Team Specific Thread: Knicks. - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Dooby · 10-17-2002, 08:50 AM

From time to time, we should have team specific threads sO that everyone can put their thoughts in one place.

As for the Knicks, I just have one thought: What the hell do they do now?

McDyess is done for the year & Spree has a broken hand. The team still has no point guard. One could say they should start to rebuild, but they are hopelessly over the cap and they have few, if any, tradable assets. I am at a loss. To me, the only possible remedy is a firesale: dump Spree for whatever you can get; dump Thomas; dump Harrington. Try and acquire draft picks and avoid taking long-term contracts.

As it stands, this team has a great big bag of nothing.

MavKikiNYC · 10-17-2002, 09:19 AM

<< As it stands, this team has a great big bag of nothing. >>

And it appears to be expanding.

Rhylan · 10-17-2002, 10:55 AM

This is what you get when you refuse to commit to true rebuilding because you're New York and you think you shouldn't have to.

Serves 'em right.

Dooby · 10-17-2002, 10:59 AM

Rhylan, you speak volumes. That is exactly NY's problem.

Rhylan · 10-17-2002, 12:08 PM

The plain fact of the matter is if they were in the Western Conference, they would have won 30 games each of the last three seasons.

Drbio · 10-17-2002, 01:48 PM

That's pretty optimistic Rhylan.

MavKikiNYC · 10-17-2002, 02:04 PM

<< This is what you get when you refuse to commit to true rebuilding because you're New York and you think you shouldn't have to.

Serves 'em right. >>

Not sure that's it.

In the past few years, little motivation on the part of ownership to acutally improve the team, because New York being New York, ticket demand was high enough to assure a sellout.

Plenty of support for rebuilding among NYKs fans, but corporate ownership seems to view success as a couple of playoff dates at MSG, and the Eastern Conference being the Eastern Conference, a team like the NYKs could suck and still make the playoffs.

Different landscape now, and they're going to see some empty seats at MSG--lots of 'em.

Fortunately the hoops gods seem to be conspiring against the Dolans' vision of mediocrity, which includes Scott Layden.

Base Line Guy · 10-17-2002, 02:23 PM

1 word.........LaBron.

BLG

Epitome22 · 10-18-2002, 05:57 PM

I certainly hope The Cavs get LeBron James instead of NY.

MavKikiNYC · 10-18-2002, 06:28 PM

Some NYKs fans are such losers that they want NY to pursue Lamar Odom, because they think the team needs to retool with some thug-style flayvuh.

And they wonder why it's come to this.....

Royalty_Inc · 10-19-2002, 04:09 PM

Maybe the Knicks should try to pull off a trade with Atlanta or Chicago. Both teams seem to have extra big men and even a decent point whom they might be able to exchange for Houston or Spree. I haven't checked the numbers yet to see what would work.

Perhaps a Henderson, Mohamad, Terry trade for Spreewell would work. Provided the Hawks believe that Dan Dickua is starting point guard material.

I still think the Knicks would be best off with Nick Van Excel who could very well challenge for league leader in points if he were on the squad.

The Royal One
[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-cool.gif[/img]

Drbio · 10-19-2002, 04:16 PM

The Knicks will suck this year regardless of what they do.

MavKikiNYC · 10-19-2002, 07:08 PM

NYKs are going to have to dismantle, one way or another.

They can either do it intentionally, managing some of the events, or they can let entropy take its course.

Either way,

<< The Knicks will suck this year regardless of what they do. >>

MavsFanFinley · 10-21-2002, 06:40 PM

Interesting.

Sprewell sues New York Post; Knicks suspend him for rehab violations

By HAL BOCK
AP Sports Writer
October 21, 2002

NEW YORK (AP) -- Latrell Sprewell was suspended by the New York Knicks on Monday for not following the team's instructions for rehabilitating his broken right hand.

The disciplinary move came on the same day that Sprewell's agent announced a $40 million lawsuit against the New York Post for its account of how he was injured.

Knicks president Scott Layden announced the suspension, which will cost Sprewell $140,000 in lost salary.

``We are very disappointed that we have to take these steps with Latrell, but his actions with regard to his rehabilitation have left us no choice.''

Already banished from the team until he can make ``a positive contribution,'' Sprewell will now be officially banned from Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night when the Knicks play the Utah Jazz.

Layden said Sprewell had failed to begin supervised workouts last week and had removed the splint from his hand without consulting team doctors.

``The team has no choice but to take this action at this time,'' Layden said.

The suspension will cost Sprewell 1/90th of his $12.6 million salary. He is under contract to the Knicks for two more seasons.

Sprewell's lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, seeks an additional $250,000 from the Post for the amount Sprewell was fined by the team for not reporting his injury promptly.

Sprewell has filed a formal appeal of that fine through the players' union. It was not immediately clear if he would also contest Monday's suspension.

Named in the suit was Post staff writer Marc Berman, who quoted two anonymous sources in an Oct. 4 story that said Sprewell was injured when he hit a wall while throwing a punch at a man whose girlfriend vomited aboard Sprewell's yacht.

``Those accounts are false and contributed to a breakdown in relations with the team, and contributed to the size of the fine,'' said Gist, who claimed that Sprewell's injury occurred when the player fell on the yacht.

Berman defended his story, saying it was accurate.

Gist said Sprewell was injured when he slipped and fell on his boat sometime after his birthday party on Sept. 8.

``I'm saying Latrell fell on his boat,'' Gist said. ``I don't know what he was doing -- steering or what. I know he was not fighting on the boat. It had nothing to do with a fight, and it had nothing to do with a party.''

Gist said Sprewell reported the injury to the Knicks when he arrived at the team's training facility on Sept. 30. He said the team considered the injury minor but ordered X-rays as a precaution.

The X-rays revealed a displaced fracture of the pinkie bone below the knuckle, and Sprewell had surgery and a pin inserted.

Gist denied Knicks' claims that Sprewell withheld notification of the injury from the team.

``In fact, they did know,'' the attorney said. ``They told Latrell not to talk to the press. They suppressed communication. There was an attempt to sweep it under the rug.''

Sprewell did not attend the news conference, instead driving to suburban Greenburgh after the Knicks summoned him to their practice facility. Gist said he had received several calls late Sunday night from Layden.

``He was vehemently opposed to the cast being off,'' Gist said. ``He wanted Latrell in first thing this morning to have (trainer) Mike Saunders replace the splint.''

Gist said the splint had been uncomfortable, and since the pin is scheduled to be removed on Tuesday, Sprewell decided to remove the cast over the weekend.

``It is essential that Latrell follow the rehabilitation program developed for him by our medical and training staffs, so his injury heals and he gets back in playing shape as soon as possible, and to date he has not done that,'' Layden said. ``On several occasions during the past week, Latrell has defied team instructions and the terms of his contract with regard to his rehabilitation.

``He failed to begin supervised workouts last week as he was instructed to do, and more recently removed the splint from his hand without consulting with the team doctors,'' Layden said.

Sprewell was New York's second-leading scorer last season, averaging 19.4 points. His absence has left the Knicks without two of their best players, as Antonio McDyess went down with a season-ending knee injury in the team's third exhibition game.

Rhylan · 10-21-2002, 07:21 PM

like sands through the hourglass...

can we just contract the Knicks?

MavKikiNYC · 10-22-2002, 08:55 AM

Anybody know if it's prohibited by CBA or something for teams to sue players?