Clearly, with Kurt Thomas, Malik Rose, Mo Taylor, Jerome Williams, and Mike Sweeney, the Knicks could use another power forward. Rumor has it Isiah is determined to make 1/2 his roster consist of players that can't play on the floor together.
Thing is, he's kinda the playa we are lookin for. Defense: A -The Bulls are shooting 18% on shots that Kwame defended. Post up game: D - none. In fact, doesn't like it. Never has. That goes all the way back to highschool. It's not gonna change. But do we need another post player. no. we don't. We have that. jumper: B+ 15-17 feet. Great range. in fact his jumper was so impressive in workouts that it made him the number one pick in the draft. Has the height and shot type to be unblockable on pick and pop. Pick and Rol A- l: He's a big dude, saving Yao from having to go out, and he can hit that jumper. He's as good as it gets. If covered, has a crossover dribble that can get him into the paint when needed. Passing C : In theory, a good passer. But Washington doesn't give him the ball so who knows. Rebounding: B+ Adequate for his size. Heart D + : quiet, but we don't need passion. T-mac is our leader I like the pickup. I'm not saying he's gonna work out. God knows he's got the same problems as Yao. Up one game and down another. Van Gundy may break him mentally. But we don't have a powerforward and He's as good as Howard. He could start here and be happy. And he will give you the occassional 30 point game once a month. I like it.
Kwame is one of the biggest busts in history, unfortunately, he is still going to get paid. I don't want any part of Kwame. He is injury prone, has a terrible attitude and work ethic, and above all, he isn't very good at basketball. I don't know where he will be next season, he should have taken the extension from Washington, his value couldn't be any lower right now.
i'd love to see a shooting contest between Chandler and Cato, first basket made outside the paint wins
I just don't think teams like the Lakers, Nets, and especially the Bulls will be willing to use their full MLE on the guy -- assuming he'd even accept it. Kwame and his people think he's worth a lot more, and they're going to have to do some scrambling in late September when things haven't worked out how they expected.
Yeah. They're cash strapped and weak on the frontline. Plus they're desperate for any quick fix bargain. It'd be better for Kwame to be in NY though. Same exposure but a weaker conference at PF
You could have said the same thing before they traded for Rose and Taylor. What will interest Thomas is that Kwame has the SIZE to player CENTER and is YOUNG with upside. They dont have anyone on that team like that. They are TRYING to get young guys on the cheap. That's why Kwame to NY makes perfect sense. However, for Kwame's development, going to NY would be a HUGE disaster! He needs to go to a small market team where the demands and pressures will be much lighter initially.
Oski, Vernon Maxwell punked the Rockets in 1995 because he didn't want to play behind Clyde Drexler. -P1st, S2nd
Michael Jordan didn't give Kwame a lazy attitude and poor work ethic. Sure, Jordan was rough on him his first two seasons. Well, suck it up! He's not the first rookie to get criticized early in his career. Every criticism directed at him from Jordan or whomever should have motivated him to work harder, but he didn't. Instead, he went the "oh, poor me, Jordan is picking on me! wah wah!" route...That's how Jordan became the greatest basketball player ever, by motivating his teammates and forcing them to get better. Kwame thought that his talent alone would get him by. Well, he's wrong. He's a few years away from surpassing Joe Smith as the worst #1 overall pick ever...
That Kwame mailed in his contract season, kicking it off with a head-shaking summer, does not bode well for his long-term prospects. I'm sure someone will be stupid enough to throw the money at him, if only because he has near-perfect size for an NBA big man. I've heard rumors that the new CBA may break up the MLE into two: a 3 and a 2 million exception, which can not be combined. That would hurt guys like Kwame pretty quick if true. I sincerely doubt Washington will help out Kwame in the slightest. If they S&T him it would have to be for a very good pickup or picks. Evan
Did Jordan become the greatest basketball player by having someone who he idolized call him a "flaming fa**ot" as a 19-year-old? Just curious. And, I'm not into coddling these guys, but that's just poor personnel evaluation by Jordan. He should've known (or figured out) that Kwame wouldn't respond well to that type of motivation.
Agreed, some people need to be critizised fo them to reach their potential, and some need to be suported to reach their potential. You cannot treat every player the same.
Also, I think Kwame, if he's realistic about his earning ability, would be smart to take the MLE (assuming he can get it) with a team like the Kings. He's got a solid outside shot, he can pass the ball well, so it seems that he'd fit perfectly in the Kings' offense. He wouldn't have too much pressure to score and produce offensively right away since he's playing with Bibby, Peja and Miller (presumably), but he's guaranteed plenty of touches of the basketball. And, his athleticism and size are sorely needed on that Kings team, so if he just puts his mind to it, he can start and play about 35 to 40 minutes per if he minds his ps and qs. Take a four year deal worth the MLE ($24 mil or so) with an option (either team or player) at the end of the third year, and if things work out, he's only 24 or 25 when he's coming up for his next contract, and if he's averaging a double/double by that point, he can land a big contract, not to mention he'll have played in some postseason games as well (again, presumably).
Wanna bet on it? There are always idiots in the NBA that are MORE than willing to pay up big dough for "potential". In Kwame's case, blame Jermaine O'Neal for setting a precedent there for high schoolers who take too long to develop, but teams are still intrigued by their "potential". I would take a risk at the kid, but first I would set up for him some kind of a "support group" to help him get through the tough times. He clearly needs some help with the mental aspect of the game, but I think there is no question he has tremendous potential if he commits himself to improving. On a sidenote, has there ever been a worse draft class than that one?
Apparently years after Jordan left, he still is screwed up in the head. The kid just has problems, plain and simple. Certainly he is a perfect case for Stern and the owners to continue to insist on an age limit. These guys are just WAYYY too young to be millionaires. I think the age limit should be 21, not just 20. And even then you will still have problems, but at least it will force some of these kids to go to college and learn a thing or two and maybe, just maybe, mature and grow up a bit during those few years before they set themselves up for big paydays.
