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The Courting of King James
Published: December 12, 2008
NEW YORK – The New York Knicks aren’t exactly holding their cards tight to their vests.
After clearing salary space by trading Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph, the Knickerbockers have positioned themselves for a run at the man they believe will return them to glory – LeBron James. NBA experts and sports writers have moaned over the fact that the team is openly courting a player who has two years remaining on his current contract.
That’s true, but they are forgetting that much of the speculation has been driven by the media – especially the New York media – to drive interest in a team that doesn’t do much on the court. So for the next 20 plus months, writers will speculate on this story.
The Knicks can undoubtedly throw as much cash at James as anyone. That’s nice, but it neglects a major point: the Knicks are more than just King James away from the NBA title. It stands to reason to ask “what can the Knicks do between this season and 2010?”
Luckily for them, the 2009 free agent class is filled with talent. Among the notable free agents are Steve Nash, Lamar Odom, Andre Miller, Rasheed Wallace, Shawn Marion, Ron Artest, Carlos Boozer and Kobe Bryant.
Consider Bryant out, there’s little chance the Lakers will let the planet’s best player leave Los Angeles.
Several stories have suggested that the Knicks should add Nash to the fold next year. Personally, I don’t agree. A point guard is essential, but Nash is getting older and the Knicks would pay huge money for Nash as he slowly declines.
To us, the Knicks should look in house for a point guard and instead add defense and size to the team in preparation for James. Our picks are Lamar Odom and Carlos Boozer. Both players provide defense to a team that sorely needs it and size that will complement LeBron’s game nicely.
Odom is a hometown presence that is always appreciated. As a player – he averaged 15 points and 12 rebounds last year. Most importantly, he is accustomed to playing the complementary player role.
Boozer provides size underneath and he’s a tremendous player having averaged a double-double in each of the past two seasons. In addition, he’s already played alongside James.
If the Knicks play it conservatively the clear choice is to add Boozer for the 2009 season. Still, we’d sign both players and head into the 2010 season with a lineup featuring LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, Lamar Odom and Chris Duhon. They might need a shooting guard and veteran Michael Redd would be available in 2010 as well.
These moves would give the Knicks star power and overall talent they haven’t had in years. The Garden would sell out every night and the team should contend for the title immediately.
(c) BasketballNewsOnline.com
Tagged with: Basketball News, best player, carlos boozer, free agent, free agents, jamal crawford, King James, kobe bryant, lakers, lamar odom, lebron james, nba title, new york knicks, rasheed wallace, ron artest, shawn marion, steve nash, wallace shawn, zach randolph
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