Tag Archives: 2008 NBA Draft

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 | Newer posts →