The Knicks' new 1st rounder (+ actual mug)

luck

Holy shit. Dan Wetzel's Yahoo Sports analysis:

20. NY - Renaldo Balkman, F: The Knicks draft who? Renaldo Balkman, a 6-6 forward who in three seasons at South Carolina never averaged double digits? Well, he was MVP of the NIT, which is pretty much the New York Knicks. The ESPN guys are apoplectic, even Jay Bilas, who rarely rips anyone, is about to pop his head off. ??? Bilas and Stephan A. are saying he might be Dennis Rodman, but please. Balkman???s rebounding numbers the last three years are as follows: 4.6, 4.8 and 6.3 a game. Unless he has a lot of tattoos, a drinking problem and a habit to land ridiculously hot women, I can???t see where Rodman fits in. ??? The most bizarre thing is Isiah Thomas is already a lame duck coach and executive and he takes a guy who doesn???t look capable of helping right away? It???s Thomas??? career he is gambling with. - 9:37 pm EDT

Thomas DOES know that he's not choosing for the Bulls, right?

faded_glory

so what we didn't take marcus williams. don't get lulled into it simply because he's on the board.

the only issue with balkman is where he was drafted. just don't start with the anti-IT talk on some see, larry brown wouldnt' have done this shit ... larry brown LOVES him some nondescript, underappreciated blue collar guys, in fact balkman sounds like a page right out of the LB playbook. and collins is right there with him.

so who else was on the board aside from marcus williams? rondo? i like him a lot. PJ tucker was there and i love him but i'm biased about that. bobby jones. i'm a kyle lowry fan. but you can't even act like the opportunity cost of taking a guy like balkman was that high. not in this draft.

it just goes to show ....... all you hear about in the media is how the knicks don't play defense and don't have any passion for the game ... so isiah drafts a lockdown perimeter defender who plays with energy and it's ... "but he didnt even average 10 pts a game" ... not a glamorous pick by any stretch. not stupid either though so i'm not buying it.

Rix22

Honestly, I think Balkman was a huge stretch at #20. Adding Williams would have allowed the Knicks to utilize Francis and Marbury at the 2. My biggest complaint with the Knicks is they don't seem to have a plan in place. They need to get younger and add a couple top tier veterans but they consistently trade away expiring contracts and younger players (i.e. Ariza).

One positive is that Zeke will be gone after '06-'07 season!!!!

keithvanhorn

mardy collins is a . i went to a few temple games this year and was very impressed. this won't sound like a compliment, but his game is very similar to rick brunson's....except, he is much more capable of being a scoring threat.

Mr_Delmont

What the fuck!?!...Thomas needed a point (passed on Williams and Rondo!?!), but drafted this motherfucker at 20 (who wasnt even on the fucking draft guide!?!) that would of certainly been left to pick at 29.

Way to go Zeke!

batmon

What the fuck!?!...Thomas needed a point (passed on Williams and Rondo!?!), but drafted this motherfucker at 20 (that wasnt even on the fucking draft guide!?!) that would of certainly been left to pick at 29.

With Francis and Marbury in the back court what PG would flourish in NYC?

theory9

With Francis and Marbury and Mo Taylor and Jerome James and Eddy Curry and Jalen Rose [/b]in NY what PG would flourish in NYC?

Mr_Delmont

You think both those guys will be there at the start of the 06-07 season?

Which ever one is left will move over to the 2. then Who will be at 1....Taylor or Collins!?!

Collins is alright......who knows.

batmon

You think both those guys will be there at the start of the 06-07 season?

If they both were traded by the end of the season, a rookie pg who hasnt played any real mins isnt going to turn them around. Unless your talkin Chris Paul or whateva.

Mr_Delmont

There is no turning around that mess in one season. Nobody could do that. The only team more of a mess then Portland is the Knicks.

Bottom line......you pick a guy (that some analysts thought wouldn???t even get drafted at all) at 20 you could have picked at 29.....Then pick a (average) point guard at 29!?!?

Shit doesn???t make any sense. If the Knicks were smart they could of had this Balkman guy at 29 and either Williams or Rondo at 20.

motown67

so what we didn't take marcus williams. don't get lulled into it simply because he's on the board.

the only issue with balkman is where he was drafted. just don't start with the anti-IT talk on some see, larry brown wouldnt' have done this shit ... larry brown LOVES him some nondescript, underappreciated blue collar guys, in fact balkman sounds like a page right out of the LB playbook. and collins is right there with him.

so who else was on the board aside from marcus williams? rondo? i like him a lot. PJ tucker was there and i love him but i'm biased about that. bobby jones. i'm a kyle lowry fan. but you can't even act like the opportunity cost of taking a guy like balkman was that high. not in this draft.

it just goes to show ....... all you hear about in the media is how the knicks don't play defense and don't have any passion for the game ... so isiah drafts a lockdown perimeter defender who plays with energy and it's ... "but he didnt even average 10 pts a game" ... not a glamorous pick by any stretch. not stupid either though so i'm not buying it.

I don't think anyone quetioned Balkman's ability to defend and rebound. What people questioned was using a #20 pick on him. Greg Anthony and others speculated that you probably could've gotten him in the 2nd round, or even worse, he wouldn't have been drafted at all, and the Knicks could've signed him as a free agent.

Rockadelic

I'm pretty sure Isaiah picked him because there was no guy in the draft named "Fire Menow"

faded_glory

this is from knicks.com

"When Renaldo Balkman heard his name called as the 20th pick in the NBA Draft, ???he first cried for like three minutes,??? his older brother Maurice Anderson, who along with 15 members of the extended family, experienced the momentous moment in a Tampa condo, related. ???Then we hugged, danced around like crazy, and screamed ???tik-a-tee-tee!??? That???s just something we???ve always done since we were little kids when we get REALLY excited.[/b]???


no wonder they compare this dude to artest

Pistol_Pete

I'm pretty sure someone is paying off Isiah to make the Knicks the worst team in the NBA for years to come.