Comments on: Knicks Morning News (2023.11.05)

By: BernieErnie

BernieErnie — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 13:14:59 +0000

Cyber, thoughtful post but I believe you are assuming some causal relationship between the trading of the 19th pick and having the 25th pick. On balance I think that is true, but I can see the argument that it is not. And if it is not, an analogy would be the 2018 draft with Knox and Mitch. Overall, not a disastrous result but isolating the disastrous Knox pick is perfectly valid.

By: gkhenman

gkhenman — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 12:52:29 +0000

100% correct.

By: cybersoze

cybersoze — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:57:59 +0000

I don’t know how many of you will read this, because it’s the end of the thread and a new one is coming soon, but here it goes.
We entered the draft with picks 19, 21, 32 and 58.
We traded 19 for a future protected pick from Charlotte, that will probably be two 2nds, so it was a disaster trade. We then tried to save face, probably when acknowledging that the protected pick was a bad move, by using it to trade for Cam Reddish. He played only 35 games and was another disaster trade. Then we used him to get half a season of Josh Hart, which worked out beautifully. I just don’t think Blazers wanted Cam, it was the 2023 pick that they wanted, so i’d say the 19th pick was indeed an incineration and a bad idea from the start.
But we entered the draft with 4 picks and come away with 4 players – Grimes, Deuce, Sims and Rokas – so to evaluate Leon we have to compare what we would’ve selected with the picks, to these 4 players.
To evaluate Leon for the 19th pick disaster only is not the way. Another look at that draft was, i’m hoping with 2 firsts we get at least one good rotation player, and that’s what Leon did. So i don’t know why we keep discussing only the 19th pick from that draft.

By: Hubert IV

Hubert IV — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:52:33 +0000

We don’t get to look at the field in hindsight and ask why we didn’t draft the success stories while we ignore the failures.

Yes, actually, we do. Especially when the success story was the highest rated prospect available.

By: Hubert IV

Hubert IV — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:42:41 +0000

As a reminder, djphan wanted Josh Christopher who has since been traded and waived.

Other players people wanted:

– Keon Johnson (waived)
– Springer (126 total NBA minutes)
– Sharife Cooper (waived x3)
– Bones Hyland (traded below incineration value)

Who was one of the people who picked Jalen Johnson, full stop and no hedging with 2-3 other players tagged on? Early Bird!!

Bullshit. You’re purposefully conflating who people wanted at 21 with 19.

By: JK47

JK47 — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:33:42 +0000

Again, you’re missing the point entirely, which is: you can’t win if you don’t play. You’ll never find the gem late in the first round if you just trade the pick away every time.

The return we’re getting for punting these picks seems pretty meager. I just don’t like the strategy at all.

By: Early Bird Writes

Early Bird Writes — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:10:01 +0000

Jalen Johnson was one of the guys I liked, not because I’m some basketball scouting guru, but because it seemed obvious he was a good risk/reward kind of pick.

But so do all the other guys, that’s why they get drafted. A lot of those guys turn out to be worth less than an incinerated pick.

We don’t get to look at the field in hindsight and ask why we didn’t draft the success stories while we ignore the failures.

(BTW, you had actually said Cam Thomas or Sharife Cooper with an honorable mention to Keon Johnson and Isaiah Jackson. The other 3 are just barely keeping their foot in the door if the NBA, but Cam looks pretty damn good so far this year.)

By: JK47

JK47 — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 06:59:33 +0000

To me it’s not really a question of which Knickerblogger wanted which guy with the incinerated pick. It’s the whole approach Leon has towards the draft that I find frustrating.

He seems to think that it’s too difficult to properly identify the good players in the draft, so the risk averse thing to do is punt the picks and try to use them in trades for more sure things, AKA veterans. I hate this approach. I vocally called it out at the time.

Jalen Johnson was one of the guys I liked, not because I’m some basketball scouting guru, but because it seemed obvious he was a good risk/reward kind of pick. You miss out on guys like that when you’re afraid to make picks. Smart teams don’t operate this way.

By: gkhenman

gkhenman — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 05:49:17 +0000

I believe I wanted Johnson, but I still don’t think they pretty well without taking him.

By: Early Bird Writes

Early Bird Writes — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 05:42:29 +0000

As a reminder, djphan wanted Josh Christopher who has since been traded and waived.

Other players people wanted:

– Keon Johnson (waived)
– Springer (126 total NBA minutes)
– Sharife Cooper (waived x3)
– Bones Hyland (traded below incineration value)

Who was one of the people who picked Jalen Johnson, full stop and no hedging with 2-3 other players tagged on? Early Bird!!