MIN - NYK

[shrink]

According to two NBA executives, the Knicks are in the market to trade for a low-cost backup point guard in order to reduce the heavy minutes being played by starter Raymond Felton.

New York is making Bill Walker available and is pursuing players whose contracts expire after this season to preserve cap space for next summer.

Hey Telfair! You're a back-up PG on an expiring deal. I don't know about low-cost, but how'd you like to go home?

Maybe if NYK makes a bigger deal, we could tack on the Walker-for-Telfair piece, and grab a couple mil in cap space before the deadline? I'd rather give all of Telfair's minutes to Flynn anyway.

[Foye]

What's the point. Walker sucks and I'd rather have cap space than Walker.

I would keep Telfair until Flynn is healthy. He has been better than Ridnour.

[shangrila]

I wouldn't do it until Flynn was healthy and probably not until there was a deal lined up for Brewer as well. I like Walker and I think he's good enough to give a shot for the rest of the season, but the problem is the salary. The trade machine says New York would have to add 1.6 mil to make it even and there isn't anyone who can make up that sort of salary that they'd just want to throw in.

Maybe something like Walker, Mason and Rautins for Telfair would work, with Mason and Rautins being waived.

[Klomp]

Aren't Walker and Beasley best buds? Sure, why not.....

[bluethunder0005]

What's the point. Walker sucks and I'd rather have cap space than Walker.

I would keep Telfair until Flynn is healthy. He has been better than Ridnour.

Wait, you'd rather keep Telfair then get Walker? Walker is an athletic 2 guard, he can shoot really well, and he's not a bad defender. Not to mention Telfair historically has sucked. Plus Walker and Beasley are good pals from playing at K-State.

[Krapinsky]

What's the point. Walker sucks and I'd rather have cap space than Walker.

I would keep Telfair until Flynn is healthy. He has been better than Ridnour.

Wait, you'd rather keep Telfair then get Walker? Walker is an athletic 2 guard, he can shoot really well, and he's not a bad defender. Not to mention Telfair historically has sucked. Plus Walker and Beasley are good pals from playing at K-State.

Well, Walker is an athletic SF. He can't shoot that well and he's not very good at defense. If everything you said about him were true he would be starting over Landry Fields. On our team he's probably the equivalent of having two Lazar's.

When Webster comes back we'll have too much of a wing glut. I'd rather have three PGs than 7 wings -- all of whom need PT too develop.

[izybx]

What's the point. Walker sucks and I'd rather have cap space than Walker.

I would keep Telfair until Flynn is healthy. He has been better than Ridnour.

Wait, you'd rather keep Telfair then get Walker? Walker is an athletic 2 guard, he can shoot really well, and he's not a bad defender. Not to mention Telfair historically has sucked. Plus Walker and Beasley are good pals from playing at K-State.

Well, Walker is an athletic SF. He can't shoot that well and he's not very good at defense. If everything you said about him were true he would be starting over Landry Fields. On our team he's probably the equivalent of having two Lazar's.

When Webster comes back we'll have too much of a wing glut. I'd rather have three PGs than 7 wings -- all of whom need PT too develop.

All walker can do is shoot. The knock on him is that he doesnt do anything else. He has the ability to defend and attack the rim but he doesnt. All he does is chuck threes and when their not falling hes pretty much useless

[prefuse73]

Telfair and one of our low 1st for Randolph.

[Esohny]

Telfair and one of our low 1st for Randolph.

I'd do that, but I don't think they do.

[Krapinsky]

Telfair and one of our low 1st for Randolph.

Haha, I just put that on the trade board. I'd do it. Randolph would get some time with Tolliver out.

[prefuse73]

Like Darko, the Knicks are letting Randolph sit on the bench more often then not. He is big enough to play PF and C and, even if he is as dumb as rock or even worse Ryan Hollins, he has some serious skill and potential. Sounds like a perfect Khan project to me.

Telfair would provide much more to the current Knicks lineup than Randolph.

[Foye]

Mark me down. I'd love Randolph as backup for Darko/Love. Him and Pekovic should complement well.

[horaceworthy]

What's the point. Walker sucks and I'd rather have cap space than Walker.

I would keep Telfair until Flynn is healthy. He has been better than Ridnour.

Wait, you'd rather keep Telfair then get Walker? Walker is an athletic 2 guard, he can shoot really well, and he's not a bad defender. Not to mention Telfair historically has sucked. Plus Walker and Beasley are good pals from playing at K-State.

Well, Walker is an athletic SF. He can't shoot that well and he's not very good at defense. If everything you said about him were true he would be starting over Landry Fields. On our team he's probably the equivalent of having two Lazar's.

When Webster comes back we'll have too much of a wing glut. I'd rather have three PGs than 7 wings -- all of whom need PT too develop.

Not sure about some of this, other than Walker being athletic, poor defensively and more SF than SG. He's shown a good outside shot in New York, hitting 41.3% on 3.4 attempts per game, which came as a surprise to me given what he showed at KSU.

I also disagree on the Fields comment. Fields is a good player. 5th highest TS% for a SG in the league, and the other guys all spike their's heavily with 3 pointers. He also sports the highest rebound rate at the position (if he were considered a SF he'd rank 4th in TS% and 2nd in rebound rate). He was a nice find in the 2nd round.

[Krapinsky]

I attribute Walker's shooting and Filed's solid numbers to playing for D'antoni. Remember how good he made Nate Robinson look?

[horaceworthy]

The 4 best three point shooting percentages of Robinson's career came away from D'Antoni. The thing that spiked the most during his D'Antoni days was his usage rate. Fields is ultra efficient on a low number or possessions. Apples and oranges.

[Krapinsky]

Felton, Barbosa, Bell... yad yada.. D'antoni's system has away of making guards look good. I don't see how that can be disputed.

[wilt]

I attribute Walker's shooting and Filed's solid numbers to playing for D'antoni. Remember how good he made Nate Robinson look?

nah, i think Fields really is good. Just seems to be in the right place an awful lot on both ends of the court and for a rookie really has a great feel for the game and also for his role. It really isn´t about the numbers, which aren´t even the reason he gets "hyped" (11/7 really isn´t even that good for a starter), he´s just doing good things on both ends a lot if you watch them play. And since he´s proving he can really be a 2/3 rather than a 3/4, that rebounding of his is a major plus.

[horaceworthy]

None of them play a style similar to Fields, I don't see how that can be disputed. D'Antoni runs a favorable offensive system, particularly for point guards, power forwards and spot up shooters, but none of those roles apply to Fields.

[Manhattan Project]

Fields is a completely different guard then D'Antoni has ever had. You put him on any starting lineup in the league and he would be doing the same thing. No guard crashes the boards like he does and just doesn't take bad shots.

Regarding the trade, I think Telfair would work for us but you would be hard pressed to find any Knick fan that wants him due to who his cousin was. Personally I would love him since he has done a lot of growing up over the past few years.

[Krapinsky]

I think the fact that the Knicks front court doesn't crash the boards allows him to do so more. it's sort of a role reversal. On antoher team, say the Wolves, I can't see him putting up the same numbers. In other words, Fields knows what his team needs and that's what he tries to provide. I honestly think though, that given the same opportunity on the Knicks, Hayward could put up similar numbers. Their games are very similar to me.