NY
Knicks Wrap Up
Who needs Patrick Ewing? Certainly the Sonics think they do,
by tirelessly orchestrating a blockbuster trade for his presence in a
center dominated Western Conference.
His departure, however, was long overdue in a Knicks uniform. The glory days were over for Ewing, after an alley-oop had gone bad, resulting in a season ending wrist injury. Bad for Ewing, yet, it was pure magic for the Knicks. An unselfish run and shoot Knicks team actually scared opponents! This Knick team reached the NBA finals in 1999 only to be struck off their perch of glory by the San Antonio Giants, formerly called the Spurs.
Watching Ewing lumber up the court while the other Knicks roared by him was simply sad. The "Big Man" had a big heart and an abundant amount of pride, but he had lost his physical capabilities from nagging injuries of one kind or another.
The critics have ripped apart the Ewing trade, believing it to leave the Knicks with a surplus of guards and an unhealthy number of big-men. The sun-browned Luc Longley is not Shaquille O'Neal, but he is a perfect complement to this Knicks team. But, that's not all. The deal also brought the LA maligned sharpshooter Glen Rice to Manhattan with vengeance on his mind. Boy, will Van Gundy have a grand old time healing Rice's vengeance, fitting in minutes for Sprewell, Houston and Rice. Nevertheless, Rice adds another dimension to a Knick team with multiple backcourt weapons.
For the Knicks-faithful,
I have looked into my crystal ball and found them to be in the NBA finals
against, guess who? The Los Angeles Lakers. Why? The Knicks are a team
opponents will hate to face. They have three 20 point scorers in the backcourt
along with a roaming Marcus Camby, who will have to have a breakout year.
Marcus will rebound along with Larry Johnson, Kurt Thomas, and Luc Longley.
Also, the Knicks are part of an Eastern Conference with basketball centers
that are, aside from Mutumbo, basically not a threat to this team. The
Knicks will also find it easier to compete without the threat of Mourning.
TeenSpeak sends him our best wishes. Now, if only Shaq could be stopped.
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