BREAKING **** NEWS: Deal #done Knicks acquire Bargnani

[TheBigBoss]

C'mon 5,000 dammit!!

Patience patience my friend.

We did it!! Now Wer da bichtes at?

[StephNYKurry]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/gallinari_fellow_italian_bargnani_tHZ9yNb7zGLYEuBjmTH0qI

"Clearly, Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in 2007, needed a change of scenery and won’t have the burden of living up to his draft selection. Bargnani, who had an injury-wracked 35-game season, seemingly is healthy and is scheduled to participate for Italy’s National Team in the European Championships, which begin Sept. 4. Gallinari is still rehabbing a torn ACL. When the Knicks drafted Gallinari, there were a lot of comparisons between the two Italians, and Gallinari has proven the better pro."

I have something to look forward to after the SL and b4 the season. We'll see what the current Bargs is capable of, and he gets some run b4 he plays for us. Seems like he's healthy.

I didn't know that lol

[LBnySuaveJav23]

5,000!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtVRo8IyBps[/youtube]

waffle

[LBnySuaveJav23]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/gallinari_fellow_italian_bargnani_tHZ9yNb7zGLYEuBjmTH0qI

"Clearly, Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in 2007, needed a change of scenery and won’t have the burden of living up to his draft selection. Bargnani, who had an injury-wracked 35-game season, seemingly is healthy and is scheduled to participate for Italy’s National Team in the European Championships, which begin Sept. 4. Gallinari is still rehabbing a torn ACL. When the Knicks drafted Gallinari, there were a lot of comparisons between the two Italians, and Gallinari has proven the better pro."

I have something to look forward to after the SL and b4 the season. We'll see what the current Bargs is capable of, and he gets some run b4 he plays for us. Seems like he's healthy.

I didn't know that lol

So we got Felton back and a "poor mans" Gallinari back and the board still hates the Melo trade

[mamadontcry]

Bargnani Was the Game’s Best Pick and Pop Shooter in 2012

When the Bargnani deal was announced my first instinct was that I liked the move based on the fact that the Knicks were horribly dreadful in pick and pop last year. On pick and roll with Tyson Chandler, the Knicks thrived at times, but because Chandler can’t shoot it hurts them against teams with lane-clogging bigs namely Chicago, Indiana and even the Nets to a degree.
From watching Bargnani over the years I assumed he was one of the game’s better pick and pop bigs, so I threw the question out there on twitter and thankfully my buddy Jarrod Gillis did some research. Check out his read, it’s a good one. In 2011-12 Bargnani was the game’s best pick and pop big. Better than Duncan and better than Kevin Love. The Knicks desperately need help drawing bigs out of the paint to create more space and in Bargnani, in my opinion and if he stays healthy, they have it. “During the 2011-12 NBA season, as you can see from the chart above, Andrea Bargnani led the league in points per possession based on a minimum of 75 Pick and Pop possessions. Now keep in mind these stats are based soley on the Pick and Pop play type via Synergy Sports Technology extensive database. Take a look at the long list of All-Stars that fall behind Bargnani in this extremely important play type run multiple times during the course of an NBA game and season. Tim Duncan, Kevin Love, Kevin Garnett, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol even former Knick David Lee, all trail Bargnani in points per possession which in essence is one of the more notable and realistic metrics used to gauge the efficiency of a player’s skill set.

Ultimately, the points-per-possession metric is a tremendous indicator of how a player maximizes an offensive possession. In Bargnani’s case, although the sample size during 2011-12 was relatively small in terms of games played, he not only was the most efficient player in Pick and Pop play types, but he scored the most points per game and got to the free throw line the highest percentage out of all players in the league.

Understanding the metrics listed above help explain why Bargnani is such a sound option running Pick and Pop action. Now whether he can stay off the injured list for an extended period of time is a whole other story entirely. Back to the numbers.

As you’ll notice Bargnani scored the highest PPP in the league at 1.022 in 2011-12. Points per possession is calculated by dividing a player’s total points by their total possessions. In this case, each player’s PPP listed is based solely on Pick and Pop play types.” Bargnani achieves such a high rating because he attempts more three-pointers than most of the players listed while also showcasing an uncanny ability to entice defenders into fouling him while shooting off Pick and Pop action.

http://theknicksblog.com/

[LBnySuaveJav23]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/gallinari_fellow_italian_bargnani_tHZ9yNb7zGLYEuBjmTH0qI

"Clearly, Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in 2007, needed a change of scenery and won’t have the burden of living up to his draft selection. Bargnani, who had an injury-wracked 35-game season, seemingly is healthy and is scheduled to participate for Italy’s National Team in the European Championships, which begin Sept. 4. Gallinari is still rehabbing a torn ACL. When the Knicks drafted Gallinari, there were a lot of comparisons between the two Italians, and Gallinari has proven the better pro."

I have something to look forward to after the SL and b4 the season. We'll see what the current Bargs is capable of, and he gets some run b4 he plays for us. Seems like he's healthy.

I didn't know that lol

Clearly Bargnani was the best player of the 2007 draft, better than Durant and Oden, clearly!!

[Kakapato]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/gallinari_fellow_italian_bargnani_tHZ9yNb7zGLYEuBjmTH0qI

"Clearly, Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in 2007, needed a change of scenery and won’t have the burden of living up to his draft selection. Bargnani, who had an injury-wracked 35-game season, seemingly is healthy and is scheduled to participate for Italy’s National Team in the European Championships, which begin Sept. 4. Gallinari is still rehabbing a torn ACL. When the Knicks drafted Gallinari, there were a lot of comparisons between the two Italians, and Gallinari has proven the better pro."

I have something to look forward to after the SL and b4 the season. We'll see what the current Bargs is capable of, and he gets some run b4 he plays for us. Seems like he's healthy.

I didn't know that lol

2007, wtf.

[LBnySuaveJav23]

i hated the trade at the start, but I could never bash the player this long. He is on the team. We have to deal with it. He can play ball. I am always down for giving someone a chance. I can't root for him to fail. If he wants to be a new man, well now here is his chance.He does not make us worst from a basketball standpoint. He may not bring what I want in Grittiness, but he can do other things for us.

I'm Italian and I really think that Andrea can be a great contributor for the Knicks, but I appreciate so much your so normal fan's approach : il Mago is a Knicks player and deserves his chances in NY.

Biased.

[LBnySuaveJav23]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/gallinari_fellow_italian_bargnani_tHZ9yNb7zGLYEuBjmTH0qI

"Clearly, Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in 2007, needed a change of scenery and won’t have the burden of living up to his draft selection. Bargnani, who had an injury-wracked 35-game season, seemingly is healthy and is scheduled to participate for Italy’s National Team in the European Championships, which begin Sept. 4. Gallinari is still rehabbing a torn ACL. When the Knicks drafted Gallinari, there were a lot of comparisons between the two Italians, and Gallinari has proven the better pro."

I have something to look forward to after the SL and b4 the season. We'll see what the current Bargs is capable of, and he gets some run b4 he plays for us. Seems like he's healthy.

I didn't know that lol

2007, wtf.

The Raptors were better off drafting Durant or even Oden.

[GONYK]

Bargs was the #1 pick in 2006.

Berman is the king of these unforced errors

It's good to hear that Bargs is excited though

[LBnySuaveJav23]

Bargs was the #1 pick in 2006.

Berman is the king of these unforced errors

It's good to hear that Bargs is excited though

Berman is also the king of Starbury Horse Whispering.

[ctorres]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/gallinari_fellow_italian_bargnani_tHZ9yNb7zGLYEuBjmTH0qI

"Clearly, Bargnani, the No. 1 pick in 2007, needed a change of scenery and won’t have the burden of living up to his draft selection. Bargnani, who had an injury-wracked 35-game season, seemingly is healthy and is scheduled to participate for Italy’s National Team in the European Championships, which begin Sept. 4. Gallinari is still rehabbing a torn ACL. When the Knicks drafted Gallinari, there were a lot of comparisons between the two Italians, and Gallinari has proven the better pro."

I have something to look forward to after the SL and b4 the season. We'll see what the current Bargs is capable of, and he gets some run b4 he plays for us. Seems like he's healthy.

There were a few important tidbits in that article that should be discussed in here.

Bargnani, who had an injury-wracked 35-game season, seemingly is healthy and is scheduled to participate for Italy’s National Team in the European Championships, which begin Sept. 4.

Bargnani, whose trade from the Raptors will become official Wednesday, is flying in from Rome tomorrow to meet with Knicks brass.

“We are very good friends,’’ Gallinari said in an email to The Post. “He’s a great guy. He loves to work and he likes New York a lot. He’s very excited. I think he will be good in New York.’’

A couple of things:
- Bargnani playing on the Italian National Team in September is GREAT. Means that he comes into training camp in basketball shape, unlike most of the rest of the roster who while they may be "in shape", they won't be getting into basketball shape until the beginning of the season.
- Wednesday is likely the official press conference so we'll finally get to hear not just Bargnani talk, but also hearing from Grunwald and Woodson.
- Gallinari giving Bargnani advice on New York and commenting on their friendship leaves the possibility open of Gallinari coming back to New York and both of them playing together at some point.

[HarthorneWingo]

Bargnani was the best pick 'n pop shooter in the NBA in 2012. With Ray and Prigs on the point, this hopefully bodes well for us.

http://theknicksblog.com/knicks/bargnan ... qus_thread

http://www.hardwoodcanvas.com/2013/07/0 ... dqr8T5ARhN

Advanced Analytics: Bargnani’s Pick and Pop game
July 7th, 2013 | 2 Comments

Okay we get it. Andrea Bargnani has not so-called “lived up” to the hype. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Raptors to replace Chris Bosh as the savior of NBA Basketball in Toronto and that just didn’t happen. We get it. But it’s those exact lofty and unrealistic expectations that may now ultimately allow New York, Bargnani’s new NBA residence, the opportunity to flourish with him.

Truth be told, Bargnani is not a “Franchise” player. He is not the type of player, obviously, that can carry a team to a championship on his own, let alone carry a team through a full season. But that’s where the evaluation of Bargnani gets interesting. Who even knew who this guy was before he was drafted back in 2006?

Not many. In fact, Bargnani’s talents were so unique and unknown to the masses that looking back it’s hard to actually blame the Raptors’ camp at the time for going out on a limb and selecting him with the first pick. But since we’re all arm-chair GMs and we think we know better, we can now evaluate and criticize a franchise for doing what we always ask of them; taking a chance.

Well it didn’t work. And unfortunately sometimes that happens. Bargnani has been oft-injured, somewhat aloof and inconsistent throughout his tenure with Toronto, but there is no way you can tell me this 7-foot power forward/center is not one of the most talented players this league has seen in recent years. This guy may not have lived up to the expectations of a No. 1 pick, but he is surely no bust.

Now, talent and production are two completely separate entities and at this point Raptors’ fans have every reason to be upset that their now former uber-talented 7-footer was not able to convert all that skill into production and wins.

For the Knicks, however, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Apparently the Knicks are plenty glad to take on a former No. 1 overall pick who at 27 years old has already scored over 6,500 points and knocked down 579 three-pointers in his seven-year career (Steve Novak, the sharp-shooting 6-10 small forward included with Marcus Camby and future picks in the trade to Toronto, is 30 by the way).

For Andrea Bargnani’s part he will now be utilized as the third or fourth option with New York as opposed to numero uno for years in Toronto.

But I didn’t write this here post to rant. Okay maybe a little. This post was created to add merit to Bargnani’s worth based on sound statistical analysis. I admit, his history of injuries, leaves a great gaping hole in any prospective analysis, but even with that being said I’d like to give you a detailed look into Bargnani’s greatest benefit to a team when healthy. No, not rebounding silly. Jump shooting. Namely, off pick and pop action. If you think Bargnani is going to magically turn into a decent rebounder then you’re once again setting an unrealistic expectation and based on the big guy’s history, you may be slightly delusional too. He doesn’t rebound. Get over it. But what he does, shoot the ball extremely well off of pick and rolls, the Knicks hope will allow Melo to have even more space and freedom to do what he does well, play ISO ball. It is what it is people.

Some of the numbers below should help you see the immense value in having a 7-foot sniper out on the court with a guy like Melo, Felton or even J.R. Smith. More specifically, as the analysis will indicate, based on running pick and rolls resulting in perimeter shots. Couple Bargnani’s ability to space from the power forward or center spot with current Knicks’ C Tyson Chandler‘s underrated strength in finishing at the rim off pick and rolls and you have some very interesting lineups Mike Woodson can run with the former No.1 overall pick now in the fold. In the NBA it’s all about spacing offensively (see Miami Heat) and Bargnani’s insertion into any lineup the Knicks run with definitely helps in that end.

Legend – All Stats based on Pick and Pop play types via Synergy Sports (minimum 75 possessions)
*PPP = Points per possession: Points scored by a player divided by the player’s total possessions.
*Pts/Game = Points per game: Points scored by a player per game.
*FT% = The percentage of the time a player gets fouled in the act of shooting resulting in free throws.

2011-12 Pick and Pop Statistical League Leaders

PPP Players

1. Bargnani 1.022
2. Duncan 1.007
3. K. Love 1.000
4. Garnett .979
5. Aldridge .969
6. M. Gasol .947
7. Jason Smith.931
8. D. West .931
9. Gooden .927
10. D. Lee .909


Pts/Game Players

1. Bargnani 3.1
2. Gooden 2.9
3. Aldridge 2.8
4. Duncan 2.6
5. Jason Smith 2.4
6. Kevin Garnett 2.3
7. D. West 2.0
8. B. Bass 1.9
9. L. Scola 1.8
10. D. Lee 1.8


FT% Players

1. Bargnani 12.9%
2. D. Lee 9.1%
3. Kevin Love 9.0%
4. Gooden 8.5%
5. Aldridge 6.9%
6. D. West 6.9%
7. Duncan 6.6%
8. C. Kaman 6.0%
9. Jamison 5.9%
10. Nowitzki 5.0%

So what does all this mean? What do the above numbers actually tell us and why aren’t last season’s stats included in this?

First things first, last season (2012-13) was easily Bargnani’s worst from a production and overall comfort-ability with the Raptors franchise standpoint. Playing just 35 games due to injury didn’t help either, but even with that Bargnani, frequently brought up in trade talks, appeared disinterested in whatever Toronto was doing roster wise. Jose Calderon was moved. Rudy Gay was brought in. There just seemed to be no clear direction in RaptorLand and in Bargnani’s case, with all the moves made to bring in other guys, one couldn’t blame the man for seeing the writing on the wall.

Last season Bargnani averaged just 12.7 points per game which was his lowest average since 2007-08, his second season in the league, and almost a whopping seven points less than his 19.5 point average in 2011-12.

So to realistically evaluate Bargnani we chose to focus on his most productive seasons in Toronto namely from 2009-2012.

During the 2011-12 NBA season, as you can see from the chart above, Andrea Bargnani led the league in points per possession based on a minimum of 75 Pick and Pop possessions. Now keep in mind these stats are based soley on the Pick and Pop play type via Synergy Sports Technology extensive database. Take a look at the long list of All-Stars that fall behind Bargnani in this extremely important play type run multiple times during the course of an NBA game and season. Tim Duncan, Kevin Love, Kevin Garnett, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol even former Knick David Lee, all trail Bargnani in points per possession which in essence is one of the more notable and realistic metrics used to gauge the efficiency of a player’s skill set.

Ultimately, the points-per-possession metric is a tremendous indicator of how a player maximizes an offensive possession. In Bargnani’s case, although the sample size during 2011-12 was relatively small in terms of games played, he not only was the most efficient player in Pick and Pop play types, but he scored the most points per game and got to the free throw line the highest percentage out of all players in the league.

Understanding the metrics listed above help explain why Bargnani is such a sound option running Pick and Pop action. Now whether he can stay off the injured list for an extended period of time is a whole other story entirely. Back to the numbers.

As you’ll notice Bargnani scored the highest PPP in the league at 1.022 in 2011-12. Points per possession is calculated by dividing a player’s total points by their total possessions. In this case, each player’s PPP listed is based solely on Pick and Pop play types. Bargnani achieves such a high rating because he attempts more three-pointers than most of the players listed while also showcasing an uncanny ability to entice defenders into fouling him while shooting off Pick and Pop action.

In fact, Bargnani led the league in FT% which is a metric designed to track how often a player is awarded free throws running a particular play type. Bargnani was fouled in the act of shooting resulting in free throws 12.9% of the time running Pick and Pop play types during the 2011-12 season good for the number one ranking in the entire league. Capitalizing on those opportunities, Bargnani shot a career-high 87.3% from the charity stripe.

During the 2011-12 season, Bargnani averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds while shooting 87.3% from the free throw line on 5.6 attempts per game. The stretch big man knocked down just 43.2% from the field and 29.6% from three suiting up in a total of just 31 games.

2010-11 Pick and Pop Statistical League Leaders

PPP Players

1. Kevin Love 1.351
2. Villanueva 1.221
3. Horford 1.076
4. Bargnani 1.055
5. Aldridge 1.036
6. D. West 1.028
7. C. Frye 1.024
8. B. Bass 1.000
9. E. Brand .966
10. Nowitzki .962

Pts/Game Players

1. A. Horford 2.4
2. Bargnani 2.3
3. Chris Bosh 2.2
4. L. Aldridge 2.1
5. David West 2.1
6. A. Jamison 1.9
7. David Lee 1.8
8. Kevin Love 1.7
9. Ersan Ilyasova 1.4
10. D. Nowitzki 1.4

FT% Players

1. Bargnani 11%
2. B. Lopez 9.4%
3. B. Griffin 9.3%
4. Blatche 9.1%
5. Jamison 8.2%
6. Nowitzki 7.5%
7. C. Bosh 7.5%
8. B. Bass 7.4%
9. Duncan 6.9%
10. Jason Smith 6.0%

The 2010-11 NBA season was arguably Bargnani’s most productive and although he wasn’t the overall league leader in all of the major Pick and Pop statistical categories, you can see from the chart above that he still ranked in the top 5 in points per possession, points per game and free throw percentage metrics.

Even more, Bargnani’s body of work was sufficient enough in terms of games played to add merit to his above-average ability to score efficiently and effectively running Pick and Pop action.

Behind only Kevin Love, who tallied an extremely impressive 1.351 PPP for the season, three-point happy Charlie Villanueva, and the steady Al Horford, Bargnani registered a consistent 1.055 PPP while suiting up for action in 66 games.

Again you will notice that even as a then 25-year-old, Bargnani ranked higher than many of the well-known Pick and Pop artists in the league while leading the entire Association in fouls created out of Pick and Pop action ultimately resulting in free throws.

Bargnani averaged 21.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game on 44.8% shooting from the floor and 34.5% from three. He got to the line an average of 5.3 times shooting 82% from the stripe during the 2010-11 season.

2009-10 Pick and Pop Statistical League Leaders

PPP Players

1. C. Frye 1.083
2. Jamison 1.075
3. D. West 1.073
4. B. Diaw 1.062
5. C. Bosh 1.043
6. J. Green 1.032
7. Nowitzki 1.000
8. Ilyasova .99
9. Aldridge .986
10. Rasheed Wallace .965
12. Bargnani .938


Pts/Game Players

1. Jamison 2.8
2. Aldridge 1.8
3. B. Miller 1.8
4. Nowitzki 1.8
5. C. Frye 1.4
6. C. Bosh 1.4
7. U. Haslem 1.3
8. D. West 1.3
9. Villanueva 1.2
10. Kevin Garnett 1.2
24. Bargnani 1.0


FT% Players

1. Jamison 13.2%
2. J. Green 10.5%
3. U.Haslem 9.6%
4. Jason Thompson 9.6%
5. B. Miller 9.0%
6. M.Beasley 7.2%
7. Nowitzki 6.9%
8. C. Bosh 6.4%
9. D. West 6.3%
10. B. Diaw 6.3%
15. Bargnani 4.9%

As you probably noticed from the chart above, during the 2009-10 NBA season Bargnani’s Pick and Pop statistics were not nearly as impressive as the next two following seasons. He simply was not used in Pick and Pop action as frequently, however the inclusion of his Pick and Pop numbers here is solely to detail the stark improvement he showed throughout the 2010-12 seasons.

Bargnani averaged 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on a career-high 47% shooting from the floor and 37.2% from three in 2009-10.

What is important to note here from a statistical perspective is just how efficient he was in the play type that he was most frequently involved in that season; the spot up shot.

Incredibly Bargnani ranked in the 85-percentile in spot up play types out of all NBA players per Synergy Sports Technology’s database.

Spot up play types constituted for 37.5% of his offense that season. In fact, the Italian-born big man shot 46.3% while tallying 1.111 PPP for the season.

The guy can hit shots from the perimeter. That’s no illusion. The numbers not only back that claim, but they indicate that he has proven to add to an already solid shooting skill set with efficiency each season. At the close of the 2009-10 NBA season, Bargnani registered 121 three-point makes many come via spot up opportunities. As he progressed and expanded his game to incorporate more Pick and Pop opportunities, as you can see from the charts listed above, from season to season he got better. His improvement in not only spotting up from the perimeter, but from connecting on Pick and Pop chances simply cannot be ignored.

The numbers don’t lie. The big question remains though, can Bargnani stay healthy enough for a long enough period of time to legitimately help the Knicks win?

If so, and it’s a big if admittedly, Knicks’ fans may look back at this seemingly odd move as one of the more strategic and savvy transactions in recent New York memory. Time will only tell.

[Knicksfan20]

Bargnani was the best pick 'n pop shooter in the NBA in 2012. With Ray and Prigs on the point, this hopefully bodes well for us.

http://theknicksblog.com/knicks/bargnan ... qus_thread

http://www.hardwoodcanvas.com/2013/07/0 ... dqr8T5ARhN

Advanced Analytics: Bargnani’s Pick and Pop game
July 7th, 2013 | 2 Comments

Okay we get it. Andrea Bargnani has not so-called “lived up” to the hype. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Raptors to replace Chris Bosh as the savior of NBA Basketball in Toronto and that just didn’t happen. We get it. But it’s those exact lofty and unrealistic expectations that may now ultimately allow New York, Bargnani’s new NBA residence, the opportunity to flourish with him.

Truth be told, Bargnani is not a “Franchise” player. He is not the type of player, obviously, that can carry a team to a championship on his own, let alone carry a team through a full season. But that’s where the evaluation of Bargnani gets interesting. Who even knew who this guy was before he was drafted back in 2006?

Not many. In fact, Bargnani’s talents were so unique and unknown to the masses that looking back it’s hard to actually blame the Raptors’ camp at the time for going out on a limb and selecting him with the first pick. But since we’re all arm-chair GMs and we think we know better, we can now evaluate and criticize a franchise for doing what we always ask of them; taking a chance.

Well it didn’t work. And unfortunately sometimes that happens. Bargnani has been oft-injured, somewhat aloof and inconsistent throughout his tenure with Toronto, but there is no way you can tell me this 7-foot power forward/center is not one of the most talented players this league has seen in recent years. This guy may not have lived up to the expectations of a No. 1 pick, but he is surely no bust.

Now, talent and production are two completely separate entities and at this point Raptors’ fans have every reason to be upset that their now former uber-talented 7-footer was not able to convert all that skill into production and wins.

For the Knicks, however, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Apparently the Knicks are plenty glad to take on a former No. 1 overall pick who at 27 years old has already scored over 6,500 points and knocked down 579 three-pointers in his seven-year career (Steve Novak, the sharp-shooting 6-10 small forward included with Marcus Camby and future picks in the trade to Toronto, is 30 by the way).

For Andrea Bargnani’s part he will now be utilized as the third or fourth option with New York as opposed to numero uno for years in Toronto.

But I didn’t write this here post to rant. Okay maybe a little. This post was created to add merit to Bargnani’s worth based on sound statistical analysis. I admit, his history of injuries, leaves a great gaping hole in any prospective analysis, but even with that being said I’d like to give you a detailed look into Bargnani’s greatest benefit to a team when healthy. No, not rebounding silly. Jump shooting. Namely, off pick and pop action. If you think Bargnani is going to magically turn into a decent rebounder then you’re once again setting an unrealistic expectation and based on the big guy’s history, you may be slightly delusional too. He doesn’t rebound. Get over it. But what he does, shoot the ball extremely well off of pick and rolls, the Knicks hope will allow Melo to have even more space and freedom to do what he does well, play ISO ball. It is what it is people.

Some of the numbers below should help you see the immense value in having a 7-foot sniper out on the court with a guy like Melo, Felton or even J.R. Smith. More specifically, as the analysis will indicate, based on running pick and rolls resulting in perimeter shots. Couple Bargnani’s ability to space from the power forward or center spot with current Knicks’ C Tyson Chandler‘s underrated strength in finishing at the rim off pick and rolls and you have some very interesting lineups Mike Woodson can run with the former No.1 overall pick now in the fold. In the NBA it’s all about spacing offensively (see Miami Heat) and Bargnani’s insertion into any lineup the Knicks run with definitely helps in that end.

Legend – All Stats based on Pick and Pop play types via Synergy Sports (minimum 75 possessions)
*PPP = Points per possession: Points scored by a player divided by the player’s total possessions.
*Pts/Game = Points per game: Points scored by a player per game.
*FT% = The percentage of the time a player gets fouled in the act of shooting resulting in free throws.

2011-12 Pick and Pop Statistical League Leaders

PPP Players

1. Bargnani 1.022
2. Duncan 1.007
3. K. Love 1.000
4. Garnett .979
5. Aldridge .969
6. M. Gasol .947
7. Jason Smith.931
8. D. West .931
9. Gooden .927
10. D. Lee .909


Pts/Game Players

1. Bargnani 3.1
2. Gooden 2.9
3. Aldridge 2.8
4. Duncan 2.6
5. Jason Smith 2.4
6. Kevin Garnett 2.3
7. D. West 2.0
8. B. Bass 1.9
9. L. Scola 1.8
10. D. Lee 1.8


FT% Players

1. Bargnani 12.9%
2. D. Lee 9.1%
3. Kevin Love 9.0%
4. Gooden 8.5%
5. Aldridge 6.9%
6. D. West 6.9%
7. Duncan 6.6%
8. C. Kaman 6.0%
9. Jamison 5.9%
10. Nowitzki 5.0%

So what does all this mean? What do the above numbers actually tell us and why aren’t last season’s stats included in this?

First things first, last season (2012-13) was easily Bargnani’s worst from a production and overall comfort-ability with the Raptors franchise standpoint. Playing just 35 games due to injury didn’t help either, but even with that Bargnani, frequently brought up in trade talks, appeared disinterested in whatever Toronto was doing roster wise. Jose Calderon was moved. Rudy Gay was brought in. There just seemed to be no clear direction in RaptorLand and in Bargnani’s case, with all the moves made to bring in other guys, one couldn’t blame the man for seeing the writing on the wall.

Last season Bargnani averaged just 12.7 points per game which was his lowest average since 2007-08, his second season in the league, and almost a whopping seven points less than his 19.5 point average in 2011-12.

So to realistically evaluate Bargnani we chose to focus on his most productive seasons in Toronto namely from 2009-2012.

During the 2011-12 NBA season, as you can see from the chart above, Andrea Bargnani led the league in points per possession based on a minimum of 75 Pick and Pop possessions. Now keep in mind these stats are based soley on the Pick and Pop play type via Synergy Sports Technology extensive database. Take a look at the long list of All-Stars that fall behind Bargnani in this extremely important play type run multiple times during the course of an NBA game and season. Tim Duncan, Kevin Love, Kevin Garnett, LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol even former Knick David Lee, all trail Bargnani in points per possession which in essence is one of the more notable and realistic metrics used to gauge the efficiency of a player’s skill set.

Ultimately, the points-per-possession metric is a tremendous indicator of how a player maximizes an offensive possession. In Bargnani’s case, although the sample size during 2011-12 was relatively small in terms of games played, he not only was the most efficient player in Pick and Pop play types, but he scored the most points per game and got to the free throw line the highest percentage out of all players in the league.

Understanding the metrics listed above help explain why Bargnani is such a sound option running Pick and Pop action. Now whether he can stay off the injured list for an extended period of time is a whole other story entirely. Back to the numbers.

As you’ll notice Bargnani scored the highest PPP in the league at 1.022 in 2011-12. Points per possession is calculated by dividing a player’s total points by their total possessions. In this case, each player’s PPP listed is based solely on Pick and Pop play types. Bargnani achieves such a high rating because he attempts more three-pointers than most of the players listed while also showcasing an uncanny ability to entice defenders into fouling him while shooting off Pick and Pop action.

In fact, Bargnani led the league in FT% which is a metric designed to track how often a player is awarded free throws running a particular play type. Bargnani was fouled in the act of shooting resulting in free throws 12.9% of the time running Pick and Pop play types during the 2011-12 season good for the number one ranking in the entire league. Capitalizing on those opportunities, Bargnani shot a career-high 87.3% from the charity stripe.

During the 2011-12 season, Bargnani averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds while shooting 87.3% from the free throw line on 5.6 attempts per game. The stretch big man knocked down just 43.2% from the field and 29.6% from three suiting up in a total of just 31 games.

2010-11 Pick and Pop Statistical League Leaders

PPP Players

1. Kevin Love 1.351
2. Villanueva 1.221
3. Horford 1.076
4. Bargnani 1.055
5. Aldridge 1.036
6. D. West 1.028
7. C. Frye 1.024
8. B. Bass 1.000
9. E. Brand .966
10. Nowitzki .962

Pts/Game Players

1. A. Horford 2.4
2. Bargnani 2.3
3. Chris Bosh 2.2
4. L. Aldridge 2.1
5. David West 2.1
6. A. Jamison 1.9
7. David Lee 1.8
8. Kevin Love 1.7
9. Ersan Ilyasova 1.4
10. D. Nowitzki 1.4

FT% Players

1. Bargnani 11%
2. B. Lopez 9.4%
3. B. Griffin 9.3%
4. Blatche 9.1%
5. Jamison 8.2%
6. Nowitzki 7.5%
7. C. Bosh 7.5%
8. B. Bass 7.4%
9. Duncan 6.9%
10. Jason Smith 6.0%

The 2010-11 NBA season was arguably Bargnani’s most productive and although he wasn’t the overall league leader in all of the major Pick and Pop statistical categories, you can see from the chart above that he still ranked in the top 5 in points per possession, points per game and free throw percentage metrics.

Even more, Bargnani’s body of work was sufficient enough in terms of games played to add merit to his above-average ability to score efficiently and effectively running Pick and Pop action.

Behind only Kevin Love, who tallied an extremely impressive 1.351 PPP for the season, three-point happy Charlie Villanueva, and the steady Al Horford, Bargnani registered a consistent 1.055 PPP while suiting up for action in 66 games.

Again you will notice that even as a then 25-year-old, Bargnani ranked higher than many of the well-known Pick and Pop artists in the league while leading the entire Association in fouls created out of Pick and Pop action ultimately resulting in free throws.

Bargnani averaged 21.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game on 44.8% shooting from the floor and 34.5% from three. He got to the line an average of 5.3 times shooting 82% from the stripe during the 2010-11 season.

2009-10 Pick and Pop Statistical League Leaders

PPP Players

1. C. Frye 1.083
2. Jamison 1.075
3. D. West 1.073
4. B. Diaw 1.062
5. C. Bosh 1.043
6. J. Green 1.032
7. Nowitzki 1.000
8. Ilyasova .99
9. Aldridge .986
10. Rasheed Wallace .965
12. Bargnani .938


Pts/Game Players

1. Jamison 2.8
2. Aldridge 1.8
3. B. Miller 1.8
4. Nowitzki 1.8
5. C. Frye 1.4
6. C. Bosh 1.4
7. U. Haslem 1.3
8. D. West 1.3
9. Villanueva 1.2
10. Kevin Garnett 1.2
24. Bargnani 1.0


FT% Players

1. Jamison 13.2%
2. J. Green 10.5%
3. U.Haslem 9.6%
4. Jason Thompson 9.6%
5. B. Miller 9.0%
6. M.Beasley 7.2%
7. Nowitzki 6.9%
8. C. Bosh 6.4%
9. D. West 6.3%
10. B. Diaw 6.3%
15. Bargnani 4.9%

As you probably noticed from the chart above, during the 2009-10 NBA season Bargnani’s Pick and Pop statistics were not nearly as impressive as the next two following seasons. He simply was not used in Pick and Pop action as frequently, however the inclusion of his Pick and Pop numbers here is solely to detail the stark improvement he showed throughout the 2010-12 seasons.

Bargnani averaged 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on a career-high 47% shooting from the floor and 37.2% from three in 2009-10.

What is important to note here from a statistical perspective is just how efficient he was in the play type that he was most frequently involved in that season; the spot up shot.

Incredibly Bargnani ranked in the 85-percentile in spot up play types out of all NBA players per Synergy Sports Technology’s database.

Spot up play types constituted for 37.5% of his offense that season. In fact, the Italian-born big man shot 46.3% while tallying 1.111 PPP for the season.

The guy can hit shots from the perimeter. That’s no illusion. The numbers not only back that claim, but they indicate that he has proven to add to an already solid shooting skill set with efficiency each season. At the close of the 2009-10 NBA season, Bargnani registered 121 three-point makes many come via spot up opportunities. As he progressed and expanded his game to incorporate more Pick and Pop opportunities, as you can see from the charts listed above, from season to season he got better. His improvement in not only spotting up from the perimeter, but from connecting on Pick and Pop chances simply cannot be ignored.

The numbers don’t lie. The big question remains though, can Bargnani stay healthy enough for a long enough period of time to legitimately help the Knicks win?

If so, and it’s a big if admittedly, Knicks’ fans may look back at this seemingly odd move as one of the more strategic and savvy transactions in recent New York memory. Time will only tell.

Pretty cool. Would love to see Melo run the pick and pop with him. Should be a deadly combo.

[Mangiacake]

I am not so sure Gallo is better than Bargnani they both have similar skillsets,but were put in different situations.
In NY Bargs can be very useful even playing Center for short periods.

Don't forget Belinelli,he got traded from the Raptors and went on to better things.

Here are two fun commercials envolving the three of them

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj-e40QSsf4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9UMlRASokQ

[ctorres]

Has ANYONE played with Felton, JR, Melo, Stat, and Bargnani in NBA 2K13 yet?

[BOOMbip]

Don't rely on your own eyes and basketball understanding, when you want to form an opinion ask other fans, specifically bitter internet forum posters, what they think and take their opinion as your own. RealGm wisdom, in fact you could call it RealWisdom!

[Joker]

If you think of Bargnani as a more or less one-dimensional offensive weapon, a guy who can get you 17+ on a given night, you'll appreciate him for what he is. If you have PF/C expectations of him, however, you'll hate him quickly.

[Italians in NBA]

i hated the trade at the start, but I could never bash the player this long. He is on the team. We have to deal with it. He can play ball. I am always down for giving someone a chance. I can't root for him to fail. If he wants to be a new man, well now here is his chance.He does not make us worst from a basketball standpoint. He may not bring what I want in Grittiness, but he can do other things for us.

I'm Italian and I really think that Andrea can be a great contributor for the Knicks, but I appreciate so much your so normal fan's approach : il Mago is a Knicks player and deserves his chances in NY.

Biased.

No, simply I spent 7 years reading hockey fans speaking about basketball. I started playing basketball when I was seven years old and finished my career when I was 36 in Italy. Some years assistant coach working with Messina. I never could understand why the NBA decided to create a team in a NO basketball culture country. Spain, Italy, Russia, Greece, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Lithuania are some real basketball countries, Canada does not deserve a team. Biased? No, for sure, simply realistic. Forza Mago the only PF spending 6 years playing in a team without center and coaches.

[Capn'O]

An interesting side twist - back in 2006 many analysts had Rudy Gay going to Toronto with the #1 pick but concerns over his ethic pushed him down as the draft approached. Now, he is Toronto's main option. Steve Novak was also in that draft. So they get to play alternate worlds. Gay is no first option and Toronto will find that soon enough (though JV looks like a player for them) and will probably hate him.

Looking back, the clear cut best player in that draft was Aldridge, but Gay would have been a better fit with Bosh (sure, run with it) than Bargs. Perhaps he would have stayed.