Knicks players who've gone elsewhere and been successful

[Americafkya]

Watching the finals and seeing Shump, Smith, and Mozgov playing such important roles on a team that was only 2 wins away from a title was a struggle of two opposite emotions. Happiness and a sense of vindication for a few players who had been oft maligned by the media and fanbase of our team, and sadness that they achieved this level of fluidity and success with other teams but not with us. Sure they had their moments, and everyone thought Shump was good in his rookie year, but it wasn't long before the anger, doubt, and "it's never enough" mentality reared its ugly head, and he began to feel the brunt of our anger.

JR, well it was love hate with him, wasn't it? He was bashed quite a bit, and he usually deserved it. A player filled to the brim with talent, and sadly lacking in discipline and brain cells. He had his 6th man of the year season with us, when he lit it up and played off Melo damn near brilliantly, even though there were times when he shot us out of games, and left me scratching my head. Most of the time though, he was simply...well, JR. The fans loved him the 30 some odd percent of the time his contested threes fell, and hated him the 65% time they clanked off the back of the rim and he didn't get back on D or lost his man. We sure as hell hated him the seemingly 100% of the time he found himself out and about partying instead of preparing for the next game. Yet, there he was. In Cleveland, in The Bay, hitting big shots and doing a solid job at staying between his man and the bucket. All the while helping the Cavs win a game or two in a series everyone thought was going to be a sweep. Sure he had his JR moments, but he certainly wasn't the JR we all came to loathe with a passion.

Mozgov, don't even get me started. He went from being hope of our franchise at center, an enigma of a man from somewhere in Siberia, who we hoped would be our anchor at center, who could play D, protect the rim, and finish in the pnr and hit his free throws. He turned into a laughing stock. ESPN highlight reel fodder for Blake Griffin, trade bait by the media, scapegoat of the masses of uneducated fans who populate the tri-state area. So much so that Amare felt it necessary to publicly have to show his support for him...in game....as if Mozgov new everyone was waiting to see him fail. we shipped him off quicker than a misbehaving child. In Cleveland, in the NBA finals, he was the anchor at center. He played D, protected the rim, threw down nasty dunks in the pick n roll and transition, and shot his FT's like we knew he could. Was it Lebron? Was it Blatt? Was it the system? Was it Cleveland? Was it Mozgov? I think it was a little of all of those things, but I think not being in NY had a lot to do with it.

Who else do we have that this franchise couldn't get much out of, but when elsewhere they played like we had always wanted or knew they could?

[Americafkya]

Can I add Papnikolau? A guy who played pretty solidly when given minutes in Houston but for some reason the Knicks never cared to give him much of a shot?

[Thorn]

Watching the finals and seeing Shump, Smith, and Mozgov playing such important roles on a team that was only 2 wins away from a title was a struggle of two opposite emotions. Happiness and a sense of vindication for a few players who had been oft maligned by the media and fanbase of our team, and sadness that they achieved this level of fluidity and success with other teams but not with us. Sure they had their moments, and everyone thought Shump was good in his rookie year, but it wasn't long before the anger, doubt, and "it's never enough" mentality reared its ugly head, and he began to feel the brunt of our anger.

JR, well it was love hate with him, wasn't it? He was bashed quite a bit, and he usually deserved it. A player filled to the brim with talent, and sadly lacking in discipline and brain cells. He had his 6th man of the year season with us, when he lit it up and played off Melo damn near brilliantly, even though there were times when he shot us out of games, and left me scratching my head. Most of the time though, he was simply...well, JR. The fans loved him the 30 some odd percent of the time his contested threes fell, and hated him the 65% time they clanked off the back of the rim and he didn't get back on D or lost his man. We sure as hell hated him the seemingly 100% of the time he found himself out and about partying instead of preparing for the next game. Yet, there he was. In Cleveland, in The Bay, hitting big shots and doing a solid job at staying between his man and the bucket. All the while helping the Cavs win a game or two in a series everyone thought was going to be a sweep. Sure he had his JR moments, but he certainly wasn't the JR we all came to loathe with a passion.

Mozgov, don't even get me started. He went from being hope of our franchise at center, an enigma of a man from somewhere in Siberia, who we hoped would be our anchor at center, who could play D, protect the rim, and finish in the pnr and hit his free throws. He turned into a laughing stock. ESPN highlight reel fodder for Blake Griffin, trade bait by the media, scapegoat of the masses of uneducated fans who populate the tri-state area. So much so that Amare felt it necessary to publicly have to show his support for him...in game....as if Mozgov new everyone was waiting to see him fail. we shipped him off quicker than a misbehaving child. In Cleveland, in the NBA finals, he was the anchor at center. He played D, protected the rim, threw down nasty dunks in the pick n roll and transition, and shot his FT's like we knew he could. Was it Lebron? Was it Blatt? Was it the system? Was it Cleveland? Was it Mozgov? I think it was a little of all of those things, but I think not being in NY had a lot to do with it.

Who else do we have that this franchise couldn't get much out of, but when elsewhere they played like we had always wanted or knew they could?

[nyk97]

[King of Canada]

[Concrete Jungle]

This is like stalking your exes instagram....just let them go and hope they get cheated on

[NYKat]

Yeah, I hated watching all those ex-Knicks in the conference and NBA finals...

This postseason season has been like rock bottom for me as a Knick fan, (which is REALLY saying something) watching all these guys we drafted or relied on reach levels of success we can only pipe dream of as a franchise and watching Steve Kerr establish himself as coaching savant just kind of solidified that this franchise is completely snake bitten and there is no light at the end of the tunnel...

I lost my excitement for the Phil Jackson era long ago (pmfjb ) watching him cling to the triangle like a old man obsessing over his good old days, while the league just passes him by... I have the inevitable feeling he'll f*ck up the draft, too and shrug his shoulders and move on like everyone else in the past 15 years...

[Thorn]

[NYKAL]

I wouldn't say JR or Imam excelled in Cleveland. Imam's shot (in the games I saw) looked even worse, he still has no idea what to do when he reaches the rim though, I will say his defense got back to what we knew it could be. He looks like a player who has peeked which, is a shame since he is still young. JR is still good or awful.

In one of those games neither he or Imam scored in the 2nd half or the overtime. JR was more bad in the finals than he was good. Can't comment on the previous series because I didn't watch them but, he was ass for the Cavs except for in spots.

Mozgod is a beast and Blatt was a fool for not playing him and trying to beat Golden State at their own game. I am so happy that he has developed beyond my highest expectations.

Am I in the minority feeling that if you sat on a championship teams bench, not playing or contributing to the win, YOU aren't a champion. I don't feel that Curry or TMac are champions.

[St Knick]

Context of a team makes all the difference.
Shumpert and JR were the same players they were on the knicks... except that they now were getting better looks at shots as a result of playing with one of the best players of all time.

Zach Randolph strikes me as a player who found success after he left the Knicks (and Clippers too)

Jamal Crawford got 6th man accolades when he finally found a team that had a role for him (he was miscast as a 1st/2nd option on the Knicks)

Antonio McDyess was an effective 6th man for the 2006 Detroit Pistons after leaving the Knicks

Nazr Mohammed was a nice big off the bench for the Spurs after he left us.

[Phish Tank]

trevor ariza

[Jeff Van Gully]

booooooooooooooooooooooooo

[goldenbrandon]

Crawford sticks out to me. I wanted to keep him. Very productive career. Only player still playing from the 2000 draft.

Arica is an impact player and we cut bait with him too quick also.

Wouldn't mind getting Wilson Chandler back.

[goldenbrandon]

Ariza

[knicks82385]

[DaKnicksAreBack]

Can I add Papnikolau? A guy who played pretty solidly when given minutes in Houston but for some reason the Knicks never cared to give him much of a shot?

That guy hasn't been solid. He's been nothing short of trash.

[poeman]

[MelosSoreWrist]

Crawford sticks out to me. I wanted to keep him. Very productive career. Only player still playing from the 2000 draft.

Arica is an impact player and we cut bait with him too quick also.

Wouldn't mind getting Wilson Chandler back.

Clipper fans hate Crawford. They consider him a low percentage volume shooter who takes bad shots, plays no defense and doesnt create for others.

[F N 11]

[Luv those Knicks]

The instant Doug Christie left the Knicks he became a useful player. I don't know what Riley was thinking.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chrisdo01.html