Making the Cut: The New York Knicks

For a team that has been plagued with being stuck in the mire of disappointment, a shred of hope has emerged for the loyal Knicks fan. With a series of lackluster seasons under the franchise's belt, hope has also become promising for young professional players trying to leave their stamp in the NBA. The Knicks would appear to be the ideal location. Their former starting PG(Marbury) is one year removed. Their new starting PG (Duhon) is on a "pay-as-we-go" salary, being rented for only 2 years. Their starting SF(Richardson) is there only because there is nobody better. The franchise is reluctant to pay the two fan favorites in Robinson and Lee. Nobody wants their starting PF(Randolph), and their alleged "former" starting Center(Curry) is too busy eating fast-food at the local tattoo parlor.

What does this mean for a player such as Patrick Ewing, Jr.? Traded from Houston for "considerations" would make it seem that his arrival was a steal. Yet would it be fair to see someone with his ability and potential to be let go in the same manner in which he came, for nothing?

For most established franchises with a fixed unit of players, potential might not be good enough. But for a team looking for change and hope, shouldn't the factor of potential weigh more heavily?
Or should guys like Jerome James, who views himself as a "filler," be kept just because he's being paid $30 million, in the aggregate, to play? Isn't the opportunity cost of his salary the same regardless of whether he's on the roster or is waived? He hasn't played at all during the preseason. When will he play?

Forgetting the legacy that shadows Ewing Jr., it would still be a discredit to the rising regime to waste potential because it contradicts with a honorable philosophy. New York doesn't deserve another year of having the same faces sitting in suits on the bench. They should be filled with players that still have the passion to give their best, to leave their stamp, to begin their own legacy, regardless to what extent that will lead.