The Hangover: Part Deux

This is horrible. As a Knick fan, I literally had a hangover this morning. Lots of rum and coke will do that to you. So there is some egg on my face since my prediction was wrong. The crystal ball was a little cloudy. Feces happens. What can I say?

What just happened?

First off, I like the sign and trade that the Knicks pulled off with Golden State for David Lee. Anthony Randolph is a really good athlete with some good passing skills. He's a great shot blocker and finisher. Something we really haven't had since the Big Fella (Patrick Ewing). Kelenna Azubuike is a strong guard with a very good mid-range game, has a good post game and can shoot the 3. I think Knick fans will be happy with him. He's a personal favorite player of mine. The only drawback to him is that he isn't a good passer. And then there's Ronny Turiaf who I don't like. He's a very good shot blocker with a mean streak, which I like. The drawback to him is that he doesn't have much of a back-to-the-basket game and he gets hurt a lot. He's pretty cheap though, so if we can get 15 productive minutes out of him (6 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game) i'll be very happy.

Honestly, I wasn't a very big fan of David Lee. While I think he was a complete steal because of where they drafted him, he was never going to be a great player. He can't play defense, and while he is a very good athlete, he lacks lateral quickness. We will miss his rebounding and improved shooting. No doubt. But if a team decided to shut him down, he was done. He was not a go-to player down the stretch. Is Amare? I'm not sure. He's an incredible athlete who can finish as good as anyone in the NBA, but he's not a good shot creator. He's limited. The only guys that aren't limited are Lebron and Wade. They're in Miami. Forget about them. No we have to get a team that can beat them.

I don't hate Lebron for going somewhere to be happy. He went to win some rings and - from what i've read - play with his friends. I can't begrudge someone that. I couldn't bare to watch the rest of his show last night so I didn't hear if he said why he chose to make this announcement 14 effing miles away from the Knicks practice facility. A friend of mine thinks it was to start the rivalry again. He and his boys may just be THAT oblivious. Okay, that was a shot at him. I repeat: I ain't mad at ya, Lebron. But you could have had it all here. I already outlined why the team would have been perfect for him. What's past is past.

What now?

After the sign and trade that the Knicks pulled off, the Knicks are still about $10M under the salary cap. We should overpay for Luke Ridnour for one year and save the cap room for next year when Carmelo and CP3 become free agents. There is word that Carmelo - stop me if you've heard this before - wants to come to NYC. Plus, he's getting married tomorrow here in New York to Lala of Black Entertainment Television. So every Knick fan should hope that this marriage stays together. At least for about a year and a half. Personally i'd prefer Chris Paul. NYC needs a great PG again, and he would fit the bill perfectly.

We will have a pretty athletic team next year. Amar'e is a beast and Randolph I already told you about. I hope people haven't forgotten how athletic Bill Walker is. And he was coming off knee surgery last year. He's going to be in even better shape last year. Wilson Chandler was coming off ankle surgery last year and didn't start hitting his stride until after the all-star break. His shot selection suffered last year since he was called upon to score more, but with Amar'e into the fold now, he won't have to take those bad shots anymore. Next year - sigh, again - will be about building towards becoming an elite team. The young guys on the squad get more seasoning and learn to play with Amar'e and get ready to bring in another max-type free agent in CP3 or 'Melo. This team will have more depth than Miami, they just won't have guys that no weaknesses like Wade and LBJ. But we will have some guys that will be able to make some athletic plays, including playing defense and blocking some shots. Plus, don't forget Gallinari and Toney Douglas who I predict will make some big strides next year. I know my predictions don't hold much weight right now, but here it goes: 44 wins and the 7th seed in the playoffs. Tell me different.