Isaiah Canaan with the 24th Pick?

Season Countdown: 130 Days

Knicks Draft Look In: Isaiah Canaan

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By Max Marcilla

At Murray State, Isaiah Canaan was a tremendous scorer at the guard position. He averaged 22.4 points per game, while doing it efficiently at 43% shooting. While Canaan is projected to go in the late part of the first round, the Knicks may want to look at him with the 24th overall pick. Here is why.

Depth- With Jason Kidd retiring and taking over the Head Coaching job of the Brooklyn Nets, the Knicks are left with 2 point guards on the roster, Raymond Felton and possibly Pablo Prigioni. Prigioni is probably going to return to the Knicks this upcoming season, but no one expects him to be a long-term piece to the puzzle. Raymond Felton is a solid player, but maybe not starter worthy in a conference that is dominated by great point guards, such as Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo and Deron Williams. While Isaiah Canaan may not be the immediate answer to the point guard dilemma, his scoring abilities could be the catalyst that anoints him the starting point guard role in the near future.

Control of the Game- One of the big plus’ in Canaan’s game is his ability to run a fast offense, with his best skills being his speed and his quickness with the ball. The Knicks struggled in the series with Indiana in controlling the tempo and forcing Indiana to go smaller to match-up with the Knicks. If Canaan can continue to score in the NBA like he did at Murray State, then teams will definitely have to put a quick guard on him to stop him, leaving big men open for good looks.

Melo’s Sidekick- Carmelo Anthony cannot lead a team all by himself. No one can. LeBron James, the reigning MVP couldn’t do it in Cleveland, and since uniting with D-Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, he has had tremendous success. The Knicks have been exploring second options for scoring, and with J.R Smith’s return questionable (and even if he does return, who knows how consistent he will be) Canaan could fit in to that role. Not only would it take the load off of Melo, but it would also relieve Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni, as often times they tried to be better scorers then they actually are.

Odds are that Canaan will be available at the 24th pick, but a lot of people are wondering if the Knicks would go for a guard or a big man, such as Gorgei Dieng. If the Knicks do decide to go with a point guard, Canaan is without a doubt an option.

 

Knicks and Minnesota: A Trade That Makes Sense

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Tyson Chandler for Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour and the 26th pick:

At first glance this trade seems uneven on the negative end for the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are giving up two rotational players and a first rounder, but if you take a closer glance you can see that this makes sense on both ends for both organizations.url-8

Knicks Point of View: New York is giving up their anchor as well as their heart and soul on the defensive end of the court. However, with Tyson’s poor playoff performance and the Knicks desperate need for players at many positions, coupled with their need for a low post scorer, New York must make this trade.

Acquiring Derrick Williams is a gamble. Without a clear position (PF/SF) Derrick has been a grave disappointment in his young NBA career, Although he had a positive year last year, he is still not producing the way a 2nd overall pick should. He has the skills to play down in the paint, but for some reason avoids contact. He is at best 6’8” in shoes, which is not great size for the PF spot. Having said all that, the Knicks could take a gamble on him and allow him to develop, sharing minutes with Amar’e this year. Continue reading →

 

Knicks Basketball: Will Bynum a Player of Interest

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Will Bynum, the pint size PG from the Detroit Pistons is has drawn some interest from the New York Knicks. With his small stature but competitive heart, Will has made a lasting impression on opponents. He is in the same mold as Nate Robinson, without the smooth shooting stroke, but he has the strength and tempo to be a very serviceable back up point for many teams, especially the starving NY Knicks.

Will had a decent year this past season, averaging 18 minutes per game, 9.8 points and 3.6 assists on 46% shooting, as well as 31% from downtown. With the sudden departure of Jason Kidd and the question marks behind Pablo Prigion’s return, the Knicks are in the market for a PG to back up Raymond Felton. Is Will that guy? This I am not sure, but what I do know is that the Knicks are desperate for a change of pace point guard in the mold of a Ty Lawson or an Eric Bledsoe. With those players too expensive for the Knicks, players like Will Bynum could be had for part of their taxpayer mini mid or perhaps their vet’s minimum.

 

Knicks Free Agent Look In: The Future of Kenyon Martin

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By Chris Connolly

As we move forward towards the draft and into the offseason, it seems as though the contribution of Knicks PF/C Kenyon Martin has been overlooked. The pairing of the Knicks and K-Mart seemed to be match made in heaven. The Knicks were looking to sure up their front line image-1after injuries to Marcus Camby and Amar’e Stoudemire. In the mean time K-Mart was looking for an opportunity for a clean slate. When the Knicks signed Kenyon, a one-time nemesis, nobody knew exactly what to expect. Sure we knew he would add help on the backboards, as well as provide energy off the bench. What we did not know is that Kenyon Martin would become arguably the most consistent big man on the Knicks roster.

After being passed over as a free agent until Feb. 21, Kenyon came to the Knicks with a chip on his shoulder. Martin felt as though he had done enough in his tenure with the Clippers to garner a free-agent deal coming into this past season. Teams shied away from signing Martin, stating that his attitude would not be a good fit for their club. This was a major reality check to Martin, who sat around waiting for the opportunity to change his image. All other teams passed on the chance to sign K-Mart until the Knicks came knocking with a glaring need for a big man. Continue reading →

 

Will Iman Shumpert Be a Star for the New York Knicks?

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By Max Marcilla

After an exit out of the playoffs that was far too early for any Knick fans expectations, everyone has one thing to look forward to: Iman Shumpert.

Despite not playing a full season due to a league-wide lockout and an ACL tear, Shumpert has developed his game and IS ready to take the usa-basketball-nba-playoffsnext step. Iman proved that in the playoffs, as he was the only Knick to play consistently well for both the Boston series and the Indiana series.

Iman Shumpert came into the league with one big positive and one big negative. The positive was that he was a lock-down defender, and he hasn’t disappointed on that side of the court. In his junior year (his last) as a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, Shumpert averaged nearly 3 steals a game and locked down his opponent. However, the one weakness was his erratic shooting.

Even in his junior year when Shumpert scored 17 points per game, he struggled shooting the ball. He had a career low 29% shooting year from beyond the arc, which was a big concern, considering the Knicks are a three-point shooting team.

But Iman proved the critics wrong by showing this year that he could be a star both offensively and defensively. Here’s why: Continue reading →

 

Knicks Basketball: Kidd to the Nets. Tampering Anyone?

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I might come off to some of you as a disgruntled Knicks fan, but if you read into what I am saying I think you will understand that my point is valid.

Jason Kidd and the Knicks season ended with great disappointment. NY lost in the 2nd round, being outplayed and overmatched in every 4ff646fa7cec2way. Jason Kidd looked liked a player that had lost his skills and just could not “bring it” every night like he once did. Locked into 2 more years remaining on his deal, most thought he would take the summer and comeback for at least one more year. Remember, he had 2 years – 6 million remaining on a guaranteed deal. No player, I repeat, No player gives up that kind of money no matter the circumstances, especially since J-Kidd had some productive moments during the season. Jason did not take the summer and contemplate, or even take a month off and figure things out. He at first said he would most likely be back, and then abruptly took a 180-degree turn and announced his retirement to the surprise of everyone. Continue reading →