Knicks To Select Dontas Montiejunas

[RedBlackAttack]

As I said he has valuable attributes. But he has a bad contract. If you want to argue that its a good contract... i dunno what to say. Meanwhile you can get a 7 foot guy to fill a rebounder/defensive role for 3-5m per season, someone who is younger even.
Sure he may not be an elite defensive presence as Andy V is, but he will be enough to fill a role and at a good price.

I just don't think $7m for a 7-foot defensive specialist who can run the floor is a bad contract. You aren't getting that for $3-5m.

I think you are underestimating his value, especially as a Heat fan. He is literally exactly what you need... A bigger more athletic and younger version of Udonis Haslem... And you saw what his return did for your team.

[G-train]

He played 6 years of Euro ball too.

[RedBlackAttack]

Well I still wouldn't trade for that long term deal until I see how he returns from his ruptured right peroneal longus tendon.

We'll see how he looks this year... But, I don't think it matters a ton, because the Cavs aren't really pushing to trade him. He is one of the bright spots on the roster.

[RedBlackAttack]

He played 6 years of Euro ball too.

Euro ball is not the grind that is the NBA... We both know this.

[G-train]

I just don't think $7m for a 7-foot defensive specialist who can run the floor is a bad contract. You aren't getting that for $3-5m.

I think you are underestimating his value, especially as a Heat fan. He is literally exactly what you need... A bigger more athletic version of Udonis Haslem... And you saw what his return did for your team.

I believe this off season you can get a solid centre for that price, someone younger and without long term deal.

I dont believe he was worth 6 years 42 m. Especially not now to trade for it at the tail end.

There are some similarities to Haslem, but some key differences.
1. what heat paid for him.
2. he has better offensive skills.
3. he has stronger mental and physical toughness. > Warrior mentality.
4. udonis is more athletic for mine - stronger, faster and a higher leaper.

[G-train]

Euro ball is not the grind that is the NBA... We both know this.

I know, but I was just pointing out he has played for while.

[RedBlackAttack]

I believe this off season you can get a solid centre for that price, someone younger and without long term deal.

I dont believe he was worth 6 years 42 m. Especially not now to trade for it at the tail end.

There are some similarities to Haslem, but some key differences.
1. what heat paid for him.
2. he has better offensive skills.
3. he has stronger mental and physical toughness. > Warrior mentality.
4. udonis is more athletic for mine - stronger, faster and a higher leaper.

1. It wasn't really a 6-year deal, though, because the last year is a team option. The Cavs can decide whether or not they are going to pay him for that final year and, if they were to trade him, that team could decide whether or not to pay him.

That was a 5-year deal with a team option... Very important to point that out.

2. We don't know how he is going to look this coming year, but he was playing the best basketball of his career for 31 games prior to the injury... Averaging more points, rebounds and blocks than he ever had on 53% from the field plus playing stellar defense.

We will see how he does coming off of the injury, but I have no reason to believe that his play is going to be any different from where he left it in the first half of the year.

Obviously, he is a complimentary piece, so he needs talent around him in order to be on a winning team and he didn't have that last year. But, that doesn't mean that his play should be discounted.

3. I'd like to see the list of players as good as Varejao that you are going to get for $3-5m next year that offer his skillset.

4. Not sure how you deduced Haslem is tougher than Varejao... Both are guys that have relied on toughness throughout their careers. Varejao is also good at getting under opponents' skin. I've seen him frustrate the hell out of guys.

5. The fact that Varejao offers what he offers at 7-foot and is younger makes the comparison to Haslem in favor of Andy, at least right now.

Anderson is, what? 29 years old? With six years in the league? Let's not act like he is ancient, here. There was a time when NBA players really didn't start declining until their mid-30s. That timeline changed with the influx of high school kids and young foreign players that had logged 12 years in the NBA by the time they hit 30, but Varejao is not one of those.

His timeline is probably going to be like that of past generations, when guys were just getting their NBA careers started at 23.

6. This is all moot, anyway, because I don't want the Cavs to trade Varejao -- unless it is the right deal -- and I don't think that they want to trade Varejao.

[NewYorkNoPicks]

That's all you had to say.... And, I don't disagree with you.

My two points, though, were:

A. Even if the Knicks did want Varejao, what would they have to offer. Let's speak hypothetically, now. I realize that you don't want the trade, but for the team to even entertain the idea, you would need to have pieces that the Cavs would want. It isn't like he is a free agent.

and

B. Comparing Varejao to a Rony Turiaf is ridiculous. You don't have to want him on your team to rate him correctly.

Landry Fields has more value than Varejao

[RedBlackAttack]

Landry Fields has more value than Varejao

You are impossible to even have a semi-intelligent conversation with.

What the f#ck difference does that make, even if it were true? They play two totally different positions and have completely different roles.

[NewYorkNoPicks]

You are impossible to even have a semi-intelligent conversation with.

What the f#ck difference does that make, even if it were true? They play two totally different positions and have completely different roles.

You said earlier there's nothing on the Knicks that had enough value to acquire Varejao aside from Carmelo and Amare.

Fields is more valuable around the league than Anderson... so we do have other assets.

[blablabla]

i would like to see biyombo or faried or donatas
and darius morris

[madmax]

Motiejunas is a very dynamic scorer and I completely understand D'Antoni and his motives for having him - he'd fit perfectly within high paced Knicks offense. Not to mention his post game is already automatic and he is abusing his euro competition lately. He is a combination of Bargnani and Gasol offensively

[bagelred]

Landry Fields has more value than Varejao

Wrong.

[Sakkreth]

If he's not picked when it's turn for NY, then why not ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFqK-YXlsHs

[el gringos]

Isn't he projected to be a versatile 7 footer, with perimeter skills? Scoring being his main asset. Why you'd want to surround Melo|Amare with that is beyond me. I'd be looking for tough gritty defensive first guy's who rebounds the ball.

Everything I read is that he compares to AB. Why would you even want AB on the Knicks? That would basically solidify that the Knicks were going with the out score the opponent first, play defense second Mike D style of play. It would do wonders for Melo|Amare offensively but not the way to make serious noise.

I dunno much about him tho. Just what I read, and what I read seems to be the opposite of what the Knicks should do imo.

this is why its tough to try to talk basketball with some of the nugget fans on ish- this post shows you dont understand the game. If you have Carmelo you need a 4 to stretch the floor, and motiejunas would be a great fit. Imagine Carmelo and Amare in more 1 on 1's or 2 on 2's- Un stoppable
............
those saying to add a non offensive option dont understand the importance of floor spacing, esp w Carmelo as a power 3- put a dalembert or a kenyon Martin on the floor with Carmelo and you are taking away from your greatest strength- the knicks should strive to be the best offensive team in the league and work on defense from there, not make offense harder and expect that one guy will change a teams defense