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When the Suns traded away the rights to Nate Robinson on draft night, it immediately looked like a mistake. The team badly needed a back-up for Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa had yet to emerge, and Robinson had up-tempo bench player written all over him.

Three years later, no one's saying the Suns messed up. Robinson, while talented, is best-known for his role in the MSG brawl and his questionable 2006 Dunk Contest crown. However, it's possible that one of Isiah's offseason moves could make a difference for Robinson:

His dynamic physical skills - incredible athleticism, a textbook jump shot - have never been questioned. The concern about Robinson has always involved the mental side. Not just when to pass, when to shoot and how to get through a screen, but how to control himself and how to focus and how to take his game preparation seriously.

The absence of Steve Francis might help. Robinson often was Francis' sidekick last season and he allowed himself to get caught up in antics before games and on the bench during games.

There's also talk of his maturity in the summer league, and as a caveat, his ability to spew the right thing at the drop of a hat. Still, with Stephon Marbury supposedly gone in two years, this is Robinson's chance to show he's a real part of the Knicks' future.