Posted by TMS:
Odom's not what this team needs, but i'd make that deal to get rid of Zach's contract... i don't see why LA would do it though
we need a defensive shotblocker & defender in the low post to play alongside Curry... you can get added offense by trading Malik, Nate & Chandler for Artest... trading Jamal for Artest makes no sense other than to satisfy your own personal bias... Jamal is still a talented scorer to have coming off the bench that can hit some big shots down the stretch & create his own shot off the dribble that is a nightmare to guard... you don't just give that away for a 1 year rental of a player who can blow up on you at any moment... Malik is an afterthought on this roster w/the moves they just made... he's completely expendable... Nate & Wilson Chandler along w/Malik should be more than enough to get you Ron Artest... SAC is not in a position of strength here... just wait them out & they'll take whatever they can get for him.
Completely agree. Now the thing is coming up with a guy. My first choice was Justin Williams from Wyoming, who went undrafted last year. Could've had this guy for nothing last year but we passed on him after the draft with no summer league invite. That was a mistake IMO. Good chance he makes the Kings roster btw, but moving on.... Then the Nets snatched up Sean Williams in this years draft (who I would've definitely grabbed at #23 if he slipped, off-the-court problems and all). So who's left out there that fits the bill? My guy is
Hilton Armstrong from the Hornets. I think this guy could be had in a deal, a deal that would be much smaller and more sensible than any crazy deal for Artest. I've been saying this from last year. First off, Tyson Chandler and David West are going to get the bulk of the minutes at the 4/5 spots for those guys, with Cedric Simmons apparently winning over Byron Scott as the main backup big ready to grab whatever minutes are left over. Now I know we have Curry and Zach, but we're still searching for that shotblocker to be the missing piece. They're rare, and you know what, I don't care what anyone says, THEY'RE DIFFERENCE MAKERS.
I propose one of the following combinations to New Orleans if I'm Isiah for Hilton Armstrong:
Randolph Morris and Nate Robinson
Randolph Morris and Mardy Collins
Mardy Collins and Nate Robinson
I think one of those deals would be more than fair for both clubs. New Orleans would get a young big with some promise in Morris to immediately replace the departed Armstrong plus either Nate or Mardy, who could be nice backups to Chris Paul (Bobby Jackson's not getting any younger). Nate, in particular, could infuse quite a bit excitement down there. I'd prefer not to go Mardy & Nate, as that would leave us a little thin at the backup point, but with Craw's ability to run the show and Dan Dickau now in the mix, I'd have to consider it. Same for including Balkman in such a deal, but with Chandler and Nichols looking for real after the first summer league game, if they wanted Balkman I'd have to at least consider it. All these deals work money-wise according to Realgm's trade checker btw.
And we get Armstrong, and in this guy a see the following for the Knicks -
1) Athletic, young, extremely long and quick, capable rebounder AND EXCELLENT SHOTBLOCKER that can play the 4 or the 5. Curry and Zach backed up by Hilton Armstrong would be AWESOME.
2) A guy that, contrary to what many think, actually has a nice offensive game - He's got all the basic moves you want in a big down low - the turnaround jumper, the drop-step, effective hooks with both hands... But the thing that I've always loved about him is his ability to shoot the ball. He's got a suprisingly nice touch out to about 20 feet, a la Channing Frye, but unlike our old buddy Channing, Armstrong actually can play some D and rebound. The thing is he was never really asked to score at U-Conn - it's understandable that the last thing Jimmy Calhoun wanted to see was Hilton shooting 20 footers - they always had plenty of offense during his 4 years there. And it took him awhile to develop overall, due to the fact that U-Conn had guys like Villanueva and Okafor firmly in place when he first got there.
3) I've been saying this for awhile now - if we got a legit shotblocking 4/5 in place, we now have the option to take our time and shop Lee for something really, really good - and I ain't talkin' Ron Artest. If I'm dangling Lee out there, I want something major in return. Love Lee but with Zach here coupled with the fact that Lee's really too small to play backup 5 (and he's not a shotblocker, the element we're trying to add) I don't see Lee being the greatest fit anymore, to be honest, sad as it is to say.
4) A two player for one deal opens up a roster spot. As it stands now I think we're at 17, 2 over the limit.
If I'm Isiah, this is a guy I'm definitely interested in and a guy I go after. A small, sensible trade that benefits both clubs.
7/9/2007 4:04 PM