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who's Mark???

Lakerfan24 | 05/13/08, 05:50 AM

Plan to resurrect the Knicks franchise: Convert it to the present-day Suns.
It's not a bad plan at all, if Phoenix goes along with it.
The Washington Wizards did the same thing by morphing into the Warriors. They simply took in all the Warriors star players. Since the Warriors of the past did not care about building a dynasty, they let all those players go. Money saved by coming off the Salary Cap. Good riddance.
Hopefully, Phoenix is smart enough not to cooperate. However, they may do so if they decide to start a new rebuilding era. After all, they may figure that giving up players to the Knicks is better than giving them up to a Western Conference competitor.
- JL

Jay L. | 05/13/08, 06:02 AM

hmmmmm why not Shaq to NY?? "mark" also craved for Shaq in PHX, didn't he??

ESPN | 05/13/08, 06:09 AM

Hmm. If Nash and the other Suns really enjoy playing for D'Antoni, they can do everything in their power to go to NY and basically re-create the Suns team on the East Coast.
Nash would need to make a pact with 2-3 other players, such as Diaw, Barbosa, Amare, etc Each of them would have to make a solemn oath - preferably signed with his own blood - that he will opt out of his contract as soon as possible and only play for New York. Each player can also make it clear to the Phoenix management that he wants a trade to NY, and can start playing lousy, creating problems in the locker room, etc until Kerr and the management relents.
There are only 2 problems with such a plan:
- The time it takes to execute. Some players may not be able to leave for 1-2 years, and that means Nash is 2 years older and closer to retirement.
- The plan backfiring. As usually happens with these plans, one or two of the players will be tempted not to keep his part of the bargain. Even if he is traded, the player may decide to take a more lucrative offer with a different team, or join a team that is already a title contender.
That's why it is unlikely that the plan would succeed, but if the Phoenix players really want to stay together, they would be discussing such a scheme.
- JL

Jay L. | 05/13/08, 06:32 AM

Works for me, better time zone for me to watch my countrymen play. Too bad it didn't start in New York, where they'd have/spend the money to have kept the team and draft picks together in the first place.

Sports_Fan_19 | 05/13/08, 07:07 AM

Steve Nash playing for the Knicks? Possible but, not likely. I mean come on the Suns are a Playoff team, if Nash goes to the Knicks it could possibly be a while before they could get to the Playoffs. On the other hand they could pull a Celtics, have one of their best records ever and be fighting in the Playoffs trying to make it to the Finals. But of course which one seems more likely here.... Nash would be great for the Knicks but, if they can't get him, Rose would be good enough. D'Antoni sure has his hands full....

Real Sports | 05/13/08, 07:12 AM

Acquiring Nash now, at his age, is NOT the answer. The Knicks would be better served to wait two years when most of their ridiculous contracts (Marbury's included) come off the books and guys like LeBron and DWade are free agents.

Vikingfan | 05/13/08, 07:21 AM

Vikingfan - that's probably the best plan, but it shows that the Knicks are at least 4 years away from being legitimate contenders.
Your math proves it - 2 years to acquire star players, and 2 years for those players to gel and learn to play with each other.
The current Celtics show that a team can turn into a contender simply by acquiring a couple superstar players, but the team cannot go far into the playoffs for another year or two, because the team needs to get used to playing with each other. The SI article about the Celtics talks about that.
- JL

Jay L. | 05/13/08, 08:07 AM

LOL

notbychoice | 05/13/08, 08:13 AM

About the picture - if you look at the bottom left, you see the NBA lettering and logo in a shiny yellow-greenish color. Is it meant to be that color, or is the camera distorting the color? Are the lettering and logo meant to shine like that? It's cool, kind of like a neon sign.
- JL

Jay L. | 05/13/08, 08:30 AM

Nash cannot be that crazy...

drj0514 | 05/13/08, 08:43 AM

Jay, the picture is distorted because of the angle and the lighting. It's an electronic promo board that scrolls on the scoring table at halfcourt. As far as Nash goes, I've never been a big fan of his, and have always thought that he was successful because of the guys around him. A move to New York wouldn't really help the Knicks. He doesn't play any defense and needs guys that can hit open shots and that are athletic enough to finish at the rim. The Knicks don't have much of either.

Hoffa The Great | 05/13/08, 09:17 AM

First off, you cant watch a kid play one season on a loaded team and say he is going to be the next point guard sensation at the next level. Second, Steve Nash is too old to consider a rebuilding phase, its pretty much become a very, very small window for him to win. Third, Just cause your the worst team, doesn't give you the first pick in the NBA draft. Good luck in the lottery, I hope just for Sh!tts sake you get the last lottery pick, so everyone can see just how great a coach you really are.

jandssports | 05/13/08, 09:31 AM

I forgot it's the NBA page where people make up little stories in their head about trades that will never happen. I particularly love Jay L.'s breakdown of how clandestine agreements between players works, did you just make up that whole thing? How can you say something like, "as usually happens with these plans...?"

Nash will not go to New York. He wants a championship, his NBA career hasn't sunk so deep that the quicksand known as the Knicks are his last option - like his old coach D'Antoni (my least favorite coach, a terrible PR guy especially compared to their other highly respectable option they left at the alter, is NY trying to make it impossible to like them even as loveable losers?)

Of course Nash would help, and immensely. He'd instantly be their most accomplished and talented player. The Knicks are one of the weakest teams at the 1 (Well I guess at every position, bafflingly despite having the highest pay roll) and he???s down to take a pay cut. His passion and leadership would offset his lack of defensive ability since the Knicks don't have a single player with either. But they don't like winning if my memory of the last few seasons serves me correctly.

dynamic | 05/13/08, 09:34 AM

D'antoni should have just stayed in Phoenix...seems like he wants to replicate the Suns in NY.

waTCH Me! | 05/13/08, 09:35 AM

Hoffa, the Suns are nothing without Nash, look how Marion revived the Heat when he went their... oh wait, he sucked didn't he.... Amare finally learned to shoot a little this year, so you may be right, but he shined because Shaq took all the pressure off of him. Which Im sure you'll scream about what a hasbeen the Deisel is, but check the numbers before and after the trade, and tell me its not night and day for Amare. As for your statement of him needing people to hit the open shot, show me a point guard that doesn't?

jandssports | 05/13/08, 09:36 AM

d'antoni wanted to get away from phx mainly because of the inability to see eye to eye with steve kerr (yeah, that was a smart move by phx too). nevertheless, if the knicks do acquire nash... it will be perfectly in line with the rest of their asinine roster moves over the last few years.

vewyphishy | 05/13/08, 09:40 AM

And how would the Knicks acquire Nash from the Suns? With their "great roster", what could they give up?

jj730 | 05/13/08, 09:41 AM

As for your statement of him needing people to hit the open shot, show me a point guard that doesn't?
jandssports | 05/13/08, 09:36 AM
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Great point, although I would add that Nash is one of the best shooters in the league, and from all points on the floor (FT, FG%, 3 pt%) he could be the best. He can hit his own open shot.

dynamic | 05/13/08, 09:49 AM

Steve will sell tickets but they won`t win a championship. Age catches up quickly on point guards. Parker and Paul are blowing by him.And Rose is coming.Love Steve but his best days are past.

venicekid | 05/13/08, 09:54 AM