| | By Eric Karabell
ESPN.com
Now that the Knicks have acquired Glen Rice in the four-team trade that sent Patrick Ewing to Seattle, many people are theorizing about what's going to happen next.
|  | | Sprewell now has to fight another swingman for the elusive ball. |
Will Allan Houston be traded to Atlanta? Is Latrell Sprewell on the move? And what's up with Rice? Well, after listening to the Knicks brass brag about dealing one of the top centers ever while also trying to convince their fans that getting Rice and Luc Longley is a good move, we don't think that anybody else will be traded. But give agent David Falk a little time, will ya?
That means -- for now -- three shooters have to share one ball. How will it go down? Can it work? And will Jeff Van Gundy lose the rest of his hair trying to figure it all out? Let's find out.
Dilemma: How to work all three stars into the daily lineup
The Knicks have a problem. You have three guys who all are capable of scoring lots of points. Two of them have scored well over 20 points and wouldn't mind doing that again, and one has never averaged 20, but likely would in most other NBA towns. Frankly, it's going to be impossible for any to reach 20 this year. Let's remember this was the worst offensive rebounding team in all the NBA land last year, and that was with Ewing around. Now you've got Luc Longley, a point guard and three swingmen? Worrying about three swingmen might not be the biggest problem. But for these purposes, ESPN.com breaks down each of the three similar-style players, so we can get a better understanding of who deserves the ball.
Allan Houston
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| Houston |
Best attributes: A streaky shooter from long range, but a natural scorer. Hits threes accurately and makes his free throws. A quiet player who stays out of trouble and off the back page of the tabloids.
Worst attributes: His career high for scoring average is 19.7, so he's never really been "the guy." Had one big season in Detroit while sharing with Grant Hill, and has been a bit inconsistent in Gotham in his four seasons. Doesn't look to take the big shots, and dismisses defense as a major priority. Doesn't handle the ball particularly well. And, unfortunately for him if he wants to stay, he's signed for only one more year.
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Who needs the ball?
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Houston: Averaged 15.5 shots per game last year, 13.3 for career. Career totals: 16 points, 2.9 rebs, 2.4 assists, .446 FG, .837 FT
Sprewell: Averaged 15.9 shots per game last year, 16 for career. Career totals: 19.6 points, 4.3 rebs, 4.4 assists, .435 FG, .803 FT.
Rice: Averaged 12.3 shots per game last year, 16.3 for career. Career totals: 20.2 points, 4.7 rebs, 2.3 assists, .459 FG, .847 FT.
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What he has going for him: He's Van Gundy's new fave player now that Patrick is a Sonic.
What will happen to him: There's talk that the Hawks want Houston and Marcus Camby for Dikembe Mutombo. There's also talk that 28 other NBA teams want Shaq. Ain't gonna happen. Houston needs to come off screens and that doesn't happen a whole lot in New York. Take away the big man in the middle and Houston may see more double teams. Hey, maybe the Knicks should trade him.
Latrell Sprewell
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| Sprewell |
Best attributes: Tenacious defender at three positions doesn't rely solely on the outside shot. Can slash and finish very well and always seems to find a way to get his points and minutes. Makes his free throws and is by far the best passer of the three. Could play point in a bind.
Worst attributes: Doesn't have a dependable shot, and has nights where he hits nothing. Of course, that's better than choking ... ah, forget it.
What he has going for him: He's the fan favorite, though not necessarily Van Gundy's. Can the Knicks afford to move Spree and Ewing in the same offseason? Also, there is the option of him playing point, which is fine on defense since he can cover most guards. That's critical in the East. Spree has had seasons where he scored tons of points and piled up great all-around numbers. The all-around numbers differentiates him from the other Knicks.
What will happen to him: Nothing. Spree's going nowhere. He's resurrected his career, which very nearly ended because of his temper. Sprewell has been a model citizen since coming to New York and the fans love him.
Glen Rice
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| Rice |
Best attributes: Probably the best drop-dead shooter of the three, certainly better than Sprewell. Rice can hit the jumper from anywhere on the court with a sweet motion. Also, unlike Houston, he finds his way to the line.
Worst attributes: Doesn't pass or rebound a lick, and on many nights the guy covering him matches his point total. Has the rep of being a selfish player, only concerned with playing time and stats. Also, he's a few years removed from getting the ball on a consistent basis. Did his one full season in Los Angeles hurt his career? Has he lost his game? Or was it the system?
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The Knicks say...
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"You can't win with just perimeter shooting. You can't say you're a better
rebounding team when you lose your best rebounder."
--Van Gundy
"This is the team we will go to training camp with. Right now, this is where we are. We feel very good about this
club."
--Knicks GM Scott Layden
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What he has going for him: Basically, that he's the new guy and the Knicks won't find a taker for him. Rice is now getting $9 mil a year for the next four seasons, and teams would be afraid to take that salary for a guy who shot 43 percent the last two years. On the other hand, Rice did average a terrific 26.8 points a game only four seasons ago, and is over 20 points a night for his career. Nobody makes hitting the three look better.
What will happen to him: Unlike Houston and Sprewell, who have been in New York a few years, Rice will have to deal with a crowd he isn't used to. In Miami and Charlotte, he produced points. In L.A., they only care about Shaq and Kobe. Rice will have nights where he gets the final shot. If he starts missing them, he could get buried.
Our answer to the dilemma
Of the three shooters who play basically the same positions (each guy can play shooting guard or small forward), we like Sprewell the best. Some say Houston is the best player, but we point to some missed free throws late in playoff games and a reluctance to take over as negatives. Rice is the most natural shooter, but he has a lot to prove. Sprewell is by far the lone defender of the three, and he can drive to the hoop the best. Attitude-wise, he is a leader and a fan favorite. Since Rice can't be dealt so soon, that means we'd trade Houston if one of the guys had to be moved. And unlike Van Gundy, we think the Knicks could really use a point guard or center. It might be fun trying to play Houston, Sprewell and Rice at the same time in a track meet of a game, but they'd better make every shot or you're going to lose.
Without a deal, the Knicks will probably continue to start Houston and Sprewell at the swingman spots with Charlie Ward at point guard and a couple big men up front (LJ, Longley, Kurt Thomas). It's a small team. Sprewell could play the point at times, but with Houston and Rice so similar, why bother playing both at the same time? What do you think? Vote in the poll and let us know.
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