nixluva wrote:Dude is about 6-7 and only weighs 197. He isn't cut and has a unusual body type but he's not fat. He most surely could use better conditioning, but he has been playing consistently and didn't show himself to be gassed last night. As I said he's moving slower because of tentativeness and being unsure. He's literally just got here and is still learning a tough system that is a read and react system. Guys we had who went thru a full camp couldn't figure it out and you think this kid isn't going to be a bit slower in processing all of this at the same time he's facing top NBA teams like Memphis and LAC? You have to put some things in perspective.

All this nonsense about being embarrassed is silly. Shved is too skinny and Ledo is a bit soft. I'm judging the skills and talent cuz we can always get these players in better condition.
When dealing with a prospect like Ledo you can't only go by how he looks in a less than optimal stage but what he'll look like after more time in your program and development. How much better you believe he can be. That's the nature of a prospect. You aren't looking at a finished product and don't judge them that way. When we have so many holes in the roster this is the kind of player you bring into your program and look to develop for the future. That's whey they call them Diamonds in the Rough. This seems to be lost on this Knicks fan base. No patience or sense of perspective. If they aren't playing like a superstar from day one they must be bums.

Its embarrassing to the Knicks organization. Right now my faith is very small. I'm all for tanking but what is going on with these players is beyond that. Nixluva--Ricky Ledo is not in NBA shape--he could barely handle the ball because he cant move--reason why he was on pace to have 15 TO's. To have him on the court is embarrassing--I dont care if he hit a couple of shots--just putting a 22 year old kid out there who is not fit is just insane. Ricky Ledo does NOT deserve to be on an NBA court right now. Go back and take off 20 pounds and come to SL fit--thats it.

Phil Jackson should send a message to these players and cut 2-3 of them. Its just not acceptable. Just think of this from a college point of view--how many coaches wouldve sat Ricky Ledo within seconds? He would NOT play in major high CBB--no chance. No coach would let him play looking like that. To be out of shape at 22--you really need to be a slouch.

BRIGGS wrote:

nixluva wrote:Dude is about 6-7 and only weighs 197. He isn't cut and has a unusual body type but he's not fat. He most surely could use better conditioning, but he has been playing consistently and didn't show himself to be gassed last night. As I said he's moving slower because of tentativeness and being unsure. He's literally just got here and is still learning a tough system that is a read and react system. Guys we had who went thru a full camp couldn't figure it out and you think this kid isn't going to be a bit slower in processing all of this at the same time he's facing top NBA teams like Memphis and LAC? You have to put some things in perspective.

All this nonsense about being embarrassed is silly. Shved is too skinny and Ledo is a bit soft. I'm judging the skills and talent cuz we can always get these players in better condition.
When dealing with a prospect like Ledo you can't only go by how he looks in a less than optimal stage but what he'll look like after more time in your program and development. How much better you believe he can be. That's the nature of a prospect. You aren't looking at a finished product and don't judge them that way. When we have so many holes in the roster this is the kind of player you bring into your program and look to develop for the future. That's whey they call them Diamonds in the Rough. This seems to be lost on this Knicks fan base. No patience or sense of perspective. If they aren't playing like a superstar from day one they must be bums.

Its embarrassing to the Knicks organization. Right now my faith is very small. I'm all for tanking but what is going on with these players is beyond that. Nixluva--Ricky Ledo is not in NBA shape--he could barely handle the ball because he cant move--reason why he was on pace to have 15 TO's. To have him on the court is embarrassing--I dont care if he hit a couple of shots--just putting a 22 year old kid out there who is not fit is just insane. Ricky Ledo does NOT deserve to be on an NBA court right now. Go back and take off 20 pounds and come to SL fit--thats it.

Phil Jackson should send a message to these players and cut 2-3 of them. Its just not acceptable. Just think of this from a college point of view--how many coaches wouldve sat Ricky Ledo within seconds? He would NOT play in major high CBB--no chance. No coach would let him play looking like that. To be out of shape at 22--you really need to be a slouch.

I've been watching every minute of these games and Ledo has been facing tougher defense than I believe he's ever really faced in his short career. Toronto, Memphis and LAC have some serious defensive players and schemes. What i'm seeing is a combination of him not being fully comfortable with the Knicks system on both ends, the NBA level speed and tough competition. I've seen him play much faster in his D League games so I know it's not that he can't move. When you're unsure you don't move as quickly cuz you're thinking and not just reacting instinctively.

I'm not saying that he has an elite level of fitness, but he's having struggles not because he's out of shape. You really think that if he was gassed in practice and in games that they wouldn't notice? This is simply a player trying to make the mental adjustment to a higher level. Larkin and Early both have looked like this when they 1st started. Heck even JR looked tentative so this is not necessarily a case of a guy being completely out of shape.

The Kid beat his man and got inside but was rejected twice by Jordan. He got stripped on another drive as well. Chris Paul stripped him a couple of times. This is just a matter of a huge jump in competition level.

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:Its a really sad season when Ricky Ledo threads are 6 pages.

It's a sad season only in terms of the record. I view Ledo as if we had drafted him in the 2nd rd. He's a prospect worth talking about. This team has a few prospects that they're looking to develop. Player development should matter regardless of record. Good to see us actually taking a look at some raw talent.

I wish that we brought 20 more guys in here in this sorry season.

No reason we had to see so many games with the same stiffs.

I would have been happier if we brought in the whole D-League team to try out.

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:

nixluva wrote:

mreinman wrote:Its a really sad season when Ricky Ledo threads are 6 pages.

It's a sad season only in terms of the record. I view Ledo as if we had drafted him in the 2nd rd. He's a prospect worth talking about. This team has a few prospects that they're looking to develop. Player development should matter regardless of record. Good to see us actually taking a look at some raw talent.

I wish that we brought 20 more guys in here in this sorry season.

No reason we had to see so many games with the same stiffs.

I would have been happier if we brought in the whole D-League team to try out.

Some of that is about contract management. Thanasis was being held out due to not wanting to start his contract clock in a wasted year. I agree that we could've brought in more of the top D League prospects out there, but I have to think they have taken a look at all the players out there. This is literally all the scouts have to do and they are not likely to have no idea what every single guy in the D League worth watching is doing. Especially given the Knicks situation. There has to be reasons why they've done what they have this year in terms of not bringing in more D League prospects. I just don't know what it is.

every good and bad decision that any teams make has reasons. I don't know what it is either. Did you not see enough of Larkin? Acy? Jason Smith? Etc ...?

I still like me some first-hand eye test reporting! Catching the big picture being near the floor, big up again ned.

This was mad intriguing...

http://nypost.com/2015/03/28/the-red-flags-and-turnovers-and-talent-of-knicks-new-hope/

New Knick Ricky Ledo committed seven turnovers Wednesday against the Clippers — a statistic he didn’t want to talk about after the contest. But the enigmatic shooting guard with a checkered past looked at the night in a different way: Ledo had set his career high in minutes, with 26.
“It was like my first NBA game ever,’’ Ledo told The Post.
It was the first time in his young career he could make a mistake and not be worried about getting pulled. Even before Friday’s contest at the Garden against the Celtics, in which he notched 20 minutes, the 6-foot-6 guard already had played 44 minutes in his first three games as a Knick. That equaled the minutes he received in his two seasons with Dallas.
Incredible. It’s understandable why Ledo is relishing the opportunity.
“I’m blessed, trying to show I can be part of this organization and keep getting better on the offense,’’ said Ledo, who shot 3-of-7 for seven points Friday, but turned the ball over three more times.
“He’s got a new lease on his career,’’ his business manager, Tzvi Grossman, told The Post. “I told him the Clippers game was like his NBA debut.”
Knicks president Phil Jackson gave Ledo a 10-day contract last week to fill a roster spot that had been open since All-Star Weekend, when the club bought out Amar’e Stoudemire. Coincidentally, Dallas owner Mark Cuban cut Ledo to make room for Stoudemire.

With Tim Hardaway Jr. still out with a wrist injury and uncertainty remaining about the returns of Alexey Shved (cracked rib) and Jose Calderon (Achilles strain), it’s likely Ledo will get a second 10-day deal when the first one expires Sunday.
Cuban hailed last week’s Ledo signing, saying Jackson may have gotten himself “a steal.’’ According to a source, Cuban was not in favor of cutting Ledo and preferred to ax Greg Smith for Stoudemire, but coach Rick Carlisle wanted an extra big man for what the team believes can be a title run.
Ledo has plenty of baggage and a history of being irresponsible. On the surface, he’s not a Derek Fisher kind of guy. He’s on his third agent in a year after having dumped Seth Cohen and Raymond Brothers.
He had a big dispute with Cohen over money he allegedly owed the agent over his Dallas pact, according to a source. The Players Association needed to mediate the situation.
Six months ago, Ledo enlisted high-powered New York-based agent Jeff Schwartz.
“He’s my guy,’’ Ledo said.
Ledo grew up amid drugs and violence in Rhode Island. He was raised by his grandparents because his father was shot when Ledo was a child, and his brother landed in prison. He attended five high schools and was declared academically ineligible at Providence in his lone year there before declaring for the NBA Draft. According to a source, he may have learning-disability issues.
A lottery talent, Ledo fell to pick 43, in the second round, considered a risky project. This season, he was back and forth between the Mavericks and the D-League’s Texas Legends.
Ledo never developed a bond with his teammates because of the shuttling between the two clubs. Whenever the Legends were home, the Mavericks sent him to play there. When the Legends were on the road, the Mavericks wanted him with the Dallas coaching staff. The D-League affiliate was only 20 minutes from Dallas’ practice facility, but the back-and-forth didn’t do him any good.
In fact, Ledo still is trying to get into NBA game shape, and his turnovers Wednesday were mostly due to fatigue.
“He didn’t get to know the guys in the locker room, he was like a man without a home,’’ Grossman said.
After the seven-turnover game, Fisher said he doesn’t want Ledo to lose his natural aggression to shoot and attack. He’s a natural scorer, with a sweet shot, a nice passer and quick to the basket, but needs work on his ballhandling and defense.
“I think he’s trying to be aggressive and make plays,’’ Fisher said. “You don’t want to turn it over that many times. I don’t know if you want to dial back the aggression. We need to continue to have guys willing to get in there and try to attack and make plays. He’s still getting comfortable offensively. I don’t think it’s about reining him in, just having him understand his options in those situations.’’

Without persistent mentorship, talent can only take you so far from a troubled past.

Ledo's story, and development, has nothing to do with basketball.