Two "ferocious" Knickerbockers
A couple of months ago I suggested that if I was the Milwaukee Bucks GM, this offseason I would offer up the team's lottery spot to the New York Knicks in exchange for PF David Lee and SF Renaldo Balkman. At the time each player was an infrequent contributor to a terrible team. Everyone thought I had finally lost all semblance of common sense.
Last night I got home and caught the end of the overtime game between the Knickerbockers and the Portland Trailblazers. Because of injuries, Isiah Thomas was forced to give Lee and Balkman extended minutes. And if not for Jamal Crawford's 21 missed shots (yes, 21!), and a superlative performance by Portland's Brandon Roy, that decision would have cost the Trailblazers the game.
Balkman and Lee put on one of the most awesome displays of tag team offensive rebounding I have ever seen in my life. ESPN color commentator Jon Barry aptly termed the pair's appetite for the O glass "ferocious". Together the two of them peeled 13 offensive rebounds away from the Blazers, extending Knick possessions over and over again... almost willing the team to win. It was awesome to watch! Offensive rebounding is all about toughness and desire, and Lee and Balkman have it in spades. And by and large, the Bucks do not.
If the Bucks had those two, along with Redd, Williams, and Bogut... whoa. They would be a different team overnight. To win you must have skilled players and you must have productive role players. Those two are the essence of productive role players. The Knicks would be fools to let them go.
posted by Ty Will @ Saturday, February 02, 2008
6 Comments:
That had to be the easiest comeback McMillan ever coached. The hard part was trying not to crack up every time Crawford threw up another miss in the 4th.
I write for 3 Shades of Blue, a Memphis Grizzlies blog, and wanted you to be aware of our pre-game comments for the Grizzlies-Bucks game on Tuesday night.
http://3shadesofblue.blogspot.com/2008/02/memphis-vs-milwaukee-2508.html
If you would email us three_shades_ofblue@gmail.com we will add your link to our pre-game comments.
Thanks and good luck.
Chipc3
I respect your opinion, but you are way off in thinking that the Bucks could ever of had Lee. LAST season there was talk from the Knicks that Lee was untouchable. Just because he had yet to perform doesn't mean that the Knicks didn't know what they had.
The only way the Bucks might have a chance at getting Lee AND Balkman were if they won the 1st pick. Other than that I doubt Isiah is dumb enough to move those two.
"I doubt Isiah is dumb enough to move those two."
As a Knick fan, I can assure you, he IS that dumb. We're scared stiff reading speculation like this...
I'm curious - a few weeks ago, the rumor came flying that you had turned down a trade of Randolph & Balkman for Gadzuric, Simmons & Charlie V. We Knick fans were relieved... what do you guys think?
If we said we'd trade Randolph for Gadzuric & Simmons... what would Milwaukee say?
Randolph is a good player, but it's like trading one bad contract for two. Personally I don't think that either team would have been better off.
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