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July 18, 2012
As Knicks let Lin leave for Houston, the defections to the Nets mount; does anybody care about the taint behind Atlantic Yards and the Nets' new arena?
Atlantic Yards Report
Now if Jim Dolan will just put Isiah Thomas back in charge, the total retrogression of the Knicks will be complete.
In June 2010, new (New Jersey) Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov made a hubristic boast: "We're going to turn Knicks fans into Nets fans."
As of last April, when Knicks fans invaded the Prudential Center in Newark, the Daily News reported,
Mikhail Prokhorov once said he’d turn Knicks fans into Nets fans. It’s safe to say none of the thousands were swayed Wednesday night in Newark.
Now the struggling Nets — 22-41 after the 104-95 defeat — are clearly facing an uphill battle for New York fan support ahead of their move to Brooklyn.
Now, thanks to Prokorov's (over)spending to assemble a strong if not championship-ready roster, and the New York Knicks' drawn-out and debatable decision to let potential star point guard Jeremy Lin (costly, but with huge upside, and not out of line with previous overspending) go to the (over)spending Houston Rockets, Knick fans are defecting.
Credit the moves by Prokhorov and his team, coupled with Knicks owner James Dolan's continued ability to confound fans (not that the Knicks won't sell out).
NoLandGrab: While some Knick fans are understandably angry (heck, even we got caught up in the Linsanity last spring), the kneejerk "defections" are unlikely to last — especially if the prodigal Raymond Felton plays well and especially especially if this sets the table for the Knicks' acquisition of highly coveted PG Chris Paul.
Posted by eric at July 18, 2012 11:14 AM