The Race is on!

by **Jeffx** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:21 am

I disagree. Making the playoffs(and missing out on a lottery pick) will hurt the Knicks in the long run. This team isn't built to win a title, so why ruin our chance at a high-end draft pick? For what? A few extra games in May? No thanks. Short-term thinking is why this team hasn't won sh!t in thirty-two years.

by **John WB** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 4:17 am

I'm with Riot and ShivaSquad. You have got to have faith that your team can pull it out come playoff and make a huge playoff run circa Knicks 99.

by **Indy** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:35 am

i agree with riot as well. a timberwolves-spurs first round matchup would be an amazing series.

by **air gordon** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:07 am

yes- the way that minny team is made up, they have to go for that playoff spot.

imo it probably is best for nyk to miss the playoffs but i certainly do want to see them make it. it's unlikely, but nyk can beat almost any team in a 7 game series when t thomas and crawford are hot from the field. btw- anyone else see that crawford's alley oop pass off the backboard for a jam from last nite?? wow

if anyone has the clip, please post it!

by **Riot** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:08 am

Jeffx wrote:I disagree. Making the playoffs(and missing out on a lottery pick) will hurt the Knicks in the long run. This team isn't built to win a title, so why ruin our chance at a high-end draft pick? For what? A few extra games in May? No thanks. Short-term thinking is why this team hasn't won sh!t in thirty-two years.

If you make the playoffs as the 8th seed you have a chance to go all the way. If you barely miss the playoffs you'll prolly get the 11th-12th pick in the draft. If you make the playoffs as the 8th seed you'll get like the 15th pick in the draft. It'd rather make the playoffs and slip a few picks then miss the playoffs all together just to get 2 or 3 picks higher.

by **Fresh8** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:00 am

its better to make the playoffs... u learn experience... u cant learnm it.... unkless u make the playoffs

by **Jeffx** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:30 am

Like Charles Barkley said, the worst place for an NBA franchise is to be stuck in the middle. That's where this current Knicks squad is - not bad enough to finish high in the draft and not good enough to seriously compete for a title. Thanks to these ridiculous contracts, it'll be several years before NY can sign the top veterans you need to put you over the top. Since this poor excuse of an owner doesn't want to rebuild, get ready for more years of mediocre basketball. That's not pessimism, but the cold, hard truth. I wish I could wave a magic wand and dump everyone except Ariza & Sweetney, and build around them.

by **Matthew** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:35 am

Jeffx is right. New York is in a bind, and have been ever since the offseason of 96 when they signed Chris Childs, Houston and traded for LJ. Since then its been bad deal after bad deal: resigning houston for 100 million, trading ewing for cap killers, LJ retiring but still counting against the cap... those deals have crippled new york, but at least now they are competing.. I'd rather them get into the lottery and get a high pick then be bounced in the first round again.

by **Amphatoast** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:38 am

hard for the knicks to compete with lottery teams like atlanta

by **Matthew** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:42 am

Isiah has had a history of drafting studs out of the late first round: Stoudamire in the 95 draft, Tmac in the 97 draft. Even if its a 6-10 pick, he can get someone good.

by **air gordon** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:45 am

crawfords self alley oop:
http://boss.streamos.com/real/nba/dotn/dunk_crawford_j_050308_hi.smi

by **Sauru** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:21 pm

making the playoffs is far better actually. yeah you may want a better pick(maybe only 1 spot better actually) but just by making the playoffs so many more things happen. first of all its a new season. the second the 82 games end season 2 begins and everyone is 0-0 again so if you get hot who knows what can happen. secondly playing in the playoffs gives players both confidence and experience, these are 2 very important things in the nba. also getting the extra money from making the dance is nice for both the knicks and the knicks players. its a simple thing if you ask me, just missing the playoffs is just about the worst thing that can happen to a team.

by **Riot** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:29 pm

Why would you practice and train all year just to give up because you know you can't win championship? That just seems pathetic. I don't know about you but I don't go and pay to see teams tank and give up. That is the opposite of what Sports is all about. Fight until the end. Fight until the clock says 0:00 and fight until there is no more fight left in you.

by **Indy** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:35 pm

Riot wrote:Why would you practice and train all year just to give up because you know you can't win championship? That just seems pathetic. I don't know about you but I don't go and pay to see teams tank and give up. That is the opposite of what Sports is all about. Fight until the end. Fight until the clock says 0:00 and fight until there is no more fight left in you.

i think this is the first time that me and riot have agreed.

i completly agree i hate it when teams see they aren't going to make the playoffs and they change their style and make player changes and coaching changes to get a higher draft pick. it becomes a race for the bottom and its not what it should be.

by **Jeffx** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 5:09 pm

Sauru wrote:making the playoffs is far better actually. yeah you may want a better pick(maybe only 1 spot better actually) but just by making the playoffs so many more things happen. first of all its a new season. the second the 82 games end season 2 begins and everyone is 0-0 again so if you get hot who knows what can happen. secondly playing in the playoffs gives players both confidence and experience, these are 2 very important things in the nba. also getting the extra money from making the dance is nice for both the knicks and the knicks players. its a simple thing if you ask me, just missing the playoffs is just about the worst thing that can happen to a team.

In the NBA, usually the team with the best talent wins the chamionship. There are the rare exceptions, but the higher seeded teams have a better shot at the title. The Knicks are a flawed, mediocre team with severe cap problems and an owner who has no clue. Aside from their 90's run, I've watched this team bumble & stumble since 1973. I've seen my share of early playoff exits and enough is enough. CambyMan nailed it - NY should have done what Chicago did. All their struggles paid off, and now that team is loaded with young talent. If they continue to work hard & improve, Chicago will be up there with the big boys. I want a team like Miami or Detroit that will contend for at least 5-10 years. Knicks aren't going to get to the next level the way they are.

I pray the rumors about the Knicks & Rangers being sold are true. Dolan & his cronies at Cablevision have run these once-proud franchises into the ground. We have to get someone in here who's patient & not afraid to rebuild.

by **COOLmac©** on Thu Mar 10, 2005 6:15 pm

timberwolves vs. the spurs..............mmmmmmmmmmmm but aren't you worried it can still be timberwolves vs. the suns? and what if the wolves won't make it now that denver and memphis are starting to roll............very interesting indeed :mrgreen:

by **Sauru** on Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:35 pm

Jeffx wrote:
Sauru wrote:making the playoffs is far better actually. yeah you may want a better pick(maybe only 1 spot better actually) but just by making the playoffs so many more things happen. first of all its a new season. the second the 82 games end season 2 begins and everyone is 0-0 again so if you get hot who knows what can happen. secondly playing in the playoffs gives players both confidence and experience, these are 2 very important things in the nba. also getting the extra money from making the dance is nice for both the knicks and the knicks players. its a simple thing if you ask me, just missing the playoffs is just about the worst thing that can happen to a team.

In the NBA, usually the team with the best talent wins the chamionship. There are the rare exceptions, but the higher seeded teams have a better shot at the title. The Knicks are a flawed, mediocre team with severe cap problems and an owner who has no clue. Aside from their 90's run, I've watched this team bumble & stumble since 1973. I've seen my share of early playoff exits and enough is enough. CambyMan nailed it - NY should have done what Chicago did. All their struggles paid off, and now that team is loaded with young talent. If they continue to work hard & improve, Chicago will be up there with the big boys. I want a team like Miami or Detroit that will contend for at least 5-10 years. Knicks aren't going to get to the next level the way they are.

I pray the rumors about the Knicks & Rangers being sold are true. Dolan & his cronies at Cablevision have run these once-proud franchises into the ground. We have to get someone in here who's patient & not afraid to rebuild.

dont get me wrong, i agree that the knicks were stupid by taking the players they got and the contracts that came with said players, but you still dont tank a season. if the knicks wanna try and trade a bunch of thier players for draft picks, i am cool with that, but tanking games to miss the 8th seed is just stupid. it should never have been brought up. infact anyone who thinks its better for a team to just lose a few extra games to just miss the playoffs is an idiot.

by **Amphatoast** on Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:39 pm

i'd rather be 8th than 9th seed. Sure your in the mix of less than 1% for #1 pick but chances are real low, and well, when you in the playoffs you got a chance to win the title or provide a cinderella story. Sure its a small %, but its higher % than getting #1 pick.

by **Sauru** on Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:44 pm

a small % is all you need really. just think about what the redsox did this year to the yankees. over 100 years of baseball and it was never done before. see to me this proves that even the smallest of chances is a good chance. someday you will see an 8th seed win the nba title, maybe not for 50 more years, but it will happen.

by **Amphatoast** on Fri Mar 11, 2005 12:47 pm

exactly, look at the knicks in 99. 8th seed knocking out Miami first round and going all the way only to be stopped by the twin towers. ( lol how ironic knicks might face miami if they make the 8th seed)

by **Fresh8** on Fri Mar 11, 2005 8:20 pm

What do u guys think of Denver, Los Angeles, Minny?

Minny just arent clicking, LA has 15 of 23 games on the road... while Denver has been playing exceptional!

Who do u think will come in 8th?

by **Amphatoast** on Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:33 am

LA will fall out ( chances are they going to lose more than they win on the road like its been all year) and will lose some at home.

Nuggets and T'wolves should be interesting, wolves just need a little winning streak going.

by **Fresh8** on Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:39 am

Nuggets I think have the biggest chance to grab that last spot. Butr I wont count LA or Minny out yet. The Wolves are trying to get back as a team while Kobe is determined to make the playoffs...

by **cyanide** on Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:03 am

The Wolves are always trying to get back as a team, and nothing's happening all year.

by **Fresh8** on Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:14 am

They playing the Magic today. Really wanting them to lose lol... I cant not go for LA... but the schedule looks ugly and the Nuggets are playing better basketball.

In the East, the Celtics just look too promising to be true. Chris Webber needs to starts playing well. Why is coach O'Brien not trusting him- only getting 30 mpg...

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