mikesknicks wrote:My Pick is Erick Green.

Probably still my guy as well. I've liked Green all year. Still do. Their games aren't identical but to me, there's an awful lot of Steph Curry with this kid. Hey if the worse case for Green is Devin Harris circa 2008-2009 with the Nets---at 24, that's a steal. I personally think he's a better player than Harris.

Very good case presented for Muscala though. Briggs is right -- guys at that size with those types of skillsets don't grow on trees. I wouldn't debate taking Muscala at 24. Not at all. He'd be a great pick there as well..

Finestrg wrote:

mikesknicks wrote:My Pick is Erick Green.

Probably still my guy as well. I've liked Green all year. Still do. Their games aren't identical but to me, there's an awful lot of Steph Curry with this kid. Hey if the worse case for Green is Devin Harris circa 2008-2009 with the Nets---at 24, that's a steal. I personally think he's a better player than Harris.

Very good case presented for Muscala though. Briggs is right -- guys at that size with those types of skillsets don't grow on trees. I wouldn't debate taking Muscala at 24. Not at all. He'd be a great pick there as well..

After the first SL game when he puts up 22-10 theyre will be 25 + teams saying I shouldve taken him. He needs to go to a smart team who understands how he should play the game--not force him to be a 5. From watching he Knicks draft room--we had just as good as chance to get Chris Singelton as we did Shumpert and the bottom line is Dantoni made the call. Weve made decent picks at times like all clubs but we are NOT anywhere near what we couldve been going back years and years. This is NOT the Spurs picking and I get the idea that fit will surpass BPA. There is only 1 reason why I would take Muscala at 24--simply he would be the BPA. He's going to be a helluva smart pick--but I dont see the Knicks going there--more so a Tim Hardaway type player. We dont hve a Chris Bosh or a Tim Duncan Tiago Splitter type. If we want to put all of the marbles on Amare again-well we could be really burned. Kenyon Martin was a band aid we need a long term solution. There are SEVERAL PG types in this draft that could fall--there are 3 skilled bigs in this draft who are 7 feet.

P.S., do you guys think we have a program in place capable of developing Muscala? People tend to undervalue the role that an organization's training staff plays in nurturing a player. I think its a big reason behind why teams like the Cavs bomb in their drafts unless they get the no.1 pick in a no-brainer draft. It isn't so much their lack of an eye for talent but their lack of ability in developing that talen, IMHO.

callmened wrote:^^good point nards...thats my only concern...dude has only played weak competition. I need to see him play guys his size

Thanks Ned! That's an excellent point you bring up about him playing men his own size. I'm unfamiliar with college basketball and did not stop to consider that factor. I suppose the silver lining of him playing smaller men is that he's use to leveraging his size in the paint. Hopefully that mindset translates to the pros and allow him to play like a more traditional big man.

More than anything, I'd like to see this franchise get better equipped at nurturing their young players. We seem to have gotten a lot better in finding talent in the draft but they still lack lasting power outside of their first year (see Landry Fields, Jerome Jordan, Andy Rautins and Josh Harrellson). I think that speaks to a lack of infrastructure/initiative to cultivate and expand their skills.

# 12 Missouri 25 points 14 rebounds 4 assists 2 blocks

#24 Lasalle 18 points 7 rebounds 6 assists 3 blocks

#23 Purdue 10 points 12 rebounds 3 assists 5 blocks

In his 3 post season games during junior and senior year

#1 Arizona 20 points 9 rebounds 3 assists 4 blocks

#5 Nevada 25 points 15 rebounds 3 assists 1 block

#6 Butler 9 points 10 rebounds 1 assist

total 6 games against ranked teams 18 points 12 rebounds 3.5 assists 2.5 blocks

Take into account that he only took 13 3's all last year. He was a primary post player and wasnt able to show off his pure mobile 4 skills utilizing the 3 etc... My bet is that his numbers wouldve jumped. That being said--that a solid sample size from teams as high as a 1 seed and that it was the same output as his yearly stats.

Mike Muscala

The big surprise of the workout was Muscala. While McCollum and Carter-Williams are both projected as top-10 picks, Muscala is on the first-round bubble.

His workout on Friday was extraordinary. It's no exaggeration to say that he missed two shots the entire workout. His skill set both around the basket (with an impressive jump hook) and facing the basket (especially from midrange out to the college 3-point line) was terrific. He has perfect form on his jump shot and a nice touch.

He showed the same shooting ability at the NBA draft combine last week, when he led all players with a 76 percent shooting percentage. Clearly he and Gonzaga's Kelly Olynyk are the most skilled big men in the draft and their college PERs back it up. Olynyk was ranked first and Muscala second in the nation in PER.

What concerns teams -- a little -- is Muscala's lack of strength in the post. He has a thin frame, isn't an elite athlete and isn't particularly long. However, he's so skilled, both around the basket and on the perimeter, that teams may try to make him a face-the-basket 4 at the next level.

I expect him to go somewhere between 15 and 35 on draft night. That's a pretty wide range, but it seems that teams are just now warming up to him. If he shoots it like that in workouts, he's going to rocket up draft boards.

callmened wrote:@BRIGGS..i just posted about K.Kadji...any thoughts? i think he could be a sleeper too

I wouldnt take him at 24 way to high. Hes 38 down. Hes a strange player--hes certainly big and skilled but tends to disappear and has a lot of inconsistencies. Doesnt pass only a fair defender for his size (which is an advantage for himI think hes 24-25) I think he might be better served on a fast breaking team where he can get opportunities in the open floor--maybe like Earl Clark did with the Lakers/Dantoni. He did not show up for Miami the last 5-7 games either. At 24 or 25 he needs to play big in big games with the type of talent they had on that team--he had space to work with.