5 Signs That There Is Light At The End Of The Tunnel
by, Pat Infante

So you want to think that now that Isiah is gone it is only a matter of time before we are competing for championship? Not so fast, there is a long hard road out of hell. Here are 5 things to look for if you want to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

1. Draft O.J. Mayo
If O.J. Mayo falls to the Knicks at the 6th pick, they would undoubtedly have to take him. O.J. Mayo is a all star talent who routinely makes highlight plays. Like Lebron James we all knew the name O.J. Mayo long before ever playing a game at USC. Let alone I remember hearing about him when he was in middle school. At that time he was billed as the next Lebron. Now I don't think he will be quite Lebron James like, but I do think several all star games are in his future.

2. Unload Zach Randolph
If the Knicks are unable to draft O.J. Mayo I would do whatever I can to use the pick to entice some team to take Zach Randolph. Danilo Gallinari is not the answer.... I'll say that again: Danilo Gallinari is not the answer. It would be addition by subtraction to get rid of Randolph. Zach is a talented player, but it just doesn't work here. Not on this team, not at this time, and not making the kind of money he is. The truth is that I'm sure the next place he ends up he will be 20-10 or better, but that will just never happen here. It's time for the Knicks to be sellers instead of buyers for once.

3. Let Stephon Marbury's and Malik Rose's Contracts Expire
If the Knicks truly plan to make a run at Lebron James in 2010 they must not be tempted to trade the expiring contracts of Steph or Malik Rose. It is in there best interest to let Marbury's and Rose's contacts expire and have 29.5 million come off the books. Let's face it if we are to make a run at Lebron he is going to command a max contract so we are going to have to have a considerable amount of room.

4. Stop Getting Beat By Average To Subpar Players
Weather it's Jason Williams, Moe Williams, Vladimir Radmonovic, Mike Miller, Mikki Moore, Zaza Pachulia, or Brian Scalabrine, just to name a few. These ever so average or below average players always seem to have career nights against us. You just cant take a team serious when Matt Carroll has big games against you. Until this trend seems change the Knicks will remain a joke.

5. Narrow Down To A 8 or 9 Man Rotation
One thing the Knicks have not had for years now is a set rotation. How many successful teams keep changing their rotation let alone starting line up on a nightly basis? Not many. Its time D'Antoni defines players roles. It is alot easier to play when you know what is expected of you and what your role is within the team. Tweaking things on a night in night out basis is quite counter productive. Some of the best basketball the knicks played in the last few years was after the Nate Robinson brawl last year vs Denver. When the team was left with 8 or 9 players. Bottom Line, Its time to shave down the rotation.