Knicks looking to move up in draft for Fredette

[dcapodic]

He's not arenas, he's stephen curry. Curry had a very similar college career. Both played on terrible teams and both could score 30 points a night while shooting over 40% from three. Both were said to be one dimensional even though they both showed the ability to be good passers and very good ball handlers when they needed to be. Both guys also surprised people with their very impressive NBA draft combine results and NBA workouts. I think Fredette could be the next mark price/stephen curry and i think we will be kicking ourselves if we draft some random guy with our pick who probably wont even be in our rotation next season. If we don't get Biyombo or Faried at 17 then I say the knicks should definitely trade up for Jimmer.

You bring up an interesting point and a fair comparison. People were very high on the Knicks drafting Curry with the 8th pick but are not as interested in getting Jimmer with the 17th (or higher if they trade up). I can understand that situations have changed and the need for scoring has diminished some but the Knicks still desperately need someone that can make an open shot and if nothing else, Jimmer can do that. I can also understand people not wanting to trade Douglas/Fields to move up. I mean, how far has Fields stock dropped that it could even be considered giving him away just to take a chance on a draft pick

All this being said, I would take Jimmer if he is still there at 17. As stated before, I REALLY like Singleton and hope others don't so he will still be around at 17 (I am not hopeful of this). But if it is Jimmer or Singleton, then I have to take Jimmer. I thin the Curry comparison is pretty good. Though he is a bit shorter than Curry, he has a more NBA ready body than Curry. Shotwise, they both can fill it up and I actually think Jimmer's brashness will do him well in the NBA....I don't think he is going to be "afraid" of anything.

But I think the point is moot, because he will not be there at 17 and I would not trade an established player to move up.

Pass the word around, Singleton stinks.....maybe people will pass him up then and he will fall into our laps

[bobhait]

I really hope the Knicks are not dead-set on drafting Jimmer, cause, quite frankly, that's the sign of lazy scouting right there - picking the most recognizable name and a player at the position we need about the least help with.

[taowave]

If its up to Amare,i doubt Jimmer is in the cards..

I think now it's a matter of us really, really focusing on how important defense is," Stoudemire said. "We have to focus on that angle only. Offensively we're going to be great. We got two of the top five scorers on the same team. So offensively is no problem. Defensively is where we have to focus on to get better.

I really hope the Knicks are not dead-set on drafting Jimmer, cause, quite frankly, that's the sign of lazy scouting right there - picking the most recognizable name and a player at the position we need about the least help with.

[spree#8]

Interesting article about some of the shooters of interest out of Milwaukee:

BUCKS NOTES: Thompson has the look of a great shooter

Let me preface my thoughts on an NBA draft prospect with these words: There will never, ever be another Reggie Miller.

Miller was one of the most incredible shooting guards the world has ever seen. His repertoire of shots was simply mind-boggling.

In the eyes of many pro hoops observers, there was only one better shooting guard during Miller's era in the NBA and I think we all know who that is.

Which brings us to that draft prospect: Klay Thompson. He's a shooting guard from Washington State and, yes, he reminds me a lot of Miller - at the same stage in their careers.

Let us count the ways they are similar:

- Thompson can flat-out shoot the ball and shoot it with range, just like Miller did. He shoots the 3-pointer effortlessly.

- Thompson is hardly an athletic specimen but is clever with the ball and has an uncanny knack for getting his shot off whenever he desires, just like Miller did.

- Thompson has a slender build. So did Miller. Thompson weighs just a few pounds north of 200. Miller was just a few pounds south of 200.

- Thompson is 6-foot-7. Miller is 6-7.

- Thompson played in the Pac-10 Conference as did Miller, who went to UCLA.

- Thompson is perceived as a "soft'' player, the same perception Miller had entering the 1987 draft.

- Thompson is confident and articulate. Ditto for Miller.

- Thompson is projected to be drafted somewhere between 10 - where the Bucks pick - and 14. Miller was drafted by the Indiana Pacers at No. 11.

After Thompson worked out for the Bucks Wednesday at the Cousins Center, I couldn't help but tell Thompson how he is, in so many ways, similar to Miller.

Much to my surprise, and delight, Thompson said I was the second person in recent days who had favorably compared him to Miller.

That other person, Thompson said, was none other than the man who drafted Miller for the Pacers.

"Donnie Walsh told me that, too, after I worked out for the New York Knicks,'' Thompson said of the Knicks president and general manager. "I shot the ball pretty well in their workout and, because we have similar builds and similar size, Donnie told me how I really, strongly reminded him of Reggie Miller.''

When I noted how there were plenty of Miller skeptics when he entered the draft, and how 10 other teams passed on him, a broad smile came to Thompson's face.

"That could be me then,'' Thompson said excitedly. "I hope so anyway because I love Reggie's game.

"He wasn't the most overly athletic guy, but he sure knew how to play. That's exactly how I try to play.

"If I could be anything like him, if I could play like him one day, wow. That would be amazing.''

In that workout for the Knicks, Thompson was amazing. And he was Milleresque. He made a remarkable 21 of 25 3-point attempts.

- Thompson is an avid Los Angeles Lakers fan - his father, Mychael won three NBA titles while playing for the Lakers - but he said playing in Milwaukee could serve him well.

"I'd love to play here,'' Thompson said. "I love the city; I haven't been to a city I really don't like. But I know they have a good fan base here and the facilities are really nice.

"And I think I could just focus on basketball here.''

- Cory Higgins, a guard from Colorado, was one of six players who worked out for the Bucks Wednesday.

Next up for Higgins: a workout with the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats president of basketball operations just happens to be his father, Rod.

"It's going to be weird, but I'll be fine,'' Cory Higgins said. "I'll be in a comfortable setting with people I know.''

Higgins, who played in the shadow of projected lottery pick Alec Burks at Colorado, isn't on most mock draft lists. And that, according to Jordan Hamilton, is a mistake.

"I think Cory Higgins is a good player; I think he should be a draft pick,'' said Hamilton, the Texas shooting guard who also worked out for the Bucks and is a virtual lock to be taken in the lottery. "I think he's flying under the radar.''

- Hamilton is on a short list of players the Bucks are seriously considering with the 10th overall pick. But there's a chance he might not be on the board when they make their selection.

Hamilton has already worked out for the Charlotte Bobcats and, according to an observer, turned in the best performance among a talented group that included Kawhi Leonard of San Diego State, Chris Singleton of Florida State and Tyler Honeycutt of UCLA.

The Bobcats were so impressed they have asked Hamilton to return for another workout. The Bobcats have the ninth overall selection.

- Hamilton, when asked who he patterns his game after, said, "As a two (shooting guard), I think I'm like James Harden. As a three (small forward), I'm a cross between Danny Granger and Paul Pierce.''

- Considering how the Bucks have a keen interest in both Hamilton and Thompson, Higgins was asked to play the role of his father and evaluate both players' games.

"They both can shoot the heck out of the ball,'' Higgins said. "Jordan is tough because he's so big and can get his shot off so easily. That's a great asset for him.

"Klay is crafty and quick. He's quicker than you think. Klay is a good shooter, too. But there's a lot more to his game than just shooting. He's great at putting the ball on the floor and I don't think a lot of people have recognized that yet.

"I think both will be just fine.''

- Two veteran NBA scouts agreed the draft's two biggest risers are Texas power forward Tristan Thompson and Singleton.

- All indications are the Bucks will pass on Brigham Young University guard Jimmer Fredette if he's on the board when they pick.

- As of Monday, teams could extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents. The Bucks haven't done that with Luc Mbah a Moute yet, although it's only a matter of time before they will.

- Look for Cleveland, which has the Nos. 1 and 4 picks in the draft, to pull the trigger on a trade and acquire another pick in the teens.

Copyright 2011 JournalTimes.com.
Posted in Sports, Bucks on Thursday, June 16, 2011 12:39 am | Tags:

I have Thompson (2) and Burks (1) higher on my SG draft board as combo Jimmer, so I hope we get one of those two. Wouldn't mind Jimmer at 17 though, because he should also be a valuable pick.

[H20Knick]

GREENBURGH, N.Y.—The Knicks welcomed college basketball's two most prolific scorers to the MSG Training Center on Thursday. Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette and Providence's Marshon Brooks were among six players who participated in a pre-draft workout.

Both guards are intriguing options for the Knicks, who have some time to consider what they want to do with the No. 17 overall selection, their lone pick in the June 23 NBA Draft. But the Knicks need more than intriguing options—they need solutions, depth and defense.

It figures to be a challenge with this draft, which most pundits have assessed as the weakest in recent memory. And for all their offensive pyrotechnics, Fredette and Brooks come packaged with question marks—typical of so many of the prospects who are being poked and prodded by NBA executives this month.

The pick is important to the Knicks. On Thursday, Carmelo Anthony joined coach Mike D'Antoni and general manager Donnie Walsh to watch Fredette, Brooks and four other prospects: Michigan's Darius Morris, Washington State's Klay Thompson, Pittsburgh's Gary McGhee and James Madison's Denzel Bowles. Walsh and D'Antoni were not made available for comment.

The Knicks are bringing in five more players to work out on Friday, including Tobias Harris of Tennessee. But at its core, the process still involves as much guesswork as objective analysis.

"I think I'd fit in really well here, but you never know with the draft," Fredette said after the workout, which was closed to the media. "You never know what's going to happen."

Fredette was the country's most celebrated college player this winter. A 3-point artist, he led the nation by averaging 28.9 points per game. He carried BYU to a 32-5 record and a berth in the Elite Eight. He had a compelling backstory, having grown up in remote Glens Falls, N.Y.
[SPRTS_FEATURE2] Associated Press

Marshon Brooks of Providence drives against Marquette on Feb. 27.

His name even became a verb. Getting "Jimmered" was what happened to New Mexico when Fredette scored 52 points in a victory over the Lobos in March. He had absolutely no qualms about pulling up from 35 feet and launching long, high-arcing parabolas.

Fredette, who sank 40% of his 3-point attempts, was must-watch TV. But as he negotiates the draft process and makes his transition to the NBA, there are undercurrents of concern.

Fran Fraschilla, the former St. John's coach who now works as an analyst for ESPN, said he wonders what sort of role Fredette will fill. Can he play the point? Can he come off the bench and provide instant offense? At 6-foot-2, he lacks prototypical size for an NBA shooting guard.

The other question: Will he play any defense? It was not his specialty at BYU, and that might be putting it mildly. "He was a conscientious objector on that end of the court," Fraschilla said.

Jonathan Givony, the owner of DraftExpress.com, a basketball scouting service, recalled watching BYU's loss to Florida in the NCAA Tournament. Fredette launched 29 shots, scored 32 points and expended minimal energy on defense. "You could watch 100 defensive possessions on film and not see him bend his knees once," Givony said. "And that's coming from someone who's a big fan of his."

Fredette said he shot the ball well Thursday, draining 20 of 25 jumpers from college 3-point range and 19 of 25 from NBA distance. In some ways, he seems designed for the Knicks' up-tempo system—a style he described as "run-and-gun." But Fredette also said there was a clear emphasis during the workout on defense, a facet of the game where the Knicks desperately need help.

"I think they expect me to shoot the ball well," he said. "It's just the other end of the floor, and that's what I've been working on."

Brooks, at 6-5, is similarly intriguing, though he has his own set of unknowns. He averaged 24.6 points per game at Providence, where he consistently overwhelmed defenders.

He could be an incendiary presence, torching Notre Dame for 52 points and Georgetown for 43—tours de force that were Jimmer-esque. The caveat: Providence lost both games. Therein lies the rub with Brooks, whose production seldom led to victories. The Friars went 15-17 and coach Keno Davis lost his job.

"Marshon can wow you in a workout because he's really talented, can really score and really works hard on perfecting his craft by himself in the gym," Givony said. "But that hasn't necessarily translated to winning games or even playing winning-type basketball. And that's a question with him."

In basketball parlance, Brooks is known as "streaky"—and that reputation extends beyond his shooting touch. He had 98 turnovers and just 80 assists as a senior. Still, he has rare gifts as a scorer and as an athlete, including a 7-foot-1 wingspan.

"He can make you look stupid out there with the way he handles the ball," said Washington State swingman Klay Thompson, who defended Brooks during 3-on-3 drills on Thursday. (Thompson figures to be a lottery pick.)

Fraschilla and Givony both said New York should take the best player available at No. 17, regardless of position. The Knicks have all sorts of missing pieces—and this is what makes them different than, say, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who essentially need one player to bolster their title hopes.

Where to begin with the Knicks? Point guard? Shooting guard? Long-range specialist? Some post help for Amar'e Stoudemire? Perhaps all of the above.

The Knicks will try to address most of these issues in free agency, of course. The process of building a better, deeper team will involve more than just one draft pick. But finding someone who can contribute—on both ends—would be a start.

I just don't believe the knicks can afford to bring anyone who isn't defense first. You bring in those types of no-D shooters and then come playoff time, they have to rot on the bench because they're too much of a liability. Amare and Melo can handle the scoring load as long as there's one guy on the perimeter who is a knock down shooter from distance.... but that guy needs to be able to play D.

[bobhait]

when Amar'e was on with Boomer and Carton yesterday he mentioned that the Knicks needed a big man. considering how we had a physically limited Turiaf and then added an all-around limited Jeffries last year, I'd say we need another big body. there's gotta be someone suitable at 17

[CommonSense]

when Amar'e was on with Boomer and Carton yesterday he mentioned that the Knicks needed a big man. considering how we had a physically limited Turiaf and then added an all-around limited Jeffries last year, I'd say we need another big body. there's gotta be someone suitable at 17

Vucevic seems like the most likely big man to be taken around 17, and I personally would definitly not mind that pick.

[bobhait]

here's the approach the Knicks need to have during this draft - unless a player slips down, the way Granger did to the Pacers in '05 (also #17, by the way), you just get the best big available. you just can never have enough big bodies, and we need protection for Amar'e. our best chance of competing with Miami long-term is to have the most complete team, and drafting well is about the only way we're going to be able to upgrade from now on. just for reference, Kendrick Perkins was the 27th pick and Glen Davis went at 35. the point being, just because you're not drafting in the lottery doesn't mean you can't pick up suitable players.

[spree#8]

here's the approach the Knicks need to have during this draft - unless a player slips down, the way Granger did to the Pacers in '05 (also #17, by the way), you just get the best big available. you just can never have enough big bodies, and we need protection for Amar'e. our best chance of competing with Miami long-term is to have the most complete team, and drafting well is about the only way we're going to be able to upgrade from now on. just for reference, Kendrick Perkins was the 27th pick and Glen Davis went at 35. the point being, just because you're not drafting in the lottery doesn't mean you can't pick up suitable players.

Nah, the approach the Knicks should have is: Draft is for talent, free agency for need! I know it's a cliché, but it's true, because this is a "no miss" Draft with our highest pick for the foreseeable future on the clock: We have to take the best player available. Because we have so many needs (starting SG, starting C, backup PG/PG of the future, backup PF, backup SF) there isn't even one position where we shouldn't look at with SF the least important though, because if we get a shooter we can shift Landry Fields over there.

[NYGM]

Donatas and Biyombo are falling in moks.. Those are really interesting picks..

I really like Vucevic, the word is he will be there at 17 but maybe not after 20..

[cragganmor]

Klay is moving up in the mocks, getting into the lottery or close to it.

Burks, Montejunas, Tobias Harris and Jordan Hamilton also sliding down.

Agree, Donatas and Biyombo are intriguing at #17. I like Vucevic at #17, but only if Donatas, Biyombo and Singleton are off the board.

[NYGM]

Klay is moving up in the mocks, getting into the lottery or close to it.

Burks, Montejunas, Tobias Harris and Jordan Hamilton also sliding down.

Agree, Donatas and Biyombo are intriguing at #17. I like Vucevic at #17, but only if Donatas, Biyombo and Singleton are off the board.

I'm getting little greedy right now..

I want a combination of Biyombo/Motiejunas + Vucevic.. I don't know how but what if we can draft 2 of those 3 players?..

We need REAL size 6'10+, but size witht talent..

[bobhait]

spree, what if we draft the supposedly most talented SF and then fail to acquire a C with the peanuts we'll have to spend in free agency? now we got a player who's second on the depth chart at his position for us, at best, while there's still a gaping hole in the pivot. I don't know about you, but I'd rather Jared Jeffries not start for us next season. the point being, the Knicks need to start assembling a more complete roster with complimentary players. we've had enough redundancy on this team over the last decade, acquiring undersized power forwards and streaky shooting guards in bulk.

[cragganmor]

Klay is moving up in the mocks, getting into the lottery or close to it.

Burks, Montejunas, Tobias Harris and Jordan Hamilton also sliding down.

Agree, Donatas and Biyombo are intriguing at #17. I like Vucevic at #17, but only if Donatas, Biyombo and Singleton are off the board.

I'm getting little greedy right now..

I want a combination of Biyombo/Motiejunas + Vucevic.. I don't know how but what if we can draft 2 of those 3 players?..

We need REAL size 6'10+, but size witht talent..

JMO, but I'd be happy with just 1 of those 3; can't expect much more from a #17 spot. Don't forget that Jerome Jordan will be on the roster.

Now if we move up or acquire another pick in the teens, then it's possible, but if we had another pick in the 1st then I'd get a SG or PG.

[nbafreak724]

I reallly dont want to draft Jimmer Fredette, I dont think he can become an effective PG in this league.

But then again, I said the same thing about Stephen Curry...

[nick78]

at the end of the day who prefers Jimmer over Thompson?

I say should we move up it should be for Thompson, not Fredette. Klay is a natural SG who would fit right in, not
another undersized combo guard...or how about Brooks? I saw him play in Providence, he s good but selfish, plays a bit too street like.

and what happened to Faried? his stock has fallen apparently.

[cragganmor]

at the end of the day who prefers Jimmer over Thompson?

I say should we move up it should be for Thompson, not Fredette. Klay is a natural SG who would fit right in, not
another undersized combo guard...or how about Brooks? I saw him play in Providence, he s good but selfish, plays a bit too street like.

and what happened to Faried? his stock has fallen apparently.

No offensive skills and he's only 6'7" with shoes on, about 225#. Teams want to see more skills or size in a first rounder.