Posted by TheloniusMonk:
The article is mainly about Ariza but they mention Kwame Brown towards the end.
http://nytimes.com/2005/07/09/sports/basketball/09knicks.html
Knicks' Ariza Showing Muscle and Jump Shot
By HOWARD BECK
Published: July 9, 2005
LAS VEGAS, July 8 - In this off-season of unbridled optimism, which may be remembered in Knicks lore as the summer of youth and athleticism, Trevor Ariza occupies a curious position.
He is the youngest member of the Knicks' summer-league team, but also its second-most experienced player. His presence has been eclipsed by the intrigue surrounding the franchise's three first-round draft picks.
All of them are viewed as beacons of hope for a brighter Knicks future, but it is Ariza, a 6-foot-8 forward, who should have the greatest impact in the near term. After a rookie season that was both dazzling and uneven, Ariza reported to the summer league with more muscle on his body and more polish on his game.
He scored in double digits in both games this week and is averaging 14 points and 6 rebounds. Ariza leads the team in assists, with 8, and continues to be the Knicks player most likely to be found above the rim after a missed shot. And while the putback dunk remains his signature move, Ariza is showing progress with his jump shot, going 8 for 18 from the field.
"I love the fact that he spent so much time working on his game, and you can really see it in the way he's shooting the ball," said the team's president, Isiah Thomas. "He has better shot selection, and you look at his body, he's put on a little weight. He's bulking up. So he's taking his career very seriously. He's a very competitive person, and when you look at the character of the three draft picks, plus him, I think you get a nice glimpse of the future, in terms of where we're going and where we're going to be."
It will take a couple of years before anyone knows if this collection of athletes with an upside develops into something more. The rookies Channing Frye, Nate Robinson and David Lee all must adjust to the pro game. But all spent a minimum of three years in college and arrive as an unusually mature group. Ariza, at age 20, is younger than all of them. (Robinson is 21, Frye and Lee 22.)
He is growing up quickly, though - or at least growing. Ariza, who at 200 pounds was a relative lightweight last season, said he has added more than 10 pounds of muscle since late April. He is splitting time between New York and his home in Los Angeles, but is diligently following a program devised by Greg Brittenham, the team's strength coach.
The payoff for the high-flying Ariza often comes in mid-air, or in traffic in the key. "When I collide with people, there's not as much of an impact of me falling back," Ariza said.
He also is spending considerable time in the gym, trying to hone a jump shot that was virtually nonexistent at this time last year. Ariza said he is taking about 600 jump shots a day. He is using the summer league to work on other areas, such as creating a shot for himself.
"I'm still learning," he said.
Ariza has the quickness to score off the dribble, but he needs a reliable jump shot to keep defenders from playing back and cutting off his lanes. With Ariza's physical gifts, Thomas believes he could also become "a lockdown defender" on the perimeter - a kind of player the Knicks sorely need.
With Tim Thomas entering the final year of his contract, Ariza's time could come soon. "I like everything I'm seeing from him," Isiah Thomas said.
Wizards Shopping Brown
Larry Hughes's announced defection from Washington to Cleveland could provide the Knicks with a new chance to pry center Kwame Brown from the Wizards. But landing Brown remains a long shot.
Hughes, the Wizards' starting off guard last season, agreed Friday to sign with the Cavaliers. Washington is inviting sign-and-trade offers for Brown, a restricted free agent, and will seek a shooting guard in return.
If the Knicks want Brown, it will cost them Quentin Richardson, according to an Eastern Conference team executive who has been briefed on the talks. The executive requested anonymity to avoid jeopardizing potential deals.
Richardson's salary, $6.3 million, makes him a good fit in a trade for Brown, who is expected to earn something in that range in a new contract. But the Knicks just recently acquired Richardson, in a trade for Kurt Thomas, and would be reluctant to part with him while gambling on Brown. The first pick in the 2001 draft, Brown has yet to establish himself as a full-time starter.
The Wizards like Knicks forward Mike Sweetney, who played at Georgetown. But Sweetney's salary is too low and his potential too limited to make a deal work. The Knicks could balance salaries by placing Malik Rose ($6 million) or Jerome Williams ($6.1 million) in the deal, but the Wizards have no interest in either player.
With limited assets to offer in trades, and only the mid-level exception (about $5 million) to offer free agents, the Knicks may have to set their sights lower. Seattle's Jerome James and Phoenix's Steven Hunter are more realistic targets.
7/9/2005 12:23 AM