New York Knicks - New GM...New Team...A Whole New Ball Game

[NNpF]

New York Knicks Dynasty
A Dynasty Made From a General Manager's Perspective

I know it is a bit late to be starting an NBA Live 2005 Dynasty with the release of '06 coming anytime now, but I felt I just had to make this one.

What inspired me is, I started a Madden 2005 dynasty a long time ago on NFL boards, but the thing is, the whole dynasty was from a General Manager perspective.

What I did was start with a team that is in desperate need of rebuilding and try and turn them around. I simulated all my games and my goal was to sign key free agents, have a good draft and make a bad team good as soon as possible.

I ended up being successful starting with a terrible 3-13 record after my first season to making the Conference finals after my 8th season.

So, what I wanted to de here, is pretty much the exact same thing. I am going to start with the New York Knicks, and try and turn the team around realistically. I know that with the way NBA Live 2005 is I can make the team I want before I even start the first season, but that's not what I want to do. Here is a list of what I want to do:

My Goals:
- Start with the New York Knicks and eventually change the team around so it is the kind of team I like (Pass first PG, unselfish players etc.)
- To never have a worse record than the previous season.
- Make only realistic trades, and not all at once. Keep this as real as possible.
- Once I win a championship the dynasty is over, that is my main goal.

So basically, I will be simulating all my games (unless I feel like playing a game from time to time) and focusing mostly on rebuilding the team.

If anyone has any questions feel free to PM me or just post them in the thread. And without any further explanation, here is my dynasty:

Settings:

Schedule Type: NBA
Season Length: 82 Games
Sim Quarter Length: 12 Minutes
Playoff Length: 7-7-7-7
Sim Injuries: Yes
Fantasy Draft: No
Sim Type: Intervention

Difficulty: Superstar
Quarter Length: 12 minutes
Sliders: fgrep15's Superstar Sliders (Thanks fgrep, these are great)

Roster - I am using Roster's downloaded off of this site, but I made a few tweaks of my own.

[Sac-1]

Good luck with the NY

[Keo]

Good luck with this dynasty.

[NNpF]

New York Knicks - New GM...New Team...A Whole New Ball Game

Knicks Announce Firing of Thomas and Wilkens
By Dennis D'Agostino

Just before the start of the 2005-2006 season the New York Knicks have fired GM Isiah Thomas and Head Coach Lenny Wilkens, and in their place have hired GM/Head Coach Filip Podkanski, terms of the deal were undisclosed.

Podkanski has previously coached in Canada and in Europe and has done a spectacular jobs turning teams around. He is a very tough coach and believes that a PG should always pass first and run all the plays and that all his players hustle and play defense.

Podkanski has mentioned that he does not like the make-up of this team and we have heard that he is considering moving Stephon Marbury, Jamaal Crawford and/or Tim Thomas to the bench. He has shown interest in signing free agent centers Jelani McCoy and Derrick Coleman.

We managed to catch up with Filip at one of the teams practices, here is what he had to say:

DD: Hi there Filip, nice to meet you
FP: Hi Dennis
DD: I would like to ask you a couple of questions if that ok with you.
FP: Why not, everybody else does.
DD: Ok, well, taking over an NBA team is a big challenge, especially a team like the Knicks that have salary CAP troubles and can not seem to make the playoffs.
FP: Of course I'm ready, they wouldn't have offered and I wouldn't have accepted if I wasn't ready.
DD: What do you plan on doing with this team?
FP: My first priority is to add a smart, pass-first point guard to the team, and to add some size up front.
DD: Is it true that you plan on ridding the team of Stephon Marbury, Jamaal Crawford, Tim Thomas, Allan Houston and Maurice Taylor?
FP: It's too early to answer that know, but I do plan on making a lot of changes to the team.
DD: There have been some rumors already about you wanting to go after Gary Payton from the Celtics and Kyle Korver from the 76ers.
FP: Again, it's too early to answer that now.
DD: We have also heard that you plan on making some major changes to that starting five before the season starts, if so, will you tell is what you are planning to do.
FP: I would like to start Penny Hardaway at the point guard position and move Kurt Thomas to power forward, but before we do that we have to find someone to start at the center position for us.
DD: Well Filip, that's all the time we have today, thanks for your time.
FP: No problem.

[Emiliano]

This looks great, cant wait for the season to start

[NNpF]

New York Knicks - New GM...New Team...A Whole New Ball Game

Knicks Release Butler, Jackson. Sign Coleman, Strickland
By Dennis D'Agostino

The Knicks have announced today that they have release PF Jackie Butler and PG Jermaine Jackson. To replace them, the Knicks have signed free agent center Derrick Coleman and free agent point guard Rod Strickland.

"Coleman is a veteran who will add size to the team, while Strickland is the kind of guy I want coming off the bench. A guy who looks to set up his teammates", says Podkanski.

Coleman is expected to start at center while Strickland will be playing behind Marbury at point guard.

Knicks Announce 2005-2006 Season Roster
By Dennis D'Agostino

As Expected, with new head coach/general manager Filip Podkanski, the Knicks starting line-up has been "re-modelled" to suit Podkanski's expectations.

Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway has moved into the starting line-up at point guard while Stephon Marbury has been moved to the shooting guard spot.

Derrick Coleman and Kurt Thomas will be playing the power forward and center positions, alternating depending on the team being played and the situation.

Knicks 2005-2006 Season Roster:

C - Derrick Coleman
PF - Kurt Thomas
SF - Tim Thomas
SG - Stephon Marbury
PG - Anfernee Hardaway

Bench:

PF/C - Malik Rose
PF - Maurice Taylor
PF - Michael Sweetney
SF - Jerome Williams
SF - Trevor Ariza
SG - Jamaal Crawford
PG - Rod Strickland

Injured Reserve:
C - Bruno Sundov
SG - Allan Houston

Podkanski has mentioned that he is not very happy with the roster. He would still like to add more size, more depth and more experienced point guards.

He has also said that he is seriously thinking of starting Trevor Ariza over Tim Thomas. "Trevor is young and plays well on defense and he is still developing an offensive game, but his defense is the reason I would like to give him a chance to start".

The Knicks are not expected to make any more moves this offseason, but we all heard that this team may be undergoing some serious re-modelling.

[Fresh8]

Good luck man.. it's already looking good. Maybe you will revive the dynasty section!

[Emiliano]

Penny in his original PG position........awesome

[NNpF]

New York Knicks - New GM...New Team...A Whole New Ball Game

Note: I am going to simulate this season and not give much detail, after the next offseason I will begin adding more detail to the dynasty.

Knicks Make Huge Splash in the Off-Season
By Dennis D'Agostino

We all knew Filip Podkanski said he would change the Knicks roster, because he didn't like the way it looked, but not many of us expected him to acquire the players he did so far in the offseason.

Podkanski started by releasing two of the Knicks better players, Tim Thomas and Allan Houston. A lot of people question releasing these two players, maybe he could have made a trade or two with these guys.

The Knicks draft went pretty well, they drafted Liam Wheat with the 5th overall pick and Heath Mohammad with their late first round pick. Although there are rumors that neither of these players will be signed, Podkanski denies them, and he says he has high hopes for both of these players.

The Knicks went 22-60 during the regular season, Derrick Coleman, Rod Strickland and Kurt Thomas, all players that were expected to play key roles under Podkanski were constantly injured through out the season.

Everyone knew something had to be done, and although many did not expect releasing Houston and Thomas was part of the plan, Podkanski may have more than made up for it with some trades that suit Podkanski's style of play more.

Podkanski has been looking to ship Marbury and Crawford away, and he managed to get rid of both. Crawford was traded to the Denver Nuggets for center Marcus Camby, the Nuggets drafted a young center and are expected to sign Tyson Chandler to accomodate for this loss.

There were many rumors flying around, a trade involving Bibby, Marbury and Stojakovic. A trade involving Marbury, Butler and Atkins. And a trade involving Marbury, Posey and J. Williams.

However, nobody expected a trade with Minnesota. The Knicks traded Stephon Marbury and Kurt Thomas to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Sam Cassell, Wally Szcerbiak and Eddie Griffin.

And the best part is, the offseason isn't even over. Podkanski is still looking to ship Maurice Taylor, Malik Rose and Jerome Williams to strengthen the Knicks roster even more.

[NNpF]

New York Knicks - New GM...New Team...A Whole New Ball Game

Knicks Sign Robinson, Flores. Taylor Traded
By Dennis D'Agostino

With the 2006-2007 Season quickly coming closer, the Knicks still had some empty roster spots and an unhappy GM, even with all the trades made that are expected to vastly improve the Knicks Podkanski still thinks there are too many power forwards on the roster, not enough size and not enough depth.

As expected, Maurice Taylor was traded back to the Houston Rockets for Clarence Weatherspoon and Charlie Ward, Taylor played for the Rockets before coming to the Knicks and Weatherspoon and Ward previously played for the Knicks.

The Knicks also signed free agent guards Eddie Robinson and Luis Flores to one year deals to add more depth to the roster.

[NNpF]

New York Knicks - New GM...New Team...A Whole New Ball Game

New York Knicks 2006-2007 Team Preview
By Greg Logan

Guards Last year the Knick's starting guards were Stephon Marbury and Jamaal Crawford, two guys who are both talented but jacked up way too many shots. The Knicks went from Marbury and Crawford to Cassell and Szcerbiak, two players who suit Podkansk's style of play a lot better.

Cassell will look to pass first and Podkanski has been looking for a good perimeter player who can make the three off of a kick out. Many Knick's fans would have loved to keep Marbury and Crawford, but in my opinion, Cassell and Szcerbiak will cause less trouble and play the way they are wanted to play. Grade B-

Forwards This year the Knicks went from Tim Thomas and Kurt Thomas to Trevor Ariza and Eddie Griffin. Now getting rid of Tim Thomas means less trouble, but all you did was add Eddie Griffin, who may or may not be even worse. There isn't much of gain offensivley but these two guys are starting more for defensive purposes.

Ariza doesn't have the range of Thomas, but Griffin can fill that role well. If Griffin can keep himself in line and Ariza keeps on getting better there is no reason this move shouldn't be a huge upgrade over the two Thomas's. Grade C

Centers There isn't much to say here. How many people would take Derrick Coleman over Marcus Camby? Enough said. Camby is an upgrade over Coleman in every possible way. Grade A

Depth There still isn't much to be said about the Knick's depth. They still have too many power forward's on the roster and a just weak bench overall. There is a hint of talent here and there but this is an area the Knicks are going to have to work on a lot next offseason. Grade D

[NNpF]

New York Knicks - New GM...New Team...A Whole New Ball Game

Knicks Announce 2006-2007 Season Roster
By Dennis D'Agostino

The Knicks roster looks better to some on paper but still looks worse to others, but Podkanski thinks he is getting close to what he wants, but before the interview, here is the Knicks 2006-2007 season roster:

Starting Line-up

C - Marcus Camby
PF - Eddie Griffin
SF - Trevor Ariza
SG - Wally Szcerbiak
PG - Sam Cassell

Bench

C - Heath Mohammad
PF - Malik Rose
PF - Michael Sweetney
PF - Clarence Weatherspoon
SF - Jerome Williams
SG - Eddie Robinson
PG - Charlie Ward

Injured Reserve

PF - Liam Wheat
PG - Luis Flores

We had a chance to speak with Head Coach/GM Filip Podkanski after a team meeting, here is what he had to say:

DD: Hello there
FP: Hi
DD: Do you have time for a quick interview?
FP: Sure
DD: Lets get straight to the point, why did you make the changes you did to the roster and how do you think it will help?
FP: Well, Cassell is more of what I want in a point guard then what we had last year, he can score and most importantly he will look to distribute. Last season we were looking to acquire Kyle Korver, but we scored even bigger by landing Szcerbiak, he is a more complete player than Korver and will know when to shoot. I've liked Ariza since I got here and I am glad to give him a chance to start. Camby and Griffin will really help us defensively with their shot blocking and they are an upgrade offensively over what he had in the post last year. I am still dissapointed with our depth and the amount of power forwards, undersized to add, we have on our roster.
DD: Why did you choose the trade with Minnesota when you had chances to add an All-Star in Stojakovic and a guy like Bibby?
FP: Don't get me wrong, they are both great players, but the main reason was Eddie Griffin. Cassell and Szcerbiak are basically the same players as Stojakovic and Bibby, but we also got Eddie Griffin, who I have been looking at since the beginning of last season.
DD: A lot of people are dissapointed with your decision to trade the two Thomas's, but more importantly, Marbury and Crawford. A lot of people thought that back-court had a lot of potential.
FP: First of all, a lot of people aren't the GM of this team, second, I wanted a point guard who can distribute before shooting, and Crawford was unhappy being moved to the bench and he still shot way to much rather than looking to pass a little more.
DD: Well, you certainly have made this into an interesting team, good luck with the season.
FP: Thanks a lot.

[NNpF]

Well, I had nothing to do today so I got a lot of work done, but I'm busy tomorrow and the day after.

I know there is a lot of reading and no pictures, but I just wanted to get one season done and make some changes to the roster before I add more detail and play a game or two every season with recaps.

Thanks for all your comments so far

[Emiliano]

Great job man Recaps look great and the trades seem interesting. Lets see how they work out for you

[joeygraham]

Great dynasty! I love the realism based on a style of play that I am all for. Getting Griffin was a huge move, but Cassell might not be as pass-first as you hope.

[NNpF]

Great dynasty! I love the realism based on a style of play that I am all for. Getting Griffin was a huge move, but Cassell might not be as pass-first as you hope.

Ya, but the deal that involved Cassell was best for me, and even though he's not exactly what I want he is still more of what I want than Hardaway or Marbury.

My main goal is to go after a guy who plays good defense and passes first, but I like Cassell in this line-up.

And thanks for your comments, I will more than likely play a game or two tomorrow and post the recaps.

[Mini ShaQ]

Cool dynasty maan... even though I probably would try for Bibby rather then Cassell, seing is how Bibby has great passing skills and doesn't jack up as many shots as Cassell, but I'm not sure that I would try for Peja though, but you could hav split it maybe, trade Crawford for Bibby and Marbury for Szerbiak and Griffin?

Anyways good dynasty man...

[2Hot]

Oh this dynasty is great really like that you did it as a GM, not playing the games, really cool..
well good luck!!

[brad feet]

it's never too late bro..... as long as your enjoying it..... this looks nice, keep it up

[Buckley]

great dynasty man....

good luck rebuilding the knicks...

u ever going to get them under the cap?

[Argentinian Power]

Good dinasty!

And good moves too, reducing salary cap space...

Hope you do fine, how about some talent from Argentina, like Manu?

Regards!

Hope you visit my dinasty too...

[Keo]

Team Roster looks great. Good luck bro.

[NNpF]

Well I kind of picked a bad time to start a dynasty because I'm leaving to go to Poland in four days.

I'm going out tomorrow but Saturday I'll do as much as I can to keep you guys busy for 3 weeks.