Though he comes from a smaller, less competitive school, Morris Almond might be one of the more promising offensive players in the draft.
- The basics: Morris Almond is a 6'6'', 214 lb. shooting guard from Rice University. He is 22 years awesome and hails from Powder Springs, Georgia.
- Almond led the way for the Owls this year, averaging 26.6 points, 6.6 boards, and 1.2 steals a game. He also shot .456% from downtown, .846% from the line and .483% from the field this season. I know it's not a very competitive team, but holy shit. Here's his player card
- Also from the player card: Almond dropped 44 points and 12 boards on Vanderbilt in January. He also put 38 on North Texas and 35 on Southern Mississippi.
- From Almond's DraftExpress.com profile, he sounds like a player who can shoot the hell out of the ball, get to the line, and play a little defense if need be. Click that link for the full scoop.
- Also from Draft Express:
Comparisons:
Best Case: Matt Barnes
Worst Case: Devean George
- Almond wears the number 22, which the Knicks have retired.
- For some reason, I can never remember his name. I keep wanting to call him Morris Rice or Maurice Almond. I also can't think of a nickname for him. You'd think the Almond part would make it easy, but it doesn't. Mo' Nuts? I have no idea.
- Videos:
Almond buries Central Florida
Almond talking after his Knicks workout (second one)
What I took from those videos: 1. Glen Davis is really weird. 2. It's Morris ALL-mond, and he doesn't look anything like Allan Houston.
The bottom line: I think this might be our guy. One glaring need last year was a bomber to take some attention away from Eddy Curry. It certainly seems like Almond is, at the very least, a good enough shooter to do just that. If we don't go the shot-blocking Chong Williams route, I'd say Almond, or someone like him, is the way to go. Stephon Marbury agrees.
What are your thoughts on Morris Almond? Let us know in the comments. Also, make sure to check out SML's latest prospect analysis on Nick Young of USC. Back later. Peace.