OFFICIAL NEW YORK KNICKS OFFSEASON THREAD: TRAINING CAMP

Again, nobody is moving up in the draft to take Anthony Randolph, the Italian, etc.

It's a nice idea...but you need a trading partner.
 
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Almost all of the NBA executives who assembled at the pre-draft camp last week agree that Memphis' Derrick Rose is the best guard inthe Class of 2008.

"The bigger challenge," one scout said, "is identifying the second best."

And the third - and the fourth and fifth.

However you rank O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, Eric Gordon and others, it's clear that "Life After Rose" in the NBA draft won't be all thatbad for the NBA teams hoping to use a lottery pick on a guard.

"There are so many," Rose said. "I wouldn't know who to take."

Rose and Kansas State forward Michael Beasley are expected to be the top overall selections in the June 26 draft - although not necessarily in thatorder.

How things will unfold after that, though, is anyone's guess. The one thing that's certain is that guards should be well-represented in the top 14picks of the draft.

Along with Mayo (USC), Bayless (Arizona) and Gordon (Indiana), Texas' D.J. Augustin and UCLA's Russell Westbrook are also expected to be chosenduring the early portions of the draft. Still, determining the order in which they'll be taken is almost like playing Eenie Meenie Minie Moe.

Even Kansas coach Bill Self - whose team has faced each of the guards except Gordon - said he'd have to "think about it for awhile" before hecould fulfill a request to rank them.

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"They're all so good," Self said. "In a lot of ways, they're interchangeable. I guess you could say it's a matter oftaste."

NBA scouts and coaches love the options, too, although some said they wished there were more true point guards from which to choose.

"In this class, the only true point guards that will go in the first round are Rose, Augustin and (North Carolina's) Ty Lawson," another scoutsaid. "It's too bad there aren't more of them, because there's already a disparity in the league at that position."

Here's a quick breakdown of the guards - other than Rose - who are expected to be among the top selections in the 2008 NBA draft.

JERRYD BAYLESS

College: Arizona

Height/Weight: 6-3, 182

The skinny: Along with Russell Westbrook, Bayless might be the most athletic player in this bunch. His speed makes him difficult to keep upwith in transition, and his quickness and burst give him a deadly first step that leads to a lot of open looks. Bayless is going to get his looks, and hismid-range game is incredible - mainly because of the elevation he gets on his jump shot. He still needs to get better at finishing around the basket.

Biggest question: Like most of the guards in the draft not named Rose or Augustin, scouts aren't convinced that Bayless is a pure pointguard. He played off the ball at Arizona so Nic Wise could play the point. Bayless said he considers himself a "scoring point guard" with a stylecomparable to Utah's DeronWilliams.

"I don't know if there are a lot of players in the world that want to win as bad as me," Bayless said. "Hopefully that's somethingteams will consider."

Projection: Fourth overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics

O.J. MAYO

College: USC

Height/Weight: 6-4, 210

The skinny: No guard in this group will provide more immediate help than Mayo, whose role will depend on the team that selects him. Mayo isa true combo guard, meaning he has the ability to excel at both point guard and shooting guard, the position he played during his one season at USC. As ascorer, Mayo takes most of his shots from the perimeter, although he's also got an outrageous first step that allows him to get to the basket. But it'salso no secret that Mayo can distribute the ball effectively. Mayo is also extremely poised for someone who played just one college season. NBA-types have nodoubt that he has the make-up to run a team.

Biggest question: Dating back to high school, Mayo's off-court issues have overshadowed some of his on-court accomplishments. Lastmonth a former confidant accused Mayo of accepting about $30,000 worth of cash and gifts from a friend who was being funneled money from the sports agency withwhich Mayo eventually signed. On the court, Mayo has yet to show much of a midrange game. He is also a player who often seems to be playing selfish, AAU-styleof ball, so his ability to involve his teammates is sometimes questioned.

Projection: Sixth overall pick by the New York Knicks

ERIC GORDON

College: Indiana

Height/Weight: 6-4, 220

The skinny: Physically, Gordon is one of the strongest guards in the draft, which makes him tough to defend when going to the basket."Every move is a power move," Bayless said. "(Gordon) is no fun to play against." Gordon shows no fear when it comes to attacking thebasket and has also demonstrated his three-point prowess from NBA range. His lanky arms give him the length that makes him a pest on defense. He alsodemonstrated a lot of poise and maturity during a tumultuous time at Indiana last season.

Biggest question: Like Bayless, Gordon is considered a shooting guard in the NBA and not a point guard. That's certainly not a knock onhim. It's just reality. NBA teams are hoping the second half of his season at Indiana was just a fluke - especially the last 10 games, when Gordon shotjust 36 percent from the field and 16 percent from three-point range. A wrist injury and Indiana's coaching situation might have played a factor inGordon's slide, but he also seemed to settle for his jump shot during that span instead of attacking the basket.

Projection: Eighth overall selection by the Milwaukee Bucks

D.J. AUGUSTIN

College: Texas

Height/Weight: 5-11, 180

The skinny: The best pure point guard in the draft other than Rose and one of the quicker, more crafty players in all of college basketballlast season. Tremendous at creating space between him and his defender. Despite the absence of Kevin Durant, Texas actually got better lastseason thanks to Augustin, who averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 assists. "D.J. is the hardest to guard out of all of those guys (in the draft) because he hasthe ball in his hands 95 percent of the time," Kansas counterpart Russell Robinson said. "He comes off of all those screens from everywhere. He'stough."

Biggest question: Obviously, Augustin's height is a concern - at least to some people. "I don't think it's ever held meback," Augustin said. "I've always been the smallest one on the floor. I have no problem going in against the big men and doing what I dobest." Augustin is also not nearly as athletic as players such as Rose, Bayless and Westbrook. One scout said Augustin's future in the NBA will likelybe as a backup.

Projection: 11th overall selection by the Indiana Pacers

RUSSELL WESTBROOK

College: UCLA

Height/Weight: 6-3, 187

The skinny: Westbrook is the best athlete in this class of guards. He anticipates extremely well, which led to lots of nice steals on theperimeter and some easy points in transition. That he played for one of college basketball's top coaches in Ben Howland also makes Westbrook's resumesparkle a bit more. Westbrook played well in the NCAA tournament, when he helped UCLA reach its third straight Final Four. His stock has been rising eversince. Scouts said Westbrook, a combo guard, has as much "upside" as any player in the draft.

Biggest question: Westbrook's shooting is suspect, which will need to change if he has any hope of a long, lucrative career at theprofessional level. He shot 33.8 percent from three-point range last year. The season before, as a freshman, Westbrook averaged just nine minutes per game.

Projection: 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings
 
"I don't know if there are a lot of players in the world that want to win as bad as me," Bayless said. "Hopefully that's something teams will consider."
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That's the main reason I like him as much, if not a tadddddddd bit more than OJ
 
Originally Posted by Al3xis

Again, nobody is moving up in the draft to take Anthony Randolph, the Italian, etc.

It's a nice idea...but you need a trading partner.

Im not talking about them. But at #6 either OJ or Bayless will be available. If OJ is there i want to keep the pick. But if Bayless is still availablethere is 0 chance we could not find a trading partner willing to jump up and trade him.

Heck i could even see us working somethingnout with the Suns so D'Antoni can get his boi Barbosa back to run the point (who i love) and they get Baylessto back up an aging Nash (i know they been looking for a young talented point to get mentored by Nash and than take over when hes done and Bayless would beperfect for that because Nash could help him with his passing and he is fresh outta Arizona)

We could be able to package that pick along with a $@$+%+ contract like James or Jeffries for Barbosa and maybe some later picks in the second round orsomething. Heck maybe even that #15 pick they currently hold so we can take a talented big.
 
man oh man .. I feel like I just found a lost civilization .. I am for one , not a knicks fan at all .. and for two , I am not a knicks fan at all ... But I ama NYC resident , born & raised , so I will not come in here with any hate .. The knicks should hope to draft OJ Mayo .. He is a very mature guard .. I knowmost , if not all knicks fan , will be so happy to see Marbury leave after this year .. You should be .. He is a bum from C.I. , and he should relinquish hisNBA career and hit the boardwalk to sell Nathans hotdogs all day , everyday .. Curry should join him .. I have never saw a Center miss as many dunks as he has... He has a worst vertical leap then Charles Oakley .. They need to gut this team like a vanilla dutch , redesign their offense around a skilled point guardand get their ishhh together .. I used to hate on the knicks until knicks fans started hatin on them aswell .. then it just got boring .. Wish ya'll thebest of luck this year ..
 
good draft preview from realgm.com... http://basketball.realgm.com/src_tw...0602/30_teams_30_days_new_york_draft_preview/

some quotes i liked...
Rookie Wilson Chandler also shows signs of being a solid pick late in the first round. The small forward out of DePaul started getting minutes over the final month and a half of the season and looked to be one of the more competitive players on the roster. His all around game reminds some of Shawn Marion with a normal jump shot, and it only makes sense that D'Antoni is the perfect coach to sculpt him into an All-Star caliber performer.
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The chandler discussions have died down a little bit on here but wouldefinitley be down to testing him out as starting SF next season

The Knicks were historically awful in the defense department. They registered only 213 blocked shots all season. To put that into perspective, Marcus Camby, a guy they disastrously traded six years ago, had 285 blocked shots last year. No Knicks had even 0.5 blocks per game. Renaldo Balkman led the team with 30 blocks in 65 games, while Eddy Curry led the team with 0.49 blocks per game (29 in 59 games). If defense wins championships, then this Knick team is nowhere near winning a championship.
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ducking terrible. Get rid of both our worhtless big men they cant play D for %%%$. Z Bo is just a terribe defender enough said. He doesnt l[p out orplay good man D in the post. But you cant really expect him to block any shots. Curry's only excuse is ++#+$*@ laziness. not only is he worse than Z bo atplaying D man on and helping out but he cant even put a shot away at 6'11 and for a 290 pound guy decently athletic. I mean he cant jump so im notexpecting the next Camby but come the $@+# on. That is just ++#+$*@ laziness. For Balkman who was a little used energy man last season to average more than ourstarting 6'11 centrer is ABSOLUTELY disgraceful.
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at tradingCamby

O.J. Mayo was born for New York and Madison Square Garden. The star guard out of USC has been in the spotlight since middle school and has a flair for being a showman. His solid defense, quality stroke from deep, and overall fierce intensity would be revered in The City that Never Sleeps. He would immediately be a fan favorite and his explosive dunks and penchant for getting the crowd amped up would put the Knicks back on the block. New York needs O.J. Mayo. O.J. Mayo needs New York.
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couldnt have said it better myself. WE NEED JUICE.

According to Andrew Perna's New York Knicks Lottery Summit, an interactive column featuring the responses of true RealGM hoops fans hoping to add their two cents to the Knicks Draft discussion, the fans of New York seemed to believe that this year's selection had to be Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo or bust. Since it is extremely unlikely that any of those three will slip all the way down to 6, the consensus of the Knick faithful would be happier if the sixth overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft resulted in:

Trade Down (if O.J. Mayo, SG - USC doesn't fall)
probably agreed as i have much stated

EDIT:
But Bayless probably fits better than Mayo under D'Antoni..
first of all i dont really agree with that. I think they both run the floor amazingly but i think OJ might be better. But i feel OJ hsas MUCHbetter vision than he does. I feel that Bayless has terrible all around vision and PG skills while Mayo is not a prototypical passing PG i would rather himplay the point because at least i feel he is good at reading defenses and has good vision, he just dont pass that much. But on the subject of D'Antoni yallgot to remember that Nash's game was TOTALLY different out in Dallas he was in no way a passing guard. D'Antoni made him that. i feel D'antonicould turn OJ into a better passing PG like he did with Nash because he has the skills he just doesnt use them. Bayless i just dont think has that skill. alsoi think Mayo is more NBA ready which we could use to help restart this team and has a more complete offenive game and is way more powerful.

But as i have stated numerous times in no way should we let D'Antoni influence us to not take the player that is best avalable. D'Antoni is expendablei didnt like the move from the start. But a quality pick at #6 could make or break us for a long time.
 
O.J. Mayo was born for New York and Madison Square Garden. The star guard out of USC has been in the spotlight since middle school and has a flair for being a showman. His solid defense, quality stroke from deep, and overall fierce intensity would be revered in The City that Never Sleeps. He would immediately be a fan favorite and his explosive dunks and penchant for getting the crowd amped up would put the Knicks back on the block. New York needs O.J. Mayo. O.J. Mayo needs New York.
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couldnt have said it better myself. WE NEED JUICE.

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Bayless..

- Takes better shots

- Turns the ball over less

- Is More explosive in the open court, and has a better first step. All in all he's just a better athlete.

...

Now, of course Mayo maybe a better player (even right now) but as of RIGHT NOW, Bayless is prob a better PG than Mayo.

Let's not forget that Mayo was a turnover machine this past season.

USC's offense was every bit as stagnant with guys sitting and watching the ball as Arizona's was this past year.

..

Really though, I can go either way...I don't see one being better than the other by much right now, if at all.

My main concern with both is..

Do they make others better?
 
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New York
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Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Age: 20
School: Texas
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The skinny:The Knicks want a lead guard who can push the ball and hit an open jumper. But if Rose, Mayo and Bayless are off the board,they'll have a tough choice to make.

I had Danilo Gallinari here in the first two versions of this mock draft, thanks to his Italian ties with Mike D'Antoni.

However, a Suns source told me that D'Antoni wasn't a huge fan of Gallinari when he was shown some tape during the season, which has made meseriously reconsider that forecast.

The Knicks could gamble on one of the next two point guards on the board. D.J. Augustin is a great leader, a fantastic playmaker and the closest thing toSteve Nash in this draft. That will be a plus for D'Antoni. Russell Westbrook isalso intriguing. He's a top-notch athlete, a tenacious defender and an emerging playmaker.

The other choice might be to go with the best player available. In my mind, that would be Anthony Randolph.


....From Chad Ford...

I must say I'm pretty opposed to taking him at 6. Or anywhere in the Top say, 8.
 
^^like i said before i feel that Mayo is better than Bayless and under proper coaching has a better hance to be a decent passing PG. Remember like i said Nashwas always a scoring guard until he came to D'Antoni's system, and look how he turned out. and i think that Mayo would be easier to change than Nashwith his superior talent and athletisism and considering that he is just a young rookie while Nash was an established veteran.


Mayo's turnover problems were mainly from the beginning of the year, he was terrible. But son turned it up in that later half.

EDIT: and on DJ as i have stated many times. If he shows up to pre draft camps and improves his stock which i think he will be because he is extremely talentedi am all for that pick. i am a big fan of DJ and i think he would be perfect for the Knicks and especially D'Antoni (although we shouldnt pick him basedJUST on that) I see him alot of a poor mans chris Paul. He can run, he is a great passer, handler and an overall PG, he is a pretty feist defender that canknock down shots, and also like Paul he is mature and an excellent leader. I would be over joyed with that pick...

and back to mayo/Bayless not only do ifeel that Mayo has a better chance of being a better PG i think there is no dsscussion that if we pick him for SG he isMUCH bettter off than Bayless. He has a better all around offensive game, better at efense and has more of a SGs body meaning he is big and powerrful whichBayless is not. Which is why if Mayo can develop into a PG he would be EXTREMELY dangerous with his skills at his size.
 
We need an exciting young star back in the Garden...Mayo is that star.

If hes still on the board at 6 and we don't pick him.....I'm dropping all Knicks loyalty.
 
Originally Posted by abeautifulhaze

We need an exciting young star back in the Garden...Mayo is that star.

If hes still on the board at 6 and we don't pick him.....I'm dropping all Knicks loyalty.
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If that happens, I'll be sure to start a chant at the draft and chant out "frederic Weiss"
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I hope Mayo does what Kobe and Francis did. Demand to be traded into a bigger market team. He went to USC for a reason, so I hope the same plays out on draftnight.
 
Originally Posted by J Steezzz

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Flatbush! Damn homie , haven't seen u in here in a minute.... but yea i think Love is a def. reach at 3, but if you want someone bad enough, u take him no matter what anyone else thinks

Yeah kid has some comp problems and I hate posting from my BB. But I have been checking in. Draft night should be interesting. I will be coveringit....is anyone going?

Let me just add some of my thoughts on drafting a guard....
I am not high on Mayo and I really question whether or not he can play the point. I am shocked at how much Eric Gordon is not mentioned. I like his combogame and I think he is better suited to make the transition to PG.

However, I think in the end Gallinari will be the best player on the board at six and fits our needs the best right now in D'Antoni's offense.
 
lol^, i feel the same way...All I've been saying about the draft is no Eric Gordon or Kevin Love...

I'll be happy with Mayo or Bayless, I think Bayless is gonna be a solid PG that will be able to score alot of pts...Mayo is really a SG (i don't seehim playing PG in the NBA, unless he can be a Gilbert Arenas type PG), but he can be a star player...

Seattle is going to take one of them, the Grizzles already said they're happy w/ Lowry/Conley Jr./Navarro, so it really comes down to who Seattle takes,and the bigger question, what do the T-Wolves do? (i think Foye and McCants are good, but realistically they could use help at any position but PF and probablytake the best player available)...

it's sort of out of the Knicks hands to pick Mayo/Bayless, bc 1 if not 2 of them will be off the board by the time they get to pick...that being said, aslong as I dont see Love or Gordon in a Knicks uniform, or if Walsh can trade down and get rid of a contract (Curry or Randolph) and still get a player withsome talent (Augustin, Randolph, Jordan, Westbrook, Arthur), I'll be happy...
 
If we were to draft Bayless as a 2 guard at his height... Gordon>>>>>Bayless IMO

but i still say deal the pick if no Mayo. If not i would like DJ if he raises his stock or possibly Randolph, im not big on Bayless but if Walsh sees him as anice fit as PG than i got no problem. but i think he would be a waste of a pick at SG i would rather Gordon IMO.

EDIT: and if we could trade down and clear cap my top 2 targets for us would be DJ and Westbrook

but i think it would be $ if we could package this pick and a bad contract for a young guy that can be an all star like Barbosa im a big fan of his and i knowD'Antoni wants him here and Phoenic may be looking to deal him, i would probably want a 2nd round pick or something as well in that deal though.
 
It's just the last thing I want is someone who needs the ball and is only a scorer/shooter.
 
6'9" Wingspan

ERIC GORDON IS OUR MAN!!!!

Please...no to Gallinari...

and we don't need a point guard....next year's draft will have alot of PGs....good ones will alot of potential like Rubio and Jennings. We don'tneed to be looking for a neccesity....our team is too atrocious to be drafting for a need....what we NEED to draft is the BPA....and that's Eric Gordon.
 
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