The Knicks won a thrilling triple overtime game last night against the Suns. That win put the Knicks to 8-21....a half game ahead of Toronto for 4th place in the Atlantic Division and a half game ahead of Atlanta for the worst record in the NBA.
Yeah....8-21. This is a team who's payroll is $124M. That's is EASILY the highest payroll in the NBA. By comparison, the Dallas Mavericks have the second highest payroll at $96M. By further comparison...you could buy the payrolls of the 2005 NBA Finals teams, the Pistons [$58.3M] and Spurs [$63.7M], and have some change to spare for what the Knicks are paying.
What is this garbage?
There is some finanical relief coming soon. Antonio Davis [#13.8M] and Penny Hardaway [$15.7] are in their final years...and Allan Houston [who was cut in that Amnesty Rule to give luxury tax relief] will have his $20M removed from the books after the 2007 season. Still, you figure for $124M, you'd have some talent on that team to do a bit better than 8 wins in over two months of play.
Well, their big free agent acquision this summer, Jerome James, has been a huge disappointment. James signed a 5-yr $30M deal in the offseason....yet barely has played because he has essentially cashed out, got his big deal, and is content. Of course, this is a guy who's only real success came during last year's playoff series against Sacramento when he was a member of the Sonics. Well, James won't be playing much right now....and the Knicks have suspended him, indefinitely, for basically not giving a crap about his conditioning or anything else. Great catch Isiah!!!
Oh, here is another one. The Knicks took a chance on Eddy Curry....who the Knicks got from Chicago in a sign-and-trade deal. Curry had heart issues last season and missed the Bulls first playoffs since 1998. In the deal, the Knicks took on Antonio Davis' bad, but expiring contract, and gave up Tim Thomas, Mike Sweeney [who has pretty much matched Curry's output] and Jermaine Jackson.
But the topper is this....the Knicks dealt with all that their first round pick in 2006, with no conditions. What?!?!!? Yeah, the Knicks won't have their #1 pick next year....even if it is actually the #1 pick in the NBA Draft!!! They dealt it with no conditions. That is unheard of nowadays. Usually, an NBA team throws a stipulation out there that the draft pick cannot be a top 5 pick or something. New York didn't, though.....so despite the bad season, there won't be a cushy lottery pick to look forward to...and this could really backfire on them.
Just as the Nazr Mohammed trade to San Antonio for Malik Rose has. Or bringing Larry Brown in the coach this team.
Brown is a great coach....but Isiah KNEW that there were issues between Brown and Stephon Marbury. They glossed it all over, said the right things, but it is evident that they don't get along. Brown's dream job has turned into a nightmare and with his history, Brown won't be around when New York finally becomes financially stable. It seems that Larry Brown has already thrown in the towel. He has recently stated that rookies Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson will get a lot more playing time [Robinson and Lee started against the Suns]. He has started 19 different lineups.
Maybe the talent on the team finally clicks with what Larry Brown wants to do...and they make a run. Maybe pride sets in. Maybe a deal will get done that will help...errr...uh...ummm...never mind.
All I know is that at this rate, the Knicks are a 20-62 team that won't get a high draft pick and, essentially, paid $6.2M for each victory they got.
Good thing they charge an arm and a leg to see them play, eh?
GO TO AOL BLOGGER Knickerbockers 2005-2006 FOR A GREAT LOOK AT THE KNICKS PITIFUL SEASON.
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