Despite the love in for Isiah Thomas, New York is still a mishmash - a slightly better mishmash - maybe.
New York has two guys in the backcourt who have never met a shot they didn't like in Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford. They then have a passel of players in Tim Thomas, Penny Hardaway and Allan Houston who all want to score the same way.
They, like almost everyone else in the East, don't have a true centre (sorry Nazr Mohammad) they also have a done and done Vin Baker. Kurt Thomas is a warrior - but rumors persist that he wants out after the years of trade whispers. Jerome Williams has great energy but not much else. Michael Sweetney might be good - but he's still a year away from really helping out.
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What about Trevor Azira then? The raves have come in for this 2004-second rounder who most say would have been a lottery pick in 2005 had he stayed in school. Well even if Azira is all that and a knish - he plays the SAME position that four other Knicks play. How is this team considered any better than any other team in the East aside from the big four? (Miami, Detroit, Indiana and a step down, Cleveland). The question marks are Orlando-esque. Can Penny stay healthy? Can Houston? Does Tim Thomas finally take the next step or is he just soft? Doesn't Sweetney need more time? Can Crawford and Marbury co-exist? And even if they do, are a series of 22-62 nights from the backcourt the way to victory? To be fair Isiah is not afraid or unable to make bold moves. One thing Zeke has done in his time, is shown an ability to get trades done in a league that is traditionally anti-deal. So, Thomas may be able to succeed where Laydon failed - using an overload at a position to stock a different one. Of course that just leads to the question of: how much does Shandon Anderson fetch on the open market anyway? This team is a collection of overpaid, over-hyped and selfish players, who are being run by two Hall of Fame point guards who are as incompetent in management as they were spectacular on the court. Thee Knicks do not have a center who can defend the rim, while Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford may lead the league in steals as they try to take the ball from each other so one of them can shoot it first. Nevertheless, there is enough offense on this team that in a weak Eastern Conference the Knicks can get swept in the first round again.