Youth Movement With 41 losses by March 1st, it's safe to say the Knicks have officially written off the 07-08 season. Rather than reallocate the minutes of his starters & reserves to give his younger players a longer look, Isiah Thomas has elected to stick with a rotation that has led to far more losses than ever imaginable. Thomas' assertion that the league is shifting away from power play was

The situation at small forward is even more baffling. Watching Quentin Richardson jog up & down the court makes one wonder why Thomas has Wilson Chandler chained to the bench. Thomas touted Renaldo Balkman & Chandler as his prized first round draft picks in consecutive seasons, but continues to heap minutes upon Richardson & Jared Jeffries. Despite a 16 point outing in Orlando, Richardson is having a nightmare of a season. He has started every game and is shooting a career low 35% from the field. Richardson's 7.5 ppg in just over 28 minutes a night, make him one of the worst starting swingmen in the league. Coming out of DePaul University, Chandler was compared to Shawn Marion for his ability to run the floor, rebound & block shots. With Richardson's skills eroding after only 7 years in the NBA, giving Chandler some meaningful minutes at SF would be the prudent move.

If Thomas wants something positive to come out of this lost season, he needs to find time to develop his first & second year players in the final two months of the season. With Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph, David Lee & Nate Robinson the only consistent performers on a team that's 28 games out of first place, this is a prime opportunity to insert his younger players into the rotation. Crawford - second in the league in minutes played - is struggling to balance the scoring & playmaking load. After watching Crawford hoist 46 shots and dish out 15 assists in two nights, it's obvious that Mardy Collins needs to be on the floor more. While Collins is far from a future star, his 6-6 frame and willingness to defend is critical for a team that struggles to keep opposing guards out of the paint. For all of Crawford & Robinson's flash on the offensive end, both are undersized, sub-par defenders. As for Collins, he is a fairly decent ball handler that thinks pass first. His alley-oop pass to Chandler in the closing minutes of Saturday night's loss prove that both players can offer a spark when given an opportunity.
Thomas has 15 players under contract and has shown a reluctance to send any of his young guys to the NBDL or release a veteran to make room for a late season signing. At this stage, the roster as presently constituted will finish out the year. Regardless of the team's record, there are enough games remaining to see who is a part of the problem or the solution.

AND 1

The Knicks own both their first & second round draft picks this season. While much of the focus will be on who they select in the lottery, their second pick could net a solid player. The steal of the second round appears to be Colorado University's, Richard Roby. The 6-6 shooting guard has drawn comparisons to former Knick great, Allan Houston. The senior is averaging 16.7 ppg on 48.4% shooting from the field. In addition to Roby's polished mechanics, he is also a superb athlete and happens to be the half-brother of Denver Nuggets forward, Kenyon Martin.

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-Greg Hutchins