Posted by BRIGGS:


Do what it takes to draft Demar Derozan--he has superstar written all over him

Buy 1 pick in the 18-24 range and draft Jeff Pendergraph from ASU He's perfect for the pick and pop very athletic and long great fundamentals and best mid range shooter in college basketball and nearly 6-10

Sign Steve Nash G 5 years 30mm team option on last year.

Sign Nate 4 years 30mm$

Sign David Lee 6 years 45MM

Re-work contracts of Jefferies have him opt out and sign 3 years 12mm[saves nearly 4mmm in year 2010]

Work Curry hard to get him in shape to see if we can work out a trade next year.

Posted by franco12:

Given the news with Gallo, Walsh has to buy at least 1, if not 2 picks. With all the teams hurting, no reason not to be able to.

And, he should try to bundle all to move up to the top 3.

That, and David Stern needs to fix the lotto one more time for us

Posted by Finestrg:

Here's my work in progress draft wish list and a lot of it involves replacing players who may not be here longterm:

(1) There's gonna be quite a few big-time PG prospects that'll be coming out. I believe the Knicks could really use one of them --- a do-it-all, game-changing floor general. This position along with the C spot are arguably the two most important positions to upgrade when rebuilding a team - if a team can upgrade one of these spots with a top flight guy, that team will be well on their way. Not sure if that top-flight C prospect is there in this draft (Thabeet will be a contributor at the next level because of his monster size and the shot-blocking element but might never be a elite player and I'm not sold on BJ Mullens at all yet) but there looks to be a plethora of top PGs that fit the bill and I think right now the cream of the crop is Willie Warren, Jeff Teague and possibly Eric Maynor. Chris Duhon is a nice player (though extremely flawed - can't finish around the rim, overrated defender, etc.) and has done a good job here for the most part but we can do MUCH MUCH better. Warren, Teague or Maynor would be a major upgrade over Duhon. Duhon may not even be here past next year. I think a top-flight PG might make for a better, safer pick over a still-unknown quantity like DeMar DeRozan.

(2) Acquire TWO additional first rounders - one midway and another lower pick - and grab a swingman and a PF. Maybe a guy like DeRozan's off the table at this point (I do like his potential, I just like one of these top PG prospects a little more for us myself), but there will still be nice options available 20-35 that can absolutely help us.

a. If DeRozan's gone I'd love to get my hands on Sam Young. He's slightly older than most of his peers in this draft but he's a very good player with so many positives and I think he'll make a very good pro. He's built like a truck and at 6'6" he's got the size and strength to play both SG and SF in the NBA, he can shot, drive it, finish strong around the basket, rebound the ball and defend. With Gallo's future now unclear with the re-occurring back problems and Q-Rich, Hughes and Harrington possibly moving on soon, Young would make for a nice, well-rounded replacement out on the wing. This guy really reminds me a lot of Michael Finley.

b. With the 2nd pick gimmie a post player like DeJuan Blair or Taj Gibson. Blair's obviously the 1st choice here if he's still on the board. He's slightly undersized at around 6'7" but he more than makes up for an lack of size issue with his strength, girth, wingspan and athleticism. We're not talking Clarence Weatherspoon or Joey Dorsey here at all; we're talking about an impact player for years to come. A beast. Adequate defender, probably the strongest player in the college game today (as well as the best rebounder) with a budding offensive game. If he gets mins. in the NBA right away, he'd likely be a top 5 rebounder in year 1.... Like Pitt's Sam Young, Taj Gibson's a little older than most in this draft but he has a lot of tools to help an NBA team out down low right away. He's a little thin but he's strong and never once looked overmatched physically to me against a bigger opponent, he can score with either hand in the paint and hit mid-range jumpers from 15-17' very comfortably. He's one of the top rebounders (9.4) and shot-blockers (2.8 - 4th in the nation) in America and he looks to be a real solid, team-oriented guy (as the elderstatesman on that USC team, he never once complained this season that he wasn't getting the ball enough when he had every right to do so IMO, playing next to ball hogs like Hackett and Lewis --- he very easily could have been a 20 ppg guy this yr., but instead opted for team-oriented play and still averaged over 15 ppg for most of the season). He's a definitely contributor at the next level - a regular rotation guy/occasional starter. Looking for a low-level value PF in this draft is a good idea for the Knicks. I get the Fox College Sports package and I've watched plenty of USC and ASU games this season on FCS Pacific. IMHO, pound for pound, Gibson's the superior player over Jeff Pendergraph. Not saying Pendergraph's bad, on the contrary, I think he has a pretty bright future. He's got a big, NBA-ready body and looks fundementally sound in a number of areas. However, while he may be a couple of years younger and a little bulkier than Gibson, Gibson's clearly the better all-around talent and athlete. While they're both equivalent scorers and rebounders, Pendergraph doesn't even compare to Gibson as a run and jump athlete and interior defender. Gibson's the more complete 2-way player between the two. Blair or Gibson would be nice frontcourt alternatives in case the Knicks ever decided to part ways with David Lee.

(3) If we could snag a 2nd rounder somehow I'd love to get KC Rivers from Clemson. 6'5" experienced lefty 2-guard who can really stroke it and get to the basket. Rivers also has extremely quick hands and feet making him a factor on the defensive end. I could see him being one of the better selections made in the 2nd round in this draft. I think he's an NBA player.

I think Derozen is a star in the making. I don't think any of these PG's are Chris Paul's or Deron Williams. I think there may be some solid PG's

Also Pendergraph atleast to me is clearly the better NBA prospect. He's bigger he has better fundamentals the best mid range jump shot by far compared to any other big-- he's explosive off the floor. The only thing I see Gibson has on him is agility and longer arms. Pendergraph is under rated

Posted by BRIGGS:

Posted by Finestrg:

Here's my work in progress draft wish list and a lot of it involves replacing players who may not be here longterm:

(1) There's gonna be quite a few big-time PG prospects that'll be coming out. I believe the Knicks could really use one of them --- a do-it-all, game-changing floor general. This position along with the C spot are arguably the two most important positions to upgrade when rebuilding a team - if a team can upgrade one of these spots with a top flight guy, that team will be well on their way. Not sure if that top-flight C prospect is there in this draft (Thabeet will be a contributor at the next level because of his monster size and the shot-blocking element but might never be a elite player and I'm not sold on BJ Mullens at all yet) but there looks to be a plethora of top PGs that fit the bill and I think right now the cream of the crop is Willie Warren, Jeff Teague and possibly Eric Maynor. Chris Duhon is a nice player (though extremely flawed - can't finish around the rim, overrated defender, etc.) and has done a good job here for the most part but we can do MUCH MUCH better. Warren, Teague or Maynor would be a major upgrade over Duhon. Duhon may not even be here past next year. I think a top-flight PG might make for a better, safer pick over a still-unknown quantity like DeMar DeRozan.

(2) Acquire TWO additional first rounders - one midway and another lower pick - and grab a swingman and a PF. Maybe a guy like DeRozan's off the table at this point (I do like his potential, I just like one of these top PG prospects a little more for us myself), but there will still be nice options available 20-35 that can absolutely help us.

a. If DeRozan's gone I'd love to get my hands on Sam Young. He's slightly older than most of his peers in this draft but he's a very good player with so many positives and I think he'll make a very good pro. He's built like a truck and at 6'6" he's got the size and strength to play both SG and SF in the NBA, he can shot, drive it, finish strong around the basket, rebound the ball and defend. With Gallo's future now unclear with the re-occurring back problems and Q-Rich, Hughes and Harrington possibly moving on soon, Young would make for a nice, well-rounded replacement out on the wing. This guy really reminds me a lot of Michael Finley.

b. With the 2nd pick gimmie a post player like DeJuan Blair or Taj Gibson. Blair's obviously the 1st choice here if he's still on the board. He's slightly undersized at around 6'7" but he more than makes up for an lack of size issue with his strength, girth, wingspan and athleticism. We're not talking Clarence Weatherspoon or Joey Dorsey here at all; we're talking about an impact player for years to come. A beast. Adequate defender, probably the strongest player in the college game today (as well as the best rebounder) with a budding offensive game. If he gets mins. in the NBA right away, he'd likely be a top 5 rebounder in year 1.... Like Pitt's Sam Young, Taj Gibson's a little older than most in this draft but he has a lot of tools to help an NBA team out down low right away. He's a little thin but he's strong and never once looked overmatched physically to me against a bigger opponent, he can score with either hand in the paint and hit mid-range jumpers from 15-17' very comfortably. He's one of the top rebounders (9.4) and shot-blockers (2.8 - 4th in the nation) in America and he looks to be a real solid, team-oriented guy (as the elderstatesman on that USC team, he never once complained this season that he wasn't getting the ball enough when he had every right to do so IMO, playing next to ball hogs like Hackett and Lewis --- he very easily could have been a 20 ppg guy this yr., but instead opted for team-oriented play and still averaged over 15 ppg for most of the season). He's a definitely contributor at the next level - a regular rotation guy/occasional starter. Looking for a low-level value PF in this draft is a good idea for the Knicks. I get the Fox College Sports package and I've watched plenty of USC and ASU games this season on FCS Pacific. IMHO, pound for pound, Gibson's the superior player over Jeff Pendergraph. Not saying Pendergraph's bad, on the contrary, I think he has a pretty bright future. He's got a big, NBA-ready body and looks fundementally sound in a number of areas. However, while he may be a couple of years younger and a little bulkier than Gibson, Gibson's clearly the better all-around talent and athlete. While they're both equivalent scorers and rebounders, Pendergraph doesn't even compare to Gibson as a run and jump athlete and interior defender. Gibson's the more complete 2-way player between the two. Blair or Gibson would be nice frontcourt alternatives in case the Knicks ever decided to part ways with David Lee.

(3) If we could snag a 2nd rounder somehow I'd love to get KC Rivers from Clemson. 6'5" experienced lefty 2-guard who can really stroke it and get to the basket. Rivers also has extremely quick hands and feet making him a factor on the defensive end. I could see him being one of the better selections made in the 2nd round in this draft. I think he's an NBA player.

I think Derozen is a star in the making. I don't think any of these PG's are Chris Paul's or Deron Williams. I think there may be some solid PG's

Also Pendergraph atleast to me is clearly the better NBA prospect. He's bigger he has better fundamentals the best mid range jump shot by far compared to any other big-- he's explosive off the floor. The only thing I see Gibson has on him is agility and longer arms. Pendergraph is under rated

DeRozan had two great games to close out the regular season for USC, one against UCLA and the other against ASU and James Harden. Other than that, he had a pretty underwhelming 1st year to say the least esp. with all the hype and buzz that came with him before he even stepped foot on the floor. Right now in the NBA he's a SG who can't really shoot the ball. It takes more than a couple of good games to convince me that any player can be a star. He does have excellent talent and potential - there's no denying that, but I tell ya, if he underachieves in the tournament, I'd be inclined to say he should stay in school and continue developing. We all know he won't though and therefore he'd be a pick made on potential alone not on above average season-long play. But who knows, maybe he's saved his best for last here and continues his elevated play into the tournament....

I see a draft chock full of top PG talent headed by Warren, Teague and Maynor. Whether or not any of these 3 guys turns out to be the next Paul or D. Williams is unclear (I wouldn't purposely bet against it though) but the fact remains they are extremely talented, fairly complete players at the point and all have had big years running their teams -- all 3 of these guys have been way more productive than DeMar DeRozan this season. Concerning our own PG situation, I'm not a huge fan of Chris Duhon although the decision to sign him as a stopgap PG for the time being has turned out to be a great decision by Walsh. Duhon's played fairly well for us. But as far as I'm concerned, he makes very little sense to retain at anywhere from $6-7 mil. a season which will be his asking price. For that type of money, we can do much better than this guy and in this draft we probably have a shot at drafting a bigtime upgrade. I agree that we could use an upgrade out on the wing but as of right now, I'd rather go with much more of a sure thing with our own pick with one of these top PGs, THEN look to acquire additional picks any way possible and use one or two of them on guys like Sam Young and maybe a KC Rivers to sure up our perimeter play for the future. As of right now, I think that's the way to go with the Knicks. Remember, we already got burned with the Gallinari pick last year - say we grabbed DeRozan at 10 and he flopped, forget about it if that happened... But hey, if DeRozan goes out and lights up Boston College for 30 on Friday and USC winds up going deep, I could change my mind. I'll have to wait and see on him - how he plays in this tournament will really make an impression on me, one way or another.

We'll just have to disagree on the Pendergraph/Gibson comparison. I feel Gibson's the much more complete player between the two and quite frankly I don't even see a debate here. Right now, considering all of the Knicks deficencies, to me, Gibson clearly looks to be the much better fit IF we ever managed to grab an additional late pick in this draft with the intention of using it on a PF prospect. As I said, they have a similar impact on the game as offensive players and rebounders but Gibson's far and away the better defender - Gibson has game-changing shot-blocking ability. Also, don't sell Gibson's fundementals short - Gibson's a very fundementally sound, seasoned player who plays with great intensity and smarts on both ends every game - this is a guy that has good form on the mid-range jumper, polished post moves (when he actually gets the damn ball), takes great care of the ball for a big guy rarely turning it over and he's shown a good enough handle for a big guy to drop back and help bring the ball up the floor when needed. I really believe Taj Gibson can be an even better pro than he has been at USC. Right now, he plays in a system and with players that have held him back for the last two seasons. Watch for it on Friday - this guy battles harder than anyone establishing position only to get ignored by a prima donna like Daniel Hackett. Jeez, if your big guy fights that hard all the time, give him the damn ball once in a while. This has been going on all season long. Clearly Tim Floyd sees Gibson as a roving big man and not as the offensive go-to option he should have been and I think that's a mistake. Going a step further, I'd argue that the way he's been handled hasn't really been in his best interest in terms of his future -- for all the effort Gibson's given that team on a nightly basis for 3 seasons, you would think his coach would recognize the fact that (1) he needs to keep his big man happy and (2) if given enough touches, Gibson easily could've (better yet should've) been a 20 ppg scorer this year and if that were the case, all of a sudden he's now being talked about as a 1st round pick with a guaranteed contract for over a million dollars. Now most likely he'll be a second round pick fighting to stick on some team's roster for much less money (which shouldn't be a problem because he has the ability to be a contibutor in the NBA). It's a shame Floyd didn't take better care of him the way he should have this season and it's a testament to this kid that he just went with the flow, never complained and continued to be the hardest worker on the court every night. I like this kid a lot and I really hope he succeeds.


[Edited by - finestrg on 03-17-2009 7:15 PM]