Monthly Archives: May 2008
Today’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer has some pretty interesting quotes from Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford, who were in Seattle for a tournament.
Crawford on Isiah Thomas: “I was really close to Isiah personally, but it was tough on him, the way he was treated by the fans and everything, and I think it was tough on his part. So it may be best what’s going on. I think he’s relieved now. I think (team president) Mr. (Donnie) Walsh will do a good job as well as Coach D’Antoni.”
Crawford on Mike D’Antoni: “I’m very excited about Coach D’Antoni. I got the opportunity to speak with him, and the way he wants to play fits my style to a T. The good thing about Coach D’Antoni is I think he can adjust his style to whomever he is coaching. And I think that’s a sign of a great coach. I am going to get in tip-top shape because I know how Coach D’Antoni likes to play, and just work on my weaknesses like defense and better shot selection and watch a lot of tapes. I wasn’t necessarily shocked (about Thomas’ firing), but a little disappointed because I liked my relationship with Coach Thomas. But I was not disappointed at all when I heard about Coach D’Antoni, I was ecstatic.”
Crawford on the roster: “Last year was tough. For all the talent and everything coming into the season, I thought we’d at least be a playoff team, and for us not to reach that, it was probably the most disappointing season of my career. I think with any team it doesn’t matter how much talent you have — if you don’t play together, it doesn’t really mean anything. I think it’s a combination of everything — hanging out more, giving yourself up for the team. If your role on the team is to score you have to come and do that every night. If your role is to set picks and get rebounds you have to do that every night.”
Robinson on team unity: “Whatever it is, if we need to go to the movies with each other, on the road, team dinners, team functions, guys supporting guys, barbeques, every little thing. Whenever somebody has something, everyone on the team should show up, that shows the love and bond as teammates. Guys just have to do it for each other and we’ll be all right.”
Robinson on D’Antoni: “I’m excited. I can’t even lie to you, man. I had a long talk with him and he’s ready to win, and that’s what I’m ready to do, I’m ready to win and change the whole team around. I’m trying to change the whole game and I’m trying to turn the league around by showing them that I can play.”
Robinson on next year: “It’s going to be fun because he (D’Antoni) likes to win and he likes to have fun. He is preaching having fun and sharing the ball and playing as a team, teamwork. And that’s what we need. And for our team if each guy individually buys into what he’s selling, the sky’s the limit for our team.”
These two could realistically be our starting backcourt on opening night next season. It’s good to see that Crawford recognizes his weaknesses and is working to improve on those facets of his game. The article compares Robinson to Barbosa, which is definitely a very fair comparison, it will be tough to go into the season with Nate as our starter though because of his inability to run an offense.
Danilo Gallinari got another vote of confidence. This time former St. John’s basketball coach, and current international draft expert at ESPN, Fran Fraschilla gave Marc Berman of the Post a thumbs up. Fraschilla also believes that no point guard will be worth a pick at number six, unless you are talking about combo guard OJ Mayo. Berman also discusses the buzz about D’Antoni “not liking” Gallinari.
First, great work by Marc Berman who has been one of the most active beat reporters at the pre-draft camp. Since I am an alumni of St. John’s I admired the job he did while I was there recruiting Ron Artest, Eric Barkley, and Lavar Postell for that team. Mike Jarvis was the one that coached that group to the elite eight in 1999, but it was with the talent that Fraschilla recruited. With that being said I am very leery of anyone deemed a “international expert”. If all you do is analyze European talent you might become a bit bias in your analysis. However, it is another piece of information to chew on until the draft next month.
Once again I hear the name OJ Mayo. There has been lots of debate on this site from the fans about Mayo. I have a feeling if the Knicks pass on him that it might bring on some of the same frustration that happened in ’99 when Ron Artest was overlooked. I have confidence that Donnie Walsh will do the right thing, but according to someone I talked to he really does like Eric Gordon. Wow, with all the buzz at pre-draft camp I can’t wait to see the rumors fly as we approach the draft in late June.
Tagged Danilo Gallinar, Mike D'Antoni, O.J. Mayo |Newsday’s Alan Hahn does another great job of updating us on whats happening in Orlando and the pre-draft camp. Two interesting tidbits in today’s “Knicks Fix”. The first is a conversation with Patrick Ewing about not being offered a job with the Knicks and how special it would be to see his son wear orange and blue. Alan also outlines two potential Zach Randolph trades that fell through in the eleventh hour due to to the greed of Isiah Thomas.
I understand why people would be sentimental about Ewing coming back to coach with the Knicks, but honestly do we really know how good a coach he is? I have heard he has done wonders with Yao Ming and Dwight Howard, but don’t you think that might have something to do with the fact they are very talented? Ewing was more of a finesse center and those two have completely different games. This team is desperate for top of the line coaching and I just don’t know if Ewing fits that description. As for the Isiah story, all I could say is: good riddance to bad rubbish.
Tagged isiah Thomas, Patrick Ewing, zach randolph |
Chad Ford of ESPN spoke to a source close to the Suns who said Mike D’Antoni wasn’t in love with Danilo Gallinari when he watched him on tape earlier this year.
For the second straight time I have Italy’s Danilo Gallinari going to the Knicks with the sixth pick in my latest mock draft. It makes a lot of sense. Gallinari’s father played with new coach Mike D’Antoni. D’Antoni likes European players and knows how to use them. Gallinari’s style of play is perfect for the offense D’Antoni likes to run.
But there’s a hitch. A Suns source swore to me Tuesday night that when they showed D’Antoni tape of Gallinari during the year, he wasn’t a fan.
“Mike said he’s just not sure the kid has what it takes to make it in the NBA,” the source said. “He said he’d be very nervous picking him in the mid-first round. I doubt he’s become converted since he joined the Knicks.”
Another source made an even more compelling argument: “Whether Mike loves him or hates him, Donnie Walsh is making this pick. He’s the guy who has to take the heat and he’s not going to pass that decision on to anyone else. What matters most is whether Donnie likes him.”
Take this for what it’s worth. Obviously, watching a tape some time ago, and actually scouting someone live, are two different things. It’s hard to imagine that D’Antoni has a problem with the kid’s skill set, he’s perfect for the offensive system. Maybe it’s his attitude, and like with Mayo I’d pass, this team already has plenty of that.
Marc Berman of the NY Post gives a blog update from the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Orlando. Among the topics he discusses his Michael Jordan’s take on the Knicks, the future of the Knicks coaching staff, and the first signs of a relaxed MSG media policy. There is also some words from old friend Larry Brown, now the coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. You could also read his entire column about MJ and the Knicks here.
Its nice to see MJ saying nice things about Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh, but wasn’t it Jeff Van Gundy that called him a “con man” that smiled in your face while he ripped your heart out? As far as the media policy, this is the first I have heard of things being better with respect to accessibility. Its a positive sign because I think part of the turnaround is the team embracing their stakeholders. Improved access will help all of us better understand whats going on and leave less for interpretation. In my opinion, speculation leads to trouble in this city. Then you get the kind of atmosphere you have had at MSG for nearly ten years. I am also glad to see Larry Brown doing well. Although I think he did a bad job with the team two years ago, he was in an impossible situation. I am sure he will wind up on his feet.
Greg Hutchins of the Garden Grasp takes an interesting view of the number six position outlining how few players chosen from that slot have had such little impact in his “Looming Decisions” column. You could also see his brief analysis on some of the top talent in the draft here. 
It’s scary to see how little impact the number six slot has had historically. As a matter of fact, I reviewed the history of the draft at nbahoopsonline.com to see this for myself. You can make your own judgments, but the last true impact player chosen at number six: Larry Bird by the Boston Celtics in 1978.
Tommy Dee writes…Can’t forget Brandon Roy.
Tagged 2008 NBA Draft, Garden Grasp, Larry Bird |
If your an ESPN insider you might want to check out Chad Ford’s Draft Watch from May 20th. Some names that have impressed during vegas workouts are Joe Alexander of West Virginia, Marreese Speights of Florida, and Nathan Jawai of Australia. The one intriguing part of his column is how impressed he was with OJ Mayo and comparing him to a certain Miami Heat guard.
As I said earlier today I waffle daily on what direction the Knicks should go with the #6 pick. If you could trade for an impact player like Carmelo Anthony I believe you should pull the trigger. Obviously with that type of deal being scarce the next best thing is to make an intelligent pick. If Mayo is available perhaps we should stop all the talk about Gallinari and go with the best man on the board. Let’s remember, as good as Dwayne Wade is, who really thought he would have the immediate impact on the Heat right away?
… Andrew Smith writes….
All of the arguments in favor of Mayo stem from the same concept. We all know he is an extremely talented player with off-the-charts athleticism. But, what has shown us that he possesses any qualities of someone who can play in a winning, team-oriented system? From the first time I saw Mayo play, my gut reaction was “STAY AWAY AT ALL COSTS.” He had the ball in his hands an awfully long time, got frustrated at his teammates, and was very turnover-prone. To me, Mayo is a product of the AAU system which encourages one-on-one moves, no defense, and the mindset that it is okay to lose because you have another game that starts forty minutes later.
Has Mayo ever even been coached? He went from high school to high school where he was able to shoot whenever he wanted, and then he moved on to USC where he told Tim Floyd how things were going to be. Obviously, I’ve never met O.J. Mayo, and he could turn out to be a very coachable kid who will adjust well to the NBA lifestyle, but I just don’t see it.
Let me pose this question: If the age limit were not in place, all signs pointed towards Mayo entering the draft last season. Who is his NBA comparison and what would he have done in his rookie season. Remember there are a long litany of players who did not attend college before the age limit was put into effect. Martell Webster and J.R. Smith are two names that come to mind of shoot-first players who have had little to no impact on their respective teams with exception to the occasional 25-point outburst.
Is it fair to say that Webster and Smith would have had similar freshman seasons to Mayo?
Tagged 2008 NBA Draft, Chad Ford, O.J. Mayo |
Newsday’s Alan Hahn gives us an inside look at the “Italian Stallion” this morning. He goes on to cite an email conversation he had with Gallinari’s dad Vittorio, draft experts thoughts on his talent ceiling, and the strong connection with Mike D’Antoni. You can read the full article here.
I discussed Gallinari on my Sunday radio show with Greg Hutchins of the Garden Grasp. Back during my playground days in Bensonhurst the neighborhood would have loved to have a fellow Italian on the Knicks roster. With the state of the team today I am not so sure. Hearing one scout say that he is one of the “Top 6 Players in this years draft” makes me question if the Knicks should really keep this pick. Players from overseas are very hard to translate to the NBA game, much like Japanese baseball players. For every Dirk Nowitzki there is a Maciej Lampe. The dilemma is do the Knicks trade the pick for an impact player, risking future salary cap flexibility, or use this draft to start fresh and build from the ground up. Stay tuned I am sure we will hear more about this kid. All this talk about Italy makes me yearn for a plate of pasta.
Tagged 2008 NBA Draft, Danilo Gallinari, Mike D'Antoni |The LA Times takes a look at UCLA’s Kevin Love as he prepares for the upcoming NBA
draft.
“He’s awake and eating breakfast by 6:30 a.m. He has made the trip from his Westwood apartment to the Home Depot Center in Carson by 8:15 a.m. There he joins UCLA teammate Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Arizona’s Chase Budinger in a weight room where the three players spend 90 minutes doing workouts tailored for their particular needs by Joe Abunassar, founder and owner of Impact Basketball.
The day doesn’t end until 3 or 4 p.m.”
Love’s stock has risen as quickly as any prospect over the last few months thanks to solid play in the NCAA Tournament, but he’s still considered a reach for the Knicks at 6. Should they trade down, and say, deal David Lee in an attempt to shed contract, Love could be an option. He’s a prototypical four, who has a post game and great touch from the perimeter, and his outlet skills could fit perfectly in D’Antoni’s system. But is he too slow of foot?
Should the Knicks stay at 6, it appears Danilo Gallinari may be the pick.
According to the Boston Globe, Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau, who had been rumored to be
on several team’s short lists, will return to the Celts bench year.
Tom’s time will come, it’s just a matter of finding the right fit. My guess would be a team that can score the heck out of the ball, but is looking for defensive schemes to take them to the next level. Hmm, sounds like the Knicks in four years, doesn’t it?
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