Tag: New York Knicks (Page 18 of 36)

      Carlos Boozer thinks he’s better than David Lee

      June 8, 2010 /

      Per the NY Post…

      Boozer was asked on ESPN 1050 if he was a better player than Lee.

      “Absolutely I do. I think he’s a very good, young player though,” Boozer said. “I think he’s had a great season and he was the all star this year. I think he has a great upside to him I just think I’m better, but I mean that’s for you guys to debate about, I don’t worry about that kind of stuff.

      “I just go out there and play all for my team and try everything I can to win games and win a ring. David Lee is a great young player, a good friend of mine, and of course I wish him the best of luck as well with whatever he does, if he stays in NY or if he also goes elsewhere.”

      Lee just turned 27 while Boozer turns 29 in November, so Lee is about 1.5 years younger. I agree with Boozer that he’s (a little) better when he’s healthy, but that’s a big condition. Lee has missed three games in the last three years while Boozer missed 45 games during the 2008-07 season and another 80 games from 2004-2006.

      Boozer is a better post up player, but the two are about the same on the glass and neither player is terribly good on the defensive end. Moreover, Boozer is (probably) going to command a starting salary of $14 million per season on his next contract while Lee will likely be $2 million – $3 million cheaper per year.

      Bottom line — I’d rather have Lee because he’s younger, cheaper, more durable and almost as productive.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

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      Parker-for-Lee…why not?

      June 7, 2010 /

      Tony Parker is rumored to be available for trade, but that has more to do with the presence of George Hill than anything the Spurs have done since their season ended. The Knicks are in dire need of a good point guard, so of course there have been some Parker-to-New York rumors as well.

      Chad Ford writes that the Spurs are looking for a big.

      The Spurs and Thunder also are in the hunt for a big and have targeted a number of teams in the lottery to move up a few spots. The Thunder have multiple picks to offer. The Spurs have Tony Parker or George Hill. While the Spurs aren’t necessarily shopping either player, they’re not untouchable, either. If the Spurs can get another big man to help prolong Tim Duncan’s career, they’ll do it.

      But looking ahead — if the Knicks strike out on their plan to get one of their LeBron/Bosh, Wade/Bosh or LeBron/Wade dream combos, maybe a Lee-for-Parker deal would make some sense.

      Let’s say the Knicks strike out on LeBron, Wade and Bosh, but manage to sign a couple of second-tier free agents (Joe Johnson, Carlos Boozer, etc.) starting at $14 million per season, that would leave them about $9.5-$10 million to re-sign Lee and then move him for another asset like Parker. That would give the Knicks a core of Parker, Johnson and Boozer moving forward, and give the Spurs a quality power forward to play alongside Duncan. (Remember, Antonio McDyess is still under contract for another season and the Spurs have DeJuan Blair as well.)


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      T-Wolves interested in Gay?

      June 7, 2010 /

      Ronald Tillery of the Commercial-Appeal thinks so…

      One team that will make a strong run at Gay is the Minnesota Timberwolves. Team owner Glen Taylor and president of basketball operations David Kahn have already targeted Gay as an attainable player to uplift the struggling franchise.

      Griz owner Michael Heisley continues to insist that Gay will be a Grizzly next season. Memphis (namely Heisley) has the right to match any offer sheet that is presented to Gay from another team.

      Gay would be a nice fit in Minnesota who could use his scoring on the wing. Neither Kevin Love nor Al Jefferson are terribly athletic, so Gay would help bolster the Minnesota front line. I am sure that David Kahn is envisioning Ricky Rubio feeding the ball to Gay on the break in two years.

      But when the owner insists he’s going to match any offer for one of his restricted agents, it’s usually a good sign that it’s going to happen. He holds the purse strings, so he can spend whatever he wants to retain Gay. The Grizzlies can sit back, wait for Gay to work out a deal with another team, and then match it. Memphis has an advantage over, say, the Knicks, who hope to land LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and/or Chris Bosh. But if a team makes David Lee a “take it or leave it” offer on July 1, the Knicks may not have much time to beat it since they’ll be waiting on answers from LeBron and Co.

      Gay is not a “max” player, but there’s a good chance that he gets a max deal, or at least a maximum offer from a team who doesn’t hold his Bird rights. This may help the Grizzlies a little bit because they won’t be on the hook for that extra year and the additional $30 million.

      Gay is a nice player — he averaged 20-6-2, 47% FG, 33% 3PT — but he’s not a max guy. Chances are that whoever ultimately signs him this summer will have to overspend for his services, especially with so much cap space floating around.

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      LeBron is going to milk this for all it’s worth

      June 4, 2010 /

      Some disturbing news via FanHouse…

      James, according to the source, is in discussions with Nike to create a new shoe for every visit along his free agent path starting July 1. The shoes would have the date of the visit printed, with James already having scripted his itinerary for the Free Agency Tour 2010.

      The source insists that he’ll head for New York first to visit with the Knicks, and then spend time with the Nets. Chicago will be next, with the Bulls hoping he wants to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan and become the Windy City’s beloved star. Depending on the level of sustained public interest and the discussions with the teams in the respective cities, James will decide at that point whether to continue on to Miami and possibly Los Angeles to see the Clippers.

      Remember, this is coming from a source, but if it’s true — as Charlie Brown would say…good grief!

      First, the fact that he’s planning to hawk shoes for all these different cities seems a little shady, especially since he’ll be saying “no” to every team but one. On top of that, depending on “the level of sustained public interest,” he may go to Miami and Los Angeles as well. In other words, he doesn’t plan to sign with either team, but if the public is interested in his free agent courtship, he’ll go to those cities to hold a media event or two and hawk more sneakers.

      Not only is this plan ridiculously egotistical, but it will effectively hold the free agency process hostage until he’s done selling shoes and basking in the collective love from fans around the country.

      However, by creating such a spectacle, he definitely runs the risk of alienating fans of those teams he rejects, and if he’s not careful, he could become one of the most reviled players in the league. LeBron would be wise to realize that his reputation is not bulletproof.

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      Transcript of LeBron’s interview with Larry King

      June 2, 2010 /

      CNN.com has the transcript of the entire interview. Here are the highlights as it relates to his pending free agency.

      On what’s important in picking a team:

      JAMES: Well, I mean, to me, I think my ultimate — my ultimate goal is winning championships and — and I understand that me going down as one of the greats will not happen until I, you know, win a championship. So for me, the team that I decided to go toward (INAUDIBLE) in Cleveland, that ultimately has — has the best chance for me to win a championship not one year, but multiple years. But for me to continue to get better and help that team win, I think, ultimately, would be my decision. I’m going to do what’s best for me and my family.

      On Cleveland’s advantage:

      KING: All right. Do you lean at all toward the place you know the best? I mean do they have an edge going in…

      JAMES: Oh, absolutely.

      KING: — your home team?

      JAMES: Absolutely. Because, you know, this city, these fans, I mean, have given me a lot in these seven years. And, you know, for me, it’s comfortable. So I’ve got a lot of memories here. And — and so it does have an edge. But it’s a — it’s a very — it’s going to be a very interesting summer and I’m looking forward to it.

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