Waiting for a lucky bounce
Is your heart rate climbing? Are your fingers crossed?
With the Knicks already working to restore credibility and escape salary cap hell, they have to find an impact player in the upcoming draft. Success in tomorrow night’s NBA Draft Lottery could make the process a lot easier for Donnie Walsh.
Got any good conspiracy theories?
I suppose we should quickly dismiss the frozen envelope notion. The league now relies on Ping-Pong balls and men in cheap suits from Ernst and Young.
Essentially, the Knicks have a 7.6 percent chance of getting to pick between Michael Beasley and Derrick Rose on June 26. That’s not much to hand your hopes on. According to the league experts I’ve spoken with in the last couple of weeks, there might be eight players in this class with the ability to make a real difference in the next season or two.
There are varying opinions about who’s ranked 3 through 8 on that list.
We’ll have plenty of time for dissecting that issue once the order has been set. Actually, we probably have too much time.
Here’s a little more from Walsh, speaking last week about his draft philosophy:
“I think you’ve got to take the best player,” Walsh said. “You’ve got to consider taking the best player unless you look at it and somebody just fits with you because you’re at a high level up there, somebody who can fit with you and make you a better ballclub, but usually, you look at the best player.”
Just for kicks, let’s say Beasley comes in with hall-of-fame potential and Rose comes in with all-star potential. Who are you taking?
May 19th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Its a good question because Beasley is a sure thing while Rose fits our needs better. Our team really just needs a great player. Thank god for the draft camp and player workouts. I will trust Walsh and Mike D after they see both players up close and in person.
May 19th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
ALWAYS take the best player – Beasley. You can always trade the current players on the roster that duplicate the drafted player’s position for a point guard. No brainer. So where are the Draft Lottery parties in the city??
May 19th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Yeah i’d definatly go with Beasley. Steph will be a great player next season. Bet money on it. We can trade maliks expiring contract for a player with one more year on their contact and a draft pick.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I think Rose is the perfect guy for D’antoni’s system. He is lightening quick, can shoot, and is strong enough to get anywhere he wants on the floor. Beasley is a tremendous talent as well. Either guy is a great pick, but i favor Rose.
The other guy who intrigues me is Bayless at Arizona. He is also lightening quick, and has good size for a combo guard (6 foot 3).
May 19th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
You take the PG. You have to consider the way the game is played. Marvin Williams was considered a better prospect than both Chris Paul and Deron Williams, look how that turned out. A player like Marvin Williams (who has been a disappointment up until this year, granted) simply can’t impact the game like a PG can. Not anymore.
Stephon Marbury should not even be a slight factor in Walsh/D’Antoni’s decision. I agree he’ll be pretty good next season because he has all the motivation in the world, but Marbury can win the MVP in 2008-2009 and the Knicks would still let him walk over the summer.
May 19th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Jon-....No they wouldn’t…If he plays at the allstar level next year, they are gunna resign him for a one year deal.(if he’s willing to sign for the mid-level exception…which is the most he’s gunna be offered, even by other teams)
May 19th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
A lot of people are sleeping on Jerryd Bayless, Eric Gordon, and DJ Augustin. I think if we don’t land Rose we still have some options for point guard.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
If I believed in Rose I’d take him over Beasley (partially because of the reasons Jon from NJ and Tom K mention) but I dunno. Early last season OJ shut him down and in the championship he had a great spurt but missed a key FT. He’s very young and been protected by his family (still trains by eating candy). I’m not convinced by him, whereas Beasley’s gonna be a beast! I’ll trust Walsh on this choice, if I had to make it I’d need more info. (interviews etc.). BTW, AE, I’d put OJ in there as well, the guy can flat out play!
On a related note? Do you think D’Antoni got the job (or at least a major factor for him getting the job) is because he was voted so highly by players as a coach to play for? INOWs is his hiring all about LeBron?
May 20th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Guys,
It was a long time ago since I wrote my last comment. But I’m always reading your blog Mike, and of course, reading your comments. I think if we land the top 2 picks, will be a hard choice. But Walsh will do it.
The other thing is that Leandro Barbosa said in a brazilian sports show (I’m a brazilian guy, ya know that, don’t ya?) that
1. The Shaq upcoming to Phoenix was bad for them and they were unable to adjust they SSOL style with him]
2. He said that the talk about him coming to NY was not false rumors. He said that could happen and he will enjoy be reunited with D’Antoni.
Here’s the link (Do some of you know how to read in portuguese?) http://globoesporte.globo.com/Esportes/Noticias/Nba/0,,MUL477359-15099,00-LEANDRINHO+CRITICA+SHAQUILLE+ONEAL+E+DIZ+QUE+PODE+IR+PARA+O+NEW+YORK+KNICKS.html
Let’s cross our fingers and hopefuly we’ll get a top 2 tonight.
Mike, will you be at attendace?
May 20th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Hawthorne, you are 100% correct in your asessment of Mayo. The one thing Mayo does great that few talk about is play defense. He plays with Kobe level intensity. I think he is going to be a great pro. Bayless is tough to get a grip on, only because i havent really seen him play. I hear he is very fast, and explosive but that he turns the ball over quite a bit.