8th pick.. (Welcome Knickilina to NY)

[big_j_NY]

If Dennis is there, you have to take Dennis. I've only settled for Monk or Frank in other threads b/c I don't think Dennis would drop that far in the draft, but we'll see.......

[ISIAH_THOMAS]

[H20Knick]

http://nypost.com/2017/05/24/french-stu ... doubt-him/

French stud on Knicks radar showing why scouts doubt him
By Marc Berman May 24, 2017 | 9:46pm

Kenyon Martin: Phil Jackson is failing Knicks in two big ways

MSG Networks getting rid of their longtime radio voice

Knicks explore two second-round draft options at forward

The real reason behind firing of a Kristaps Porzingis favorite
French league point guard Frank Ntilikina, whom the Knicks have on their radar with the eighth pick in June’s NBA draft, could be down to his final game before he flies to the U.S. for workouts.

In Wednesday night’s playoff game in France, the 6-foot-5 Ntilikina came off the bench to play 22 minutes, scoring four points with four rebounds and three assists as his Strasbourg club evened the best-of-three first-round series with a 83-68 victory over Pau-Orthez.

The deciding Game 3 is Friday. Ntilikina, who turns 19 this summer, didn’t play well in the playoff opener, in which Strasbourg lost in overtime. In 18 minutes, he shot 0-for-4 with one point, zero assists and three fouls.

Like many teams, the Knicks love Ntilikina’s body frame for a point guard and Phil Jackson rates that as important. He’s rated the No. 1 international prospect. One concern among scouts is his lack of consistency, and they wonder if he should be putting up larger numbers considering his immense talent. Some in the organization rate North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr. higher than Ntilikina among point guards, but the Frenchman may make a better triangle fit.


When Ntilikina flies to the U.S., he likely will be based in New York and use Chris Brickley as his workout guy. Brickley worked for the Knicks on their player-development staff before resigning last month.

According to sources, joining Wednesday’s Knicks draft workouts were Kentucky freshman center Bam Adebayo and LSU shooting guard Antonio Blakeney. Adebayo is slated to go early in the second round and probably won’t be there when the Knicks pick at 44 and 57. Blakeney, a sophomore, should be on the board. He led LSU in scoring at 17.2 points.

At the recent NBA Scouting Combine, Adebayo said Kentucky coach John Calipari encouraged him to stay in the draft.

“He felt like I was doubting my potential,” Adebayo said. “He was like, ‘What’s wrong with you, man?’ He was like, ‘Go!’ I was like, ‘All right.’ ”

The Post has reported other participants in the workout included Iowa State senior forward Deonte Burton — a Jae Crowder type — and Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan.

yep.

[nazrmohamed]

Too much risk. Frank is one of those players if he becomes awesome you say "oh well, good for him" and keep it moving. I can't say anything bad about him but that's cuz I don't really know him, haven't really watched him. Just some videos. Feel me?

Meanwhile I watched full DSJ games and see his skill level being at the top of this draft. Maybe others have greater potentials in 5 yrs or what have you but Smith looked like a star the second I saw him for whatever that's worth.

To me he could win ROY regardless of where he's drafted.

[Championship 16/17]

Too much risk. Frank is one of those players if he becomes awesome you say "oh well, good for him" and keep it moving. I can't say anything bad about him but that's cuz I don't really know him, haven't really watched him. Just some videos. Feel me?

Meanwhile I watched full DSJ games and see his skill level being at the top of this draft. Maybe others have greater potentials in 5 yrs or what have you but Smith looked like a star the second I saw him for whatever that's worth.

To me he could win ROY regardless of where he's drafted.

I disagree, I think Frank is the player Phil wants b/c of a couple points; I think there is no risk.

- He is an excellent passer with great court vision.
- He is an international player, was taught the fundamentals of basketball
- He is young, will develop and grow with KP & Hernangomez
- Phil can control him
- I also think it ensures a high draft pick next season, bc we are not winning games with Frank but watching him grow, especially if you manage to get Melo out of town. That would cause D Rose to leave to Minnesota and could also could allow a Joakim Noah reunion with Tom as well through a trade.

Dennis Smith is awesome, he has the swag I'm looking for, but he tore his ACL last year (high risk for an unproven player at this level). He relies heavily on his athletic ability. He could probably go against the triangle, want to do his own thing. Phil could of signed swagged out Lance Stephenson, decided not too. Could of kept swagged out JR Smith and Shumpert, but didn't. Trying to get rid of swagged out Melo. We would hinder him in our offense, it's better to let the kid flourish on another team. We trying to be like the spurs, all international baby. He will cause Phil to have an aneurysm, plus he doesn't go past the Timberwolves in my opinion.

[taowave]

It looks like Phil is hell bent on going against conventional wisdom and joining the small ball,super athletic,deep ball NBA.

So Smith would be a shock to the system.In fact,I could see Phil favoring Frank or Monk over him. If Ron Harper,Fisher.Kerr,Vuc and BJ Armstrong were adequate PG's for Phil,then Frank is more than adequate.

I think Phil is going to go after a big front line with the likes of Willie,Kp and Iassac and likely land Rubio.

I disagree, I think Frank is the player Phil wants b/c of a couple points; I think there is no risk.

- He is an excellent passer with great court vision.
- He is an international player, was taught the fundamentals of basketball
- He is young, will develop and grow with KP & Hernangomez
- Phil can control him
- I also think it ensures a high draft pick next season, bc we are not winning games with Frank but watching him grow, especially if you manage to get Melo out of town. That would cause D Rose to leave to Minnesota and could also could allow a Joakim Noah reunion with Tom as well through a trade.

Dennis Smith is awesome, he has the swag I'm looking for, but he tore his ACL last year (high risk for an unproven player at this level). He relies heavily on his athletic ability. He could probably go against the triangle, want to do his own thing. Phil could of signed swagged out Lance Stephenson, decided not too. Could of kept swagged out JR Smith and Shumpert, but didn't. Trying to get rid of swagged out Melo. We would hinder him in our offense, it's better to let the kid flourish on another team. We trying to be like the spurs, all international baby. He will cause Phil to have an aneurysm, plus he doesn't go past the Timberwolves in my opinion.

[Championship 16/17]

It looks like Phil is hell bent on going against conventional wisdom and joining the small ball,super athletic,deep ball NBA.

So Smith would be a shock to the system.In fact,I could see Phil favoring Frank or Monk over him. If Ron Harper,Fisher.Kerr,Vuc and BJ Armstrong were adequate PG's for Phil,then Frank is more than adequate.

I think Phil is going to go after a big front line with the likes of Willie,Kp and Iassac and trade for Rubio

That's actually who I have Phil selecting second if Frank is not available. I could see that playing out too, they have compared him to Rashard Lewis and Kevin Durant. He is a very intriguing player, and I wouldn't mind that scenario. There is just too much connection with the Wolves and the Knicks. Rubio most likely will be in a Knicks uniform next season. But Frank is one of the best international players of his generation. And to go with what Jennings said below, we got to get KP and Gomez the ball. Who better then Frank, who also knows the international game.

"To be clear, Jennings didn't call out Anthony or any specific player. He was speaking in general terms about New York's selfish play. But Jennings was clear about who the Knicks should focus on moving forward - young big men Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez.

"That's who they should build a team around, those two," Jennings said." That's just my personal opinion because they're very young, they're very good. I mean, Willy, in a couple years, he's going to be probably one of the best big men. He reminds me of Marc Gasol."

[Don Che]

Us getting rubio or not will depict how we draft no?

Frank can play the 2 but i think if Isaac is on the board...regardless of who is on the roster we take him.

I just wonder if he can be a full time 3. If so...hes a no brainer...if no...might not be worth it. We need this pick to start from day 1.

[nazrmohamed]

I love Isaac as a prospect but chilled on bringing him up just based off our need for a playmaker. But as Over always said, there are many ways to get a playmaker and just on cue Rubio rumors have surfaced. Would be ecstatic if we landed Isaac and then on the same night pulled off a deal involving Rubio.

[Championship 16/17]

I think Phil is going to go after a big front line with the likes of Willie,Kp and Iassac and likely trade for Rubio

You got me thinking Taowave, there is a scenario to get both of what we want. This scenario could also convinced Melo to waive his no trade clause due to the fact that players need to feel wanted and feel they are of value. Why not send a 1st round pick to show Melo we really want you. Phil passed on Thibs too, what sweet payback.

Minnesota gets: Carmelo Anthony, Joahim Noah, and two 2nd round picks in draft

Knicks get: Ricky Rubio, Jordan Hill, Cole Aldrich, Nikola Pekovic and the #7th pick

Minnesota could also sign Derrick Rose in free agency

Minnesota starting 5
1. Kris Dunn
2. Derrick Rose (he could also mentor Lavine with recovery)
3. Andrew Wiggins
4. Carmelo Anthony
5. Karl Anthony Towns

A mix of veterans with great young talent = playoffs

Knicks get 7th and keep 8th pick in draft. What a nice way to start the rebuilding process. Also Nikola and Pekovic are expiring contracts I think.

[Don Che]

Would be AWESOME if that happened..Thibs loves Rose/Melo/Noah actually AND...i think Wiggins/Towns/Lavine need vets..them getting a lottery pick should be used in a trade regardless...If I was Thibs id do that deal but.......

I just dont know if Melo could stand with living in Minneapolis lmao...just dont see it

[nazrmohamed]

Too bad Noah probably won't pass his physical

[H20Knick]

lol i see we've gone full fantasyland in this thread now

[Championship 16/17]

I just dont know if Melo could stand with living in Minneapolis lmao...just dont see it

Recruit Kevin Garnett and other players that wore the the Wolves jersey to convince Melo. He needs support right now, the man is losing everything. You got to convince him b/ c it's a losing situation for the fans and the Knicks if he and Phil both stay

[Championship 16/17]

lol i see we've gone full fantasyland in this thread now

Never criticize without presenting an alternative solutions my fellow knick fan. I'm just trying to find a deal that works for both sides. Give me something better without criticising, let's see what your plan is?

[Don Che]

pretty sure KG is the last person Melo wants to talk to #honeynutcheerios

[Championship 16/17]

pretty sure KG is the last person Melo wants to talk to #honeynutcheerios

Still no solutions!



They seem cool to me

[H20Knick]

Never criticize without presenting an alternative solutions my fellow knick fan. I'm just trying to find a deal that works for both sides. Give me something better without criticising, let's see what your plan is?

Oh I'm not criticizing your idea, I'm just wondering what's less realistic... someone would offer the 7th pick for Melo or Melo would ever even contemplate the thought of giving up his no trade clause to play for a team in MINNESOTA that just won 31 games, has andrew wiggins sitting in his preferred position, karl anthony towns sitting in his best position, and you have them starting KRIS DUNN at point guard. There is just no way Melo ever agrees to that. If Melo/Amare/Tyson couldnt get to the ECFs with Felton and JR/Shump... Wiggins/Old-melo/KAT isn't getting anywhere near the WCFs with Dunn and LaVine/Rose.

I have zero desire for Ricky Rubio. I've voiced that in other threads countless times. I'd even go as far as to take Frank over him, and I have very little desire for Frank. I've also voiced that in other threads countless times. With that said, I do acknowledge the fact that it's becoming less and less likely that DSJ or Monk will be on the board. Thus, I am okay with Isaac or Frank, and I will support trading for Rubio if we draft Isaac. I will say now that Rubio/Isaac/KP/Willy isn't nearly enough offense to be competitive in 2017, and there is no good guard in the 2018 draft... so the fact that Rubio/Isaac/KP/Willy is a ticket to a top 5 draft pick in 2018 is dampened by the fact that you'd really be looking at a 3 (making your 2017 pick obsolete) or a 5 (making your 2016 pick obsolete). This is not good team building.

Obviously, as stated in the other thread (Vinos?), I'm willing to use either KP OR the 8th pick and any other assets (outside of future 1st rounders) to acquire Fultz. I'm willing to use the 8th pick and any other assets (outside of future 1st rounders) to acquire multiple top 10 picks. I'm willing to use the 8th pick and any other assets (outside of future 1st rounders) to move up to a top 5 pick.

I'm not in any rush to move Noah for the sake of opening cap space, because no one wants to come here. I also do not believe youre going to get a top 15 pick for Melo, because none of the teams that have top 15 picks are contenders (i.e. the teams that could really benefit from Melo) except for Boston. But Boston could be an appealing destination for a younger, equally talented free agent like PG, and has no need to offer up a top pick for Melo. I'm all aboard on trading Melo to a contender in return for some young talent and a late 1st rounder or a future 1st rounder.

I have zero problem with Melo for Rivers/Brice Johnson/future 1st rounders.

I have zero problem with Melo for Jaelin Brown, Tyler Zeller, and a future 1st rounder (i included Zeller because even though Boston will start the summer under the cap, they'll still need to move some more salary out).

Obviously, my dream is Melo to the Wizards. I dont have any idea how youd make that trade work though. They're not going to want to give up Porter. There IS some discontentment coming from Gortat towards the franchise. There SHOULD be some discontentment coming from the franchise towards Mahinmi. Maybe if we give them Melo and we eat Gortat or Mahinmi's salary, they give us Oubre, this year's first, and a future 1st? Obviously if they give us Kief or Porter, i'm way more interested, but I don't think Kief is a great fit next to KP (he's not at all the goon/enforcer some people on this site have made him out to be based on their watching of 3 weeks of wizards basketball), and they have the QO for Porter, meaning he's their best chance to get long term talent influx without needing to ship talent out for cap concerns.

I never thought Love for Melo was remotely realistic, and I think most people here have finally realized that. I don't think they'll offer Thompson for Melo either. That would force Love to play the 5, which isn't going to work with Melo at the 4. They kinda already have a 3... Their 1 is good too. I guess Melo could be 6th man, but if they dont offer Love or Thompson, they have nothing I want.

I honestly don't see Melo going to a current 4-8 seed. He needs to be competing for a championship NEXT year. Otherwise, might as well stay in New York. The Spurs obviously don't work because they're set a 3,4,5. The Warriors would be insane with Melo, but there's no way to make the salaries work.... and all the guys they could offer are old... and the'yll never have a good draft pick.

The obvious elephant/darkhorse here is the Lakers. Lets just say Melo decided none of the contenders were a good fit. He has to choose between losing with Phil in New York versus losing with Magic in LA. THIS IS A NO BRAINER. Yeah, the Lakers want to make a play for PG13? Sure! They'll probably get him. Magic says Ingram is untouchable? No problem. Give me But we can still make this work. We'll take Deng's disgusting contract off their hands along with Russell or Clarkson AND Ingram. This is my best case scenario for Melo.

[n8 the gr8]

^
I think I was the only one that called Kief a goon. I'm basing a big part of that on the playoffs but it's not like I've never watched him before. You've watched more of him though, what do you dislike?

[noypi]

Melo and Noah to Minnesota and at the same time we get their 7th pick and Rubio? I want what you guys smoking.

Melo will not waive his NTC to mentor some young dudes with no playoff appearance/experience. Also, the only way Minnesota deals their 7th pick is to package it with LaVine/Wiggins for a stud SF like Jimmy Butler or Paul George. Then they get rid of Rubio for our Lee straight up.