“He’s a killer,’’ former Knicks European scout Tim Shea told The Post. “Definitely a lottery pick, top seven. Right now he’s a backup, but he can get out there and he’d be great for Kristaps [Porzingis]. He’d be happy to see him, too.’’
The Knicks had four European players on the roster last season.
“He’s got big hands, quick hands who gets steals, passing ability,’’ said Shea, who lives in Spain and works for the analytics consulting firm GSA. “He doesn’t have his shot 100 percent yet — it’s still developing. It’s good, not great — but he’s a point guard, intelligent on the floor.’’
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Neither am I, although their previous scouting/drafting of European players allows them benefit of the doubt.
when curry came into the league the knock pn him was he was not athletic enough to drive and finish and he wasnt going to be able to get his shot off...now curry took awhile to develop, injuries did play a big part...
people are going to say deangelo russel, frank looks quicker than russell to me, russell is a combo guard more than a point..
i do think frank to start will be a 2 and could develop into a point
you have to think monk sneaks into top 6 maybe to sixers..
i also think isaac will intrigue thibs in minnesota maybe markannen..
if that happens fox or smith could drop
Yeah I'm with you. I can sit here and stake my stance in why I'd take Isaac over a bunch of those guys, but at the same time I did the same thing with Mudiay.
It's starting to get a little old when people start tossing around the "high floor/low ceiling" or "low floor/low ceiling". I thought Mudiay was an extremely high floor. I'm sure a lot of people did. Okafor had a "high floor" as well.
Did anyone think Towns would sniff being a franchise player? He had the best ceiling of the class, but does that mean all scouts were right about him even if he was the consensus #1? If there was another elite prospect (say a Kyrie Irving type) would KAT still go #1 every time?
It's one thing to point out flaws and skills that will get picked on in the NBA like Fox's shooting ability, Frank's handle, Monk's PG abilities, etc. but I can't sit here and confidently put a cap on how good a player will be. Even the best scouts and execs who study this full time have something like a 30-40% chance to completely screw it up and get stuck with an Okafor or a Mudiay or a Derrick Williams.
- Fox
- Smith
- Isaac
- Tatum
- Monk
- Nkitilina
- Collins
- Markannen
That's how I would rank them right now and I really wouldn't consider Markannen at all.
De'Aaron Fox, PG, Kentucky: This is the easy choice here for a Knicks team that needs a point guard desperately, provided Jackson wasn't serious about going back to Derrick Rose. And he wasn't, right? Right?
(Frenchy is on the board and they pass, Monk falls to 11)
I think Megdal had a brain fart however as Tyler Collins isn't even listed 1st round
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Howard Megdal‏ @howardmegdal 6m6 minutes ago
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Interesting. I've heard some hesitation around the league because of his limited role, though I'd certainly rate him there myself.
I know their choices in international players has worked out pretty well. Porzingas, Hernangomez, Kuzminskas, Ndour, and Sasha have shown to have big game talent with humble small attitudes. Something that is a bit rare with American kids who have spent their lives being put on a pedestal and idolized to the point of near worship
Well if Chicago beats Boston that pick would be in the 20s...but that also probably means they are more likely to trade it.
I could be dead wrong, but I don't think Miami, a team relying on a 32 year old player, would be willing to trade a lottery pick for an expiring. Just try imagining yourself in the other teams shoes. Would you trade a decent 1st rounder for Melo? I'd be livid if I was a Miami fan and that happened.
Purely talking from a fan perspective, but outside the "melo lifers" who basically swear by anything Melo does (even impregnating strippers?), I think most Knicks fans are just arriving to the party of what Melo actually is and is capable of providing to your team.
All my Bulls fan-friends absolutely hate Melo and aren't exactly in "trade Jimmy and tank" mode either. I still think he'd be a good fit at the 4 there, and if it just costs them say Mirotic and Grant/Valentine I'd do it. I would throw in Lee, KOQ, and Kuz if they needed those guys to make it work.
you would hope the melo deal is done before or on draft night to add another pick...
i wouldnt be surprised if they kept lee around unless he wants out..
oquinn i think they will try and move but i dont know what his value is
Have you seen Rondo play in this series? He's the difference between the Bulls of the regular season and the Bulls beating up a #1 seed on the road.
It's hard to imagine this Rondo showing up throughout the regular season, but they are 0-2 in the hole if they are playing Grant, Payne, MCW over Rondo. Is he just really pissed at Boston? Just a hot 2 game stretch? I'm a major critic of Rondo but he's playoff built to say the least. If I were Chicago I'd explore using RoLo to make a trade work before Rondo.
Unless I'm missing something taking back Rondo doesn't make any sense for the Bulls and certainly wouldn't give us "more" via trade. They can release him and only owe him 3 million. If they really want him gone, 3 million isn't exactly a sum a team gives up value to dump. Melo for the Bulls pick and Payne (Phil tried trading for a pick to add him via the draft) makes sense to me.
Have you seen Rondo play in this series?
A Jerome Jamesian performance.
I'm not trading anything for Melo because if he's REALLY open to going anywhere, let him opt out after the year and have his agent call me in 2018.
It's one thing to give up out of rotation young players/having the Knicks take on bad contracts for him. Trading for Melo (which indicates you want to compete now) presents 2 issues:
1.) If you are a non-prime-Melo-destination team (anyone outside LA's two teams and Cleveland), what if Melo just waives his NTC to leave the knicks for a year and then sign elsewhere, well then what the fuck? If you are near capped out still, you just gave up assets for a 1 year window.
2.) On the other hand, what if Melo is money driven and realizes he won't command as much on his next deal and opts in? He's still taking a quarter of your cap and if you are top seed playoff team, chances are you are capped out to begin with. He can impede financially flexibility if you gave up expiring to get him.
If Melo is really about coming to my team, opt out next year and come sign a 3 year deal with me in the $15-20M range in 2018. If he's really about coming to my team to WIN, he will maybe even take less so my team can still get additional talent.
100% wasn't be snarky. I just thought I didn't understand his contract.
Bulls scenario is they give Mirotic his deal and attach RoLo + young players/picks for say Melo and KOQ. Is that possible or would Chicago have to wait for a few months until some new-deal trade restriction expires?
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I'm not trading a damn thing for Melo if I'm another team. I wouldn't touch him with a 10 foot pole, but perception is reality and Melo is percieved to be a star.
I'm not trading anything for Melo because if he's REALLY open to going anywhere, let him opt out after the year and have his agent call me in 2018.
It's one thing to give up out of rotation young players/having the Knicks take on bad contracts for him. Trading for Melo (which indicates you want to compete now) presents 2 issues:
1.) If you are a non-prime-Melo-destination team (anyone outside LA's two teams and Cleveland), what if Melo just waives his NTC to leave the knicks for a year and then sign elsewhere, well then what the fuck? If you are near capped out still, you just gave up assets for a 1 year window.
2.) On the other hand, what if Melo is money driven and realizes he won't command as much on his next deal and opts in? He's still taking a quarter of your cap and if you are top seed playoff team, chances are you are capped out to begin with. He can impede financially flexibility if you gave up expiring to get him.
If Melo is really about coming to my team, opt out next year and come sign a 3 year deal with me in the $15-20M range in 2018. If he's really about coming to my team to WIN, he will maybe even take less so my team can still get additional talent.
We have a history to look back on. Melo looks at this as a business first(not knocking him). He's not opting out and signing for pennies. He's going to opt in and make all that money and then sign for the biggest possible contract after that.
The Pat Riley presser couldn't be more different than the circus act Phil put on last week. Can we trade Phil for Riley?
At this point would anyone be surprised if Melo tries to force a buyout? Gets to pick his team and double dip on salary. At this point, why would he be inclined to help or even work with Phil on a trade? And he has all the power.
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The Pat Riley presser couldn't be more different than the circus act Phil put on last week. Can we trade Phil for Riley?
At this point would anyone be surprised if Melo tries to force a buyout? Gets to pick his team and double dip on salary. At this point, why would he be inclined to help or even work with Phil on a trade? And he has all the power.
because he has a trade kicker..
plus what happens if he is bought out and the sixers pick him up on waivers?
makes zero sense for melo to want a buyout
Well I think a solid 2nd half of the season (TS% up 13%, ORTG up to 110 from 91) combined with a good performance in an 1-8 upset is enough for Gar Foreman to protect him with his life.
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100% wasn't be snarky. I just thought I didn't understand his contract.
I didnt think you were being snarky at all
I'm sure some people said the same thing about Paul's George and Jimmy Butler early in their career. It takes time for most young guys. Winslow just turned 21 years old.
At this point would anyone be surprised if Melo tries to force a buyout? Gets to pick his team and double dip on salary. At this point, why would he be inclined to help or even work with Phil on a trade? And he has all the power.
I think people have been overstating Melo's value for a while. Even if Phil never directly or indirectly said 1 negative thing about Melo, we (NBA decision makers included) all see the same thing. Melo's athleticism has fallen off, he plays no defense, he takes terrible shots, and a quite a few other negatives. That doesn't even include his contract (and the trade kicker). The only way I see the Knicks getting anything of real value (1st round picks or a talented player) is they would have to take back some garbage too.
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I'm sure some people said the same thing about Paul's George and Jimmy Butler early in their career. It takes time for most young guys. Winslow just turned 21 years old.
George and Butler played well early on. Needed more minutes, but the stats bear out that they were both starting worthy players as soon as they got to the NBA.
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I'm sure some people said the same thing about Paul's George and Jimmy Butler early in their career. It takes time for most young guys. Winslow just turned 21 years old.
I'd certainly take Winslow as a return for Melo in a heartbeat, but there are more reasons to be skeptical of Winslow. Defense is going to be fine, no question, but there's no indication that he's capable of hitting a jump shot from anywhere.
Paul George was a remarkable shooter in college so that's not a fair comparison. Jimmy Butler was still better at mid range shooting in his early years in the NBA (albeit older than Winslow). Butler was a near-80% FT shooter 2 years into the league. Winslow is at 66%.
I think Winslow ends up being more like Marcus Smart than George/Butler.
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All it takes is part of a first round series against a deer in headlights Boston team to flip the script?
Well I think a solid 2nd half of the season (TS% up 13%, ORTG up to 110 from 91) combined with a good performance in an 1-8 upset is enough for Gar Foreman to protect him with his life.
In the literal sense it's a 1-8 matchup, but are the Celtics really what you think of when you hear the term 1-seed? They're built for the regular season, but I think you're seeing what happens to teams that don't have a clear cut go to star shotmaker. Or when that guy is barely 5'10.
Aside from that, Rondo was also the center of a public locker room blowout. The Bulls were almost as dysfunctional as the Knicks this season.
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In comment 13434501 Ten Ton Hammer said:
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All it takes is part of a first round series against a deer in headlights Boston team to flip the script?
Well I think a solid 2nd half of the season (TS% up 13%, ORTG up to 110 from 91) combined with a good performance in an 1-8 upset is enough for Gar Foreman to protect him with his life.
In the literal sense it's a 1-8 matchup, but are the Celtics really what you think of when you hear the term 1-seed? They're built for the regular season, but I think you're seeing what happens to teams that don't have a clear cut go to star shotmaker. Or when that guy is barely 5'10.
Aside from that, Rondo was also the center of a public locker room blowout. The Bulls were almost as dysfunctional as the Knicks this season.
100% agree with everything you've said.
My comment was an indictment on the Bulls management/ownership (and generally most NBA front offices) more than anything else.
Bulls fans have been calling for Foreman's head for more than a season now. He got ridicule from the media for panicking and signing Wade and Rondo and heard all season about how awful the spacing was, how awful the supporting cast is, even trading Gibson and McDermott (who he gave up a few picks to get in the first place) for yet another young PG that doesn't crack the Bulls rotation.
I don't expect him to suddenly say to himself "we don't have a shot at Cleveland, we should blow it up". It doesn't seem obvious that ownership thinks they should rebuild, either, otherwise keeping Foreman around seems illogical. Connecting Rondo to this, I don't think he's a stellar PG but it's obvious how much of a dropoff there is when Rondo sits. Trading Rondo for Melo is probably an overall lateral move because even though Melo is a much better player, it isn't apparent how they get even replacement-level PG production if Rondo is gone.
But on the other hand, Melo has shown interest in Chicago before and his buddy Wade is there, and hey, they just beat a 1 seed! So they may have a shot to lure Melo in FA. Or if they trade for him I think they would try to make it work with say RoLo or Mirotic before they do with Rondo.
OG! OG! OG!
We'd have to get into the top 20 - maybe 15 - for that.
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are Fultz, Ball and Frenchie. 4th is Smith, but he's short and though pretty spectatcular, I'm not sure he'll be a plus defender, like Frank is, and that other two long PG's can be. Not crazy about any of the forwards (Tatum reminds me of Kenny Walker), unless we pick up another first, in which case there are some other forwards I'd like for the 3 to replace Melo.
OG! OG! OG!
We'd have to get into the top 20 - maybe 15 - for that.
I wonder if OG drops into the second round due to his injury