NBA Draft Recap for the Locals

The Knicks and Nets were both very busy on draft night. And they should have been. Both teams need a lot of work. The Knicks won 32 games last year and the Nets were just 2 games better. Both have shrewd GM's looking to get back into the playoffs. First let's run down what both teams did. Then I'll get into why.

The Knicks were all about Stephen Curry but oops... He went just one pick ahead of the Knicks to the Golden State Warriors. Plan B was Jordan Hill out of Arizona. The crowd at the Garden booed him. Hill, a 6 foot 10 forward, who averaged 18.3 points and 11 boards in his junior season last year... Surely, Mike D'Antoni got to see Hill close-up when he was the coach of the Phoenix Suns. He said: "The guy is 6-10, long, can really run the floor, very good shooter... I think he's going to be a really good player." I've heard comparisons to Scottie Pippen, but I haven't seen enough of Hill to go that far. But if he's athletic and can run like everyone says he is, he should fit into Mike D'Antoni's system quite well.

The Knicks also made 2 other moves. They traded Quentin Richardson to the Memphis Grizzlies for Darko Milicic. He's been a bust since he was picked by the Pistons in 2003. This is just a salary move since he has an expiring contract. Also, the Lakers swapped the 29th pick with the Knicks for cash and a future second round pick. They picked Toney Douglas from FSU with that pick... Douglas is a 6-1 point guard who averaged 21.5 points per game... He plays D... He was named the ACC's top defensive player. So he might fit into the system as well. D'Antoni does want to run and gun but I think (hope) he wants more defense as well. The Knicks still have a lot of cap room flexibility.

As do the Nets who shipped Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson down to Orlando for Tony Battie, Rafer Alston, and Courtney Lee. With Battie's and Alston's expiring contracts, the Nets now have six. They have an eye toward next summer as well. They picked Louisville forward Terrence Williams. He can play the 1, 2, or 3... That versatility will serve the Nets well with Carter's departure to the Magic Kingdom. I must say, as a Nets fan, I will miss Vinsanity and his buzzer beaters. He made the Nets, the most exciting 34 win team in the league.

One sidebar to chat about... Shaq goes to Cleveland to play with LeBron. Not sure how it will work out. I think Shaq will slow the Cavs down. He's a liability defensively as he will not be able to close on the smaller, quicker bigs. But he may take some, and I mean only some of the scoring load off King James. I think it's a 1 year deal. Shaq will be 38 in March so you gotta figure, the end is near. With this move, Cleveland is going all or nothing this year. So if the Cavs don't win it this year, might LeBron look for greener pastures. The Knicks and Nets are hoping so.