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Post by irish2u2 on Jan 18, 2010 21:30:17 GMT -5
Anybody seen Ken? I sent him an email but no response. It's been awhile since I have posted and now that we are at the half way point of the season it's time for grades. First happy Martin Luther King Day to all. How did Eddy Curry hurt his leg? Certainly not playing basketball. Must be a Wii injury.  We are 17-24 but considering our start this is better than than I thought. Some quick player grades. David Lee A His offense is a lot better and he is a threat shooting or facing up and not just a guy who gets pick and roll points. His rebounding remains stellar but now his passing is being showcased. The biggest difference is defense. Lee will never be confused with Bruce Bowen but he is far better and especially on help defense. Right now he is playing at an All-Star level. Wilson Chandler B+ I'm more impressed with Chandler than Lee because Wilson was already a stout defender. Now his offense has become real diversified, his decision making shows real maturity and his rebounding and passing are far better. I like where Wilson Chandler is now and you can see some star level play out of him. He does all this within the flow of the game too without forcing shots or demanding touches. His physical ability is off the charts and his basketball IQ is catching up fast. Danillo Gallinari B Considering this is really his rookie year I am blown away at how well Gallo is playing. He makes mistakes but his defense and rebounding are far better than I thought and he is the consummate team player leading the NBA in try attempts and makes. He need some work on getting better shots and mixing up his game better and his FG% could use some work but he is a work in progress and he looks like a Gallangelo. Al Harrington B He scores. He has accepted and excelled at a role off the bench. His rebounding numbers are decent and while he can be selfish he also can play team ball. He is limited as a player but within his role he is excellent and sometimes he can surprise you with a great pass or his defensive effort. Chris Duhon C- He was a failure at the beginning of the year but he is playing much better of late and starting to hit shots. No matter what he does he still is a NBA backup player. An elite backup player but not a starter for a playoff team. More later.... |
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Post by ironman95 on Jan 19, 2010 2:00:29 GMT -5
Duhon is shooting 20% over the last 5 or 6 games. He is regressing.
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Post by ReneNYG1 on Jan 19, 2010 13:17:04 GMT -5
Bill I miss Kenny as well,I hope he healthty and will be back soon,I agree with Iron Duhon has regressed but your accessment of the team is correct I'll Will has impressed with his game staying away from the three point line and not causing offensive fouls .I think his play has been very consistant which is what we want from him,Gallo has supprised with his defense and Lee is hitting like he was a shooter allalong ,all three are keepers.I will like you to give N8 a chance,he has toned down his showboating and while he continues to make some foolish passes on ocassions his offense and defense is wellcomed.With Ariza tearing it up in Houston and Lee here Isiah drafts are looking real good.
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Post by ironman95 on Jan 19, 2010 14:34:37 GMT -5
Then there is Balkman and Frye, I might point out, arguably. I think Bill's analysis is right on except for Duhon. Lee is just plain great, he has improved every aspect of his game. Chandler is finally playing within(emphasis on within) his capabilities, which should not include shooting very many threes. I always though Gallinari could play defense, which is where I diverge from the majority. Yes, he gets beat by a half step or so, but he makes up for that with intelligence and that long reach and good timing. He is still a work in progress, very much so however. I maintain my view on Harrington which is, that he is only effective when he gets to the free throw line. In other words he has to penetrate and move, and not hoist up threes. He is getting there. He is still a liability on defense, moreso I believe than Lee. Apparently I and a lot of my brother posters have underestimated Jeffries value. Mea Culpa. Nate is Nate, its love/hate, not with who he is, but with what he does(or doesn't do). He's kinda loveable when he's on your side and playing a team game. Kind of like Sean Avery on the Rangers(sloppy seconds). You love him when he's on your team, but hate him if he's the opponent. Douglas and Hughes get incompletes from me. Hill is showing signs of life. Bender seems in and out, maybe not ready for the rigors of 3-4 games per week. Landry may have some use down the road, where he may become a smaller and a lot cheaper version of Jeffries when Jared is gone. As an aside, I watched Tulsa vs Central Florida, mismatch that it was. It was Jordan vs Jordan. Jerome vs Marcus(Michael's son). It was no contest. Jerome was dominant, even when triple-teamed, including the 7'4" Polish guy on him. The same Tulsa guards who were not very good last year are much better this year. Plus Tulsa has another 7 footer, white boy(Idlet) who is a sophomore who is now good enough that he plays with Jordan as well as serve as his "Caddy". I would guess that he will be pretty good in two more years. Jordan can now pass out of the double and triple teams effectively, plus he has developed a jumper to go with the jump-hook and he made a move under that basket coming out on the other side with a dunk over the 7'4" guy that brought the house down. Albeit the Polish guy needs a lot of work. We need a mid-round pick to take Jordan, he is perfect for this system. He is everything Thabeet is not. The Knicks should consider Ben Uzoh(Tulsa guard) for the second round pick they do have. Not a pure point guard, probably a Toney Douglas clone, that can shoot better. They'll make the Big Dance this year, so everyone will get a chance to see them in action.
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Post by ReneNYG1 on Jan 20, 2010 0:58:43 GMT -5
Iron, Frye is tearing it up now.I can't believe how up and down Duhon is and the coach called it it's all confidence.It's in his head where the problem is,I hope N8 keeps improving ,Bill I want updates on that Florida State center LOL I know it's on the other side of the state my sister's school.We do need a shot blocker big low post banger who has some agility blocking shots and running the break.
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Post by irish2u2 on Jan 20, 2010 14:21:12 GMT -5
C'mon gang!!! I gave Duhon a C- !!! It's not like I said he was an all-star. Points taken on Duhon's last 6 games though. Continuing on.... Jared Jefferies B If we were winning more he'd get a higher grade but "B" is fair for all the intangible things JJ does on the court. He's infuriating because his offense comes and goes and he can't finish against a WNBA player let alone NBA but every time you start to wonder about him he doubles up and forces a turnover or gets a tip so another Knick can get a rebound or blocks a shot. Nate Robinson C+ I think Nate turned a corner by keeping his mouth shut when he was benched. I still think he could be better as a distributor and defender, especially in the open court, but I do see effort and after all he is one of the best scorers off the bench in the NBA when given a chance. My jury is still out on him but it was nice to hear the Garden crowd cheer him during the Pistons game. Jon Bender C Considering where he was and what he can still do I might grade Bender higher but he is very rusty still. I can see the skills though but he needs to get his hop back a little and work more on the feet. It's a miracle he can play at all and in spurts he has played great so let's hope he can continue to progress. A 7 footer with his range and length is a nice asset to have on your side and if he shows game his price tag won't be too high either. Jordan Hill B I should give Hill an incomplete but in his limited time on the court you notice two things about Hill. He is active. He uses that 6'10 body well and he's a pretty good athlete. He is also an exceptional shooter from midrange on in and he isn't scared to put the ball up. In fact there is none of the "deer in the headlights" look you associate with rookies and certainly not like fellow Wildcat Channing Frye. I like this kid. Toney Douglas C Toney can shoot and Toney plays decent defense but his passing has been subpar and his assist to turnover rate is less than 1-1. That needs work but in his defense he has been yo-yoed in and out of the lineup and it's hard to pick up a rhythm that way. I like him though and he shows promise. Marcus Landry, Darko Milicic, Larry Hughes and Eddy Curry.... Incompletes and in two cases much to my continuing consternation. |
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Post by greatgates on Jan 21, 2010 12:15:04 GMT -5
Then there is Balkman and Frye, I might point out, arguably. I think Bill's analysis is right on except for Duhon. Lee is just plain great, he has improved every aspect of his game. Chandler is finally playing within(emphasis on within) his capabilities, which should not include shooting very many threes. I always though Gallinari could play defense, which is where I diverge from the majority. Yes, he gets beat by a half step or so, but he makes up for that with intelligence and that long reach and good timing. He is still a work in progress, very much so however. I maintain my view on Harrington which is, that he is only effective when he gets to the free throw line. In other words he has to penetrate and move, and not hoist up threes. He is getting there. He is still a liability on defense, moreso I believe than Lee. Apparently I and a lot of my brother posters have underestimated Jeffries value. Mea Culpa. Nate is Nate, its love/hate, not with who he is, but with what he does(or doesn't do). He's kinda loveable when he's on your side and playing a team game. Kind of like Sean Avery on the Rangers(sloppy seconds). You love him when he's on your team, but hate him if he's the opponent. Douglas and Hughes get incompletes from me. Hill is showing signs of life. Bender seems in and out, maybe not ready for the rigors of 3-4 games per week. Landry may have some use down the road, where he may become a smaller and a lot cheaper version of Jeffries when Jared is gone. As an aside, I watched Tulsa vs Central Florida, mismatch that it was. It was Jordan vs Jordan. Jerome vs Marcus(Michael's son). It was no contest. Jerome was dominant, even when triple-teamed, including the 7'4" Polish guy on him. The same Tulsa guards who were not very good last year are much better this year. Plus Tulsa has another 7 footer, white boy(Idlet) who is a sophomore who is now good enough that he plays with Jordan as well as serve as his "Caddy". I would guess that he will be pretty good in two more years. Jordan can now pass out of the double and triple teams effectively, plus he has developed a jumper to go with the jump-hook and he made a move under that basket coming out on the other side with a dunk over the 7'4" guy that brought the house down. Albeit the Polish guy needs a lot of work. We need a mid-round pick to take Jordan, he is perfect for this system. He is everything Thabeet is not. The Knicks should consider Ben Uzoh(Tulsa guard) for the second round pick they do have. Not a pure point guard, probably a Toney Douglas clone, that can shoot better. They'll make the Big Dance this year, so everyone will get a chance to see them in action. |
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Post by greatgates on Jan 21, 2010 12:18:22 GMT -5
C'mon gang!!! I gave Duhon a C- !!! It's not like I said he was an all-star. Points taken on Duhon's last 6 games though. Continuing on.... Jared Jefferies B If we were winning more he'd get a higher grade but "B" is fair for all the intangible things JJ does on the court. He's infuriating because his offense comes and goes and he can't finish against a WNBA player let alone NBA but every time you start to wonder about him he doubles up and forces a turnover or gets a tip so another Knick can get a rebound or blocks a shot. Nate Robinson C+ I think Nate turned a corner by keeping his mouth shut when he was benched. I still think he could be better as a distributor and defender, especially in the open court, but I do see effort and after all he is one of the best scorers off the bench in the NBA when given a chance. My jury is still out on him but it was nice to hear the Garden crowd cheer him during the Pistons game. Jon Bender C Considering where he was and what he can still do I might grade Bender higher but he is very rusty still. I can see the skills though but he needs to get his hop back a little and work more on the feet. It's a miracle he can play at all and in spurts he has played great so let's hope he can continue to progress. A 7 footer with his range and length is a nice asset to have on your side and if he shows game his price tag won't be too high either. Jordan Hill B I should give Hill an incomplete but in his limited time on the court you notice two things about Hill. He is active. He uses that 6'10 body well and he's a pretty good athlete. He is also an exceptional shooter from midrange on in and he isn't scared to put the ball up. In fact there is none of the "deer in the headlights" look you associate with rookies and certainly not like fellow Wildcat Channing Frye. I like this kid. Toney Douglas C Toney can shoot and Toney plays decent defense but his passing has been subpar and his assist to turnover rate is less than 1-1. That needs work but in his defense he has been yo-yoed in and out of the lineup and it's hard to pick up a rhythm that way. I like him though and he shows promise. Marcus Landry, Darko Milicic, Larry Hughes and Eddy Curry.... Incompletes and in two cases much to my continuing consternation. |
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Post by ironman95 on Jan 21, 2010 14:44:37 GMT -5
GG, Jerome Jordan is a mid to late 1st round pick, no way he goes in the 2nd round. Last year at this time Tyreke Evans wasn't rated very highly either, and you see what happened with him. I think his place will be determined by his showing in March. They should make the Big Dance instead of the NIT this year. Only 3 losses so far, albeit in a weak conference. I've been right so far in my draft analysis of the last two years. I said Beasley was better than Rose, and I'm sticking to that position. I said Evans would go very high and probably be ROY. I said Thabeet would be a bust. I said Blair, Budinger and Jerebko would be steals in the 2nd round, and be quite good. I still would have taken Budinger over Douglas as Knicks GM. I haven't been wrong on any of these except maybe Beasley over Rose, but time will tell, because I said down the road Beasley would prove to be the better player. I watched all these players play, over and over. I've already watched Tulsa twice. Jordan is very, very good, not great, not at all, but very good. On BOTH ends. If you want to see shots get altered every single time an opponent enters the paint, then you should want Jordan on the Knicks. Jordan, Lee and Gallinari in the frontcourt with LeBron and whomever in the backcourt? You've got inside presence(Jordan), outside shooting(Gallinari), and pick and roll garbageman(Lee). I'd love to see that. That is why I want the Celtics 1st round pick, it just might net the Knicks Jordan, with some luck. How many times have you watched Jerome Jordan play? I'd say I've seen his game about 10 times over the last two years. I'm even starting to root for Tulsa, even though I've been to 4 other schools that I should be rooting for. No way is Jordan like O'Bryant. Jordan while not real quick is very slippery around the basket, on both ends. He's trim and fit and has extremely good work ethic. Knows when to make a move and when to pass it. I challenge you to watch one game of his, and tell me you wouldn't want him on the Knicks. As far as Darko and Hill go, I give Darko an incomplete because I don't think he ever got a fair chance. Hill is at that stage where his exuberance overrides good judgement. I don't think he'll ever be a highly intelligent player, but he will figure most of it out, and his athleticism will allow him to overcome some of that. I can see next year with Nate probably gone, Hill becoming a fan favorite. This is where Isiah screwed up oh so bad, not having a 1st round pick this year. At least two good big men would be within reach, if we had our pick. Makes me sick just thinking about it.
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Post by greatgates on Jan 22, 2010 13:31:13 GMT -5
GG, Jerome Jordan is a mid to late 1st round pick, no way he goes in the 2nd round. Last year at this time Tyreke Evans wasn't rated very highly either, and you see what happened with him. I think his place will be determined by his showing in March. They should make the Big Dance instead of the NIT this year. Only 3 losses so far, albeit in a weak conference. I've been right so far in my draft analysis of the last two years. I said Beasley was better than Rose, and I'm sticking to that position. I said Evans would go very high and probably be ROY. I said Thabeet would be a bust. I said Blair, Budinger and Jerebko would be steals in the 2nd round, and be quite good. I still would have taken Budinger over Douglas as Knicks GM. I haven't been wrong on any of these except maybe Beasley over Rose, but time will tell, because I said down the road Beasley would prove to be the better player. I watched all these players play, over and over. I've already watched Tulsa twice. Jordan is very, very good, not great, not at all, but very good. On BOTH ends. If you want to see shots get altered every single time an opponent enters the paint, then you should want Jordan on the Knicks. Jordan, Lee and Gallinari in the frontcourt with LeBron and whomever in the backcourt? You've got inside presence(Jordan), outside shooting(Gallinari), and pick and roll garbageman(Lee). I'd love to see that. That is why I want the Celtics 1st round pick, it just might net the Knicks Jordan, with some luck. How many times have you watched Jerome Jordan play? I'd say I've seen his game about 10 times over the last two years. I'm even starting to root for Tulsa, even though I've been to 4 other schools that I should be rooting for. No way is Jordan like O'Bryant. Jordan while not real quick is very slippery around the basket, on both ends. He's trim and fit and has extremely good work ethic. Knows when to make a move and when to pass it. I challenge you to watch one game of his, and tell me you wouldn't want him on the Knicks. As far as Darko and Hill go, I give Darko an incomplete because I don't think he ever got a fair chance. Hill is at that stage where his exuberance overrides good judgement. I don't think he'll ever be a highly intelligent player, but he will figure most of it out, and his athleticism will allow him to overcome some of that. I can see next year with Nate probably gone, Hill becoming a fan favorite. This is where Isiah screwed up oh so bad, not having a 1st round pick this year. At least two good big men would be within reach, if we had our pick. Makes me sick just thinking about it. I've only seen jordan once & i did like him. But many other are not enamored. See draft express: -Jerome Jordan-Seeing is believing when it comes to Jerome Jordan, as there might not be a player in this year’s draft class who makes a stronger initial impression on first glance. His physical tools are amazing, starting with his legit 7-feet size, his excellent frame, or his pterodactyl 7-6 wingspan. When it came to the actual games or drills, though, it was a whole different story. Jordan showed flashes of potential with the way he finished around the rim, but for the most part he looked clumsy or not focused (depending on your perspective) trying to make catches with his so-so hands, and also seemed very lethargic in the competitive part of the drills. He may be a little bit too laid back for his own good, prompting one scout in attendance to go as far as to call him “a less athletic Patrick O’Bryant.” We wouldn’t go quite that far, but Jordan definitely needs to show a higher intensity level if he wants to justify passing up being the 2nd or 3rd best center in the 2009 draft by returning to Tulsa for his senior year. NBAdraft.net also doesn't rate him that high. Again i think he has potential but I'm just reporting. Darko was garbage; and his exile to the end of the bench helped the team. I had hoped he would be a key cog but again any media offering comment on him was negative. We all had favorites in the draft that we wanted (Evans, Curry, Blair |
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Post by greatgates on Jan 22, 2010 13:54:26 GMT -5
GG, Jerome Jordan is a mid to late 1st round pick, no way he goes in the 2nd round. Last year at this time Tyreke Evans wasn't rated very highly either, and you see what happened with him. I think his place will be determined by his showing in March. They should make the Big Dance instead of the NIT this year. Only 3 losses so far, albeit in a weak conference. I've been right so far in my draft analysis of the last two years. I said Beasley was better than Rose, and I'm sticking to that position. I said Evans would go very high and probably be ROY. I said Thabeet would be a bust. I said Blair, Budinger and Jerebko would be steals in the 2nd round, and be quite good. I still would have taken Budinger over Douglas as Knicks GM. I haven't been wrong on any of these except maybe Beasley over Rose, but time will tell, because I said down the road Beasley would prove to be the better player. I watched all these players play, over and over. I've already watched Tulsa twice. Jordan is very, very good, not great, not at all, but very good. On BOTH ends. If you want to see shots get altered every single time an opponent enters the paint, then you should want Jordan on the Knicks. Jordan, Lee and Gallinari in the frontcourt with LeBron and whomever in the backcourt? You've got inside presence(Jordan), outside shooting(Gallinari), and pick and roll garbageman(Lee). I'd love to see that. That is why I want the Celtics 1st round pick, it just might net the Knicks Jordan, with some luck. How many times have you watched Jerome Jordan play? I'd say I've seen his game about 10 times over the last two years. I'm even starting to root for Tulsa, even though I've been to 4 other schools that I should be rooting for. No way is Jordan like O'Bryant. Jordan while not real quick is very slippery around the basket, on both ends. He's trim and fit and has extremely good work ethic. Knows when to make a move and when to pass it. I challenge you to watch one game of his, and tell me you wouldn't want him on the Knicks. As far as Darko and Hill go, I give Darko an incomplete because I don't think he ever got a fair chance. Hill is at that stage where his exuberance overrides good judgement. I don't think he'll ever be a highly intelligent player, but he will figure most of it out, and his athleticism will allow him to overcome some of that. I can see next year with Nate probably gone, Hill becoming a fan favorite. This is where Isiah screwed up oh so bad, not having a 1st round pick this year. At least two good big men would be within reach, if we had our pick. Makes me sick just thinking about it.
Darko was garbage. No incomplete. People here wanted him to be a factor as a good defensive big man would be a nice addition( hence the curiosity about your guy Jordan). Exiling his ass to the end of the bench was a highlight of the season. I hoped he would be a plus and asked many people ( writers, fans and insiders) and virtually all thought he'd be no help and had earned his rep as a joke. A tad hard but not being able to beat out a guy like Bender who had his best season back when Van Gundy was our coach ( or when Joe Johnson played for the Celtics or when George bush was exceedingly popular) says alot about Darkness.
Hill is athletic and people write that he is now starting to put in the necessary work to become a pro. We'll see but he certainly doesn't deserve a "B" grade for finally passing Carl Landry's brother in the rotation. |
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Post by greatgates on Jan 22, 2010 13:55:58 GMT -5
BTW Iron Big props for Jerebko. I like his game a lot
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Post by irish2u2 on Jan 22, 2010 14:13:55 GMT -5
Tyreke Evans was always rated highly. He was a "can't miss" 5 star/Mickey D MVP/Franchise type HS player. Him going high in the draft was as pre-ordained as John Wall this Spring and like Wall him doing well in the NBA was fairly predictable. It hasn't hurt him either that #1 pick Blake Griffin hasn't played at all his rookie year because realistically he was the only rookie with enough ability to challenge Evans for ROY. Thatbeet? ; ) I like Harden but Memphis and Okie made huge mistakes not picking Evans.
Jerome Jordan is a senior. He has had 3 plus years to "wow" the talent evaluators but he still is mid first round at best and the chances are high he gets picked lower. Hell, if he is that good let's hope he falls to where we pick in the second round. ; ) If I had a pick and the choice I'd take DeMarcus Cousins in a heartbeat over Jordan. Or Favor/Davis/Patterson/etc. Mad ability. Great NBA body. plays hard and with intensity and he has skills. Mad skills. Insane skills.
I like Jordan Hill a lot and as a rookie with virtually no minutes his defense is ...understandable. Passing Landry in a rotation that doesn't exist isn't what impresses me either as D'Antoni's notoriously short bench curtails youngsters from showing their stuff. Hill got a B because I have a grade curve for rookies and because IMHO he deserves it. He changes games when he comes in and I like that he isn't scared to shoot the ball or make a move. I like that a lot and it's in our favor that Toney Douglas is a lot like that too.
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Post by irish2u2 on Jan 22, 2010 14:15:38 GMT -5
BTW, mad props for Jerebko too. I liked Blair too.
One favor Iron. Please.
Use paragraphs. It's easier on these old eyes.
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Post by pearl on Jan 22, 2010 19:20:50 GMT -5
Irish"
I believe kenny is okay, he jhas appeared on my buddy list, he must have placed me there. I will reach out to him.
Agree completely regarding Duhon being nothing more than a very good back up. With Hughes in the doh-house and nate not being a true point guard, Duhon is all we have right now, unless Douglas is given an opportunity.
The Knicks have improved yet I fear they will be worn down completely in another month. I can't stand d"Antoni's short rotations, he wears his players down too quickly. Lets get Amare and lebron in here next year, will be psyched to see the start of 2010-2011.
Pearl
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