I can't take credit for this. Saw this on a NYK fan site and then looked him up. Player's name is Deonte Burton. Very unusual size at 6'5" (in shoes as NBA players are measured), 260 lb and a 7' wingspan.
Pluses:
1 very mentally and physically tough (a trait NYK has desperately lacked)
2 multi-skilled (shooting, handle, passing, defending)
3 uses lefty-ness in Zach Randolph kind of way (you know he's going left, but he gets there any way with varied release points and funky interior moves)
Minus:
1 height/weight
2 not a great athlete by any stretch but not bad either
He will likely be there at 58.
a couple people said he didnt shoot well to start but his passes and ball handling were good, then his shot got better..
a lot of draftniks are saying they expect tatum to fall
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reportedly looking impressive in his Sixers workout.
a couple people said he didnt shoot well to start but his passes and ball handling were good, then his shot got better..
a lot of draftniks are saying they expect tatum to fall
I doubt there is a single scout who is worried about Monk's shot so I'm sure if he had had a choice he'd shoot poorly and show good secondary skills.
"Some free agents, I think the triangle is an issue," another Western Conference scout added. "But before you even get to the system, I think there are several other factors that are much more of a priority or influence in terms of desire to play there."
So do any free agents fit the bill?
This is where things get even more difficult.
ESPN's Ian Begley recently reported the Knicks are interested in PJ Tucker. He is 6'6" and 245 pounds and boasts a solid outside stroke (35.7 percent from deep last year).
"He's a tough, physical defender, can guard 3s and 4s and some 5s, hit corner three-pointers," one of the scouts said. "He's a 20- to 25-minute player and good role player who has value in guarding star players."
The issue?
He's 32. Also, as the scout adds: "I think the Knicks would have to overpay to get him."
Other possible bargain-bin adds? Not an easy list to put together. You have Omri Casspi and Ty Lawson if the Knicks want to throw some short-term deals at NBA-caliber players. Tim Hardaway Jr. is 25 and coming off his best-ever season, and he's a restricted free agent, but it's hard to envision him reuniting with the team that dumped him in 2015.
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reportedly looking impressive in his Sixers workout.
a couple people said he didnt shoot well to start but his passes and ball handling were good, then his shot got better..
it the workout? I'm genuinely curious...how does one demonstrate passing ability in a workout?
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In comment 13501081 DanMetroMan said:
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reportedly looking impressive in his Sixers workout.
a couple people said he didnt shoot well to start but his passes and ball handling were good, then his shot got better..
it the workout? I'm genuinely curious...how does one demonstrate passing ability in a workout?
The tweets say he made impressive passes "in traffic" so presumably there are others working with him.
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reportedly looking impressive in his Sixers workout.
a couple people said he didnt shoot well to start but his passes and ball handling were good, then his shot got better..
a lot of draftniks are saying they expect tatum to fall
If Tatum is there at 8, we need to rush the stage. But my fear is that Phil won't select Tatum even if he was there at 8.
is tatum really a fit though? he is more of a 3 then a 4 and wiggins right now is their 3...
i still wouldnt be shocjed if isaac is gone they go collins
first domino will be la if rumora are true they are taking jackson...
2nd if that happens does philly go mpnk or ball i would assume ball
if monk, dsj or tatum are sitting there i would be shocked if they went frank...
Minnesota? I dont know if I give up Wiggins for the #1. I understand the intrigue with Fultz but do you trade a 21 year old he is probably one of the 5 best athletes in the league that shoots 35% from 3 as a 21 year old who averages 24 PPG?
tafum is a great fit for the type of offense phil wants to run...id be shocked if phil passed...
i also think that is why knkcks like monk and frank, both can play off the ball and both can play lead guard
Wolves. I wouldn't trade him for #1 in this draft.
That would be a lot of speculation to heap on an 18 year old who showed to be a capable playmaker. PG coming into the league was a pure catch and shoot specialist. Tatum has flashed some point forward potential at Duke.
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Unless something unforeseen happens.
if monk, dsj or tatum are sitting there i would be shocked if they went frank...
I'd be shocked if we pass on Tatum. Less so the other guards. Maybe Phil likes Frank's size and two way game for his offense.
Though I'll say this -- Phil's coaching/presidenting career has been focused around one thing. Jordan and Pippen. Shaq and Kobe. Securing Melo at any cost, taking a chance on KP when Phil thought he would need to redshit for a few years, and then trading for Rose.
The unifying factor is star power. Monk and Smith are guys who can take over a game. Both could be stars. Frank not so much. I tend to think Phil swings for the fences. Also, what is the downside? Does hitting a single do anything for him? He doesnt strike me as a guy just looking to stay employed. He badly wants to actually succeed.
agreed i think they should trade 1 of lavine or wiggins
He leaves a lot to be desired right now but Im not betting against that talent and massive improvement over 2 years.
And he's got the athleticism to be an A+ defender. Notably he struggles a lot on that end now (KAT too). But I want to see his game when his body fills out and he has a few years with Thibs.
I just feel like the next 5 years of Wiggins is something you want to be signed up for.
Minny receives: #3, Covington and Justin Anderson
Chicago receives: Saric, Stauskas, Okafor, Dunn and the 2018 Lakers pick
Philly receives: Jimmy Butler, Lavine, #7 (which they take Monk with)
Philly's lineup:
Monk
Lavine
Butler
Simmons
Embiid/Holmes
Minny's lineup:
Ball/Fox
Wiggins
Anderson
Covington
KAT
Flip Rubio for Lee or something.
this is exactly how I feel. If the knicks feel differently, I guess you have to hope they're better at scouting than I am. Frenchy doesn't seem like a very good athlete so I wonder how much of those little things he does well will carry over when playing against more skilled players who are also better athletes than he is.
For me frank can play multiple positions and guard multiple positions..
he is noy pigeon holed to have to play point, he can play off the ball and be effective, he is a good shooter and his assists do not show his passing ability..
i think with his french team he was asked to defend and hit open shots, he was not asked to create as much because of his age, his handle is better than people think...
i thi k he can come in right away and be a 3 and d guy, and evolve into a point guard...
he is going to be the type of player you put on the best player to defend, offensively it is a mystery but he can shoot, the unknown is can he become a point guard or will he be a 2 guard that can cfeate
I haven't seen any real evidence Monk is any "worse" at passing than Frenchy or Mitchell and I'm willing to accept that he didn't feel comfortable playing off the ball. The best players in HS almost never play off the ball. Instead of filling holes lets aim to gain an advantage at spots we can.
i am not saying mitchell cant, i like mitchell to be honest, i just like frabk better...
i dont know i guess it is jist preference and i can see why frank scares people...
would i take him over monk, smith or tafum? no but if it is between frank and mitchell i am going frank
And his 67 career assists to 40 TOs in under 18 basketball doesn't excite me too much on his handle despite the small sample size.
Basically this is my feeling. I'm not going to bother getting worked up about the triangle etc. I see a scenario where the Knicks identity is built around spreading the floor with KP and Monk from 3, open up some space for Willy... I just think they should take a guy who could be a true difference maker. I think all things considered the floor is extremely high for Monk (is there anyone doubting he can be a 12-15 point bench scorer "worst" case?) and I think the ceiling is pretty high too... a big time scorer.
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who loves Frenchy, sell me on why he's even a better pick than Mitchell? I don't think the estimated 2 extra inches in wingspan is a huge deal. Mitchell is more of a sure thing, and the superior athlete. I don't even particularly want Mitchell at 8 but other than the fun of the unknown what makes Frenchy the superior pick between those 2?
For me frank can play multiple positions and guard multiple positions..
he is noy pigeon holed to have to play point, he can play off the ball and be effective, he is a good shooter and his assists do not show his passing ability..
i think with his french team he was asked to defend and hit open shots, he was not asked to create as much because of his age, his handle is better than people think...
i thi k he can come in right away and be a 3 and d guy, and evolve into a point guard...
he is going to be the type of player you put on the best player to defend, offensively it is a mystery but he can shoot, the unknown is can he
become a point guard or will he be a 2 guard that can cfeate
Adding to this with the caveat that I do think it's close. Frank is likely already a better defensive player and outside shooter. If you watch Frank's games he has great feel for the game and while he does gamble sometimes on disrupting the passing lanes, he's good at anticipating and using his length to steal the ball and set up fast breaks. He's also very good at using his body to fight through screens and recover from times when he whiffs on disrupting the passing lanes. He's also improved quite a bit from 3-pt land over the last few seasons which could be representative of his ceiling as a shooter being higher than people seem to think. It also tells me that given his age, intelligence, and work ethic, there's a higher likelihood of him reaching his full potential than the average prospect. I think he's a better athlete than people give him credit for which is a result of him not having a quick first step like a Fultz or Smith has. Other than that, the negatives are that he's only an okay ball handler and passer but those are easier to work on than shooting or defense.
I like Mitchell too and he's clearly the better athlete although he didn't get into the paint all that much which I don't know the reason as to why. He's also shorter than Frank which hurts his passing ability since he can't see over shooting guards if he's playing the 2. While I hate that we have to talk about it, in the triangle you need guards who can make quick decisions and hit guys cutting and anticipating where they'll be. His mid range game and ability and ability to create his own shot makes up for that given how well it fits the triangle. The gamble would be on Frank being younger and therefore being able to develop as a better offensive player outside of his outside shooting. Ill leave that up to Clarence Gaines though since it's very hard to tell what's there given how he's used today. You need two guys in the triangle who are at least decent at moving without the ball, hitting mid range shots, a threat to drive and score if that's what the defense gives you and quickly make reads on what the defense gives you. One needs to be a guard and that's why I think the Frank stuff is a smokescreen as he doesn't check all those boxes at least today and Monk or Mitchell will be the pick.
Is Courtney Lee a player that's in that category of a win now veteran? Could Knicks swing a deal for 12?
Steve Kyler:
Very possible. Stan has an affection for Courtney. They kept in touch after he was traded out of Orlando.
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