What's with the Knicks?

It's like The New York Knicks are cursed. They just can't seem to get anything to go their way.

First, Ricky Rubio was drafted and then Stephen Curry was taken one spot ahead of the 8Th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Knicks fans were heartbroken. They wanted Curry so bad, when Jordan Hill was selected they actually booed him out of frustration. To his credit, Jordan Hill took it like a champ. The 6'10" power forward from Arizona handled it well.

Welcome to New York, Jordan. At least you'll be rich!

After the draft, the Knick's General Manager Donnie Walsh turned his attention to the 2009 free agent market which began on July 1st, to see who he could sign to help bolster the roster for 2009 in an attempt to help lure a big free agent like Lebron James to New York in 2010.

o-2. That's the record the New York Knicks now have in recruiting free agent talent now that the July 1st has come and gone. First, the Knicks brought in free agent Jason Kidd. Kidd was once considered the best point guard in all of basketball is now 37 years old and still considered a great basketball player, but he is hardly the player he was in his prime. Kidd was brought in, interviewed, wooed, and offered a $18 million deal. Kidd politely went back to Dallas, where Mark Cuban counter offered with $25 million. "Thanks, but no thanks" was Kidd's decision.

Next, General Manager Donnie Walsh turned his attention to another over the "Hill" veteran small forward in 36 year old Grant Hill. Hill also declined the invitation to play for the Knicks. This was an even bigger snub at New York than Kidd. At least in Kidd we could all say, "ok - we were out bid fair and square." In this case, Hill decided to take less money - $3 million for one year with an option for a second year; as opposed to the Knicks generous offer of one year at $5 million or three years at $10 million.

Ouch!

New york was snubbed by two OLD veteran players, one of which (Hill) is really just a role player. I mean, it's not like Hill is Larry Bird or Willis Reed in his final year!

What should New York do now? It seems like no one wants to play for Head Coach Mike D'Antoni and GM Donnie Walsh and owner James Dolan. Is it the overpriced cost of living in NY? Is it the fear of getting treated like the way Stephon Marbury was treated when he was feuding with Knicks management? Is it the fact that the fan base is completely irrational at times (i.e., booing first round draft pick Jordan Hill because they were disappointed we were not able to draft crowd favorite Stephen Curry)? Is it because owner James Dolan is just plain unlucky? Is it because the Knicks have shunned hiring Patrick Ewing or Mark Jackson?

Whatever the reason is, James Dolan, the owner at the top, needs to do something about it. In my opinion, I believe he should sell the team to a NY businessman who actually CARES more about winning than he does about playing in a rock band . We need a new owner. A Mark Cuban type who eats, sleeps, and drinks Knicks basketball. I applaud the Knicks for finally cutting ties with Isiah Thomas. That was a marriage made in hell. It set the Knicks back many years. I'm glad that Donnie Walsh is trying to shed the pieces of the last regime, but there is more to it than just that. The culture of the Knicks is critically damaged and Walsh MUST find the answer.

I'm no GM, but if I were Walsh, I would realize that every Knick is expendable. The good news is that it seems that there are no takers for David Lee this off season, making it more and more likely that we will be able to retain him at the mid-level exception. The same goes for Nate Robinson. But more importantly, there are bigger issues. McDonalds mascot Eddy Curry - the pine rider from last season has apparently shed 50 pounds, making him an intriguing chip in the free agency market. With Houston's Yao Ming out for the entire 2009-10 season, perhaps Walsh could orchestrate a trade sending Curry and Nate Robinson to Houston for Tracy McGrady? That would free up cap room and get NY the star it was looking for this off season. Sounds too good to be true right? I know, that's the problem with being a Knicks fan -we are so accustomed to disappointment, that we just assume it could never happen. I'm sure there is some reason Houston would not want to take on Curry's contract, but wouldn't it be great if Walsh at least looked into it? At least that way, Knicks fans weren't left in the dark, with nothing to nibble on except his two moves to try to sign two very old veterans at the mid level exception.

This off season, Donnie Walsh has been out shined by every GM in the NBA. The Lakers signed Ron Artest. The Cavs signed Shaquille O'Neill. The Magic traded for Vince Carter and Brandon Bass. The Raptors signed Hedo Turkoglu. The Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace. The Knicks traded Quentin Richardson (garbage time all-star) for Darko Milicic (bust).

If that's the best Donnie can do, New York will be a bad team for another 10 years. The cap space in 2010 will be less because of the dreary economy, meaning teams must trim their payroll. This is more bad news for New York and Donnie Walsh, who was hedging their hopes on landing two superstars from next year's free agent class. Now, with less money to work with, NY may only be able to sign one superstar.

Walsh had better have a plan C, because the free agent pool is almost dried up. Going after Kidd and Hill prompted many of the fans, including this one to say, "Walsh! What are you doing?!" Most of the blog fan comments on the Daily News and New York Post are happy that neither of them signed with New York. I happen to agree with this sentiment. I would rather go with my young core of drafted players, and hope that one or two of them emerge into superstars good enough to lure a Lebron James or Dwayne Wade to NY in 2010. But they alone will not be enough. We need a player with leadership for 2009-10 or a player with "buzz appeal" like Stephen Curry or Ricky Rubio.

As for the free agents in 2010, in my opinion, I would prefer the Wade & Bosh/Nowitski mix. Lebron James has shown signs of being a primadonna (refusing to shake Orlando's hands after their 2009 playoff loss and confiscating tape that surfaced of a college student dunking on him) and egos like that usually do not fare well in a giant market like New York City. But, if he opted to sign with NY in 2010, I sure as heck wouldn't be disappointed either!