What's NY going to do?

http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/11294.htm

If the post-Patrick Ewing Knicks can’t get bigger through another David Falk-orchestrated blockbuster, they plan to go big by themselves.
Coach Jeff Van Gundy, long an opponent of the Big Backcourt, has made a stunning reversal on the subject in the wake of the 12-player Patrick Ewing blockbuster in which the Knicks gained small forward Glen Rice and center Luc Longley. Van Gundy said he plans to try the unorthodox alignment when training camp begins in Charleston, S.C. in nine days.

If the Knicks strike out in landing Dikembe Mutombo or another prominent center/power forward, Van Gundy knows the only way to maximize the explosive trio of Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston and Rice is to play without a true point guard. Sorry Charlie.

Indeed, starting point guard Charlie Ward could be the biggest loser of the Ewing trade if the club stands status quo, as GM Scott Layden predicted at Wednesday’s news conference. Shame of it is Ward is coming off a breakthrough playoff run.

Houston, who objected to the Big Backcourt last season when the Knicks experimented with it, has already said from the Olympics in Australia he’d be willing to play the point. In the alignment, Houston and Spree would share the backcourt while Rice would play his natural position of small forward. It is the only way to get him more minutes and into the starting lineup.

Last season, the Knicks, when Ward was hurt, used Houston and Sprewell in the backcourt and had Larry Johnson, not a consistent outside threat, playing small forward. Van Gundy never cared for it, although it allowed the 6-6 LJ to play his natural position and defend dynamic small forwards.

“We will look into the possibility of playing all three together,” Van Gundy said. “The reason why we never tried it was we never had, on the weakside, enough shooting when they doubled Allan or Latrell in the post to make teams pay.”

“Now I believe if we play all three, a point guard is going to have to play one of them (straight-up) and we’ll have enough weakside perimeter shooting to make it an effective lineup,” Van Gundy added. “I don’t think any of them is a Scottie Pippen type where they are a better distributor than scorer. That’s a problem but we’re going to look at it. Whether it’s effective or not will take a lot of work.”

Van Gundy has so far only committed to starting LJ at the power forward - which is rather startling since Marucs Camby is now - by far - the team’s best rebounder.

A starting lineup of Houston, Spree, Rice and LJ, and either Kurt Thomas or Longley at center is not the ideal situation. But the Knicks need a contingency in case their master plan of having Falk arrange a Mutombo-for Houston-and-Camby deal falls through.

Last month, Atlanta GM Pete Babcock told The Post Mutombo was not an untouchable considering the Hawks are a non-playoff team. But with all the leverage now, he has since been telling anyone who will listen that he won’t trade him. A nice bargaining ploy but one that will change if the Knicks pony up Spree.

So the post-Patrick Knicks will have to expand their search for a center or power forward. The only center being actively shopped is the Sixers’ Matt Geiger, who has more upside then Longley. Philly held serious discussions with the Knicks earlier this week about being part of a four-team deal with Geiger being included but the Sixers backed out.

Trying to snare center Elden Campbell from Charlotte for Houston makes sense since the Hornets have Hersey Hawkins as their shooting guard and a plethora of big men. But a high-ranking Charlotte official said the Hornets don’t want to trade Campbell. Washington’s Juwan Howard and Rod Strickland are always available in a package but they do nothing for the Knicks’ rebounding woes. The Knicks will only have leverage for Chris Webber next summer in a sign-and-trade when he’s a free agent.

One Eastern Conference talent evaluator said Rice will fit in perfectly with the Knicks. He’s still a fantastic shooter, he said. The way the Knicks are so precise in setting screens, they’re going to get him open a lot. Glen uses screens great and all he needs is a little bit of space. It’s too early to say if he’s on the decline. You make that judgment after this season.

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I've thought from the beginning Mutombo was wishful thinking, but that a Houston to Charlotte deal seemed to make more sense. The article says that Strickland and Howard are always there for the Knicks - is that accurate? Why wouldn't the Knicks jump on that? If they could get Strickland and Howard without giving up Sprewell or Camby, then that would be perfect for them! That fills both their needs. A deal of Houston, LJ, and Childs for Strickland and Howard would be the deal of the century for NY, but is the cap relief for Washington enough? What's going to happen?

[This message has been edited by Oatdog (edited September 23, 2000).]