The Art of Rebuilding

On the New York Times forum, many years ago, the question of deconstruction vs a rebulid was a lively exchange. It's time to revive the conversation.

The Knicks have a terrible record after playing a fairly tough schedule thus far. But last night's loss against the Timberwolves has sent many a Knicks fan into shock. A blowout at home against a gimme win will do that.

The Knicks are in a position similar to the waning days of the Knicks 90's teams. In those days Checketts and Grunfeld knew what they had to do. That was, to reload. And they did so brilliantly by acquiring Camby and Sprewell.

Since then, Dolan has made brilliant moves only to impatiently destroy their potential by snuffing them before fruition. In times like these, when the Knicks are at their low ebbs is the most dangerous time for management. It is the time that Dolan intervenes in the delicate intricacies of the Knicks rebuilding plans.

The fans who demand immediate gratification are usually season ticket holders who can't give their seats away. They want action, NOW! And their money talks.
On the other hand, lifelong Knicks fans who acutely feel a thirty year emptiness, are distressed but want a road map to a competitive team.

For both constituencies, the management decisions are not as different as they may seem.

This is the third straight coach to fail to win with the Knicks squad that he inherited from his predecessor. Last year I defended Larry Brown and this year I'll defend Isiah Thomas.

The coaches are not the problem and haven't been since JVG got Grunfeld fired.

This year the talent pool was better than any time since the Sprewell/Camby Knicks. And Walsh is the best team architect we've had since Grunfeld. The Knicks losing streak has come at an unfortunately bad time in Walsh's remolding of the team. Trades don't usually happen until weeks after the holidays. The short-handed Knicks are stuck in a personnel purgatory that couldn't have been anticipated.

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An angry fan base will soon rouse Dolan's ire. Let's examine what's in play.

Deconstruction of the existing team. Many fans believe Walsh, like Isiah before him will attempt to get rid of "Isiah's" roster and replace them with his own. Quite frankly, I doubt this is the case.

The decon part of Walsh's job is largely complete. Crawford, Randolph and Marbury are gone. Curry remains and may survive assuming he proves more functional than Jerome James. Deconstruction is a subtractive activity that reduces payroll and often returns less than book value.

Dolan cannot adversely affect anything that's already taken place so Knicks fans can rest easy on this front.

Beyond this housecleaning however, Walsh should have few axes to grind with Isiah's youngsters. Lee, Nate, and Chandler are true assets.

The rebuild. Walsh has already added Al Harrington, Duhon, and Gallinari that can be considered assets as well. The other addition Roberson has thus far proven a bust and Gallinari needs some good minutes to calm the growing fear that his was yet another wasted draft pick.

The delicate balance that Walsh and D'Antoni need to orchestrate is to have the patience to wait for the right deals before losing so much that the team and fans despair or Dolan steps in.

From Walsh's history, we know what the Knicks will eventually look like. The Pacers were tough teams top to bottom. They were not necessarily nice teams and that's where Dolan can derail Walsh.

Prior to 2010, Walsh will harden the Knicks substantially. And he will not leave D'Antoni with a dysfunctional squad for long. Both men must understand that whatever the long term goal is, the short-term history of losing does not end well in NY.

By February, the Knicks will be competitive enough to make the playoffs. And, assuming they succeed the rebuild will be considered a success.

2010, the transformation. It is this writer's guess that 2010 is not the beginning of the transformation of the Knicks but the consummation. Walsh and D'Antoni must have a competitive squad by 2010 if they hope to lure true talent to NY. By then they will be looking for pieces that complete the team rather than someone "to build around".

The idea that the Knicks will be a gutted team for signings is absurd. The Knicks fans remember years of free-agent shopping. wasn't Allan Houston supposed to be the final piece of the Ewing reign? And what of the Grant Hills, Chris Webbers, and so on - you remember, the LeBrons of their day who never signed in NY but went on to become albatrosses elsewhere.

The signing of free agents is publicity sexy but fraught with the same uncertainty as draft picks and trades. Knicks fans would be wise to advocate for a combination of means to acquire the right team chemistry.

there's nothing wrong with winning before 2010.