also, it’s obviously way way too early to say he’s a bust, and all of the guys I really liked went top 5, but it is funny to note that there’s absolutely no way Isiah would have picked Gallinari, if it was his pick (IMO, of course).

Frank O.,
Zach Randolph may be the Knicks’ focal point right now, but he probably shouldn’t be. I’ve never seen anything quantifying the variability of a player’s performance from game to game, but I have a feeling that guys like Zach and Jamal suck coaches in with an incredible night every 5th-10th game and otherwise stink.
I feel that the Knicks would be better served spreading the wealth and not “featuring” anyone–just moving the ball to find the best shot to take advantage of their depth of solid scorers–but probably lack the basketball IQ to do this against a decent defensive effort. Combine this with how much having a truly great scoring option helps you against a good defense, and I think they should move their crap players ASAP (deadline or offseason?).
I agree it’s a mismatch, but who else on the roster do you want guarding Duncan? Zach at least has the bulk to not get run over, even Andrew Bogut made “Bonespurs” Lee look like a traffic cone.
Balkman and Lee are good to great role players on any team, it’s just that on the Knicks the “featured” offensive options stink.
It seems completely illogical to me to say that you have to start building with a franchise player(s) and then fill in role players around him/them.
Look at Joe D’s original blueprint in Detroit, circa 2001-2002 (http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/2002.html). No one you would consider even close to a “true” franchise player (a bunch of smart vets and strong role players, though), and they were still the 8th defense and 12th offense in the NBA and a 50 win, 2nd round playoff team. The next season he adds Billups, Hamilton, Prince, and Okur while getting rid of Stackhouse and other lesser (Rodney White, etc.) high-usage/low-efficiency players and the rest is history.
If you have a logical argument for needing a real franchise player to employ good role players, honestly tell me because I really can’t see it.

I agree with your first comments about Zach.

On the issue of putting Zach on Duncan:
I mulled this for a while. I thought first of maybe putting Rose on Duncan, but I’m not sure he would do much better and his offense is terrible.
Then I reread your note and it became obvious that if the Knicks had simply run their offense aggressively, pushed the ball, passed effectively, they would have had Duncan exhausted by half time. But they lacked the discipline and IQ to do so.

Because the Knicks still are lacking defensively, the D’Antoni maxim of “the team that scores the most points had the best defense,” should govern their approach.

That means the Knicks unfortunately still are dependent on Zach and Crawford.

On Lee and Balkman, I appear to have created the impression – probably because of my poorly constructed comment – that I don’t like Balkman. Last year I was arguing that the Knicks should have been starting him over Q. Run the young guys out there and let them learn and develop.

I still think he probably is a better option than Q at SF.

I’m not convinced, however, that Balkman has become a great role player, or that he has even yet achieved the level of a very good role player. I think the jury is still out.

Mike:
I agree. It has been said on this blog that Balkman and Lee would be great role players on good teams. But they could not be effective focal point players.

I find it ironic Balkman’s good stats were only due to having two great players on his team. Even if that were true, isn’t that the kind of player you want to keep around for when you have good players?

My comment was not so much a knock on Balkman as it was an acknowledgment that he will do better where he is. I wasn’t a big fan of the Knicks giving him up for what boiled down to a second round pick in 2010. Having said that, he’s had two good games after several very modest performances…which to me was his MO with the Knicks.
He’d look great one night and then not so much.
And he’s shooting 47 percent from the charity stripe.
Maybe it’s to hard on him to say he’s inconsistent and undisciplined.
Would he have been better than Q? I could easily be convinced of that.

Marc Gasol is looking at our frontline and licking his chops.
I think he looks at our frontline and sees a big steaming bowl of paella.

Unfortunately half the Knicks’ frontline looks at the basketball and wishes it was a big steaming bowl of paella…

I think he looks at our frontline and sees a big steaming bowl of paella.

Zach Randolph may be the Knicks’ focal point right now, but he probably shouldn’t be. I’ve never seen anything quantifying the variability of a player’s performance from game to game, but I have a feeling that guys like Zach and Jamal suck coaches in with an incredible night every 5th-10th game and otherwise stink.
I feel that the Knicks would be better served spreading the wealth and not “featuring” anyone–just moving the ball to find the best shot to take advantage of their depth of solid scorers–but probably lack the basketball IQ to do this against a decent defensive effort. Combine this with how much having a truly great scoring option helps you against a good defense, and I think they should move their crap players ASAP (deadline or offseason?).
I agree it’s a mismatch, but who else on the roster do you want guarding Duncan? Zach at least has the bulk to not get run over, even Andrew Bogut made “Bonespurs” Lee look like a traffic cone.

Balkman and Lee are good to great role players on any team, it’s just that on the Knicks the “featured” offensive options stink.
It seems completely illogical to me to say that you have to start building with a franchise player(s) and then fill in role players around him/them.
Look at Joe D’s original blueprint in Detroit, circa 2001-2002 (http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/DET/2002.html). No one you would consider even close to a “true” franchise player (a bunch of smart vets and strong role players, though), and they were still the 8th defense and 12th offense in the NBA and a 50 win, 2nd round playoff team. The next season he adds Billups, Hamilton, Prince, and Okur while getting rid of Stackhouse and other lesser (Rodney White, etc.) high-usage/low-efficiency players and the rest is history.

If you have a logical argument for needing a real franchise player to employ good role players, honestly tell me because I really can’t see it.

Whats up Danillo and the MRI thing??

D’Antoni is now saying that Gallo may have to shut it down for the year.

Well, it looks like we blew another one. Not that it really matters all that much. We aren’t going anywhere anyway. If he is any good eventually, we’ll get a better draft pick without him this year. If he loses a year after surgery or something, but comes back 100%, there’s really no downside other than the anticipation and year of experience. He’s very young.

Whats up Danillo and the MRI thing??

D’Antoni is now saying that Gallo may have to shut it down for the year.