Draft Thoughts
I watched the draft last night while chatting with Kungfucius. I gotta say that the “Must Improve: ___” feature is the easiest setup for jokes ever. The JVG-SVG moment was also magical.
Anyway, there were some interesting moves, but I think I called a lot of the picks. I am not so sure about Danilo Gallinari, but only because foreign players are often not as carefully scouted. From what I hear, I think he could be good and he has played against tough (tougher than the NCAA) competition. It’s nice that he won’t need a translator (as D’Antoni speaks fluent Italian), and NY has a need at SF. NY is so bad on defense anyway, so Gallinari won’t look that bad in comparison, and I think D’Antoni’s system might cover up some of Gallinari’s weaknesses. It’s not so much that I have talked myself into loving this pick as that I realize that the other options were just not as good. NY does not need another scoring tweener guard…
Personally, I think Marbury will be good for at least 15 points 5 assists this year if he can stay healthy. In D’Antoni’s system and entering a contract year (after the previous disastrous year), Marbury’s got a lot of incentive to try his best and do as he’s told. Several decent PG are available on the market, and I think NY did the right thing in not drafting a questionable PG with the 6th pick.
NY is not going to be any good for a few years. I’d be happy with a hard-working and exciting team, and I like the way Walsh is handling everything so far. Also, I think the locals will end up loving Gallinari if he plays hard.
By Kungfucius, 6/27/2008 @ 3:01 pm
Yeah some of those “Must Improve…” listings were pretty funny
It just makes me realize that the players are drafted on potential rather than a polished skill set.
By Ender, 6/27/2008 @ 4:16 pm
I just can’t believe Patrick Ewing Jr is trying to follow in his father’s footsteps, when he doesn’t seem to have inherited any talent. Ewing Sr. must have pulled some strings to get him drafted.