earthmansurfer wrote:Title is deceiving. He is signing with them. http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/234675/Thanasis-Antetokounmpo-Joining-Knicks-D-League-Affiliate-After-Considering-Europe-Deals

Now, why would a guy pass up hundreds of thousands to play in Europe for 35k here?
I'd say we told his agent that there will be a spot available and it is just a matter of time.

yellowboy90 wrote:I don't get the hype with this guy. I do not see the elite athleticism Fran fraschilla talks about with him. He seems very very very raw to me.

Can't tell if you're serious or joking. If you mean this you would be the only person on Earth who can watch this kid and not see his athletic ability. He may be raw, but he is without a doubt a very high motor player with physical gifts. He has a future as a defensive reserve which has benefits for this team. He could really use the coaching he could get being near the team to learn how to defend without fouling and to refine his offensive skills. He'd also be playing in the Triangle which would be a huge advantage. I hope the kid one day makes the team. Can't see how we wouldn't want a kid who LOVES to play defense!!!

gunsnewing wrote:bad defense in those clips. What is his vertical? Doesnt look like he gets up high enough. Like in slow motion

yellowboy90 wrote:I saw nothing that says elite athleticism. Is he athletic, sure but I didn't see any thing special from SL. Maybe he develops and put that wingspan to use but there are a ton of guys like him that do not develop. I do like that he will be working in the triangle in Westchester.

I think being in the new system is a lot to throw at a kid who is at his stage of development. I think the more comfortable he gets he'll let it go and really play all out. Still you could see just a bit of his athletic ability in SL.

BigDaddyG wrote:

technomaster wrote:How does thanasis compare with a freshly drafted Trevor Ariza years ago?

I think Thanks is ahead, but it's not a clear cut comparison. Ariza was three years younger than Thanios when we drafted him.

I think Ariza's a good barometer for this guy. He very well might be ahead of the Trevor Ariza we drafted a few years back...Definitely a good ceiling to shoot for...Now if he could get to the level Ariza's currently at -- man, that'd be one hell of a player.. Ariza's really blossomed into a very good NBA player. Starter material on virtually any team... If Thanasis could ever get to that level, HOMERUN. Understand it'll take time though, just like it took Ariza some time...Another comparison, perhaps one a little more attainable, could be Landry Fields. Can Thanasis become a better player than Fields eventually? I think the answer to that question is a resounding YES. He's already a better defensive player/better athlete & while his offensive game may not be as polished as Fields' coming out of college (not sure if that's even saying much), I don't think it's that far off either. And let's not forget -- Landry's game has really regressed after his rookie season and esp. since going to Toronto on that absurd contract. Usually guys get better over time -- look at Ariza. He's gotten a lot better from when we had him...Landry's game, on the other hand, has really taken a nose dive. Good chance that if we wind up keeping Thanasis and develop him properly, he turns into a better player than Fields. I'd put money on that bet in fact.. If that happens, I'll be happy and I'll feel like we got proper (even good) value considering where we selected him in the draft. And if he approaches Ariza's current level of play eventually, all the better...I'd love to get a steal here more than anybody but we need to be patient with him. This pick probably takes a little while to bear fruit... Look, does this young man have some work to do offensively? Sure, but flipside, I don't think he's as raw offensively as he's being made out to be. We already see some semblance of a good jumper with range and good form when he squares himself up, good transition ability and the ability to put the ball on the deck and attack the rim. Offensively speaking, that's a pretty darn good foundation of skills to build from. I think 100% each one of those abilities could be developed further into real strengths -- better than anything Fields can do. I dunno about Ariza, that's a pretty high bar, but with dedicated work what we could be looking at here is a better version of Iman Shumpert maybe. I'll certainly take that.