Yes! and the Foul

Finally on Team Carmelo

How Plan B became more exciting than Plan A

Jul 21

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Knicks Banter, NBA Talk, Recaps at 4:32 pm | 1 Comment Tags: ,

So much has been written about “The Decision,” but with some time to reflect, what still sticks out is the spectacular fall from grace that James underwent.  Never has an athlete’s image been tarnished more quickly without a major off-court drama occuring (think Tiger, Kobe, OJ, or Michael Vick) than James’s image.  Lebron didn’t commit any crimes except to disappoint all of us who thought he could be Michael Jordan 2.0.   If anything—and Jordan reflected on this recently—James joining his friends is what the NBA is all about these days: being buddies before competitors.  Thank god for dudes like Kobe and KG.  Wait, did I just write that?!

Strangely enough, during the season, as early as January, I actually thought Lebron would end up in Miami.  Tip of the hat to me!  But, I must admit by the end of the season I finally started to believe New York might be the place if it wasn’t Cleveland. I probably changed my mind daily on what would happen.

Personally, I struggled all season with the idea that Lebron on my Knicks was a good thing.  Yeah, he’s an once in a generation player.  But the fame-whoring, self-marketing, sideline dancing, the nail-biting…  I just don’t think I’d have an easy time rooting for him with my heart.

Instead James, Wade and Bosh have created a team that fans will love to hate.  Almost like the Dallas Cowboys.  It’ll give people a rooting interest, even if it’s just to root against something.  It will give us the most hated team in the NBA since the Riley-era Knicks.  How ironic.

Fortunately, and I sincerely mean it, Lebron isn’t on my Knicks.  With the signing of Amar’e and unforeseen Randolph acquisition, Donnie Walsh was masterful in recreating this team and giving us a season to look forward to.  I rate the summer an A- instead of an A+ only because there wasn’t a PG on the market who is truly perfect for Seven Seconds or Less.

To start, Amar’e was the cream of the free agent, big man crop.  The only true max contract big man out there.  No available player (Lebron and Wade aside) puts fear into the minds of opposing defenses the way Amare does.  I know there are health concerns, but I truly think they are overblown since none of the injuries are recurring.  And, I know Amar’e will miss Steve Nash, but it can be said that Nash will miss Amar’e, too.  In Amar’e, the Knicks finally have one of the top ten players in the league.

Additionally, Amar’e is one of the few players out there confident enough to crave the New York spotlight and the responsibility of being a team leader.  After being considered the second best player on the Suns, he has a big chip on his shoulder and wants to prove he’s in the same class as Lebron or Wade.  He actually wants the challenge of New York and as a fan you have to love it.  Amar’e promises to be the most popular and spectacular Knick since Latrell Sprewell.

Or, maybe he won’t because it doesn’t get more exciting than Anthony Randolph.  When it was finally becoming clear the Knicks probably weren’t getting Lebron, Walsh pulled of the best Knicks trade since Charles Oakley for Marcus Camby.  Instead of losing Lee for nothing in free agency, he pulled of a coup and managed a sign and trade to land Anthony Randolph, Kelenna Azuibuke, and Ronny Turiaf (as well as two second round picks).

Physically, Randolph is like a longer version of Kevin Durant. He has the blocking ability of Marcus Camby and potentially the all around game of Scottie Pippen.  Or maybe Kevin Garnett with a handle.  He’s just freaky.  If he can manage to become a consistent outside threat and keep his head screwed on straight, he will be a perennial all-star.

Azuibuke and Turiaf are also welcome addtions.  Buke shoots an excellent percentage from three and plays excellent defense.  Turiaf bring a lot of spirit, defense, and blocking and is a legit center who can play alongside Amar’e.  All three ex-Warriors will give the Knicks much needed scrappiness and defense.

Then Walsh addressed the Knicks lack of point guard depth by signing Ray Felton.  I’m slightly dubious on this signing, worrying about the fit for this team as well as his ability to run D’Antoni’s offense, but I can’t deny that it was a necessary move and huge upgrade over Duhon.  Felton has a reputation for being a great team leader and used to push the ball at UNC.  Charlotte seemed to stifle his game, but he blossomed in his contract year, and was clearly the best free agent guard available.  He and Toney Douglas should be a more than capable point guard tandem, though I worry that neither will excel at the pick and roll with Amar’e.

To round out free agency, the Knicks signed Russian international Timofey Mozgov, a hulking 7 foot center.  Not much is known about him, but there was some considerable buzz about him from overseas scouts.  Most didn’t realize Mozgov wanted to come to the states, and the Knicks seemingly swept in to sign him before anyone else had a chance.  Kudos to Walsh for keeping an eye on the overseas players.  I’m not expecting much from Mozgov except for some put backs and fouls, but if he can do that for 12 minutes a night and play some tough defense, he’ll prove to be a worthy signing.

Finally, the Knicks draft can’t be ignored.  Andy Rautins and Landry Fields were universally panned as draft picks.  But, the Knicks sensibly got guys who fit this team, instead of reaching for fools gold.  The Fields pick in particular got killed, but Fields excelled in summer league and is already making Walsh look smart.  Rautins didn’t find his shot during summer league, but promises to be a three point threat once he gets in the flow of the NBA game and used to the three point line.  Additionally, Walsh picked up Jerome Jordan, a solid if underwhelming 7-footer who should give the Knicks additional presence in the paint moving forward.  It has to be said that Walsh picked up three guys in the second round who could be limited contributors this season.

Baring injuries, here’s how I see the Knicks depth chart this season (with average minutes in parenthesis):

PG: Felton (34) / Douglas (14) / Rautins (-)
SG: Azuibuke (24) / Chandler (14) / Douglas (10) / Walker (-)
SF: Gallo (32) / Chandler (10) / Randolph (6) / Fields (-)
PF: Amare (38) / Randolph (10)
C: Turiaf (24) / Randolph (16) / Mozgov (8) / Jordan (-) / Curry (-)

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Predictions on the eve of free agency

Jun 30

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Hypotheticals, NBA Talk at 4:54 pm | No Comments Tags:

Here is my best guess on the eve of free agency:

Knicks get Joe Johnson and Chris Bosh (sign/trade): My thought being the Knicks will make JJ feel like a priority going to him first, making him feel like a star, like the guy they want the most.  There will also be a comfort level with Coach D.  As for Bosh, they’ll also make him feel like he’s the man, telling him “You don’t need to be Lebron or DWade’s sidekick.  As the main attraction on the Knicks your marketability and star appeal in the league will rival that of Wade and Lebron.”

Raptors get David Lee.  Lee gets to control his own destiny a little bit in a sign and trade.  But, I worry that OKC swoops in to make Lee an offer to derail a sign and trade.  Additionally, does Lee want to be in Toronto?  Maybe some sort of super complex 3 team sign and trade happens.

Miami gets Wade and Amare.  Why would Wade leave Miami?  I mean really?  And Amare would add a great inside outside touch.  He’ll think, “if Wade won it with Shaq downlow he can win it with me down low, too.”  Besides the Miami lifestyle will hold a ton of appeal over Amare.

Cleveland gets Lebron. Lebron overplays his hand with all teams, stalls too much and the pieces start to fall before he can control them.  Additionally, he realizes that he and his peeps run the org.  Realizes he’s less of a bad guy if he stays in Cleveland.  Realizes he can’t live in the Jordan shadow and isn’t a good fit with the Chicago roster.  Realizes being in Newark for 2 years isn’t ideal.  Realizes he doesn’t want to share the credit and legacy with Wade.

Chicago gets Boozer. They add the low post scoring they actually really need and fits.

New Jersey gets no one (for now). No one is willing to wait around 2 to 3 years of a 5 year contract to play in Brooklyn.  They’ll have too much trouble getting the first chip to fall in place.  BUT, they’ll probably make it happen at some point either by trade, signing, or in a sign and trade for someone cool since they won’t be encumbered by the salary cap.

As for Lebron, I think the Knicks do have the best shot at landing him if it’s not Cleveland.  I just think the Knicks are going to move hard and fast on Joe Johnson and make him an offer immediately to get something no matter what.

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What to do with the 37th and 38th pick (Part 2)

Jun 7

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Draft, Knicks Banter at 4:55 pm | 4 Comments Tags:

[ See Part 1 for more potential Knicks selections ]

Seeing that the 2010 point guard pickings are extremely slim, especially after 2009′s crop, we’re looking at a lot of potential big men.  The later you get in the draft, the more likely that you’ll need a lot of luck to find a player who can make a significant contribution at the next level.  But, one draft philosophy that holds at least some water when you get late in the draft is to select someone who is a specialist.  Someone who is really, really, really good at least one thing.  With that I present you Jarvis Varnado and Brian Zoubek.

Jarvis Varnado

(Center/Power Forward, Miss St.) — One thing Varnado has going for him is a cool last name. I swear, people hear this guy’s last name and become convinced he’s a player (I’ll call it the ‘God Shamgod Theory’). From most accounts, Varnado is extremely raw, especially on the offensive end.  But, dang, the dude has one big skill the Knicks have been lacking for forever: shot blocking.

[ from Chad Ford: ]

He’s been the most dominant shot-blocker in college basketball the past few years, and it’s hard to imagine he won’t continue that success at the next level.

He’s an explosive athlete with a downright freaky 7-4 wingspan. He has a knack for blocking shots, is a good rebounder and plays hard on every possession. He’s slowly been improving on the offensive end, but he’s never going to be a dominant offensive player.

Is he Baby Motumbo?  I definitely think that’s a stretch.  Dikembo was so tall and long, and much stronger.  Maybe Theo Ratliff is more realistic, though even that may be hopeful.  Is Keon Clark (without the weed habit) the best analogy?  However you cut it, Varnado figures to be a lean center/power forward who can hopefully run the floor and help on the boards.  But, for a team like the Knicks that have sucked so bad the last few years at blocking shots, he sure would be a refreshing presence.

Brian Zoubek

(Center, Duke) — Duke faithful waited and waited and waited and waited to get something out of the big senior, and finally saw their patience rewarded with a move to the starting lineup in the second half of the season that contributed to Duke’s run to the NCAA championship.

Yeah, he sorta has “big white stiff robot” written all over him, but that’s pretty unfair, especially if he’s being considered as a late second round pick.

Basically, Zoubek’s one skill is offensive rebounding, a skill that translates very well to the next level, and something the Knicks were lacking last year.  Even though he doesn’t come off as a D’Antoni player, this made me thing otherwise…

[ from DraftExpress ]

The country’s most dominant offensive rebounder on a per-minute basis, Zoubek played as important a role as any player in Duke’s journey to a national championship.

Zoubek served as an efficient cog in Duke’s offense, doing a lot of little things to open things up for his teammates. Most of Duke’s halfcourt sets started with Zoubek setting a screen at the top of the key, something he does as well as anyone because of his massive frame , high motor, and great strength.

Zoubek also passes well out of the high post. Duke’s offense frequently went through him on quick ball reversals, where he did an effective job finding the open man at the 3-point line.

Craig Brackins

(Power Forward, Iowa St.) — Brackins saw his numbers decrease in his senior year, after being considered a potential lottery pick last year, but returning to school. Basically, from what I get is, he was the only offensive option on a really bad Iowa St. team. His one thing? He can score. Might be a nice offensive option of the bench.

Luke Harangody

(No position, Notre Dame) — Well, if there is a more unorthodox player in the draft, I don’t know him.  His game is so ugly he doesn’t even have any entertaining YouTube clips to show.  People have no idea what position he’d play in the pros.  But, Harangody is the epitome of college player that can’t do anything more to help his cause.  Despite the illustrious college career, people just can’t figure him out.

He seems to be burdened by the same “Is he athletic enough?” questions that Kevin Love had to deal with.  But, like Love, he has those qualities you just can’t teach (sans the incredible passing).  He has a real nose for the ball and knack for scoring.  He’s like the old dude with knee pads that you’d see at the park when you were 14 and snickered at.  But, then he’d school you, drench you in back sweat, and have you asking yourself, “how is this guy doing this against me?!” He’s that guy. I just don’t know how you don’t draft a guy who’s averaged 20 and 10 for the last three years, been a team leader in the Big East, and can both bang low and knock down the long range jumper.  What am I missing here?

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What to do with the 37th and 38th pick (Part 1)

Jun 3

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Draft, Knicks Banter at 4:58 pm | 1 Comment Tags:

One of the draft trends of the past decade, though not employed by the Knicks, has been to use second round picks on guys who you could stow overseas and let develop.  If a team doesn’t approach the second round in that way, the other option is to take a risk on players with serious question marks.  The “is he really a point guard?” guy.  The guy who is “reaaaally long and has great wingspan” but hasn’t put it all together yet.  The player who “has a questionable attitude” or “once punched his coach.”  The “transferred 4 times,” guy, etc., etc.

For the Knicks who only have 5 returning players under contract (Gallo, Chandler, Douglas, Curry, and presumably Walker), it’s very likely that the Knicks will pursue the least followed of second round draft strategies: They’ll look to draft accomplished juniors or seniors, who fill a positional need (point guard or center), who’ve shown what they can do, and despite limited “upside” can have a role on the team next year.

At the risk of getting all Dick Vitale on you, more often than not a lot of these accomplished guys end up doing pretty well as NBA role players.  Some even exceed the low expectations.  Afterall, first 5 picks aside, what player doesn’t have question marks?  David Lee and Toney Douglas were late first rounders, but were essentially four year players who proved they were basketball players.  Throughout their careers they had shown consistency, competitiveness, intelligence, work ethic, intangibles, and maybe most importantly, improvement.

With this in mind, Here are 5 accomplished big school guys, and 1 big guy from a small school, who’ve all shown the dedication and will to improve that it takes to make it in the NBA — players the Knicks have the potential to snag in the second round.  I’ll cherry pick quotes from Chad Ford’s and DraftExpress’s profiles.

Artsiom Parakhouski

(Center, Radford) — He seems like a classic late bloomer to me who if he’d stayed in Belarus and played in Europe, instead of being a senior who only played 2-years of college ball, would be a much hotter commodity.

Basically, he played soccer growing up but got big and picked up hoops.  You know he must possess the fabled footwork that all soccer players converted to basketball unquestionably have (a la Hakeem or Dikembe), at least in the eyes of American scouts.  But, in all seriousness, he looks like a fluid dude.  He’s a legit 6′ 11″ and strong.  He has 6% body fat.  Has surprising range.  WTF does this dude have to do to get attention?!

[ from Chad Ford ]

  • Legit big man with true center game
  • Decent athlete for his size
  • Strong rebounder
  • Solid shot-blocker
  • Good hands
  • Nice shooting touch
  • Not especially explosive or quick
  • Dominating against inferior competition
  • Needs to add strength
  • Lacks experience

Parakhouski may play for a small school, but he continues to come up big against elite teams. He had 23 and 14 versus Duke and an impressive 21 and 13 against Cole Aldrich and the Kansas Jayhawks.

Sure seems like he has some correctable ‘negatives’ to me.  And, if you look at his game log for this past year he never took a night off consistently putting up big numbers which says something at any level.  And when he played legit big men, he rose to the challenge.  Check him out below, and listen to the DraftExpress interview which shows him to be an affable guy.

Trevor Booker

(Power Forward, Clemson) — This dude seems like a beast of a man.  Think Jason Maxiell.  His numbers dipped in his senior season after a stellar junior campaign, and thus his draft ranking has slid into the second round, but he consistently put up pretty studly numbers.

[ From ESPN's draft blog roundtable ]

Thorpe: I’d lean heavily to Trevor Booker. NBA execs mention Paul Millsap and Carl Landry when they are discussing Booker. Um, hello? Those are two of the top 18 power forwards in the game! Booker has the “beast” mentality with long arms — a perfect combination. If his neck was an inch longer, he’d be a lottery candidate. Who cares about neck length?

Ford: Trevor Booker is a senior with NBA toughness, athleticism and a big-time motor. He won’t be a star in the NBA, but he’ll try to fit into the same mold as DeJuan Blair and Carl Landry.

Fraschilla: Trevor Booker gets my vote too. I have always advocated for second-round selections who have what I call “winning skills.” These are players that bring high energy on the court, a specific high-level skill and are low maintenance off the court. Booker fits this perfectly.

After four years as an ACC starter, he has competed against — and in some cases dominated — guys who are already in the NBA. His power, explosive jumping ability, nose for the ball and experience would make for a great rotation player early in his career on a team like the Celtics. Think of him as a Glen Davis or Leon Powe type, both of whom had knocks on them coming out of college, but helped the Celtics win a title in 2008.

Greivis Vasquez

(Guard, Maryland) — He’s 23, Venezuelan, and a four year senior.  He’s big for a point at 6’6″, but is not quick enough or athletic enough to guard NBA point guards. Athleticism seems to be his biggest knock (in addition to his proclivity to shimmy shake).

[ from Chad Ford ]

  • A combo guard who thrives on penetration to the basket
  • Excellent feel for the game
  • Good passer who can play point guard at least part-time
  • Good motor, very competitive
  • The kind of competitor who makes all of the hustle plays

[ from DraftExpress ]

Though his average athleticism is a significant obstacle, his unique style of play allows him to succeed at the collegiate level. As we have mentioned before, Vasquez is a point guard with outstanding vision and scoring mentality who has improved considerably throughout his time at Maryland. He is a very high usage player, responsible for over 25% of Maryland’s possessions. This season, he is averaging an outstanding 7.2 assists per 40 minutes pace adjusted alongside a career high 1.9 assist/turnover ratio.

On film, Vasquez is largely the same point guard, adept at running the pick and roll, but perhaps lacking the first step needed to be a great drive-and-dish threat against NBA-level defenders. He is still turning the ball over at a high rate, as well, and his 3.8 turnovers per 40 minutes pace adjusted ranks twelfth among point guard prospects in our database. His vision and passing ability are both outstanding however, as he’s able to find his teammates all over the floor in half-court sets and in transition with the utmost creativity. He has terrific timing on his drives and plays the game at a very unique pace, which helps compensate for his average athleticism.

From what I can tell, it’s his feel for the game that should propel him to a back-up point guard spot.  Judging from the video below, he has a quick 3 point stroke, can run the pick and roll very well and has excellent vision in both full and half court sets.  He looks like a potential PG to me, especially considering his 2:1 assist/turnover ratio.  Crap, he looks a lot better than Marty Collins who’s was a somewhat capable backup in the NBA.  And not to be overlooked, Vazquez has spent four years playing in the ACC against Coach K who advised Mike D to pursue Toney D.  That seemed to have worked out pretty well, so…

Coming in Part 2 I’ll make arguments for the following: Craig Brackins, Jarvis Varnado, Luke Harangody (seriously), and Brian Zoubek (no, really, seriously!)

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And so it begins

May 14

Posted by YesandtheFoul in NBA Talk, Recaps at 12:54 pm | 5 Comments Tags: ,

The LaBacle is complete.  The Celtics, the best defense in the league, pull it out in game 6 and defeat Lebron James, the best player in the NBA.  But the story will continue to be Game 5 of the Cleveland-Celtics series—perhaps the most curious performance in modern NBA history.  The media hysteria surrounding Lebron’s uncharacteristic performance has been unparalleled.  Perhaps the only other playoff controversy I can compare it to, at least in terms of volume, is when Jordan took off to Atlantic City against the Knicks in the 1993 playoffs.  Just like that scenario, the whole sports world questioned Jordan’s commitment to his team and, ridiculously in retrospect, winning.  Now everyone is questioning if Lebron is a winner.

Lebron has been expected to be a one man show.  And despite all the cliched calls from fans and media that “it’s all about team”, clearly that doesn’t apply to Lebron.  Everyone wanted Lebron to prove he could do it all by himself.  Jordan was long considered a one man show who had to learn how to play team ball.  But, in reality, Lebron has never had 2 teammates half as good as Pippen and Rodman.  Or a coach as good as the often ridiculed Phil Jackson.  Lebron’s teams have simply leaned on him too much and taken all their cues from him.

Fans expected Lebron to simply be able to will his team to a championship.  Just like Jordan did.  Just like Isiah.  Just like Magic or Larry.  But it’s ridiculous.  Basketball has proven time and again to be a team game.  You can say that Hakeem has probably won it all with the least.  But, even he had a team that rose to the occasion.  A team perfectly built to complement Hakeem with are barrage of 3 pointers and great defense.  And, just think how preposterously clutch and nasty Sam Cassell was.  That team had verve.

This Cavs team, Verajao aside, had nothing of the sort.  Shaq was simply old and slow, not to mention withdrawn and distant.  Jamison was destroyed by KG and never gelled with teammates.  Mo Williams had some offensive moments but was destroyed by Rondo.  What was Lebron supposed to do with this cast of characters?

Plain and simple: No one-man-show can do it against what has to be considered the best defensive team in the league for three years running.  Jordan, Kobe, Magic, Larry… none of these guys with this Cavs cast would’ve got by this Celtics team.  It reminds me of a young Jordan being unable to get by the Pistons.

And, it’s not just about this season.  For seven years Lebron hasn’t had a strong enough cast of characters around him.  Nor has he had a cast properly built around him.

So why should he NOT leave Cleveland?!

I’m finally coming around to the fact that Lebron to NY has a real chance of happening.  Forget the latest hot talk about Chicago being the new front runner to land Lebron.  The Jordan shadow is way too strong.  And, really, Chicago just isn’t as exciting as NY from a lifestyle, celebrity and potential money making perspective. And, about all of this Callipari talk, give me a break.

If the Knicks can get Bosh with Lebron, they’d be looking pretty nasty.  Here is your 2010 super-optimistic Knicks depth chart:

PG: LeBron James / Toney Douglas / Sergio Rodriguez (??)
SG: Wilson Chandler / Billy Walker
SF: Danilo Gallinari /
PF: Chris Bosh / Jarvis Varnado (with the 38th pick)
C: Eddy Curry (who magically gets healthy since he’s playing for a contract, the Knicks won’t suck and Lebron is here) / Earl Barron / Artsiom Parakhouski (with the 39th pick)

That’s 11 dudes, with my draft selections, and including Sergio Rodriguez who I’m not too high on keeping.  So here are some potential low cost free agents to round it out:

SF, PF, C:  Tim Thomas – I know that’s weird, but he’s versatile, smart, played well for D’antoni and can probably be had for the minimum.
C, PF: Louis Amundson – Phoenix is going to break the bank to keep Amare, and they have Robin Lopez who starts.  He’d be a nice Verajao-like piece and I have a hard time imagining him get anything more than mid-level money.
PG: Luke Ridnour – Can shoot, and push the pace.  Alongside LBJ his small size and lack of athleticism wouldn’t be exploited.
SG: Kyle Korver – For one obvious reason.  3pt % this year .536.

Here are the other prospective free agents: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

Pretty impressive.  It all starts to feel possible.

I think the scariest scenario is still the Nets winning the draft and getting John Wall.  With the new Russian billionaire owner (who’d love to open up the Russian market to Lebron and teach him the ways of a billionaire), actually being in the NY market, a ton of cap space, a studly young center, and a tradeable asset in Devin Harris, New Jersey is potentially more attractive than anywhere else.  But, here’s hoping the Nets don’t land the top pick.

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