Upon the NBA Draft

Draft day is here in the NBA, and the Knicks are drafting in the 8th spot (via the lottery) and the 30th spot (via a trade). After missing out on the playoffs following a decidedly mediocre season last year, the Knicks are certainly hoping to get some help with this year's selections. There can be no John Wallace, no Dontae Jones, no Macej Lampe, no Frederik Weis. A potential trade with the Suns would bring Quentin Richardson into the fold, and send Kurt Thomas on his way. With the new salary cap regulations, the Knicks may finally be able to sever ties with Allan Houston's albatross of a contract. In that view of the Knicks, the depth chart looks like this:

PG- Marbury / Jermaine Jackson
SG- Crawford / Richardson /Penny
SF- Tim Thomas / Ariza / JYD
PF- Sweetney /Rose /Mo Taylor
C- Bruno Sundov /?

Now the most glaring need is at the center position, and the Knicks have been said to be looking big. Channing Frye from Arizona is a name being proposed, as is Charlie Villanueva from UConn. If the Knicks go big, I hope they go for a back to the basket scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. The front office can not get suckered into a big man who shoots jumpers. While this is a great big man skill, the Knicks have Marbury, Crawford, potentially Q, and Sweetney. There do not figure to be sufficient touchers for a jumpshooter (as the Knicks have had in the past with Doleac and Thomas). We need an intimidator and someone to attack the glass with Sweetney, Rose and JYD.

The second position that the Knicks can use help in is the area of back-up point guard. There figure to be some good guards on the board at the 30 spot, and the Knicks can afford to draft potential at that spot as Marbury constantly plays almost the entire game.

I am interested to see what moves figure to be made today, with trade potential high. The Knicks pick can be moved with a player for a high spot, or they can move down for a player from another team and a lower spot. All I know is that the Knicks better pick well, because the Garden crowd will be killing Isiah.