Slam Dunk Central

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To say that newly hired New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni wants to mold his team into his image (New York Suns?) at this point may be an understatement.? Yet this is the task that he and team president Donnie Walsh are charged with - the “image” in question is a version of the Phoenix Suns’ offense, which is high-octane and where defense is an afterthought.? While admirable, one must consider the sum of the parts that are the New York Knicks and which ones would be compatible to D’Antoni’s system.

One guy who I expect to be either released or more than likely traded is current Knicks guard Stephon Marbury.? I can assume one of D’Antoni’s first orders of business will be to find a way to get rid of Marbury as he and Marbury have a history which dates back to 2003 when Marbury played for the Suns before he was dealt to the Knicks in January of 2004.? D’Antoni doesn’t see Marbury as a winning player or someone who could fit as a point guard in his system?(You think?).? Since the Knicks have an early draft pick, getting a player such as Derrick Rose from Memphis would make the most sense as Walsh would love to get the team some salary cap room so he can make a run towards the free agents that will be available around 2010.

I’m sure in the back of D’Antoni’s mind is the fact that he wouldn’t mind bringing some current Suns players into the Knicks fold - players such as Boris Diaw and Lenadro Barbosa.? It is no big secret that Suns owner Robert Sarver wants?to get rid of some big contracts on his roster, save for probably Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal, so there may be the possibility of some transactions between Phoenix and New York.? And Sarver, like D’Antoni, wants to mold the team into his image (or in Sarver’s case, into general manager Steve Kerr’s image).

The Knicks would love to get rid of Marbury; if they could deal him for players who have played under D’Antoni - Phoenix anyone? - it will probably be a win-win situation, unless Walsh sticks to his big plan of trying to free up cap space for the summer of 2010.? But if the Knicks do a deal like that, that could derail Walsh’s dreams, contingent on who is on the Knicks roster 2 years from now.? But while D’Antoni wants to win as soon as possible, Walsh has 2010 in mind when the attractive free agent class comes out - players such as LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade will be available - and the Knicks’ financial situation improves markedly.?

I am going to assume that D’Antoni discussed this possible scenario with Walsh during the meetings that they had.? If they didn’t, there’s the real possibility of a power struggle - which is the last thing that the Knicks need right now.? But no matter what happens, it is almost a safe bet that Marbury’s time with the?team is very short and the upcoming draft could be the first indication of what the future of the team is going to be in the long-term future.