http://sports.yahoo.com/nba;_ylt=Aq3txc8xQzKuoZ94j.Hr0BE5nYcB

i love how it's portland, seattle, and ISIAH, not new york.

As angry as I am with Isiah, Im going with him over the ESPN snitmongers.

Its all too easy to bash the knicks these days, and when SAS gets his feathers up and says he is speachless, then its all too easy to bash this pick.

My hope the Balkman is special.

Guys, the world is NOT out to get Isiah. Isiah has made his mess and thats why people gang up on him. It's not like Isiah's hands are clean in all of this.

[Edited by - nyk4ever on 06-29-2006 1:29 PM]

Posted by McK1:

Suns were taking him in round 2.

Link?

from the Arizona Republic

The Suns went into the draft wanting to land a player that could make them better for next season, the one they feel is their best shot at winning a championship before finances become the biggest gorilla in US Airways Center.

Phoenix entered Wednesday's NBA draft with more contingencies than a will to trade up for one on a short list of players who could help it immediately. Instead, the Suns left draft night without a first-round pick for the third straight year. They made two trades they hope give them a better shot at the player they know can help them - Tim Thomas.

Phoenix's draft targets, particularly Swiss swingman Thabo Sefolosha, all escaped their grasp by the middle of the first round. Left only to consider Michigan State's Shannon Brown as a viable pick at No. 21, Phoenix traded it instead to Boston for a top-10 protected pick in 2007 the Celtics got from Cleveland. Boston also took on Brian Grant's $1.8 million player option, but he is expected to retire.

The Suns dealt the 27th pick to Portland for $3 million. David Griffin, Suns vice president of basketball operations, said the moves saved Phoenix about $9 million (the $3 million, the $1.8 million in Grant's salary, the $2 million in guaranteed draft-pick salaries and about $3.2 million in luxury tax).

With Eddie House expected to opt out, Nikoloz Tskitishvili unlikely to return and talk that James Jones might be traded to create cap space, Phoenix may be looking at nine returnees. The hope is that Thomas will return for less than the midlevel exception (about $5 million) and some veteran free agents, such as Bobby Jackson, will sign minimum deals.

"We have a problem that we have too many good players," said Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, also the team's executive vice president and general manager. "That's a heck of a problem to have and we're going to solve that by trying to keep everybody together.

"We might catch the fever, win a couple titles and then nobody goes anywhere."

The Suns made several plays to move into the first half of the draft, including offering three first-round picks or two first-round picks and cash. Phoenix thought it had a chance to snag Boston's No. 7 pick, where the Suns would have been torn between selecting Connecticut wing Rudy Gay or Sefolosha. But that was squelched.

Phoenix again made more attempts to get the ensuing picks but once Utah would not bite on a deal at No. 14, the Suns' trade hopes were done. The surprise of Saer Sene going 10th and Chicago (which took Sefolosha at No. 13 in a trade) catching wind of Phoenix's hopes on Sefolosha hurt Phoenix. Once Memphis swingman Rodney Carney was selected at No. 16, Phoenix was out of the draft.

Phoenix deemed Connecticut's Marcus Williams to be too much of a half-court player to solve the backup point guard issue and thought Kentucky's Rajon Rondo was too small. The Suns considered Brown, an athletic wing, but don't think he is point material.

D'Antoni said they did not want to "get a young player who's going to eat up some room and just sit there and not get any time and not develop."

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/0629sunsmain0629.html

[Edited by - McK1 on 06-29-2006 1:40 PM]

look at the bright side, at least more people seem to be laughing at Isiah than the New York Knicks

Posted by nyk4ever:

Posted by Rich:

It says nothing about wanting him in the second round. It's merely spin.

It also says nothing about wanting him in the first round, which was merely spin.

That's possible, but we don't know either way.

We do know one thing: 21 GMs passed on Williams, and 19 passed on Balkman.

That's a opinion unsupported by quotes.

Posted by McK1:

Posted by Rich:

That's a opinion unsupported by quotes.

but it is supported by their moves.

the report of Phx trading the 21 came well before NY picked Balkman

[Edited by - McK1 on 06-29-2006 1:45 PM]

[Edited by - McK1 on 06-29-2006 1:46 PM]

People spin all the time.

Posted by nyballer:

Posted by nyk4ever:

Guys, the world is NOT out to get Isiah. Isiah has made his mess and thats why people gang up on him. It's not like Isiah's hands are clean in all of this.

[Edited by - nyk4ever on 06-29-2006 1:29 PM]

I don't think the world is out to get him and I am not an Isiah supporter. I agree, Isiah totally screwed up this team and deserves the criticism he gets. But I think he's become such a source of ridicule that anytime he makes a risky move, even in the draft which is supposedly his strength, he won't get the benefit of the doubt like other teams (and deservedly so) will.

And he had to knew that he would be killed for this pick. Rightly or wrongly, the guy has a conviction about Balkman. I respect that.