The Frozen Envelope

There is much to say and not enough time to say it. But let's be current and not judge the lack of posts. What/who do we draft? Guards and more guards. I love Chancey, but we need someone to learn from him. I love Landry, but we need defense at the 2 spot, maybe also a real scorer. Do we need a 5? Of course we do. But we won't find that in the draft where we are. Also, our forwards don't need a post filling #5. But if the big fella from Georgetown were in the draft (85 all over again), I would take him.

Let's be serious. Chris Bosh is the key. Lebron, Bosh and a draft pick or two are a team to be dealt with. Does LBJ want to win next year? If so, we have a hard hard sell. If LBJ can be a little patient, maybe. A season to adjust. A lottery chance (frozen envelope redux) and shazam, you're the Celtics in the playoffs with as good a shot as anyone other team. Sign Jeff Green as a restricted free agent and who knows . . .

The Nets cut Jay Williams on Sunday. No surprise given that they had 15 guaranteed contracts, Jason Kidd and drafted a PG with one of their 1st round picks. Here is the ESPN article.

My guess is that we have not heard the last from Jay Williams and he will be in the league at some point.

The Frozen Envelope is pulling for you, Jay.

Don't believe what you read or what Isiah says:

• Curry had an "all-star" preformance against guys who last started in JuCo.
  
• The question of where Jalen Rose is going to get minutes as an elder stateman on the team makes me sick. He is only valuable as an expiring contract, and therefore only valuable if we are willing to take on more salary. We cannot do that, so his contract should be allowed to expire and he can call it a career.
  
• Isiah is already defensive about the fact that Stephon and Steve are incapable of generating assists. This will only get worse when the opposition is not auditioning for the bench but playing for real.

This team won't get blown up because you can't blow it up. It needs a major overhaul over 3-5 years. No amount of petty optimism in the preseason is going to change that. Invest time, money and effort in the young players and hope that someone else will take some of the other mistakes off your hands.

I see on ESPN that the Nets just signed Jay Williams to a non-guaranteed contract that will let him try to make the team during camp. As the Nets have Jason Kidd and drafted a point guard to back him up, Jay Williams might be something of a long shot.

You'll recall that Jay Williams was the second pick in the 2002 draft and made the all-rookie team. He was a bright part of the Bulls' future until he crashed a recently purchased motorcycle into a tree. His injuries kept him in the hospital for months and out of the NBA since his rookie season. This is his attempt at a comeback.

While the Frozen Envelope has no love lost for the Nets, we're pulling for Jay to make the team and show he can still play in the NBA. He would be a nice counterpoint to all these kids who don't seem to appreciate the opportunity they have. You can sure Jay Williams doesn't feel that way.

Give credit where credit is due. I applaud Stephon for his new Starbury line of sneakers that will sell for about $15. To put his money where his mouth is, he will be wearing the shoes next season.
He was quoted as saying the $180 that Nike charges for some sneakers ought to be a week of groceries for a family, not a pair of sneakers for a child hoping to fit in and be like his peers.

Credit Marbury for telling the truth and making a statement that has a real financial impact on his own life. I am sure he had a deal with someone that paid him hundreds of thousands of dollars to wear a shoe that the shoe company hoped to sell to hundreds of thousands of kids whose families could not afford him.

Good for him.

While talking of those in the NBA doing good (not just well), Deke Mutumbo (a Hoya) is opening a hospital in Zaire built with $15 million of his own money and countless hours of fundraising. He is honoring his mother who died from a lack of adequate care during war-torn strife.

These two acts represent the very best of the NBA and its players. When have you seen someone from the NFL or MLB take a stand like this?

Jeffries is not a bad addition.

For the Knicks, he appears cheap, but his contract is rich for what he offers. Most importantly, he was a realistic building block. As the papers have noted, he simply does not score. That's OK, we have enough scorers. What he does is defend well at 3 positions and rebound the ball. Each of those are sorely needed. Also, he is 6'11"/ mobile/ young. Each of those are needed.

No one move is going to be the silver bullet, especially when the we only have the Bulls' slot in the next draft. Jeffries is a positive step and a decent use of the mid-level exception.

Don't expect much more before the season, but that's OK.