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Just finished yapping with Donnie Walsh as he addressed the media at the team’s practice 
facility in Greenburgh and there were some important points of note.
First and foremost, Walsh is looking for a prospect who can “play at fast tempo, and a guy who can defend.”
Smokescreen or not Walsh didn’t seem overly optimistic about the prospects of moving up Thursday, but felt that he may not need to seeing that two intriguing prospects, Ricky Rubio and Hasheem Thabeet, could find their way to the Knicks at 8. Walsh was clear in saying the Knicks have not worked out Rubio, refuting a report today. (Our apologies to Marc Berman who said they were trying to interview Rubio, not work him out). Walsh told reporters that he had not seen Rubio in person, but is confident that he knows him as a player.
“…I’m not confident they (Thabeet or Rubio) be in the top 4, Walsh said. “It’s possible (one or both slides to 8). I’m not saying it’s going to happen but your hearing all this stuff and reading all this stuff. It could happen.”
But if it doesn’t happen there is the opportunity to trade up, which Walsh said was a long shot based on the history of the NBA Draft. He pointed out the actual number of trades and used that number as the chances of it happening.
There haven’t been that many.
When I pushed him on if he thought, as most media outlets do (including this one), that Rubio was the top point guard in the draft Walsh was coy in saying:
“…I don’t know, you have to ask the guy who has two,” referring to Memphis GM Chris Wallace, but then added later, “I think there are players on his level.”
He also noted that Rubio will be good as who he has around him, which may be an overriding factor in not wanting to move up, especially if they have to give up an asset to do it.
So as we inch closer to Thursday, Walsh will be exhibiting his classic patience because he does sense the players will slip, or teams may be desperate to trade and he won’t know that until the phone rings Thursday. He admitted that there has been some interested in his players but that he probably values them more that the other teams do.
Walsh would not commit to taking a guard, but did talk a lot about Jrue Holiday’s ability to defend and to play at a fast pace, which is the biggest thing he’s looking for, not necessarily one who can score. We’ve been talking about Holiday’s two-way ability since January when he wasn’t on anyone’s radar, and it appears that Walsh loves the kid out of UCLA. He even went as far as to say that his first workout, he’s here today, was very good, and that he shouldn’t have been dejected.
He talked glowingly about Tyreke Evans and, of course, Stephen Curry, saying that Curry is smart enough to figure a way to become a good NBA defender.Walsh feels both are definitely point guards, with Evans’ advantage being that he can also post up.
But perhaps the most interesting nugget was the idea that Walsh felt that Jonny Flynn being taken at 4 was not a reach. Walsh feels that Flynn’s athleticism makes him a very attractive prospect, and can see him being taken by the Kings with the fourth position. That posturing is obviously smart on Walsh’s part because if Flynn jumps up then a player he really likes may fall in his lap and 8 without having to give anything up.
So as we draw closer, I now believe that Walsh will keep an eye on the guys dropping and is not ready to commit just yet, meaning he’ll head into the draft ready to make adjustments on the fly based on what happens before hand.
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Let’s put it this way, I’m not buying this talk that the Blazers are hunting for Rubio, based on the fact that it completely opposes what I’ve been hearing out of Portland. The Blazers want a vet quarterback, and wouldn’t bring in Rubio to compete with him. Period. All signs still point to Andre Miller or Jason Kidd, but the aforementioned Hinrich wouldn’t shock me either.
Mardy Collins can also defend and is a big PG…would you take him 8th? Jrue Holiday is not the 8th best prospect in the draft.
Give me a trade down, extra pick / dumped contract, and Ty Lawson. He would be perfect for this offense is ready to play right now.
Both of you guys are right on we want Curry and Rubio or Thabeet.I don’t buy Holiday or Evans,I also agree if we don’t trade up then trade down for Lawson and a salary dump.Let’s make that Wizard deal with Hughes and Jeffries and swap picks,making that deal work is our only shot at Curry.
We should be considering Jonny Flynn more at 8, the more I watch him the more I see a poor mans derrick rose, but with a better mid-range game.
Im dissapointed in the fact that Donnie really likes Jrue, at 8, theres gotta be an option better.
I doubt Thabeet will fall, simply because hes the only center to really consider, so…some team will jump on the opportunity.
If we dont trade up, I cant see Rubio going pass Minnesota, the only thing they really need is a floor general.
Minnesota has 5 picks in this draft, 3 being the first round..i can bet anyone here a Zillion dollars were going to get one of thse picks o_O
And I wonder how many moves Portland will make on there annual trading day..
I CANT count up to a zillion,but when you mail me my money ill have to trust you that its all there
As Chad Ford reported last week, Donnie is pretty much content with the 8th pick. I don’t think the Knicks will trade up unless its an even deal where they don’t have to give up Chandler. I think he’ll sit back and see who slips to 8. Nobody knows who’ll end up where because there are no franchise players in this draft.
As for Holiday, I think Walsh may be talking up his 1st workout as a somewhat of a smoke screen. Even Holiday himself didn’t think he performed well. Walsh probably does like him but would prefer if another player(Curry) slipped to him.
everyone is so intent on DONNIE WALSH making a move,it wouldnt surprise me one bit if he didnt do anything
I agree bob, with all this talk I bet there is only gonna be like 3 trades, I still hope Curry will some how gets to NY, I doubt Rubio is on the Knicks next yr or Thabeet, I can see them messing up and taking Holiday. Ty Lawson is a backup PG, I think Curry is the second or third best player in this draft he would make a impact, Jordan Hill would be good Value at 8 but we would still need to trade for a PG.
I think there will be a bunch of moves within the first round.
Probably up to ten. — Some sites are predicting upwards of 16 moves in the draft
With so many players so close in evaluations and so many teams looking to either cut costs or make a run there is bound to be many draft day trades.
I think we should all reserve judgement on Holiday. Number one, Jrue Holiday is not Mardy Collins. That comparison is a absurd. Just because Holiday has size and has the ability to defend, with a “questionable” outside shot doesn’t make him Mardy Collins. Many NBA guards come into the league with questionable outside shots. Look at Derrick Rose last year. Rose had the reputation of being a below average jump shooter, he ended up shooting 48% last year, that is an elite shooting percentage for an NBA point guard All of the experts, Chad Ford, Doug Gottlieb, etc, all have nothing but good things to say about this kid. These guys have obviously much more knowledge on these players than we do. Number two, Holiday probably isn’t going to be the pick. The way things are shaping up it looks like Evans, Jennings, Curry, and Flynn are all above Holiday on Donnie’s big board
I dont think we are gonna make a dramatic trade, especially one that involves chandler or the 8th pick, but i definetly dont think Walsh is gonna draft #8 and call it a night.
Major, Minor, Walsh is making a move..
yea i agree, i dont see DW making any real dramatic trades on draft night, maybe a minor one, maybe shed a contract or maybe aquire a later pick but naa, he aint moving up the draft board, he will select the best availible if curry and hill are gone, prob a BJ, evans, flynn… im all game with them but hey, you nvr no,
i cant wait till the draft =)
Apparently this is gonna be a hectic draft night and DW will have to think fast ! I hope our old dude has some juice left !
I just hope he dumps JJ and Larry to the Wizards for Mike James and Etan Thomas/ Haywood..Then maybe a run at Josh Smith..
Flynn
Ill Will
Al
Smith
Thomas/Haywood
The problem with Hughes and Jefferies for James and Thomas is its another one of those trades that makes our team even worse, if we were to trade them they would have to find a way get the 5 pick in the deal, they want Hughes and Jefferies more than we want James and Thomas, its not even close so we have some leverage.
The positive is that we get rid of Jeffries 6.8 mil 2010 cap hit
Yeah but what about 2009 – 2010 are we suppose to suck even more than we did last year. We gotta get better Jefferies was a guy that started a bunch of games for us last year, and Hughes was brought in to be a starter, Mike James would be a 3 string PG and Thomas may not play a game. Those guys would be useless to us but if we get the 5th pick its worth it to lose 2 guys that were in our rotation last yr, for two guys that won’t be in our rotation.
Thing about it is they wanted to give up Thomas and James for Hughes but if we throw in JJ I was wondering if they give us James and Haywood.
Thomas and James for Hughes doesn’t help us at all they would ride the pine, Haywood I doubt they trade him and can he play in our system I dunno, the 5 could give us Jordan Hill or Curry two guys that can. Hughes had a 39 pt game last yr and hit those big free throws against Detroit I think hes valuable and Jefferies can guard every position. James and Thomas do nothing for us on the court so value for the trade would be in the pick.
Haywood runs the floor well and blocks shots. And when he did play last year Blacthe started overhim.
Also Etan would add grit and shot blocking down low when he plays he is valuable. And did you see the games when we played the Wiz Mike was lighting it up. I dont see how valuable a chucker is and if JJ had a 1 mill or 2 mill contract he woud stay.
Would Thomas have a bigger impact than Wilcox, I don’t remember the game were James was lighting it up but most likely were gonna draft a PG and Duhon would be the backup/ starter until the rookie took over so James would be used in the same way a Roberson last yr (Blowout situation etc.)
How much would James and Thomas help our team, other than getting rid of Jefferies I say not much, we may have to throw in a 2nd round pick or something to get the 5 for Hughes and JJ but I think were in a better position in trade talk than the Wiz.
yea because he block shots… difference is Roberson couldn’t play D or shoot and we could easily slide James over to the two were he had 20 pts perfect from the three point range on us.
Bart I would drive both to the airport ,with the salary dump we sign better talent,Jefferies had a few good outings but a ton of bad ones and the same with Hughes,they don’t fit out team plans.We can give Gallo and Ill Will more PT too.We can make our young players better and they are the ones who will attrack talent and our coach and city.And the Garden and money you can make on Madison avenue.I have no doubt free agents will want to come in droves.
i don’t want to get my hopes up too high. I do hope we trade up for Rubio, but it’s mostly likely that the Knicks stay were they are right now.
This is like the summer when the Mets didn’t wanted to trade for Barry Zito. I’m SF Giants fan btw, but in that summer, i still think the Mets would have beaten the Cards in the postseason.
my point is, ny media always creates great expectations for trade deadlines, drafts, et cetera.