Well since he clearly believes that, I think he needs a rude awakening. After the draft, but well before Summer League, I posted a thread that Toney Douglas would turn out to be a great draft pick for the Knicks. Briggs quickly replied that he had found a player that was better than Toney Douglas, who the Knicks should have taken. When that lacked credibility, it was Summer League time and he declared that Toney Douglas didn't have a proper shooting technique. His proof was the low percentage Douglas shot when he was trying to concentrate on distributing the ball. Then Briggs went to plan C. DeJuan Blair who he liked was much better than Toney Douglas. Why didn't the Knicks take him instead. Briggs ignored the fact that Blair had two bad knees and was unable to run the floor the way, D'Antoni wanted. Well I have gather up some evidence that Toney is more valuable than DeJuan, and my statistic are their last 3 games for their teams.

Blair has scored 9 points in 3 games for a 3 point a game average. Douglas has scored 60 points for a 20 point average. DeJuan has played 49 minutes. Toney has played 60 minutes. Blair shot 4 for 11 in the last 3 games with zero 3 point shots ie under 50%. Toney shot 25 for 42 including 9 3 point shots i.e well over 50% including his 3 point shooting. Do you think Briggs assessment that Toney couldn't shoot properly was on target? To be fair Blair averaged 4 rebounds a game for the last three games and Douglas only averaged 2 rebounds a game. Blair had a block and Toney had a steal. Their assists were both around 1 per game. Toney plays much better defense.

3 games does not make a season. I just don't agree with Briggs suggestion that he is smarter than Donnie Walsh and D'Antoni. Regarding Toney Douglas, Walsh and D'Antoni run circles around Briggs.

fishmike wrote:briggs is a passionate guy.

He's greek?

Douglas is playing on a team that runs and guns. Blair is playing on a team with a very deliberate offense. Apples and Oranges.

I'd love to see Blair here providing some inside presence. If you're seen this kid, you know he'd be averaging a double double here as a rookie, and while he doiesn't block shots, he would not be manhandled the way our forwards are daily.

It just isn't a real comparison.

oohah

kam77 wrote:Did oohah really call us a run and gun team? More like chuck and duck right now.

More like chucking and sucking!

oohah

fishmike wrote:briggs is a passionate guy and sticks his foot in him mouth just like the rest of us. What he does is post about players that wouldnt be on most guy's radar and that brings great value and good discussion to the board. Then he posts and posts and posts about that player till we all want to club him like a baby seal but thats cause the dude is just as frustrated as the rest of us.

He's also taking us to a game.

except he does it 100x more... then he goes on his agenda filled post when a player he feels should have been drafted has a good game.. Note, we have yet to see any anthony randolph threads.. I wonder why?

the OP is right on the money with this post...

lets also remind briggs about BJ mullens who he was so high on and wanted us to pick... Guy hasn't played a game yet. don't know if he is hurt or not, but really does that matter around here... (gallo rule)..

JohnWallace44 wrote:I'll give you one stat column where Blair has matched our vaunted point guard that might make you go cry in the corner. That would be the most vital of point guard statistics. I'll let you fill in the blank there.

Height?

JohnWallace44 wrote:

Panos wrote:Height?

Wingspan

I think Blair may be able to run PG on your team, JW.

Among the requirement of playing in the D'Antoni system is the ability of a player to run the floor quickly and shoot consistently from the outside. Does Blair's game remind you at all of the way that Amare Stoudemire's plays?

That's what makes Briggs' attraction to Blair so strange. Why fall in love with a guy that doesn't fit into the Knick's system and has zero ACLs to boot? How can you say that the Knicks would have a better record if they had someone that didn't fit into their system playing for them than if they had someone who is doing an excellent job playing the way D'Antoni wants him to play?

rvwink wrote:"The argument against Blair starts and ends with him being injury prone."

Among the requirement of playing in the D'Antoni system is the ability of a player to run the floor quickly and shoot consistently from the outside. Does Blair's game remind you at all of the way that Amare Stoudemire's plays?

That's what makes Briggs' attraction to Blair so strange. Why fall in love with a guy that doesn't fit into the Knick's system and has zero ACLs to boot? How can you say that the Knicks would have a better record if they had someone that didn't fit into their system playing for them than if they had someone who is doing an excellent job playing the way D'Antoni wants him to play?

You're right RV. That was my statement about Blair during the draft too, but that was when he was being considered in the middle of the first round. When you're at the bottom of the 1st, then his value is more of a bench player and he's very valuable as that kind of player regardless of the offense.

Tough to say Briggs was very wrong when Hollinger and all those guys are basically backing him up.