Posted by islesfan:

Without fail, whenever Curry isn't being setup as the first option on offense, he disappears.

Prediction: Curry's average goes back down to 15-16 points a game with Randolph taking up space in the post. Curry won't be happy about it either.

Posted by nixluva:

Posted by islesfan:

Without fail, whenever Curry isn't being setup as the first option on offense, he disappears.

Prediction: Curry's average goes back down to 15-16 points a game with Randolph taking up space in the post. Curry won't be happy about it either.

Why is it you keep making it seem like Zach is gonna race Curry to the same spot in the post and try to take his shots? Zach has more versatility to his game than that. He's a better version of Frye. he certainly has the game to play in the midpost and pretty much anywhere on the court. Do you realize that he took 48 3's last year? That avg'd out to about 1.4 3's per.
Do you realize that 59% of his shots were Jumpers and 41% were inside.

Zach's PER was 23.1 at PF and 33.7 at C. Meanwhile his opponents PER was only 15.1. The Guy was a +8 at PF and +18.9 at C.

Curry is as you know almost exclusively an inside player with 79% of his shots coming from inside. All of these stats according to 82games. Even if they're off a bit, it's clear that Zach has much more to his game than just posting all the time.

What I can see happening is Zach spending a bit more time away from the post and either working his way in or shooting the jumper, when he's on the floor with Curry, then going inside for the majority of his shots when Curry's not in the game.

Posted by nixluva:

Posted by islesfan:

Without fail, whenever Curry isn't being setup as the first option on offense, he disappears.

Prediction: Curry's average goes back down to 15-16 points a game with Randolph taking up space in the post. Curry won't be happy about it either.

Why is it you keep making it seem like Zach is gonna race Curry to the same spot in the post and try to take his shots? Zach has more versatility to his game than that. He's a better version of Frye. he certainly has the game to play in the midpost and pretty much anywhere on the court. Do you realize that he took 48 3's last year? That avg'd out to about 1.4 3's per.
Do you realize that 59% of his shots were Jumpers and 41% were inside.

Zach's PER was 23.1 at PF and 33.7 at C. Meanwhile his opponents PER was only 15.1. The Guy was a +8 at PF and +18.9 at C.

Curry is as you know almost exclusively an inside player with 79% of his shots coming from inside. All of these stats according to 82games. Even if they're off a bit, it's clear that Zach has much more to his game than just posting all the time.

What I can see happening is Zach spending a bit more time away from the post and either working his way in or shooting the jumper, when he's on the floor with Curry, then going inside for the majority of his shots when Curry's not in the game.

Who wants the ball and who gets the ball would have less of an effect on the team if Eddie did something else, like rebound or play D. That's where he really has to pick it up. If he is a real team player he won't mind if Zach gets the ball 30 times a game. He should be able to contribue by dominating the offensive glass. The same goes in reverse for Zach if Eddie got the ball 30 times a game. These guys have to make that decision themselves.

Posted by Masterplan:

Posted by nixluva:

Do you realize that he took 48 3's last year? That avg'd out to about 1.4 3's per.

check your math. 48 threes in 68 games, that's .7 per (at a 29% clip).

regardless, i think it's pretty certain eddy will regress this year. i predict him as bait in a trade for a big name player in the next 13 months. just my opinion/prediction.

Posted by codeunknown:

Posted by nixluva:

Posted by Masterplan:

Posted by nixluva:

Do you realize that he took 48 3's last year? That avg'd out to about 1.4 3's per.

check your math. 48 threes in 68 games, that's .7 per (at a 29% clip).

regardless, i think it's pretty certain eddy will regress this year. i predict him as bait in a trade for a big name player in the next 13 months. just my opinion/prediction.

Thanks for the correction on the 3's. My point tho is that the guy takes an awful lot of outside shots and he will still take those which won't be a change for him, since he's used to taking MORE jumpers than inside shots already. He'll still get lots of post up time when he's on the floor without Eddy.

The idea that Eddy will regress is really just being pessimistic for no valid reason. WHY should he regress just because there's another good player on the floor. All that will happen is that those shots that Frye would pass up or miss will be taken by Zach and Steph and Jamal will take fewer shots. The idea that there aren't enough shots to go around is just plain untrue. Zach and Curry are option 1 & 1A and they'll take the majority of the shots and touches.

I agree with Masterplan that Eddy will take a step back from his "breakout" season last year.

Posted by misterearl:

CodeU - Eddy Curry taking a step back in the scoring column is not a negative thing in the context of the progression of the team concept.

The objective is to develop a rhythm that the rotation can compete against better teams on a nightly basis. Who really cares about predicting the exact number of available shots when that will fluctuate based on the matchups on a given night?

All that matters is that a squad has enough versatility to offer a balanced attack that can employ certain tactics on one evening and diversify to employ another set the next.

I don't understand why people are so intent on placing individual stats above the incremental development of the team.

If the frontcourt does not fit, then someone will sit

Posted by Bippity10:

Curry should never be on the perimeter in any offense. 90% of his time will be in the paint so I'm not sure why his rebounding numbers would go down. If anything, if Zach is taking shots away his rebounding numbers should go up. He should benefit from the attention Zach gets, like David Lee and Balkman benefitted last year from the attention he got. At least on paper that's how it should work

Posted by misterearl:

codeunknown - the team concept IS the ideal, yo.

I'm not asking you to buy into it. I only want the Knicks players to buy into it.

Eddy Curry may be your whipping boy du jour, but no one has any clue how he will play next to Zach and Jeffries... or Lee and Randolph Morris... or Zach and Lee... until they roll out the ball racks in October.

The job of finding a complimentary set of frontcourt players is the job of the coaching staff.

The fact is they all have flaws.

Zach will need to learn to trust new individuals in a new system and what it feels like to have the press at his locker on a daily basis inquiring what he did last night

Lee will need to find a consistent shot and spot on the floor where he can operate comfortably whether as a four or a three on defense

Randolph Morris needs a go-to move that he can trust in traffic and will need to learn the officials by first name

Eddy Curry will need to work on his anticipation under the rack, his recognition of defensive coverages, his rotations on defense, his intuition with the guards, correct his penchant for picking up touch fouls in bunches, his proclivity for travelling, his less-than-stellar field goal percentage, his extra poundage, his interview skills, improve his hairdo from cornrows to a clean-shaven look, change his uniform number to something sexy like number "00" (in the shape of two dunkin donuts) and like you said... not turn it over.

dang, we is doomed

I'm not convinced you understand my point, Earl. I'm not questioning the ideal of the "team concept," whatever that means to you. Rather I'm questioning whether Curry is an appropriate player in that concept.