With pre-season basketball upon us, we decided to look at a few moves by the Knicks this past off-season.
Knicks GM Isiah Thomas should never surprise anyone with his head scratch inducing moves, and the plethora he made this offseason fit that description. Bringing in Larry Brown to coach won't hurt, but the Knicks' personnel decisions could hinder Brown's coaching style. Trading Kurt Thomas for the Suns' Quentin Richardson sapped what little strength the Knicks had in the front court to add another shooter that doesn't play defense. Thomas, to his credit, has addressed the frontcourt by drafting Channing Frye and trading for Eddy Curry. Simply adding players, though, shouldn't get him a pass. They have to be the right players. Frye, who may provide scoring at times, shouldn't be relied upon for defense or rebounding. Thomas probably could have done more with the eighth pick.
Eddy Curry is a more complicated story. The talented young center brings over a hefty contract from Chicago, but he also brings with him a heart condition that shut him down at the end of last season and could pose a serious health risk (including death) if he plays through it. Since the Knicks did not ask for a DNA test that might have indicated the condition, Curry will likely start for the Knicks this year. His upside was certainly not worth the risk of yet another bad contract, and he, and Thomas, for that matter, should think about whether his being a Knick is worth risking the players' life. If things break right, Thomas's moves could look servicable, but their offseason could doom this franchise for several more seasons of mediocrity.
Photo by AP/Paula Illingworth
