LB-worst draft of all teams by FAR this year

Anjica==practice warrior no feel for US game Euro trash
Augustin--not a bad player but no way too smallto be a top tier PG in the nba+ they already have felton
Kyle Weaver---trash--slow not really a PG mardy collins redux
could ve had

Pick 9 Brook Lopez--perfect fit next to Ok4
Pick 20 Courtney Lee--so much better than anjica
Pick 40 Chris -Douglas Roberts--ditto for weaver

When I think what they wasted two first round picks and a high 2 on--what a disaster--LB had influence here--he shouldve stayed retired--he saw that euro trash and his wingspan and went for it--lets just say he was as bad as it gets today and I dont see him getting much NBA time

I think you could very easily throw out 5 or 6 names of guys that would have been a better pick for the Knicks than Gallinari. I also think a different coach should have been chosen to rebuild with. The only move that I am comfortable with to this point is signing Chris Duhon which is the type of move Layden would make.

Posted by CrushAlot:

I think you could very easily throw out 5 or 6 names of guys that would have been a better pick for the Knicks than Gallinari. I also think a different coach should have been chosen to rebuild with. The only move that I am comfortable with to this point is signing Chris Duhon which is the type of move Layden would make.

Gallinari will be better than Charlotte's whole draft put together. Gallinari has a chance to be a very good offensive player--like a Hedo type player.

[Edited by - BRIGGS on 07-12-2008 9:15 PM]

Posted by TMS:

Posted by BRIGGS:

Posted by CrushAlot:

I think you could very easily throw out 5 or 6 names of guys that would have been a better pick for the Knicks than Gallinari. I also think a different coach should have been chosen to rebuild with. The only move that I am comfortable with to this point is signing Chris Duhon which is the type of move Layden would make.

Gallinari will be better than Charlotte's whole draft put together. Gallinari has a chance to be a very good offensive player--like a Hedo type player.

[Edited by - BRIGGS on 07-12-2008 9:15 PM]

no more Bostjan Nachbar then?

I can't keep up

I was totally serious. I am going on vacation tomorrow so I do not have time to make a case but here are some names. Randolph, Bayless, B. Lopez, Gordon, Alexander. I also think DeAndre Jordan and Donte Green have a good chance of being better players than Gallinari. The two guys in charge of the Knicks had never seen Gallinari play live before the draft.

Augustin's play impresses Brown Story Highlights
Bobcats coach Larry Brown has been wowed by rookie point guard D.J. Augustin
The Bobcats took Augustin, who played at Texas, with the ninth pick








LAS VEGAS (AP) -- The superlatives kept streaming out of Larry Brown's mouth: Terrific. Attentive. Real good. Great kid.

Despite his well-earned reputation of being brutally tough on rookies and point guards, the new Charlotte Bobcats coach couldn't stop saying nice things about D.J. Augustin -- his rookie point guard.

"He just does what you ask him to do, without exception," Brown said after a minicamp practice this week. "I knew he was a good player but he's far exceeded my expectations."

The Bobcats surprised many when they took the Texas sophomore with the ninth pick in the draft last month. The Bobcats needed help up front and big man Brook Lopez of Stanford was still on the board. While the Bobcats needed another point guard, they had used the fifth pick in 2005 on starter Raymond Felton.

Managing partner Michael Jordan makes the final call on the Bobcats' basketball decisions, but it's clear Brown held a lot of clout in the war room. Coming back from a two-year hiatus following a 23-win season in New York that got him fired, Brown wanted a pure point guard.

He wanted Augustin. And after seven practices over four days, Brown thinks Augustin has grasped the fast-moving, quick-passing offense he wants.

"It'll be neat because once the veterans come in I think he'll endear himself to all those guys, because if you get open he's going to get you the ball," Brown said. "He thinks pass first. He gets you into what you want to do. He gets the ball to the right people. He's real good."

Brown put in numerous plays during two-a-day practices, and Augustin appeared to be in firm command of the offense Friday afternoon. He barked out plays, and showed good vision and court awareness.

"It's been going good," the soft-spoken Augustin said. "Every day we've been getting better."

Not that Augustin doesn't have work to do. He's had his shot blocked several times on drives the basket, magnifying the height issue. While he's listed at 6-feet, he appears shorter.

"The physical part of the game and the fact that maybe with bigger people that are shot blockers you have to use an intermediate shot more," Brown said. "And he did it in college."

Augustin averaged 19.2 points and a Big 12-leading 5.8 assists last season while winning the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard.

Augustin will start in Charlotte's summer league opener Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers, leading a team of rookies and free agents looking for training camp invitations.

When training camp starts in the fall, point guard will be the most watched position as Felton tries to hold off Augustin for the starting job.

"I'm just trying to learn as much as I can. I'm new. I'm a rookie," Augustin said. "I don't know anything about the NBA level right now. I'm just trying to learn as much as possible from coach and hopefully Raymond and the other veterans."

Augustin said he's chatted briefly with Felton, who is in Las Vegas this week working out with teammates Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace. While Felton insists he's a true point guard, former coaches Bernie Bickerstaff and Sam Vincent often played him at shooting guard in his first three years in the NBA. Brown brought up this week that Felton can play both spots.

That could pave the way for Augustin to eventually become a rookie starting point guard, a tough task in a league dominated by long, athletic players who quickly close off passing lanes.

Then there's his coach, the demanding perfectionist who has hounded numerous point guards in his eight previous NBA head coaching stops. Just ask Chauncey Billups or Allen Iverson.

"He's been so well coached and he accepts coaching," Brown said. "So he'll figure it out." Notes:@ GM Rod Higgins arrived and watched the Friday practice. He said they remain committed to re-signing restricted free agent Emeka Okafor. "Our intentions haven't changed," Higgins said. "It's just going at a slow pace." Higgins said they would have internal discussions on whether to match an offer from another team. ... C Alexis Ajinca (shoulder) missed his second straight practice. ... C Ryan Hollins (concussion) was cleared for non-contact drills Friday. ... Assistant Phil Ford will coach the Bobcats in the summer league games. ... Brown has been impressed with strong, but undersized, forward Kyle Hines of UNC Greensboro. "If he was 6-8 or 6-9, he would have been in New York," Brown said, referring to the expected lottery picks who attend the draft.

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

I think most people had Augustin going around 10-12, so 9 isn't such a big surprise. He's got a good shot and was the best passing pg in the draft.

I don't know much about Ajinca, but someone started a thread about the guy with a vid and he seemed like a gamble - high risk, high reward kind of player. It's ok to gamble with a pick in the second half of the round. If they do get something from this pick, it won't be soon.

I was praying for the Knicks to make the trade with Memphis and take Gallinari at 5 and Augustine at 6, although the Knicks would have taken Westbrook if they had the two picks because he is a better defender. Augustine was supposedly a fan of Nash's game and was probably the best pure PG in this draft. He also has refined offensive skills. His size and strength are big issues, but he is going to be fun to watch, and LB has a chance to nurture a PG who may already be thinking Brown's style of game.

Funny how close the Charlotte draft slots were to those of the Nets. 9,20, 38 for Charlotte vs 10, 21, 40, for the Nets. It will be interesting to see how the picks compare over time.