End of Season Grades

GetRealistic

Starter
End of Season Grades.

As another wasted season ends, I can’t help and think to myself when is this team actually going to be over .500 again? I read most of your guy’s posts, and its clear to me there’s two types of posters. A: The people who see the big picture and realize slight progress and a few exciting last second shots don’t win champions. And B: Those who as long as Marbury wears number 3 and puts up his empty stats and we occocasionally beat a good team are happy.

How could anybody be happy with this year’s team/record? I know we had injuries and as a whole we are slightly better. But progress is defined by wins and losses. And as much as everybody hates Larry Brown he could’ve won 32 games this year.

Now before I go into my player and coaching grades. I want to take a quick minute to discuss the word Hater. It seems to me the people who post negatively are thought of as the haters. Well let me break it to you fellas, if you love every single guy on the roster to death your crazy. It’s all right not to love every player on the team, or every decision the front office or coaching staff makes. That’s what makes sports so great. The Debate.
Plus when it comes down to it, and trust me I know its cliché. You root for the name on the front of the jersey not the name on the back. I don’t like Marbury, and I think Steve Francis is god awful, and shit I even rooted for Charles Smith. I root for the team and the history not the players.

Player Grades

Balkman- 4.9 ppg 4.30 rpg in limited minutes.
Straight up I thought this was a bad decision when we selected him. I’m a St John’s grad so I got to see first hand how good Marcus Williams was. But after seeing Balkman play I thought it was a good pick. He added toughness, hustle, and heart, all things that can’t be taught. He needs work on his jump shot. I don’t think he’ll ever be the type of player who will knock down the jumper constantly, but as long as the other team respects him enough to not leave him wide open, it will be a massive help.

B-
Cato, James, Morris, Jefferies
No point even writing a grade. But hopefully Morris can at least turn into something. No harm in taking a chance on him.

Collins-
I actually thought he was a steal in the draft. A smart 4-year college player, who learned from one of the greatest coaches at Temple. He had a slow start due to lack of minutes and the whole fight thing with Denver (I liked how he gave that hard foul btw). But as of late he’s shown he could really be a benefit to this team and possible the starting point guard in the future. I think next year he should continue on the bench but hopefully the year after that he can take over as a full time starter. I’ve said this before but if he can develop a mid range jumper I can see him turning into an improved version of Eric Snow when he was a Sixer. Plus having a 6’6 point guard makes things so tough on other teams. He’ll be able to post up smaller guards. Plus not many point guards in this league will be able to post him.

C mainly due to lack of minutes. B for the last month.

Crawford-

He’ll look like an all-star one-minute and then the next hell look like he belongs in the D league. I think he has a role on this team, as a solid 6th man that can bring you instant offense. I look at Dallas and Jerry Stackhouse, Stack was nothing but a chucker early in his career but now looks at him. He can still fill it up but he’s a lot smarter. Just imagine a version of Jamal who takes good shots. And I know a big part of his game is taking and making tough shots, but at some point in your career shot selection most improve. People do forget that he does have the ability to pass, and since his injury we really hit a tailspin. All that said if the right deal came along I’d trade Crawford, I’d make it, but if its not a trade that really helps us I’d hold on to him.

C

Curry- 19.5 ppg 7.10 rpg….
I like Eddy. I see all the pictures and posts saying how fat and out of shape he is. Compared to what he was weight wise in the past, and what he looks like now you guys have got to be out of your mind. How could he be out of shape and play 35 min. a night? This season he’s become a low poster scorer so dominant in the post that night in and night out he was doubled and triple teamed. Now don’t get me wrong he has to work on the passing, but lets give him the off-season to work on that. This was the first time in his career that he was constantly doubled. As far as the defense and rebounding I don’t really have an answer. I can live with him getting 7 boards a game as long as Lee is healthy it’s fine. I do want him to become a better help defender.

B

Francis-
God wouldn’t it be wonderful to still have Trevor Ariza. A young athletic swingman, shit if we still had Trevor, we wouldn’t have had to waste money on JJ20. Francis is washed up due to injuries and just a waste. Buy him out

D-

Fyre-
Since day one I questioned this draft pick. But early last season he proved me wrong. He played well. But from day one this year he’s done nothing. He’s nothing more then soft 7 footer. He needs to hit the weight room, and just get tougher. It’s a disgrace to be that big and do nothing on the low block. The one bright spot is he’s still young, and there’s probably a lot of teams out there willing to take a chance on a former lottery pick. Any potential trade we make will probably involve him, and I have no problem with that.

D

David Lee-
The best way to describe David Lee is he’s a guy that when he’s on the court the total team improves ten-fold. And he doesn’t even need the ball in his hands to makes us a better team, that’s a rare quality. He’s are best rebounder, a crowd favorite and the only guy I’d define as untradeable. All that said he has to work on his jumper and defense. I really think he can and will though. The guy went from a .577 ft shooter to a .815 ft shooter. It’s obvious that he works on his game, so I have no doubt that hell improve his shooting. Lee has the potential to be a 15ppg 11-rbg guy in this league for a long time.

B+

Marbury-

Anything I say about Marbury will be misconstrued so I’m not even going to bother getting into it. He played well and put up numbers, but the fact remains he’s never been on a winning team and I don’t see him being a leader on a winning team.

B-

Qrich-

When he plays, he’s a good player. The question is will he ever be healthy enough to play on a consistent basis. He’s virtually untradeable due to the injury problems so hopefully he can get over this injury and at least be a guy we can pencil in the lineup for 65 games. He’s best perimeter defender. Our best rebounder from the guard position and he may be our best three point option. I like the guy and hopes he comes back and plays as well as he did this year.

B

NATE-

He’s got spark, he hustles, he’s got ability, and he’s got NO brain. Sometimes I wonder what he’s possibly thinking about when he shoots some of the jumpers he shots. I read in one post that we should turn him into Steve Nash. LOL. I really think he can contribute but he has to learn to be more in control. He should have a convo with John Starks, who later in his career (not counting game 7) became much more under control.

C-

Malik Rose-

Veteran does everything you ask of him. Etc.

B

The team

C-
 

datruth

Your Best Bet is B Ez
kinda agree except wit the crawford, he is not tradeable in my opinion(unless the knicks get a superstart), i dont even think there is a player in the NBA who has more game winners than crawford, sure he takes bad shots but he makes it when it counts
 

metrocard

Legend
Probably one of your best post on here, you should be proud...you've improved as a writer, nice points made about the younger players.

I've been caught with college...working...other shit...so I'm gonna make it brief.


Passed the class

Lee A- (played smart tough winning basketball)
Marbury B+(leadership, defense)
Balkman B+(defense, energy)
Collins B (Versitility, Poise, defense)
Richardson B (All around game, was averaging 19 and 7 at one point) Could of got an A if it wasn't for all his absences
Robinson C (Inconsistant, poor defender, but has a never quit tough attitude, and is just a sophmore.
Rose C (Decent veteran, doesn't make alot of mistakes, terrible at mostly everything though)

Curry C
Crawford C
^ Both guys could of got B's and A's, but didn't do the simple things in the classroom, like defend, be poise with the basketball, make the right passes and avoid turnovers. Avoid isolation plays that doesn't get others involved.
James D

Failed the class completely
Francis F
Frye F
Jefferies F

No credits
Randolph Morris
Kelvin Cato


eh
 

Starks

Starter
stamp FAILURE on each of their foreheads.

(But give stephon an effort award)

pretty little smiley stickers for: Lee, Curry, Jamal, Balkman, and Collins.

Everyone else gets expelled.
 

NJ_Knick

Rookie
stamp FAILURE on each of their foreheads.

(But give stephon an effort award)

pretty little smiley stickers for: Lee, Curry, Jamal, Balkman, and Collins.

Everyone else gets expelled.


Well put...ima give jamal n lee 2 stickers though..balkman got heart i think he was a good pick!
 

hometheaterguy

Knicks Guru
I agree with GetRealistic for the most part. I think Curry will get better, he is so young and has a very long career ahead of him.
Curry - B+
Lee- A-
Balkman - B
Marbury - C- for most of the season, B for the past few weeks
Crawford -C but when he is hot B+
Frye - D
Collins -C+ with the potential to be a B if he keep up his progress
Richardson- Healthy -A
The Rest of the Team D-
 
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