Knicks extend offer to Shannon Brown
by gian casimiro on Jul 29, 2010 4:12 PM EDT
in News
128 comments
The Knicks have extended an offer to Shannon Brown and are waiting to hear whether the Lakers' free-agent guard will take it or wait for L.A. to make room to re-sign him by trading Sasha Vujacic, two people with knowledge of the situation told CBSSports.com Thursday.
No particulars on the money but we can assume it isn't for much considering that he's being hard balled by the Lakers.
"How Jewish Is Amar'e Stoudemire?"
I'm gonna let Shoals take care of this one.
Gentry would use 9 or 10 players and lean on a young bench to keep the pace going that Steve Nash creates, but with seemingly more defensive-minded players. In fairness to D’Antoni, guys like Jared Dudley and even Robin Lopez are sharp players he didn’t have to lean on off the bench.
D’Antoni has the chance to do so this season because he has a young group of players, and to waste that athleticism would be a shame. This is not the veteran-dominated roster that he’s had here or in Phoenix.
I’d start Felton, eventually Azubuike, Gallinari, Turiaf and Amar’e, then be really young and athletic off the bench with Douglas, Walker, Chandler, Randolph and, for about 10 minutes per if he’s ready, Mozgov. Yes, it’s early but you get the idea.
Let's be patient with Anthony Randolph.
by Seth on Jul 28, 2010 8:54 AM EDT
in Miscellaneous
79 comments
This goes for everybody, including myself. When the Knicks managed to grab Anthony Randolph in the David Lee trade, I slathered myself head-to-toe with shea butter and robbed a bagel shop with a pickaxe. I only do that when I'm really happy, y'all. Randolph's an absolutely electrifying young talent who's capable of so much but only beginning to realize his titanic abilities. I urge everyone to be as excited as I am about Randolph's potential, but suggest that we all take a step back and remember what we're looking at. Brian Chung, writing at SB Nation Bay Area, is familiar with Randolph and tempers our expectations a little bit (via SBN NY).
Maybe nervous about when his next minutes were going to be, Randolph looked more awkward than the "finesse" player his high school coach sees in him. Randolph was a terrible finisher in traffic, often times trying to barrel over opposing big men. Either that or his poor footwork on the block led to many travel calls or shots where he too often was sprawled on the floor with his legs and torso in a pretzel. Judging by those moves, you wondered if he had two left feet.
...
His ball-handling, while seemingly good for a big man in transition, is loosey-goosey and erratic when he's actually challenged. As mentioned earlier, he has a limited skill-set on the block or from the perimeter. In one game that Atma Brother #1 (of Golden State of Mind) and I watched at the Oracle Arena, we counted 4 times (in one half) where he ended up flailing on the floor, with the ball thrown up erratically trying to initiate his own offense from within 5 feet of the hoop and beyond.
Now, don't be discouraged. This isn't to say that Randolph isn't talented and won't become a star. I think both are true. This is only to remind us that, for all of his skills and arms and legs, Anthony is the Knicks' youngest player (seriously!) and is going to make mistakes. Lots of them. At this point in this particular player's career, we can still expect a lot of immaturity. Shit, he's younger than me, and I sometimes lie on my back and eat snacks off my tummy "like an otter". The word on Randolph has always been of the "flashes of brilliance, streaks of silliness" variety, and we should accept that as the season approaches. I'm all for enthusiasm, but I don't want us to sour as a fanbase when Randolph stumbles or struggles. Be excited, but also remember to be very, very patient with Anthony. Hopefully, the Knicks will do the same.
NBA Playbook scouts Timofey Mozgov
by Seth on Jul 27, 2010 11:37 AM EDT
in Miscellaneous
75 comments
NBA Playbook is one of my favorite things on my computer (up there with "Trash". You can just throw stuff in there!), and Sebastian Pruiti, the hard-working proprietor of that domain, took some time recently to scout Timofey Mozgov. Since at least half of us are not Russian and therefore not too familiar with Mozgov, Pruiti's breakdown with words, pictures, and videos is extremely helpful. You should really go check out the whole thing, but here are some sample strengths and weaknesses of the new Knick:
Mozgov is able to go from running down the court to setting a screen almost seamlessly. This skill is important (especially when playing for a team that likes to play a fast pace game, like the Knicks) because now the offense doesn’t have to slow down and wait for the perfect situation to get the pick and roll going. This also catches the defense off guard, and makes the screens even more effective.
Timofey Mozgov isn’t just a screen setter though. Mozgov’s athletic ability at his size allows him to be pretty effective when rolling to the basket.
I just mentioned that when Mozgov doesn’t have to think and he can just react, he can be a pretty good defender. However, when he needs to think and make a decision on the defensive end, it tends to be the wrong one. Now, Mozgov’s team plays a lot of zone, so this lack of instincts when playing man to man defense could be due to lack of experience (which means it can be corrected/his instincts will improve with experience), but right now it is still a pretty big weakness.
Again, check out the full post for stills and video to back up those words.
75 comments | 1 recs |
Knicks Clone Wars!
by Seth on Jul 26, 2010 4:53 PM EDT
in Miscellaneous
125 comments
Since I'm bored as a barnacle (really, barnacles just never have a good time. Look at this poor chap.), I might as well pull something off the "things to discuss in the middle of the summer" list. This particular topic actually stems from a few comments from last week. Here's what went down during a Summer League thread:
Can we clone Landry Fields so he can play both the wings this season?
by ThisIsTraps on Jul 16, 2010 5:41 PM EDT
lets be real for a sec
if the knicks had cloning technology, i’d be really pissed off if they used it on landry fields.
A fair point, Mr. Sherman. But if not Landry...then who!? Seriously, if you could clone one Knick and give him the 15th roster spot, who would you pick? I've come up with some ground rules:
1. I had some trouble with this, but let's assume that the clone is the same age as the original, and is in identical health. I think the apparatus we're using here is Calvin's duplicator, not real cloning, because wouldn't a true clone be a baby?
2. The duplicate player makes a minimum salary.
3. No, you cannot trade the duplicate. Punk.
4. The duplicate has the same personality and background as the original. (i.e. There is no ethicator.) This should be considered when imagining whether or not the clone gets along with the original and whether or not he meshes with the team and coaching staff.
5. The original and duplicate wouldn't be psychic or anything, but they'd presumably have an intuitive sense of each other's tendencies on the floor.
6. Even though this isn't really cloning, it's also not going down in a cardboard box. I've decided that the duplicate will be born via budding, which always upset me during middle school biology. So, like, that'll be super gross. Something to consider.
So, essentially, if you could double what one Knick brings to the court (and find room for him), who would it be? After the jump, a few names to consider:
125 comments | 1 recs |
Some Questions Regarding the Knicks' Depth Chart
by Seth on Jul 25, 2010 1:28 PM EDT
in Miscellaneous
232 comments
For the first time since the dawn of mankind, the Knicks are flush with young talent at pretty much every position. (Note: The phrase "barring any further offseason changes" applies to the entirety of this post and discussion. Join me in my world. It's much more peaceful here.) We have every right to be thrilled with the versatility, speed, and defensive potential now in Mike D'Antoni's arsenal. That said, there are still plenty of ?uestions to be answered in training camp and thereafter.
Jump with me.
Reminder: Rooster Drawing Contest!
Just a reminder that your chance to show off your artistic talents is NOW. We've already got a whole bunch of submissions ranging from third-grade doodles to professional-looking logos. The deadline for submission is August 6th.
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