Knicks Pull Surprise, Nets Go Safe

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The Knicks and Nets were slated to pick twice near the end of last night’s NBA draft; otherwise the two teams were as different as their records – the Knicks’ 23-59 and the Nets’ 49-33 – might suggest.

The Knicks and Nets picked late in a volatile first round that include numerous trades. The Knicks’ first pick, Renaldo Balkman, was a curiosity and surprise – a good defender with a very raw offensive game, but a player who figured to go in the second round if he was drafted at all. The Nets, who needed either a big man or backcourt depth, found the latter with their first pick – University of Connecticut point guard Marcus Williams – and the former with their second pick – Williams’s teammate, center Josh Boone.

The Knicks were already in the headlines this week for James Dolan’s comment that Team President and new coach Isiah Thomas will need to show improvement next season or else. However, any executive on a team that has suffered five straight losing seasons, culminating with the second-worst record in the league, should expect to be on the hot seat. If he wasn’t, Knicks fans should protest.

The need to win now was supposed to govern the Knicks’ pick, but two factors mitigate that notion. For one, the Knicks had the 20th pick and the 29th pick. While great talents like Dallas swingman Josh Howard (29th in 2003) and Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince (22nd in 2002) were taken that late in the first round, they are exceptions; most players taken at that point in the draft are fodder for team’s Development League teams or, at best, end of the bench guys. The other reason is that the Knicks are likely to improve even without additional talent. Proper organization of the current roster – last year Larry Brown started 42 different lineups – could lead to ten or more wins next season.

Thomas has an excellent draft record, and it will be put to the test with his first pick. Balkman, a 6-foot-6-inch forward from the University of South Carolina, was almost universally regarded as a second-round pick.

In general, the pick looks like Thomas chose for need rather than taking the best available athlete, the most sensible strategy for drafting late in the first round. The Knicks’ weakest position on the current roster is small forward, and their biggest team weakness is defense. The upside about the Balkman pick is that he addresses both needs. He is known for an excellent motor and a long wingspan. But his outside shot is horrendous (he shot 30.8% from behind the arc last season). He played power forward in college, but in the pros he will play on the perimeter, and he’ll be an offensive liability.

Nets fans have to be happy with their picks. Marcus Williams was ranked by most draftniks as one of the best point guards in the draft, and many expected him to go in the first 10-12 picks. He averaged 8.6 assists per game last season, shot 40% from behind the arc, and he’s known as a good defender. Williams will apprentice under Jason Kidd and will have first crack at the starting point guard job when age catches up to the 33-year-old future Hall of Famer.

Boone is less polished, but he fills two needs for the Nets frontline rotation: shot blocking and offensive rebounding. The Nets were third to last in the league in blocked shots and second to last in cleaning the offensive glass last season. Boone can help immediately.

The three picks, a reach by the Knicks and two solid prospects from a well known program, are indicative of the team’s current spot in the standings. With Boone and Williams in the fold, the Nets are poised to make the last step back toward the finals. While Knicks fans must wonder if their team, its deep pockets notwithstanding – will ever find their way out of the wilderness.

mjohnson@nysun.com


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