At least the NBA draft lottery isn’t rigged.
In one of its most important draft lotteries since winning the top pick and Patrick Ewing in 1985, the Knicks ended up with this year’s sixth overall pick.
At No. 6, Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni should expect their pick to make substantial contributions without having to bear the “franchise savior” moniker. Every player available at No. 6 should be able to help the Knicks, right?
Not exactly. Isiah Thomas’s tendency to stockpile identical players is still affecting the Knicks’ future. Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis were both decent point guards. Yet, together they were just expensive, redundant pieces. Apart, Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph are both productive power forwards. Together, they are just two guys with poor work ethics arguing over shots.
In other words, the abundance of mediocre players composing Isiah’s blue team of death makes it difficult to find a No. 6 pick that can take the Knicks in the right direction.
While neither Marbury nor Jamal Crawford are current all-stars, the guards available at No. 6 most likely are not good enough to steal the Knicks guards’ starting spots.
Starbury has voiced his desire to play under D’Antoni and I fully expect him to have a revitalized season next year. None of the point guards available, Bayless, Westbrook, or Augustin, are large enough improvements over Marbury to warrant a lottery selection.
And if Marbury ends up splitting time with one of these rookies, Nate Robinson, a crowd favorite, will lose his rotation spot. At best, it just adds to the redundancy.
Similarly, Jamal Crawford is an able shooting guard, and as close to a “franchise player” as the Knicks come. O.J. Mayo is Hollywood, but Madison Square Garden doesn’t need any more drama.
Given the Knicks’ current chaos up front, I really can’t recommend a big man selection. It’s not that the Knicks don’t have decent big men, it’s that that these decent players can’t work together. In 2006-07, both Curry and Randolph scored at least 19 PPG. In 2007-08, they combined to score barely 30.
Add in these underachievers’ massive salaries, and you’ll realize that drafting another power forward or center is just going to compound New York’s big man woes. D’Antoni simply will need to find a way to make the combination of Curry, Randolph, and David Lee effective—or maneuver a trade.
However, there is one position where the Knicks can immediately improve their roster: small forward. The team currently boasts Quentin Richardson, a shooter who can’t shoot, and Jared Jeffries, a defender who can’t defend.
This draft’s top two small forwards are Danilo Gallinari and Joe Alexander. It seems D’Antoni has already fell in love with the foreigner. Mikey, say it ain’t so!
I don’t care that he’s the Italian league’s top scorer, or that D’Antoni played with his dad. Knicks fans have suffered through the Isiah reign of terror for too long and are finally starting to warm up to a new beginning under D’Antoni and Walsh.
But expect a heavy chorus of boos if David Stern announces that the Knicks selected an Italian small forward with its pick.
And rightfully so.
Sure, some highly touted international players have excelled in the NBA. But just as many have flopped. (Think Darko Milicic, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, or Yi Jianlian). Since 1999, New York has drafted four foreign players (Frederic Weis, Milos Vujanic, Slavko Vranes, and Maciej Lampe) that have never even played in New York.
Scouts are billing Gallinari as a smooth, high-IQ, sharp-shooting combo forward. He may be the next Kukoc or Ginobli. He could also be the next Tskitishvili.
Why take a risk when Joe Alexander has already proven himself to be the real deal? This season, Alexander blossomed into one of the Big East’s best players. He can score in bunches, has an incredible vertical jump and work ethic, and will be a decent shot-blocker at the small forward position.
If David Lee woke up one morning able to create his own shot from the perimeter or post, he’d be Joe Alexander. In fact, with Alexander’s explosiveness and ability to score from the perimeter or post, I believe his ceiling is comparable to Carmelo Anthony’s.
You’re telling me this guy wouldn’t become an immediate fan favorite?
Alexander thrived in the ultra-competitive Big East, and willed his team to the Sweet Sixteen this year. Had he not fouled out, West Virginia likely would have defeated Xavier and reached the Elite Eight.
His shooting percentage isn’t currently noteworthy, but he has good mechanics and impressive elevation on his nearly unblockable jump shot. In addition, Alexander is a world-class athlete, and would be a great finisher in D’Antoni’s up-tempo style.
Furthermore, Ewing is allegedly interested in becoming an assistant coach for the Knicks. What better way to entice Patrick Ewing back to the Garden? While Curry, Randolph, and Jerome James are not known for their work ethics, Ewing must be salivating to work with a raw gym rat like Alexander, who has been playing with his back to the basket for only a year.
The time is now to rejuvenate the Knicks. Joe Alexander will be an immediate fan favorite, and a solid addition to the post-Isiah Knicks.
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4 months ago
Joe Alexander is a nice player but the Knicks might as well trade down if they were to get him. Picking him at #6 is a reach.
4 months ago
His name is DONNIE Walsh, not DANNY Walsh--and its incedibly shortsighted to say, "None of the point guards available, Bayless, Westbrook, or Augustin, are large enough improvements over Marbury to warrant a lottery selection". This draft is not only about next season--its about the future of the team, and besides, I think any one of the guards you mention would be an improvement over Marbury, if only for the fact that they wouldn't be Marbury. That guy is a cancer and needs to go as soon as possible. I like Alexander, but Will, picking the guy at #6 would probably bring more boos than the boos you predict for a Gallinari pick. That is too high for Alexander and the Knicks won't pass up a guy like Bayless or Mayo if they are still available. If they draft Alexander it will be after trading away the 6th pick to move down in the draft, which will also probably mean that Randolph would be on his way out. Honestly, there is no telling what will happen right now because Walsh has a lot of house cleaning to do, and may even use the 6th pick as leverage in getting rid of the trash.
from 4 months ago
Hey Paul,
Thanks for the comments on my first article. Some explanations:
1. I was on the get "Starbury out of town" boat all of last season too. But I honestly think he's a good player when put in the right system, and he's only 31. He now realizes D'Antoni and Walsh are serious about dropping him if he doesn't buck up, so I think he will have a revitalized season. I would be fine with the Bayless pick, but still think taking a competent small forward would do more towards making Knicks games bearable for fans. Plus, I doubt he'll be available at 6.
2. I agree #6 is probably a few spots too high for Alexander. But the talent level differences available from #6-12 this year aren't that drastic. I'm not sure if we'd get anything worthwhile by dropping from, say, 6 to 10. Some boards have Alexander going as high 8, so I'm not sure how far we can afford to drop anyway. The Knicks may just have to bite the bullet.
3. I also agree that drafting Alexander so high may lead to some boos. However, unless we start seeing a jaw-dropping highlight tape out of Gallinari, I still can't believe he would be immediately more liked than Alexander. Even with a highlight tape, I expect most weary New Yorkers will just blame the weaker Italian competition. David Lee is everyone's favorite Knick. Joe has everything Lee has plus an offensive game.
4. I have no problem with the Knicks trading this draft pick away and just getting ready for a busy 2010. But if they're going to select someone this year, I'm advocating for Joe.
4 months ago
I Just want to add that drafting Westbrook of Augustin at 6 would be bad--I was referring only to Bayless when I disagreed on your point about Marbury. Basically, there is no doubt that Bayless would be an excellent pick at 6
4 months ago
Those foriegners the Knicks drafted were all stiffs. This guy's a hybrid though, at least from what the scouting reports say. Besides, Walsh is a far more credible GM than Layden and Thomas were, he'd have more of a drop on the foreign market.
from 4 months ago
I agree that most of the Knicks foreign picks were stiffs with little NBA potential. Only Weis, the guy Vince Carter dunked over in the Olympics a few years back, was a first round pick. But it's not a question of Walsh being a credible GM. There have been many international players that most GMs and scouts agreed would make good pros. (Almost everyone agreed Darko was a top five talent.) Even when everyone agrees, international players are never a sure bet. You may get Nowitzki or you may get Tskitishvili.
4 months ago
Joe Alexander will be a good to possibly great player in this league he has all the potential and work ethic to become an All-Star but as said by others i think #6 to the Knicks is a stretch seeing as there's the possibility of O.J. Mayo and Jerryd Bayless still being on the board both too good to pass upon at this point in the draft. But Alexander is a gym rat and during his workout tour i expect him to impress many teams and begin to move up their boards but not topping the likes of Mayo and Bayless i believe Alexander would be a great pick for the Bucks at #8, Blazers at #13, Warriors at #14, and Suns at #15 if he slips past the Suns whatever team picks him up gets the sleeper of the '08 draft and should instantly give their GM a raise and contract extension because this kid has that "it" factor all scouts look for in players.
4 months ago
if no oj mayo,trade down and get westbrook.alexander is good but not 6th pick good.
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