Waiving Jo No now rather than waiting to see what happens next summer sure is dumb.
THJr's contract and the Baker fiasco demonstrated Mills was in way above his head but Perry's entry gave the impression the ship had been righted. The Fiz hire, for example, was brilliant. The Melo trade has worked out well. Burke, Knox, Big Meech Robinson - there's stuff to be pleased with. Most of all, the talk of patience in the face of a star asking to come here has been reassuring and a far cry from how many administrations past would have handled the Butler situation.
But with how Noah's deal is being handled - no financial benefit waiving him now versus next summer, but losing the potential of including him in a sign-and-trade or, worse, stretching him and not needing the extra cap space and having to live with the dead money - implies either the dead hand of Steve Mills is back at it or Perry isn't strong enough to say no or that Perry's not very savvy either.
A simplistic overreach.
A venal sin, and a minor cerebellum synapse.
This too shall pass. More of that anon.
In a sense, I shared your focus on retaining Noah, not for cap/trade bait, but to mentor our young bigs and to fill in behind Kanter. Not so much as a trade chip.
For Mills and Perry, clearly their sense of things was that if Noah INSISTED ON PLAYING TIME, as a foundational piece for him remaining, it would be uncomfortable for ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. As it was last season when Hornacek unduly wounded his professional pride. Noah was ready to make a contribution.
Not a dumb move, but one that was not limited in its focus to the Knicks needs, but to Noah's, and an ACT OF SIMPLE RESPECT. I dare say Perry has been cooing into the ears of Noah's reps and trying to foster a compromise where Noah is able to seek out a soft landing portal before training camp begins, gives back probably a shade more money than he would've back last spring, and Knicks prune away an aged vet, who surely has some game remaining, and hopefully finds a nice match in the next few weeks.
Didn't get back enough cap space to suit you?
Hey, they didn't try and set Noah's ass on fire, like Phil did with Melo, as a precursor to him going out the door.
[
Porzingis]
Kanter
Kornet
Robinson
Vonleh
Even with KP MIA For 2018-2019, that is four bigs who can give you minutes at C-PF.
Four YOUNG BIGS I hasten to add.
For which Noah does not qualify.
So, really Brother B, THERE IS HOPE FOR MILLS, as this is consistent with all of the other moves you thought were prescient.
For now, Fizdale still speaks of Coutney among the living. And with Noah gone, less pressing need for a slow boat to China. More likely with minutes to showcase Lee's more reasonable contract, skill-set and physical upside, between now and February, a deal might be made for a player with an expiring in the summer of 2019.
Mills is pulling the trigger on Noah now for roughly the same reasons Steve & Scott are not bellying up to the bar, boys, and making a play for Jimmy Butler. Because with KP on the mend, their is a rational reason to really let him heal prudently, maybe for all of 2018-2019, which is why 2018-2019 has been consecrated for THE FIZZ KIDS. That is our roster. Many free agent considerations with our cap space for all of our free agents.
And as so prudent a handicapper as yourself has projected 20 wins, in a rosy projection of us having a roll of the dice for Holy Zion, well, it ain't TANKING If You Are TRYING To WIN. Which we most definitely are, but but you see, Coach has carte blanche to let the FIZZ KIDS compete, get thrown into the cauldron, and
TO TAKE THEIR FUCKING LUMPS, to learn how to win, how to finish, how to play the team game, HOW TO PLAY DEFENSE, even if it means losing two out of every three games. If by next April we playing .500 ball, that is progress, and it ain't tanking, and their are no meaningful veteran players on the roster, save for Lee & Thomas, which is why, given the PRIORITY of doing a actual factual reboot with youth for the first time in 50 years, YOU DON'T GO AFTER BUTLER NOW. Wrong cat to bond with youth, and what the fuck, if next summer we have a healthy KP and a ripe draft choice, and a clearer idea of what we have on our roster and in G-League, that THEN it might make sense to seek out one maybe two moderately priced vets, and top tier vet...such as fucking Jimmy Butler.
Mills & Perry are not allowing themselves to be stampeded by a fan feeding frenzy for what Fizz characterized as the shiny object.
CULTURE FIRST IN 2018-2019
Free Agent Destination in 2019-2020
Sounds pretty fucking purposeful and well thought out to me.
Your theory presupposes that Mills is too stoopid to learn from his mistakes, and he has made plenty of them, beginning with Isiah Thomas. But Steve was a college point guard for Coach What's His Name with his system at Princeton. So he ain't just a suit. And we have a roster full of busts looking to be overachievers. Motivation. What a narrative. Players to root for, such as Mudiay and Burke and Hezonja and Vonleh. And our Kiddie Korps of Knox, Robinson, Ntilikina, Kornet. Me thrilled.
The last thing Godfather Fizz needed at this time was the distraction of adding a $40,000,000 concielerge in the form of Jimmy Butler, when he is trying to turn Kevin, Mitchel and Frank in to capos.
Keep Your Friends Close And Your Enemies Closer.
The Salary Cap is NOT David Fizdale's focus.
Player Development Is The Mantra, And Mills has given him a whole year to EMBRACE THE GROWING PAINS.
PRETTY FUCKING SMART, if you ask me. Noah was a distraction with two years left. Lee and Thomas also have two years left, but they are role players, and as such, not a distraction.
Whereas Noah didn't fit the pedigree of a role player with four bigs to fast track.
STRETCH.
So their's the door, Norton, for all of these off with their heads pronouncements.
Brother Biz, Nagel, you are going to be very happy campers.
Your NEW, Low Expectation Knicks.
The small victories, Ralph.
Signed
Rosie The PomPom Gurl
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