But that was just his first year and he clearly has the necessary athleticism. I would take either of them over Gallinari over right now. People would probably laugh at that, given Boone’s legendarily poor ft shooting last year, but he is exactly the kind of underrated young defensive big we could use both right now and the future.

If Balkman were here perhaps you could even have traded Chandler or the six pick for Williams. (perhaps I should think about that statement, but instead just going to move on)

One thing is definitely true. People don’t differentiate much between lower usage bigs, and view them as largely interchangeable. However, there is a very big difference between what a guy like Boone gives you and what you get from say Mikki Moore, Mark Blount, Gadzuric, etc….

Of course not a SSOL guy for sure, and Williams seems to fit the mold to a tee….

Again, it’s just ludicrous to think you can build a team in the NBA without a guy taller than 6’9….

There have been a few rumors on Hoopshype that Sean Williams is available. No idea if they’re valid. Whether or not he has off-court problems, the fact that he’s not in the Nets’ “rebuilding” rotation is a definite sign of on-court problems and can’t be helping his trade value much.

Considering that the “Wrights” have played a combined 18 minutes in 6 games and their teams have championship and playoff aspirations, respectively, I have to think that they could be had for a price. Maybe not a low price and maybe not a price that the Knicks can easily meet…
Don Nelson, especially, says who stays and who goes on the Warriors. While I don’t know that he likes anything the Knicks have (besides David Lee who I guess he asked for for Harrington), Don is playing a 3 guard lineup that includes CJ Watson and DeMarcus Nelson in the 4th quarter over Brandan.
The Hornets figure to be good enough to hold onto Julian even if he’s not playing, but they’re so thin in both the frontcourt and backcourt that they’ve got to consider moving a wing if the price is right, especially if they suffer an injury.

Interesting Rubio talk – I thought it was a given he was in next year’s draft. Most draft “experts” have included him in the 2009 class, since last year.

Thomas,

Thanks for the LP tip. Dish is still running a free preview, and hopefully they will get things ironed out. But that’s an option.

it’d be great if we could somehow trade for Sean Williams, NJ has buried him behind a bunch of other young big men. I don’t see a great match, though.

Definitely. Sean Williams, Brandan Wright, and Julian Wright are guys I have my eye on. Williams is probably the least promising (least likely to reach his potential) but could fill a huge need if he develops into the interior defender he’s capable of being. Also probably by far the easiest to get. Unless they’re interested in Mardy I don’t really see a match, either. Maybe Nate for Williams and a Dallas 1st (from the Kidd trade), but Williams may be too risky to give up a good player for and the Nets might want to see how Dallas does this season before giving up their pick or just not like Nate or want to resign him to maintain their LeBron room.

From the previous thread, my problem with your analysis is that you disregard possessions and you also keep insisting against all reason that FG% has something to do with scoring efficiency.

Mardy Collins’ 23 year old season is completely irrelevant because he missed preseason, right?
A lack of athleticism won’t be Gallo’s undoing, plenty of unathletic guys are good scorers in the NBA and mediocre athletes can be good team defenders. His jumper has to improve from what it’s been in Europe, which is certainly possible or even likely for a 20 year old but it’s a matter of by how much it improves. He gets to the line at a very high rate–a stat that tends to stay pretty constant Euroleague to NBA for wing players–so he’s got to start hitting more jumpers if he wants to avoid the fate of his countrymen Bellineli and Bargnani (who I still have some hope for given that he’s a 7 footer, but you know both relative busts for their draft positions).

Owen,

Never did as much as I wanted with the Gallinari stats comparison and I don’t have it in front of me right now. I’ll try to post his stats vs. other players stats at some point. I compared him to Nachbar, Delfino, and Herrmann (what I hope would be the worst case scenarios), Manu and Pau (maybe not all that comparable but just to compare him to NBA stars), Scola & Marc Gasol (for bigmen, although he was decidedly a wing last season), and Nocioni & Rudy Fernandez. None of them played as much as he did in the Euroleague at 19, so I was more looking at how their stats developed from their first Euroleague season to their second to try to guestimate how good he might have been in the Euroleague this season and how their stats transfered to the NBA (didn’t actually construct any models, just looked over the stats).
Like I said, don’t have it in front of me now. His non-scoring stats were weak, besides assists per minute. Assists weren’t extraordinary, but solid. Steals weren’t that weak, blocks and rebounds were. All that was expected. His FG efficiency was terrible (like 40% eFG%), but he got to the line more than anyone in my sample (maybe not Pau, but he had only a 6 game Euroleague career) putting his scoring efficiency pretty much in line with the rest (who were as old as 24 before ever playing in the Euroleague).

The only thing he did really well in the Euroleague was get to the FT line. If he can do that and also start canning some jumpers, he’s going to be a good scorer in the NBA. There’s also the hope that he had the Kevin Durant syndrome, because his team was 3-11 in the Euroleague. No telling if KD will ever be any good himself, though.
BTW, I think D’Antoni embarrassing Gallo by putting him on the court after about a week of practice is as bad as embarrassing Marbury by benching him for previous mistakes and because he “doesn’t fit with the team’s strategy.” These moves plus whole-heartedly endorsing the Balkman and Marion trades leads me to believe that Walsh should completely shut D’Anotni out of any personnel decisions. Unfortunately that seems unlikely.

If they KEEP winning no one will care about Marbury, but every time they lose (and I think we all expect more Ls than Ws) it will be in the press. I’m not saying whether it was the right basketball move to bench him or not, but the way they handled it has already created a PR mess. It’s not a matter of if it will be one, it already is one.

D,

Spanish players generally wait to enter the draft, although Rubio is projected to go high enough in the draft that he might jump early (ala Pau). I don’t know his exact contract situation, but as I remember he just signed a new contract pretty recently. That could be why he’s expected to wait until 2010…
A sleeper from Spain who will come out in the next couple years in Victor Claver. He’s a 20 year old F who reminds people of Antawn Jamison (with a better outside shot), and has started this season very hot after struggling with consistency and confidence at the top level previously. His team has the talent to maybe make the Euroleague for next season, but is only 3-3 in the Spnaish ACB league at the moment (http://www.acb.com/stsacum.php?cod_equipo=PAM&cod_competicion=LACB&cod_edicion=53). In the late first, early second I really like him, and would have to look at him even in the teens. If the Knicks somehow acquire another first in the next 2 drafts I’d love to see them get him.

When thinking about draft picks, don’t forget. We still owe a draft pick to Utah for Marbury. Top 22 protected in 2009, completely UNPROTECTED in 2010. So maybe they can get Rubio.

Gorky,
I know about the pick situation, but which draft will Rubio be in?

Hopefully 2009, since we will have a terrible record this year.

When thinking about draft picks, don’t forget. We still owe a draft pick to Utah for Marbury. Top 22 protected in 2009, completely UNPROTECTED in 2010. So maybe they can get Rubio.

Gorky,

I know about the pick situation, but which draft will Rubio be in?