Monthly Archives: March 2010
First off all before I get into the Knicks, I have to applaud Adam Zagoria for his work.
Zags is on the front end and has conversations, the right conversations, and gets the scoop as fas as anyone covering college basketball right now.
Period.
There are plenty of names to throw around in terms of who will land at St. John’s, Iona, Siena, Hofstra etc, and I know Zags will be on top of it. Frankly, I think a lot of people use him as their “sources.”
Anyway, onto Eddy Curry‘s injury- per the Knicks:
“…Eddy Curry has a torn myofascial band in his right calf. He is not expected to return for the final 10 games of the season…”
Why has it taken so long for anyone to officially diagnose the injury a “tear?” Sounds pretty serious…
This must have been a nightmare scenario stretch in terms of scheduling for the Knicks dating back to the beginning of the season. I mean, imagine not being close to the playoffs, then having to play Phoenix then the Jazz who own the rites to the lottery pick? Brutal…The Jazz currently have the 9th pick, according to draftexpress and seeing that the odds are so heavily weighted and slots are pretty consistent, aside from the top 4, does anyone really jump out at you as NBA-ready talent who can help a bad team day 1? Cole Aldrich? Ed Davis? Ekpe Udoh? I’ve always thought there is great talent in this draft top to bottom, but I’m starting to think that. I still think the Knicks can come away with good players in the second round, with the chance of getting into the first…
Interesting to read a bunch about this Amar’e-T-Mac stuff. Here’s what I know. Having spoken to a member of Amar’e's “old” camp, the guy is a handful, very needy, easily destracted and very moody off the court. And that’s coming from someone who was hired to help his brand.
If I’m the Knicks I want no part of him come summer time. Speaking of which, and the draft, obviously it’s preliminary but Givony has the Knicks taking (another) Euro SF in Robin Benzig at 39 and Sherron Collins at 40.
And to hear our interview with Clyde, click here.
“…Prokhorov, who first conveyed to the league his interest in buying a team in 2008, was initially focused on the Knicks before turning his attention to the Nets.
“I love huge cities: the feeling of pace, of energy,” he wrote in the e-mail message. “Outside of my hometown, Moscow, New York is the place I feel most comfortable. It was this feeling that first sparked my interest in the Knicks.”
But after seeing that the Knicks could not be acquired from Cablevision, which recently spun off Madison Square Garden as a separate company also controlled by the Dolan family, he focused on the Nets…”
Every Knick fan wonders if this will come back to bite them…Prokhorov is aggressive, has assets and flexibility. That’s a dangerous combination, and why he’s been so successful in business to begin with.
“…I had an interesting conversation with Carmelo Anthony regarding which team LeBron James will play for next season.
Me: “If you’re LeBron, do you go to New York for the money and the fame?”
Melo: “He’s already got that. He’s already got the money and the fame. I think the only thing weighing in right now is the championship.”
Me: “You know him better than a lot of people (and share the same agent and shoe company) — is the championship the deciding factor for him?”
Melo: “If he feels that he can win a championship in Cleveland, then he will stay. The team in Cleveland is that much better than the team in New York.”
Me: “Has he already made a decision?”
Melo: “No. Not at all, not at all, not even close…”
The contradiction, to me, is the idea that if he feels he can win a ring in Cleveland then he’ll stay- vs. He’s not even close to making a decision. The Cavs are a championship contender, again…
This was from Thursday, I believe, but still a really good listen….
With Kentucky’s run for a national title ending at the hands of West Virginia last night, it is a foregone conclusion that freshman sensation John Wall has played his final 
game at the collegiate level. In his lone season running the point for Kentucky, John Wall showed enough to conjure up thoughts of a potential all-pro player at the next level. His game, in my opinion, is taylormade for the pros right now. More seasoning in the NCAA would help him just like it would help any other college player, but make no mistake, John Wall can step onto an NBA floor today and make a major impact. He is that good and his game is that refined.
With the crosstown Nets in the lead for ping-pong ball supremacy, there is zero question that they would draft John Wall with the number one overall pick. As good as Devin Harris might be, he is not worth passing on a talent like Wall. That said, there is no guarantee that the Nets will win that lottery, but according to ESPN’s David Thorpe, the Nets might be able to snag their man with the second overall pick on draft night. In his article, Thorpe lists 6 teams that could potentially pass over John Wall in favor of Ohio State’s Evan Turner: the Timberwolves, the Bulls, the Jazz (as much as that pains me to say), the Warriors, the Sixers, and the Kings.
Looking at those six teams, I can definitely see the argument for the Jazz and the the Bulls. To a lesser extent, I can also see the argument for the Warriors and the Timberwolves. The Kings would have one of the most dynamic backcourts in the league with Evans and Wall, the two of which would be great compliments to each other. As for the Sixers, I can care less that Jrue Holiday is still young and improving as of late. There would be looting and rioting in the streets of Philadelphia if the Sixers passed on Wall.
In my opinion, if the Jazz win the lottery, I can definitely see them taking Turner, whose versatility and skill set would make him an smoother fit onto a team that is a bit lacking at the 2 and the 3. The same goes for the Bulls, a team that needs a 2 guard and who has a young point guard with very similar skills as Wall. Playing Rose and Wall 
together can be lethal, but it also can be a little redundant. While the Warriors do have both Ellis and Curry running their PG spot, I feel that their lack of a star SF can be a reason for drafting Turner, who I see as a mix between a true SG and SF. If the Warriors were to draft Wall, dealing away Ellis for a premier piece would probably not be too difficult (maybe an Ellis for Iguodala swap?). The Timberwolves, to me, would be the most interesting team to watch if given the chance to draft John Wall. The team has no SG, and while Corey Brewer has improved this season, I do not see him as a star caliber 3 man going forward. While Flynn has had a pretty good rookie season (not as special as Curry / Evans / Jennings), I am not sure if he is good enough to pass on a guy like Wall. Sessions, who is still young and relatively cheap, can be dealt. Ricky Rubio is still a mystery for me in terms of his ability and his desire to ever go to Minnesota. While the Timberwolves have young depth and quality at the PG spot, I am not sure if they can really pass on John Wall, who in my opinion is a surefire NBA all-star.
When watching John Wall play, it is abundantly clear that he is the most gifted and the best player on the floor. He starts a fast break as well as any college player I have seen in a while, much like Derrick Rose did in his one year at Memphis. Wall’s IQ and feel for the game is more than just advanced for his age, it is outright special. As much as I hate to make this comparison because Jason Kidd is a future hall of famer, I do see a bit of his style in Wall’s game, especially with their size, speed, and passing skills. He is a game changer, and more importantly for any team lucky enough to select him this June, he is a franchise changer.
As the college season ends and players start declaring for the draft, we will get very deep into draft talk. But I figured that I would bring this up off the heels of last night’s game. For now, I have to ask, can any team actually pass on Wall? As I noted above, I think it is possible, but it will be an incredibly difficult thing for any team to actually do.
Courtesy of Big C.
“…“He’s definitely in the mix,” one GM told me recently. “What if they don’t win it this year and what if he’s [ticked] off at Dr. Buss for not re-signing Phil Jackson or he’s sick of playing with whoever and he says, ‘You know what? I’m gonna go put on a New York Knick jersey.’ All of sudden he and Mike D’Antoni hook up in New York and they can talk some Italian.
“Don’t rule him out if LeBron says no to New York,” the GM said…”
Is Walsh, himself, the GM quoted? Trying to use scare tactics maybe? I won’t rule the possibility out, although I’d give the” possibility” 1%. But again, the buzz around the league is about the opportunity in NY. And that’s why you clear cap space.
“…Sources say that the Knicks’ likely fallback option if they don’t get LeBron is Atlanta’s Joe Johnson – but that strategy comes with a caveat. On one hand, Donnie Walsh is too smart to overpay for a player like Johnson who probably isn’t quite deserving of the max. Then again, the Hawks will pay Johnson the max to stay, so if anybody else wants him, the max is what it will take. Johnson said recently that he’d sacrifice to pair up with another elite player, meaning he’d take less than the max. But there’s no reason for him to take less under any other circumstance.
• For similar reasons, Walsh will have to decide whether Chris Bosh is worthy of a max deal if he strikes out on LeBron. Sources familiar with Walsh’s thinking are convinced that he does not regard Bosh as being on the same level as James and Wade, who will be the only two clear-cut max players on the market. “That’s the fallacy with the max,” one prominent agent said. “It allows you to buy Chris Bosh for the same price as LeBron James.” In fact, another person familiar with Walsh’s strategy said if it came down to deciding whether to keep David Lee or sign Bosh to a max deal, Walsh would choose Lee. “There are questions about whether Bosh is the kind of player who can carry a team by himself,” the person said. “He certainly hasn’t done it in Toronto…”
Several things here. One, everyone knows the “myth” of Bosh being a max player. Bosh is riding Olympic momentum. As he relates to Wade and Lebron, he is less than a max player. I don’t love the idea of Bosh and Johnson, myself. I’d add more pieces this summer and set my sites on 2011. They can be a playoff team next year if the roster is tweaked and more talent is added. I’d sign one of them, for a potential partnership when the team finally gets rid of Eddy Curry, aka the last remaining reminder of the Isiah Era.
On the Lee front, it’s a simple answer when you talk about Lee and the Knicks. As Walsh would say it’s about “the number.” Common sense tells you that if the team strikes out with James and Wade, they don’t want to overspend. Yet, I’m not sold, based on who I’ ve talked to, that Walsh prefers Lee over Bosh. Bosh is a better player. The idea that they could have done nothing and waited until next year is valid, but we’re talking about rebuilding a franchise. Walsh knew James and Wade weren’t signing extensions and they’d have the chance to sit down in July. You do whatever it takes to make that happen.
They can give both whatever they want.
After that the team will still have options, and should keep the door open in terms of flexibility.
Interesting take from Amar’e Stoudemire on Tracy McGrady.
← Older postsNewer posts →“…And as far as McGrady is concerned, Stoudemire was asked whether his lack of appreciation for the seven-time All-Star was as a person or as a player.
“Both.”
According to Stoudemire, his beef with McGrady dates back to the fall of 2001, when Stoudemire was a high school All-America in Florida and McGrady was entering his fifth NBA season. At the time, McGrady was attending his brother’s football game when Stoudemire approached and asked for advice about making the jump from high school to the pros.
“He pretty much didn’t say anything,” Stoudemire remembered. “So I look at myself as being successful in the NBA and if a kid from my hometown came up to me and said, ‘Amar’e, I’m thinking about going to (the NBA),’ I would say, ‘It’s a tough process, college is very important. Education is very important,’ so forth and so on. But I didn’t get any of that…”
