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Be thankful for the New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. Next to 0-16 and 1-15, 3-13 suddenly does not look so bad.

Be thankful for Donnie Walsh. The longtime basketball mastermind arrived in New York near the end of the 2007-08 season with a plan to shed salary and plan for the future, one that he's doggedly executed. Has he been perfect? Certainly not. The handling of Stephon Marbury's roster status and ultimate buyout required more tact than was evident a year ago. Looking with 20/20 hindsight back at the 2009 NBA draft, it's tough to argue that Brandon Jennings would not bring more to the Knicks as a rookie than Jordan Hill has, though in fairness, Jennings' perceived character flaws would have made him an awfully risqué selection on the heels of the Marbury saga.

However, in just over a full season as the Knicks President of Basketball Operations, Walsh has pulled the Knicks out of the salary cap hell that plagued the team for a full decade. The precociousness that came with the relative inexperience of first Scott Layden and then Isiah Thomas as NBA executives led to repeated quick-fix schemes, acquisitions of expensive, fading veterans and the surrender of young talent and draft picks. The belief that the team's woes could all be cured with a single move only exacerbated the original problems with every Keith Van Horn, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis and Zach Randolph -- to name only a few -- who found their way to New York.

What Walsh brings to the table is 23 years of experience as an NBA decision maker, experience that's taught him that building a successful NBA team takes patience. The short-term struggles are frustrating, but ultimately the Knicks are better off in Walsh's hands.

Be thankful for cap space. Not since 1996, when Allan Houston and Chris Childs were brought in as the Garden's new guards along with a trade for Larry Johnson, have the Knicks been in a position to truly make a positive impact on the team through free agency. By moving the expensive, long-term contracts of Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford just over one year ago, Walsh ensured that the Knicks will have as much room to maneuver under the salary cap next summer as any other team in the league, with the possibility of more to come should he find a taker for either Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries over the next couple of months.

Does that mean LeBron James is on his way to New York? Not by any stretch of the imagination. Does it mean Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh will call Madison Square Garden home? There certainly are no guarantees. What it does mean is that whether the dominoes fall into place this summer, the summer after that, or even the summer after that, the flexibility exists to add meaningful pieces to the roster. Whether that involves landing a superstar or not is secondary.

Be thankful for Danilo Gallinari. When Gallinari first became a Knick at the 2008 NBA draft, he was, in New York Knicks draft-pick tradition, met with a chorus of boos, while Walsh was met with instant criticism for choosing the foreigner with the long last name over a more familiar American-born prospect. However, the Italian forward has since demonstrated the skills, smarts and confidence of a budding star, with comparisons to Dallas Mavericks All-Star Dirk Nowitzki neither inaccurate nor far-fetched. Don't be deterred by talk of Gallinari not shooting enough in the opening month of the season -- Dirk went through the same thing to begin his second NBA season.

Be thankful for Eddy Curry. A mere month ago, when an injured Curry was sent home with an ultimatum to lose weight or not report back, it would have been difficult to imagine the 6-foot-11 former shackle of the franchise making the cut here. However, the one-time prodigy dropped in excess of 50 pounds since the end of last season and has returned with a vigor never before seen from the No. 4 overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft. Even a knee injury suffered Tuesday night in Los Angeles has been unable to dampen the spirit or resolve of a player once classified as brittle.

One way or another, the Knicks stand to reap the benefits of Curry's presence on the floor. It was no coincidence that the Knicks melted down in the second half in Los Angeles on Tuesday night following Curry's injury, then emotionally no-showed their Wednesday night date in Sacramento. The Knicks are a better team with Curry on the floor. He gives them structure on both the offensive and defensive end, provides a presence that must be accounted for at all times. If he stays in New York for the remainder of this season and next, he'll help the Knicks win games. If he plays well enough to find a suitor in another city, he'll provide even more cap relief -- enough to allow the team to sign two free agents to max contracts -- and long-term flexibility.

Be thankful for Walt "Clyde" Frazier. After creating a lifetime's worth of memories on the floor as one of the Garden's most beloved Knicks, Clyde is still percolating on all cylinders at the broadcast table. Be sure to soak in and never take for granted a single "wheel-and-deal," "juke-and-jive," "dish-and-swish" or "post-and-toast" for granted.

Be thankful for yourselves. Even after a decade of basketball ineptitude, Madison Square Garden still routinely fills up to near capacity every time the Knicks happen to be in town. It's a testament to one of the most unique fan bases in all of professional sports. It's a forgiving fan base, one that looked past Latrell Sprewell's personal shortcomings, one that never stopped cheering for John Starks after his 2-18 shooting performance in Game 7 of the 1994 NBA finals, a sporting crime that would have seen Starks jailed in nearly any other NBA city. It is the fans who ensured that Madison Square Garden remained the "Mecca of Basketball" throughout the past decade of soul-crushing defeats. It is the fans who will ensure Madison Square Garden remains the "Mecca of Basketball" when a winning Knicks team ultimately returns. It is the fans for whom the New York Knicks must be most thankful.