OK right off the jump I have to admit I didn't watch the entire game tonight of the Knicks' NBA Summer League finale, which they won, 116-108, over the Denver Nuggets. After a long day of working around my house -- yes, some sportwriters actually use their hands for more than just typing! -- I plopped on the couch and flipped between the second half of the Knicks game and the NASCAR race at Chicagoland (big Tony Stewart fan, so I was pleased).
I know some of you are gonna kill me for that! But NASCAR is cool. Especially in High-Def.
Anyway, on to matters at hand, word is Nate Robinson was named the MVP of the 10-day league, which technically doesn't crown a champion, but you can say the Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, both at 5-0, finished on top. They didn't face each other during the week, so unless you want to calculate their strength of schedule, I'd leave it at a co-championship.
For the record, Nate finished with 19.6 points and 6 assists per game in the five-game set.
I know you guys think I'm tough on Nate, but I just expect more out of him with all of that physical ability he has in that little body. I don't want to hear that he's only 23. He's going into his third year. Nate should be better than just about anyone in that league. The good news is, he was better that pretty much all of them.
He capped off his week witth a 24-point performance in the win over Denver. He was 6 of 12 from the floor and hit 3 of 6 from downtown. He was also 9 of 9 from the line. Excellent day of shooting, which, we all know, is his strength.
Now for my criticism - go ahead and groan. Gnash your teeth for all I care! Dude had just 2 assists! Two! Compare that to 3 turnovers, not to mention six fouls. I'll give him credit for the 5 boards.
It's not as if Nate didn't have anyone to set up. My man Demetris Nichols -- I am all over this kid's potential -- dropped 23 points on 9 of 16 with two treys. He's a scorer, plain and simple. Needs to work on his body a bit (what rookie doesn't?) but he's got the mentality. Great pick-up by Isiah Thomas and his group.
Nichols averaged 15.6 points and shot 52.6 percent from the floor. And these weren't layups, dude. Most of his stuff came from 15-to-25 feet. Some even off the dribble with a hand in his grill.
My favorite line from D-Nick after I chatted with him following the first summer league game was when I asked him how he felt he did.
“It feels good, but I could have done better," he said. "I have high expectations for myself. I’m not satisfied yet.”
He also told me he thinks he'd be a "great fit" on the Knicks. "Other defenses will have to worry about Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph," Nichols said, "and I’ll be wide open.”
It was good to see him have a strong week after the disappointment of being a second-round pick. Nichols led the Big East in scoring, which is an eye-popper on any resume. He's been coached by Jim Boeheim, who knows a little something about basketball. And he's had some big games at the Garden as a collegian, so he knows the rims there already.
His challenge will be if he can elbow his way past a few veterans and onto the NBA roster.
"I’m just here to play hard and do the things I do," he said. "But I think I have a pretty good shot at it.”
Excellent choice in words: shot.
As for the other rookie who seems to not get nearly enough love on this blog, Wilson Chandler also had a solid game in his summer league finale with 15 points and 10 rebs along with 3 blocked shots. For the summer league, Wilson averaged 13.4 points and shot 50.9 percent. Overall a very good showing.
What I mean by "raw" in describing the kid is that he has a lot of natural instincts and natural physical ability. But he so young and still has a lot of fine tuning and, more importantly, learning, to do before he comes close to showing his potential.
Some guys show a lot of P but go too long without reaching it. Remember how in love with John Wallace we all were? OK, apples and oranges. Moving on.
I know it's been suggested that Isiah might try to tuck one or both of these rookies in Europe or on a U.S.-based minor league (ABA, CBA) for a season, but let's be honest, both have proven they can play. Why would you send them away when you could have them spend a year learning your system, learning about life in the NBA and getting their feet wet in real NBA action? Sure, most of the first half they might spend as towel wavers in full warmups, or perhaps even on the inactive list. But it's the experience that matters early on -- the bright lights, the crowds and the travel -- before the basketball part kicks in. Who knows, by April, D-Knick (nice) could be a Trent Tucker-type sent in for spot-up duty. Or Chandler could be part of an athletic second unit that turns the Knicks power game attack suddenly into a transition attack (N8, Jones, Chandler, D-Lee and..um..here's where Mikki Moore would have fit nicely).
Bottom line, the performance of both rookies in this summer league has forced Isiah to consider his options. And, right now, the best option is to have them on the roster.
Damn, someone remind me to email David Stern about my D-League idea. It's ridiculous that it costs a team a roster spot. The NBA needs a minor league system.
P.S. - just wanted to shout all you posters who are giving cred to this blog. I appreciate your input and I love that we can debate and disagree on a rational and intelligent level. Let's leave the garbage elsewhere. This is a place for Knicks fans to talk about the Knicks and for one Knicks beat writer to share what he knows from his perspective inside the media.
Comments (28)
Alan, when you compare the energy, desire and sheer talent of these young players - - Chandler, Nichols, Morris, Balkman -- to Jerome James, Dan Dickau, Malik Rose -- its clear who needs to stay and who needs to go. Cutting Dickau is easy, cutting James a bit more expensive. However, its necessary.
And although Robinson still has room to grow, he clearly is making strides and should be a John Starks type off the bench for the Knicks. Quick points, a momentum changer, a bundle of energy. That second unit with Lee, Robinson, Balkman, etc., is going to be a joy to watch.
I wish the season started tomorrow.
Alan I love the fact you like Nascar because I am a huge fan myself, but like Nate Robinson we disagree on drivers and this week you have the bragging rights because im a Matt Kenseth fan. However, LOOK AT THE POINT STANDINGS!
Alan,
Your critique is reasonable and substantied (backed up by stats). I looked at the assist to turnover ratio also. I also listened in to the many times that coach DH had to tell him to attack the opponent/basket. I foresee N8 playing in the likeness of SM or BD (snipers with excellent handles). Dis/Agreements?
BTW, DH is going to be someone's next HC--what a JOB he did this summer!! Do you foresee OUR Knicks team with 2 IDs? What do you all think about a scenario where the Orange side starts out and plays East Coast-half court ball, walking it up and going right to left and left to right on post-ups with occasional treys and mid-range jumpers? On the Blue side, they could bring simple mayhem--the all energy team with DL and RB in for the hustle and N8 or MC running the point.
You bring out a couple of nuances that most ordinary fans do not realize:
1. IT has all the titles but has an excellent team of coaches and scouts (i.e., BS had identified DL out of Florida). The whole front office should get the praise and blame from the top down.
2. Teams often stash players on the Inactive List with "ghost" (soft tissue) injuries. One of the more infamous injuries is Plantar Fasciatis. Any word on JJ's case and if that could damage his trade value? He could be a great addition in Sacremento, LA, Milwaukee or even back to Seattle.
KFL
Actually I watched the whole game. Nate set up alot of the players close to the basket who blew some easy shots. He also set up Nichols several times but Nichols kept pump faking and the he'd pass it off to someone else. Nate can be a good assist man in this league when he wants to be. My real concern with him is his INABILITY TO DEFEND THE PICK AND ROLL. He literally has no clue what hes doing, he gets beat going under it and fighting thru the pick. Its a sad sight to watch.
Actually I watched the whole game. Nate set up alot of the players close to the basket who blew some easy shots. He also set up Nichols several times but Nichols kept pump faking and the he'd pass it off to someone else. Nate can be a good assist man in this league when he wants to be. My real concern with him is his INABILITY TO DEFEND THE PICK AND ROLL. He literally has no clue what hes doing, he gets beat going under it and fighting thru the pick. Its a sad sight to watch.
Woah, your blog reads differently than your articles (less formal?). Both are good, and I appreciate them as a healthier alternative to the horrible smear campaign that are the other newspapers in town (you know who they are). You and Berger are good writers, good people.
I watched all 5 summer games, todays was relatively boring compared to the other 4, perhaps the fact that it was an early game compared to the rest was a factor in the team's performance?
Nate always has mvp-type summer league performances. this year was no exception. The interesting thing about last year's summer squad was that D Lee came in to camp in November and was miles ahead of what he was doing at this time last year in the Vegas.
That said, Balkman has been the MVP of the Knicks this summer. It's just unbelievable to watch this guy play, and now I see he is working on his offense (as is evidenced by his improved free throw shooting form), even trying to develop some post moves it seems. Gus Johnson and Clyde alluded to the fact that he could help so much at the three position in terms of making up for Curry and Randolph's deficiencies in defense. Balkman reads passing lanes very well, blocks/alters shots, rebounds, deflections, puts the ball on the floor in transition. He's just a tenacious player on both ends of the floor. I'd like to see Lee start next year, he deserves it more than anyone else, but I would not complain too much if Balkman was given that starting small forward role in place of Q or Jeffries. New York doesn't need another scorer in the starting five, they need a defensive stopper who can make things happen.
I love what Nichols brings to the Knicks in terms of outside shooting and defense, and the talent of Wilson Chandler is more evidence that Isiah is just a GREAT drafter, if nothing else. Nate has shown that he is trying to do what the Knicks need him to do off the bench, he was #1 in the summer league in assists until the poor distribution of the last game with 2 assists against denver.
That kid on denver is something else, 40+ points?
in terms of cuts, if the knicks have to make two, I'd second the vote to remove Dan Dickau, and I can definitely see Isiah cutting him too if he can't move him by season's start. I don't think Malik Rose should be cut, or traded, because of his positivity and his experience having two championship rings. He's the only guy on the team that has been past the first 7 or 10 games in the playoffs.
That said, Jerome James hasn't earned his salary during his tenure as a knick, and I think Randolph Morris is proving that he can play at the NBA level as a backup to Eddy Curry. Don't know if Isiah feels too comfortable only having two centers on the roster (Curry and Randolph), but my vote is to cut Jerome James and let him sit on the couch at home and count his money rather than on the bench at the garden.
If NY cuts Dickau and Jerome James, they can always use Malik at the 5 in emergency situations as they did last year, he is a great post defender. Also, I think Isiah played Balkman on some centers last year and it wasn't that bad (am I the only one that seems to recall Balkman guarding Yao when Curry was getting schooled by Yao?).
Too bad about Mardy collins and the MSG hidden knee surgery. hope he recovers soon, he showed signs last year of being a good guard.
How many guys are coming back off major injuries/surgeries this upcoming season?
David Lee (right leg)
Mardy Collins (knee)
Jamal Crawford (broken ankle)
Quentin Richardson (back)
these are major players and we don't know if they'll be 100% when they eventually return. Hopefully they can still do what they are paid to do.
i also want to mention what a great job Dave Hanners did in running the knicks summer team. they pushed the ball up the floor very well, and I previously didn't care for Hanners because of his affiliation with Larry Brown, but now I see that he is actually a good coach.
ALAN, NICE BLOG. YOUR INSIGHT IS ACCURATE AND OBJECTIVE. I SEE WHY THE KNICKS WILL TALK SHOP WITH YOU AND NOT ISOLA, OOPS, FORGIVE THE NAME DROPPING. NATE AND TAZ WILL PUSH THE ROOKIES CHANDLER, MORRIS AND NICHOLS TO COMPETE WITH THE VETS IN OCTOBER. WE ARE IN FOR A FUN YEAR.
Zeke will keep Nichols on this roster. A 6'8" sharpshooter who can put the ball on the ground and produce his own shot. Eddy and Zach will love this guy. Zeke will trade Dickau, Jones, Jefferies and James to Sac for Artest after the 29th, when the Knicks are able to trade Dickau and Jones. As far as Artest's attitude in NY, he is in his hometown and wants to bring a championship to MSG. He and Marbury will go down in Knick history if they accomplish this.
It was fun watching the Knicks Summer team fun and gun their way to a .500 record. Knick fans better have enjoyed that because this team is a going to be a half court grinder with Curry and Randolph.
This is terrible. If you don't watch a game, don't comment on it. THATS WHY YOU'RE CALLED NATE ROBINSON HATER.
Nate didn't have many assists because the Nuggets played full court pressure all game long, and pretty much took the ball out of his hands before he even crossed the half court.
Oops, I meant 5-0 recped, not .500
Oops, I meant 5-0 record, not .500
Did this week secure Nate a spot on the roster, or increase his trade value? (or both?) Also, how many guards do we think Isiah will leave camp with? And do we include Q in that number? If we assume Q, Marbury, Crawford and it certainly seems as though isiah wants to give Collins a chance to continue to develop, that’s 4. Are there 1 or 2 more slots for guards? Does Nate have value? Does Nate have value to the Kings? Could Nichols see time at the 2?
Alan – what guards do you think will be on the roster at the end of camp?
somebody is going to pick up brian greene. he did well on the knicks' summer team. he's got a great jump shot, and is athletic for his size at 6'7" and 225. he's a swingman that new york has to cut. He will be picked up by another team and do well there, not unlike Matt Carroll from two summers ago. Carroll did well as a starter for the Bobcats for a good portion of last season.
just too many bodies on the knicks, though some of them (Jerome James) aren't live.
My vote is for 2 of Fred Jones, Dan Dickau, and Jerome James to be the cuts off our roster.
We have Zach and Curry up front, with Lee, Malik, and Morris able to fill in at both positons. We don't only have 2 centers, we have plenty of bigs. So, James can go, but may be less likely to be cut.
Dickau and Jones make the most sense in terms of their contracts and new-ness to the team. Malik needs to stay as more than just a leader, though that quality should not be underestimated. He needs to return as our best low-post defender.
No way Nichols goes anywhere. Players in jeopardy after Vegas-Dickau, Jones, Jeffries, James, Rose & Crawford. I said JC because he can be replaced at 2 & has enough value to get rid of some of those other bodies. I don't think Artest trade will happen. As much as I love Lee & Balkman they will not start unless there offense improves. Nate is definitely a keeper. He will find himself. I agree Alan that he has the potential to be special. Nate along with other vets will be challenged for minutes by these hungry young players.
I can’t imagine that anybody wants to lose Lee or Balkman. But I have to believe Isiah is posturing, to some degree – negotiating through the press. And maybe he believes he can get Artest without giving either of them up. Obviously, that’s ideal. And maybe we’ll get him or maybe we won’t. But, in the end, having Artest as a starter on this front line takes the team to another level, in a way that keeping those players doesn’t. We’re a more balanced and more dangerous team with Artest, even if it means giving up Lee. Given a chance to trade some bench players, no matter how promising, for a starter . . . I think you have to make the move if it’s there. I also think Isiah moves Nate long before he gives up Lee or Balkman. And that Crawford plays a much more integral role in Isiah’s backcourt rotation than Nate, even after last week. Keeping Crawford has to be a higher priority than keeping Nate.
I think we should get rid of Jerome James and Fred Jones. Jerome James for obvious reasons and Fred Jones because I think we need a 3rd point guard (Dickau) behind Marbury and Collins. One thing I hear a lot and I don't understand is that players like Wilson Chandler and Randolph Morris won't play much next year. I think these players as well as Nichols SHOULD see as much time as possible. I see Wilson as a defensive stopper at 2 guard (see his 2 blocks a game average) and see Morris as a rebounder defender. These young players need time to play in order to lessen the injury risk on our older players and to keep our entire team fresh for the season.
I think we should get rid of Jerome James and Fred Jones. Jerome James for obvious reasons and Fred Jones because I think we need a 3rd point guard (Dickau) behind Marbury and Collins. One thing I hear a lot and I don't understand is that players like Wilson Chandler and Randolph Morris won't play much next year. I think these players as well as Nichols SHOULD see as much time as possible. I see Wilson as a defensive stopper at 2 guard (see his 2 blocks a game average) and see Morris as a rebounder defender. These young players need time to play in order to lessen the injury risk on our older players and to keep our entire team fresh for the season. Oh and why didn't Balkman make the summer league all tournament team. He had the greatest impact of any player on any team in the league. Yes even more than N8.
NASCAR aside, your blog has been a source of enjoyment and information.
Thanks for keeping us informed on the day to day behind the scenes stories.
It's too early to have any idea of what the roster will look like come training camp. Who knows what will happen between now and then.
Hey BT, it's the summer league. Morris, Chandler, and (perhaps to a lesser extent) Nichols won't know what hit them when they're playing against real NBA players (not free agent D-league players).
Jerome James should go--yet, I stand by my statement that if Jerome gets bought out (and I do believe Jerome would prefer to be bought out than to earn his money the hard way) the knicks would have JUST TWO centers: Eddy Curry and Randolph Morris. Malik Rose, Zach Randolph, David Lee, Jared Jeffries, Renaldo these are definitely forwards, and not centers. They might have different attributes, Malik is a great post defender, Lee a great all-around rebounder, Jeffries a long, perimeter defender, but that does not mean you can call them centers.
Everyone thought we had enough guards last year, and what happened? Q went down, Jamal went down, and then marbury went down, and we had Mardy Collins playing 45 minutes a game in the back court with nate. My point is that having three centers on the team is generally better than having just two, except when that third center is Jerome James.
Randolph Morris played great for the knicks this summer. Great footwork, nice outside jumpshot (he uses the bankshot, remind you of anyone?) and he blocked some shots and rebounded the ball. Couldn't ask for more. It is summer league, as some of you have pointed out, but those of us who care to watch these games want to see how far the young knicks have come in terms of their development of skills, and how far they need to go in terms of skill deficiencies.
Chandler looks like a better version of ron mercer currently.
I wonder if Randolph Morris would have got more touches if he could have put up bigger numbers. He looked pretty darn good when he did get the ball. I bet he could do well off the bench as the the first option to spot Curry some rest.
If Isiah could give up nate in a package to get artest without giving up balkman or lee, I'd do it, but sac isn't going to bite.
NY will probably get Artest in 2008 anyway, so why give up young talent now when drafting young talent is Isiah the GM's only proven success?
I liked Fred Jones the season when Artest got suspended, he was phenomenal. I'd rather give up on Jerome James and Dan Dickau than any other knicks currently signed.
Jared Jeffries had a bad season last year, but Q had a bad first season in new york and he turned it around last season and did well up until the injury. I believe Jeffries is a good team player and that he has the heart of a true knick. Its just a damn shame that MSG is so trigger happy with the boo's. fickle fans. They once booed balkman too.
this guy Kamla didn't even mention the knicks at all in his recap of the vegas summer league. well, since ny was 1 of 2 undefeated teams, and had the mvp, I think he should have at least mentioned somebody on the knicks (balkman, robinson, chandler, morris or nichols).
http://www.nba.com/summerleague2007/players/kamla_070716.html
its all a bunch of corporate hype. seattle will probably be right back in the lottery next year looking for oj mayo.
Slim pickens here. Whats up Alan? Anything cooking?
Nate Robinson may have won the Summer League MVP, but I'm more interested in this blog on the Knicks City Dancer auditions.
blogs.msg.com/gameon/2007/07/knicks-city-dan.html
My advice: Just go straight to the photo gallery. Nothing beats hot chicks dancing in skimpy clothes.
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