Doug:

That’s what commentator’s do Give opinions. You can agree or disagree.
I didn’t know you had inside information on how hard these guys work, but it’s meaningless anyway. They are right or they are wrong. Players that work harder are not always better than players that don’t’. Same with students. Same with posters.
I’m not here to defend Jon Barry, but a lot of his opinions are spot on. On the other hand, your opinions are generally, nonsensical. I can tell you’re not an athlete. Of course, ruru will like what you say. . . because it backs up what he gets paid to do. You’re part of the fanboy club

hoolahoop: Have you ever heard him speak?</blockquote
Plenty of us have heard him speak, and we've heard enough of him. Just because Barry is a decorated NBA veteran doesn't mean that we can't tell he bullshits his way through his TV appearances. He does nothing but spout off his personal opinions with little or no actual basketball analysis or original insight.

I don't believe in giving former players a free pass when evaluating their performance as TV commentators or analysts. Sports and sports broadcasting are different fields. You want an example of a former player that is an excellent at his TV job? Look at Chris Webber.

Jon Barry may have forgotten more about basketball than I'll ever know. But he doesn't work hard at his job. Instead of researching statistics or doing film analysis in order to better prepare for his TV appearances, he offers nothing but self-important opinions and armchair psychology. Jon Barry is bad at his job because he is lazy and doesn’t care about being a good basketball commentator.

How is his brother Brent perfectly decent on TV while Jon is just another birdbrained ESPN talking head? It’s a headscratcher.

jon abbey: I love the guy, i grew up with him (reading him), but he’s pretty consistently terrible now, and I wish that wasn’t true, but it is.

Fair enough. Maybe i hang on to what he used to be. But, I still like reading his column and he’s not afraid to call people out – namely the knicks.
I agree with his condemnation of Melo, especially being a star seeker rather than a champion. As long as he gets his thirty, he’s happy with himself. A lot of guys on this forum are going to hate Vescey for saying things like that.

TelegraphedPass: Seeing as you also cite noted basketball analysts Jon Barry and Magic Johnson among the sources who agree with many of your points, I’m pretty sure there’s no offense taken here.

You know more than Jon Barry? He’s a second generation pro, son of a hall of famer. Have you ever heard him speak? Telepgrpah, you’re a moron. And, I never mentioned Magic Johnson. But, it’s hilarious that you think you know more about basketball than Magic Johnson. That’s almost as ignorant as your comments about the knicks and melo.

This is why I usually just ignore your posts when you criticize me.

hoolahoop: I agree with you that he used to be the king of NBA sportswriters.
I know his sources are not what they used to be, and the fact that he pisses people off doesn’t bother me. It’s a rare sports journalist that’s not afraid to tell it like it is.It doesn’t surprise me that a lot of you guys don’t like him. A lot of you guys don’t know much about basketball, but think you do.
His column nowadays is more about being sarcastically clever, but he’s also a very knowledgeable NBA insider. I played a lot of ball with him and he was always cool with me. He knows a hundred times more about basketball and the NBA than the Telegraph and you . . . which isn’t saying much. Nothing personal to you cgreeene, just commenting on your basketball knowledge.

I love the guy, i grew up with him (reading him), but he’s pretty consistently terrible now, and I wish that wasn’t true, but it is.

yellowboy90: I thought this off season was the last chance to use the Amnesty rule. Maybe I read wrong but if so I think the Knicks will do better in FA than people think.

It can be used at any time during the next 10 years (but it can only be used on team’s Pre-existing contracts)

hoolahoop: He knows a hundred times more about basketball and the NBA than the Telegraph and you . . . which isn’t saying much. Nothing personal to you cgreeene, just commenting on your basketball knowledge.

Seeing as you also cite noted basketball analysts Jon Barry and Magic Johnson among the sources who agree with many of your points, I’m pretty sure there’s no offense taken here.

hoolahoop: His column nowadays is more about being sarcastically clever, but he’s also a very knowledgeable NBA insider. I played a lot of ball with him and he was always cool with me. He knows a hundred times more about basketball and the NBA than the Telegraph and you . . . which isn’t saying much. Nothing personal to you cgreeene, just commenting on your basketball knowledge.

Old sportswriters that rest on their laurels and their “reputations” for their reporting and analysis instead of well-sourced factual information should be put out to pasture. No one misses Murray Chass.

Leave the analysis to TV. Either give me solid reporting or give me well-written longform pieces. No one needs the self-righteous, unsubstantiated opinions and artificial, lazily constructed narratives that currently masquerades as “analysis” from aging newspapermen. Most have never played the game or crunched their share of numbers. If they’re not putting in the hard work that quality journalism requires, then they’re nothing but fans with access. I have little interest in their personal opinions anyway.

Z: It’s hard to say because no one knows what kind of space teams will need to clear to take care of their off season business (who really foresaw the Knicks picking up Billups’ option only to amnesty him before the season began?)

The one person who seems destined to be amnestied is Brendan Haywood of the Mavs (if the Mavs are looking to retool, which presumably they are).

Other notable possibilities, I suppose, are: Artest, Zach Randolph (if injury sets him back again), or Boozer (if something better comes along a la Billups).

Someday the contracts of Rudy Gay, Ben Gordon, Thadeus Young, Ty Thomas, Devin Harris, Drew Gooden, Gortat or Frye, Okafor or Ariza, Linas Kleiza, Salmons or Thornton, and Joe Johnson could be amnestied, but probably not this summer.

Seems like the Wizards are going to run out the clock on Rashard Lewis, so I suppose Andre Blatche will be amnestied whenever the time is right for it, too.

I thought this off season was the last chance to use the Amnesty rule. Maybe I read wrong but if so I think the Knicks will do better in FA than people think.

ephus: In the 1980s, I used to literally run to the store to get the NY Post when Vescey’s columns ran. He was the first to give any semablance of the inside story on trade rumors/feuds. It is not an exaggeration to say that Vescey’s NY Post column was the godfather of NBA blogging.

I agree with you that he used to be the king of NBA sportswriters.
I know his sources are not what they used to be, and the fact that he pisses people off doesn’t bother me. It’s a rare sports journalist that’s not afraid to tell it like it is.
It doesn’t surprise me that a lot of you guys don’t like him. A lot of you guys don’t know much about basketball, but think you do.
His column nowadays is more about being sarcastically clever, but he’s also a very knowledgeable NBA insider. I played a lot of ball with him and he was always cool with me. He knows a hundred times more about basketball and the NBA than the Telegraph and you . . . which isn’t saying much. Nothing personal to you cgreeene, just commenting on your basketball knowledge.