LBJ to NYC?

The New York Knicks have finalized the signing of Amare Stoudemire today. While I think he will play a better power forward than David Lee, the Knicks do not have a team that will deliver a championship to LeBron James. They'll need to offer Bron Bron a maximum contract, so after that they'll have nothing to spend elsewhere.

Though many Knicks fans will despair at settling for another losing season, they'll have a better shot at landing Carmelo Anthony next year, than Bron Bron this year.

LeBron James is interested in doing what Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan did, winning multiple NBA Championships. That means he needs to start winning ASAP. He'll surely win titles, but if he wants to be spoken about with the greats, he needs to win like them.

The Knicks can not offer that for one reason - The lack of a big man.

They do have the biggest man on the court, in Eddie Curry, but unless a miracle happens, Curry will not be an all-star center this season. If you consider the previous ten champions, they all have great centers; Pau Gasol (2), Kendrick Perkins, Timmy Duncan (3), Ben Wallace, Shaquille O'Neal (3). All of them have the ability to push people around and a couple are among the best ever, (Shaq and Timmy).

If the Knicks are able to acquire a decent, tough, big man through a trade or the next draft, signing Carmelo can mean great things for their future. A starting lineup of Melo, Amare, Danilo Gallinari, and a good big man will bring them far into the playoffs for years to come.

It seems the playbook for success is having a big man post up, draw a double team, then pass out to good shooters. This does not work if the big man is not respected enough to double team. The double team is then drawn to the playmaker, rendering him, in most cases, useless.

Given what I believe a good team to be, I do not think LBJ will go to NYC. His best case scenario would be going to either the Chicago Bulls or NJ Nets. With Derrick Rose, Joakhim Noah, and decent role players, the Bulls need Bron Bron to have a shot at a title. Though I think Noah is overrated at the center position.

The Nets are the one team out there with the dominant center of the future, Brook Lopez. They have a good point guard in Devin Harris, though he played horribly in the Nets "Epic F" season. They drafted a strong PF, Derrick Favors, and a good shooter in Damion James.

An addition of Bron Bron, and maybe a solid shooter, could boost this team from worst to first.

LBJ to NJ Nets. Melo to NY Knickerbockers. D-Wade to Miami Heat, with Bosh. All of that nonsense talk of Wade and LeBron playing together or Lebron and Melo playing together is silly. They are all playmakers, who want to make legacies of their own, not together.

Then again, LeBron would be a billionaire playing in NYC (http://www.sbnation.com/2010/7/2/1549264/lebron-james-free-agent-knicks-billionaire-forbes), so who knows what he'll do.