[NardDog NationParticipant]

 Seems like everyone- including myself- has an opinion about how the Knicks should have conducted the draft. Hindsight is 20/20 and I think we now have a much clearer picture about how things could’ve gone done on draft night. If you had the power to make these decisions on June 23rd, what would you have done?

As for me, here would be my plan….

1.)
Knicks Trade: Tony Douglas (PG) and $3 million cash incentives
Knicks Receive [from Memphis]: Xavier Henry (SG)

Henry is a 6-7 shooting guard that is a deft long range shooter, a solid rebounder and effective defender (think Aaron Affalo with Jarvis Hayes‘ offensive fluidity). I think he’s much more talented and better suited to this team than Fields because of these facts. Fortunately, the Grizzlies have no real use for him with Tony Allen and OJ Mayo under contract, which gives us an opportunity to get him on the cheap.

 2.)
Knicks Trade: $750,000
Knicks Receive [from New Orleans]: 45th pick 

This trade actually did happen and was the proper move for the Knicks to make. I would’ve selected Shelby instead ofJosh Harrellson though because Harrellson could have easily been a camp invite.

3.)
Knicks Draft: 
Iman Shumpert (17th pick)
Josh Selby (45th pick)

I would have preferred that we traded down and gotten multiple picks to select either Jeremy Tyler, Malcolm Lee, Tyler Honeycutt, Darius Morris, Adam Hanga or even Shumpert himself. I could settle on Iman Shumpert at 17 though since he was the biggest boom/bust prospect in the group.

4.)
Knicks Trade: Josh Shelby (45th pick) and $2 million cash incentives
Knicks Receive [from LA]:  Darius Morris (41st pick)

Darius Morris is a prototypical PG with the athleticism and passing ability to be a perfect fit for this team. He’s going to be an inevitable starter in this league and the probably steal of this draft. I also think that Shelby would be a much better fit in the triangle offense for the Lakers– assuming that Mike Brown will run the triangle offense- because he is much more than scorer than the distributor. I can’t believe the Knicks didn’t try to pull something like this off.

5.)
Knicks Trade: Landry Fields (G/F), Andy Rautins (SG) and Bill Walker (SF)
Knicks Receive [from Denver]: Wilson Chandler (F) 

Wilson Chandler is the perfect bench player for this system. He can play both the swingman positions and even the PF. Re-acquiring him would make it acceptable passing on Chris Singleton who I really wanted in this draft.

…..Ultimately, these moves don’t add the Center we wanted but it does an excellent job of fleshing out our roster. We were not getting the center we needed in this draft to begin with and I’ve always thought that free agency would be the better option. Assuming that the mid-level exception is still available in the new CBA, I’d try to sign Samuel Dalembert for its max. If he/it isn’t available, I’d look to offer the veterans minimum to Tony Battie, Kwame Brown, Earl Barron and/or Jeff Foster and play the position by committee.

ROSTER
Starters
Chauncey Billups…PG
Xavier Henry…SG
Carmelo Anthony…SF
Amar’e Stoudemire…PF
Samuel Dalembert/Kwame Brown/Jeff Foster/Earl Barron….C
Rotation
Anthony Carter…PG
Iman Shumpert…G
Shawne Williams…F
Wilson Chandler…F
Ronny Turiaf…F/C
Bench
Darius Morris…PG
Roger Mason Jr. …G
Derrick Brown…F
Jared Jefferies…F
Josh Harrellson/Tony Battie/Jerome Jordan…C

[carefulParticipant]

 Why is everyone hating on fields? He’s also a pretty athletic 6 foot 7 shooting guard who was extremely solid for the Knicks until they got Melo.  I think he just needs to get adjusted to having Melo on the team and he’ll be great.  We’re talking about a very efficient guy who shot almost 40% from 3 and 50% from the field and can also rebound pretty well.

[NardDog NationParticipant]

 Careful, I’m not hating on Fields. I just think that Wilson Chandler is a better player and could help our team more than Fields. Wilson was our bench last year and it was a shame that we had to have traded him. Besides, Xavier Henry is a solid ball player and Iman Shumpert would make Fields expendable.

[NardDog NationParticipant]

 Careful, I’m not hating on Fields. I just think that Wilson Chandler is a better player and could help our team more than Fields. Wilson was our bench last year and it was a shame that we had to have traded him. Besides, Xavier Henry is a solid ball player and Iman Shumpert would make Fields expendable.

[carefulParticipant]

 Why is everyone hating on fields? He’s also a pretty athletic 6 foot 7 shooting guard who was extremely solid for the Knicks until they got Melo.  I think he just needs to get adjusted to having Melo on the team and he’ll be great.  We’re talking about a very efficient guy who shot almost 40% from 3 and 50% from the field and can also rebound pretty well.

[iguapops420Participant]

 Why would LA trade Morris for Selby when they could have just drafted Selby at 46 when he was STILL availble. Too bad they didn’t, now they will have to eventually see him rockin 17,3,5 one day and know they once again passed on legit scoring combo in the second round. Missed out on Arenas,Monta,Warren, and now Selby. What happens next?, Wroten or Rivers fall to the second round and are passed on as well lol.9note that I am fully aware that neither of those guys could EVER fall to the second round)

[iguapops420Participant]

 Why would LA trade Morris for Selby when they could have just drafted Selby at 46 when he was STILL availble. Too bad they didn’t, now they will have to eventually see him rockin 17,3,5 one day and know they once again passed on legit scoring combo in the second round. Missed out on Arenas,Monta,Warren, and now Selby. What happens next?, Wroten or Rivers fall to the second round and are passed on as well lol.9note that I am fully aware that neither of those guys could EVER fall to the second round)

[NardDog NationParticipant]

 Iggy, money is something the Lakers are always after. They drafted Morris (their potential guy) and Goudelock (their safe guy) because they were the best players available for their team needs. If you had a team willing to give up money and a similarly talented player, that achieves their goals more succinctly.

Despite being a wealthy team, the Lakers are extremely cheap and have sacrificed a number of assets to lessen their payroll. They’ve traded Sasha Vujacic and picks for nothing. They’ve let Ronny Turiaf walk and still don’t have a backup C as good as him. So if the Knicks chipped in $2 million for a 2nd round pick that late in the draft, I think we could have gotten Darius Morris.

[NardDog NationParticipant]

 Iggy, money is something the Lakers are always after. They drafted Morris (their potential guy) and Goudelock (their safe guy) because they were the best players available for their team needs. If you had a team willing to give up money and a similarly talented player, that achieves their goals more succinctly.

Despite being a wealthy team, the Lakers are extremely cheap and have sacrificed a number of assets to lessen their payroll. They’ve traded Sasha Vujacic and picks for nothing. They’ve let Ronny Turiaf walk and still don’t have a backup C as good as him. So if the Knicks chipped in $2 million for a 2nd round pick that late in the draft, I think we could have gotten Darius Morris.

[doubledribblerParticipant]

Why do so many people think the Grizzlies would want to give up Xavier Henry for a backup combo guard? I like Tony Douglas and thought the Lakers should have kept him when they drafted him, but as you said this is a sg with great size and potential. Also with OJ Mayo likely being the odd man out, it makes that much more sense to keep him around.

[doubledribblerParticipant]

Why do so many people think the Grizzlies would want to give up Xavier Henry for a backup combo guard? I like Tony Douglas and thought the Lakers should have kept him when they drafted him, but as you said this is a sg with great size and potential. Also with OJ Mayo likely being the odd man out, it makes that much more sense to keep him around.

[NardDog NationParticipant]

 Double D, the Grizzlies are loaded at SG with Tony Allen, OJ Mayo and Xavier Henry. Somethings got to give. I use to think that Tony Allen was the odd man out but given the Grizzlies win-now attitude and OJ Mayo’s performance in the playoffs/potential, Henry is the guy likely to get moved.

I’m not entirely sure why you have an issue with trading Henry for a "backup combo guard." He hasn’t exactly distinguished himself as a starter and IS the backup to the Grizzlies backup guard. At least Toney Douglas could play the point (defensively) and then have either OJ Mayo or Grevis Vasquez run the offense.

[NardDog NationParticipant]

 Double D, the Grizzlies are loaded at SG with Tony Allen, OJ Mayo and Xavier Henry. Somethings got to give. I use to think that Tony Allen was the odd man out but given the Grizzlies win-now attitude and OJ Mayo’s performance in the playoffs/potential, Henry is the guy likely to get moved.

I’m not entirely sure why you have an issue with trading Henry for a "backup combo guard." He hasn’t exactly distinguished himself as a starter and IS the backup to the Grizzlies backup guard. At least Toney Douglas could play the point (defensively) and then have either OJ Mayo or Grevis Vasquez run the offense.

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