Should They Stay or Should They Go?

Wilson Chandler

Mardy Collins

Jamal Crawford

Eddy Curry

Chris Duhon

Danilo Gallinari

Jerome James

Jared Jefferies

David Lee

Stephon Marbury

Zach Randolph

Quentin Richardson

Anthony Roberson

Nate Robinson

Malik Rose

Duhon: The Anti-Marbury

At first I wasn't thrilled with the Chris Duhon signing. He was a career backup who had never done anything to really earn a starting position with a new team. The more I think about it and watch him play, I realize that Chris Duhon is the anti-Stephon Marbury.

Appearance

Marbury is bald and covered in tatoos, while Duhon has hair and clean skin.

Offense

Starbury has a clear edge in scoring, but Duhon is an unselfish point guard who can get the ball to his teammates. Early on in one preseason game Duhon noticed that David Lee hadn't scored yet, so he told Lee he would set him up next time down the floor, and sure enough he did. Stephon has had some spectacular offensive performances, scoring as much as 50 points and dishing out 20 assists in single games, but he has always been more concerned about his own stats than those of his teammates.

Defense

Chris Duhon is by all accounts a solid defender. Stehpon Marbury has never played defense in his career.

Locker room

Marbury has been a locker room disturbance in just about every city he has played in. Earlier in his career he was traded from Minnesota because he wasn't getting along with Kevin Garnett, and everyone knows about his recent fiascoes with Isiah and the Knicks. Let's just say Chis Duhon is unlikely to bolt across the country and miss a game because D'Antoni tells him he will not be starting.

Price

Let's face it. At $5.5 million a year, Duhon is a bargain compared to Marbury's (t-2nd highest in NBA) $21.9 million.

Off the court

Duhon has a reputation as a partyer, but at least he keeps it in the clubs and not the backseat of an SUV.

We all know what Stephon Marbury has done to Knicks, so if Chis Duhon truly is the anti-Marbury, then that could only mean good things. Right?

Danilo's Back

Danilo Gallinari is only 20 years old, yet to play a game for the Knicks, and he is already experiening back pain.  No word yet on whether it will affect him once the season starts, but he will be reporting to training camp in Saratoga Springs on Sept. 30. I like Gallinari, and I was one of the few who supported the pick, but it is not a good sign to be suffering from nagging injuries this early in his career.

Deal on the table

Multiple sources claim that Memphis has propsed a deal that would send Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric to the Knicks for Zach Randolph.  As much as I want to get rid of Randolph, I'm still optimistic that the Knicks can get something better than the Serbian duo of Darko and Marko.  Darko was a bust as a number two overall draft pick, but is still young and might fit well in Mike D'Antoni's system.  He would also provide shotblocking and would be the only true 7-footer on the team (other than Jerome James who doesn't really count).  Marko Jaric is the deal killer for me.  His contract will extend into the 2010 season, hurting the Knicks' chances for a big-time free agent.  Donnie Walsh needs to try to get Memphis to throw in one of their young point gurads, like Kyle Lowry or Javaris Crittenton, or a future draft pick.  I understand Randolph is a bit of a team cancer, but the guy produces 20 and 10 every night, something very few players in this league can do.  

Ewing a Knick

Patrick Ewing Jr. was traded to the Knicks for the draft rights to Frederic Weis.

Yes, that Frederic Weis. Ewing Jr. was acquired by the Houston Rockets through the Ron Artest trade, but they were likely to release him because he had a non-guaranteed contract and the team's roster is full. The Knicks also have a full roster, so Ewing will have to earn a spot at training camp, unless there is another trade before the season starts (Zach Randolph possibly). At 6'8 and the small forward position, Ewing Jr. isn't the player his father was. He is actually a very similar player to Renaldo Balkman and can help fill that void. Like Balkman he is sure to be a crowd favorite, on his name alone. He is strong defensivly, brings a lot of energy, but he is a better shooter than Balkman.

Knicks and the future

So far I like what Donnie Walsh is doing to rebuild this team. He is staying adamant about getting under the salary cap for 2010, in the hopes of luring free agent LeBron James away from Cleveland, and Brooklyn, and Europe (really?). These are the necessary steps to improve this Knicks team:

1. Get under salary cap
To do this they most likely need to move Zach Randolph. There is still time to trade him before the season, possibly to Memphis who has available cap space. If they aren't able to find a fair trade, they should showcase him during the season to try to trade him before the deadline. If they aren't able to do this they still have next summer to get a deal done.



2. Get top draft picks
The Knicks will probably be a lottery team next season, and they should use their draft pick to acquire a promising young point guard. Two of the top options are Brandon Jennings, who made the unprecedented move to bypass college and play a year professionally in Italy, and Ricky Rubio, a young Spaniard who is being called the next Pistol Pete.


3. Sign LeBron in 2010
This might be the hardest part of the plan. The competition is Cleveland, New Jersey/Brooklyn, and Europe if a team is willing to offer King James a $50 million/year contract. LeBron is an Ohio native, and the Cavs will certainly do everything they can to keep him in Cleveland. LeBron is close with Nets owner Jay-Z, and he could become the face of the franchise of the new Brooklyn Nets after they make the move from Jersey. LeBron should definitely be the Knicks' top priority in 2010, but if they are unable to sign him there are other free agents available such as Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh, so it isn't a risky all or nothing move.

Allan Houston Comeback

Allan Houston is considering another comeback to the NBA this season, and it might be with the Knicks. Donnie Walsh is interested and "would like to talk" with Houston. He has been sidelined with knee injuries since 2005. At 37 years old, I don't know if Houston has anything left in the tank, but he could provide some veteran leadership in the locker room, as he is a remaining link from the Knicks last winning team.