To read more of Ronald Monestime's work, check out his page at Examiner.com.
Now that the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have distinguished themselves from the remaining 28 teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), it’s as good a time as any to examine, no pun intended, how the first three rounds of the playoffs became a teaching tool for its multitude of spectators.
More specifically, there were a myriad of lessons to be gleaned by New York Knicks President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh and his staff as the organization prepares to enter what is anticipated to be, arguably, the most active and critical off-season in team history.
So, without further adieu and any empty rhetoric, based on the last month and a half of action, the top five observations that should have upped the intelligence quotient of the Knick front office going into next month’s free agent melee are:
5. An invitation to Brendan Haywood is warranted
The one position where the Knicks are glaringly lacking is at center. So much so that 6’9” David Lee had to fill this void for virtually the entire season; and did so admirably.
But in Brendan Haywood, who will be an unrestricted free agent come July 1, New York has an opportunity to acquire a true center that will rebound and block shots with the best of them.
Born in New York City, the 30-year-old Haywood averaged 8.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game in 28 games with the Dallas Mavericks after being dealt by the Washington Wizards just prior to the trade deadline. Before the trade, Haywood was averaging 9.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game for Washington.
In the playoffs, Haywood averaged 6.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game in an average of only 23.2 minutes of action.
Although his numbers may be dwarfed by those of David Lee, the presence of the 7’0” Haywood would allow the Knicks to actually play true power forwards, like Lee, at their natural position.
4. Joe Johnson is not a maximum contract player
After averaging 21.3 points per game in the regular season while shooting 46% from the field and 37% from the three-point arc, Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Joe Johnson pulled a disappearing act in the playoffs; especially in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Orlando Magic.
In the series against the Magic, Johnson averaged just 12.8 points per game and shot 30% from the field. The four-time All-Star fared even worse from three-point range, where he shot a horrific 18% in Orlando's four-game sweep.
Johnson, who turns 29 next month, is a quiet star, figuratively and literally, with the unique ability to take over a game as evidenced by his 35-point outburst, including 20 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Hawks to victory in a first-round playoff game against the Boston Celtics in 2008.
However, this is more the exception than the rule when it comes to the Arkansas native. Johnson has never been, and never will be, a franchise difference-making player and, therefore, the Knicks would be grossly overpaying for his services if they were to sign him to a maximum contract.
Johnson’s shoulders are too narrow to carry the hopes of an entire franchise.
3. Dirk Nowitzki and Danilo Gallinari would make for a lethal frontcourt
As any superstar is supposed to do, Dirk Nowitzki took his game to another level in the playoffs, but all he got for his trouble is yet another surprising first round exit; which is much of the reason Nowitzki intends to opt out of his contract next month to become an unrestricted free agent.
During the regular season, Nowitzki averaged 25.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, to lead the Dallas Mavericks, and shot 49% from the field and 42% from three-point range. In the playoffs, Nowitzki once again led the Mavericks in scoring (26.7) and rebounding (8.2) while shooting a blistering 55% from the field and 57% from distance.
It would behoove the Knicks to make some sort of attempt to steal Nowitzki from under the nose of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban because a combination of Danilo Gallinari, whose game improved by leaps and bounds this year, at the small forward and Nowitzki at the power forward would give New York the most offensively gifted and versatile front court in the league.
2. Phil Jackson is headed for free agency as well
For more on this continually developing situation, among others, click here to read the article on why hiring current Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson is the Knicks’ best and last chance to entice LeBron James to come to New York.
1. Ask not what you can do for LeBron James but what LeBron James can do for you
Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the questions Donnie Walsh should ask LeBron James when they finally sit down for a meeting is for a candid response in regards to what happened in Game 5 and Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics. Was it the elbow injury? Did James mentally check out of that series? Because, for whatever reason, the LeBron James that’s come to be expected over the past several years was not on that court.
If this year’s playoffs were James’ curtain call in Cleveland, he certainly didn’t go out on his shield like Dwyane Wade did or Steve Nash, who’s not headed for free agency, did. And God forbid the day ever comes when Kobe Bryant is questioned about whether he gave it his all in any game.
Yes, LeBron James is the grand prize of the 2010 free agent class and much like the pretty girl that all the guys want to talk to and have on their arm. But if there’s no substance behind the style then, as with the case of the pretty girl, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.
To read more of Ronald Monestime's work, check out his page at Examiner.com.
Top 5 Lessons NY Knicks Should Have Learned From NBA Playoffs
