Would you have pursued Lance Stephenson? I know it's a moot point now that he signed with the Hornets but the Paul George conversation in another thread got me thinking about his fit next to Melo. I personally think that the two would compliment each other well because of how different their games are and how well they make up for each others flaws. I could easily have seen something like Shane Larkin, Iman Shumpert and JR Smith working for Lance Stephenson, Chris Copeland and Lavoy Allen in a sign and trade.
The only downside would've been Lance Stephenson the person. I could easily see him morphing into a problem child, running with his old crew in Brooklyn. He strikes me as the kind of dude that would let those off-court distractions get to him and end up coming into camp overweight, unfocused and in trouble with the law. But if he was anything like he was with Indiana and somehow managed to turn a corner in the maturity department, I'd think we'd be on par with any other team in the East.
When I think about Lance I think about the Rautins Fields draft. WTF was up with drafting Rautins. The guy wasn't supposed to be drafted, was old for the draft, and could have been signed as an undrafted free agent. Stephenson Fields in one draft changes the franchises fortunes if the Knicks are patient with Lance.
The only reasons I can come up with for drafting Rautins are he could hit the three and his dad played in Italy when the coach at the time did.
CrushAlot wrote:When I think about Lance I think about the Rautins Fields draft. WTF was up with drafting Rautins. The guy wasn't supposed to be drafted, was old for the draft, and could have been signed as an undrafted free agent. Stephenson Fields in one draft changes the franchises fortunes if the Knicks are patient with Lance.
The only reasons I can come up with for drafting Rautins are he could hit the three and his dad played in Italy when the coach at the time did.
I agree about Rautins. But I honestly don't believe Lance would've thrived in NY. Too many distraction and there isn't a Larry Bird here to hold his hand. Maybe things would have been different if Phish were here at the time.
BigDaddyG wrote:CrushAlot wrote:When I think about Lance I think about the Rautins Fields draft. WTF was up with drafting Rautins. The guy wasn't supposed to be drafted, was old for the draft, and could have been signed as an undrafted free agent. Stephenson Fields in one draft changes the franchises fortunes if the Knicks are patient with Lance.
The only reasons I can come up with for drafting Rautins are he could hit the three and his dad played in Italy when the coach at the time did.
I agree about Rautins. But I honestly don't believe Lance would've thrived in NY. Too many distraction and there isn't a Larry Bird here to hold his hand. Maybe things would have been different if Phish were here at the time.
would have been nice to draft the more talented guy, but no way Lance thrives here... not considering the last couple years.
Rautins is Chris Smith before Chris Smith
Yeah not a good draft 2009 nor 2010.
Not sure about the personality mesh between Melo and Stephenson
gunsnewing wrote:Rautins is Chris Smith before Chris Smith
Yeah that was a really frustrating time to be a fan.
They took Rautins, as did lots of others pass on Lance. Maybe that speaks volumes for Lance, not Rautins!
We got Landry in the pick before and that was a good pick. Maybe go back and find all the players that are out of the NBA that was taken before Lance.
Hindsight it easy, and Lance had some serious redflags. I guess one has to go to that moment in time and look at the data available at that time.
And Lance has no more red flags? And wouldn't have any additional ones here in FunTown?
In 2010, nobody drafted this guy at all:
Scouts saw what The New York Times later described as "a smart passer with a flawed jump shot and a thin frame, who might not have the strength and athleticism to defend, create his own shot or finish at the rim in the N.B.A."
And now he's with the Lakers, trying to earn Kobe's respect.
Nalod wrote:They took Rautins, as did lots of others pass on Lance. Maybe that speaks volumes for Lance, not Rautins! We got Landry in the pick before and that was a good pick. Maybe go back and find all the players that are out of the NBA that was taken before Lance.
Hindsight it easy, and Lance had some serious redflags. I guess one has to go to that moment in time and look at the data available at that time.
and Lance just chucked his baby momma down a flight of stairs or some such nonesense. Kind of like PJ tucker had some red flags also. Since being drafted he's punched a high school kid and blew a .2 when he got pulled over. A dude his size has to drink about 10-12 beers and shot and jump in a car to blow that. Dude has to be J-Kidding himself.
Nalod wrote:They took Rautins, as did lots of others pass on Lance. Maybe that speaks volumes for Lance, not Rautins! We got Landry in the pick before and that was a good pick. Maybe go back and find all the players that are out of the NBA that was taken before Lance.
Hindsight it easy, and Lance had some serious redflags. I guess one has to go to that moment in time and look at the data available at that time.
Just took a look back at that draft. Fields and Stephenson are the only players from the second round of that draft that you can say "made it." That list will probably get whittled down to one after this year. That was also the year Jeremy Lin went undrafted.
Am I the only guy that believed in Rautins? LOL, I thought he'd become what Marco Belinelli was/is today (particularly as a Bull).
fishmike wrote:Nalod wrote:They took Rautins, as did lots of others pass on Lance. Maybe that speaks volumes for Lance, not Rautins! We got Landry in the pick before and that was a good pick. Maybe go back and find all the players that are out of the NBA that was taken before Lance.
Hindsight it easy, and Lance had some serious redflags. I guess one has to go to that moment in time and look at the data available at that time.
and Lance just chucked his baby momma down a flight of stairs or some such nonesense. Kind of like PJ tucker had some red flags also. Since being drafted he's punched a high school kid and blew a .2 when he got pulled over. A dude his size has to drink about 10-12 beers and shot and jump in a car to blow that. Dude has to be J-Kidding himself.
PJ Hairston or PJ Tucker?
BigDaddyG wrote:CrushAlot wrote:When I think about Lance I think about the Rautins Fields draft. WTF was up with drafting Rautins. The guy wasn't supposed to be drafted, was old for the draft, and could have been signed as an undrafted free agent. Stephenson Fields in one draft changes the franchises fortunes if the Knicks are patient with Lance.
The only reasons I can come up with for drafting Rautins are he could hit the three and his dad played in Italy when the coach at the time did.
I agree about Rautins. But I honestly don't believe Lance would've thrived in NY. Too many distraction and there isn't a Larry Bird here to hold his hand. Maybe things would have been different if Phish were here at the time.
He'd have Phil Jackson who got through to Dennis Rodman, Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace. Because of that, I might've been inclined to pursue him this summer with the infrastructure we now have in place.
F500ONE wrote:Yeah not a good draft 2009 nor 2010.Not sure about the personality mesh between Melo and Stephenson
Melo meshed with JR Smith who is a moron both on and off the court. I'd think that Melo and Stephenson would be just fine, especially since Stephenson plays within himself and the system. Melo can't be the point forward that the triangle requires but Stephenson certainly can. And Stephenson can't be the flat out scorer that the triangle requires but Melo certainly can. On it's surface, it seems like a good fit.
NardDogNation wrote:BigDaddyG wrote:CrushAlot wrote:When I think about Lance I think about the Rautins Fields draft. WTF was up with drafting Rautins. The guy wasn't supposed to be drafted, was old for the draft, and could have been signed as an undrafted free agent. Stephenson Fields in one draft changes the franchises fortunes if the Knicks are patient with Lance.
The only reasons I can come up with for drafting Rautins are he could hit the three and his dad played in Italy when the coach at the time did.
I agree about Rautins. But I honestly don't believe Lance would've thrived in NY. Too many distraction and there isn't a Larry Bird here to hold his hand. Maybe things would have been different if Phish were here at the time.
He'd have Phil Jackson who got through to Dennis Rodman, Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace. Because of that, I might've been inclined to pursue him this summer with the infrastructure we now have in place.
Those three all got to Phil later in their careers. They had established themselves by the time they were Trianglisized.
PHil has not much history in drafting young bone heads or am I missing something?
Basically Lance at 24 would likley be ok in NY and Phisched.
NardDogNation wrote:Am I the only guy that believed in Rautins? LOL, I thought he'd become what Marco Belinelli was/is today (particularly as a Bull).
Best shooter in the pre-draft workouts, I think, then he gets on the floor in SL and seemingly forgets how to put the ball in the basket.
I never thought he would start, but did think he could get a few minutes each night and hit some 3s.
BigDaddyG wrote:CrushAlot wrote:When I think about Lance I think about the Rautins Fields draft. WTF was up with drafting Rautins. The guy wasn't supposed to be drafted, was old for the draft, and could have been signed as an undrafted free agent. Stephenson Fields in one draft changes the franchises fortunes if the Knicks are patient with Lance.
The only reasons I can come up with for drafting Rautins are he could hit the three and his dad played in Italy when the coach at the time did.
I agree about Rautins. But I honestly don't believe Lance would've thrived in NY. Too many distraction and there isn't a Larry Bird here to hold his hand. Maybe things would have been different if Phish were here at the time.
Artest (have to use his original name) said in a decent interview last year when we picked him up that he did not think he would have done as well if he had been drafted by the Knicks. As an older person, he could look back and see how he might have gotten sidetracked.
Stevenson would have had his hometown boys leeching on him and getting his mind off his job if he had stayed in New York. I assume that Indianapolis has changed since I lived there for a couple of years in the early 80's, but there is no comparison in terms of the respective distractions each city would put in the path of a young wealthy pro athlete, and that's not even taking into consideration his NYC roots.
He was lucky he didn't get drafted by the Knicks, IMO.
WaltLongmire wrote:NardDogNation wrote:Am I the only guy that believed in Rautins? LOL, I thought he'd become what Marco Belinelli was/is today (particularly as a Bull).
Best shooter in the pre-draft workouts, I think, then he gets on the floor in SL and seemingly forgets how to put the ball in the basket.
I never thought he would start, but did think he could get a few minutes each night and hit some 3s.
Rautins wasn't projected to be drafted at all. He was almost 24. I really think the Knicks could have signed him as an undrafted free agent. The pick really bothered me because at the time I felt the Knicks were going for character over talent because of the coach. I think that works with first rounders but with second rounders I think you go for talent. I also question whether there was some connection between the elder Rautins and Dantoni from their days in Italy.
Nalod wrote:NardDogNation wrote:BigDaddyG wrote:CrushAlot wrote:When I think about Lance I think about the Rautins Fields draft. WTF was up with drafting Rautins. The guy wasn't supposed to be drafted, was old for the draft, and could have been signed as an undrafted free agent. Stephenson Fields in one draft changes the franchises fortunes if the Knicks are patient with Lance.
The only reasons I can come up with for drafting Rautins are he could hit the three and his dad played in Italy when the coach at the time did.
I agree about Rautins. But I honestly don't believe Lance would've thrived in NY. Too many distraction and there isn't a Larry Bird here to hold his hand. Maybe things would have been different if Phish were here at the time.
He'd have Phil Jackson who got through to Dennis Rodman, Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace. Because of that, I might've been inclined to pursue him this summer with the infrastructure we now have in place.
Those three all got to Phil later in their careers. They had established themselves by the time they were Trianglisized.
PHil has not much history in drafting young bone heads or am I missing something?
Basically Lance at 24 would likley be ok in NY and Phisched.
You got me there. I do wonder how Stephenson responds to being snubbed from the all-star game and of a contract worthy of his play. Reports say that he took it personally; hopefully he'll use it as motivation to get his act together.
