Why Stephen Curry is not a terrible pick...

Come June, I will not be mad if the Knicks select Stephen Curry as the 8th pick.

I will tell you I am not a fan of this kid. I rather the knicks trade up for rubio, trade away the pick with curry or jefferies, take a chance on Holiday, or play it safe and take lawson.

I am of the mind set that if you select a draft pick, your first priority is to select the guy that you think can be the next best thing. The second is if the person is NBA ready. The third priority is need.

Stephen Curry fills all of these priorities in my opinion. The first, he definitely has shown flashes of being a star. After changing from a two guard to a point guard he expanded his game, and shown he has "potential" to be a floor general. He also shouldered a bigger load carrying his team then his previous season. And if you ever watched him play, you sometimes do say "wow." The second, he is NBA ready. He can run pick and rolls, shoot off screens, and understands game pressure. The third, he is a need. If he plays two guard in the NBA, well we need a two guard. If he plays point: Almost everyone can agree that Duhon is not our future. Most agree that Nate cannot be our stating PG and therefore is not going to be our future play making general either. Who else do we have?

The biggest strengths of Curry:

1) He can shoot. D'antoni's offense requires a lot of outside shooting.

2) Great court vision. Very important, especially in an offense like D'antoni.

3) High basketball IQ. With any sport, if you are not a smart player you will be tooled. And generally anyone who does not display a good Bball IQ at college level, tends to always be the same way in the NBA. He has it, and not only that, he picked up on being a point guard pretty well IMO.

The biggest weaknesses of Curry:

1) Defense. It is barely there. We do not have a coaching staff that are guru's of it and can teach it. This guy might be like Gilbert Arenas, all offensive, barely any defense. This is the biggest thing that bothers me about Curry.

2) Body/Athleticism. This guy is frail. Unless there is some hidden strength there (like Prince), he is going to get abused. Also, he hasn't displayed the best Athleticism. These are the second things that bothers me, since you really cannot teach these things.

The question marks:

1) Slashing? I think he can really slash to the baskest, he just does not display it often. I think the reason for this is teams concentrate on him in games, and usually in college you try to let the guy have the jumpshot versus the lane. Being a smart player, Curry always played to his strength and shot the ball instead of forcing the issue to the basket. Regardless of this, it does not prove he can slash. Hopefully at the pro level he will have teammates that take some of the pressure away and open up some lanes.

2) Can he play point? I would like to say he can. With a high IQ and great court vision he already has two big tools to play point. If D'antoni can make Duhon look as good as he did, I think he can turn Curry into something.

Good post.

My biggest problem is that it doesn't seem logical to have both him and Nate Robinson on the same team together. Their backcourt will be so small compared to the rest of the league that it will be a major disadvantage that teams will exploit against us every game.

If they let Nate walk and this off season's big move is replacing Nate with Curry then I'm not so impressed.

If they sign and trade Nate Robinson, I question how much value they think they can get for him. I think teams will be able to take advantage of the knicks' situation and offer less for Nate. Why would a team offer much for Nate when they know the knicks just drafted his replacement and they also need to get under the cap in 2010.

1 more thing to add..people get mistaken I think on what the Knicks need is.

The draft pick should be made with who they think will be the better player from 2010 and on. Their main goal for the 09/10 season should not be winning. Winning is 3rd on the list of things to do for next year.

#1 is building team chemistry with the players that will be here from 2010 on.

#2 is trying to find ways to trade Eddy Curry or Jared Jefferies which the only way that can be done is playing them more and see if they can improve their value.

#3 Winning

So, with that in mind..I'd like to think the choice comes down Derozan or Holiday, 2 players with all star type upside that people thought would be top 5 picks a year ago, but just didn't adjust well to their first year in college. You give them a year to adjust in the NBA, and then see if they can tap into their potential with Lebron James or Dwayne Wade on the same team.

I agree the Knicks are picking at #8


Their targets should be

James Harden
Demaar DeDrozen
Ty Lawson
Johnny Flynn
Tyreke Evans

Not Targets
Steph Curry
Ricky Rubio (he will be gone so save all the that up talk)
Brandon Jennings


The Knicks need a big man, but like all early mock drafts they fill the tops 14 with guards. Guys like James Johnson and Earl Clark will creep up the draft board as the draft gets closer..

dave2138 said:

1 more thing to add..people get mistaken I think on what the Knicks need is.

The draft pick should be made with who they think will be the better player from 2010 and on. Their main goal for the 09/10 season should not be winning. Winning is 3rd on the list of things to do for next year.

#1 is building team chemistry with the players that will be here from 2010 on.

#2 is trying to find ways to trade Eddy Curry or Jared Jefferies which the only way that can be done is playing them more and see if they can improve their value.

#3 Winning

So, with that in mind..I'd like to think the choice comes down Derozan or Holiday, 2 players with all star type upside that people thought would be top 5 picks a year ago, but just didn't adjust well to their first year in college. You give them a year to adjust in the NBA, and then see if they can tap into their potential with Lebron James or Dwayne Wade on the same team.

Click to expand...

I LUV Derozan style of play but I think he should pull out this draft and become a top 3 pick next year.
If Derozan do stay in the draft the best NBA Program for Derozan growth would be the 7th pick Warriors coach Don Nelson with so many elite NBA SG to prepare Derozan for the next level. GS is not going to let Derozan get past the 7th pick.

The Knicks draft pick have to be NBA Ready for 24 mpg in his rookie season with a complimentary performance to teammates PG-Duhon, SF-Chandler, SF-Gallo, and C-Curry (the chemistry u are talking about).

This is why the logical draft pick for the Knicks is a Big-Guard....Harden, Henderson, Terrence Williams, or Derozan.

And the Knicks have to resign or match any offer for Nate & Lee....whom knows how to get the best performance out of C-Eddy Curry.

#1- Get Eddy Curry fit to play 28 mpg shooting over 50% fg with stats of 18 pts, 6 rbd, 1 blk, and 4 fouls per game.

#2- Getting Gallo fit to play 24 mpg so his strong & weak performance vs NBA competition could be evaluated.

#3- Adding young defensive shotblocking bigmen to the team to break into the rotation.

Oh yeah, Stephen Curry is best for the next team not the Knicks.
We selected a nondefensive shooter last year in the draft.
Two in a row would make me slap coach Dantoni when he is yelling defense defense next season.

Where is Golden State going to play Derozan? Just because they like players of his caliber, doesn't mean they will pick him. They have so many players signed to long term deals that have to get minutes there. It would be a wasted pick if they went SG/SF, especially if Jordan Hill is still there which I think he will. I can't see Sacramento, Washington or Minnesota picking him. Golden State is not going to pass.


Golden State GM should be fired if he picks another SG.

Monta Ellis signed through 2014.
Jamal Crawford signed thorough 2011.
Corey Maggette signed through 2013.
Stephen Jackson signed through 2013.
Azubuike, Morrow also have to play too. Where does Derozan fit? Going to play PF?

Anyway, if you agree Derozan has top 3 potential had he stayed in college 1 more year, then wouldn't he be perfect for the Knicks at #8. We don't need him to do much this year except learning how to compete at NBA level. He can do 20-25 minutes a game next year, no problem.

I agree 100% with you on the drafting a big shooting guard. I like Henderson also at that pick. I don't really see much special about Terrence Williams. I actually hoped they would get Chase Budinger, but think he is too high at #8 to take. None of those players have the upside as Derozan though and he will likely be there at #8.

Just draft the best player.

So sick of this need based selection bullshit.

Draft the best player available. Otherwise you end up with Bowie, Olowakandi, etc...

I am trying to understand how a guy who was a leader of the NCAA in steals at around 3 per game last season is a horrible defender. His defense is similar to allen iverson in fact.


This quote is from a scouting report for him in his first college year.

"On the defensive end, Curry has very good hands, which helps him grab two steals per game, and he also plays aggressive man-to-man defense both on and off the ball. He plays close off the ball, though struggles getting around screens, not always going over them, leading to some easy shots. On the ball, Curry compensates for his size by playing high up on his defender and keeping his hands up to avoid being shot over, though it still happens from time to time. He isn’t beat off the dribble very much, as he has very good fundamentals and reflexes, to go along with solid lateral quickness".

This is the most current.

"Defensively, Curry did a nice job getting in the passing lanes, showing a lot of hustle going in for steals and then doing a fantastic job once in transition to either finish plays himself or find the open man. He also crashed the glass despite his severe height and strength disadvantage, something that tells you a little about the heart this guy has".


These are not my words, but top college scouts from several draft express, and nbadraft.net sites.


so the guy is young, he puts on 15 lbs after a year of playing. but
if iverson at 6,0 160 lbs can score in bunches a game why cant this guy especially in Mike D's offense. ?


ill say this now.

other than griffin and rubio...watch this dudes stock rise once work outs begin. I have a feeling he will be going top 5 unless the knicks work something out pre draft similar to what they did with gallo.

I am officially a steph curry fan

I do not think we are getting Harden. I have a feeling he is going earlier then projected. But if he does fall to us I agree he should be drafted ahead of Curry.

I agree with Kiya, DeDrozan needed to stay in college. This kid is way to raw and he will be a project. I do not think we need another person to work on in getting them ready for the NBA (like Gallo).

William's and Chandler's college play were both very similar. Chandler's is much more athletic however. I rather play Chandler at the two then draft Williams with the 8th pick.

I like Henderson, but I do not see the star potential or killer instinct in him. He doesn't like to carry a team, you can see it in his game. Curry has much more star potential and we have seen he can carry a team.

Flynn is a poor man's nate robinson with no shooting ability. And Flynn has horrible decision making. Curry is far superior to Flynn in many ways.

Tyreke Evans is a great player, there is just one major problem. He is a black hole. He is pretty bad at ball movement. I rather take Curry over Tyreke because of this. Tyreke is hands down far superior to Curry, but not on a team.

As far as Robinson goes:

I agree, having Curry and Robinson on the same team would not work. On paper, with Curry starting and robinson coming off the bench as a 6th man it looks great. But in reality we would have a HUGE defensive liability.

But like I said, Curry is not my first option either.

I am trying to understand how a guy who was a leader of the NCAA in steals at around 3 per game last season is a horrible defender. His defense is similar to allen iverson in fact.


This quote is from a scouting report for him in his first college year.

"On the defensive end, Curry has very good hands, which helps him grab two steals per game, and he also plays aggressive man-to-man defense both on and off the ball. He plays close off the ball, though struggles getting around screens, not always going over them, leading to some easy shots. On the ball, Curry compensates for his size by playing high up on his defender and keeping his hands up to avoid being shot over, though it still happens from time to time. He isn’t beat off the dribble very much, as he has very good fundamentals and reflexes, to go along with solid lateral quickness".

This is the most current.

"Defensively, Curry did a nice job getting in the passing lanes, showing a lot of hustle going in for steals and then doing a fantastic job once in transition to either finish plays himself or find the open man. He also crashed the glass despite his severe height and strength disadvantage, something that tells you a little about the heart this guy has".


These are not my words, but top college scouts from several draft express, and nbadraft.net sites.


so the guy is young, he puts on 15 lbs after a year of playing. but
if iverson at 6,0 160 lbs can score in bunches a game why cant this guy especially in Mike D's offense. ?


ill say this now.

other than griffin and rubio...watch this dudes stock rise once work outs begin. I have a feeling he will be going top 5 unless the knicks work something out pre draft similar to what they did with gallo.

I am officially a steph curry fan

sorry didnt mean to post twice my computer froze i kept clicking the button.

but steph curry all the way baby. this guy will win rookie of the year if he gets minutes for any team next season. watch.

actually winning should be a priority, we dont have a first round pick for next year, so the last thing we want is to give the jazz a very high pick.

Winning is always a priority, but any more made this off season shouldn't be made with the thought it will make the team better for 2009/2010. I don't think Knick fans really care about what additions they can make for next year. Everyone is looking forward to what can help in 2010+. Therefore the draft pick should be made thinking about waht can help in 2010+. So they shouldn't worry about what player might struggle early if it means they get the guy with better long term potential.

Don't get me wrong, I want the knicks to win. If they win though, let it be with whatever we have.

If they make trades for valuable expiring contracts like Tyson Chandler, I'm sure they will have to give up some assets because the other team would have no reason to give them up for inferior players. So, I'd rather just leave it the way it is. After next year start fresh and hopefully bring a superstar to build around.

DontForgetDerekHarper said:

I am trying to understand how a guy who was a leader of the NCAA in steals at around 3 per game last season is a horrible defender. His defense is similar to allen iverson in fact.

Click to expand...

I made a curry thread just for this reason, all of his stats are posted. 2.5 steals per game, and they say he has no defense. i think its because we associate curry with eddy. his defense is better than AI imo. ant at 6'3 with shoes on, he isnt that short

Toons said:

I made a curry thread just for this reason, all of his stats are posted. 2.5 steals per game, and they say he has no defense. i think its because we associate curry with eddy. his defense is better than AI imo. ant at 6'3 with shoes on, he isnt that short

Click to expand...

yeah bro im all for him, he is the best leader, most seasoned, from the best pedigree ( a basketball family for decades) best scoring, best fit for our system, most motivated to play for our team, highest IQ, most scouted, and most mature player in the draft.

he is too small physically, will be outmatched by stronger guards, and at davidson had a offense that ran through him... that wont happen in hte pros with a pure jump shooter
he is not proven at the point which the position needed most right now other than center
there are other proven point guards that can play as a team player without being a focal point and that played against WAY better competition on a daily basis
we should focus on proven athletic multidimensional guards with a hugs upside such as johnny flynn, jrue, tyreke evans
these guys showed in hte past that they can definately play the point lead a team unselfishly yet score on a consistant basis and all have a huge upside
and if they are gone they my next picks are teague and lawson
lawson is probably the most nba ready point guard out there

yea they may all have to work on their shooting but that can be improved
playing point is hard to learn

Dantoni on Stehen Curry

Posted: 5/21/2009 4:33:00 AM
Source: Marc Berman of The New York Post


Reached in Mullens, W. Va., where he is spending the week in his home state doing speaking engagements, D'Antoni didn't sound disappointed the Knicks didn't get a higher spot in Tuesday's lottery.

The Knicks want to add a guard with playmaking and shooting skills to their roster by June 25. Curry's new agent spoke to the Knicks yesterday as they attempted to arrange a workout in Westchester around June 5.

"He's going to be a really good pro," D'Antoni told The Post. "But it's too early to gauge. There's four of them we've looked at [on film], and I'm sure that will expand. I didn't think it's disappointing. We didn't drop back. We could get a good player at 8. Sometimes you make mistakes at 3."

Kiyaman said:

Posted: 5/21/2009 4:33:00 AM
Source: Marc Berman of The New York Post


Reached in Mullens, W. Va., where he is spending the week in his home state doing speaking engagements, D'Antoni didn't sound disappointed the Knicks didn't get a higher spot in Tuesday's lottery.

The Knicks want to add a guard with playmaking and shooting skills to their roster by June 25. Curry's new agent spoke to the Knicks yesterday as they attempted to arrange a workout in Westchester around June 5.

"He's going to be a really good pro," D'Antoni told The Post. "But it's too early to gauge. There's four of them we've looked at [on film], and I'm sure that will expand. I didn't think it's disappointing. We didn't drop back. We could get a good player at 8. Sometimes you make mistakes at 3."

Click to expand...

true statement

I'm with everyone who says he's too small.he is.I'm mean if he's really 6-3, he's probably a a buck 80.the guy is a skinny dude.and he aint rip hamilton, don't even compare them.