Practice made perfect for Roberson
Remember how some of you were asking if a guy could possibly land a roster spot with a good showing in the summer league?
Try a great showing in summer league practice.
Clearly Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni didn't want to take any chances of losing Anthony Roberson, who showed off a lights-out shooting touch in three days of workouts and then had a strong 22-point performance in the first summer league game. As Starberman reported today, and we can this morning confirm, the Knicks are planning to give the 6-2 guard a two-year minimum contract.
It's likely the first year is guaranteed and the second year is a team option, but that part has yet to be settled.
It's a curious decision, considering that the Knicks already have the full 15 guaranteed contracts on the roster. Obviously one has to go, but I'm not sure this is the sign that Stephon Marbury is a goner - if we even need a sign at this point. To me, the guy who should be concerned is Mardy Collins, because this is a depth signing for the most part. D'Antoni loves shooters and this guy can shoot.
But that's pretty much his game. In Monday's game he did not record a single assist in 30:28. He hit 8 of 19 from the field and 3 of 8 from downtown.
Roberson, who played with David Lee at Florida, has bounced around for a few cups of coffee in the NBA -- Memphis, Denver and Golden State, Memphis -- but never could stick for various reasons. D'Antoni had seen him a few times coaching Phoenix and always liked him and suggested Roberson would be sure to get a training camp invite. But once the kid showed up hitting everything he threw at the rim in practice, the Knicks felt compelled to lock him up before someone else grabbed him.
I mean, we tawkin' practice!
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Comments (24)
I think you're right Alan ... Mardy Collins should be very worried. Outside of a few solid performances before last season, what's he really done? Mike D loves shooters, and Mardy is not a shooter.
Roberson is not a PG but could be a good shooter coming off the bench and the change of tempo guy I wanted Pargo (a.k.a Childs) to be. Your boy Collins is done Kid!!!!
Memphis and LA officially now have the worst GMs in the league w/ IT gone.
i remember first seeing roberson at the 02' or 03' mikkie d's game at msg. he wasn't the main attraction like stoudamire, carmelo or bosh but when he entered tha game he was firing straight 'bombs' from downtown...effortlessly. i started callin' him mike bibby #2 after that (for obvious reasons -jeter/jason kidd tone). being a huge florida football fan i said i'll keep my eye on him even tho i don't really care for the bball program. but i was always surprised he didn't land in the nba consistently...but glad he got a shot to be legit again. do ya thing AR.
now only if dejuan wagner would also crawl outta whatever hole he is in. that cat just DISAPPEARED off tha face of tha earth ....i swore he was tha next iverson but he's a straight up 'milk carton'.
Dejuan Wagner had some major health problems - I think he had his colon removed or something - that derailed his career. I remember he was a hell of a talent before this happened. Just a really sad story. Last I heard he was playing in Europe.
Roberson is an interesting signing - I remember him and Matt Walsh putting up big numbers on an underachieving Gators team (with one D-Lee). I'm not sure where Donnie is going with the roster at the moment (not dumping Zach, having 16 guys under contract) but it's kept my attention so far this summer
Here we go again with Alan and his AI Swag lol...
I like the signing. He played like a House replica. Pressuring the ball and letting it fly from all over the court. He didnt pass once but that should change seeing how he has a contract.
Alan any chance we signed him cause some scouts at Monday's game liked him? Maybe as a piece to a trade?
Hm. Instant offense, 2-year minimum deal.
Adds firepower from the bench with next to no impact on the team money-wise. A Bayless-type player for under a mil. Smart.
Now sign a shot-blocking big man on the cheap and start buying out and waiving dead wood. Let's roll.
Alan any chance we signed him cause some scouts at Monday's game liked him? Maybe as a piece to a trade?
Good thoughts Don ADO........but is there a decent shot blocker out there or flying under the radar? I can't think of any, but we certainly need someone to protect the rim, unlike Zach or Snack?
alan, how does this signing work with the cap? we are over the salary cap and used the full MLE on duhon, so where do we get this $790k to sign roberson?
@ Phil E - Chris "Birdman" Anderson!
He and Zbo should would be smokin'!! Literally...
I wonder who Mike Dunleavy was watching at the game the other day. He definitely did not come there to watch Zach or any other starter the Knicks are trying to get rid of. Obviously, it must be one of the bench players. From that point of view, it makes sense that Collins must have been the one and he did come off with a good showing in that game. I have a feeling something bigger, like a multi-player trade, is brewing between the Knicks and the Clippers.
OK, I was joking and according to SI:
Andersen was in the first year of a four-year $13 million contract when he was suspended. Per league rules, the Hornets can re-sign him to a one-year, pro-rated share of the salary he was making at the time ($3.5 million). New Orleans officially has 30 days to determine whether to sign or release him, but the club already has decided to bring him aboard.
Phil - That's the $64,000 Question, unfortunately.
I've been looking at undrafted PFs that are playing Summer League, but nobody pops out at me. Since Walsh/D'Antoni are obviously trying to fill slots with guys with specific skillsets at this point (a Roberson flew under everybody but Alan's radar), I'm thinking they may be looking at SL rosters and taking notes.
Any other Fixers have any suggestions?
New York Knicks
Incoming Players
Andray Blatche
Salary: $2,739,669 Years Remaining: 4
Antonio Daniels
Salary: $6,200,000 Years Remaining: 2
Caron Butler
Salary: $9,249,980 Years Remaining: 3
Outgoing Players: Stephon Marbury, David LeeWashington Wizards
Incoming Players
Stephon Marbury
Salary: $20,840,625 Years Remaining: 1
David Lee
Salary: $1,788,033 Years Remaining: 1
Outgoing Players: Andray Blatche, Antonio Daniels, Caron Butler
@UmYumNot:
Excerpt from http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#80:
80. When can a team trade a free agent it signs? Do they have to keep him forever?
Generally, a player cannot be traded until three months after signing a contract or December 15th of that season, whichever is later. This does not apply to draft picks, who can be traded 30 days after signing their contract. In addition, if the player is playing under a one-year contract and will have Larry Bird or Early Bird rights at the end of the contract, he can't be traded without his consent.
O.K. The writing is on the wall. Someones is a goner. Logic says Steph and Jerome James. I have a feeling they will try to use Zach as leverage in a deal to either free up some cap space or make the club better with a better in side presence with shot blocking. Does that mean Curry may be out? Maybe. Let see. I think Donnie isn't done with his product for next year.
K4L you are a funny dude, if they trade Mardy I wont lose any sleep... If he has a good summer league he will gain interest, so I hope he plays well...
I think the Roberson move was a good one, I always liked his game... And like someone said, its getting a guy with Bayless type skills without exhausting the draft pick... Much like Roberson, Bayless doesnt pass at all, but he can light it up...
Mardy on the other hand is a guy who can play 3 positions, if Dantoni likes him, he can find him minutes... Much like a Diaw, he doesnt really have a true position, but he can do a few different things... I never thought Mardy was a point guard type...
Perhaps it's Big Snacks that gets cut instead of Marbury.
Is Fred Jones gone? I see he's a free agent.
Keep Lee!!!!!!!! He's got special talent every team wants him.
DTR
...or word got out that Dunleavy really liked what he saw in Roberson at the summer league game, and the Knicks snatched him for a trade of Z-bo and Ro-bo to LA for Camby.
wishful thinking, right?
I'm still not convinced that the Clippers and Knicks are done talking. I just feel something is going to go down, and it might go down after the teams involved pick up the pieces the other wants.
They could also be waiting for the 30 day wait before a draftee can be traded. This could be the magic date for the shoe to drop.
No, we're talking the girls' junior varsity summer league. Where Little Man Nate is the queen. And Randi Morris even looked competent.
Roberson is yet another bad decision for the hapless Knicks.
Only the Newsday editorial staff does a worse job of lining up its roster, Sports Department Division.
The Neocon Gravy Train must end, Mr. Zell and Chuck the Punk. Let's bring a little credibility back to Newsday's sports coverage. Just a little.
Spurs rook George Hill is 2 for 25 from the floor, and has bricked 16 straight in his last two games.
Hill even makes Break A Backboard Crawford and his career 40% mark from the floor look competent.
Knicks lose, of course.
Again.