Knicks also traded Malik Rose to OKC for Chris Wilcox. Slowly but surely, Walsh is undoing Isaiah's mess.

uPtoWnNY said:

I see.

Graycap23 said:

It's all about the front office, man. Stupid management can fuck your franchise up for years.

uPtoWnNY said:

See Chicago.....

Iverson: I find it interesing that since the Pistons picked up Iverson, they are playing BELOW .500 ball.

Graycap23 said:

Because AI is a bad fit for that team. He needs a squad built around HIM, like the 2000-01 Sixers.

Just heard Amare's done for the year. He's having surgery to repair a partially detached retina in his right eye. Damn.

uPtoWnNY said:

Damn.....what happened 2 Amare? Hit during a game?

Correction: Amare's out for 8 weeks. I think he got poked in the eye earlier in the season.

uPtoWnNY said:

It happened Tuesday vs the Clips.

uPtoWnNY said:

Is AI a good fit 4 any team?

Graycap23 said:

If it's a team like his Sixer teams, yes. That was a tough blue-collar, defensive-minded hard-nosed team where AI was the MAIN focus. Remember, they handed the Shaq-Kobe Lakers their only loss in the playoffs. Iverson needs teamates who don't mind catering to him. That's why I question the trade - Denver got the best of that deal.

uPtoWnNY said:

Denver can play fast AND smart with Mr. Big Shot.

That 2001 Finals Game 1 was a good one. I think you're right re: AI. He leaves it all out on the floor, but he NEEDS the ball to be effective. The Pistons won as a team. Billups and Rip were the glue. 'Sheed was a catalyst and difference maker. They played team ball. Why Detroit was so bent on dropping Billups, I'll never know.

uPtoWnNY said:

Hummmm.....sounds 2 me like AI should be on a playground instead of a NBA TEAM trying 2 win titles.

How the mighty have fallen - Pistons got SMOKED last night in Cleveland. Damn--it's like they were sleep-walking the whole game.

uPtoWnNY said:

The AI factor

Graycap23 said:

They're paying for lost opportunities. After the won the 2004 title, they got full of themselves and thought they could turn it on and off whenever they wanted. Then they let a thin Cavs team beat them in 2007, when they should have won another title. then they trade the heart and soul of the team for one of the last guys they needed. One and done. A shame, they had a good team.

namepeace said:

I will never understand that trade.

uPtoWnNY said:

Also remember the sixers with AI were only a split second from winning
the first two games of that series on the lakers home court. AI is a hell of
a ball player. Larry brown screwed the nucleus of the team up when he got
rid of all the young talent and bought in old broken down veterans past their prime which is the main reason why philly never got back to the finals.
AI never was that loser george karl's favorite. In fact george karl criticized
AI before the eastern conference finals that year when he coached the milwaukee bucks saying that a small guy like AI couldn't win a title. Then AI sent his fat bald washed up ass home. AI hasn't won a title but he at least got a taste of the finals unlike george karl. The problem in denver was their defense and coach karl. Detroit was a mess before AI got there and whoever that clown is coaching detroit needs to be handed their walking papers. AI excels in an uptempo offense.

phunkdaddy said:

Ummmm....wasn't Karl the coach when the Bulls beat the Sonics?

Graycap23 said:

That team had the misfortune of playing the 1996 Bulls.

And still took'em to six.

That was a very good team.

namepeace said:

That was a very good team.

Graycap23 said:

I slipped. I guess one decent coaching job makes up for his many failures.

phunkdaddy said:

Lol.....I hear u.

uPtoWnNY said:

Looks like the denver nuggets got smoked at home last night 114-76 minus the
KGless boston celtics.
And it looks like that great trade for billups paid
off with chauncey billups scoring 3 points in 34 minutes.
AI can score 10 points in 3 minutes without even breaking a sweat.
Great job chauncey. Great job coach karl.

I'm rooting for Melo though. It's time for him to step up and
carry the nuggets. They are gonna go as far as he take them
particularly if he wants to be considered an elite player like
Lebron and Kobe.
[Edited 2/24/09 9:08am]

phunkdaddy said:

I take it that u are an AI fan?

phunkdaddy said:

You're surely not judging the trade on the basis of a single game in February, right?

Melo doesnt have the fire or heart to play any defense! Paul Pierce is twice the player he is Go C's

JAMIESTARR said:

Paul Pierce WAS Melo for years, or at least, had the same tags placed on him pre-Boston Three Party. He was on his way to being a malcontent before that.

Don't close the book on Melo just yet.

Updated Power Rankings:

1. Cleveland
2. L.A. Lakers
3. Boston
4. Orlando
5. San Antonio
6. Portland
7. Utah
8. Houston
9. Denver
10. Dallas
11. New Orleans
12. Phoenix
13. Atlanta
14. Miami
15. Philadelphia
16. Milwaukee
17. Chicago
18. Indiana
19. Detroit
20. New York
21. New Jersey
22. Charlotte
23. Toronto
24. Golden State
25. Minnesota
26. Memphis
27. Oklahoma City
28. Washington
29. L.A. Clippers
30. Sacramento

Just heard the Knicks will buy out Starbury's contract, making him a free agent.