Following Gigantic Footsteps: Knicks Acquire Patrick Ewing Jr.
I hope that everyone reading this post is sitting down for this one. Earlier today, Donnie Walsh acquired Patrick Ewing Jr. from the Houston Rockets in exchange for the draft rights to Frederic Weis.
Wow. Let me say that one again. Today, Donnie Walsh traded the draft rights to Frederic Weis to the Rockets for Patrick Ewing Jr.
Great move by Donnie Walsh.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the significance of this deal, let me fill you in a bit. Nine years ago (I can’t believe it was that long ago), I remember watching the NBA draft with my dad and watching the Knicks make one of the most foolish mistakes in team history. With the 15th overall pick (remember the 1999 finals run as the 8th seed), the Knicks selected the young, unknown center prospect out of France by the name of Frederic Weis. Generally, Knicks fans are tough on their draft picks, but this one was a bit different, namely because local phenom Ron Artest, was still on the board. My dad, who was a big fan of Artest while he had his amazing run at St. John’s, blasted the Knicks for passing on him. When the Bulls selected Artest at 16, my dad turned the TV off in a fit of rage. Matters only got worse when Weis decided not to come play in New York. Pathetically, Weis is most famous for being dunked over (literally) by Vince Carter in the 2004 Olympics. Up until today, Weis has largely been considered the biggest draft bust in New York Knicks’ history.
But today, more than nine full years later, Donnie Walsh dug deep into the Knicks’ history archives and traded the rights to Weis for Patrick Ewing Jr., the son of perhaps the greatest player in Knicks history. For months, Tommy Dee and the rest of us at theKnicksblog.com have pushed for attaining the athletic defensive stud out of Georgetown. Ewing Jr. will not wow anyone with his offensive game, but he is a great glue player. He will help the flow of the team by doing the dirty work and bringing intangibles everyday, both at practice and in the game. With a 42 inch vertical and great length, Ewing Jr. figures to be able to provide strong perimeter defense and perhaps become a good shot-blocker. In fact, with a 42 inch vertical, Ewing Jr. may be able to also dunk over Weis just like Carter did. Knicks fans have to realize that Ewing Jr. is not his dad and never, ever will be. But if the Knicks bring down Ewing Sr.’s #33 from the rafters for his son to wear, Ewing Jr. will wear that jersey with pride and determination to excel in New York. New Yorkers will be proud of what he brings to the table.
Ironically, Ewing Jr. was drafted by the Kings and dealt to the Rockets in the deal that sent Artest to Houston. In a strange sense, the Frederic Weis era in New York began and ended with Artest looming in the background.
All in all, this was an absolute classic trade, and a hysterical one at that. Even though Ewing Jr. may very well ride the pine all season and Weis has never played in an NBA game, I cannot remember the Knicks ever making a minor trade with so much interesting background information. Good luck Patrick. We are rooting for you here at theKnicksblog.com. And Frederic, Knicks fans would love to say goodbye to you, but you never actually gave us the pleasure of saying hello. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
About Chris Alvino
Chris Alvino grew up in Crestwood, NY. He graduated from Regis High School in 2005. There he played both basketball and baseball. Chris is currently a student at Boston College, where he practices with the varsity Women's Basketball Team (... seriously). Chris has been a Knicks' fan for years and can literally talk about them all day long, every day of the week. Chris enjoys writing on this blog and seeing what everyone out there has to say about it. View all posts by Chris Alvino →-
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