NEW YORK
Draft picks:

G Iman Shumpert, 17th, first round; C Josh Harrelson, 45th, second round [acquired from Hornets]

Our take:

If the Knicks were looking for someone to guard multiple positions, why not go for Chris Singleton, who's bigger and longer? They weren't the only team impressed by Shumpert's on-ball defensive talents in that range of the first round, but he has to turn into a rangy two-way player that can ultimately replace Chauncey Billups to make the choice worth it. Harrelson improved dramatically last season at Kentucky, losing weight and becoming a consistent rebounder. Hard to see how he'll fit into Mike D'Antoni's system, though.

crzymdups wrote:Chad Ford gave the Knicks a B-. His analysis was similar to Aldridge's.

Here's an excerpt from the espn Knicks blog:

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/5505/chad-ford-gives-knicks-a-b-minus

Morning after thoughts ...

_ ESPN colleague Chad Ford has given the Knicks a B-minus for drafting Iman Shumpert and Josh Harrellson, saying in his post-draft report card (Insider) of the Georgia Tech guard: " If he can learn to run a team and shoot the ball, he can be a monster in the NBA. But right now, that a big if."

_ Donnie Walsh bid adieu to the beat writers who cover his team by saying he truly enjoyed building relationships with each of them, and how he had grown to understand and appreciate the peculiarities of covering the Knicks in the nation's largest media market. A class act, he will be missed.

_ Memo to Iman Shumpert, who will be introduced at the Knicks practice facility in Greenburgh: Avoid the shrimp salad.

_ Memo No. 2 to Shumpert: Make sure your driver knows the local roads. Flooding has closed the parkway leading directly from Manhattan to Greenburgh, and navigational skills will be at a premium to avoid being tardy.

_ One Knicks insider on Kentucky center Josh Harrellson, who was selected with the pick purchased from the New Orleans Hornets: "He'll knock your head off."

I hope JH is a rebounder and bruiser...just what we need down low for 15-20mpg.

newyorknewyork wrote:Shumpert is 6'5.5 in shoes with a 6'9 wing span and 42 inch vert, I don't see why people are looking at him to be a PG. He should be looked at as a SG with some PG skills. He doesn't need to be the replacement for Billups, he just needs to be a guy who can defend both guard positions and even some SFs, knock down open shots, and attack the basket in transition. He should be a guy that plays off the ball. If he does that consistently at the 2-guard position we are set there.

Though it is fantastic to have a mentor like Billups around.

If he can be a Latrell-lite, it would be fantastic.

rp wrote:Mayo, Spree or Rondo type player are the possibilities...

IMHO the only similarity in Rondo and Iman's games are that they both can't shoot, but that's like comparing Rondo to JJ, which is completely off. They are different players.

It's weird, Spree never wanted to be a PG, and that's what Iman thinks he is. Spree didn't have a handle. Iman's defense and athleticism may be up there with Spree.

Mayo is a SG.

I think Tyreke Evans and Iman's games are similar, with Tyreke having better PG experience and better coaching at the PG position.

nixluva wrote:The only thing missing for Iman IMO is good coaching. He's got a sick handle and the same kind of speed that a Westbrook has. He can be a PG. People just assume that he can't, but he's capable of getting a rebound, which he does very well and starting the break. He's a very fast player. If he's better than Rautins at brining the ball upcourt I see no problems with him being a PG at the next level. Teams will challenge him, which i'm sure he's faced quite a bit over the last 3 years. It'll be interesting to see if he can do it. In any event he's got SG size and some PG skills, which is a great combination.

What I like most is that he WANTS to be a PG. He wants to be a distributor, more than a primary scorer. So long as he thinks that way then he should be able to accomplish his goal. Mike will be a perfect coach to teach him how to exploit a defense, but it's all on him to learn and execute.

ACC Triple-Doubles This season

*Jan. 25, 2011 – Iman Shumpert – 22 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists vs. Virginia Tech

Nov. 14, 2010 – Chris Singleton (Florida State) – 22 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals vs. UNC-Greensboro

Shumpert said he didn’t know he had accomplished the feat until assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie told him during a timeout that a triple-double wasn’t as good if the team didn’t win.

“I’m all smiles tonight,” he said after posting the first triple-double in ACC play in Tech history. Shumpert was just three steals away from posting a quadruple-double. He also had just one turnover in 38 minutes.

sick handle and the kind of speed Westbrook has? Wow, them some dramatic conclusions.

decent handle and quickness is more like it. And he needs to prove he can run a team, so far he has not, coaching notwithstanding.

Uptown wrote:So, According to Aldridge, Shumpert has to turn into a two-way player and has to replace Billups in order to work but Singleton who IMO is more inept offensively than Shumpert just has to defend and that would have been a great draf pick for us? It seems whenever the Knicks go against these anaylsts personal draft board (BTW, how many times do you think Aldridge watched Singleton play, let alone anyone on his draft board) they hate on the pick or place unrealistic expectations that cant be reached for these mid range draft picks. Does anyone really feel a 17th pick in the draft is going to surplant Billups in the line up? Its absurd.

i was noticing the same nonsense from Aldridge.

martin wrote:

nixluva wrote:

martin wrote:

nixluva wrote:The only thing missing for Iman IMO is good coaching. He's got a sick handle and the same kind of speed that a Westbrook has. He can be a PG. People just assume that he can't, but he's capable of getting a rebound, which he does very well and starting the break. He's a very fast player. If he's better than Rautins at brining the ball upcourt I see no problems with him being a PG at the next level. Teams will challenge him, which i'm sure he's faced quite a bit over the last 3 years. It'll be interesting to see if he can do it. In any event he's got SG size and some PG skills, which is a great combination.

What I like most is that he WANTS to be a PG. He wants to be a distributor, more than a primary scorer. So long as he thinks that way then he should be able to accomplish his goal. Mike will be a perfect coach to teach him how to exploit a defense, but it's all on him to learn and execute.

ACC Triple-Doubles This season

*Jan. 25, 2011 – Iman Shumpert – 22 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists vs. Virginia Tech

Nov. 14, 2010 – Chris Singleton (Florida State) – 22 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals vs. UNC-Greensboro

Shumpert said he didn’t know he had accomplished the feat until assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie told him during a timeout that a triple-double wasn’t as good if the team didn’t win.

“I’m all smiles tonight,” he said after posting the first triple-double in ACC play in Tech history. Shumpert was just three steals away from posting a quadruple-double. He also had just one turnover in 38 minutes.

sick handle and the kind of speed Westbrook has? Wow, them some dramatic conclusions.

decent handle and quickness is more like it. And he needs to prove he can run a team, so far he has not, coaching notwithstanding.

From what i've seen and read for a 6-5 guad, Iman does have a very good handle. Iman is a much bigger player than Westbrook and yet he's nearly as quick, agile and fast from end to end. He's just as explosive, in fact he jumps higher.

Hght w/o Shoes	Hght w/shoes	Wght	Wingspan   Stdng Reach	Body Fat  No Step Vert	Max Vert  B Press     Agility	3/4 Sprint
Westbrook	
6' 2.25"	6' 3.5"	        192	6' 7.75"   8' 4"	4.8	    30.0	    36.5   12	       10.98	 3.08
Iman
6' 4.25"	6' 5.5"	        222	6' 9.5"	   8' 3.5"	6.5	    36.5	    42.0   18	       11.10	 3.18

doing it in combine much different than on court. he certainly has potential, but it hasn't added up.

With the frame, quickness and handle you are shopping, dude should have wrecked the collegiate competition, and he didn't.

how much does that have to do with the fact that he was apparently on a bad team and he was forced to take a lot of bad shots for lack of better teammates? mind you, i don't watch much college ball, but i've read up on the kid since he's been drafted. and that's something i've seen come up. is that a factor?

martin wrote:

nixluva wrote:

martin wrote:

nixluva wrote:The only thing missing for Iman IMO is good coaching. He's got a sick handle and the same kind of speed that a Westbrook has. He can be a PG. People just assume that he can't, but he's capable of getting a rebound, which he does very well and starting the break. He's a very fast player. If he's better than Rautins at brining the ball upcourt I see no problems with him being a PG at the next level. Teams will challenge him, which i'm sure he's faced quite a bit over the last 3 years. It'll be interesting to see if he can do it. In any event he's got SG size and some PG skills, which is a great combination.

What I like most is that he WANTS to be a PG. He wants to be a distributor, more than a primary scorer. So long as he thinks that way then he should be able to accomplish his goal. Mike will be a perfect coach to teach him how to exploit a defense, but it's all on him to learn and execute.

ACC Triple-Doubles This season

*Jan. 25, 2011 – Iman Shumpert – 22 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists vs. Virginia Tech

Nov. 14, 2010 – Chris Singleton (Florida State) – 22 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals vs. UNC-Greensboro

Shumpert said he didn’t know he had accomplished the feat until assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie told him during a timeout that a triple-double wasn’t as good if the team didn’t win.

“I’m all smiles tonight,” he said after posting the first triple-double in ACC play in Tech history. Shumpert was just three steals away from posting a quadruple-double. He also had just one turnover in 38 minutes.

sick handle and the kind of speed Westbrook has? Wow, them some dramatic conclusions.

decent handle and quickness is more like it. And he needs to prove he can run a team, so far he has not, coaching notwithstanding.

From what i've seen and read for a 6-5 guad, Iman does have a very good handle. Iman is a much bigger player than Westbrook and yet he's nearly as quick, agile and fast from end to end. He's just as explosive, in fact he jumps higher.

Hght w/o Shoes	Hght w/shoes	Wght	Wingspan   Stdng Reach	Body Fat  No Step Vert	Max Vert  B Press     Agility	3/4 Sprint
Westbrook	
6' 2.25"	6' 3.5"	        192	6' 7.75"   8' 4"	4.8	    30.0	    36.5   12	       10.98	 3.08
Iman
6' 4.25"	6' 5.5"	        222	6' 9.5"	   8' 3.5"	6.5	    36.5	    42.0   18	       11.10	 3.18

doing it in combine much different than on court. he certainly has potential, but it hasn't added up.

With the frame, quickness and handle you are shopping, dude should have wrecked the collegiate competition, and he didn't.

MDA specializes in putting players in optimal circumstances and that may make a huge difference for this kid. Put this kid in a situation where he can take advantage of his strengths and we may yet see a special player emerge. He's a strong finisher likely due to his strength and power and if you put him in repeated PnR situations he may really blossom. Remember he's been going against PG's and I think he'll have a very good advantage in size and strength.