Nuggets Open to dealing JR Smith

by Tommy Dee on August 23rd, 2010 at 9:19 am

Via FanHouse

A source close to the situation said the Nuggets are looking to trade the erratic Smith, who is entering the final year of a contract that will pay the shooting guard $6.03 million…For now Denver’s higher priorities are finding at least one front office replacement for Warkentien and vice president of player personnel Rex Chapman — also let go earlier this month — and figuring out the Carmelo Anthony situation. Anthony has yet to decide if he will sign a three-year, $64.7 million contract extension that ıs on the table, and the Nuggets are pondering what they might want to do if Anthony continues to stall or decides against the offer.

But Smith is on the trading block. And Warkentien is no longer around to push for him to stay.

Interesting to see when the Nuggets actually hire a decision maker.

  • JeffM729

    The ownership of Denver needs to decide whether to reload or rebuild. With K-Mart, Melo, Nene, Billups, and JR Smith all having 1 or 2 years left, the Nuggets will look vastly different in a few years.

  • Chris Alvino

    Anyone who has been reading this site for a while knows how much I like JR Smith’s game. For a team looking for a shooting guard, I would prefer JR Smith to even Rudy Fernandez. If the Nuggets decide not to trade Carmelo Anthony, I would love to have JR Smith on this roster.

    When he is on, he shows elite scoring ability. He is a tough defedner and he can handle the ball. He is erratic (he would have fit perfectly with the old Knicks, which is something that scares me), but he is immensely talented and has already shown signs of breaking out.

    He can come to NY and throw 20 points on the board every night.

  • brookdon

    Do you think that the Nuggets would package them, like the Hornets with Okafur.

  • JustinCharles

    Coming out of high school I was very high on JR Smith as a player, but I think at this point he’s too much of a headcase to be asked to start on this team that has somewhat of a spotlight on it.

  • Chris Alvino

    Different situations. Okafor has a huge contract. Smith is in the last year of his deal.

  • KnickFan4Life

    JR Smith talented but realistically not going to get much better if better at all. Also still a bit of a knucklehead…

  • flossy

    Haha well he’d certainly fit in with D’Antoni! JR and Gallo would chuck up a combined *twelve* or more 3pt attempts per game. I’m not sure I can get with that. JR reminds me of Jamal Crawford–super talented but streaky, can shoot you in or our of games, has a tendency to slack off on defense and can be a headcase. For the right price I’d take a chance on him but I wouldn’t give up Chandler, and no way the Nuggets give him to us for anything less.

  • bmathews77

    Wanting to move JR Smith is only going to make Carmelo Anthony want to leave Denver more. Their only offseason move was getting that chucker, Al Harrington. Clearly Denver is moving in a bad direction. Even if Denver doesn’t trade Melo, he’s clearly going to leave as a free agent next summer.

  • macnasty357

    I agree with you 100%

  • Bloop33

    I think I’d throw up if we wound up witg Smith and not Anthony
    somehow.

  • HaS

    JR Smith needs to play in a more structured system, if he came to the Knicks he would turn into Eddie House or Buckets 2.0. The short shot clock, green light method isn’t for everybody. He is a good defender when he wants to be, but does anyone think he would come here and become more focused in that department?

  • Bloop33

    like Cancun 99′ spring break throw up.

  • KnickFan4Life

    Have yet to see a more official rumor saying Knicks would want him or that he would be included in a Melo deal. Most of what I’m seeing is just fans leaping…

  • traps9

    Dumb. Dumb. Getting him would be dumb. Insanely dumb.

  • traps9

    “He can come to NY and throw 20 points on the board every night.”

    Good luck with that.

  • clyne

    Gallo/Chandler/Azu/Turiaf/Curry for JR and Melo

    Lineup:
    AR
    STAT
    Melo
    JR
    Felton

    Bench
    Walker/Moz/Mason/TD/Rautins/Fields/Jordan/Ager

    The bench probably needs some more size…go sign Earl Barron

  • clyne

    It would be a fun team to watch to say the least…lots of points and fast…perfect fit for our coach

  • bigknicka

    When you tattoo Young Money on your neck it’s hard for me to stay a fan

  • HaS

    Fun and fast wins championships.

  • JustinCharles

    Irrelevant to the topic, but this pertains to heatly debated topic on here a week or two ago. In regards to picking starters/minutes for the upcoming season, there are lots of positional debates – is Amare a PF/C, is Randolph a 3/4/5, is Gallo a 3/4, is Chandler a 2/3.

    From TrueHoop:
    “Kobe said the influence of international players in the NBA has helped create a “hybrid” culture, where players of all sizes possess skills in all areas and can conceiveably play any position on the floor.

    “That’s the one difference I’d like to see us kind of shift to,” Kobe said.

    This vision of five basketball players, devoid of traditional positional constraints, passing and cutting and posting and shooting and dribbling with equal aplomb, is near. The concept of players assuming a definite position on the floor and sticking to that role is fading away like one of Kobe’s jumpers, as a new age of hyrbids begin to take over the game.

    And while the soon-to-be 32-year-old Bryant is among the closest representations to his own ideal (6-6 shooting guard who led his team in assists and has one of the most effective post-up games in the League), he also could have been describing LeBron James (6-8 with point guard skills), Kevin Durant, or a number of other younger stars.”

    This is the future of basketball. This is how I see the Knicks. You have your PG in Felton, your C in Amare, and three guys in between.

  • k-hodge

    Accccckkkk! I’ll pass..No more headcases for me. I’d rather leave that at the door. We’re finally pointed in the right direction, lets not spoil it.

  • thebossandbenji76

    Turiaf for JR SMITH? I know K-Mart is not opening the season for them, I think he is out a while.

  • thebossandbenji76

    Correction-Turiaf for JR Smith does not work, Turiaf and Chandler for Jr Smith does work, would u guys do that? We would free up more cap space for next summer moving Turiaf and Chandler’s deals, 6 million to be exact. Just a thought.

  • Dylan

    I would do that deal. Remember, we would also be clearing an extra 4 mil in cap space for next year, since Turiaf has a player option. Amare will probably get 20 minutes per game at C. Randolph and Mozgov would just need to split the remaining 28 minutes. Hopefully they would be up for the task. Maybe we could use the extra 4 mil and go after someone like Tyson Chandler next year. Or else we could use the money to resign JR Smith if he plays well.

  • CircleLimit4

    JR will shoot you in or out of games. Under MD he would be a sinner or savior from night to night. It’s a gamble.

  • DatNewYorker

    you have it backwards. Kobe was talking about big guys playing the smaller guys position not a small guys playing a big guy position. Lebron playing point guard is effective but How many 6’8″ players have his skill. Amare playing center for limited minutes is okay but if that is your game plan then you might as well not come out of the locker room because you already coached yourself to fail.

  • DatNewYorker

    JR is just a taller Nate Robinson. When he is hot, he is hot. When he is not that is when you have a problem.

  • SilentJay

    Yup. I would not do that deal. He’s a slight upgrade over Chucketts and we know what happens to those kinds of players in this team, they get the “it’s me against the world” syndrome and will not let go of the ball.
    Our 3 ball attempt stats will set new historic records.

  • JeffM729

    Nice post, but I didn’t see much of the future during the NBA finals last year. Big guys playing in the paint and old school defense might not be pretty, but it still wins. Winning games comes down to getting stops at critical times. The European players, for the most part, haven’t shown that ability, despite their skills in ball handling and shooting.

    The discussion that players like Gallo, Randolph are multi-positional is as much the reality of their weaknesses as well as strengths. Neither has the strength to play the NBA four spot as one would assume given their size, while showing SF skills on offense. In the old days, they were called tweeners.

    One of the reasons, we as Knick fans have this discussion, is that we eschew a true back to the basket, post player. So we play a non-traditional offense and try to fit players together on the floor. Once we get to see Gallo, Randolph, and Amare together, it will probably work itself out.

  • JustinCharles

    I’m not talking about small guys playing big either.

    I’m saying it’s not crazy to run out Felton, Amare, and then Chandler-Gallo-Randolph in the middle. Many people, as seen by this topic, feel like we need a true shooting guard. I’m just agreeing with Kobe that players – especially international guys like Gallo – are learning skill sets outside of the traditional positions that will allow teams to mesh without having defined positions.

  • JeffM729

    Trading Turiaf will technically clear up cap space, but consider that if he has a strong season, he may get offers for a longer deal at north of $4 million and opt out. Also $4 million seems to be a fair price for a solid, rotation, low post player.

    Maybe we wouldn’t get more than what Turiaf can produce next year for $4 million.

  • JeffM729

    I agree with you, that Felton, Chandler, Gallo, Randolph, and Amare could put up enough points on offense to compete in the NBA. The question is how do you stop the other team from scoring more without the rebounding and interior defense that they would lack.

  • Dylan

    Good points. I like Turiaf. He is our only true C (until Mozgov shows anything). I would probably make the deal, but it would be a very tough decision. It really depends on if Mozgov is ready to play in the NBA, and if Randolph can play C.

  • clydetheglyde

    I dont think so, were not going to get him cheap because hes an expiring, and I think Id rather see what we have in Azibuike, and possibly chandler at the two spot.

  • Jeff C

    I would never want JR on this team. Azubuike is a better player than him. Ballhogging chuckers who have no idea what to do or when to do it, and have zero consistency, are the definition of what we have been purging from the roster for 2 years. I would rather have a low scoring defender with a good shot and an IQ than a a head case like that.

  • bob go knicks

    interesting to see when we actually get a post that has something to do with someone on the KNICKS!

  • HaS

    The problem is those players have to be able to guard those multiple positions as well as have the skill sets offensively at those positions in order to be effective.

    I think Gallinari’s position should be PF if he is going to reach his full potential as a basketball player, but he needs to get stronger, rebound better and learn to guard the post. Right now at the 3 he is very slow and it hurts him defensively, in the half court he can make up for it with his length at times, but he’s not able to be a presence on the offensive glass because he has to sprint to the other end in order not to get burned in transition (he still does sometimes).

    Randolph is still finding his position on the court, I think he can be an excellent help defender in the Pippen role or if he gets stronger he could be a KG type and guard the 4 and 5 spots. Hopefully at the end of this season his game will be more defined/well rounded.

    Stoudemire is not a championship center.

    You don’t need Chamberlain, Kareem or Hakeem in the post or even necessarily a scorer at that spot. You need a defensive presence, tough rebounding and easy put backs or dump down buckets from that spot imho.

  • HaS

    JR comes off the bench for a reason.

  • oscar f

    Nothing was said about Smith becoming a knick. I doubt DW is interested unless it was part of a bigger deal that included Melo. On another note I guess we all see why Chandler wasn’t wanted for Rubio. The kid clearly has a greater potential than Chandler. NBA studs including Rose who he matched with praised he exceptional defense and playmaking. If the knicks got him for Chandler it would have been a steal and that now can’t be argued. Minny will never trade him.

  • oscar f

    I wouldn’t say Bukie is better than JR Smith but he is a smarter player who I would think is a better fit for this team and system. Smith is however the more talented player.

  • BrooklynsFinest1

    We really don’t have a set team except for a few positions and it goes to show we are not complete as a team.

  • BrooklynsFinest1

    The Nuggests want to change the culture of the team this year and with George Karl not doin too well who is gonna contain the loose cannons. Why have the interim coach and new GM dealing with headcases

  • oscar f

    Why did Denver sign Chucketts with Smith and Melo on the team? Like Martin said i don’t see how they got better this summer.

  • HaS

    I agree AZ is probably the smarter and lower maintenance player, but JR’s skill set is perfect for this system. Gunner. Think Q-Rich, Barbosa or House in Phoenix.

  • NEW KNICKS, NO REGRETS!

    My GOD DUDE!

    You must be out of your mind!! JR NO FKING WAY!!! You getting ride of good character guys (excluding eddy) with talent and cheap for a al harrington type of guy (with really head problems).
    I dont know if you know the sizes of the bench players but 7′ 1″ mosgov and 7’1′ Jordan are not tall enough for you?…Dude this site is for real knicks fans,, get off the site and get off the pipe….

    Again, play what you have now and get melo as a free agent next year! PERIOD!

  • NEW KNICKS, NO REGRETS!

    My GOD DUDE!

    You must be out of your mind!! JR NO FKING WAY!!! You getting ride of good character guys (excluding eddy) with talent and cheap for a al Harrington type of guy (with really head problems).
    I don’t know if you know the sizes of the bench players but 7′ 1″ Mosgov and 7’1′ Jordan are not tall enough for you?…Dude this site is for real knicks fans,, get off the site and get off the pipe….

    Again, play what you have now and get Melo as a free agent next year! PERIOD!

  • JeffM729

    Bill Wennington
    and Will Perdue
    can do
    in the paint
    if you
    have Michael Jordan
    and Pippen, too

  • JeffM729

    I see Turiaf as more of an enforcer PF type of player in the mold of Charles Oakley. He’s really undersized for center at 6’9″ and doesn’t have the back to basket game that one would want to see in the post.

  • Jeff C

    “nothing was said about smith becoming a knick”

    Haha, true; not in the article. But people started bringing it up in the comments section and the rest of us reacted.

  • JeffM729

    I think Denver was looking for a front court scorer to go with Melo. Birdman, Nene, and K-Mart are pretty much offensively challenged. Perhaps, in a different system, Chucketts could become Chuckless.

  • Jeff C

    I can’t tell if you are being sarcastic. Gunners aren’t ‘good for this system.’ They are actually bad for it. D’Antoni likes to get off quick shots but that means he wants smart players to create good shots quickly, and take the best one available. Not have a one on one headless player chuck up shots whenever he gets the ball. Nate – harrington, were they perfect for this system?

    Maybe you were being sarcastic and just bashing the system.

  • CircleLimit4

    Al is simply another 6th man for them when Kmart is healthy.

  • Jeff C

    Azuibuke can shoot the three better than JR… he has done it his whole career.. so what makes JR a good ‘gunner’ for this system? he’s just a ball hogging chucker who has no idea how to play actual team basketball. Azubuike is twice the player.

  • JeffM729

    The Knicks could have had a shot at the 5th pick that Washington traded to Minnesota. Not sure what could have been done, but Rubio won’t come cheaply.

    Rubio has leverage because he can stay in Europe for the rest of his career and make great money. Kahn may have no other choice than to get something for him.

  • Bloop33

    As much as low as I currently am on JR, Azubuike is not a better player than him IMO.

  • HaS

    Exactly. All those guys did was take up space, rebound in their area, block/alter the occasional shot and hit the rare jumpshot.

  • Bloop33

    Jeff what small sample size of Azubuike have you been watching? JR’s put up big numbers for playoff contending teams and IMO is the more proven player. The injuries cannot be understated either. Jeez you got me sticking up for JR here lol.

  • HaS

    Q-Rich was a chucker in Phoenix, Barbosa and House play the role that JR plays now off the bench. When you play with a 10 second shot clock there is no such thing as a bad shot. I like AZ because he brings a toughness on the other end of the floor, but if you think JR wouldn’t/couldn’t play for _’antoni you’re being a little naive.

    That said, I wouldn’t want him here unless the team had an undeniable leader which imho the Knicks don’t have right now even if they were able to get Anthony.

  • HaS

    Even if Turiaf had a back to the basket game it would go to waste in this system, that’s not the “coach’s” offense. He is very undersized at the center position, but he will battle and give it his all every night. You will all see how an undersized center should play the game this year if he gets the time.

  • oscar f

    Lets really see if Bukie is atually twice the player Smith is. For starters even if you ignore stats, Smith is clearlly the better scorer. Bukie can play over the rim while Smith well you guys seen him dunk so you know who has the edge there. Bukie can handle the basketball but his handle is not nearly as polished as Smith’s. Bukie is quick for his size but Smith is one of the quickest 2′s in the game on and off the ball. Bukie is a really good defender but Smith has the potential to be an elite defender(just like Amare) when he gives the effort. Bukie is just sarter and a more consistent 3pt shooter which makes him more ideal imo for the system even more so than Smith. To say because Smith is a gunner makes him perfect fro this system makes no sense. The way he plays(boneheaded) he can be a cancer with his gunning. If this kid had half the smarts and level headedness as Bukie he would be one of the best 2 guards in the game. Someone wrote that he is just a taller version of nate like that is a bad thing. In actuallity if Nate was 6’5 or 6’6 he would have been the knicks most dominate player. He would still be a knick because his skill set at a bigger size is scary.

  • oscar f

    I would not compare Smith’s role to what House and Q-rich’s roles were. I would say the importance of his role off tthe bench was the same as Ginobili in that his scoring wasn’t needed as a starter because there was alraedy enough scoring from other starters. Please don’t think he is not good enough to start 2guard like House and Q. He was more than a little spark off the bench he was a second wave of scoring whem Melo was out the game to sustain a certain level of play.

  • bluemax

    “The discussion that players like Gallo, Randolph are multi-positional is as much the reality of their weaknesses as well as strengths. Neither has the strength to play the NBA four spot as one would assume given their size, while showing SF skills on offense. In the old days, they were called tweeners.”

    Just a question of how good they are at what they do. The 96-98 bulls had no C and yet they were arguably the best team ever.

    Rodman,pippen,kukoc,MJ,Kerr.

    you might argue that most of them were tweeners.

  • HaS

    You just compared JR Smith to Ginobli.

    I’m done here.

  • Citiboi12

    LOL

  • ds2488

    JR Smith might actually be the last player in the NBA I would want to see come here, short of re-acquiring Jared Jeffries, Chris Duhon, or Al Harrington.

    JR Smith needs a super-disciplined offense like some have said above, this would be the worst possible system for him. Like Dat NewYorker said, JR Smith is a taller version of Nate Robinson.

  • HaS

    “you might argue that most of them were tweeners.”

    Rodman didn’t start at center nor did he play the majority of the game there. That’s revisionist history. Rodman is closer to 6’7″ than 6’9″ and he couldn’t play starters mins at center and he was a great player for what he brought to a team. Wennington and Longley split 40+ mins between them at the center position.

    I know _’antoni’s supporters always like to make centers seem obsolete or useless, but it’s just not the case. People have been trying to make this claim for a decade and every year teams with big men make it to the Finals. Bynum/Gasol, Perkins, Howard, Mourning, Shaq, Dampier all different levels of skill, but they all bring/brought a certain presence to the middle that is critical to their teams.

  • bluemax

    first, I think you guys forget that JR is still pretty young. not even 25 yet.

    I remember watching the LA/DEN semi’s last year and LR was without a doubt one of the best players on the court the entire series. not just scoring, making plays, stealing the ball, defending, the entire repertoire for 6 games! and he was not even 24!

    There is just too much talent there to dismiss him as just another knucklehead. He just need to be properly coached. Besides, his FG% is quite decent for a SG aside from this last year. (You guys rave about Jennings who shoots 38%!). So let’s no throw him under the bus just yet.

    If we need to give Gallo in Melo trade, then we mos def must get JR as well to fill in the void in long range shooting.

    Besides, how do we know AZ can even play?

  • Bloop33

    You said that.

  • JustinCharles

    Amare is much more legit as a center than Pippen or Rodman. The guy is 6’10 and HUGE. Maybe he’s not a defensive player of the year, but he’s big and athletic and can make a difference. It’s not crazy to think that Amare, Turiaf, and possibly Mozgov could eat up all the minutes a the 5.

    I don’t think centers are obsolete – I just think that you don’t need a huge lumbering center just for the hell of it. The Mavs signed Eric Dampier over Steve Nash cause they felt they needed a traditional defensive big to body up Shaq. The Celtics are aquiring anyone with the last name O’Neil to man up against Dwight Howard. I just dont know if that’s 100% neccessary anymore. There is no more Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson, Mourning in this league. Shaq’s almost done. Yao’s done. Duncan and Dirk are on there way down. Theres Dwight Howard. Gasol is pretty beastly too if you consider him a center.

    After Dwight Howard (who is more of an even more insanely athletic and defensive Amare than a traditional center), the closest to a traditional center is Bogut. Then maybe Bosh?

    The league is getting smaller, lankier, and more athletic. If you’re entire team is like that, it doesn’t help to throw an Eric Dampier at the 5 just so you can have a “traditional” big man.

    I’m not saying that there is no need for a big center on the team, I just think that a guy like Turiaf is fine to come off the bench and guard those bigger guys when we happen to play the Magic of Lakers. The Suns were a game or two away from the finals, if they made it would he be on your list of big men in the finals? Who was the Nets big man in the finals? Todd MacCollough?

    I just think teams that make the finals tend to be the best teams obviously. It makes sense that those teams have a variety of good players, and one of those is bound to be a big man. We have Amare. We have Turiaf who, although unproven, can play a Perkins like defensive role. A

  • Bloop33

    “If we need to give Gallo in Melo trade, then we mos def must get JR as well to fill in the void in long range shooting.”

    I too have envisioned this scenario.

    The Azubuike injury status is something that’s really concerning me, simply b/c I haven’t heard much about it…maybe that’s a good thing.

    I’m really enjoying watching the Mamba drop fat 81 dump all over Rupaul and soft *** Raptors. Bosh is so soft in the paint its hilarious. Interior Defense will def be a problem for the Dream Girls this season.

  • bockersORbriefs

    nate is a shorter, better verison of JR …

  • bockersORbriefs

    not sure if this was discussed earlier but neither Rubio or Fernandez looked particularly impressive to me in yesterday’s game agaist USA … both played 20+ minutes … Rubio shot 3 for 4 for 7 pts and 3 assits but also had 5 TOs & got blown by alot on defense … Meanwhile “the great Rudy” , who many on the blog are ok with giving up Ill Wil for shot only 1 for 5 for 5 pts & had 4 fouls.

    IMHO we shouldn’t be looking to give away key players or the farm to get either guy … I think they’re both overated at this point ..

  • JeffM729

    That’s a myth that the Bulls had no center. Look at the minutes that Longley, Wennington, Parish, and Dele played during those years.

    Rough Totals;

    1996-97 2800 center minutes about 34 minutes per game.

  • thebossandbenji76

    I think the more cap room we free up for next summer the better, I think Felton and JR Smith in the backcourt would be excellent especially on defense. I think u need to pump up Gallo and Anthony Randolph’s value in trade talks and the only way u do that is starting them. I think a Felton, JR Smith, Gallo, Amare and Randolph would be pretty good, also with getting rid of Turiaf’s money and Chandler’s deal we free up more money for next summer for Melo, etc, especially with Curry’s contract expiring, then having Douglas, Azkukube, Mason, Walker, Mosgov would be a pretty good bench for us, along with rautins, fields and the rookie C from Tulsa. Chandler is not going to be re-signed next year anyway and Turiaf frees up more money for next summer, we can not only go after Melo, but also get a little something else also if we want.

  • KnickFan4Life

    Man slow day huh? This has been the only post the whole day…

  • JustinCharles

    I mean, obviously someone is going to play the minutes…The point whoever said that was trying to make is that there was no real true dominant starting center. The closest they had was Longley…Parish was like 50 the one year he was on the Bulls.

    It’s like saying the Knicks last year had a center because Lee, Jeffries, and Darko played big minutes at center per game. Someones gotta step into the spot.

    I just don’t see how someone can look at a team that has Amare and then Turiaf who is 6’10, Randolph who is 6’10 and can guard the thinner centers, and even Mosgov who will get a decent look – and then freak out about not having a center. When we play the Magic, we will have trouble containing Dwight Howard – so will every other team in the NBA. But on offense we’ll just have to beat them with firepower.

  • Mucha

    Rubio played really well in the 1st half.

    He gambles too much on defense but at least he’s a willing defender.

  • Bloop33

    You’re tellin me lol. I need my next Knicks fix (and not some stupid Alan Hahn Newsday crap either)

    …Some nerve having to pay for that crappy paper cuz I got fios lol.

  • BrooklynsFinest1

    In all honesty the NBA has slowed down, not much to talk about and the USA bball team just ain’t doin it for me. We could be Heat fans and how much crap can you talk about the new big 3. The excitement level will rise when the preseason hits. For now we are left with not much but who is gonna play what position and the rumor that JR Smith is available. Its a slow slow day.

  • ds2488

    I think JR is probably a little bit better than Nate, because at least he has the size of a sg. Nate is smaller than most pgs, but can only be a sg for most teams.

  • HaS

    “I mean, obviously someone is going to play the minutes…The point whoever said that was trying to make is that there was no real true dominant starting center.”

    I made the point that you need a center to have hopes of being a championship team, never said “dominant”.

    “It’s like saying the Knicks last year had a center because Lee, Jeffries, and Darko played big minutes at center per game.”

    Darko never played, I don’t know why you even mentioned him, Lee and Jeffries are not and cannot play center.

    “I just don’t see how someone can look at a team that has Amare and then Turiaf who is 6’10, Randolph who is 6’10 and can guard the thinner centers, and even Mosgov who will get a decent look”

    Not sure how you are so certain Mozgov is going to get a decent look when he’s less skilled and obviously has less experience than Darko. Randolph is not going to be ready to play center next year (maybe in a couple years), Amar’e cannot play center for long stretches nor does he have the desire to and Turiaf is a battler who will hustle, but he’s not going long enough to do it for stretches on a contending team.

    The Nets had Jason Collins who basically did the dirty work set screens etc. Aaron Williams was also on that team and he was a good big man, but in the end they lost to a team who had a pretty good center in the Finals.

  • HaS

    He gambles on defense and offense, that last pass he made was all flash and no substance. The guy had to jump to gather it in and by the time he composed himself after extending to make the catch it allowed Durant to recover and block the shot. No bueno.

    He can get better though, he got stronger and his jumper looked better. I still think he’s a couple years away from being ready to play in the NBA and have a solid impact.

  • http://www.youtube.com/tharealest62qb DaGawD_KnowLedge

    this hasn’t been the knicksblog all summer.

  • HaS

    I would have bet my life on there being a Rubio post this morning. Pleasantly surprised there wasn’t lol.

  • http://www.youtube.com/tharealest62qb DaGawD_KnowLedge

    bring in J.R aka EARL to nyc,i can see him signing with his hometown next season.

    every1 chant
    WE WANT

    E
    A
    R
    L

  • http://www.youtube.com/tharealest62qb DaGawD_KnowLedge

    this site is the best from a commenting standpoint,meaning alot of people comment on this site which make it good,but from an article thread standpoint it’s a 4-7 outta 10.

  • http://www.youtube.com/tharealest62qb DaGawD_KnowLedge

    jr is better than nate

  • Whodat

    Yeah My God! Just like Ron Artest was a head case! JR Smith would be a Star in NY! What
    you want sorry azz Choir boys? We tried that already!

  • Whodat

    JR Smith can light it up and he’s young. Don’t let the peple here that want 5 Dunleavy’s starting with Rick Rubio coming off the bench change you! They have wet dresms about that shyte!

  • HaS

    Is he from NY or NJ? I forgot.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXiTTnSGKow&feature=related

    Clip of him at the Rucker.

    If he only had a basketball IQ.

  • brookdon

    He’s from NJ.

  • Bloop33

    Not on stilts.

  • Mucha

    I don’t think he’s ready to be an impact-player in the NBA either.

    But he’s clearly better than – say – Sergio Rodriguez, he’ll be a solid NBA player. Too bad you missed the first half.

  • BrooklynsFinest1

    Has question, would you wait until the end of the season and sign Melo if he doesnt sign the extension or make a trade for him now if he is available?

  • Mucha

    +1

  • Bloop33

    “Don’t let the peple here that want 5 Dunleavy’s starting with Rick Rubio coming off the bench”

    …Or the people in here who think the
    93-94 Knicks are somehow gonna walk through the front door with bald heads and black kicks on.

    I will say this, JR does have a nasty streak to him that along with Melo and the new guys we could be the type of crew equipped to make rekindle a few dormant rivalries.

    There is a smidgen of Starks in him (dare I say it)…minus the whole humble, grocery bagging, OG ladies love em, have a beer with him, kick you in the throat, assassin mentality.

    Who am I kidding, he’s just a nut like John, thats as far as it goes.

  • Bloop33

    Just went on ESPN.com and started cracking up. Gotta love Kobe Bryant man lol.

  • HaS

    I think you have to make a trade for him now if he’s available. You can’t take the chance on waiting until the end of the season. Anything could happen if you wait. Another team could grab him and he could genuinely like it there or the Nuggets could hire a GM who he respects and they make a shrewd trade that makes it look worth staying.

    Also, there’s no telling how important that max contract is for him. If he opts out and still wants the 6th year at max money (assuming the CBA is similar to how it is now) the Knicks may still end up having to deal with Denver anyway. The Knicks’ lack of draft picks could hurt.

  • bluemax

    listen, if you can get melo, JR and Amare on the knicks there will be nights when even Wade and LBJ will look at the ceiling in despair as they get blown away on the MSG floor. Guaranteed!

    You might no win the series but you will mos def get your money’ s worth. And you will be as good if not better than the bulls or magics.

  • bluemax

    And i’m not even a Melo fan!

  • HaS

    “But he’s clearly better than – say – Sergio Rodriguez”

    LMAO

    Duhon was a better point guard than Sergio.

    I saw it on NBA TV, he looks good not great, but he’s young he’ll get better. He would look better playing with better talent around him like any good point guard, but he’s not a finished product by any means. If he had come to the Knicks last year this city would have eaten him alive. Although it’s unfair, no way he could live up to the hype surrounding him right now.

  • Bloop33

    Hey I’m interested in him simply because he addresses a critical need. I think he’s an upgrade over Chandler IMO…at least he has some confidence.

    Although his handle can be a little sloppy at times, he is good ball handler from the two spot. I’ve seen him D up Wade pretty well in some big spots as well for what its worth.

    “You might no win the series but you will mos def get your money’ s worth. And you will be as good if not better than the bulls or magics.”

    I agree, our team would match up great against the other power house squads. Magic* I don’t know why, but when people say “Magics” I get peeved lol. No offense Blue MY BOY!!!!

  • HaS

    Felton, JR, Carmelo and Amar’e could be a top 3 team in the East with the right coach.

  • brookdon

    That team could fight for the 1 seed. (If Bosh gets injured the Heat would be in big trouble. Plus the Celtics have lots of aging players)

  • HaS

    If Amar’e or Carmelo gets injured it’s the same thing.

    Magic.

    I also think the Bulls will surprise this year.

  • PickNY

    Man I’m just happy that this team is looking different from what we us to!

  • ds2488

    Bulls are going to be really good. They basically subbed Carlos Boozer for Taj Gibson, and added a lot of quality role players in Brewer, Korver, CJ Watson, and Kurt Thomas.

    I think Bulls might be able to come out of the East if Derrick Rose is able to take the next step. Big IF though.

  • Dylan

    http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/sport.72.html:297258-Dzordan-u-Hemofarmu

    Looks like Jerome Jordan will begin his career oversees.

  • bluemax

    what is it with you and MD? sounds like an obsession already! let it go. we got the point.

  • Dylan

    This is what I got from the Serbian to English online translator:

    Jamajčanin Jeremy Jordan (24, 213 cm) of Hemofarm’s new reinforcements for next season. Involvement of players who did not sign a professional contract with the New York Knicks NBA ekipiom, Vrščani have solved the problem by going under the basket came Boban Marjanovic and Raska Katic.
    Jordan graduated from University of Tulsa, and the NBA draft he was chosen by Milwaukee. However, immediately trejdovan in New York, which has offered him a contract.
    Before Jordan was hired and Hemofarm beka Mustafa Abdul Hamid, who studied at the University of California.
    This summer the team from Vrsac near Marjanovic and Katića lost American Kyle Hill, Stefan Markovic and Goran Jagodnik.

    key part:

    “who did not sign a professional contract with the New York Knicks”

  • http://petech4.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/nuggets-open-to-dealing-jr-smith-theknicksblog-com/ Nuggets Open to dealing JR Smith | TheKnicksBlog.com « BasketBall

    [...] Source [...]

  • JeffM729

    Remember Rubio is all of 19 years old. He’s not nearly a finished product or playing at his peak. Over or under rated are just words. Doesn’t mean a thing.

    I want my on my team.

    Now Rudy Fernandez is 24. That’s a different story.

  • bluemax

    “Bulls are going to be really good. They basically subbed Carlos Boozer for Taj Gibson, and added a lot of quality role players in Brewer, Korver, CJ Watson, and Kurt Thomas.”

    maybe maybe not. there are just as many questions as answers. both Boozer and noah are injury prone for starters. I bet they miss 30-40 games between the two.

    also everybody seems to think that Thibs is automatic as head coach. Why? Does every rookie succeed?

    Defense alone does not win. you need some offense. witness Mike Brown.

  • HaS

    They addressed their scoring in the post, they addressed their perimeter shooting and they added another defender.

    I think they’ll be even better defensively than last year and I liked their pickup of CJ Watson (he’s inconsistent but he’s shown flashes) I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays in the backcourt with Rose at times.

    No one knows how good Thibodeau is going to be, but we know he can coach defense and he walks right into situation where he has an already good defensive team? They could be an absolute nightmare next year.

    We’ll see.

  • HaS

    I think the way to beat the Heat this season is going to be defensively and attacking their bigs and dominating the point guard position. The Bulls could be their arch nemesis if they can gel on the offensive end. They’ve got the weapons though.

  • Bloop33

    lol @ Bluemax

    “The never ending storrrrrry daddadaddadadda”

    HaS the horse is dead. You demoed it.

    Save something for the season lol please.

  • JeffM729

    There are surely questions for the Bulls to answer, but it’s reasonable to assume that they will be a 50 win team in the East.

  • bluemax

    “There are surely questions for the Bulls to answer, but it’s reasonable to assume that they will be a 50 win team in the East.”

    agree. Boozer will be huge for them especially, but they will miss hinrich.

  • bluemax

    Rose looks ready for a breakout year, so the bulls should do 50-55 W, which puts them in the 1 to 5 seed.

    But unless Rose reaches somehow true superstar status (top 5) that’s about it. They really need somebody like deng to step up somehow.

  • Jeff C

    JR smith would be terrible, i don’t know why this is a conversation. HaS, to say that there’s ‘no such thing as a bad shot’ in this system is obviously just a backhanded way of knocking the coach again. It’s not about chucking and praying, its about being able to create efficient shots in transition. a 40% 3pt shooter who plays good defense but isn’t a volume shooter is much better for the team (and the coach) than a ball hog, low IQ, chucker.

    Jerome jordan signed in serbia
    http://www.postingandtoasting.com/2010/8/23/1638416/jerome-jordan-to-sign-in-serbia

  • HaS

    “what is it with you and MD? sounds like an obsession already!”

    No. Unfortunately, the Knicks are my obsession. When the “coach” changes I’ll let it go. Problem is I think he’s too stubborn to do so. So, he’ll probably have to be changed rather than him change.

    “Save something for the season lol please.”

    How do you talk about players on the team or potential players for the team without making mention of the “coach” they’ll be playing for or the system he runs?

  • Bloop33

    “Jerome jordan signed in serbia”

    Haven’t the Serbian people suffered enough?

  • http://www.youtube.com/tharealest62qb DaGawD_KnowLedge

    than a ball hog, low IQ, chucker.

    that makes 3 players with your discription that denver has
    CARMELA
    JR AKA EARL
    AL CHECK EM UP.

    danni boy system is all about chucking up shots.
    after the game interview with danni boy
    THEY JUST DIDN’T MAKE THEIR SHOTS.

    DANNI BOY doesn’t mind having another losing season or gettin fired cuz his money will be there.

  • Don Che

    No need for JR Smith. We have enough 2 guards, none of them are as talented as he is.but he’s a loser.

  • bluemax

    how many loosing seasons did danni boy have in PHO? remind me?

    do you all belong to the same club? must be the MAC club.

  • thebossandbenji76

    Somebody brought up a good point, Earl Barron is still out there he should be re-signed, especially with the Jordan Kid going overseas to play, so yes, I would trade Chandler and Turiaf for JR SMith and re-sign Barron, Barron is a C, turiaf is not a C, a 4 yes, a center no. And if Melo goes to Houston or somewhere like that in a trade during the season, I would rather trade Curry and Ask’s expiring contracts with Douglas for Steve Nash and a Grant Hill, something like that. I don’t want Tony Parker in FA.