from uconn insider

now some beef. JC is peod at the brother of Bynum because he feels that Andrew is not mentally or physically ready for NBA basketball, which could seriously do damage to his long term potential, and his brother has been aggresive trying to get a draft lock, and that includes teams OUTSIDE the lottery. JC believes with proper development, he could be a very high lottery choice in 2 years, that he didnt have enough developmental time in HS and won't get that developmental time in the NBA. He will actually call out Andrew publically in the newspaper to withdraw from the drafting process, in one of the Hartford papers today or tomorrow.


Personally, if JC feels this way, I have to stand by his word, because his word is strong with me. I guess franchises have to weigh the risk reward of drafting a 17 year old, and even though he is huge with such potential upside, that I can understand that. Even Shaq, who is in a league by himself, went to school for 3 years, and did not even dominate college basketball his first year.

Now it's up to individual teams. I really do not know what to say about our Knicks, it would have to be up to the guys who make the decisions. You dont have many chances to get a specimen like this, but if the player wont develop correctly, then the value is not the same.

That's what I've been worried about. It's really hard to get a 17 yr old in NYC to develop, especially with his bro interfering. I mean, look at Kwame Brown. Has all the tools, got mentally destroyed by Jordan. If Kwame went to school (not sure if he had the grades), he would've had a totally different formative experience.

If we took Bynum at 8, I just worry the pressure would be too much. On him. Personally, I hope the kid goes to school. It's clearly what's best for him.

http://news.newstimeslive.com/story.php?id=72159&category=Sports

Here's a link.

Now here's the deal... the #30 pick of the first round pays a first year salary of around $700k. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'd imagine it'd take me a decade or more to earn that much... (and by then I'll already have spent most of it!)...

And of course, in a rookie contract, he's guaranteed that much for at least 3 years.

Word. If you're 7' and you can get drafted in the first round, more power to ya.

The worst case scenario for Bynum really isn't so bad. Even if he's a second round pick, he'll still have the option to go to UConn since he hasn't hired an agent. The more interesting part is there don't appear to be firm salary rules for 2nd round picks--- A year from now, the team that drafts him could potentially give him 1st round-type money (a la Maceij Lampe).

Since the NBA has been proposing an age floor of 20... Bynum wouldn't be able to declare for the NBA for another 2 years.

If he has the right work ethic, he'll develop fine even if he is drafted before he's ready for the NBA so long as he has smart people guiding and advising him, which I'm sure he will. Kwame's simply been a bust. Plenty of people who go to school for 4 years turn out to have disappointing NBA careers too. Maybe it's just their personality, lack of effort, or who knows? You can't simply know that it was the decision not to go to school that hurt Kwame's career.

yo Briggs... there is one other scenario. We draft him and he goes to school. It would be no different than drafting someone that still plays in Europe.

I know it would kill some Knick fans but I would have no problem drafting a kid like Bynum then letting him go play at UConn for JC. That would be better than any minor league practice crap we could put him through. He could get himself insurance against injury and go have fun at UConn.

In fact.. consider this scenario:

Knicks draft Bynum. He goes to UConn for two years. At the end of those two year he joins the Knicks. Coming off the books that year are JYD, Houston, Shandon's contract and Mo Taylor. Gone are Penny and TT. Remaining (as of now) are Crawford, Marbury, KT and Malik Rose.

I have brough this up before. Its a VERY reasonable goal to move KT and Rose for players with at least one year shorter. That leaves MArbury and Crawford as your only big deals. If you can move Marbury at that deadline for an expiring deal and a pick you could see us having $20mm plus in cap space, as well as a solid group of prospects.

Now you add to that a 20 year old 7'1 best coming out of one of the nation's best programs.

A plan like that requires great patience and planning (two things MGS lack) but its a VERY realistic plan.

Posted by fishmike:

yo Briggs... there is one other scenario. We draft him and he goes to school. It would be no different than drafting someone that still plays in Europe.

I know it would kill some Knick fans but I would have no problem drafting a kid like Bynum then letting him go play at UConn for JC. That would be better than any minor league practice crap we could put him through. He could get himself insurance against injury and go have fun at UConn.

In fact.. consider this scenario:

Knicks draft Bynum. He goes to UConn for two years. At the end of those two year he joins the Knicks. Coming off the books that year are JYD, Houston, Shandon's contract and Mo Taylor. Gone are Penny and TT. Remaining (as of now) are Crawford, Marbury, KT and Malik Rose.

I have brough this up before. Its a VERY reasonable goal to move KT and Rose for players with at least one year shorter. That leaves MArbury and Crawford as your only big deals. If you can move Marbury at that deadline for an expiring deal and a pick you could see us having $20mm plus in cap space, as well as a solid group of prospects.

Now you add to that a 20 year old 7'1 best coming out of one of the nation's best programs.

A plan like that requires great patience and planning (two things MGS lack) but its a VERY realistic plan.

Good post fishmike, and I think it was very smart of Bynum to not hire an agent yet. Here's a question though. Lets say he gets drafted by a team like the Knicks, but he doesn't hire an agent. Is it still HIS OPTION to go play college basketball?

Posted by fishmike:

yo Briggs... there is one other scenario. We draft him and he goes to school. It would be no different than drafting someone that still plays in Europe.

I know it would kill some Knick fans but I would have no problem drafting a kid like Bynum then letting him go play at UConn for JC. That would be better than any minor league practice crap we could put him through. He could get himself insurance against injury and go have fun at UConn.

In fact.. consider this scenario:

Knicks draft Bynum. He goes to UConn for two years. At the end of those two year he joins the Knicks. Coming off the books that year are JYD, Houston, Shandon's contract and Mo Taylor. Gone are Penny and TT. Remaining (as of now) are Crawford, Marbury, KT and Malik Rose.

I have brough this up before. Its a VERY reasonable goal to move KT and Rose for players with at least one year shorter. That leaves MArbury and Crawford as your only big deals. If you can move Marbury at that deadline for an expiring deal and a pick you could see us having $20mm plus in cap space, as well as a solid group of prospects.

Now you add to that a 20 year old 7'1 best coming out of one of the nation's best programs.

A plan like that requires great patience and planning (two things MGS lack) but its a VERY realistic plan.

Smart move.
But should we take him at the 8th?

yo Briggs... there is one other scenario. We draft him and he goes to school. It would be no different than drafting someone that still plays in Europe.
I know it would kill some Knick fans but I would have no problem drafting a kid like Bynum then letting him go play at UConn for JC. That would be better than any minor league practice crap we could put him through. He could get himself insurance against injury and go have fun at UConn.

In fact.. consider this scenario:

Knicks draft Bynum. He goes to UConn for two years. At the end of those two year he joins the Knicks. Coming off the books that year are JYD, Houston, Shandon's contract and Mo Taylor. Gone are Penny and TT. Remaining (as of now) are Crawford, Marbury, KT and Malik Rose.

Are you sure that's possible. I thought once he leaves his name in the draft, he loses his NCAA college eligibility, and especially since he would be signing a professional contract with the Knicks.

Calhoun should shut up. What if Bynum goes to Uconn, blows out a knee - then what? Will Calhoun loan him 3 mil? Take the money now kid, his brother's right.

As for what we do with 8, this is another story. We certainly don't want another Kwame...

What's wrong with going to school for a couple of years and learn how to play the game properly??? That is why I can't wait for an age limit, because those young boys wouldn't have the options of coming in the league and waist the owners money....

Posted by diderotn:

Ewing is not that great of a coach...He did a horrible job coaching Etan/Haywood/and kwame.....for what it's worth, he is not even doing a good job helping Yao out...Yao was already a decent player, Deke is really the one not Ewing...

Posted by MS:

Bring in Ewing to work with him, don't take him at 8 maybe he falls or maybe we trade up.....

Would you offer Ariza at the chance of getting Brynum late in the draft, if we can get our hands on Granger or Wright?

Dido, what is your problem with Ewing? You have been posting some weird stuff today. Yao and the Rockets credit Ewing with getting him adjusted to the NBA, even Shaq said he can tell that Ewing has been working with Yao. Deke was there for like a season and you are ready to give him credit for Yao. Ewing was only there one year for Haywood. I don't even include Brown because he was still playing for the Magic when Brown was in his rookie season. Brown drafted 2001 and Ewing sign a contract with the Magic in 2001. You have chronological order issues here. In my opinion Haywood and Thomas but benefit from Ewing both made significant improvements. Bonn is right, Kwame have issues that are not related to his basketball ability.