Ted Nelson:
Interesting. What’s the sample size of the pre- and post-injury #s? What was the injury?

That’s absolutely the kind of stuff that can make for a draft steal… little stuff that disrupts the performance from its “real” level.

I basically just totaled up his #s from Kansas prior to his injury (it was an ankle or foot injury I think – apparently they were considering sitting him for the rest of the season but he wanted to come back). In total it was only 346 minutes spread out over 13 games. He shot 27/62 from 3point range and 21/26 from the line. The other extenuating circumstance is that he came onto the team mid-season even before the injury, so if one were in the excuse-making mode, that would be another one.

JK47: Selby seems like a terrible idea to me. Color me unexcited about bringing in a “zero-guard” in the Tyreke Evans mold. We need a PG who can run the PnR, some guys who can rebound, big men who can play interior D… The last thing we need is an inefficient, shoot-first guard.

If you think he’s going to be inefficient forever, then obviously you don’t draft him. The idea would be that if you feel his efficiency will/could be their long-term you take him.

As far as “we need” this and that… Not buying it at the #17 pick. Take the best prospect available. Not saying that’s Selby, but I don’t think need should much play into it.

Frank: His pre-injury #s weren’t that bad

Interesting. What’s the sample size of the pre- and post-injury #s? What was the injury?

That’s absolutely the kind of stuff that can make for a draft steal… little stuff that disrupts the performance from its “real” level.

I did read that Selby also played off the ball on his AAU team, not that I know any of the details.

16 pts, 4.3 assists, 3.8 reb, TS 55.5%.
He shot 81% from the FT line (although his FTA/FGA was only 20%) and a sizzling 43.5% from college 3.

His post-injury #s were horrible, but if we can believe he wasn’t 100%, then maybe that’s forgivable.

Again, not saying we SHOULD draft him – just that we shouldn’t be afraid to if the talent evaluators think he’s worth it. We all rely of draftexpress and other sites — they make for interesting reading, and they certainly know more about basketball than me, but don’t you think that if these guys were really AWESOME scouts they’d be working for a real team somewhere with a real paycheck rather than loading up their websites with annoying flashing banners and popups?

This team has holes all over the place. While volume scoring on the starting unit is not a need, bench scoring definitely is. I honestly know little to nothing about Selby’s game – only what various outlets have written, which all tell me that he has tons of potential, knows how to score, can finish in traffic, and is a solid defender. These are not bad things. TD, for all his gifts, is much better playing off the ball instead of forcing long 2′s while wearing blinders, which is what he usually does when left to his own devices.

The other thing is — there are very few players that really make a difference in the league. IMO probably 11-12 players on every 15-man roster are totally interchangeable/replaceable, which is why guys like Morey think building a roster with only true max players and rookie scale deals is the way to go. I’m not saying that Selby is the greatest thing since sliced bread – again, I don’t know much about him. But a guy with his athletic gifts is, I think, unlikely to be a complete bust (it seems to me that most complete busts – guys that are unable to contribute even off the bench – are unathletic bigs), and at worst will be a competent defender at the 1/2 position with middling offensive efficiency – maybe a backup combo guard, a 6th-7th man — Toney Douglas, Ronnie Brewer-types if you will. His ceiling could be Derrick Rose-ish. Not a bad gamble if the FO believes in his talent and ability to play well with others.

taggart4800: I think the knicks should draft a scorer with the 17th.

They were the 7th offense and 22nd D in the league… if you’re going to draft for need I’d really go defense. They also got eaten up on the boards.
And guys who are good bets to efficiently score 30 with any regularity are not lasting till the #17 pick in a crap draft anyway.

taggart4800: Guys like Fields,

Guys who are rookies?

taggart4800: our brief playoff stint

Billups was also hurt throughout the stint.

taggart4800: If you look at the really competitive teams now they have at least 4 people on their roster that when they are on can score big.

They also play defense… but anyway… LeBron, Wade, Bosh and… Bibby topped 20 once all season, including with Atl. Chalmers and Miller each topped 15 once in the regular season. Dirk, Terry and… Butler has one 30 point game and hasn’t played since Dec.

I would not draft for need anyway, but I don’t think another scorer is their biggest need.

Ben R: We have a score first combo guard who is quite good in TD why do we want to draft another one.

Because by the time you get to the #17 pick there are only so many NBA players on the board most drafts, and this looks like an especially poor draft. I’m not saying Selby is the guy, but I’d take BPA (prospect, not player). I would not look at who is on my team in approaching the draft besides for at a very marginal level: i.e. in choosing between guys that the team projects to all have roughly the same value.

Saying “we need a C and are set at combo-guard” and taking a crap C while leaving a strong combo-guard on the board is not a sound philosophy. You can trade TD or develop Selby behind him. I would really argue against Selby based on his individual merits, and not go with the draft for need angle.

Ben R: I want to see some signs at the college level before I spend a 1st on a 20 year old combo guard.

If you see some signs… everyone else is going to be seeing those same signs and Selby’s a lottery pick. 17 seems quite early for him and I doubt the Knicks will or should take him, but the idea is that he’s a buy low candidate. It’s a huge if, but if this is a guy who struggled as a freshman at a top program but would have turned it around as a sophomore or junior… you could be taking a 2012 or 2013 top 10 pick in 2011. I don’t know that Selby is the guy–I sort of doubt it–but with the #17 pick in a crappy draft taking a risk like that may be the best move dependent on who is on the board. Selby, Tyler, Bertans…