BRIGGS wrote:

wh4t wrote:oh oh, bye bye thanasis?

How many spots left?

smackeddog wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:Will KP start at SF? Then there will be no end to people whining about him not being a good rebounder.

No, I think Hahn or someone said the Knicks went off Monroe when they drafted Porzingis, because they thought they needed more of a defensive ripeness (ha, I tried typing 'presence', but that's what autocorrect came up with!) next to him. That would indicate they see him as a PF.

Yeah he's a 4, maybe a 5 eventually. Those are the spots I'd like to see him developed to play. Still early but I like O'Quinn as the starting 4 with Porzingis backing him up until he's ready to take the next step--then those two can flip-flop. I'd like to see Fish reduce the amount of pressure on KP which could be accomplished by having him come off the bench with that 2nd unit. I also don't really want KP playing with Melo, at least not right away. I don't see Melo as the type of guy that will really help get KP through the growing pains--Instead of encouraging KP I could see Melo rolling his eyes, shrugging his shoulders saying 'give me the damn ball' in the huddle when it's not going right for KP. That's Melo in a nutshell and it's not what this kid needs. Let him establish chemistry with the 2nd unit to start off. Let Melo do his thing with his boy Afflalo, O'Quinn, RoLo and maybe Grant (or Calderon) to start the game. I like KP coming off the bench with Shved, Ledo, DW and Galdikas, provided we can bring a couple of those guys back. Still early though--let's see what happens..

smackeddog wrote:

Finestrg wrote:Yet another SMH signing. I can't believe they didn't leave a forward spot open for Thanasis or Maurice Ndour. Ndour has some real solid two-way skills (forget this guy now regardless of how he plays) and I took the time to review some video of Thanasis last night--this kid has solid potential despite the mediocre DL numbers, esp. as a standout defender at the 2 & 3 spots. I even like his potential as an offensive player, better than LT's in fact..The Garden would've loved this kid. Kinda bush league if you ask me--they ask Thanasis to stay local and play for their DL team, forgoing a lot of money not going overseas, the kid obliges and now it looks like he's gonna get squeezed out of a spot. Maybe he still makes it as a backup SG but I don't like him there--he's more of a SF.

Whatever man, they got their two end-of-the-bench character guys...now can we concentrate on finishing off the rotation please? Not comfortable at all with the backcourt as is--we're still two guards short. Shved and Ledo would suffice -- that's one legit scoring 2 and a 6'6" versatile guard that can play both spots. Can't for the life of me figure out how these two weren't considered definite bring-backs going into the offseason, esp. Shved. And I think we need one more legit C -- I prefer O'Quinn at the 4 which leaves at least 1 spot open at backup 5. I guess that's where the 7'1" Galdikas comes in. Hope he shows us he belongs in SL.

Ndour has already said he's playing overseas next season- he said he'd play on our summer league team because we were okay with that. Thannasis is a SG/Sf who can't shoot. Amundson played more PF and C

Yeah, I remember reading that but don't you think they should've maintained a little more roster flexibility to possibly add this dude if he plays well in SL? I do..

This is team building.

13 spots now, assuming Ledo's deal becomes guaranteed.

I'd try to bring back Shved and sign up Thanasis if he looks good in Summer League. If he doesn't look good, try to add Laberie or another backup center.

Finestrg wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

Finestrg wrote:Yet another SMH signing. I can't believe they didn't leave a forward spot open for Thanasis or Maurice Ndour. Ndour has some real solid two-way skills (forget this guy now regardless of how he plays) and I took the time to review some video of Thanasis last night--this kid has solid potential despite the mediocre DL numbers, esp. as a standout defender at the 2 & 3 spots. I even like his potential as an offensive player, better than LT's in fact..The Garden would've loved this kid. Kinda bush league if you ask me--they ask Thanasis to stay local and play for their DL team, forgoing a lot of money not going overseas, the kid obliges and now it looks like he's gonna get squeezed out of a spot. Maybe he still makes it as a backup SG but I don't like him there--he's more of a SF.

Whatever man, they got their two end-of-the-bench character guys...now can we concentrate on finishing off the rotation please? Not comfortable at all with the backcourt as is--we're still two guards short. Shved and Ledo would suffice -- that's one legit scoring 2 and a 6'6" versatile guard that can play both spots. Can't for the life of me figure out how these two weren't considered definite bring-backs going into the offseason, esp. Shved. And I think we need one more legit C -- I prefer O'Quinn at the 4 which leaves at least 1 spot open at backup 5. I guess that's where the 7'1" Galdikas comes in. Hope he shows us he belongs in SL.

Ndour has already said he's playing overseas next season- he said he'd play on our summer league team because we were okay with that. Thannasis is a SG/Sf who can't shoot. Amundson played more PF and C

Yeah, I remember reading that but don't you think they should've maintained a little more roster flexibility to possibly add this dude if he plays well in SL? I do..

Plus they do have flexibility- they have 2 roster spots left (3 if you don't include Ledo)

nixluva wrote:

dk7th wrote:

nixluva wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

wh4t wrote:oh oh, bye bye thanasis?

How many spots left?

Lead Guard		Scoring Guard		Small Forward		Power Forward		Center
Jerian Grant		Arron Afflalo		Kristaps Porzingis	Carmelo Anthony		Robin Lopez
Jose Calderon		Ricky Ledo?		Cleanthony Early	Derrick Williams	Kyle O’Quinn
Langston Galloway			        Lance Thomas		Lou Amundson

on paper this looks like a better team than last year, 28-34 wins. what time is the summer league game?

Jerian instead of Larkin. Afflalo instead of JR. RoLo instead of Dalembert. KP instead of Bargs. There's more stability and way more upside.

Looks like the plan is to EXECUTE the Triangle and life AFTER CA
And putting majority of our eggs in the system to fix it self, with professionals, high IQ players, high work ethic, players that know the Triangle, and the development of our players drafted by year 2-3, rather than accumulating talent

OVIDIJUS GALDIKAS (not think that he will sign for the minimum of about 500k unless it is a multiyear guaranteed deal, he is 7-2 and 235 pounds, I think he has a chance to make our roster with Robin Lopez, Kyle O Quin both Lou Amundson being a bit undersized at Center, with Lopez unlikely to play over 30minutes a game...

Orlando Sanchez (was not happy last year when we didnt bring him up for a roster spot in the last couple of games, it would have counted as his year of service and be eligible to make the vet min of over 900k this year)

Louis Labayrie (do not think he will sign for the minimum with a starting salary of about 500k, he is only 200 pounds and is a PF)
Though we could have just brought him in this summer so he can get a sense of what to work on, whether his body and skills to fit the system, I think we would prefer a 3year deal with unguaranteed money with him for next year instead being more likely along with Ndoure who is also 200pds but plays SF/PF while Labayrie is a PF

Serephin or another D League player at the vet min, maybe even Larry Sanders
Or Vet min, D League, undrafted FA, or even a trade

1- Right now we need a backup PF/C, with some choices above

2- A PG/SG or combo guard that could penetrate and facilitate
which could be Shved or Daniel Hackett with Thanasis *both splitting the room exemption like with Lou Amundson/Lance Thomas, or if we bring back Shved, Thanasis could get the starting salary of 500k unless Shved signs for about 1.8m or whatever less to audition his next contract with the rest going to Thanasis
There are other teams that have interest in Hackett like Mavs, I do not think he would sign a minimum contract at about 500k
If another team offers him a good amount over what we can offer for Hacket, we will go another direction
Though I think Hackett's game fits our roster well with both Calderon and Galloway not being good at penetration and are 2ndary ball handlers, especially with Calderon

3- Likely choosing between Thanasis, Ledo, and Early
We likely will be deciding anywhere between from Summer League to Training Camp, likely at least 1 player will be cut or traded
Possibly even a trade of 1 or 2 players if possible, as Ledo's contract is partial guaranteed and Early is non guaranteed, both still has upside and could offer some trade value if they do well and show improvements in the Summer League and Training camp

OF the 3,
Ledo has the highest potential in scoring (has a partial guaratantee)

Thanasis has the highest potential in DEFENSE and versatility (we own his rights but do not have to bring him in, while he will not be very happy if we do not sign him and give him more than the 500k vet min offer, as he took less to learn in the Triangle in the D League vs Europe last year

Early has the most NBA experience and dealt with many injuries last year to show his value/improvements/fits to the roster

Ledo, Thanasis, and Early, anywhere from 1 or even 2 of these players will not be part of our roster, so we likely will with improvements in the Summer League and Training Camp to decide
Would not be surprised if we moved Early and/or Ledo in a trade, for example for James Johnson, which would elevate our DEFENSE, so Thanasis will have to really show that he can contribute from now to training camp

As listed we have 13 spots with 2 open spots right now, though Ledo and Early's contracts are not guaranteed...

1- With our needs being a PG/SG that could penetrate (Shved/Hackett, maybe Aaron Harrison/Quinn Cook or other D League/Undrafted/vet min players)
2- another PF/C (OVIDIJUS GALDIKAS, Orlando Sanchez, Serephin, Larry Sanders, or other players...
3- the decision between Early, Ledo, and Thanasis

With Shved, it simply was too small of a sample size with 12 games to determine his value at this point
He played very well for us during those 12 games though, as Galloway played OFF the ball, while Shved played PG/SG with 2 PG's in the lineup whether Larkin or Galloway majority of the time
With the rise of the cap next year, Shved knows that even if he makes less this year, if he can produce consistently like he did last year before he got hurt, he could make much more money in the future if he does well rather than go to Europe

With CA healthy and our additions, Shved will not be the #1 option that he played well in last season, and also has competition with Grant, Galloway, Calderon, along with SG's in Affalo, Ledo, maybe Thanasis and Early as well (for Early he lacked the handle last year along with some speed/quickness to defend the SG position)

We had no POST options last year, while the OFFENSE will be initiated through the POST, whether with Lopez, KP, CA, or even Affalo, along with Kyle O Quin's ability to pass in the 2nd unit
Shved knows only Grant can penetrate/facilitate on our roster, though someone like Ledo could improve last year as he was not in NBA shape...

With LT and Lou Amundson, they are likely just STOP GAP players that could set the tone this season and has experience to execute the Triangle while mentoring our guys both on/off the court, locker room, and in the gym
It is possible that next year they will not be part of our roster unless they continue to show that their value could help develop our young guys
While they could also be traded if needed by the trading deadline as throw ins for salary if needed, when the "rooks" can contribute in a higher level if they improve much this season, especially with Grant who is older and has a NBA body to play PG/SG while KP will need to get stronger and fill out a bit, likely will need 1-2 seasons before he can contribute on a high level with consistency

Not sure if we had the early bird rights to Cole Aldrich this past summer and both LT/Lou Amundson next year
In order to keep early bird rights/bird rights, we might need to keep their cap holds

Though next season, there could be a new CBA with new rules on bird rights, and Lebron would not be able to sign the MAX offer without his BIRD RIGHTS unless they trade Kevin Love by next year for 0 salary, waive Varejo with him accepting a buyout that allows Lebron the get the max
That is why Triston Thompson *could pay him an specific amount in order to give Lebron a MAX salary with cap space, JR Smith *probably only get a 1year deal if brought back while paying taxes for his services*, and Delly *can not over pay for his services*
With MoSGoV, who will be a UFA next year who has been underpaid his entire NBA career, and might not be able, depending on Lebron salary, with the rest of the rosters salary
Leborn would only have early bird rights under the current CBA rules next year

Finestrg wrote:Yet another SMH signing. I can't believe they didn't leave a forward spot open for Thanasis or Maurice Ndour. Ndour has some real solid two-way skills (forget this guy now regardless of how he plays) and I took the time to review some video of Thanasis last night--this kid has solid potential despite the mediocre DL numbers, esp. as a standout defender at the 2 & 3 spots. I even like his potential as an offensive player, better than LT's in fact..The Garden would've loved this kid. Kinda bush league if you ask me--they ask Thanasis to stay local and play for their DL team, forgoing a lot of money not going overseas, the kid obliges and now it looks like he's gonna get squeezed out of a spot. Maybe he still makes it as a backup SG but I don't like him there--he's more of a SF.

Whatever man, they got their two end-of-the-bench character guys...now can we concentrate on finishing off the rotation please? Not comfortable at all with the backcourt as is--we're still two guards short. Shved and Ledo would suffice -- that's one legit scoring 2 and a 6'6" versatile guard that can play both spots. Can't for the life of me figure out how these two weren't considered definite bring-backs going into the offseason, esp. Shved. And I think we need one more legit C -- I prefer O'Quinn at the 4 which leaves at least 1 spot open at backup 5. I guess that's where the 7'1" Galdikas comes in. Hope he shows us he belongs in SL and earns himself a spot.

CrushAlot wrote:

StarksEwing1 wrote:I like amundson plus he earned it last year.still dont understand the lance signing. At this point shved coming back for the 2.8 million exception would be good

I agree about Amundson. I think Lance is Fisher's guy. Did they play together at OKC?

Dagger wrote:
http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2015/07/knicks-to-re-sign-louis-amundson.html

1 yr/1.65 million so I guess it's not the vets min

Will turn 33 in December

Aging journeyman who would not crack the 15 man roster for about 90 percent of the league.

Has no further room for development.

Can offer no mentorship/guidance to Zinger regarding low post play

Cuts into the opportunity cost of valuable minutes, which could be offered to a young player with actual upside.

****

I'm not saying Phil Jackson could have gotten the cream of the crop here, but these were all UDFAs where Phil Jackson could have simply outworked every other GM and franchise and laid the full court press predraft to entice anyone who fell out of the draft to want to play for the Knicks and the open minutes and roster spots the Knicks had.

Lou Amundson is the lazy choice. Getting one of the better UDFAs here would have been a function of just plain hard work and dedication.

Thanks for nothing Phil....

Atlanta Hawks

DeAndre Kane, small forward, Iowa State (possibly more)

Terran Petteway, small forward, Nebraska

Brandon Ashley, PF, Arizona
Boston Celtics

Royce O'Neale, forward, Baylor

Jonathan Holmes, forward, Texas

Malcolm Miller, SF, Holy Cross
Brooklyn Nets

Cliff Alexander, forward, Kansas (free-agent deal)

Ryan Boatright, PG, UConn (free-agent deal)

DeShawn Delaney, G, New Mexico

Ben Vozzola, SG, San Diego

Josh Gasser, PG, Wisconsin

Kendall Gray, C, Delaware State
Charlotte Hornets

Aaron Harrison, shooting guard, Kentucky

Ralston Turner, G/F, N.C. State
Chicago Bulls

Rayvonte Rice, SG, Illinois
Cleveland Cavaliers

Trevor Lacey, PG, NC State

Keifer Sykes, PG, UW-Green Bay (partially-guaranteed free-agent contract)

Quinn Cook, SG, Duke (Las Vegas only)
Dallas Mavericks

Kevin Pangos, PG, Gonzaga
Denver Nuggets

Darius Carter, PF, Wichita State
Detroit Pistons

Julian Washburn, guard/forward, UTEP (Orlando Summer League)
Golden State Warriors

Michael Frazier, shooting guard, Florida

Matt Stainbrook, center, Xavier

Julian Washburn, guard/forward, UTEP (Las Vegas Summer League)

Chasson Randle, PG, Stanford

Johnny Dee, PG, San Diego

Stefan Nastic, C, Stanford

LaDonte Henton, SF, Providence
Houston Rockets

Denzel Livingston, point guard, Incarnate Word

Christian Wood, power forward, UNLV

Will Cummings, G, Temple (free-agent deal)
Indiana Pacers

Matt Stainbrook, center, Xavier (ORL Summer League only)

Jon Octeus, SG, Purdue

DaVonte Lacy, G, Washington State

Los Angeles Clippers

D.J. Newbill, SG, Penn State

Yanick Moreira, C, SMU
Los Angeles Lakers

Robert Upshaw, center, Washington
Memphis Grizzlies

Rashad Madden, SF, Arkansas

Michael Holyfield, C, Sam Houston State
Miami Heat

Willie Reed, center, Iowa Energy

Seth Tuttle, power forward, Northern Iowa

Travis Trice, PG, Michigan State

Joshua Smith, C, Georgetown

Gabriel Olaseni, C, Iowa

Tyler Kalinoski, G, Davidson

Bradford Burgess, G/F, VCU
New Orleans Pelicans

Jay Hook, SG, Tulane

Bryce Dejean-Jones, SF, Iowa State
New York Knicks

Maurice Ndour, F, Ohio
Oklahoma City Thunder

Quinn Cook, point guard, Duke (Orlando only)

Mike Cobbins, PF, Oklahoma State
Orlando Magic

Youssou Ndoye, center, St. Bonaventure (ORL Summer League only)

Jabril Trawick, SG, Georgetown

TaShawn Thomas, F, Oklahoma

Jordan Sibert, SG, Dayton

Scottie Wilbeken, PG, Florida
Philadelphia 76ers

K.T. Harrell, shooting guard, Auburn

Vince Hunter, power forward, UTEP

Jamal Jones, small forward, Texas A&M

T.J. McConnell, PG, Arizona (partially-guaranteed free-agent deal)

Sam Thompson, PF, Ohio State

Jamal Jones, F, D-League

Charles Jackson, C, Tennessee Tech
Sacramento Kings

Corey Hawkins, G, UC-Davis

Juwan Staten, PG, West Virginia

Shaquielle McKissic, F, Arizona State

Duje Dukan, PF, Wisconsin
San Antonio Spurs

Wayne Blackshear, small forward, Louisville

Treveon Graham, shooting guard, VCU

Shannon Scott, PG, Ohio State

Youssou Ndoye, C, St. Bonaventure (Las Vegas only)

Darion Atkins, PF, Virginia
Toronto Raptors

Phil Greene, PG, St. John's

Michale Kyser, PF, Louisiana Tech
Utah Jazz

Wesley Saunders, shooting guard, Harvard

J.J. O'Brien, F, San Diego State
Washington Wizards

Dez Wells, shooting guard, Maryland (possibly more than Summer League)

Traveon Jackson, PG, Wisconsin