Curry isn't feeling the draft
Monday, March 06, 2006
BY DAVID WALDSTEIN

If Eddy Curry played every game the way he did Saturday night, there would be no talk about lost draft picks, and no comparisons between him and a player whose identity isn't even known yet.

Unfortunately for Curry, the Knicks have been so below expectations -- particularly Isiah Thomas's expectations when he traded for Curry -- that the draft pick, now in Chicago's hands, is shaping up as a top three pick. It could be the No. 1 overall selection in this summer's draft if the Knicks continue to play as they have after 59 games.

Fair or not, Curry knows he will be compared to this pick for many years to come. But he's not afraid of the comparison.

In fact, bring it on.

"I know that no draft pick that is going to come in the near future is going to compare to what I do on the court, and what I'm capable of doing," he said. "So I don't even think about it. In the long range, the Knicks definitely got the upper hand in the deal."

Speaking after he scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked two shots and didn't turn the ball over in the Knicks 103-98 victory over the Bucks Saturday night, Curry showed supreme self confidence that he sometimes lacks on the court.

He didn't make any excuses for a season in which he hasn't lived up to expectations -- no one has on this team. Curry is averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds, numbers that are below what he is capable of reaching. But he said next year will be different.

"This is going to be my first summer with the Knicks that I can work out with no restrictions and be able to go as hard as I can in the gym and come back a totally different person," he said.

Curry wasn't able to work out much of the time last summer because the Bulls had shut him down after discovering he had an irregular heartbeat. Then, on Oct. 3, they sent him to the Knicks along with Antonio Davis for Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney and the Knicks first-round pick in 2006.

At the time the only concern was about Curry's heart. There was no concern about the draft pick because everyone, including Thomas, assumed the Knicks would be a middle-of-the-pack team, possibly even a seventh or eighth seed for the playoffs. That would have made the draft pick far less enticing, especially in a season when the draft field isn't believed to be very strong.

But along came a season of mystifying disappointment for the Knicks, who won for only the 16th time all year Saturday, thanks in large part to Curry's efforts. Now that draft pick looks so very sweet indeed.

But if Curry can show more consistency, and have more nights like Saturday when he outplayed Andrew Bogut, last year's No. 1 pick, the comparisons will not be so painful for Knicks fans. But there is no escaping that the comparison is going to be made, perhaps for the next decade.

"Definitely he has to deal with it," teammate Malik Rose said. "Is it fair? No. He didn't ask to get traded here. He didn't ask to barter the draft pick. But Zeke (Thomas) believed in him that much. So, he has to work hard to show that Zeke knew what he was doing.

"I think Eddy's worth it. He's a phenomenal talent. There's not many people in this league that can do what he does. But to put all that pressure on him, it's kind of unfair."

You see....i told people theyneed to be patient with Eddy he came into this season without working out over the summer so thats why he was hindered by injuries of sorts.

I say give him next year and if theres no improvement than we can talk until than lets give him one whole offseason with the knicks and see if what he';s saying is true

"I know that no draft pick that is going to come in the near future is going to compare to what I do on the court, and what I'm capable of doing,"

bet your bottom dollar neither Gay Aldrige or Morrison will have an assist to turnover ratio of 1/12.5.

Speaking after he scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, blocked two shots and didn't turn the ball over in the Knicks 103-98 victory over the Bucks Saturday night, Curry showed supreme self confidence that he sometimes lacks on the court

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paper champ moment

He didn't make any excuses for a season in which he hasn't lived up to expectations -- no one has on this team. Curry is averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds, numbers that are below what he is capable of reaching. But he said next year will be different.

"This is going to be my first summer with the Knicks that I can work out with no restrictions and be able to go as hard as I can in the gym and come back a totally different person," he said

but its not his first summer in the league. the fact he still relies on being the biggest kid to get a shot off in the paint is a crime.

Curry guards?

his last 5 0.2 steals, 0.4 blocks

[Edited by - McK1 on 03-06-2006 11:21 AM]

Posted by islesfan:

Yeah seriously, Curry guards?

I'm pretty sure that you'd be able to find somebody in the draft who could sit there in the paint and wait for the guards to set him up for easy buckets, commit stupid offensive fouls because they have no offensive moves, stand there like a statue on defense and make stupid proclamations about how all they need is one summer to start fulfilling their promise when he's already had 5 summers under his team's supervision.

curry does a good job guarding the opposing center, can morrison and gay guard the centers in this league? forget all your other drivel, can they guard centers?

yep some stats are just what they are....stats

Q's been our best defender and how manysteals or blocks does he have?

geeze, maybe he improve but right now Curry is a bad defender. He's not quick enough for any kind of ball denial and he often doesnt even get his hands up when his man shoots. I mean some of the guys that have scored at will on him arent exactly Kareem

Kurt Thomas guarded opposing centers far bettter than Curry ever has

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by tkf:

Posted by islesfan:

Yeah seriously, Curry guards?

I'm pretty sure that you'd be able to find somebody in the draft who could sit there in the paint and wait for the guards to set him up for easy buckets, commit stupid offensive fouls because they have no offensive moves, stand there like a statue on defense and make stupid proclamations about how all they need is one summer to start fulfilling their promise when he's already had 5 summers under his team's supervision.

curry does a good job guarding the opposing center, can morrison and gay guard the centers in this league? forget all your other drivel, can they guard centers?

Nazr Mohammed guards centers. Would you take him over Morrison, Gay or Aldridge (who can probably guard centers better than Curry can?

neither does nazr command double teams, nazr is not a space eater, nazr is not a threat to score. curry is. So again I don't see your point, also nazr is 28, curry is 23 the room for growth is greater with curry. you are reaching man...

Question, nazr guards centers and needs help, curry guards with no help.... NEXT.....

Posted by fishmike:

geeze, maybe he improve but right now Curry is a bad defender. He's not quick enough for any kind of ball denial and he often doesnt even get his hands up when his man shoots. I mean some of the guys that have scored at will on him arent exactly Kareem

Kurt Thomas guarded opposing centers far bettter than Curry ever has

I see your point fish, but curry guards every center and they usually don't have big games vs curry, I look back at guys like dwight Howard and curry clearly outplayed him, and guards guys like that without help. KT as good of a defender he was was just too small at times, scrubs like battie would look forward to posting him up, simply because of the size differential, that does not happen now with curry. last year dwight howard killed us for 20 rebounds. who was guarding him? kt....

Posted by McK1:

Posted by tkf:

Posted by McK1:

Curry guards?

his last 5 0.2 steals, 0.4 blocks

[Edited by - McK1 on 03-06-2006 11:21 AM]

so steals and blocks dictate if you are shutting your man down or not? boy you can be dense at times...

NO perimeter player in the league has any fear of driving down the lane and routinely have career nights vs NY...but he shuts down opposing centers, most of whom get minimal touches anyway.



[Edited by - McK1 on 03-06-2006 11:45 AM]

so maybe if our guards defended better than might help? now you want to minimalize curry's efforts by saying most centers don't get touches? hmm, maybe they don't get many touches vs curry because they don't see the advantage there. I remember when we had spoon and KT playing center, scrubs, who's only advantage was that they were an inch taller than our bigs would post up like they were shaq. You know that used to happen all the time last year, I just hated it man.

I actually agree with Curry in many ways. Curry was at a HUGE disadvantage coming into this season. He wasn't able to really do much of anything and was clearly not in good shape. Lets remember that he is still a very young player and I think his best years are still ahead of him. He's only a disappointment from the standpoint of his considerable talent. We know and expect that he can be better.

I think he WILL be better next year. No one can fortell the future, but I just get the feeling that he's going to oneday put it all together and play like we think he can. He doesn't have to be Ewing, just a solid man in the middle that we can depend on. As Frye also improves, I think that will also have a positive effect on Curry's game. The two of them should be a good combination. They both need to focus more on the Defensive end and I think they will. Frye has already shown that he's a tougher player than he was reported to be. They will both benefit from being in the same system for a few years and I really look forward to seeing them develop together.