Wish we really knew what the deal is with him. Dude has (with New York) shown the ability to be a more than solid backup center yet, no team has to my knowledge ever signed him for an entire season. He seems to be a more than solid rebounder, showed a damned good 15ft jump shot yet, he remains an enigma for the most part. Haven't been able to find any backstory about this guy or any reason why no team has trusted him enough to sign him to a contract.

Wouldn't be upset at all if we brought Earl back. Dude screams 'old reliable' -- he fits perfectly on our win-now team. No brainer. Been saying it for weeks around here.

Definitely intrigued by Hassan Whiteside however. The fact that he's kept at it, allegedly added a few pounds and completely dominated Chinese basketball on his way to a championship (while posting INCREDIBLE numbers in the process) says something to me. Add this to all that intrigued me about him in the first place -- legit C height, incredible length, quick off the floor, ferocious shot-blocker (NBA ready skill), above average rebounder (NBA ready skill), surprisingly effective face-up jump-shooter (could be an NBA ready skill), etc. The fact that he was able to play over 42 mins a game in China w/o getting into foul trouble says something to me as well..

Bring both guys in. Think about adding Barron to the roster asap because he's good and a know quantity, then bring in Whiteside for training camp for closer inspection. If this guy has gotten stronger, matured/gotten more comfortable, added even a little to his game, etc., he makes a ton of sense as a backup PF/C now and as a building block for the not-too-distant future. If we were going to take a chance on the relatively unknown Jeremy Tyler, why not take a chance on this kid? Whiteside makes more sense than Tyler in every single big-man category. You wanna argue strength and say heart, ok. Who's to say Whiteside didn't get stronger though, didn't mature and didn't develop a tougher attitude/thicker skin while playing abroad? Getting drafted in the 2nd round (not securing guaranteed money), getting cut by the Kings--a poor team, going to the DL and not getting proper playing time, packing his bags for Lebanon and then China --- that all adds up to an incredibly sobering, humbling experience. There's a good possibility that he's grown from these experiences and gotten stronger, physically as well as mentally. God forbid there was one youtube vid up of Whiteside playing in China! Would've been nice to get even a small glimpse...

Not ready to put a number value on anything with guys like Jeremy Tyler or Hassan Whiteside btw, as in 10 ppg etc.. 10 ppg is actually a lot of points! Not sure a guy like Tyler or Whiteside or even Barron for that matter if he's signed would garner enough PT to produce that much (knowing Woody, he's gonna want to play Martin and STAT ahead of any big we decide to add at this point). If Tyler made the team, I actually don't think Woody would've played him that much anyway. I just don't see the overall skill level that would justify our coach, a guy who doesn't enjoy play rookies mind you, to play him enough mins. that would equate to that type of production. I could be wrong, Tyler did have a decent SL showing where he showed a lot of hustle and grit, but I don't see the automatic NBA-ready game that suggests he's a keeper, all due respect to him and anyone on this board that thinks otherwise. Feel bad for him that he got hurt, he may have been building toward something here. I just see a much higher upside with Whiteside by comparison--I don't see how anyone could even argue it. Tyler unfortunately may go by the wayside now, much like Chris Smith did last year when he hurt his knee and required surgery (admittedly, Tyler had more of a chance to make the Knicks than Chris Smith had -- point is a major injury to a fringe player makes the decision not to keep them and move on easy).

Bring in both Barron and Whiteside. Let them compete against one another and everyone else and then let the chips fall where they may. Things will get resolved. What if Whiteside outplays Barron??? What if STAT proves he's finally healthy and ready to resume bigger mins and a more prominent role? I'm not too worried about it. Hate to say it like this but losing Tyler was no big deal for us at all in the grand scheme of things. Again, respect to him personally and I feel bad he got hurt, but he was no lock for anything on this team--PT, a set amount of touches/shot attempts, not even an eventual roster spot! I can't see how anyone can have him penciled in for anything off a handful of helter-skelter SL games.

DurzoBlint wrote:Wish we really knew what the deal is with him. Dude has (with New York) shown the ability to be a more than solid backup center yet, no team has to my knowledge ever signed him for an entire season. He seems to be a more than solid rebounder, showed a damned good 15ft jump shot yet, he remains an enigma for the most part. Haven't been able to find any backstory about this guy or any reason why no team has trusted him enough to sign him to a contract.

I've asked the same question a few times over the past couple of years. Why?
However, now we need a back-up big and Earl B fits our needs. Sign him already.

Saw this this morning on Hoopshype --- Bleacher Report (Zwerling) reporting that Woody and his coaches want Barron but Knick mgmt. is in no hurry to sign him:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1777371-source-new-york-knicks-split-on-signing-earl-barron

Don't mess this up, Grunwald. He at least should be invited to training camp. Come on -- at least show a little loyalty -- look at the sacrifice the man showed last season bailing out on a family vacation to get here at a moment's notice. Not only that, he's productive -- dare I say a DAMN GOOD PLAYER!! Doesn't even look like we're interested in Haddadi either.. What the hell are we doing?? Now's the time to be proactive and secure the best players you can possibly get your hands on while they're still out there.. I hate the passive/complacent "we're good" attitude they appear to have at this point.

My list of centers I'd like to see in camp/make the team (in order):

Hassan Whiteside
Marcus Cousin
Earl Barron
Cole Aldrich -- Never a big fan but warming up to this guy a little. He's a big body and fairly skilled -- maybe he could play a Greg Ostertag role for us.

Watch -- not one of these guys make the team or even get invited to camp

So if Whiteside (and Barron) are so good, why aren't teams lining up to snatch them? Then again, KMart clearly showed he could play last year yet no one was willing to give him a contract?

With regard to Barron: He's an unremarkable (but decent) athlete, but he's around 7', rebounds, and had a nice mid-range game. Please tell me he's at least the equal of many 3rd centers in the NBA (DJ MBenga, Joel Anthony, etc). He'd be able to average the gold standard of 5ppg/5rpg/15mpg for a backup big man no problem.

These should be our top backup 5 targets --

Hassan Whiteside - He's got the requisite size for the C spot and supposedly, I read that he's filled out to around 250 lbs. now...I think he can produce right away in the rebounding and shot-blocking departments and he's shown enough offensively (esp. the ability to hit from mid-range) where I feel he could develop this area of his game into a weapon as well. There's just too much upside to ignore. Dominating in China doesn't equate to dominating in the NBA, that's true--no argument here, but if nothing else, it showed he's kept at it (hopefully kept developing parts of his game along the way), kept in game shape and still wants it. And for those concerned more about the here & now over uncertain upside, I feel the rebounding and shot-blocking are NBA ready for a backup role. He's a center that has true potential in all areas (rebounding/shot-blocking/scoring) and he can help out right now in at least 2 out of those 3 categories. The best of both worlds.. The rim protection element alone separates him from anyone else. No way we can get a shot-blocker this good at this juncture at such a discounted price (by comparison money-wise, Larry Sanders is set to start making $11m a year starting next year; Ibaka's set to make $12.5m a yr over the next several seasons)...I'm telling ya -- worse case: a better, more well-rounded version of Theo Ratcliff; best case: something close to Serge Ibaka. You mean to tell me that's not worth taking a chance on? If he's really gotten 20 lbs heavier (stronger), matured some and improved even a hair over his days at Marshall, I'd be drooling right now if I were Grunwald. And I honestly couldn't care less who else is or isn't interested in him (was anyone else really interested in Chris Copeland or Jeremy Lin until we came along? Toure Murry???) -- we should be!!! He fits here like a glove and we could certainly use what he brings to the table. If there was room in this league for Steven Hunter (good in PHX, even better in Philly where he got even more PT), then there's room for this guy.

Marcus Cousin - They would never look at this guy in a million years but to me, he remains one of our best options. 7' 255, active rebounder, runs the court and I'm sorry but he's a VERY GOOD offensive player...You won't find a better shooting big man out there and he has good moves in the post as well. A commentator said it on one of his college youtube clips -- he's a 'power player with a touch' and I agree with that 100%. He plays hard, he'll fight for rebounds (looks esp. good attacking the offensive glass) and he possesses excellent shooting touch and overall offensive prowess. NBA execs. and scouts need to open their eyes with this guy already. He'd be an excellent C for any team in the league, even in a starting role.

Earl Barron - Very capable. 'Capable,' 'reliable' & 'productive' are the 3 words that come to mind when I think of Barron...He can rebound and shoot the mid-range jumper. Those are 2 attributes we can definitely use. He wants to be here too---that's a big plus. He's experienced and has shown he can handle NY (he's excelled in 2 separate stints here). He's a legit 7' and we need another backup big man (I'm not sold on Jeremy Tyler and he's hurt now to boot. Questionable if he even makes the team at this point. I don't see it personally. How do you justify taking a project big man on the 15 man off such a small body of work, a guy that's hurt no less??? We need healthy players that can contribute. At most, we rehab Tyler, pay his medical bills, guarantee him a spot on the Erie Bayhawks and then go from there). If anything ever happened to Chandler either short or long-term, I don't feel we'd miss too much subbing in Barron, if anything (rebounding's about a wash, we'd lose some alley-oop finishing at the rim but we'd pick up more jump-shooting and I think on a whole, Barron might be able to finish better overall (layups, offensive rebound put backs, bunnies, etc.). This guy can definitely hold his own. The proof is in the pudding -- he's done it here in NY before!

Cole Aldrich - Always felt a little too slow for the NBA and I never liked the awkward shooting mechanic -- I personally think he was a bit overrated coming out of Kansas, but for what he is, he should be able to help us somewhat. There's some positives here -- he's almost 7' and he goes hard. As a space-eater, a guy that will fight for rebounds, block a couple of shots, clean up around the rim by always staying active -- there's value in that I suppose. I like the above 3 guys better but this guy wouldn't be terrible.

Finestrg wrote:These should be our top backup 5 targets --

Hassan Whiteside - He's got the requisite size for the C spot and supposedly, I read that he's filled out to around 250 lbs. now...I think he can produce right away in the rebounding and shot-blocking departments and he's shown enough offensively (esp. the ability to hit from mid-range) where I feel he could develop this area of his game into a weapon as well. There's just too much upside to ignore. Dominating in China doesn't equate to dominating in the NBA, that's true--no argument here, but if nothing else, it showed he's kept at it (hopefully kept developing parts of his game along the way), kept in game shape and still wants it. And for those concerned more about the here & now over uncertain upside, I feel the rebounding and shot-blocking are NBA ready for a backup role. He's a center that has true potential in all areas (rebounding/shot-blocking/scoring) and he can help out right now in at least 2 out of those 3 categories. The best of both worlds.. The rim protection element alone separates him from anyone else. No way we can get a shot-blocker this good at this juncture at such a discounted price (by comparison money-wise, Larry Sanders is set to start making $11m a year starting next year; Ibaka's set to make $12.5m a yr over the next several seasons)...I'm telling ya -- worse case: a better, more well-rounded version of Theo Ratcliff; best case: something close to Serge Ibaka. You mean to tell me that's not worth taking a chance on? If he's really gotten 20 lbs heavier (stronger), matured some and improved even a hair over his days at Marshall, I'd be drooling right now if I were Grunwald. And I honestly couldn't care less who else is or isn't interested in him (was anyone else really interested in Chris Copeland or Jeremy Lin until we came along? Toure Murry???) -- we should be!!! He fits here like a glove and we could certainly use what he brings to the table. If there was room in this league for Steven Hunter (good in PHX, even better in Philly where he got even more PT), then there's room for this guy.

Marcus Cousin - They would never look at this guy in a million years but to me, he remains one of our best options. 7' 255, active rebounder, runs the court and I'm sorry but he's a VERY GOOD offensive player...You won't find a better shooting big man out there and he has good moves in the post as well. A commentator said it on one of his college youtube clips -- he's a 'power player with a touch' and I agree with that 100%. He plays hard, he'll fight for rebounds (looks esp. good attacking the offensive glass) and he possesses excellent shooting touch and overall offensive prowess. NBA execs. and scouts need to open their eyes with this guy already. He'd be an excellent C for any team in the league, even in a starting role.

Earl Barron - Very capable. 'Capable,' 'reliable' & 'productive' are the 3 words that come to mind when I think of Barron...He can rebound and shoot the mid-range jumper. Those are 2 attributes we can definitely use. He wants to be here too---that's a big plus. He's experienced and has shown he can handle NY (he's excelled in 2 separate stints here). He's a legit 7' and we need another backup big man (I'm not sold on Jeremy Tyler and he's hurt now to boot. Questionable if he even makes the team at this point. I don't see it personally. How do you justify taking a project big man on the 15 man off such a small body of work, a guy that's hurt no less??? We need healthy players that can contribute. At most, we rehab Tyler, pay his medical bills, guarantee him a spot on the Erie Bayhawks and then go from there). If anything ever happened to Chandler either short or long-term, I don't feel we'd miss too much subbing in Barron, if anything (rebounding's about a wash, we'd lose some alley-oop finishing at the rim but we'd pick up more jump-shooting and I think on a whole, Barron might be able to finish better overall (layups, offensive rebound put backs, bunnies, etc.). This guy can definitely hold his own. The proof is in the pudding -- he's done it here in NY before!

Cole Aldrich - Always felt a little too slow for the NBA and I never liked the awkward shooting mechanic -- I personally think he was a bit overrated coming out of Kansas, but for what he is, he should be able to help us somewhat. There's some positives here -- he's almost 7' and he goes hard. As a space-eater, a guy that will fight for rebounds, block a couple of shots, clean up around the rim by always staying active -- there's value in that I suppose. I like the above 3 guys better but this guy wouldn't be terrible.

Cole Aldrich is my choice out of that group. He's the most physical and you know he can rebound and play within his limits.

Woody is our coach, Barron was available for use in the Pacers series all he did was get splinters from sitting on the bench. Knicks could have used Barron to pull Hibbert away from the basket as he has the capability of hitting a 10-15 ft jumper. As usual Woody had his customary playoff brain fart.

I like the idea of Barron as a backup he has shown that he is a good rebounder and a decent offensive player.

Others I would consider. Fab Melo, Whiteside and Haddadi. Another one Cole Aldrich should be in consideration also.

NYKBocker wrote:

Vmart wrote:Woody is our coach, Barron was available for use in the Pacers series all he did was get splinters from sitting on the bench. Knicks could have used Barron to pull Hibbert away from the basket as he has the capability of hitting a 10-15 ft jumper. As usual Woody had his customary playoff brain fart.

I like the idea of Barron as a backup he has shown that he is a good rebounder and a decent offensive player.

Others I would consider. Fab Melo, Whiteside and Haddadi. Another one Cole Aldrich should be in consideration also.

Wasn't Barron hurt in the last game of the regular season?

Yeah he was. Not sure how long he was injured but he got hurt.