Balkman's time is over

[NoLayupRule]

your analysis of balkman and of D'Antoni's system are equally poor optimusADL

[Synciere]

How about we forget about Balkman's fit in D'Antoni system and think about having a balanced team? Balkman brings some things to the table that few of our do, most importantly shot-blocking.

I say keep him and see what D'Antoni wants now. I'm not packaging players like Balk and Lee unless we're getting a star AND filling a need. Otherwise, why not keep the cheap options who MAY excel...

Makes no sense to move him... Keep him on the bench if D'Antoni decides not to use him and he's a midseason trade filler...

[GuyverADL]

How about we forget about Balkman's fit in D'Antoni system and think about having a balanced team? Balkman brings some things to the table that few of our do, most importantly shot-blocking.

I say keep him and see what D'Antoni wants now. I'm not packaging players like Balk and Lee unless we're getting a star AND filling a need. Otherwise, why not keep the cheap options who MAY excel...

Makes no sense to move him... Keep him on the bench if D'Antoni decides not to use him and he's a midseason trade filler...

Thinking like that will have us stuck in basketball mediocrity.

Not good enough to get out of the first round and good enough to make the playoffs every year. GREAT.

[StutterStep]

I swear the poster has never seen Balkman play before. A speed offense like D'Antoni's hides Balkman's weaknesses, which are glaring in a slowed-up half-court game.

Balkman is going to be nuts on defense, leading the break and being a rebounding machine.

[GuyverADL]

I swear the poster has never seen Balkman play before. A speed offense like D'Antoni's hides Balkman's weaknesses, which are glaring in a slowed-up half-court game.

Balkman is going to be nuts on defense, leading the break and being a rebounding machine.

Tell me who couldnt shoot on the Phoenix Suns. O and dont feed me that crap about Diaw and Barbosa because Diaw had a jumper in Atlanta and Barbosa was and still is erratic.

[the bizness]

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Balkman has hang time but no air time ... hopefully that makes sense.

and btw, that dude with the white mans fro who uploaded that is uber cool.

I thought that was a hat!!!

[StutterStep]

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Tell me who couldnt shoot on the Phoenix Suns. O and dont feed me that crap about Diaw and Barbosa because Diaw had a jumper in Atlanta and Barbosa was and still is erratic.

Let's be for real! Can Marion, Bell and James Jones really shoot? I mean they stay behind the 3point line and average 38 to 40% a year from there while being wide open.

Marion is the bes comparison for Balkman in that system. Except for the 3point shot, there are identical players.

This whole thread people are telling you what Balkman can do. You also do not understand MD's system because you think it was the same his first full season, as it was last season.

The system is predicated on two base situations NOT PLAYS:

1) PG pick/roll or pick/pop with most agile big man
2) Rebound, pass to midcourt, push for tempo for layup or spot up jumper.

The second is where Balkman would excel, and is the version MD ran the most until Amare went down and JJ was traded.

[the bizness]

I think optimus is just a big wilson chandler fan and wants to trade balkman to clear up time for him.

[randomhero423]

how can you compare the suns to the knicks? we can't automatically get two way players.... balkman's a great fit for this system and hopefully he can develop a jumpshot under d'ntoni. for you to say since he doesn't have a jumpshot he should be gone is ludricous. and stop with this washington crap.

[Johnny Hoops]

I stated after last years summer league that Balkman was a goner unless he got a jumper because Chandler was going to eat his lunch. Now that Chandler has already surpassed Balkman he is basically trade bait.

Balkman has shown throughout the year that he has little offensive ability more than 5 feet from the rim. I like the guy but we already have Jeffries and he is 6' 10". Balkman still has value and could be packaged for another pick or a prospect.

Even in D'Antoni's offense you need to be able to hit shots to keep teams from packing it inside. I think this lineup will be featured heavily next year assuming we have the same team.

Lee
Jeffries
Chandler
Crawford
Robinson or Lottery Pick

I think it will likely come down to Balkman or Jefferies but personally I think both of those guys are much better suited to a very aggressive up and down game.

To be honest -- since both Balk and JJ have very little value. I'd almost like to see the Knicks move Lee who carries a very high value right now plus the issue of a contract renewal for something decent.

Then play small ball with the likes of Balk, Jeff and Chandler - along with whomever you get for D-Lee.

I like D-Lee but there has always been something about him that scares me long term.

For once I'd like to see the Knicks move someone who is at a high water mark in terms of trade value rather than have to trade people at bargain basement value.

[randomhero423]

if q-rich is cut. none of this matters..

[GuyverADL]

No its that we have a team full of bench players. There is a difference between being decent in an area and just bad.

Our most potent offensive players (Curry, Randolph, Crawford) don

[the bizness]

well I agree we need more two-way players but there are other guys that there is a more urgent need to get rid of. collins and malik should go before balk and would probably be easy to trade or cut. q, jeffries and jerome are also guys that should go before him but would be hard to deal. there's no need to get rid of balkman though- he's cheap, can still help and his trade value is pretty low compared to last year. no, he doesn't have a jump shot which is why chandler might have an edge but he can still finish on the break and might be a bit better defensively.

[Synciere]

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Thinking like that will have us stuck in basketball mediocrity.

Not good enough to get out of the first round and good enough to make the playoffs every year. GREAT.

I disagree. I think that type of thinking is called evaluating your talent. We have yet to see him play one minute with D'Antoni and already you're declaring him the 14th man on the team. I read someone else in another thread say that one of Isiah's failures was his inability to effectively evaluate how our players would play with each other. Balk may not do anything other than rebound and block shots, but that may not determine his real value in terms of wins. Look at Ben Wallace from years back. No, Balk isn't Wallace, but to impact the game, you need different players whose skill sets don't overlap all the ding dang time. In other words, if Balkman is our best defensive player, and he's close, right up there with Jeffries, why do we trade him when his value to us is going to be more than his value to another team..?

Let's be real, not one of us has any idea what D'Antoni is thinking, but looking at his last four years in Phoenix has taught me one thing about his system. He likes to get up and down the floor. He likes the transition game much more than he likes half-court sets. The fact that Balkman doesn't have a jumpshot isn't going to mean he never gets burn. He can still rebound the ball, block some shots, and ignite the fast-break.

Another thing... I thought the whole plan was to remain fiscally responsible, while still improving from within. From within... After that you add that franchise guy with your cap-space.. We haven't had a coach who really cared about winning in a LONG time. If each player can become better, then we may find that their values will go up. What value does Balk possibly have now? And it's be because he's a bad player, it'd because he hasn't shown how good he can be in whatever role he may play. That's Isiah's fault, not his own...

[newskoolbulls]

Balkman is a guy who is good for 5 min a quarter. You play him more than that and all of his weaknesses show and show alot. He is just an enegizer and does nothing else. He will be in the NBDL after his deal is up and a jouneyman.

[Cracked Fingers]

I wouldn't write off Balkman. D'Antoni gets ripped for not developing talent but Barbosa was a horrid shooter coming into the league. Even now his form is awful but he has confidence in himself. Mike's brother did a great developing that kid.

[Capn'O]

There is no necessity to move Balkman. He doesn't seem like a guy that will make waves if he doesn't get x amount of playing time. Since we have Chandler who seems to be better he is expendable if there is a player that we really want and he can be used to sweeten the deal. Otherwise we can hang on to him. As others have said, he could be a very good player in D'Antoni's system so let's find out if he is.

There is no rush.

[EL CABRITO]

He's no Chandler, get rid of Jared and that awful Mardy Collins too.

[GnarlsOakley]

Balkman was drafted as a Knick, and should stay a Knick for as long as possible, it's only his 2nd year in the league guys, give him a break.