Today I'm reading an NY Daily News article by Julian Garcia (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2010/04/25/2010-04-25_amare_may_be_out_of_netsknicks_mix.html#ixzz0mDhgcfMV) mentioning the Net's possible desire to trade away the Chinese up and comer Yi Jianlian.
What does this have to do with a Knicks blog??? The numbers...Danilo Gallinari's numbers to be exact. Gallo had a good year this past season despite the Knicks losing season. He posted about 15pts, 5rebs, 2 assists, and almost 1 steal/block per game. He even turned up the offense down the stretch of the season, averaging 20pts per for the month of April...Sweet.
What's just as sweet are the numbers posted by Michael Beasley. Beasley was the second overall pick in the same draft as Gallo, who was picked 6th. Beasley posted nearly identical numbers as Gallo. The only difference is the 3pt percentage, obviously and the minutes. Beasley actually averaged 29 minutes per game compared to Gallo's 33. Why is Pat Riley supposedly souring on their #2 overall pick, while the Knicks are almost ready to crown Gallo king of Little Italy??? Without getting into the off the court issues, Beasley has a reputation for not giving it his all on the basketball court. I find that to be a joke since the offense is catered to allow Dwyane Wade to save them on every possession. The Heat essentially don't need the skills Beasley brings to the table. They need a back to the basket, lunch pail type of player at power forward like Carlos Boozer. Beasley is no Boozer. Beasley is a mid-range finesse player that can take his man off the dribble like a guard. Beasley rarely is allowed to utilize these skills making him a victim of the offense he is in.
Yi Jianlian is a foreign born player like Gallo and has the extra task of getting used to a whole different culture let alone American basketball. With that said his numbers last season also were nearly identical to both Beasley and Gallo. Yi's shooting percentage by far was the worst at 40% and it showed in the slight dip in scoring compared to the other two players at 12pts per game. Yi's main knock was aggressiveness and getting used to the American style of play. Chinese players are notoriously polite on the court and have trouble getting used to that aspect. Yi showed flashes of 18/10 production but it was short lived due to various injuries throughout the year.
So if these guys are so similar, why are Yi and Beasley seemingly being run out of their respective towns??? As I said before, the system could be the main reason two guys haven't turned the corner. Another is age. Yi is only 23, while Beasley is a ripe 21. Gallo is 22 himself...but he's the prince of NY...at least for now. People are still comparing him to Dirk Nowitzki. If there is still enough potential in Gallo to reach that status, then there is enough time for Beasley and Yi to reach their ceilings. In my humble opinion, Beasley might be comparable to Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson who was a 20/6 player for nearly a decade. Yi Jianlian is very similar to Kevin Garnett in style but not in crazy, so a poor mans KG is about right, keeping in mind KG was 25/10/5 for a decade.
Rumors??? The Heat supposedly just want cap space for Beasley...The Knicks have plenty to spare and need the talent. The Nets are simply looking to upgrade the position. Sign and trade for David Lee??? Makes sense for the Knicks because they need as many crafty moves as possible to fill out the roster as they hope to sign two max players this off-season. Could Beasley, Gallo, Yi make a good front court??? They have the size especially with Yi being 7 feet. They have the mobility and passing ability...they also have D'antoni's offense to loosen them up....its worth a look.
Hopefully Donnie Walsh has my blog bookmarked on his browser *wink, wink*
Once again you NEVER trade a 20-10 guy for a "potential guy" . can we say Zach Randolph..Watching Beasley play in the postseason he doesn't seem as consistent as a young star should be. Yi has just been disappointing. I guess I have to watch him more. He rebounds well but dude is 7 feet.
ReplyDeleteSup dolo! I know you love David Lee, but the thought of a sign and trade of Lee is a huge option for a team trying to rebuild itself. Though he did average 20/10, he also can be credited for leading this Tim to 4 straight losing seasons. However anyone's take, loyalty should not concern anyone when trying to get the best possible basketball team on the floor. David Lee is also unrestricted so he could sign with anyone without the Knicks permission. Say he decided to sign with the nets, the Knicks could try and get the nets to ship Yi via sign and trade. Miami is said to just want cap space for Beasley. The Knicks could wind up with both players. Its just a testament to the enormous amount of scenarios that could happen this off season. With all this said, Knicks would still have the money to sign a Max player. Its downright scary.
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