Needs improvement

Overall, this team is quicker, more versatile, much more athletic, and works harder than before McMillan came to town. Until Oden develops into a trustworthy post-up scorer, however, their point-making will depend on perimeter shots, drives-and-kicks, and Roy's individual brilliance.

Right now, they're an excellent team — especially in the cozy confines of the Rose Garden. But to evolve into a legitimate championship contender, Oden has to make enormous strides in just about every category.

Straight Shooting

Let's assume that the Knicks' pie-in-the-sky plan works and they wind up with all the free agents their hearts desire in 2010. What might their squad look like?

Would the Knicks do a final victory dance with Chris Bosh and LeBron James? (Chris Graythen / Getty Images)

The centerpiece, of course, would be LeBron James, still only 26 and in the prime of his time. And LBJ would easily be the team's go-to scorer when they're forced to play half-court basketball.

The buzz these days is that Steve Nash would love being reunited with Mike D'Antoni and resurrecting their mutually enjoyable seven-seconds-to-shoot offense. Trouble is that Nash would then be 36 in 2010, and either on the downside of his career or desperately in need of limited playing time. Also, how can playing with only one ball satisfy the needs of both James and Nash?

The third free-agent signing might well be a tossup between Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire. Bosh, of course, is having a career year. While Stoudemire isn't exactly chopped liver, D'Antoni (and Nash) might be hesitant about having to deal with his habitual tardiness, disinclination to practice hard and unmitigated selfishness. So, let's say that Bosh is the pick.

Discarding the remote possibilities that either Eddy Curry or Jerome James could ever be traded for a worthwhile player, that Danilo Gallinari survives his back problems and becomes an impact player, and that the Knicks manage to draft a player who could make immediate contributions — here's how the remainder of the team might look:

Starting at shooting guard would be Wilson Chandler, who's already a capable scorer and will be even better with two more years under his belt.

David Lee would man the frontcourt alongside Bosh. An aggressive rebounder and ultimate energy player, it's reasonable to assume that Lee's jumper will be more accurate by then, but unreasonable to assume that his sad-sack defense will improve.

Chris Duhon would provide excellent relief for Nash at the point.

Nate Robinson would be the scorer and all-around dynamo off the bench.

Jared Jeffries will always be a defensive specialist.

The team would have point-makers galore — LBJ, Bosh, Chandler, Robinson and even Nash.

They'd be quick enough to duplicate the run-amok game plan that served D'Antoni so well in Phoenix. And with Bosh, Lee and LBJ their overall rebounding would be even better.

The only caveats are these: The only reliable 3-point shooters would be Nash, Robinson and Chandler, and it would be difficult to have all three of these guys on the floor at the same time.

Because of their offensive shortcomings, it would also be inadvisable to play Lee and Jeffries together.

And then, of course, there's defense — something that doesn't really concern D'Antoni. After Jeffries — a part-time performer — the team would lack anybody who's even close to being a stopper.

Even assuming that chemistry and ball-distribution will not be problematic, it's hard to see this particular combination of players having enough defense to win a championship.

At the very least, however, Madison Square Garden would once again be the center of the basketball universe.

Vox Populi

Charley, love your stuff. Your knowledge of the game and the eloquence with which you communicate are rare treats. Anyway, pound-for-pound who would be your starting five of the toughest guys of all-time? — Brian, Connecticut

Thanks for your kind words.

Guys who were strictly hatchet men — like Jim Loscutoff and Wally Osterkorn — are ineligible. But here goes:

The center is Zelmo Beatty, because opponents never slept well the night before they had to face Big Z's mean-spirited elbows.

At power forward is Dave Cowens, who was so tough that many of his peers thought he crossed the line into brutality.

The small forward is Dave DeBusschere, whose toughness was manifested more as stubborn excellence than as anything more demonstrative.

The shooting guard is Jerry Sloan, the master practitioner of scratching, holding, clawing, banging and bumping defense.

John Stockton is the point guard, who was sneaky tough to the point of nastiness.

Honorable mention: Bill Bridges, Willis Reed, Gus Johnson, Paul Silas, Vern Mikkelsen, Bill Sharman and Calvin Murphy (the best two-fisted pugilist in the history of the league).

Travels with Charley

Here's another thankless CBA Turkey Day tale of woe.

I was coaching the Albany Patroons and we were scheduled for a Thanksgiving game against the Rockford Lightning. Our flight terminated in Chicago the day before the game, where a van was made available for the 60-mile drive to Rockford. But Jeff Sanders had a suggestion.

During the previous (1989-90) seasons, he had played with the Bulls and still had an apartment in Chicago. Why didn't we stop over at his place, enjoy a Thanksgiving feast there, and then proceed to Rockford?

Everybody liked the idea, including me.

Turned out that Jeff's luxurious digs were in a high-rise somewhere near the lake. He flipped on some music, put a video in each of the two huge TVs, and left to pick up the food. Turned out he was gone for nearly two hours. Meanwhile, the music was too loud and too rappish for my taste, there was plenty of beer in the fridge, one of the videos was heavy-duty porn (too gross even for me), the other was Back to America with Eddie Murphy (which I'd already seen in a hotel in Moline).

Everybody wandered from room to room, drinking beer, laughing at this and that, but too embarrassed to linger too long in the porno room.

Charley's NBA tour

FOXSports.com's Charley Rosen has been watching every team closely this season. Now he has a scouting report on each one.

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Eastern Conference
Atlantic	Central	Southeast
76ers	Pistons	Bobcats
Nets	Bulls	Magic
Celtics	Bucks	Heat
Knicks	Pacers	Wizards
Raptors	Cavs	Hawks
Western Conference
Northwest	Pacific	Southwest
Thunder	Suns	Rockets
Nuggets	Kings	Grizzlies
Wolves	Lakers	Spurs
Blazers	Clippers	Mavs
Jazz	Warriors	Hornets

Jeff finally returned, and after buzzing from the lobby to summon help, brought several huge aluminum pans full of delicious holiday goodies — from turkey to sweet potato pie, and everything in between. It was a glorious repast.

Then, just as we gathered ourselves to leave and resume our drive to Rockford, Jeff pulled me aside. Was it OK if he stayed the night there? He promised, he swore, that he'd be on time for tomorrow's shootaround.

In the face of his generosity, how could I refuse?

But, of course, he never showed for the shootaround.

He was even late to prepare for the game that night. His only excuse was a vague one. "Personal problems."

I was irate, but my options were limited.

Since he had been a Bulls No. 1 draft pick (along with Stacey King and B. J. Armstrong), he still had plenty of NBA money at his command. I'd even witnessed Jeff's spending $20,000 in a men's clothing store during a prolonged layover in the Atlanta airport. So fining him a couple of hundred bucks would be ludicrous. Suspending him would be a gross overreaction.

However, just a week or so before, he had complained to a local sportswriter that I wasn't playing him enough and that I was therefore "messing" with his "future". Jeff said this even though — discounting a game in Columbus where the refs had booted him in the first quarter for complaining too vociferously about some call or other — he was averaging over 40 minutes per game!

That's why I decided the most appropriate punishment would be to have him start the game on the bench and then limit his daylight to about 20 minutes. Needless to say, he wasn't very happy — and when we lost to the Lightning by 20, neither was I.

Shortly thereafter, Jeff informed me that his agent had arranged a gig for him in Europe.

"Good luck, Jeff. I hope you can work you way back into the NBA."

"Good luck to you, too, Charley."

In truth, though, we were both happy to be rid of each other.