# If I Were Phil Jackson and Kept Melo...



## TwinkieFoot (Jul 8, 2006)

I'd focus my energies on building a team in the immediate future and scrap the 2015 plan. It's pretty evident that cap space alone does not guarantee an influx of talent (see 2010 for us; the Dallas Mavericks over the past 3 years). Instead, I'd try to leverage the half a dozen expiring contracts we have on the team to acquire talent and picks, in the interim. More specifically, here's what I'd do...

*DRAFT NIGHT*
1.) Trade Pablo Prigioni, JR Smith, Raymond Felton and cash incentives to the Nets for Marcus Thornton and Marquis Teague. The Nets do it because they'd have an obvious influx of talent at no additional cost. JR is a superior player to Thornton, while Prigioni can fulfill the role that Livingston will be vacating. They'd have to take Felton's contract but we could effectively pay an entire year of his salary. Meanwhile, the Knicks stand to gain an additional $10 million in cap space in 2015.

2.) Trade Tyson Chandler to the Thunder for Kendrick Perkins, Hasheem Thabeet, Andre Roberson, the 21st and 29th picks in the 2014 draft. The Thunder would get a significant upgrade at the 5 spot. The Knicks would receive much needed draft picks; picks that I'd look to trade, in typical Knick-fashion, to Detriot at a later point in time. As a side, I do think we could easily dump Kendrick Perkins' salary on the Mavericks, who have a penchant of pursuing overpaid bums at the 5 spot.

*POST-DRAFT/FREE AGENCY*
1. ) As stated earlier, I would specifically draft players with the 21st pick (ideally Adrien Payne) and 29th picks to then trade to Detriot. I'd first start by dumping Kendrick Perkins on the Mavericks to get far enough below the tax apron to do my subsequent sign and trades.

The official deal would be a 3-way trade sending Amar'e Stoudemire (expirer), Andrea Bargnani (expirer), Brandon Rush (sign and trade), the 21st pick (Adrien Payne) and 29th pick to Detriot; Marcus Thornton (expirer), Marquis Teague and Andre Roberson to Utah; as well as Josh Smith, Greg Monroe (sign and trade), Will Bynum, Marvin Williams (sign and trade) and a $6 million trade exception to the Knicks.

Detriot does it to free themselves of Josh Smith's putrid contract. Utah does it to flesh out their team. Knicks do it because skilled big men are rare, especially those that can compliment Melo well; in spite of their exorbitant contracts. 

2.) Perhaps the biggest stretch of them all, I'd trade Tim Hardaway Jr., Hasheem Thabeet and our $9 million trade exception (from the Perkins deal) for Aaron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson. The Magic do the deal because they clearly have no need for veterans on such a young team and especially have no need for them with Dante Exum, who will likely to be drafted by the Magic. They also stand to save $9 million, which isn't chump change for a small-market, rebuilding team and get a player that can be every bit as good as Afflalo in a few years. The Knicks do the trade because of the obvious talent upgrade in the immediate future. Personally, I think that Afflalo is an all-star type talent, who will give our team the first legitimate sidekick that Melo has had since being in New York.

3.) With the $2 million trade exception and $6 million trade exceptions we'd have, I'd try to trade for expirers that teams would be looking to dump. In exchange for that service, I'd demand 2nd rounders in return to help flesh out our roster over the next few years.


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## TwinkieFoot (Jul 8, 2006)

* STARTERS *
Jameer Nelson...PG
Aaron Afflalo...SG
Carmelo Anthony...SF
Josh Smith...PF
Greg Monroe...C
* ROTATION *
Will Bynum...G
Iman Shumpert...G
Marvin Williams...F
Jeremy Tyler...F/C
Cole Aldrich...C
* BENCH *
Jimmer Fredette...G
Toure Murry...G
Kenyon Martin...F/C
Lamar Odom...F/C


Five things needed to run the triangle well include:
1.) At least two +20ppg scorers. 
2.) At least three players on the court at any given point in time that can present a mismatch at any given point in time.
3.) No less than 3 players that can hit the 3.
4.) A point-forward
5.) Length at each of the 5 positions, whose average is larger than 6"8'.

Personally, I think this team would fulfill all the prerequisites necessary to run the triangle well. All 4 starters are capable of hitting the 3, which would create excellent floor spacing for guys like Melo, Afflalo, Smith and Monroe to attack the paint. Three of the four are excellent at finishing in the paint, which leads me to believe that we'd be very effective in drawing fouls and in pressuring the defense. Monroe and Smith are also GREAT passing big men, which alleviates the pressure of having to rely on less than stellar PG play. To be honest though, I think that the ball movement will be excellent because all 4 starters are very good passers.

On the defensive end, I think things would get a little more murky. Neither Monroe nor Melo are accomplished defensive players at the positions they are playing, which would put a ton of pressure on Josh Smith to make up for their mistakes. With the length we'd have on the team though, I suspect that we'll be able to hide their defensive lapses the way that the Lakers did for Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol during their championship runs. Josh Smith in particular would allow Melo to switch seemlessly between the 3 and 4, advantageously, which would be very valuable in the playoffs.

The bench is also a bit of a catch-22. They'd be very good defensively but scoring would be a concern. I tend to believe though that Iman and Jeremy will take the next step in their offensive games, to eliminate these concerns. If not, I think that Will Bynum and Marvin Williams are more than capable of keeping us competitive with our starters on the bench.


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