Rasheed Wallace will reportedly come out of retirement to play for the New York Knicks (Ball Don’t Lie)

 Miami  No Responses »
Sep 282012
 

Breaking news: Rasheed Wallace is back in the NBA, and the Knicks are still the Knicks.
Wallace, who was last seen waddling up the court for the Boston Celtics in June of 2010, is due to sign a training camp contract with the team as coach Mike Woodson fleshes out his roster. The 38-year old could make up to $1.7 million this year if he makes the team, according to the New York Post . The New York Daily News’ Frank Isola was the first to report that Wallace took a physical on Thursday. I was the first to feign surprise to one of my cats that Wallace passed the physical.
Marc Berman of the New York Post characterizes this as a “no risk” move for New York, and he’s just about correct in that regard. The versatile big man’s contract is worth a relative pittance to a team that will already be on the hook for a nearly $80 million payroll even before taking Wallace on, as the team long ago committed to a massive salary structure even without matching Jeremy Lin’s poison pill deal he eventually signed with Houston. At his best, Wallace will use his significant old man gifts (gifts he employed even in his early 20s) and all-around hoop smarts to contribute to the Knicks’ bench. At worst, he’ll just sit on the Knicks bench.
Because as long as you don’t count on Rasheed Wallace, your team should be in fine shape. The Knicks are hardly championship material, and they won’t be counting on Rasheed Wallace; so Sheed won’t have a chance to disappoint yet another team banking on great things.

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Jeremy Lin: How Point Guard Fits into Current Rockets Roster

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Jul 162012
 

It appears that Jeremy Lin will go to the Houston Rockets, with the New York Knicks unwilling to match Houston’s offer sheet, according to New York Post reporter Marc Berman.

One NBA source insisted the Knicks, with Felton’s addition, will not match Lin’s new, ramped-up $25 million offer sheet from the Rockets. The Knicks will have three days to reconsider amid a potential backlash.

Lin’s situation in Houston would certainly be different than the one he was a part of with the Knicks last season. New York is the largest media market in the world. Houston isn’t the middle of nowhere, but it isn’t New York by any stretch.

The Knicks have two star-caliber names in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire on their roster. Houston doesn’t have a star player to speak of despite their relentless pursuit of Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

Lin would have to adjust to a different atmosphere, but more importantly, the roster is composed in a different way. His ability to adjust to his new surroundings will determine how well he meshes with his new teammates.

Let’s take a look.

 

Backcourt

Houston’s other point guards are Toney Douglas, Gary Forbes and Earl Boykins. Lin will be the immediate starter, while Douglas and Forbes battle for primary backup duties.

Playing next to Lin in the backcourt would be Kevin Martin, rookie Jeremy Lamb and possibly Courtney Lee (if he doesn’t land elsewhere). Lin meshed well with high-volume shooters last season so Martin won’t provide much of an adjustment. Meanwhile, Lamb’s sweet stroke would present the same chemistry and Lee’s cut from a defensive mold and provides quality play off the bench.

Martin has been in Houston for two years, and he’s the leader in the backcourt. Lin would provide a solid option alongside Martin’s shooting ability.

The rest of Houston’s backcourt is unproven, but Lamb has considerable upside. Lin would fit well into this unproven group.

 

Frontcourt

The Rockets’ forwards are also young. Rookies Royce White and Terrence Jones figure to play key roles at the forward spots and a handful of unproven young performers will vie for time at center.

I think Lin and White would work wonders together. Lin is a wonderful pick-and-roll player, and White has the skills needed to play in that offense. His versatility would be very dangerous with Lin running the show.

Other Rockets forwards Lin could have to work with are Chandler Parsons, Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris. Again, that’s another young and mostly unproven bunch.

Lin won’t have a Carmelo-like presence in Houston, but he will have an exciting group of young players (much like himself) playing next to him. The Rockets will also get big contributions from Martin and Patterson on offense.

Houston isn’t a playoff team in this situation, but it would be a great fit for Lin as a player.

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NBA Free Agents 2012: Adding Jeremy Lin Would Be Huge for Houston Rockets

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Jul 152012
 

Late Saturday night, word began to circulate that the New York Knicks had worked out a deal to acquire point guard Raymond Felton from the Portland Trail Blazers through a sign-and-trade agreement. That deal likely spells the end of Jeremy Lin‘s time in New York, which means he’s almost certainly headed to Houston to play for the Rickets. 

While Lin’s three-year, $25 million deal with Houston is expensive, the Rockets are desperately in need of a point guard, and bringing Linsanity to town would be a huge coup both on and off the court. 

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that several sources have claimed that the Knicks won’t match Lin’s offer. 

After trading Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raptors and allowing unrestricted free agent Goran Dragic to walk away and join the Phoenix Suns, the Rockets are now desperate for a point guard. While Lin has his faults, he is a solid point guard who can be spectacular at times. He is certainly worth the risk the Rockets are taking on him.

Lin’s deal with the Rockets will pay him $5 million in the first year, $5.225 million in the second and a whopping $14.8 million in the third. It is a gigantic risk financially for Houston to spend that kind of money on a guy who only has 25 career starts, but from a marketing perspective, bringing Linsanity to town could be huge. 

During Lin’s breakout season in 2011-2012, he averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game. He played in 35 games (starting 25) and helped boost New York’s run to a playoff berth. 

Now it looks like Lin will be tasked with running the point in Houston, where he could be the team’s alpha dog already. This would be a huge development for the Rockets.

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New York Knicks Reportedly Close to Acquiring Raymond Felton

 New York  No Responses »
Jul 142012
 

The New York Knicks are close to working out a sign-and-trade with the Portland Trail Blazers that would bring point guard Raymond Felton back to the Big Apple, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Knicks close to obtaining point guard Raymond Felton in sign and trade with Blazers, source tells Y! Sports.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 15, 2012

According to Alex Kennedy of Hoops World, such a move to bring Felton back to New York could mean the Knicks allow Jeremy Lin to leave for Houston where the Rockets have made him a substantial offer.

The Knicks are considering signing UFA Raymond Felton and letting RFA Jeremy Lin walk to the Rockets, a source close to situation confirms.

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) July 15, 2012

The contract offer mentioned above would pay Lin around $5 million for the first two seasons of the deal and then would jump to around $14 million in his third year. Such a deal, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, has made the Knicks unhappy and reluctant to match because of their current salary cap situation.

Originally, Houston offered Lin a deal that would pay him $9 million during the third season of the contract, but the Rockets decided to sweeten the offer in order to scare the Knicks away.

And it might have worked.

Per the same report from Berman, the Knicks would be well over the salary cap and into luxury tax territory if they matched the Rockets’ offer for Lin. Come 2014-15, the Knicks would have around $87 million wrapped up in just eight players.

Apparently that’s too rich even for the Knicks’ blood. That’s most likely the driving force behind this new push to acquire Felton who would be the cheaper, more proven alternative to Lin.

While Felton has compiled seven seasons of stats to go by, Lin has played in only 35 games as a Knick, 25 of which were starts. Felton would be a more short-term, less-risky venture for New York to take on.

Felton flourished as a member of the Knicks back in the 2010-11 season under then coach, Mike D’Antoni. Felton averaged 17 points and nine assists per game which were numbers that far surpassed anything the 28-year-old had done before.

He would later be included in the trade that brought Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks, thus ending his tenure in New York.

The only question is if Felton can produce numbers similar to those without playing in a point guard-friendly system like D’Antoni’s. However, that question is also very much valid for Lin who played his best basketball under D’Antoni as well.

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NBA Rumors: J.R. Smith Right to Disregard Money to Play for New York Knicks

 New York  No Responses »
Jul 142012
 

It’s all about the money, right? 

In J.R. Smith’s case, not so much. 

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Smith had other options with more money, but he wanted to play with Jason Kidd and the New York Knicks. 

Smith is making the right move to disregard the money in order to win a championship. 

The decision was all about playing with Kidd, according to Berman. 

“Wherever J-Kidd is, that’s where I’m at. That’s where I want to be. I love his game, said Smith. “I don’t know him personally. I love his demeanor toward the game, how serious he takes the game. I heard he’s one of the best teammates. He’s a class act from what I understand.’’

Who wouldn’t want to play with a guy who has 11,842 assists? Playing with a point guard who is pass-first is comforting to a scoring guard. He knows he’s getting the ball in the right parts of the floor and in shooting motion, which places him in perfect rhythm.

Playing with Jeremy Lin didn’t provide that for Smith. Lin always had the ball in his hands, looking to score first. According to Berman, Smith wants J-Kidd by his side, not Lin.

J.R. Smith says he doesn’t care if he starts, just wants to be paired with Kidd, not Lin in backcourt tandem nyp.st/N7nMpM

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) July 14, 2012

From a shooting guard, I can see why he would want something like that. Kidd provides leadership, experience, consistency and a winning attitude. 

Lin provides youth, inexperience, energy and a whole lot of buzz. Sometimes even too much buzz.

With Kidd, Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, J.R. Smith and others, the Knicks are a loaded team capable of making noise in the Eastern Conference.

Smith would have been out of his mind to join another team if his idea was to win a championship. There are only a handful of teams with as much talent as New York.

He wants to be a part of the team that turns that talent into playoff series victories on the basketball court. 

Smith choosing the Knicks and not the money was the right decision to make. 

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Report: New York Knicks Sign Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland from Overseas

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Jul 112012
 

While the New York Knicks have limited finances to fill roster spots, GM Glen Grunwald thinks he may have found two solutions playing overseas. 

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported Wednesday morning that New York had made an offer to the Spanish League point guard Pablo Prigioni. The 35-year-old point guard’s agent, George Bass, later confirmed stating, “I’ve been talking to Glen Grunwald for about four, five years…This is the year it got done.”

In the 2011-12 season for Spain, Prigioni averaged 27.7 minutes per game. During his time on the court, he averaged 6.6 points with 3.9 assists per game. Here is a highlight reel of his (might I suggest muting the music?). The point guard does not look too bad here. 

While that is not starting material, it provides even more depth to the point guard position. In Berman‘s report, he says that Prigioni‘s agent says that his client “is a pass before he shoots point guard similar to new teammate Jason Kidd.’ With scoring options like Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, it’ll be interesting to see how good his judgement is. 

This wasn’t the only signing the Knicks would complete on Wednesday.

According to HoopsHype.com, the New York Knicks have signed 28-year-old forward Chris Copeland—who? 

Copeland went to college at Colorado and played the forward positions as a member of the Buffaloes. After his senior year of college, the 6’9″ big man went overseas, where he is currently playing. 

In the Belgian League for the Generali Okapi Aalstar, Copeland averaged 21.8 points per game along with 5.5 rebounds.

You can check out some of his moves in this clip where he exploded for 45 points. 

The deal, according to a tweet from Ian Begley of ESPN, is not guaranteed; however, the big man will be at Knicks training camp with the chance of making the team. 

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NBA Rumors: Knicks and JR Smith Reportedly Agree to 2-Year Contract

 New York  No Responses »
Jul 102012
 

J.R. Smith is returning to the Big Apple for at least one more season.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the mercurial shooting guard has settled down with the New York Knicks for a second straight year.

J.R. Smith done seeking offers and has accepted #Knicks 20-percent bump to $2.8M. Second year is player option.

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) July 10, 2012

Smith, who spent most of the 2011 season with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China, made a prorated portion of a $2.5 million contract when he returned to the United States and joined the Knickerbockers.

Now, after putting up 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 40 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc in 35 regular season games, Smith is going to get a 20 percent raise and some job security via a player option for the 2013-14 season.

The 6’6”, 220-pound New Jersey native was an integral part of the Knicks bench—which was nicknamed Mob Deep—and obviously the organization is looking to keep that core together.

New York is also going to be making a strong push to retain emergent point guard Jeremy Lin and have already re-signed three-point specialist Steve Novak. It also added veteran center Marcus Camby to the roster to give depth behind the incumbent Defensive Player of the Year, Tyson Chandler.

This stability on the roster, plus the removal of the interim tag from head coach Mike Woodson’s title, should lead to an improved record, as the Knicks were only 36-30 in the lockout shortened season and earned the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.

However, the team did manage to win its first playoff game since 2001, but was defeated by the eventual NBA champions, the Miami Heat, 4-1 in the first round of the postseason.

Expect the Knicks to make big strides in the 2012-13 season, and re-signing J.R. Smith is definitely going to play a role in that resurgence. 

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NBA Free Agency Rumors: Matching Jeremy Lin’s Offer Sheet Right Move for Knicks

 New York  No Responses »
Jul 062012
 

Jeremy Lin must remain a big part of the New York Knicks‘ future.

Even though the team agreed to a deal with veteran point guard Jason Kidd and the Houston Rockets made an aggressive offer sheet proposal to Lin, anything other than matching that sheet would be a massive mistake by the Knicks front office.

Speculation about Lin’s future has been all over the place since the Rockets’ offer, but Marc Berman of the New York Post reports the Knicks are planning to match. His sources don’t even think the team will have any second thoughts about it.

Lin dominated the sports landscape for about three weeks last season, a period that will forever be known as “Linsanity.” Eventually the hype died down, but he still continued to grow as a player.

Although a knee injury cut his breakout season short, his numbers were impressive. He finished the campaign averaging 15 points and six assists while shooting 45 percent from the floor. The fan favorite also made several clutch shots, including a memorable game-winner against the Toronto Raptors.

Those are solid numbers for just about any player in the league. When you consider he wasn’t able to hold down a steady job leading up to that point, it becomes an even more astonishing. It’s clear he’s got a lot of game.

The biggest concern was his high turnover rate, but a lack of NBA experience played a major role in that. Once he gets more comfortable, which should happen at some point next season, that number will drop pretty significantly.

That’s especially true when you consider he’ll be learning a lot from Kidd. The 39-year-old guard has enjoyed a long and prosperous career ever since getting drafted second overall back in 1994. He should be the perfect mentor.

The 23-year-old Harvard product clearly has enough talent to become far more than a flash in the pan, but he needs to learn the finer points of the position. Things like controlling the pace of the game and limiting turnovers during crunch time are what Kidd will attempt to teach him.

There will still be some growing pains. After all, he’s only entering his second full season. Things are definitely trending in the right direction, though, and the Knicks know how valuable he can be if his development continues.

In a league where young point guards are hard to come by—proven by the massive deal given to Deron Williams—the Knicks can’t afford to let Lin slip away after such a promising start.

All told, matching the offer isn’t only the wise move, it’s a no-brainer.

 

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Jeremy Lin Rumors: New York Knicks Must Forget About Nash and Bow to Lin

 New York  No Responses »
Jul 052012
 

It’s been a rough 24 hours for the New York Knicks as they’ve lost out on two-time MVP Steve Nash and could be in a position where they have to severely overpay to keep Jeremy Lin in town.

Lin’s potential signing of a Rockets offer sheet will make it extremely costly to bring back the overnight sensation. But the Knicks are at the point where James Dolan must bow down to Linsanity and keep him at all costs.

A $30 million plus contract for a guy that has 25 starts under his belt, well, that re-defines the definition of Linsanity.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, multiple sources said the Knicks will match any Lin offer sheet, but unpredictable owner James Dolan has the final say and frets about luxury-tax implications.

Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald has said repeatedly he will match any offer, but that offer would put the Knicks in a very bad spot with the luxury tax.

Just considering the possibilities in three years of Lin, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler all earning over $10 million a season, the Knicks will be over the luxury tax with just four players on their roster.

Grunwald also didn’t make Lin an offer at the start of free agency. Had he offered Lin the maximum, four years, $23 million in the Early-Bird exception, this situation could potentially be over by now.

But now the Knicks are in a bad spot.

After striking out on Nash, the Knicks can’t afford to say no to whatever Lin wants.

Especially if the attitude is a win-now one. They have to take their chances on Lin becoming a quality NBA point guard, even if he’s way overpaid.

Dolan is in a worse spot.

Looking forward, it makes little sense to jeopardize the future to overpay Lin, but Dolan’s never been accused of being smart.

Just the public relations disaster alone will haunt Dolan, much less the money lost on jersey sales, endorsements, etc.

It will be too costly to allow him to walk. Dolan created this situation by throwing $100 million at Stoudemire, then acquiring Anthony and signing Chandler. There just isn’t room for four big contracts.

Yet the losses if Lin leaves could be even greater than the profits by keeping him.

Dolan has no choice at all.

He has to match Lin’s offer and figure out how to avoid the luxury tax in a couple of years.

That also means the Knicks window to win a championship will be much smaller, so Dolan needs to do whatever it takes, even if that means bowing down to Linsanity.

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Knicks Rumors: Jeremy Lin Would Be Foolish to Sign Rockets’ Offer Sheet

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Jul 052012
 

Jeremy Lin transformed Madison Square Garden last season from a desperate wasteland to a hopeful pack of frenzied fans. He would be foolish to leave his celebrity following behind, but the Houston Rockets are doing their best to woo him away from New York City’s bright lights.

According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Rockets have offered Lin a three-year, $31 million deal wrought with back-loaded cash and a player option for a fourth year. 

Yesterday, Morey showed Lin Houston and took him out for dinner, where he was offered a three-year deal with a fourth-year player option that would total at least $31 million. The first two years are at $5 million and $5.2 million with the backloaded “poison pill’’ coming in the third and fourth years, when the salary was to jump to about $10.5 million to create luxury-tax hardship for the Knicks.

You can’t blame Houston’s tactics. They’re being smart by not just offering Lin big money, but by strategically making an offer that will hit the cash-strapped Knicks in the long run. Forget that, though.

Lin should make this very easy on the Knicks’ brass. He shouldn’t sign the offer sheet. I’m sure it’s fun to be treated like a king, but he will get the same treatment in New York.

Fans already love him in MSG. After losing Steve Nash, and with the frightening idea of Raymond Felton looming, Knicks’ fans will love Lin even more for returning to their team. People still question Lin’s long-term potential, but there’s no doubting what he did last season.

Lin’s presence took the Knicks from pretenders to underrated contenders almost overnight. He reinvigorated a wallowing franchise and injected life back into a disconsolate fanbase. He even has a name for his following (“Linsanity”). How many players can claim that?

On top of New York’s obvious appeal lies Lin’s history with Houston and head coach Kevin McHale. Lin was cut by the Rockets just 12 days into training camp. That led him to his unlikely rise in New York. 

Without Houston’s misjudgment, there wouldn’t have been any “Linsanity.” He shouldn’t dream of giving the Rockets a chance to right their wrongs. 

Lin fits New York’s offensive scheme like a glove, and he fits the city’s media frenzy. He’s proven he can handle the pressure of playing in the world’s largest media market.

He would be remiss to leave New York. Feeling jealousy over the team’s heavy pursuit of Nash would be childish and unwise in the long run. 

With Nash off the board, there’s no way to question Lin’s role with the Knicks next year. He is their starter, if he will have them, and he should keep it that way. 

Lin could sign the offer sheet, force the Knicks to match and eventually decide to return. Instead, he should make the process easier for everyone involved.

Give Houston a thanks, but no thanks, and return to the city that craves your play on the court. It’s a very simple decision.

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