New York Daily News - Many were suprised when the Knicks took Renaldo Balkman with the 20th overall pick on June 28, but, according to a report published by the New York Daily News, apparently ex-Knicks head coach Larry Brown was not one of them.

According to several sources, Brown was calling Balkman "a potential steal" weeks before the draft.

While he was still employed by the Knicks, Brown was responsible for running Balkman's workout. He also scouted him extensively during the Orlando pre-draft camp.

"There were five players that figured to be available late in the first round that Larry really liked," says one Knicks source. "I don't know if Larry would have taken him as high as 20 but he always liked Balkman."

Brown, according to the source, told several of his close associates around the league to consider Balkman. Although Brown and Thomas disagreed on everything last season, they shared the same opinion on a raw forward with loads of athleticism and limited offensive skills. When reached at his East Hampton home, Brown declined to comment on the Knicks.

"It is rare when you find guys who can have an effect on the game without having to call plays for them," Thomas says. "Those guys have a way of asserting themselves on the defensive end. They do all the things that don't show up on the stat sheet."


http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/41540/20060716/larry_brown_balkman_a_potential_steal/

looks like fish will suddenly embrace balkman.

Nope. The problem with Balkman was never the player, but the position. If we took M. Williams with the #20 and took Balkman with the #29, nobody has too much of an issue.

Anyway, this just shows how ratty an organization we are. We wait for Larry to do all the scouting, toss in his opinions, then fire him.

[Edited by - Solace on 07-16-2006 09:38 AM]

Posted by rvhoss:

looks like fish will suddenly embrace balkman.

yea, since a white guy liked him he must me good right? Contrary to your idiotic beliefs I only root for whats best for the franchise. Why dont you tell me again how we NEEDED Jerome James and about Mo Taylor's renaissance.

Once again for those not on Bonn's PHD reading level my beef was never with the player but the draft as a whole. We wasted a draft pick. The only was Collins sees playing is if a car with the 5 guards ahead of him in the rotation flys off a cliff.

Hey Solace, LB got $50 million to do that.

Posted by Solace:

Anyway, this just shows how ratty an organization we are. We wait for Larry to do all the scouting, toss in his opinions, then fire him.

[Edited by - rvhoss on 07-16-2006 09:54 AM]

Nope. The problem with Balkman was never the player, but the position.

For how long ?

Posted by rvhoss:

In one single post FISH...

1. pulls the race card
2. brings up JJ
3. personally attacks another poster
4. bashes the knicks

That's gotta be a record.

this is about the time martin yells at ME for pointing this out to everybody.

Posted by fishmike:

Posted by rvhoss:

looks like fish will suddenly embrace balkman.

yea, since a white guy (1) liked him he must me good right? Contrary to your idiotic (3) beliefs I only root for whats best for the franchise. Why dont you tell me again how we NEEDED Jerome James (2) and about Mo Taylor's renaissance.

Once again for those not on Bonn's PHD reading level my beef was never with the player but the draft as a whole. We wasted a draft pick. The only was Collins sees playing is if a car with the 5 guards ahead of him in the rotation flys off a cliff (4).

[Edited by - rvhoss on 07-16-2006 09:58 AM]

<---- playing the role of Martin and Andrew "RV you are not bringing anything to the forum by pointing out the obvious."

Posted by rvhoss:

In one single post FISH...

1. pulls the race card
2. brings up JJ
3. personally attacks another poster
4. bashes the knicks

That's gotta be a record.

this is about the time martin yells at ME for pointing this out to everybody.

Posted by fishmike:

Posted by rvhoss:

looks like fish will suddenly embrace balkman.

yea, since a white guy (1) liked him he must me good right? Contrary to your idiotic (3) beliefs I only root for whats best for the franchise. Why dont you tell me again how we NEEDED Jerome James (2) and about Mo Taylor's renaissance.

Once again for those not on Bonn's PHD reading level my beef was never with the player but the draft as a whole. We wasted a draft pick. The only was Collins sees playing is if a car with the 5 guards ahead of him in the rotation flys off a cliff (4).

[Edited by - rvhoss on 07-16-2006 09:58 AM]

rvhoss is a f***ing idiot no matter what race he is just the way Isiah is one of the dumbest and worst GM's in the history of the NBA no matter what race he is and he proved what a joke he is and the Knicks are under him and Dolan by signing Jerome James to one of the worst contracts in all of sports and completely mismanaging the draft by reaching for Balkman (who LB gets credit for) when he could have had him and Marcus Williams.

All in one sentence, beat that Fish. (and I threw in Balkman, Williams and Larry Brown)

[Edited by - islesfan on 07-16-2006 10:25 AM]

[Edited by - islesfan on 07-16-2006 10:26 AM]

Posted by islesfan:
by signing Jerome James to one of the worst contracts in all of sports...

Hey, uh, Bill Walton, you wanna tone down on the hyperbole a little? 6 million per, hardly counts as one of the worst contracts in all of sports. It wouldn't even make the top 100.

Posted by Pharzeone:

Posted by rvhoss:

In one single post FISH...

1. pulls the race card
2. brings up JJ
3. personally attacks another poster
4. bashes the knicks

That's gotta be a record.

this is about the time martin yells at ME for pointing this out to everybody.

Posted by fishmike:

Posted by rvhoss:

looks like fish will suddenly embrace balkman.

yea, since a white guy (1) liked him he must me good right? Contrary to your idiotic (3) beliefs I only root for whats best for the franchise. Why dont you tell me again how we NEEDED Jerome James (2) and about Mo Taylor's renaissance.

Once again for those not on Bonn's PHD reading level my beef was never with the player but the draft as a whole. We wasted a draft pick. The only was Collins sees playing is if a car with the 5 guards ahead of him in the rotation flys off a cliff (4).

[Edited by - rvhoss on 07-16-2006 09:58 AM]

<---- playing the role of Martin and Andrew "RV you are not bringing anything to the forum by pointing out the obvious."

Well, at least you saved them the wasted time of having to post a fact-a skill lost on some posters here.

no it's not. And don't forget islesfat, LB was high on the other draft pick as well.

[Edited by - rvhoss on 07-16-2006 11:26 AM]