By Craig E. Ganek Freelance Scouting & Journalism

On paper and in the eyes of many of the Knick faithful, General Manager Scott Layden put together some draft day maneuvers that attempted to cover the wounds he created for the organizations just a few years ago. As Marcus Camby strolls out of town with his icepacks and band-aids, a sense of relief has fallen over a fan base that grew too accustomed to his name scrawled on the Injured List. Mark Jackson and his uneventful return visit to the Big Apple has also left, and besides a few fast-food owners, Knick enthusiasts do not seem to worry about replacing the aging playmaker. Bring in a player desperately attempting to become a franchise cornerstone for the second time in his career (Antonio McDyess) and a point guard resembling a stronger version of Howard Eisley and Charlie Ward (Frankie Williams), and the vibe seems to have changed in town still recovering from postseason withdrawal. But the question still remains, has Layden established a new foundation or simply used patchwork to quiet his critics?

As Layden continued to open his wallet, the basketball gods were watching and punished him for his short-term rational with unmovable contracts and salary-cap limitations. While many organizations have made mistakes in evaluating talent and offering-up their money, a true test of a GM’s ability is how he recovers from these mistakes not just the next year…but 4 years down the road. It’s much easier to sign a few veterans and sneak into the playoffs without creating a realistic threat to conference opponents (i.e. Portland Trailblazers) than scraping an entire team and investing in the long-term future (i.e. Chicago Bulls). As for the Knick’s top suit, he seems to be attempting to travel along both paths by shipping-out what he can, and using the draft’s mid to late picks as his future investment. Unfortunately, this methodology only seems to work when the names Shaq and Kobe involved.

While the franchise will clamor that Antonio McDyess has yet to reach his prime, in today’s NBA, a player’s potential is only relative to when his first long-term contract comes up. With McDyess readily awaiting an Allen Houston type of financially payday, the Knicks only have a year to evaluate his on & off-court worth. Layden cannot afford another financial mistake with Larry Johnson still collecting more money than the Bulls entire frontline, but this latest transaction gives every indication that he’ll be signing McDyess to max. While Borchardt, Wilcox, & Hilario are not guaranteed to garner All-Star votes for years to come, their potential combined with the rookie contract structure gives organizations a better timetable to evaluate their long-term value to the team. Maybe the Knicks recent draft day blunders have soured the franchise’s belief in evaluating today’s talent, but does Frankie Williams really seem to be the future in Spike Lee’s backcourt.

The Knicks will make the playoffs next year and McDyess could turnout to be a perfect fit in New York, but expect Layden to once again move into the off-season in financial despair. Rumors have the Knicks signing frontcourt help this year, and unless they can convince Herb Williams to lace em up, the bank could break if Layden’s forced to sign a player like Michael Olowokandi. And in all honesty, nobody knows what type of desire the Candyman will play with once he signs a Joe Smith type of deal. At least when you draft a player there’s a better opportunity, and more time, to realize his true character before making the lavish investment. Layden will take the gamble, and expect his job security to follow the success of the team the next two years. Knick fans seemed excited following the June 26th draft, but as the season progresses, expect the loyalists to realize Layden’s patchwork has left the team without direction or a chance to grab LeBron James.

Craig E. Ganek Freelance Scouting & Journalism... Bringing the Knowledge Stronger than a Fred Hoiberg Facial... rcca@worldnet.att.net