Knicks opt for 'D' and pick Shumpert
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- After Ray Allen ran the Knicks guards ragged through endless screens in a first-round playoff sweep by the Celtics, the Knicks reacted by targeting a much-needed defensive stopper in the backcourt.
By selecting Georgia Tech's Iman Shumpert with the 17th overall pick in the NBA draft last night, the Knicks answered the need for defense and, perhaps, created the ability to turn Toney Douglas into a tradeable asset. The Knicks still are looking to acquire a true backup point guard or a big man before next season and, depending on the restrictions in the next salary-cap system, might be able to improve the roster only via trades.
"There are more pieces here now,'' Donnie Walsh said. "Once we made the trade , we had two stars, but we lost a lot of pieces that need to play with the stars. So the job now is to replace them.''
The 6-6 Shumpert, who boasts an impressive 42-inch vertical leap, can defend both guard positions and has the athleticism to thrive in the open court. He is not considered a strong perimeter shooter (27.8 percent from college three-point range last season), so he lacks the ability to stretch the floor the way Fredette or Thompson could.
But Walsh believes Shumpert is ready to be a rotation player right away and said he shot the ball well in his workout. He believes he can develop into a capable spot-up shooter. "His shot's not broken,'' Walsh said.
The Knicks have made focusing on defense a priority this offseason. One significant move will occur when Mike D'Antoni hires a defensive assistant coach for his staff. Former Nets coach Lawrence Frank is a possibility if he doesn't land a head-coaching position.
The Knicks did not have a second-round pick, but they still picked up a player. The Hornets drafted Kentucky forward Josh Harrellson with the 45th overall pick and agreed to trade him to the Knicks for cash. Hornets GM Dell Demps said New Orleans and the Knicks agreed to the trade before the 6-10, 275-pound senior center was selected.
Walsh's final move as president and general manager of the Knicks may have been the quietest of his busy three seasons, which had blockbuster moves, including the acquisition of Anthony, and the dramatic free-agent signing of Amar'e Stoudemire.
Walsh's contract expires Thursday; senior vice president of basketball operations Glen Grunwald will move into the interim general manager role until a successor is announced.
Walsh joked about how the pick was booed by Knicks fans at the Prudential Center, which has become an annual tradition, much like Jets fans at the NFL draft. Walsh said his first pick with the Indiana Pacers, Chuck Person, was booed, as was Reggie Miller. "And I'm going out with everyone booing me,'' he said with a chuckle. "And that's fine.''
In a draft that involved several surprises in the lottery, the Knicks found themselves in position to select two players high on their wish list in Shumpert and Florida State's Chris Singleton, who also was touted as a defensive prospect. But Singleton is a 6-9 forward and the Knicks believed there was a bigger need for defense in the backcourt.
"It's definitely something I pride myself on. I wouldn't say it's my strength -- I'd say my strength is being able to do a lot of different things,'' Shumpert said at his workout with the Knicks in early June. "But what I'm most ready for, to come into the league and be able to do, is defend.''
More offensive-minded players that the Knicks passed on included Providence's Marshon Brooks and 6-10 Lithuanian forward Donatas Motiejunas, who worked out for the Knicks on Wednesday. The Knicks also passed on 6-6 power forward Kenneth Faried, a rebounding dynamo from Morehead State.
Shumpert is the third player on the Knicks' roster represented by Stoudemire's agent, Happy Walters.
The most coveted players on the Knicks' draft board, BYU's Jimmer Fredette and Washington State's Klay Thompson, were long gone before the Knicks were on the clock.
There were some attempts to move up, but the asking price, according to Walsh, was more than the Knicks were willing to give up.
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