"Blockbuster"

(February 16th 2016) BY: Ira Barasch

I recall last trade deadline pretty vividly, I was covering it intently and was pretty underwhelmed, until all hell broke loose. By 3pm I was stunned by all the trades that had happened, all those last minute deals by a GM tinkering, toying with the hope of fans to get his team to the promised land. Fans love the deadline because anything can happen, its a second lease on life or a nail biter for a fan to see how savvy a GM could really be. This year is different though, with the salary cap set to rise by 20 million next year, teams are more hesitant with making a deal, not wanting to take up too much space and hoping to make a splash in free agency. No need to worry, as here at NBA Sports Talk we love a good juicy rumor as much as the next person, so here are 3 mega deals that we'd like to see happen:

1) Los Angeles Clippers receive: Carmelo Anthony 

New York Knicks Receive: Blake Griffin

This would be a bold move by both teams, and a win win for both parties involved. Melo would have an experienced coach in Doc Rivers, he would get one of the best point guards in the league in Chris Paul, along with a host of solid role players around him on a team ready to make a significant push towards a title.

Now the Knicks would have a scary tandem. Granted they would be a point guard away from making itwork, but the thought of Blake and Porzingis side by side is scary. Blake is more aggressive inside the paint, allowing Porzingis to move around more. Best of all? This trade is financially feasible (via ESPN's trade machine http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=mtxz2xd)

2) Washington Wizards receive: Kevin Durant 

Oklahoma City receives: Nene, Otto Porter Jr, and Bradely Beal

Your superstar is a free agent after the season, you're going through a 'will he or wont he' scenario and you have a shot to bolster the next young core of your team with Otto Porter Jr and Bradley Beal as your starting foundation? Sign me up. The Thunder would be smart to take precautions to protect them from potentially losing Durant in the summer for nothing.

Kevin Durant has been rumored to go back home (sort of) to Washington since last year. The comfort of having family and friends around you is priceless. Also there is John Wall, who desperately needs some fire power around him. Now granted the Wiz can only make this deal if Durant says he re-signs after the season is over, but the idea of Wall and Durant as running mates in a weaker conference would and should put fear into every team in the East

(ESPN's trade machine http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=j3kegnm)

3) Boston Celtics receive: Kevin Love

Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Marcus Smart, David Lee, Jared Sullinger

Another win win deal. While Boston gets a legitimate superstar to pair with Isaiah Thomas, Cleveland gets some nice bench depth in Lee and young players in Smart and Sullinger. This would need to come out of desperation for both teams but the whispers have definitely been out there that this might 

actually happen. (ESPN's trade machine http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=gtn2vwg)

"Top 5 Teams in Purgatory"

(February 7th 2016) By: Ira Barasch

Its neither heaven nor hell. You're not great, you're not terrible.... you're in purgatory. Yes, it exists even in basketball. So how do we define purgatory for the sake of this article? Simple, any team that has legitimate hopes for the playoffs and more on their mind coming into the 2015-16 season, yet the teams constructed (at least today) does not have the firepower to get to the title game. Rebuilding teams, such as the Knicks, Wolves, Jazz and Magic will not be included due to the fact they are in the earlier stages of their rebuilding phases and have no legitimate deep playoff run hopes.


5: Atlanta Hawks
What has happened in Atlanta? Yes Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore are looking good, but between losing DeMarre Carrol, Kyle Korver's enormous drop off, and Jeff Teague just not being the same player as last year, this team just doesn't have the presence such as teams like the Raptors and the Cavs do. This was built top to bottom defensively last year, yet their OPPG has actually risen by over 2 points this year. Hope is not lost, with good consistent play from Milsap and Horford the Hawks are still in good position to make a run, but they must make a trade of some sort to have any hope of beating the East's top teams.

4: Memphis Grizzlies
I'm going to probably get some flack for this, but hear me out. As currently constructed the Grizzlies have a solid team, so why are they in this spot? Solely because of the conference they are in. When you know you're going to be dealing with teams such as the Warriors, Spurs, and even the Clippers you must up your arsenal. Yet the grizzlies didn't have much turnover from last year only losing notable players in Tayshaun Prince and Kosta Koufos (at the trade deadline, yet his presence is still missed). The players brought in to replace the production in Mario Chalmers and Vince Carter are good role players but don't quite put fear into an opponent. Yet Memphis has a scarier problem. Gasol, Randolph, Lee, Allen and Green have all been scoring less by an average of about a point or more this year compared to last. If this team can somehow pull off a big trade at the deadline they still have a shot at being the dark horse for the title, but barring that scenario, this team will maybe make it out of the first round but never further. With Gasol and Randolph aging and Conely potentially leaving come free agency,it might be time to blow it up and start from scratch.

3: Houston Rockets
Disappointment is an understatement. Firing Kevin McHale was a bit of a head scratcher at the beginning of the season. Combined with the decline of James Harden's MVP caliber play of last season and Dwight Howard's usual trade drama, this team just seems like a mess. They have holes everywhere, and while they could still make some trades and hope to salvage their season, there is no way they are making it past the top three teams in the west. This is the prime example of trying to band-aid a situation too many times and being stuck with the results. The rockets must retool somehow while Harden is still under contract and in his prime. Otherwise this team is destined for a small playoff run and then ousted by one of the more well put together teams in the West, not even considering the up and coming teams in the conference such as New Orleans and eventually Minnesota. Houston, we have a problem

2: Washington Wizards
John Wall is a great player, they have great role players in Otto Porter Jr and Bradley Beal. Yet this team is just built all wrong. With mostly just role players they have no Robin to Wall's Batman like last year when having Paul Pierce. Wall is only 25, so they have some time to retool, yet with consistent mediocrity from most positions they aren't built to win long term. There is no fall back option if Wall has a bad game, or in the future decides to leave. The frustration on the team is palpable, actually falling out of the playoffs recently (in the 10th spot as of this today). A second scoring option is a must if this team ever hopes of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals or further. With young teams making great strides in rebuilding as of late. The future is now for the wizard's, they just have to capitalize.

Honorable mentions:

Milwaukee Bucks:

Most of their deals from the past year since last deadline have not panned out. They were never looked at as any sort of favorite to make a deep playoff push or to win a title so that keeps them off this list.

Miami Heat:

Aging veterans and a stronger conference hasn't boded well for this team, yet Riley's continued savvy for finding solid players through the draft and undrafted players keep them off the main list.

Detroit Pistons:

Losing Monroe has been tough, yet Drummond is looking good. With only a few pieces away from a legitimate contender and a young core, this team has plenty of reason for optimism

New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis needs a sidekick, and this team must get a bit younger to compete in this stacked conference. Failure to do so will lead them to being on this list next year

1: Chicago Bulls
The drop-off from this team has been a sobering experience for Bull's fans. Currently falling to the 6th spot in the East, they have been a complete mess. Some point to Joakim Noah's injury but this would have happened even if he was playing. The East just isn't the pushover it has been for the past few years, with teams like Indiana bouncing back, the Raptors capitalizing on their young and explosive team, and even young teams like the Celtics, Knicks, and Magic building their teams up to make a run in the future. We haven't even mentioned the Cavs still being the titan everyone is trying to topple standing in the way of the Bulls continuous tries to make it to the top of the mountain. Pau Gasol's age is starting to become apparent, Rose has flashes of his former brilliance but for the most part is a shell of what he used to be.

This team is a nightmare from which everyone involved or invested wants to wake up from. The sole bright spot has been Jimmy Butler proving this is now his team, on the flip side of that it's when Chicago's window is pretty much closed. A total breakdown and rebuilding around Butler is needed and asap. Sell high on whatever you can get rid of at the deadline to teams looking to make a push, this season is lost. How the mighty have fallen.

“Managing a rebuild: The Philadelphia 76ers story”

(December 1st 2015) By: Ira Barasch



The years have not been kind to the Philadelphia 76ers. This once great franchise has fallen so deep into a chaotic spiral that it seems it just has given up trying to break out of it. Claiming to continually be in a rebuilding phase, the team constantly and consistently loses to try and build up draft picks, yet for four years since their last playoff berth, has nothing to show for it. Since the 2011 – 12 season they have continually regressed in wins (34, 19, 18 respectively) and as of today they have one one game against a Laker team with a beaten down Kobe. The did not have a win this season and had lost 28 straight games dating back to last season.

What is wrong with this team? Shouldn't the draft have helped? It seems to have all started after taking part in a trade that helped Dwight Howard to the Lakers, while trading away Andre Iguodala to the Nuggets, and their acquisition of Andrew Bynum. Bynum was coming off an incredible year for the Lakers and the move was looked at in a positive light, that is until Bynum didn't play a single minute for the Sixers. He injured himself in almost comical ways (bowling....really) the team hasn't made the playoffs since. The next few years came with the same initial hope only to collapse as the season dragged on. In the 2013 – 14 season they traded Jrue Holiday, a budding star for the rights to Nerlens Noel and drafted Michael Carter–Williams themselves. Noel was coming off a tremendous year in college but tore his ACL at the end of his college career and didn't play for the Sixers the entire season after. Carter – Williams fared much better actually winning Rookie of the Year but the team still struggled. The following season they drafted yet another big man in Joel Embiid, also coming off an injury and still has yet to see an NBA court. To add to the frustration halfway through the season they traded Carter – Williams to the Bucks. This past offseason they drafted their third PF/C in a row with Jahlil Okafor who, despite playing well, has started to have numerous off the court problems. 

The rebuilding process has merit, just look to this year's Minnesota Timberwolves. The team who had been constantly bad since the departure of Kevin Garnett actually brought him back to the fold by the trade deadline last season for a strong veteran presence to mentor their young and talented group. The team is slowly building up momentum and with Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ricky Rubio and others. This team seems to be on the right track and should be a Western Conference powerhouse in the years to come.

Want more proof? Take a look at the Undefeated Golden State Warriors. Those of you who are old enough know that the Warriors weren't always this good, they actually struggled for more than a few seasons. Yet with the right management, draft choices, and key moves during offseason and trade deadlines, the team has built a juggernaut that plays small and quick basketball. The formula continually works and has worked throughout history (I.e the Thunder and Spurs) So what exactly has gone wrong for the Sixers? Could it be the management? The lack of a veteran presence on the team? Both? Or could it all be just a string of bad luck? Bad luck seems highly unlikely at this point. Hopefully this team will improve though, as seeing such bad basketball being played by a once great franchise in a huge city is not only embarrassing to the fans, the team, and the NBA in general, but just embarrassing to the game itself.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The NBA Off-Season

(July 26th 2015) By: Ira Barasch


Ahhh the NBA off-season, the most hectic two weeks in the summer, where everyone briefly cares about basketball until October. There are three different kinds of outcomes that can happen during the off-season. Which teams were good, which were bad, and which were just plain old, ugly

The Good:

The San Antonio Spurs: 

As good a place to start as any. The Spurs started by re-signing Kawhi Leonard to a five year $95 million dollar deal, and Danny Green to a four year $45 million deal. They followed that up by shipping Tiago Splitter to the Hawks and signed LaMarcus Aldridge to a 4 year $84.1 million deal, but wait! There's more! They the sign David West to the veteran's minimum when he turned down $12 million to return to the pacers. The spurs excel at not only signing the perfect players to fit their system, but also at great prices. A fantastic free agency through and through.

Los Angeles Clippers: 

We're going to ignore the elephant in the room for most of this conversation (*ehem* Deandre) and focus on the signings they made (don't worry I'll get to the drama a little later). Signing Paul Pierce was a nice addition to an already impressive squad, as was Josh Smith. Making a move for Lance Stephenson was an underrated move for them that in all likelihood will work out. And of course re-signing Deandre Jordan was crucial to their off-season. While they had some bumps along the way, a very solid free agency.

Honorable Mention: Indiana Pacers, signing Monte Ellis, Lavoy Allen, Jordan Hill and of course getting rid of Hibbert.

Bad

Los Angeles Lakers: 

Hollywood is where it's all happening, everyone wants to go there. Just not to the Lakers. With all the cap space and the absolute privilege of playing alongside the greatest teammate in history, Kobe Bryant, the Lakers completely whiffed on the free agent market. They got a reclamation project in Roy Hibbert via trade, and drafted D'angelo Russell which keeps them out of the ugly. Not signing a single even mid-level free agent? That's just bad

Portland Trailblazers:

It's mostly out of pity that I'm keeping this team out of the ugly column, because wow that was a rough few weeks. When four players of your starting lineup sign elsewhere in free agency and you bring in mostly unproven and role players, you know you hit a new low. While Damian Lillard took a few steps back last season, I still feel like he was worth the money. Portland fans buckle up, it's going to be a rough couple of years....

Honorable Mention: Phoenix Suns, Signing an aging Tyson Chandler and trading to make room for a max free agent, yet no LaMarcus

The Ugly

Dallas Mavericks: 

Remember I said I'd come back to the drama?! Well here it is in all it's glory! In one of the absolute nuttiest stories in free agent history, The Mavericks managed to sort of sign Deandre Jordan for about a week until he spurned them and went back to the clippers. Of course at that point there really wasn't anyone out there to sign anymore. No, Deron Williams does not count, he's a shell of his former self and it just a hope and a prayer that he somehow regains the form he had in Utah (hopefully Dallas has head coaches for him on speed dial, seeing as he goes through so many). After Deandre left (sort of) so did Richard Jefferson who chose to renege on his deal and signed with Cleveland. And whats with that contract to Wesley Matthews? Four years and $70 million for a player coming off an achilles injury? This was a summer for Mark Cuban to forget....

Sacramento Kings: 

Can someone PLEASE explain the logic behind the off-season here? This team looks more like a time bomb than a once prominent franchise. Between George Karl trying to move his best player DeMarcus Cousins (snake in the grass) or trading Nik Stuskas and signing Rajon Rondo (one year and $10 million?! Literally nobody else offered him anything close, if at all. Who were you bidding against?!) and signing Kosta Koufus (4 years, $33 million) this team looks primed for a meltdown of epic proportions. Get your popcorn ready for the show!

J.R Smith: 

While not a team, this had to be mentioned, as a great man once said “stupid is as stupid does”. Our good friend Mr. Smith obviously didn't get the memo that not only is he not the sixth man of the year anymore, but that the grass is always greener on the other side. To be fair it wasn't greener at all, seeing as after he opted out of his contract and hit the free agent market, no teams called him. None, at all. After realizing his folly, Mr. Smith than decided to call up Cleveland and ask for his old job back to which he got back a really emphatic “Maybe”. We're still waiting on the verdict. Can anyone say China?

Honorable Mention: Oklahoma City Thunder for signing Enes Kanter to a 4 year $70 million deal, because, reasons.

Its a Process

(June 29th 2015) By Ira Barasch
Since Thursday there have been two words that have sent fear and dismay into the hearts of all Knicks fans; Kristaps Porzingis. From the booing on draft night to the now infamous shot of the young fan crying, fans have been outraged by this pick. They passed up on players such as Justise Winslow, Mario Hezonja, Willey Cauley-Stein and Frank Kaminsky to pick him. One season ticket holder I've spoken to has stressed his outrage at this pick and is currently rethinking his decision to keep his tickets for the upcoming season. And now reports of Carmelo Anthony feeling betrayed by the Knicks and debating about astking for a trade have come out, the franchise seems to be in disarray. Everyone should bail out now, they will never win, all hope is lost. The team is doomed I tell you, DOOMED!

Lets all calm down and look at the facts here, starting with the one thing everyone is seeming to forget. No draft choice is a bust or a superstar until they actually step on the floor, and even more so, just because they played in the united states doesn't mean that they are automatically going to work out. Greg Oden seemed like a worthwhile pick, so did Adam Morrison and every other bust there has ever been. Not all forigen players have been great but not all of them have been bad either. Dirk Nowitzki is a prime example, and actually is what Kristaps Porzingis is being compared to. He is a stretch four who actually has more of a defensive presence than dirk. The kid is only 19, is 7'1 and has a 7'6 wingspan, you can't teach that.

Lets look at fact number two, this is actually what Knicks fans have been asking for all along, and that to build through the draft. With respect to Carmelo Anthony, who is a phenomenal scorer and a great player, he is never going to win a championship by himself. He isn't that kind of player, he's not going to do what LeBron did in the finals. The best and most proven way there is of winning is to build through the draft (as I've actually stated before in the article “Rebuilding the Apple”) and build around a player like Melo. As far as him not being happy, I'll quote the ever popular NFL guru Adam Schefter when he tweeted “Here's what the Knicks owe Carmelo Anthony: $101,606,280 million more. Isn't that enough? They don't owe him anything more”. The best option the Knicks had is to start a slow rebuild, draft a few players at a time, develop them, which recently has not been their strongest suit, and develop a core and an identity. This was only the first step, and if what every scout and GM has been saying about Porzingis is true, than the Knicks might have a transcendent talent on their hands. There was no Jordan in this draft, no player who was going to come onto their team and make them instant contenders. Porzingis was the biggest risk, yet the biggest reward (for where they were drafting) and has a legitimate shot at being a superstar.

To Knicks fans though they don't want to wait, they want to compete every season. It's an admirable trait which really makes them one of a kind and a very loyal fan base. I hate to break it to you guys, but the team stinks. I don't mean the kind of stink that will just go away the next season. I mean the kind that you have to start from scratch and suffer until you're great again, and for that to ever happen you need the one thing that's so hard for all of you, patience. This is all a process, laying the foundation for what can one day be a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. Every team goes through these kind of slumps, teams that have once been dominant. The Celtics and Lakers have, two teams which radiate championships. If you think  Kristaps Porzingis is the reason why the Knicks will be terrible, you're dead wrong. It was from years of bad management, trading away young players for aging veterans and constantly trying to put a band – aid on a gunshot wound. Knicks fans are going to have to suffer for a bit, watch their team grow, but if Porzingis reaches his ceiling, hits the level scouts and and managers think he can, than there is nothing to worry about. New Yorkers just have to do the second hardest thing behind being patient, be optimistic. The Knicks have plenty of cap space and will get solid players to add to this team in free agency. It's all going to be okay.

Top 5: Young up and coming teams

(June, 23rd 2015) By: Ira Barasch

  Since the Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship with such a young team, lets look at other teams who seem to be gearing up with young players and may be primed for a deep playoff run in the near future. 

Honorable mentions: The Charlotte Hornets (33 – 49) The Boston Celtics (40 – 42) The Minnesota Timberwolves (16 – 66) 

5. The Orlando Magic: After a breakout year from point guard Elfrid Payton, the magic have added another piece to their already slowly growing arsenal. Along with Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vučević their young roster is growing more and more talented. The upcoming draft is crucial to add another piece, look for the magic to be on the rise. 

4. The Utah Jazz: After going 38 – 44 this past season the jazz have started to climb out of the cellar. With Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, Alec Burks, and Gordon Heyward leading the way with young players in Dante Exum and Trey Burke still developing, this team is loaded with talent. Also a very crucial upcoming draft for them. 

3. The Washington Wizards: John Wall. Need I say more? Ok fine, Bradley Beal, Otto Porter Jr., happy now? This team made a decent playoff run this past season thanks to veteran leaders such as Paul Pierce, Nene and with Marcin Gortat also having a nice season. Expect this team to keep on improving and starting to cause some chaos in the Eastern Conference. 

2. The Milwaukee Bucks: This team just keeps getting more and more intriguing. We haven't seen much out of Jabari Parker, but he seems to be a dominant big man. Together with Giannis Antetokounmpo (A.K.A the 'Greek Freak') and Michael Carter – Williams they have a young core that just keeps improving. Don't be surprised if this team becomes a staple in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. 

1. The New Orleans Pelicans: Ladies and gentleman, Anthony Davis has arrived. This kid has “future MVP” written all over him. His backup in Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday are not to be taken lightly either. This team is legitimately only a few pieces away from a title, so expect to be hearing their name a lot, because they're not going anywhere.

“The Super Team's Fatal Flaw”

(June, 17th 2015) By: Ira Barasch

  Any child dreams of a world where all of their favorite heroes  assemble. In pop culture you have the Justice League and The Avengers, and in sports you have the big three. In layman's terms; it's the grouping of three All Stars together on one team, with the mindset of winning a championship. The concept of having really good players around each other has actually been around for a while. Magic Johnson (Kareem Abdul Jabar and James Worthy) and Larry Bird (Kevin McHale, Robert Parish) both had one, and even Michael Jordan (Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman) had one. The Spurs have had one for years with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili. Yet it's only been fairly recent where players, rather than general managers, have started to manipulate the roster movements by forcing themselves out of losing situations. 

The first modern day “Big Three” were the 2007 Boston Celtics, where they combined Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett with an already productive Paul Pierce (and a young budding point guard named Rajon Rondo). The three combined players took the Celtics from winning a total of 24 games in 2006 to wining 66 games in 2007, and eventually the NBA finals the very same year. The accomplishment was unprecedented, never before had a team changed that drastically. Teams began trying to copy the formula, but more importantly, player's tried as well. As I've written before (see: The baby faced champion) and NBA title is what most players dream of their entire career. The allure of being on a super team is tempting to many. Evidence of that became apparent after “The Decision” when LeBron bolted from the Cavs to the Heat to join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. The Heat made a remarkable four straight finals, winning two of them, in what can only be described as dominance. Carmelo Anthony then tried it with the New York Knicks, literally forcing his way out of Denver to join with Amar'e Stoudemire and eventually Tyson Chandler, to a lesser degree of success. Dwight Howard forced his way out of Orlando to join with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in L.A to disastrous results. However, most recently has been LeBron returning to Cleveland, and Kevin Love forcing his way out of Minnesota to join him, with an already talented Kyrie Irving. There are a few obvious flaws with the concept. First off is the money. Believe it or not every player in the NBA is not playing for free, and the better they are, the more they want to get paid. The players that make up a Big Three are All Stars, demanding high salaries, thus depriving the team of any cap room for other players to compliment them. Second is ego. Again, when dealing with stars they are used to playing a certain style, and more importantly, used to carrying most of the burden of scoring themselves. When joining with a few of these kinds of players you never quite know what you're going to get. It can work beautifully such as with the Heat, or it can be a train wreck like with the Lakers. 

Lastly is the sad example of what we saw this post season with the Cavaliers, which is the venomous injury bug. If an injury bug bites your team its bad news, yet usually you can have another player ready to step up to take his roll, or be able to at least make a trade or signing to supplement the loss. Yet when you have a Big Three; if one goes down, let alone two, your entering a nightmare. You have no money, no players to replace that kind of talent, and a whole different kind of cohesion with this team. After Love went down, we all knew the Cavs would be in a tough spot, and when they lost Irving it was only a matter of time till it they lost. Iman Shumpert and J.R Smith are not second options, they are roll players. As is Matthew Dellavedova and Timofay Mozgov. They can play well with a team, yet don't think that they can salvage a season. 

In the end be it trading an arm and a leg for an all star, or paying for one in free agency, you compromise your future. It's a risk that sometimes seems too good to pass up. Sometimes that's actually the case, LeBron can attest to that, other times it never really comes to fruition which LeBron can no attest to as well. Either way, buyer beware, the age of the super team is coming to a close. Whats next? Well we'll find out on October 27th, when the whole season starts over again.

“Rebuilding the Apple”

(June, 15th 2015) By: Ira Barasch

The New York Knicks are a complete joke. There, I admitted it, its out in the open. There really isn't much else to say about a franchise that hasn't made the finals since 1999. It seems like every time this team has taken a step forward, it manages to take 3 leaps back. 

Every summer feels like they clean cap space, strike out on every big name free agent, and then they throw money at the best player left. The problem is, once people take a bite out of the big apple, they realize the real problem, it's core (core, apple, funny right?). Throwing money at the problem is not going to work for this colossal heap of garbage that played in MSG this past season, it sure isn't going to keep Carmelo Anthony healthy and playing like a player in his prime. So what is the answer for Knicks fans seeking some sort of quick fix to this situation? 

Well, there isn't. Now I know, what I'm suggesting isn't probable, but its the best and most proven way to win. Look to the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors, the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder, and most teams back in the 90's. Build your team. What do those teams have that are proven to win? Core players gotten through the draft. The recipe for success must start at the core. The Spurs are the prime example. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker were all acquired through the draft. The most the Spurs did after that were minor adjustments in the off season, never spending freely, always getting the right players rather than the flashy ones. That's the reason they've made and unprecedented 18 straight post season appearances. They stand as the model everyone should be emulating to win. 

The 2012 Thunder have come closest to that model. Drafting a solid core of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook (also Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson and Nick Collison) they home grew their talent making the team cohesion even stronger. Even the Knicks have used this method before. Remember Patrick Ewing? Mark Jackson? The Knicks had 15 years of being a successful franchise mainly because of their drafting skills. 

So how does this apply to the Knicks? Well they're in a tough spot. With the fourth pick in this year's draft they don't have much of a chance of landing one the three players that they covet so much. They don't have much as far as tradable assets either. What they do have is money and an aging All Star in Anthony. Now to rebuild this team he must go. With his hefty contract and his prime years coming to a close who would take him? How about the Los Angeles Lakers? The Lakers have never been scared from a blockbuster trade, and with cap space themselves they would be able to take his contract. What do they have that would appeal to the Knicks? They have only 2 players under contract (Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle) they also have the second overall pick. Melo for the second pick would benefit both sides (be greedy and ask for Randle as well, but this is fair enough). The Lakers get their star to take them the next few years after Kobe retires and with the cap space they currently have, could potentially lead to a future big three. The Knicks get another young player they can build on, which together with their fourth overall pick, could be the beginnings of a core for years to come. 

Like I said before, this is more than likely not going to happen. For New Yorkers it's even less plausible, seeing as its a win now culture, but this is the best long term course of action. Hasn't it gotten tiresome? Throwing money at players, hiring coach after coach, every year wondering how they're going to pull off some magical trade or free agent signing to finally get them their first title since 1973? This is the best shot they have at long term success, the draft. Yet with the ownership they have it seems improbable that it would ever happen. So Knicks fans wait, and wait, and wait. And with a city with a skyline that is made from scratch, that is breathtaking to behold, maybe its time to build it's own team, its own identity and be a force to reckon with for years to come.

“The Baby Faced Champion”

(June, 9th 2015)  By: Ira Barasch 

Stephen Curry is an enigma, wrapped in mysticism and spiced a bit with a dash of awe inspiring, spine tingling, jaw dropping talent. The kid can flat out ball. It's been obvious since he was picked seventh overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2009 and he has been torching the league ever since. The Warriors have slowly built around him, adding key pieces through the draft such Harrison Barnes (2012), Klay Thompson (2011) and Draymond Green (2012). They've also added pieces through free agency and trades such as David Lee, Andrew Bogut, and Andre Iguodala. All of these pieces were put together to fit around Curry and this year, it all paid off.

Although, Curry is in an interesting predicament. He is in his 6th NBA season and has the chance to become immortal. Not many have had this chance, and even fewer have actually accomplished the goal. John Stockton and Karl Malone made the finals in back to back years in 1997 and 1998 and didn't win. However, both are Hall of Famers. Patrick Ewing also never won, neither did Charles Barkley nor did Reggie Miller. Yet they're all Hall of Famers. More modern players would be Steve Nash, and even Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant (though the latter ones still have a shot), all are probable Hall of Famers. The list goes on, and in multiple sports; great player and a Hall of Famer, but without a title. This is what sets the truly immortal elite from the rest. That ever elusive ring. Some switch teams and warm the bench after illustrious careers just to get a shot at one, others create super teams to finally push themselves over the hump. The end goal though is to call yourself a champion. This is what Stephen Curry has a shot at, being elite, being a champion.

The case can be made that this won't be his only shot, that he can make it back here and win a different time, yet that's not always the case. Ask Dwight Howard, or Kevin Durant if they would rather have won on their first try. They got a taste of being on the biggest stage in basketball and haven't been able to get back since. 

This is the distinguishing factor the separates the very good from the truly great. Being the best player on a great team, and winning it all. Adam Morrison (drafted #3 in 2006, in the dictionary under 'total bust') actually has something every single player named in this article would kill for, a championship (granted, he didn't do very much; see video on the left)

Therefore, the Baby Faced Assassin is actually in a perfect situation, with a great team built around him. He now has an MVP and a chance to accomplish what some great players wait their entire career for, yet never can accomplish. It's not a guarantee that he'll ever come back here, or even if he can duplicate this season before an injury hits and sets him back (see: Tracy McGrady and Derrick Rose). After his performance in game 2 of the Finals it has become clear that Stephen Curry has to elevate his game to the next level, and take his place as one of the best players in the NBA. He can possibly  be one of the greatest shooters in history. To do that he must win, and there is no time like the present.