<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MrJ:</div><div class="quote_post">I disagree. I think at least three of those guys can easily become consistent starters. Channing Frye is probably going to be on the All-Rookie First Team and Nate Robinson has a good chance of making it to the Second Team. If given consistent minutes, it won't be a stretch to imagine David Lee averaging close to a double-double. Jackie Butler has shown signs of becoming a pretty good big man in this league and Qyntel Woods has been producing nicely this season.</div>
Who cares about the All Rookie teams? Frye has shown absolutely nothing besides a midrange jumper. And I mean absolutely nothing. No rebounding, no defense, no shot blocking, no low post game, no special ability to pass the ball and no ability to create his own shot. Nate Robinson is a 5'7" shooting guard. It's hard enough for a player of that stature to start when he can run the point let alone when he's a shooting guard. Nate Robinson will most certainly not be a starter in this league unless he finds himself alongside a point guard in a shooting guard's body. David Lee could indeed average a double double but so can Reggie Evans and he isnt a consistent starter. Butler has shown flashes but not enough to think he'll be a quality starter. A nice backup? Yes. Starter? No. And I doubt that Qyntel Woods will ever start on a good team.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MrJ:</div><div class="quote_post">We don't have our lottery pick, but we do have a 20th pick and a 29th pick. I remember you were pretty high on Souza and Fernandez. You even said one of them had All-Star potential and both can contribute right away, so don't try to downplay that. The pick to Phoenix (which now belongs to Utah) is lottery protected until 2010. The other pick is swappable and as it stands, the Bulls will be better than us. However, I'm not going to say what is to happen next year because we don't know.We are over the cap, but always have some huge expiring contracts every year, so we can be in the position to trade for All-Star players every year. We will be bad for a very long time if nothing is done. But the development of our young players is what will make us better.</div>
Souza does indeed have All Star potential and he can also be a huge dud. At this point it's impossible to say which one is more likely. But since the Knicks are picking at the end of the first round it makes sense to pick him because of his upside but I wouldnt bet the farm on it. Rudy Fernandez is more of a complimentary player. It is unlikely that he'll ever be a star. And in case you havent noticed, All Stars that get traded for expiring contracts usually have alot of baggage. You want to count on a bunch of future role players and career reserves with the future of this franchise?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MrJ:</div><div class="quote_post">Why can't five promising players make a difference? As I said before, Channing Frye and Nate Robinson are probably going to be on the All-Rookie Teams. I think two rookies with two 30-point games in a season each can turn out to be more than just reserves, don't you? David Lee, Qyntel Woods, and Jackie Butler have shown signs of becoming future starting-quality players. Your ridiculously underestimating our young core. Trust me, I know Jermaine O'Neal is capable of turning this team around, but he's also 28, showing signs of breaking down, and has underperformed in the playoffs for the past couple of years. At least if we don't trade our entire young core, we have something to fall back on if O'Neal gets injured. We can't put all of our eggs in one basket, especially ones with holes in them. The move is more medium-high risk and high reward.</div>
Five future career reserves dont really add up to much. I'm sorry. They simply dont. I said my piece about Frye and Robinson. I dont care about their numbers. I watch them play and draw my conclusions about their future based on their play. Frye is extremely limited other than knocking down the midrange jumper when someone else draws a double team. If that is the extent of a player's game then they are role players. Anybody, role player or All Star, can score 30 points if they get enough shots. Robinson's inability to run the point guarantees he will come off the bench on just a regular bad team. Butler will almost certainly be a career reserve on a playoff team and the same goes for David Lee. How am I underestimating them? Do you disagree that Robinson cant run the point? Do you disagree that all Frye can do is knock down wide open midrange jumpshots? Tell me how I'm underestimating them?
Would you rather be bad and keep the young players? Because what you're suggesting is a lose-lose situation. The goal isnt to stock up on as many young players as possible. The point is to win. Frye, Lee, Butler, Woods, Robinson will not get this team into the playoffs. They just wont. They simply dont have what it takes. They may turn into solid backups but that's it. If we do my proposed trade then the Knicks could be really good or they could be really bad. If nothing happens then the Knicks will be really bad for a very long time. I dont know about you but I'd much rather pull a big trade off and give myself the chance to be successful than do nothing and stay bad. But that's just me.
Anyway I think Isiah Thomas should be fired.
