recent reports, Baron Davis has considered opting out of his $16 million contract to come to the Knicks. Obviously the Knicks are in no condition cap-wise to make a deal of this magnitude. The only deal I would make involving Davis is to trade Jared Jeffries, Zach Randolph, and the 6th pick to the Warriors for Davis and the 14th pick. Basically the same as the other scenario, except the Knicks could also drop another $5 million from the books, while bringing in Davis’ expiring contract. That would mean that after this coming season, the Knicks would be shedding close to $47 million from the payroll. They could definately grab DeAndre Jordan with the 14th pick. I’d also try to get rid of Curry to replace future picks Isiah Thomas traded away to get Curry in the first place.

In two separate scenarios, the Knicks have the capabilty to bring in a quality player from this year’s draft that can develop into a great player in the future, while getting under the cap. Are these moves really that far-fetched? Of course not. This time last year, no one would have expected the Celtics to pull off moves that would send Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to Boston. You never know until you try.

Here’s a few things I’ve been thinking about lately…

- Met fans need to forget about what happened with the Mets at the end of last season. Last season was last season. Its not Willie Randolph’s fault that the players didn’t capitalize on some cupcake teams late in the schedule. Its not Willie’s fault that the players are underachieving this season. All these people calling for Willie Randolph’s job are the same people that have no idea who the Mets could bring in to replace him. Its 46 games into the season. If you fire Randolph, who are you going to bring in? Lee Mazilli? Howard Johnson? And for that matter, if you dont like a player on the team, its understandable. But where are the Mets going to find a reasonable replacement? I understand Oliver Perez is inconsistent, but there must not be anything better out there if he’s still around. I know Moises Alou is old, but take a look at some of the free agent left fielders.

- I don’t care if the Celtics lost their first game at home in the playoffs. I still think they’re more talented than the Pistons. The Pistons are a great team but this is the same team that went down 2-1 to the Sixers. The same team that was down 20. And yes, I know the Celtics lost big to the Hawks. But Ray Allen looks like he’s playing well again, and I really believe that Kevin Garnett might kill someone if they lose.

- Would anyone like to explain to me why the only two quarterbacks in the NFL that make more money than Matt Ryan are Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning? Matt Ryan… the same guy who hasn’t played an NFL down yet makes more money than Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, three time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady, and basically 27 other starting quarterbacks in the league. The owners need to fix this huge flaw in the collective bargaining agreement. Take a page from the NBA. A rookie pay scale is the best way to go.

- While we’re on the subject of rookies, I think the NBA should implement a system similar to Major League Baseball where if a player wants to go to the NBA straight out of high school, let it happen. But if they choose to go to college, the player has to stay at least three seasons. The college game still gets good players. The NBA will always benefit. I think this would alleviate this growing issue with money and agents in the college game. Hell, if a high school player doesn’t get drafted, grant him status as an undrafted free agent. Let him pay his way through college if he wants but he’d no longer be eligible to play college basketball.

 

Email all questions and comments to s_talouis@yahoo.com.

That’s Terrrrrrible

According to Si.com

A Nevada prosecutor and a Las Vegas Strip casino say Charles Barkley hasn’t settled his $400,000 gambling debt, despite what he said on television.

Officials with the Wynn Las Vegas resort and the Clark County district attorney’s office say there’s been no payment and no contact with the former NBA star and TV analyst.

During Turner Network Television’s pre-game show before the NBA playoffs Monday, Barkley said the debt had been paid and he was giving up gambling.

The Wynn Las Vegas resort alleges in a civil complaint filed May 14 in Nevada state court that Barkley failed to repay four $100,000 casino markers, or loans, received last Oct. 18 and 19.

District Attorney David Roger has promised to file a criminal complaint if Barkley doesn’t pay up by June 9.

When will this guy pay, hey i love his antics on television but if he doesn’t pay, no more fave 5 commercials. Instead of making commercials he should use his fave 5 to call dwayne wade for the money.

This could be the beginning.

First of all, I’d like to start this off by saying, I wish nothing but the worst for the San Antonio Spurs. I hate them and everything they represent. They’re boring and I hope the Lakers wipe the floor with them in the Western Conference Finals. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, I can continue.

Tomorrow night is the NBA draft lottery. Obviously, as a Knicks fan I want to see my team get as high a pick as possible. That said, the Knicks have a 7.6% chance of getting the top overall pick. They haven’t had the top spot in the draft since 1985. If the Knicks can land a pick in the top three, they may be able to get a guy that can turn around the franchise. A guy like Derrick Rose. Of course, one guy cant turn around a franchise. It takes good management, a good coach, and a team of players committed to working together. We may have the piece in management with Donnie Walsh. He has a proven track record and definately knows the game.  He’s a shrewd general manager in Indiana and has proven that when he traded Dale Davis to the Blazers for Jermaine O’Neal and when he traded Jalen Rose and Travis Best for Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Kevin Ollie and Ron Mercer.

I believe we also have a good coach in Mike D’Antoni. Whether or not his style fits the roster remains to be seen. One thing people seem to be overlooking the fact that D’Antoni may just decide to tweak his run and gun style of play to accomodate some of the slower players. Or maybe Walsh will clean house and bring in some players that not only come from winning programs and organizations, but those that fit in D’Antoni’s scheme.

A year ago, the Boston Celtics were one of the worst teams in the league. In one season, they went from 24-58 to 66-16. Of course to think that the Knicks can do the same is naive. It took a lot more than one offseason to build what the Celtics have now. It took a major overhaul to make it happen. The Knicks dont have the personnel to trade away for superstars like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. The Knicks dont have the cap room to sign veteran players. There are too many things that the Knicks have to do in order to replicate what the Celtics have done.

However, this can be where everything turns around. This could be the beginning. If the Knicks can land a guy like Derrick Rose, they’d be acquiring the true point guard that the Knicks have been looking for. Rose’s skillset definately fits into D’Antoni’s scheme. Even a player like O.J. Mayo could change the culture of New York basketball provided his issues off the court don’t follow him. For the Knicks, having a good draft is extremely important because the margin of error is so slim. Without a second round pick, they dont have a chance to bring in a “diamond in the rough”.  In this situation, the options for the Knicks are limited. If they don’t get a pick in the top 2 or 3, and can’t take Derrick Rose, they can trade down to the 9th or 10th pick to take a guy like D.J. Augustin. In doing that, maybe they can aquire some more picks. A second rounder or two in a draft as deep as this one is a good way to rebuild a team.

Another option they have is to trade up to take Rose. Its no secret that the Heat are looking to take a big man. Why not give them either Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph along with the first round pick for Miami’s first round pick? Donnie Walsh has made it no secret that he wants to get this team under the salary cap. The only way they can do that is by letting contracts expire and trade away some of these albatross deals. After this coming season, there’s about $30 million coming off the books. With some smart moves and some sacrifice over the next few years, this may be a completely different Knicks team. There’s an old saying that goes, “It never rains every day.” This could be the beginning of a few sunny days for the Knicks.

The Boring team wins again

Much to fans dismay, the spurs win again. The New Orleans Hornets could not handle the pressure of Game 7 and lost to the spurs. The spurs looked like the “playoff spurs” that everyone knows them by.

Hornets had dominated the third quarters of their three previous home games in this series. This time, the Spurs, who have won four titles in the previous nine seasons, had an answer. It was their known attribute: stingy defense. After the 1st half, new Orleans were down by 9, the hornets they were down by 7 or more the rest of the game

Manu Ginobili scored 26 points, Tony Parker added 17 points,

West led the Hornets with 20 points, while Paul and Jannero Pargo each added 18.

Lakers Win again!

The Lakers win yet again, can anyone stop them? The main question is, are they going to the finals? I know they are hoping for the Hornets, because the spurs are a tough team to handle. With the MVP, it should be no problem.

Knicks Hire D’Antoni As New Coach

The Knicks have fianlly made a move and found a new coach!!!! Wait A Minute Thats Not Mark Jackson??????? Here we go again………..

 

The Hockey anaylsis that will make your head explode

Hi, my name is Steve Acarino, Ed bought me on board to write about hockey and all its joys for KIRS overtime because:

1. Ed needed to find someone interested in hockey and I am a hockey fan

2. I would have probably blackmailed Ed or resorted extortion (the X makes the word sound badass)anyway

3. Not many people at Old Westbury are interested in hockey 

  Now first I will give all you readers out there a runaround of what hockey is. You might have heard the word hockey before but not have recieved any details of how it is played. You also might have thought hockey was a type of pie, board game or slang for venareal disease but it is actually a sport typically but not always played on ice between teams of 6 players based around scoring goals (remember goals, those desires and aspirations you used to have?). Hockey has a considerable fanbase throughout much of North America, central and Eastern Europe.  Okay, we got that out of the way, you might remember hockey from your youth through the oscar winning films of ”The Mighty Ducks” series, where a group of ragtag youth hockey players are taken under the wing of Gordon Bombay played by Emilio Estavez become winners of their league champoinship, then in the end Charlie Sheen helps the Clevland Indians win the world series and sends Micheal Douglas to jail fortrading inside information on Wall Street…. sorry I got Emilio Estavez’s movies mixed up with Charlie Sheen movies since they are brothers.

 Wait a minute, this is an article about hockey so now to that. Righ now the NHL playoffs are in full swing with only 4 teams left in the conference championship round.  The Pittsuburgh Penguins and the Philidelphia Flyers are currently playing to represent the Eastern conference in the stanley cup.  The Penguins lead by Sidney Crosby, the NHL’s most markleted player and just as lethal Evgeni Malkin have a 2-0 lead over Philly.  The Penguins have been on fire in the playoffs and are 10-1 so far in their cup run.  While most of the attention goes towards Crosby and Malkin, the Pens are an incredibly deep team with the likes of Ryan Malone, Jordan Staal (brother of Rangers Marc Staal and Hurricanes Erik Staal), trade dedline aquisition Marian Hossa; vets Sergei Gonchar and  Gary Roberts. The Flayers made in to the conference with and improved offense and at times physical style of play lead by their biggest offseason additions Daniel Briere, Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell and young scorers like Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. So far the Pens have manager to go up 2-0 at home but the Flyers will definetly have an advantage in games 3 and 4 in Philly where almost all the fans plan to dress in orange (this practices is common in some hockey cities in calgary red is worn during playoff games and some teams plan “whieouts with all fans wearing white).  The Flyers may not have the services of defensemen Brayden Coburn but they will certainly make this a close saeries in my opinion but in the end the Penguins should be able to overwhelm the the Flyers in 5-6 games.  

  In the West the Detriot Red Wings are surging through the playoffs and are up 2-0 against the Dallas Stars.  This Detriot team is not one that has burned out in the playoffs after a terrifc regular season like they have the past seasons after they one the cup in 2002.  This is a relativley new but somewhat old package in the past five years Sergei Fedorov, Shannahan and Steve Yzerman have left  as Niklas Lindtrom now is the Wings captain.  The team has been lead on offense by Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk. However, some relativly newer faces like Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula and Nick Kronwall. In terms of goaltending the Dallas Stars are lead by Marty Turco one of the games best goalies, this howwever is the first postseason that Turco has managed to help push Dallas deep into while Detriot is lead by tested veterans Chris Osgood and Domminik Hasek. The wings have outplayed the stars the first two games and I am conviced we will se them in the cup most likley and hopefully against the Penguins as this would bring a lot of energy and pull to the NHL if the bet team faces the team with the two of NHL’s brightest starts that are Crosby and Malkin.

We’ll that wraps up my hockey review, I will hopefully be able to write another article soon, I hope I’ve shead some light on the dark cold bathroom floor that is your interest in hockey.

What makes a fan?

Recently, my fanhood has come into question. People, I’ll be honest with you. Questioning my fanhood can only lead to arguments and yelling. While I was thinking about how great a fan I am, I started thinking about what it is about me that makes me such a great fan. One thing that sticks out is my love for my favorite teams. I dont care how bad they are… I can’t hate them. Then I wouldn’t be a fan would I?

For example, the Knicks are horrendous. Absolutely horrible. At this point, things couldn’t get worse. If they did, I think the entire city block that MSG is on would implode. I grew up watching a good Knicks team. I grew up watching Ewing, Starks, Harper, and Oakley. A perennial playoff team. Now I have to watch Eddy Curry, Renaldo Balkman, and Marbury. And as I’m typing this, the Knicks have hired Mike D’Antoni. WHY!!! He’s an innovative coach, an offensive guru and thats good, but he’s got no one that runs on the team outside of the younger players. Coaches dont win games, players do. The coach has to fit the situation. By the way, Tom Thibodeau and Mark Jackson would be perfect for the Knicks.

But why should anyone still support the Knicks or any other bad team? One simple reason. Because being a fan means supporting your team through the ups and downs. Now, I’m not saying that I’m going to become a season ticket holder to Knicks games. I can’t afford it and I’m not about to sit through 41 home losses. But at the same time I can’t ignore them.  Essentially, wouldn’t I be lying to myself if I just all of a sudden started rooting for some other team?

Now,  you don’t have to be hardcore to be a fan. You don’t have to know everything about your team’s players. But is it wrong to be? Is it wrong if I know that Julio Lugo’s brother is a pitcher in the Mets minor league system? Is it wrong to know that Nate Robinson was an exceptional cornerback at the University of Washington? Is it wrong to know that Chris Snee is Tom Coughlin’s son in law. I say no. Its all part of the mystique of the sports world. Its what makes sports so great.  Being a fan isn’t just about supporting a team, because all it is, is laundry. Being a fan means being part of a collective, a brotherhood. Being a part of something thats way bigger than one individual. What good is home field advantage without the fans? Can Texas A&M or the Seattle Seahawks have the 12th Man without people in the stands? Of course not.

So the next time you notice that your team is teetering around .500 a month or two into the season, reconsider. Defend your fanhood.

Kobe Bryant 2007 – 2008 NBA MVP

The debate is over and the NBA’s Most Valuable Player is Los Angeles Lakers Guard Kobe Bryant. The 29 year old Bryant after 12 seasons in the league won his first MVP beating out New Orleans Hornets Guard Chris Paul. Bryant as shown in this interview is humbled by his first MVP Award and he didn’t even need a rapper to diss opponents on his way to the top.

 

Player	Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Pts
Kobe Bryant	LAL	82	32	10	2	0	1105
Chris Paul	NO	28	64	32	2	0	889
Kevin Garnett	Bos	15	23	56	26	1	670
LeBron James	Cle	1	7	28	77	8	438
Dwight Howard	Orl	0	0	0	7	39	60
Amaré Stoudemire	Phx	0	0	0	3	18	27
Tim Duncan	SA	0	0	0	2	19	25
Tracy McGrady	Hou	0	0	0	2	13	19
Steve Nash	Phx	0	0	0	4	6	18
Manu Ginobili	SA	0	0	0	0	9	9
Dirk Nowitzki	Dal	0	0	0	0	5	5
Deron Williams	Utah	0	0	0	0	4	4
Carmelo Anthony	Den	0	0	0	1	0	3
Paul Pierce	Bos	0	0	0	0	1	1
Rasheed Wallace	Det	0	0	0	0	1	1
Carlos Boozer	Utah	0	0	0	0	1	1
Antawn Jamison	Was	0	0	0	0	1	1

Big Brown Wins The 134th Kentucky Derby

In the annual running of The Kentucky Derby Big Brown the horse was victorious in taking the first leg of the triple crown. The celebration was dulled by the tragic collapse and euthanization (put to death) of Eight Belles the horse. In this sad situation one can only wonder who had the odds on the horse’s death?

Avery Johnson Out As Mavericks Coach

The interesting tenure of the “Little General” Avery Johnson has come to an end after getting the ax from team owner Mark Cuban. Johnson who took the Mavericks to the playoffs every year as Head Coach will be entertaining offers from possibly the Knicks or Bulls during the summer. I guess for Cuban its back to the dizzingly confusing unpredictable drawing board that does not rule out possibly trading josh howard’s soul for the spirit of Red Aurbech to coach just one more year.