NBA Draft/Offseason Thread

peanut butter · Post by **peanut butter** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:18 pm

Humph got broke off today

PEACE

the dead poet · Post by **the dead poet** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:49 pm

anthony davis' nike logo...

Gregg Popabitch · Post by **Gregg Popabitch** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:01 pm

the dead poet wrote:anthony davis' nike logo...

is that real?

LOL TO HELL IF IT IS

peanut butter · Post by **peanut butter** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:06 pm

Grant Hill to the Clip show

PEACE

Gregg Popabitch · Post by **Gregg Popabitch** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 1:24 pm

peanut butter wrote:Humph got broke off today

PEACE

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_ ... look-south

THIS WILL NEVER END

naturalborn103 · Post by **naturalborn103** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 4:32 pm

That Dream Team scrimmage in Monte Carlo ... some of the footage is in this documentary, starts about 38 minutes in: http://vimeo.com/44164302

Also

David Aldridge ‏@daldridgetnt

Wizards, per source, are about to amnesty Andray Blatche.

Reason · Post by **Reason** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:08 pm

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/817 ... e-new-city

one of my best friends who has been a nets fan for life gave this rebuttal to the above article:

Here goes:

1. Failure to Properly Identify Superstars

First of all, if Dwight wasn't a complete spineless moron he'd be on the Nets right now. It was not Billy King's fault that Dwight turned out to be a 12-year-old girl.

Second, we have Deron Williams. Is he a superstar? Maybe. He's certainly a top-5 point guard in the league, probably top-3 when he's motivated. Sure he probably didn't play as hard as he could last year, but he still averaged 20 and 8 and had the highest assists in one game and points in one game last season. The last person to do that was Wilt, I believe. And, of course, he absolutely torched the Knicks at MSG and ended the initial Linsanity phase. He's also on the Olympic team. Of course he's not Kobe or Durant, but I know for a fact most Knicks fans would rather have him than Melo.

Also, he didn't force his way out of Utah. He might have if they held on to him, but he was totally blindsided by the trade.

Finally, I don't really get what this means. Does this guy even follow the NBA? If there are like 6 or 7 real superstars in the league (Kobe, Durant, Lebron, Wade, Rose, Howard, Dirk), how on earth are the Nets supposed to "identify" one of them? Does he think a team can just trade for Kobe out of nowhere? I mean, we have a perennial All-Star backcourt ! That's not enough star power to put on a team in two week? Isn't that good enough? And Jerry Stackhouse on the bench! He once scored 30 ppg!

2. Failure to Sculpt a Winning Team With General Manager Artistry

I feel like he's talking about the Knicks, because King has done a great job of "sculpting" this team. You can argue about contracts all you want, but a starting five of Dwill/JJ/Wallace/Humphries/Lopez with Marshon, CJ Watson, Mirza Teletovic, and Reggie Evans coming off the bench and put together in two weeks, how is that not a beautiful piece of GM artistry? In the starting lineup, you got your 10 apg pg, a spot-shooter/scorer, a defensive stopper, a rebounder, and a center who arguably has more low-post moves than any other big man other than the Gasol brothers and Kevin Love. Off the bench, you got a defender who will literally grab your nuts to step you from scoring, a promising Euro big man, a super-legit backup pg who started on a playoff team last year, and a promising young scorer.

Carles, the writer, says this - "There isn't really any artistry in his management, it was just a process of striking out. No LeBron James, no Carmelo Anthony, and no Dwight Howard. It wasn't a matter of finding the players who actually believed in the Brooklyn dream. It was about finding trade partners that were willing to accept a pupu platter in exchange for their overpriced assets." Again, does this guy not follow the NBA? That's what a GM does when, like the other 29 teams not named the Heat, Lebron does not decide to sign with them. Was he supposed to hang out at Durant's house all summer and convince him of the "Brooklyn dream"?

3. Failure to Incubate a Winning Culture

I feel like I've said enough, but I don't even know what this means. If the team wins, it has a winning culture. This isn't Big 10 college football. We're not selling recruits on a system and a coach who will be around for 25 years.

Of course, Billy King has made mistakes, but to put together this team in 2 weeks, he should be commended. If they start to lose, of course criticism will be warranted, but look where we are right now. Last year, Damian James and Anthony Morrow were our starting swingmen. Now, we've sold more merchandise than any team other than Miami in the last three months and we are a legit playoff team and will challenge for the Atlantic Division title.

I'm really surprised this article got published, b/c I think Grantland is a great website. This writer does not have the knowledge of the NBA that anyone on this email chain has. For him to write such a definitive article about a team that hasn't even played one game is just bad writing.

Suck it, Carles. Go read the CBA.

Tweak Da Leak · Post by **Tweak Da Leak** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:41 pm

Nets paid out dearly to keep Deron happy, atleast they can blow up the sideshow in 4 years.

Cuban showed ole Billy King how to have a good backup plan if your superstar A plan falls through.

Reason · Post by **Reason** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 5:42 pm

yea cuban and dallas and co. probably had the most impressive off-season to me, definition of building around your superstar for one last run with him as a centerpiece

Gregg Popabitch · Post by **Gregg Popabitch** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:20 pm

Reason wrote:http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/817 ... e-new-city

one of my best friends who has been a nets fan for life gave this rebuttal to the above article:

Here goes:

1. Failure to Properly Identify Superstars

First of all, if Dwight wasn't a complete spineless moron he'd be on the Nets right now. It was not Billy King's fault that Dwight turned out to be a 12-year-old girl.

Second, we have Deron Williams. Is he a superstar? Maybe. He's certainly a top-5 point guard in the league, probably top-3 when he's motivated. Sure he probably didn't play as hard as he could last year, but he still averaged 20 and 8 and had the highest assists in one game and points in one game last season. The last person to do that was Wilt, I believe. And, of course, he absolutely torched the Knicks at MSG and ended the initial Linsanity phase. He's also on the Olympic team. Of course he's not Kobe or Durant, but I know for a fact most Knicks fans would rather have him than Melo.

Also, he didn't force his way out of Utah. He might have if they held on to him, but he was totally blindsided by the trade.

Finally, I don't really get what this means. Does this guy even follow the NBA? If there are like 6 or 7 real superstars in the league (Kobe, Durant, Lebron, Wade, Rose, Howard, Dirk), how on earth are the Nets supposed to "identify" one of them? Does he think a team can just trade for Kobe out of nowhere? I mean, we have a perennial All-Star backcourt ! That's not enough star power to put on a team in two week? Isn't that good enough? And Jerry Stackhouse on the bench! He once scored 30 ppg!

2. Failure to Sculpt a Winning Team With General Manager Artistry

I feel like he's talking about the Knicks, because King has done a great job of "sculpting" this team. You can argue about contracts all you want, but a starting five of Dwill/JJ/Wallace/Humphries/Lopez with Marshon, CJ Watson, Mirza Teletovic, and Reggie Evans coming off the bench and put together in two weeks, how is that not a beautiful piece of GM artistry? In the starting lineup, you got your 10 apg pg, a spot-shooter/scorer, a defensive stopper, a rebounder, and a center who arguably has more low-post moves than any other big man other than the Gasol brothers and Kevin Love. Off the bench, you got a defender who will literally grab your nuts to step you from scoring, a promising Euro big man, a super-legit backup pg who started on a playoff team last year, and a promising young scorer.

Carles, the writer, says this - "There isn't really any artistry in his management, it was just a process of striking out. No LeBron James, no Carmelo Anthony, and no Dwight Howard. It wasn't a matter of finding the players who actually believed in the Brooklyn dream. It was about finding trade partners that were willing to accept a pupu platter in exchange for their overpriced assets." Again, does this guy not follow the NBA? That's what a GM does when, like the other 29 teams not named the Heat, Lebron does not decide to sign with them. Was he supposed to hang out at Durant's house all summer and convince him of the "Brooklyn dream"?

3. Failure to Incubate a Winning Culture

I feel like I've said enough, but I don't even know what this means. If the team wins, it has a winning culture. This isn't Big 10 college football. We're not selling recruits on a system and a coach who will be around for 25 years.

Of course, Billy King has made mistakes, but to put together this team in 2 weeks, he should be commended. If they start to lose, of course criticism will be warranted, but look where we are right now. Last year, Damian James and Anthony Morrow were our starting swingmen. Now, we've sold more merchandise than any team other than Miami in the last three months and we are a legit playoff team and will challenge for the Atlantic Division title.

I'm really surprised this article got published, b/c I think Grantland is a great website. This writer does not have the knowledge of the NBA that anyone on this email chain has. For him to write such a definitive article about a team that hasn't even played one game is just bad writing.

Suck it, Carles. Go read the CBA.

Billy King still fucked up by sending a lottery pick for gerald wallace.

Gregg Popabitch · Post by **Gregg Popabitch** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:21 pm

BTW

FUCK GLEN GRUNWALD

FUCK JAMES DOLAN

FUCK MIKE WOODSON

FUCK CARMELO ANTHONY

Req · Post by **Req** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:28 pm

Reason wrote: I'm really surprised this article got published, b/c I think Grantland is a great website. This writer does not have the knowledge of the NBA that anyone on this email chain has. For him to write such a definitive article about a team that hasn't even played one game is just bad writing.

Suck it, Carles. Go read the CBA.

SUCK IT CARLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tweak Da Leak · Post by **Tweak Da Leak** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 6:54 pm

Gregg Popabitch wrote:
Reason wrote:http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/817 ... e-new-city

one of my best friends who has been a nets fan for life gave this rebuttal to the above article:

Here goes:

1. Failure to Properly Identify Superstars

First of all, if Dwight wasn't a complete spineless moron he'd be on the Nets right now. It was not Billy King's fault that Dwight turned out to be a 12-year-old girl.

Second, we have Deron Williams. Is he a superstar? Maybe. He's certainly a top-5 point guard in the league, probably top-3 when he's motivated. Sure he probably didn't play as hard as he could last year, but he still averaged 20 and 8 and had the highest assists in one game and points in one game last season. The last person to do that was Wilt, I believe. And, of course, he absolutely torched the Knicks at MSG and ended the initial Linsanity phase. He's also on the Olympic team. Of course he's not Kobe or Durant, but I know for a fact most Knicks fans would rather have him than Melo.

Also, he didn't force his way out of Utah. He might have if they held on to him, but he was totally blindsided by the trade.

Finally, I don't really get what this means. Does this guy even follow the NBA? If there are like 6 or 7 real superstars in the league (Kobe, Durant, Lebron, Wade, Rose, Howard, Dirk), how on earth are the Nets supposed to "identify" one of them? Does he think a team can just trade for Kobe out of nowhere? I mean, we have a perennial All-Star backcourt ! That's not enough star power to put on a team in two week? Isn't that good enough? And Jerry Stackhouse on the bench! He once scored 30 ppg!

2. Failure to Sculpt a Winning Team With General Manager Artistry

I feel like he's talking about the Knicks, because King has done a great job of "sculpting" this team. You can argue about contracts all you want, but a starting five of Dwill/JJ/Wallace/Humphries/Lopez with Marshon, CJ Watson, Mirza Teletovic, and Reggie Evans coming off the bench and put together in two weeks, how is that not a beautiful piece of GM artistry? In the starting lineup, you got your 10 apg pg, a spot-shooter/scorer, a defensive stopper, a rebounder, and a center who arguably has more low-post moves than any other big man other than the Gasol brothers and Kevin Love. Off the bench, you got a defender who will literally grab your nuts to step you from scoring, a promising Euro big man, a super-legit backup pg who started on a playoff team last year, and a promising young scorer.

Carles, the writer, says this - "There isn't really any artistry in his management, it was just a process of striking out. No LeBron James, no Carmelo Anthony, and no Dwight Howard. It wasn't a matter of finding the players who actually believed in the Brooklyn dream. It was about finding trade partners that were willing to accept a pupu platter in exchange for their overpriced assets." Again, does this guy not follow the NBA? That's what a GM does when, like the other 29 teams not named the Heat, Lebron does not decide to sign with them. Was he supposed to hang out at Durant's house all summer and convince him of the "Brooklyn dream"?

3. Failure to Incubate a Winning Culture

I feel like I've said enough, but I don't even know what this means. If the team wins, it has a winning culture. This isn't Big 10 college football. We're not selling recruits on a system and a coach who will be around for 25 years.

Of course, Billy King has made mistakes, but to put together this team in 2 weeks, he should be commended. If they start to lose, of course criticism will be warranted, but look where we are right now. Last year, Damian James and Anthony Morrow were our starting swingmen. Now, we've sold more merchandise than any team other than Miami in the last three months and we are a legit playoff team and will challenge for the Atlantic Division title.

I'm really surprised this article got published, b/c I think Grantland is a great website. This writer does not have the knowledge of the NBA that anyone on this email chain has. For him to write such a definitive article about a team that hasn't even played one game is just bad writing.

Suck it, Carles. Go read the CBA.
Billy King still fucked up by sending a lottery pick for gerald wallace.

Fair post.. but two things.

1. The Nets knew all along G.Wallace was going to opt out. King stated this, I stated it on here. He didn't want play on a 1 year deal.. he wanted long term security and he took less money year 1 than what he was due to make this year.

2. They traded for him because..
a. They were 3 games back of the playoffs and Lopez due back in one week
b. They wanted to show Deron they took his advice and tried to win
c. They have been shunned by LBJ, Bosh, Boozer, Gay, TyThomas, C.Butler the last two years, only to land Stevenson, Farmar, Morrow, Outlaw, Petro, Shawne W. Nothing is guaranteed in free agency, despite the real GM mantra..team X can just sign player Y.
d. G.Wallace said he knew nothing about the Nets and didn't like NYC.. he's living in NJ still and plans to. But his comfort and familiarization with the team is what led him to be the first FA to re-sign this summer despite his very brief stint.

naturalborn103 · Post by **naturalborn103** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:08 pm

They have become the new and slightly improved hawks. They will make playoffs every year but won't be real contender, and will have no room to improve due to horrible contracts. So if there goal was to win games king did great job, if there goal was to really compete, not such a good job.

Also, if g Wallace didn't get traded there you think he would of turned down 4/40? They still would of got him. They also could of had 6th pick and maybe that could of been missing piece to get Howard.

naturalborn103 · Post by **naturalborn103** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:09 pm

I keep saying it, but people underestimating how much new sign and trade rules going to kill teams like the Nets

Pronay · Post by **Pronay** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:28 pm

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:15 pm

"Los Angeles Lakers ג For the second time this week, the entire Lakers team is on the list of duds. They were dreadful on Monday, losing by 50 points to the Miami Heat. The Lakers are currently 0-3 and itגs hard to imagine this team winning a game given how poorly everyone has played. The team shot 26.5 percent from the field and let Miami shoot 52.7 percent. They shot 16.7 percent from beyond the arc. They turned the ball over 24 times to Miamiגs nine turnovers. The Lakers have been hard to watch through three games and theyגll need Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock to deliver huge performances if they want to snap their losing streak.

==============================

ESPN's The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, took a chunk of time out of his BS Report podcast today to talk NBA free agency, and more specifically, the sparring match between the Blazers and Timberwolves surrounding the signing of Nicolas Batum.

"Minnesota vs. Portland ... it's kind of a blood feud over Nicolas Batum." said Simmons. "The league is going in a certain direction ... Nicolas Batum is someone who does two things that you need to be able to do in this league going forward. He can make threes, and he can guard wing guys. And yet, you would never think of him as somebody who would make eight figures a year... he's overpaid, but I'm actually okay with that contract."

Simmons continues... "He's 20-23.... You might be buying low with him because of the way they used him. They just planted him in the corner, and he wasn't actually playing basketball that much."

Bill Simmons and his buddy "House" go on to discuss the Roy Hibbert contract, and why they feel Batum is the type of player that could turn out to be a better deal down the road. On another note, a flash from the past ... I had the chance to talk with Simmons in 2009 during his book signing tour where he talked about The Book of Basketball, his fans and the Portland Trail Blazers.

peanut butter · Post by **peanut butter** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:35 pm

Cannot fucking believe the Blazers turned down Derrick Williams + 2 picks in exchange for Batum.

PEACE

Stoned Starks · Post by **Stoned Starks** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:53 pm

peanut butter wrote:Cannot fucking believe the Blazers turned down Derrick Williams + 2 picks in exchange for Batum.

PEACE

Yeah living in Portland people are pretty upset about that. Paul Allen is fucking up the team apparently. I heard the Bill Simmons podcast where he talked about how Batum on that contract isn't that bad and I kind of agree, but that deal would be too good to pass up IMO.

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:04 am

duhbreez · Post by **duhbreez** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:49 am

D.Lillard is the truth..with that said, I'm fine with whatever happens with batum.

naturalborn103 · Post by **naturalborn103** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:52 am

They pretty much have to match Batum at this point. It would make no sense at all for them to turn down S&T for him and then let him walk away for nothing.

Where do rebounds go. This guy hasn't posted one thing I don't like.
http://courtvisionanalytics.com/where-do-rebounds-go/

capable_keL · Post by **capable_keL** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:09 pm

by Zach Harper

A little more than a year ago, Derrick Williams was being considered as a possible No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft.

Some pundits wondered if the Cleveland Cavaliers would be better off picking Williams with the first pick and then grabbing a point guard with their next selection, No. 4 overall. The forward out of the University of Arizona had just electrified collegiate basketball with gravity-shattering dunks and deadeye shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. He seemed like a prospect who couldn't miss in many respect.

Fast-forward to the 2012 Las Vegas Summer League, and Williams is still trying to find a role that will help him stick with the Minnesota Timberwolves' organization. After a disappointing rookie season in which the Wolves forward took a back seat to No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving, and even his own rookie teammate, Ricky Rubio, Williams' future with the team became somewhat murky considering he plays the same position as the team's franchise player. It seems the natural fit for him would be to slide into the small forward position next to Kevin Love.

With his slimmed-down frame (from 248 to 233 pounds, he said) and a reconstructed septum, his quickness should be up and his fatigue should be down. With the Wolves mere hours away from finding out if Williams will be competing with restricted free agent Nicolas Batum for minutes on the wing, summer ball is a perfect jumping-off point for Williams.

A No. 2 overall pick in any draft should be able to come into the summer and dominate these organized exhibition games. At least, that's the perception among fans and many people looking to see the potential Williams once flashed in college. Let your expectations run wild and you'll expect to see 30-point games, flashy dunks and big rebounding numbers from a player with such assumed physical advantages to everybody else on the floor. But that's not what happened Tuesday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Byron Mullens happened.

Mullens exploded for 33 points on 13-for-24 shooting to help lead Charlotte to 81-78 win over Minnesota. Mullens, a one-time star high school prospect, was able to come out against the summer competition and be the dominant player that was perhaps once expected of him. It was the scoring of the Bobcats' center and the defensive pressure they applied to the Wolves that left Williams and his teammates at a disadvantage.

"It's just the way that they play -- that 2-2-1 press -- you don't really practice for that kind of stuff," Williams said. "I thought we did all right. We struggled at the beginning but picked it up toward the end."

Williams was able to score 17 points on 5-for-13 from the field and 7-for-12 from the free-throw line, but his six turnovers led the team in their 22-turnover effort against the Bobcats' pressure.

He failed to make a 3-pointer on four attempts and floated around a bit too much, something that has frustrated coach Rick Adelman in the past. During the telecast of Monday's victory over the Clippers, Adelman critiqued his second-year player by saying, "He does float. He can't do it. He's got to be aggressive all the time. He's got the ability."

But we also saw a concerted effort of Williams trying to drive the ball into the defense and make plays. He said after the game that he does "want to dominate, but it's not really about scoring 30 points." He wants to be a more efficient player by taking good shots and getting others involved. These are all noble goals for a player trying to find his way in the NBA.

At a certain point though, performances like Mullens' are what we yearn for Williams to provide. Through the first two games, he has scored 32 points total. Mullens had that beat in a single game. Is anybody measuring Mullens up to Irving, Kenneth Faried or Ricky Rubio? Mullens has gone from a project to a cast-off role player in Charlotte.

When he's dominating a game featuring a former No. 2 pick, however, you start wondering which one is the project and which one is the player people have forgotten about. For Williams, the organization believes in his talent but is trying to find ways to extract that to the actual games.

It's far too early to give up on such a young player and label him a bust. He just needs to find a fit for himself on the team that makes people remember he was once considered to be the best in his draft class.

http://es.pn/NxBG08

Legion Sports ‏@MySportsLegion
Brook Lopez when asked about all the trade rumors: "I read a lot of comic books, and they don't mention Dwight Howard"
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naturalborn103 · Post by **naturalborn103** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:09 pm

Front runners for free agent center Darko Milicic are Miami, Clippers, Chicago and Brooklyn, source tells Y! Sports.

He goes to MIA they would 4 of the top 5 picks in the 03 draft.

Tweak Da Leak · Post by **Tweak Da Leak** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:24 pm

naturalborn103 wrote:
Front runners for free agent center Darko Milicic are Miami, Clippers, Chicago and Brooklyn, source tells Y! Sports.
He goes to MIA they would 4 of the top 5 picks in the 03 draft.

Didn't they have a similiar roster set up when they got Shaq/Alonzo/Laetnner on the same team, 3 top 5 picks?

an-also · Post by **an-also** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:22 pm

Tweak Da Leak · Post by **Tweak Da Leak** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:24 pm

My nigga Johnny Pnumunee with the simple and concise "Fuck you nigga."

Req · Post by **Req** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:26 pm

"fuck u nigga"

btw, that FB thread has pretty much solidified Team RZN's move to the Nets

FUCK U POOPABITCH

Reason · Post by **Reason** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:29 pm

Req wrote:"fuck u nigga"

btw, that FB thread has pretty much solidified Team RZN's move to the Nets

FUCK U POOPABITCH

Reason · Post by **Reason** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:34 pm

Lin tried to rejoin the Knicks during the playoffs, but wasn't able to play. He declared himself "85 percent" healthy before Game 5 of the Knicks-Heat series but did not suit up. According to a team source, that caused friction in the locker room.

SportsNation: Jeremy Lin To The Rockets
The Knicks declined to match the Rockets' offer to Jeremy Lin. Did they make the right decision? Comment and vote!

"Other guys were hurt, playing at less than 85 percent, so some of them didn't like that," said the source.

Lin addressed the injury and the surrounding circumstances with Sports Illustrated.

"Every single vet on our team that has been in the league longer than five years pulled me aside and told me that I shouldn't play," Lin said. "And I had arguments with them about why I should."

Sports Illustrated also reports that Lin clarified his "85 percent" comment. According to the magazine, Lin claims that he was 15 percent from the "absolute minimum threshold to play."

"People think it was easy for me to sit there and watch us lose, like I had nothing to do with the season," Lin said. "I was dying to play. I didn't miss a game due to injury in seven years until this past season, and people are acting like I wouldn't want to play in the playoffs? Of the NBA? In my first season?"

Lin also said that Dolan, the Knicks owner, supported his decision.

"I have plans for you in the future," Lin remembers Dolan saying, according to SI. "This is a long-term investment. Don't rush back."

In the 35 games he was healthy, Lin went from an end-of-the-bench afterthought to an international phenomenon.

The undrafted guard out of Harvard, who was also cut by the Warriors in the preseason and played in the D-League, set the league on fire in February, leading the Knicks to seven consecutive wins. He scored at least 20 points in nine of 10 games during that stretch.

Lin, a restricted free agent who made $788,000 last season, expressed to SI his appreciation for Knicks fans during his incredible run last year.

"I love the New York fans to death," Lin said. "That's the biggest reason why I wanted to return to New York. The way they embraced me, the way they supported us this past season, was better than anything I've ever seen or experienced. I'll go to my grave saying that. What New York did for me was unbelievable. I wanted to play in front of those fans for the rest of my career."

if a person was approached with james dolan in one hand and mikhail prokorhov in the other, wouldn't he be insane to choose dolan? in anything BUT english accent?