At the time that I write this, we are on the brink of July 1st and the NBA’s 2009 Free Agent period. This is a very important stage for Donnie Walsh as the president of the New York Knicks. After a relatively successful first year, I believe that along with the upcoming free agent period there are 4 key phases upcoming for Donnie’s presidency that will make or break his legacy as the Knicks head honcho. As a fan myself, I must say that I am rooting for the hometown product Walsh to succeed. To greatly succeed, even. However, if Donnie Walsh falters in one or more of these phases, he will just be another name on the long list of failed “Knicks Saviors” Though I don’t imagine it will be anything close to the disaster of epic proportions known as the Isiah Thomas regime, but that story is for another (already written by many people) article. These are the areas in which “Donnie Basketball” needs to succeed in order to rescue this lost franchise.
Just for good measure
2009 Draft
After the initial disappointment on draft night, Donnie Walsh and the Knicks really did come away with a decent take in this year’s draft. I believe that the turn of events with Ricky Rubio falling to number 5 and Curry falling to 7 gave Knicks fans a little bit too much hope that one of those coveted players would fall to New York at number 8. This led to the unfortunate booing of Donnie’s actual pick Jordan Hill. Whether the fans knew it or not, the booing was truly intended for Donnie Walsh for not trading up. Afterward, Hill took it like a man and laughed it off. One could even consider the fact that he can handle being booed is the #1 sign that Jordan Hill will do just fine as a Knick, but I digress.
"Knicks fans will be too busy booing Eddy Curry"
Here’s a look at Hill’s college stats:
| YR | GMS | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | TO | A/T | STL | BLK | PF | FG% | FT% | 3P% | PPS |
| 2008-09 | 34 | 35.7 | 18.3 | 11.0 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 1/1.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 3.0 | .537 | .654 | .000 | 1.32 |
| 2007-08 | 34 | 29.4 | 13.2 | 7.9 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 1/2.7 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 3.1 | .620 | .683 | .000 | 1.52 |
| 2006-07 | 29 | 14.1 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1/7 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1.8 | .652 | .447 | .000 | 1.54 |
The 6′10 power forward will bring the Knicks a physical game, some blocked shots and a sorely needed scoring presence inside the paint. In Mike D’Antoni’s system, the athletic Hill will be able to effectively run the floor and even play some center. The pick also makes sense because it gives the Knicks some leverage/insurance should David Lee leave as a restricted free agent. Excitable fans are making comparisons to Amare Stoudemire. I won’t go there, but Hill definitely fits the mold of a player that Mike D’Antoni could use in a similar way.
The Knicks second pick of the first round (29th overall) was purchased from the Los Angeles Lakers. With this pick, New York took combo guard Toney Douglas out of Florida State. This was “Donnie’s Pick” because it has been widely reported that Walsh bought back into the first round with the sole intention of using that pick on Douglas. Had Douglas been selected before #29, Walsh had a buyer for a 1st rounder next season. Scoring over 21 ppg Douglas was the runner up for ACC player of the year to UNC’s Ty Lawson, and was named defensive player of the year. That latter fact should be music to the Knicks fans’ ears who have become all too unfamiliar with that tune. While the 6-1 Douglas isn’t a true PG, he will bring a scoring touch and 3 point range–both essential attributes for a guard playing under D’Antoni.
I think Donnie Walsh did a good job in this draft. It would have been many fans’ dream come true to see Ricky Rubio or Stephen Curry lighting it up at the Garden next season and beyond, but Walsh worked with what he had and made a solid lottery pick and a sleeper pick who looks like a great fit. The truth is, we won’t know if this draft was successful until games are won and lost. I think Donnie did a good job here to add quality players that he believed in, but only time will tell if he should have rolled the dice and traded up for Rubio/Curry or even simply taken Brandon Jennings.
2009 Free Agency Period
Where will Nasty Nate and D-Lee fit in?
Decisions, decisions. That is what Donnie Walsh will face once the clock strikes midnight on July 1st. The Knicks have extended qualifying offers to both Nate Robinson and David Lee, making them both restricted free agents. Walsh has stated that he wants to sign both Lee and Robinson, but the NY Post reported today that Walsh’s threshold for Lee is $7 million per year for six years. It was also reported that Robinson may consider accepting the Knicks qualifying 1-year offer, waiting until next year to become an unrestricted free agent. With Robinson being a fan favorite, this would be a nice scenario for Walsh, solving his problem of saving for 2010 and also putting a competitive and exciting team on the floor each night to prove the Knicks are on their way to becoming winners.
Robinson and Lee are arguably the Knicks most popular players, and the fan base might go crazy if both are allowed to leave. However, the possibility of a sign-and-trade of one of both players always remains, and that might be a more likely scenario than letting both walk. The Knicks have control of two very valuable assets, and there might be a team out there that is willing to swing a deal. Donnie’s decisions here and how he maximizes this situation will play a pivotal role in the team’s rebuilding and should paint a better picture of what our moves in 2010 may look like.
2009 Season
Donnie Walsh knows that the Knicks need to be competitive in order to attract free agents in 2010. The ultimate goal of course is to create a winner, and that usually means doing some winning. A big ticket free agent added to a solid young core could be what finally puts this team over the edge for a championship. That’s the plan anyway.
Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas should all get a chance to showcase their young talents this season, and solid contributions from veterans Chris Duhon and Al Harrington can be counted on. Duhon was playing like a top notch PG last season before wearing down badly in the 2nd half of the season. We’ll see if the Knicks make a move to bring in another PG to move Duhon to a bench role (or another team perhaps?). The Darko Milicic acquisition is especially interesting. Mike D’Antoni made no promises about what he could get out of the former 2nd overall pick, but having a 7 footer not named Jerome James on the roster sounds good to me.
Gallo showing that sweet "big man crossover"
The Knicks were a couple bad plays and technical fouls away from squeezing their way to the 8th seed last year. Don’t forget that Walsh traded away top scorers Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford, banished Stephon Marbury and got nothing out of Eddy Curry or Cuttino Mobley (who had to retire). D’Antoni will have more time coach the team, allow them to gel and define their roles. The value of these things cannot be dismissed. Gallinari and Chandler both should progress and establish themselves as building blocks to a winning team. If the Knicks show they can play some defense, they just might have a shot at a playoff spot.
2010 Free Agency
Pinch me, I think I'm seeing triple
This is what it boils down to for the Knicks. It’s why Walsh was brought in. It’s why Walsh has made the trades he has made to get the Knicks far enough under the salary cap to make a run at the ultimate big fish, LeBron James. It is too early to speculate if LeBron is on his way to NYC or if he will stick around in his hometown of Cleveland. NY can offer the bright lights and the certain mega-star status that very athletes have ever achieved. That’s why this has been news for 2 years already. Don’t forget that there are a bevy of players more talented than anyone on the current Knicks roster on their way to the frenzy of 2010 as well. This includes Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Nash and Joe Johnson. Again, it is far too early to speculate, but in my own personal crystal ball I see LeBron staying with the Cavs and the Knicks making Dwyane Wade their “Money Man”. Beggars can’t be choosers, and I don’t think many fans would have a problem with this. Either way, 2010 will be Donnie Walsh’s time to shine. It’s up to him to reel in a big fish. Maybe he can convince LeBron by having Walt Frazier take him suit shopping, or teaching him the difference between cool and uncool. If that doesn’t work, maybe he’ll just take the money.
The Bottom Line
It’s safe to say the New York Knicks have been a hopeless franchise for the past 8 years. What Donnie Walsh has done a good job of so far, is give us back some of that hope. Right now it is all bottled up in the idea of LeBron James as a Knick and visions of sugar plum fairies dancing through their heads at the thought of it. If this process is bungled, and the Knicks miss out on King James, and have no consolation max contracts handed out to Dwayne Wade or Amare Stoudemire, the average Knicks fan will have waited 2 years for nothing. Donnie Walsh, you cannot let this happen. Such a disappointment will deflate the fan base, and possibly even drive some away. The idea of the Nets in Brooklyn is appealing to many, and would certainly be a much larger threat to infringe on the fan base than New Jersey ever was. It’s interesting timing, but if Donnie Walsh whiffs on his big chance in 2010 he may make the Brooklyn Nets one of the hottest tickets in town.
Looks pretty nice...
Tags: David Lee, Donnie Walsh, Dwayne Wade, free agents, Knicks, LeBron James, Nate Robinson, NBA Draft, NY Knicks
