It'd be nice if Taft slipped to 30...

http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/predraft_index.html

Also, a recap from the guard workout of yesterday. The article focuses on Bracey Wright...

Knicks June 20 Pre-Draft Workouts
Does Bracey Have Wright Stuff For Knicks?
by Tom Kertes


GREENBURGH, NY, June 20, 2005 -- "This was fun," Indiana junior Bracey Wright flashes a tired semi-smile after his workout for team brass at the Madison Square Garden Training Center. "We went up and down pretty good with three guards. And in the end, we did a lot of shooting." At the mere mention of The Word -- "shooting", that is -- Wright lights up like a 6-3 Christmas Tree, fatigue suddenly foreign to his existence. The man can shoot. The man loves to shoot. The Man is The Man because he's about as pure a shooter as the college game has seen in several eons.

Which is why he's often been called the "Allan Houston of College Basketball". Which is why he's been so proud to be called that. "Allan's a GREAT shooter," says Wright. "I've learned so much from watching his technique, his form. So, yes, I'm excited about the comparison. Still, truth be told, once I adjust to the league, I think I could turn out to be even better ON the ball." A better defender? "Yes, but not just," the supremely confident Wright asserts. "I had the ball about half the time in my hand at Indiana; I think when Stephon (Marbury) or Jamal (Crawford) move off the ball, I could run a team. I think I'm a true combo guard. And I'm the kind of player who'll do a lot of damage without the ball in his hand as well, doing all the little off the ball things, exploiting the other team's weaknesses, and making the right decisions."

"I follow the NBA -- and, in particular, I follow the Knicks," says Wright. "If the team feels that Allan can't return from his injuries, I'd fit the New York like a glove." Interestingly, Wright -- struggling through injuries for years in another Houston commonality -- fell from the surefire lottery spot that was his two years ago to "somewhere in the first round," he says. Usually that means the end of the first round - and the Knicks own the 30th pick.

"Last season was the first time in two years that I felt completely healthy," he says. It showed: surrounded by much turmoil and little talent, Wright still had a big year, leading the Big Ten in scoring and tallying 25 or more points on seven different occasions.

Bracey also owns an essential knack for picking the Wright time for his biggest games: 32 points on 9-14 shooting vs. Elite Eight participant Michigan State; a career high six treys while gunning for 31 against killer Kentucky; 30 big ones on defensively devastating Wisconsin; 28 (plus 6 rebounds) versus defending champ UConn.

"My team needed me to lead," he says. "So I led. Just like Isiah." Knicks President, Basketball Operations Thomas, of course, played for the same college team. "He came back to school a couple of times and we did get a chance to talk," says Wright. "It would be an honor playing for him. I could learn so much."


Learning is good but, according to one of the all-time classic basketball truisms, "you can't teach height". Nineteen year-old (just last Thursday) Robert Rothbart may have a lot to learn about hoops -- but he is 7-2. Hence, the draft.

"I was actually in the draft a year ago but I withdrew," he says. "Still, I chose to go professional because I felt the French team (Paris Basket Racing) could teach me a lot more about basketball than a college (he originally signed with Indiana)." Unfortunately, Rothbart got hurt and barely played. Now he's in the draft, ready or not.

Actually, after "the Bosnian shooting war started right in front of my building," Rothbart is ready for anything. "That's why we left," he recalls, still shuddering from the memory. His family moved to Israel for two years, then to Northern California where Robert pretty much dominated the middle in high school (21 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks per game as a senior). "I'm 7-2, pretty quick and athletic, and can shoot with trey range," he says. "Sure, I need to play better defense and get stronger. Which is actually the same thing."

"But, whatever happens, I'll just take things one step at a time."

Don't tell that to Bracey. "Hey, I've played with Patrick Junior so I know what Big Patrick (Ewing) is all about," he says. "I know what the Knicks are about. I was weaned on Knicks-Pacers. What battles! New York sports are everything to everybody. As far as I'm concerned, Madison Square Garden is the place to be -- and I want to be there."

http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/workouts_050620.html

It's interesting... a lot of these guys legitimately sound like they want to be Knicks... they know a bit about Knicks history (at least from the late 90s!).

Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them went undrafted and showed up in the Knicks summer league. With the way we're presently constructed, we could definitely use some depth at the guard positions (a big power SG, like a Bonzi Wells type or Jim Jackson). Big men (specifically PFs) will have a hard time breaking in w/ the veteran toughness of KT, Rose, and JYD, in spite of height advantages. The Knicks have some particularly aggressive small PFs who will outwork younger guys in practice, and unfortunately, steal all the PT away.

Posted by crzymdups:

yeah, it's funny, a lot of these guys like Bracey Wright probably assume the Knicks are thinking about them with the 30th pick, but they're probably really thinking about them for the 54th...

Bracey would be a solid add at 54 if guys like Deng Gai and Daniel Ewing aren't there.

Bracey really looked like the second coming of gilbert Arenas until he hurt his back. He was the same size 6-3 about 200, very explosive to the hole, could play both G positions, could shoot from range consistently. he had back surgery similar to Torin Francis and like Torin, hasnt been the same. Perhaps because he is young enough, he could recapture his form. he was erratic this year, not the same explosive athlete