[ IMAGES: Images ON turn off | ACCOUNT: User Status is LOCKED why? ]

NBA.com Rookie Rankings (no mention of Balkman)
Forum Index  ›  NY Knicks Forum
Page 1 of 2  1  2 Next ›
« Reply To Topic
Author Thread
technomaster
Posts: 23356
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 6/30/2003
Member: #426
USA
12/28/2006  1:11 PM
http://aol.nba.com/rookies/rankings.html

How do y'all think Balkman doing in terms of impact compared to other rookies? He seems to be doing a fine job to me, but NBA.com ranks at least 10 others ahead of him.

“That was two, two from the heart.” - John Starks
AUTOADVERT
TMS
Posts: 60684
Alba Posts: 617
Joined: 5/11/2004
Member: #674
USA
12/28/2006  1:15 PM
only people who watch this kid play can truly appreciate the impact he has on games... he won't put up the sexy numbers that will gain him notoriety throughout the league.
After 7 years & 40K+ posts, banned by martin for calling Nalod a 'moron'. Awesome.
Ira
Posts: 24693
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 8/14/2001
Member: #91
12/28/2006  1:44 PM
Send the guy an email. Balkman belongs in the top 10.

http://aol.nba.com/chat_and_mailboxes/rookierankings_mailbox.html
holfresh
Posts: 38679
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 1/14/2006
Member: #1081
12/28/2006  1:59 PM
Balkman amazes me to be honest...Lots of times he looks like he is beat and some how he gets his hand on the ball...Last night he was beat on a drive to the hole and got the block amazing...

These guys tend not to look at the nuances of the game..They basically look at stat line...Balkman can be a game changer in the mold of a Rodman...He needs to play under better control and more of a one on one lock down guy....
tomverve
Posts: 21407
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 3/4/2005
Member: #878
12/28/2006  2:05 PM
All you need to know to have this list completely discredited is that they have Morrison ranked #2.
help treat disease with your spare computing power : http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/
Anji
Posts: 25523
Alba Posts: 9
Joined: 4/14/2006
Member: #1122
USA
12/28/2006  2:20 PM
THe only real Beef I have is I don't think Balk has ever made the Noteworthy section of the list......
"Really, all Americans want is a cold beer, warm p***y, and some place to s**t with a door on it." - Mr. Ford
sebstar
Posts: 25698
Alba Posts: 4
Joined: 6/2/2002
Member: #249
USA
12/28/2006  2:25 PM
Posted by TMS:

only people who watch this kid play can truly appreciate the impact he has on games... he won't put up the sexy numbers that will gain him notoriety throughout the league.

And cats like Sheldon williams and Aldridge are? Lets face it, most sports writers ridiculed this pick, so there wont be any mea culpas coming forth unless there are no other options. It will probably be like this for awhile.
My saliva and spit can split thread into fiber and bits/ So trust me I'm as live as it gets. --Royce Da 5'9 + DJ Premier = Hip Hop Utopia
TMS
Posts: 60684
Alba Posts: 617
Joined: 5/11/2004
Member: #674
USA
12/28/2006  2:30 PM
Posted by sebstar:
Posted by TMS:

only people who watch this kid play can truly appreciate the impact he has on games... he won't put up the sexy numbers that will gain him notoriety throughout the league.

And cats like Sheldon williams and Aldridge are? Lets face it, most sports writers ridiculed this pick, so there wont be any mea culpas coming forth unless there are no other options. It will probably be like this for awhile.


those guys were much more highly touted, so the votes maybe influenced by that lingering hype, so i agree w/u there... my point was simply that people don't get a true appreciation for what Balkman brings unless they see him play in real games & do all those little things that don't show up in the statsheets.
After 7 years & 40K+ posts, banned by martin for calling Nalod a 'moron'. Awesome.
sebstar
Posts: 25698
Alba Posts: 4
Joined: 6/2/2002
Member: #249
USA
12/28/2006  2:44 PM
I definitely get where you're coming from TMS. Writers, GM's, fans...ext love to wax poetic about players who are unselfish, defensive-minded, and have a game loaded with intangibles, but when pressed they usually fawn all over the player with the best stats regardless of context.

That said, the fact that Balkman didn’t even receive an honorable mention, when practically every other '06 pick did, leads me to believe that something deeper is at work and that he is being purposefully excluded.

If Balkman was a Jerry West pick I don’t believe we would be having this problem
My saliva and spit can split thread into fiber and bits/ So trust me I'm as live as it gets. --Royce Da 5'9 + DJ Premier = Hip Hop Utopia
TMS
Posts: 60684
Alba Posts: 617
Joined: 5/11/2004
Member: #674
USA
12/28/2006  2:49 PM
that could very well be the case... we'd probably be reading articles about what a sleeper Jerry West the genius nabbed late in the 1st round instead of bashing him for not drafting Marcus Williams.
After 7 years & 40K+ posts, banned by martin for calling Nalod a 'moron'. Awesome.
TheGame
Posts: 26656
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 7/15/2006
Member: #1154
USA
12/28/2006  3:18 PM
I agree with all the comments above. No one is going to give IT credit for drafting Balkman and even when they do, they are going to talk about how he should have drafted Williams (ignoring the 20 other GM's that passed on Williams). Balkman is the truth. The guy is almost a shutdown defender as a rookie. He gets mad blocks and is just as good as Lee at rebounding (well almost, Lee is a little better). This kid develops a jumpshot and works on his ability to finish around the basket, and you are talking about a mix between Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. Not saying he will be as good as Pippen, but if he develops a jumpshot, he will get pretty close to that level.

[Edited by - TheGAme on 12-28-2006 3:39 PM]
Trust the Process
Swishfm3
Posts: 23357
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 3/28/2003
Member: #392
12/28/2006  3:49 PM
they even gave JJ Reddick props..lmao
Ira
Posts: 24693
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 8/14/2001
Member: #91
12/28/2006  4:25 PM
Posted by TheGame:

He gets mad blocks and is just as good as Lee at rebounding (well almost, Lee is a little better).
[Edited by - TheGAme on 12-28-2006 3:39 PM]

He's very good for his position and a better defensive player than Lee, but he's not in Lee's ballpark as a rebounder.

Balkman averages 3.9 boards in 14.5 min - a little better than one rebound every 4 minutes.
Lee averages 10.4 boards in 30 min - a little better than a rebound every 3 minutes.

Anyway, that's my nitpicking stat for the day. Balkman was a very good pick where we took him in a weak draft.
technomaster
Posts: 23356
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 6/30/2003
Member: #426
USA
12/28/2006  4:34 PM
That comes out to 10.8ish boards/40 for Balkman, and 13.8ish boards/40 for Lee. Lee's been outstanding this season.

Going back in time, can you believe Rodman was a 25 year old rookie?! In his rookie season he averaged 6.5ppg/4.3rpg/.6bpg/.5spg.

Remarkably, he never averaged more than .9spg or .9bpg in any season of his career. In spite of that, he got great defensive accolades. At age 29 (12.5rpg), he exploded as a double-figure rebounder and never looked back. He followed that with 2 consecutive seasons of 18+rpg. Unbelievable. Talk about late bloomers.


You can see his full stats here:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rodmade01.html
“That was two, two from the heart.” - John Starks
Solace
Posts: 30002
Alba Posts: 20
Joined: 10/30/2003
Member: #479
USA
12/28/2006  4:39 PM
Looking through that list, it makes it look like a weak draft class. Ouch.
Wishing everyone well. I enjoyed posting here for a while, but as I matured I realized this forum isn't for me. We all evolve. Thanks for the memories everyone.
Bippity10
Posts: 13999
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 1/26/2004
Member: #574
12/28/2006  4:41 PM
Posted by technomaster:

That comes out to 10.8ish boards/40 for Balkman, and 13.8ish boards/40 for Lee. Lee's been outstanding this season.

Going back in time, can you believe Rodman was a 25 year old rookie?! In his rookie season he averaged 6.5ppg/4.3rpg/.6bpg/.5spg.

Remarkably, he never averaged more than .9spg or .9bpg in any season of his career. In spite of that, he got great defensive accolades. At age 29 (12.5rpg), he exploded as a double-figure rebounder and never looked back. He followed that with 2 consecutive seasons of 18+rpg. Unbelievable. Talk about late bloomers.


You can see his full stats here:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rodmade01.html

Yeah that guy worked his arse off. He was in the best shape of everyone in the leauge. He was crazy but he definitely earned his production. Hopefully our guys can work as hard to improve their games.
I just hope that people will like me
earthmansurfer
Posts: 24005
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 1/26/2005
Member: #858
Germany
12/28/2006  4:43 PM
I'd like to add:

As a rookie Lee got 12.9 rebounds per 48, averaging 17mins of playing time.
As a rookie Balkman is at 12.8 per 48, averaging 14.5 mins.
After one year Lee is at 16.6 per 48, averaging 30mins.
So, not only did his time go up, but his efficiency and rebounding did as well.

I'm not saying we should expect a similar shock next this year / next year from the kid, but Balkman has special written all over him. Steal

As others have said, alot of what Balkman does doesn't show up in stats, and I believe that too, but it gives us some form of measurement with rebounding and he is looking very good.
Can't wait to see Greg Anthony and the others at the end of the year...
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift. Albert Einstein
Bippity10
Posts: 13999
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 1/26/2004
Member: #574
12/28/2006  4:48 PM
It will all come down to how hard he works. If he wants it, and he works hard he can become a very productive defensive, rebounder and can help our team. If he hangs out too much JJ he could become a tremendous cookie eater. It's all up to Renaldo.
I just hope that people will like me
Ira
Posts: 24693
Alba Posts: 0
Joined: 8/14/2001
Member: #91
12/28/2006  5:21 PM
Posted by earthmansurfer:

I'd like to add:

As a rookie Lee got 12.9 rebounds per 48, averaging 17mins of playing time.
As a rookie Balkman is at 12.8 per 48, averaging 14.5 mins.
After one year Lee is at 16.6 per 48, averaging 30mins.
So, not only did his time go up, but his efficiency and rebounding did as well.

I'm not saying we should expect a similar shock next this year / next year from the kid, but Balkman has special written all over him. Steal

As others have said, alot of what Balkman does doesn't show up in stats, and I believe that too, but it gives us some form of measurement with rebounding and he is looking very good.
Can't wait to see Greg Anthony and the others at the end of the year...


Good points. I think you're right. Balkman has a lot of intangibles - most notably his defense and his intensity. He has much more upside than Jeffries. He's as good defensively, he rebounds better and he can give you a little more offense than JJ2. I'm very curious to see if he develops a decent offensive game like Prince and Bowen. If he does, he'll be starting material.
daddynel
Posts: 21222
Alba Posts: 12
Joined: 12/2/2003
Member: #505
12/28/2006  7:30 PM
i'm going to venture to say that he will be a better defender than BOWEN. that's right, i said it.
Page 1 of 2  1  2 Next ›
« Reply To Topic
NBA.com Rookie Rankings (no mention of Balkman)
Forum Index  ›  NY Knicks Forum

©2001-2025 ultimateknicks.comm All rights reserved. About Us.
This site is not affiliated with the NY Knicks or the National Basketball Association in any way.
You may visit the official NY Knicks web site by clicking here.

All times (GMT-05:00) Eastern Time.

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy