Without having ever stepped foot on court with his new teammates in New York, Josh Harrellson seems to have a good idea about what his role will be.
Harrellson is obviously not a star caliber center, or even one who could be a decent starter in the NBA (a void the Knicks desperately need to fill). However, he does have the size and the aggressiveness to be an effective cleanup man down low. Think of Brian Cardinal of the Dallas Mavericks. Didn't get a lot of playing time. Never started. But when he came off the bench in the playoffs he played with aggression and passion and drew numerous clutch fouls towards the ends of games 4 and 5.
Josh Harrellson will not start at center for the New York Knicks this season. I can say that with confidence. Still, he has a job to do. That's why the Knicks sent $700,000 to the Hornets. The Knicks need someone to protect Amar'e and Melo and to let them do what they do best. Score. According to Harrellson, that is exactly what he plans on doing.
Harrellson was quoted as saying, "I am going to protect my star players, Amar'e and Melo, and not gonna let them get roughed up...I am just going to be a role player and a banger inside."
Many Knicks fans do not realize what they've gotten in Harrellson. The Knicks did not acquire the starting center that they desperately need, but they did get depth at the center position and a player who will be a willing defender and cleanup man off the bench. Harrellson knows who he will be playing with. It's hard to ignore players like Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Chauncey Billups. Harrellson will play his role well and will be content with coming off the bench and serving a specific role in specific situations.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Kwame Brown Free Agency Rumors
The Knicks are reportedly interested in center Kwame Brown of the Charlotte Bobcats.
After the draft Donnie Walsh was quoted as saying "Now we have to manage the cap and then the following year (2012), we'll be in great position." Although Walsh will not be directly involved in the Knicks free agency dealings (as he is officially resigning Thursday), it appears as though the Knicks are planning on saving there money for the 2012 free agency period when they hope to snag Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or possible Dwight Howard.
This eliminates the possibility of the Knicks signing a big name center this summer to a multi-season deal. One name that has surfaced as a possible target for the Knicks this summer is Kwame Brown. Brown was the former number one overall pick of the Wizards in 2001 (Michael Jordan's huge draft bust). However after putting up decent numbers last year with Charlotte (7.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 51.7 percent shooting) he is a possibility for a one year deal giving the Knicks a decent starting center for this season. Brown can defend, rebound, and block shots. He stands a domineering 6' 11" and weighs a robust 270 pounds. His defensive and rebounding capabilities, coupled with his size and toughness down low would push Amare Stoudemire into is natural power forward position and provide a much needed defensive boost in the post.
To me this move would make sense for the Knicks. Right now the only center under contract in the Knicks organization is undersized and aging Ronny Turiaf. Brown is a defensive minded center who would allow Amare to focus on scoring at the power forward position. With prolific scorers all around him, Kwame's offensive struggles would become irrelevant and his toughness and defensive capabilities would make him a fan favorite off the bat in the big apple.
After the draft Donnie Walsh was quoted as saying "Now we have to manage the cap and then the following year (2012), we'll be in great position." Although Walsh will not be directly involved in the Knicks free agency dealings (as he is officially resigning Thursday), it appears as though the Knicks are planning on saving there money for the 2012 free agency period when they hope to snag Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or possible Dwight Howard.
This eliminates the possibility of the Knicks signing a big name center this summer to a multi-season deal. One name that has surfaced as a possible target for the Knicks this summer is Kwame Brown. Brown was the former number one overall pick of the Wizards in 2001 (Michael Jordan's huge draft bust). However after putting up decent numbers last year with Charlotte (7.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 51.7 percent shooting) he is a possibility for a one year deal giving the Knicks a decent starting center for this season. Brown can defend, rebound, and block shots. He stands a domineering 6' 11" and weighs a robust 270 pounds. His defensive and rebounding capabilities, coupled with his size and toughness down low would push Amare Stoudemire into is natural power forward position and provide a much needed defensive boost in the post.
To me this move would make sense for the Knicks. Right now the only center under contract in the Knicks organization is undersized and aging Ronny Turiaf. Brown is a defensive minded center who would allow Amare to focus on scoring at the power forward position. With prolific scorers all around him, Kwame's offensive struggles would become irrelevant and his toughness and defensive capabilities would make him a fan favorite off the bat in the big apple.
And He Wasn't Even Invited To The Draft
For all of you who don't think Iman Shumpert is glad to be a Knick. And for all of you who doubt his character and commitment to the NBA and his ability to improve in the NBA. Here's the video of when Iman Shumpert hears that he is to become the next Knickerbocker. Seems pretty excited to me.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
For All The Doubters
I know that Iman Shumpert is not the player most Knicks fans expected or wanted the Knicks to take at 17. With Jimmer Fridette and Kemba Walker off the board many fans and experts had the Knicks landing on Chris Singleton or Kenneth Faried. But instead, the Knicks surprised almost everyone by selecting another guard in Iman Shumpert.
Shumpert in my opinion has incredible upside. Yes the Knicks could've done better with a big man, but with the forward responsibilities being handled by Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, they would've had to go for a center and at that point in the draft there were no centers worth selecting. So I do feel as though the Knicks made a good selection. They needed a guard to rotate in with Landry Fields who cooled down considerably during the second half of the season, Chauncey Billups who is aging and injury prone, and Toney Douglass who is coing off major shuolder surgery. They also needed major help on the defensive end. Shumpert provides that. He is a defensive specialist who the Knicks claim has the potential to grow into a prolific shooter.
One more upside to Shumpert is that he could be a possible trade chip this year if the Knicks wish to jump the gun and trade for Chris Paul before he becomes a free agent in 2012.
Shumpert in my opinion has incredible upside. Yes the Knicks could've done better with a big man, but with the forward responsibilities being handled by Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, they would've had to go for a center and at that point in the draft there were no centers worth selecting. So I do feel as though the Knicks made a good selection. They needed a guard to rotate in with Landry Fields who cooled down considerably during the second half of the season, Chauncey Billups who is aging and injury prone, and Toney Douglass who is coing off major shuolder surgery. They also needed major help on the defensive end. Shumpert provides that. He is a defensive specialist who the Knicks claim has the potential to grow into a prolific shooter.
One more upside to Shumpert is that he could be a possible trade chip this year if the Knicks wish to jump the gun and trade for Chris Paul before he becomes a free agent in 2012.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Grading the Knicks Draft
And so the pick is in and the Knicks select Iman Shumpert with the 17th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. While this may come as a surprise and even a disappointment to many fans, I believe that this was the best pick available at the time (notice I did not say best PLAYER available).
Everyone around the NBA is more than aware that the Knicks are a painfully below average defensive team. So instead of taking the offensive minded Marshon Brooks with their 17th pick, Donnie Walsh went defensive with Shumpert. The Knicks already possess sufficient offensive firepower as two of their starters were top five in scoring last season (Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony).
While they still need shooting Shumpert provides an immediate relief to both the aging Chauncey Billups and Toney Douglass who is fresh off shoulder surgery. If Jimmer Fridette or Klay Thompson had still been available when the Knicks made their pick I have no doubt that I would be writing a very different post. But they were taken off the board early and Iman Shumpert out of Georgia Tech became the last first round draft pick of Donnie Walsh's career as general manager.
Shumpert obviously did not fulfill all of the Knicks needs however. After missing out on Nikola Vucevic who went to the Philladelphia 76ers just one pick earlier at 16, the Knicks decided to use James Dolan's endless pockets to buy a second round pick. Josh Harrellson, a big man out of Kentucky was picked 45th overall by the Hornets but then traded to the Knicks for cash. Although Harrellson is nowhere near the abilities of a starting center in the NBA, he has size at 6' 10" and provides much needed depth at the center position. If you remember, Donnie made a similar move in last years draft, sending $1,000,000 to the Milwaukee Bucks for rights to the 7 footer Jerome Jordan. Jordan spent last season in Europe and is expected to make his debut in the NBA for the Knicks this season.
Already it appears as though the Knicks have improved on their depth at the center position (although they still lack a true starting center with Ronnie Turiaf being aging and relatively undersized and neither Jordan nor Harrellson having the necessary skills to be a starter this season), and their need for a backup to Chauncey Billups. They scored with Shumpert because being a combo guard, he can both back up Chauncey Billups (who as we know from last years playoffs is becoming more and more injury prone), and allow Toney Douglass to focus more on the shooting guard responsibilities to which he is more accustomed. He will also provide necessary relief for Douglass who is just coming off shoulder surgery.
Overall Grade
B
Everyone around the NBA is more than aware that the Knicks are a painfully below average defensive team. So instead of taking the offensive minded Marshon Brooks with their 17th pick, Donnie Walsh went defensive with Shumpert. The Knicks already possess sufficient offensive firepower as two of their starters were top five in scoring last season (Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony).
While they still need shooting Shumpert provides an immediate relief to both the aging Chauncey Billups and Toney Douglass who is fresh off shoulder surgery. If Jimmer Fridette or Klay Thompson had still been available when the Knicks made their pick I have no doubt that I would be writing a very different post. But they were taken off the board early and Iman Shumpert out of Georgia Tech became the last first round draft pick of Donnie Walsh's career as general manager.
Shumpert obviously did not fulfill all of the Knicks needs however. After missing out on Nikola Vucevic who went to the Philladelphia 76ers just one pick earlier at 16, the Knicks decided to use James Dolan's endless pockets to buy a second round pick. Josh Harrellson, a big man out of Kentucky was picked 45th overall by the Hornets but then traded to the Knicks for cash. Although Harrellson is nowhere near the abilities of a starting center in the NBA, he has size at 6' 10" and provides much needed depth at the center position. If you remember, Donnie made a similar move in last years draft, sending $1,000,000 to the Milwaukee Bucks for rights to the 7 footer Jerome Jordan. Jordan spent last season in Europe and is expected to make his debut in the NBA for the Knicks this season.
Already it appears as though the Knicks have improved on their depth at the center position (although they still lack a true starting center with Ronnie Turiaf being aging and relatively undersized and neither Jordan nor Harrellson having the necessary skills to be a starter this season), and their need for a backup to Chauncey Billups. They scored with Shumpert because being a combo guard, he can both back up Chauncey Billups (who as we know from last years playoffs is becoming more and more injury prone), and allow Toney Douglass to focus more on the shooting guard responsibilities to which he is more accustomed. He will also provide necessary relief for Douglass who is just coming off shoulder surgery.
Overall Grade
B
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Knicks Moving Up?
With the draft only hours away, it is becoming more and more clear that the Knicks are targeting Jimmer Fridette out of BYU. Fridette however is likely to be off the board by the time the Knicks pick at 17. The biggest things standing in the way of the Knicks and last years leading scorer are the numerous teams that have expressed interest in Fridette that pick before the Knicks tonight. Phoenix, Indiana, Sacramento and Utah have hall been linked to Fridette and all hold picks before the Knicks.
Rumors have however emerged of a deal that would land the Knicks the Bobcat's 9th overall pick putting them in a much better position to snag Fridette. The trade involves the Knicks sending Chauncey Billups and Landry Fields to the Bobcats in exchange for Stephen Jackson, DeSagana Diop, and the 9th pick.
This trade looks really good for Knicks fans. Not only would they be able to draft Jimmer Fridette with the 9th pick, but they would get defense in Diop, another big scorer off the bench in Jackson, and be able to replace Chauncey Billups with an Iman Shumpert or a Josh Selby with the 17th pick.
Rumors have however emerged of a deal that would land the Knicks the Bobcat's 9th overall pick putting them in a much better position to snag Fridette. The trade involves the Knicks sending Chauncey Billups and Landry Fields to the Bobcats in exchange for Stephen Jackson, DeSagana Diop, and the 9th pick.
This trade looks really good for Knicks fans. Not only would they be able to draft Jimmer Fridette with the 9th pick, but they would get defense in Diop, another big scorer off the bench in Jackson, and be able to replace Chauncey Billups with an Iman Shumpert or a Josh Selby with the 17th pick.
And With the !7th Pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, The New York Knicks Select...
Jimmer Fridette, Guard, BYU
There are many players in this years draft that could help the Knicks start to build around Melo and STAT in the big apple. D'Antoni's offensive system really calls for a pure shooter to take spot up jumpers in transition. One such player is Jimmer Fridette.
The Knicks have been connected to Jimmer in recent weeks and have expressed interested in the New York native out of BYU. He can stop on a dime and pull up from virtually anywhere on court. He can attack the basket and take contact. And he can catch and shoot to give a spark off the bench. There have been questions about Fridettes defense and size (6' 2" and 195 pounds), but he has reportedly silenced some of his critics at recent NBA workouts. It is likely that Fridette will be off the board by the time the Knicks pick at No. 17, but there have been reports of the Knicks trying to move up to grab Fridette before he disappears.
With Landry Fields having struggled down the stretch, the Knicks could use another shooting guard to take some minutes away from fields and provide an exciting spark of the bench. Plus, with Melo and Amare taking most of the defensive focus, and Chauncey Billups running the point, Fridette will have more than enough opportunities to spot up from anywhere on the court. A STAT, Melo, Fridette scoring tandem would be intimidating to any NBA defense, especially with Chauncey Billups dishing the rock.
I think that Fridette would be a great fit in New York. There is no doubt about his scoring abilities after he led all scorers in the NCAA last year with 28.5 ppg. He has unlimited range and can pull up for a shot anywhere and at anytime. He would be entering the NBA already as a fan favorite, and his New York Heritage is just a plus. He has a great attitude and would work hard to improve on his areas of weakness (namely defense). I think that if he is still on the board at 17 or if the Knicks have an opportunity to trade up for him (at the right price of course) they shouldn't think twice about bringing Jimmer to the Garden next season.
There are many players in this years draft that could help the Knicks start to build around Melo and STAT in the big apple. D'Antoni's offensive system really calls for a pure shooter to take spot up jumpers in transition. One such player is Jimmer Fridette.
The Knicks have been connected to Jimmer in recent weeks and have expressed interested in the New York native out of BYU. He can stop on a dime and pull up from virtually anywhere on court. He can attack the basket and take contact. And he can catch and shoot to give a spark off the bench. There have been questions about Fridettes defense and size (6' 2" and 195 pounds), but he has reportedly silenced some of his critics at recent NBA workouts. It is likely that Fridette will be off the board by the time the Knicks pick at No. 17, but there have been reports of the Knicks trying to move up to grab Fridette before he disappears.
With Landry Fields having struggled down the stretch, the Knicks could use another shooting guard to take some minutes away from fields and provide an exciting spark of the bench. Plus, with Melo and Amare taking most of the defensive focus, and Chauncey Billups running the point, Fridette will have more than enough opportunities to spot up from anywhere on the court. A STAT, Melo, Fridette scoring tandem would be intimidating to any NBA defense, especially with Chauncey Billups dishing the rock.
I think that Fridette would be a great fit in New York. There is no doubt about his scoring abilities after he led all scorers in the NCAA last year with 28.5 ppg. He has unlimited range and can pull up for a shot anywhere and at anytime. He would be entering the NBA already as a fan favorite, and his New York Heritage is just a plus. He has a great attitude and would work hard to improve on his areas of weakness (namely defense). I think that if he is still on the board at 17 or if the Knicks have an opportunity to trade up for him (at the right price of course) they shouldn't think twice about bringing Jimmer to the Garden next season.
Draft Day
Here we are, the moment Knicks fans have either been waiting for or dreading. For me at least, today's excitement and anticipation comes with a grain of salt. It will likely be Donnie Walsh's last day as President of Basketball Operations of the New York Knicks (unless an unlikely deal is made between the draft and next Thursday when Walsh is set to resign) and if you are a Walsh faithful like myself, you too are biting your fingernails, waiting to see how the Knicks will fair without our savior.
Walsh has undoubtedly brought New York out of the slums and into the spotlight once again, but the job is far from over. There are still glaring holes in the "New Look" Knicks and fans can only sit and hope that James Dolan doesn't mess it all up.
Walsh's previous drafts have had mixed reviews, completely whiffing on No. 8 overall pick Jordan Hill in 2009, and arguably making the steal of the draft last year with Landry Fields in the second round. With a weak draft stock this year many are spectacle about whether or not Walsh's last act as President will be a positive one.
There have of course been stronger drafts, and comparatively this years class is one of the weakest in recent history, but there are a number of potential picks that could fill some of the knicks flagrant holes. The plan for the knicks seems to be centered around the acquisition of Chris Paul either via trade or when he becomes available in 2012. Now while I believe that the addition of CP3 alongside Amare and Melo in the Big Apple would create a powerful force in the Eastern Conference, as we have learned from the recent NBA championships, a "Big Three" isn't enough. If the Knicks hope to one day soon contend for an NBA title, they need to address other needs.
They lack necessary size and rebounding and need a big rebounder to push Amare back to where he is comfortable as a scoring minded Power Forward. They need a pure shooter to fill into Mike D'Antoni's run and gun offense. They need a backup point guard, because with Chauncey Billup's age and Toney Douglass's inability to consistently run an offense, the Knicks need a pass-first-shoot-second point guard to feed Melo and Stoudemire until the far-from-guaranteed arrival of CP3.
The Knicks are headed in the right direction but there are definitely holes to be filled. Tonights draft could very well prove to be another step in the right direction for the New York Knicks.
Walsh has undoubtedly brought New York out of the slums and into the spotlight once again, but the job is far from over. There are still glaring holes in the "New Look" Knicks and fans can only sit and hope that James Dolan doesn't mess it all up.
Walsh's previous drafts have had mixed reviews, completely whiffing on No. 8 overall pick Jordan Hill in 2009, and arguably making the steal of the draft last year with Landry Fields in the second round. With a weak draft stock this year many are spectacle about whether or not Walsh's last act as President will be a positive one.
There have of course been stronger drafts, and comparatively this years class is one of the weakest in recent history, but there are a number of potential picks that could fill some of the knicks flagrant holes. The plan for the knicks seems to be centered around the acquisition of Chris Paul either via trade or when he becomes available in 2012. Now while I believe that the addition of CP3 alongside Amare and Melo in the Big Apple would create a powerful force in the Eastern Conference, as we have learned from the recent NBA championships, a "Big Three" isn't enough. If the Knicks hope to one day soon contend for an NBA title, they need to address other needs.
They lack necessary size and rebounding and need a big rebounder to push Amare back to where he is comfortable as a scoring minded Power Forward. They need a pure shooter to fill into Mike D'Antoni's run and gun offense. They need a backup point guard, because with Chauncey Billup's age and Toney Douglass's inability to consistently run an offense, the Knicks need a pass-first-shoot-second point guard to feed Melo and Stoudemire until the far-from-guaranteed arrival of CP3.
The Knicks are headed in the right direction but there are definitely holes to be filled. Tonights draft could very well prove to be another step in the right direction for the New York Knicks.
At The Buzzer
I have been trying to figure out the perfect time to launch this blog. I intend for this blog to cover everything New York sports. Being the sports mecca that New York is, I imagine I'll have a lot to talk about. The most pressing topic however is the impending NBA draft and with draft day literally right on top of us, I feel that today is an appropriate day to leak my thoughts to those who are willing and bored enough to listen.
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