Anytime your favorite basketball team can trade an over the hill, injury-prone, shoot-first point guard and a undersized jump-shooting center/forward “tweener” for a 25 year old power forward that averaged 23 points and 10 boards (in the West no less) and two affordable role players you should be happy. And generally speaking, the Knicks trade to acquire Zack Randolph was a good move and makes me happy. It gives the Knicks arguably, the best offensive team in the East.
But…
There is always a “but” right?
If we were talking about fantasy basketball, there would be no warts on this deal. However we are talking about real, live NBA basketball and this deal does have some potential laws:
Who owns the post?
Knicks beat writer Frank Isola mentioned this today in the Daily News and I wondered the same thing last night while thinking about the trade. Who will be the primary post up option, Eddy Curry or Zack Randolph? It’s rare that a team is successful when both big men are offensive players. It’s almost like having to star running backs playing at the same time; it’s great in theory but doesn’t work in actual games. The Knicks tried this approach years ago with Patrick Ewing and Bill Cartwright and it didn’t work. And while it did work for the Spurs, Tim Duncan and David Robinson were both skilled enough to be effective from the high post both as shooters and passers. Neither Curry nor Randolph have that type of skill set. Generally speaking, at the two “power” spots, one player scores, the other rebounds and defends. Isiah will have to be creative to make sure both players get enough touches and stay out of the other’s way.
What happens to David Lee?
David Lee is the Knicks best rebounder and most popular player, however by adding Randolph, Lee may see significantly less playing time. While it’s possible that Lee could see minutes at the small forward spot, because both Randolph and Curry are most effective operating in the paint, the Knicks would most likely balance the line-up by having a perimeter shooter at the small forward position to compliment their two big men. While Lee has shown signs of developing a mid-range game, his game is really finishing around the basket.
I know it seems like I’m nitpicking. At the end of the day the Knicks get a player who is in the prime of his career that averages 23 points and 10 rebounds and get rid of Steve Francis who contributed one buzzer beater and nothing else and Channing Frye who just didn’t fit with Eddy Curry. That alone makes the Knicks better than they were yesterday before the draft started. This should make me happy. It’s just that I’m a Knicks fan and lately, there has always been a but.
I think you're going to be disappointed with Randolph in the long run. He averaged those numbers by being an absolute ball hog, jacking up fadeaway jump shots when he was being, at times, triple teamed. He will make the Knicks a post season team, but will likely ruin any sort of team chemistry in NY, and Curry will eventually demand a trade. The Knicks added another highly paid, talented, yet egotistical player. That's Isiah for you.
Dan Dickau is a good third string point guard, who can knock down the occassional three. Fred Jones is an energy guy, but his overall game is lacking.
I think the bottom line on this trade is that a couple of "names" were moved. This is what Zeke does. He trades. He is probably pacing his living room right now mumbling "I need a trade. We've gone over 24 hrs without a trade. Why isn't that phone ringing...let me call Freddie at Atlanta...no wait...Jim at Milwaukee..sheesh how come this phone will only dial 23 people at once..I need a trade..I'm late, I'm late".
Or, it could just be that Zeke wanted another big man on the roster to push Jerome James a little further back down the bench.
Portland needed a PG of some sort. They needed a PG that would pass the ball tho. Heh. Stevie Franchise is not going to pass the ball.
30 year old life long sports fan of the Knicks, Giants and Mets and since some of my best friends are Jets fans I root that they will end their years of inflicting heartbreak on their fans. I've worked in various roles for the NFL, NBA and AFL (gotta love Arena Football) which has given me a slightly jaded opinion of sports media.
Currently I look forward to watching Reggie Bush, Isiah Thomas getting fired and the Mets making a run at the World Series this fall. I'm absolutely tired of talking about Barry Bonds, T.O.,
Some of my favorite writers include: Paul Zimmerman, Len Pasquarli, William Rhoden, Peter Gammons, Bill Simmons, Peter King, Scoop Jackson, Marty Noble and a host of others that I'm forgetting.
