Mock Draft Monday: R.J. Barrett needs to deliver for the New York Knicks

                                          (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images) 

The New York Knicks have not been to the playoffs since the 2012-13 season in which they finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record. Since that season, the Knicks have gone downhill rather quickly, finishing with six consecutive losing seasons. The 2014-15 and 2018-19 seasons were tied for the worst seasons in franchise history as the Knicks went 17-65 both years.

During this tumultuous stretch, the Knicks have really struggled to find a franchise centerpiece. Carmelo Anthony did a decent job at filling the role, but he didn't have enough help thanks to Phil Jackson's inability to run a front office. Kristaps Porzingis could have been the answer, but his torn ACL cast a lot of doubt over his abilities to be the man going forward.

Then comes R.J. Barrett, the #3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke. During his one year at Duke, Barrett was in the shadows of nationwide phenom Zion Williamson, playing second fiddle to his highlight dunks. Being second fiddle didn't mean he didn't produce. Barrett averaged 22.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, showing that if Williamson wasn't around, the Blue Devils would have still been a force to be reckoned with.

With Williamson now in New Orleans trying to turn the Pelicans around, Barrett has the Big Apple all to himself, fulfilling a boyhood dream to play for the Knicks. Excited for what lies ahead, Barrett hopes to turn the Knicks' fortunes around and bring them back to glory. They've been looking for a savior for quite some time and perhaps they have found their man in Barrett.

When forecasting the future of the Knicks, it's clear that R.J. Barrett is at the center of it. He's their new franchise piece and finally is out of Zion Williamson's shadow. This is his time to shine. If he's able to deliver and become a legit franchise player, odds are good the Knicks will bounce back and become a contender in the Eastern Conference. If he's not, the Knicks will continue to flounder like they have for the past few years until someone else comes along to deliver them from bondage.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: The Dallas Mavericks are back in business after getting Kristaps Porzingis

As many of you have already heard, the Dallas Mavericks acquired Kristaps Porzingis in a trade with the New York Knicks, giving their gifted rookie Luka Doncic a legitimate sidekick. Porzingis, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL, won't play again this season but so far is saying all the right things about wanting to stay in Dallas for the long-term.

Before his injury, Porzingis was an All-Star averaging 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. He looked like a legitimate franchise piece for the Knicks, making it surprising that the Knicks would be willing to give him up without being ensured a super star in return. While it's no slam dunk Porzingis will return to his All-Star level form, odds are good he will given the advances in modern medicine and the way in which many guys have successfully rehabbed from torn ACLs. Assuming he does, the Mavericks have a future to be really excited about.

What makes a Doncic/Porzingis combo so scary is the way in which they compliment each other so well. Doncic (20.7 points, 7.0 rebounds & 5.4 assists) has already established himself as a player who is unafraid of the big moment, willing to shoulder a franchise on his back. When you give him a big man like Porzingis that can stretch the floor and protect the rim, you make his job so much easier and allow him to play his game even more freely.

                                         (Credit: Clutchpoints.com) 

With the Dirk Nowitzki era fading into the sunset, the Mavericks have been in need of a next chapter to look forward to and now they have that chapter with Porzingis and Doncic. I don't know if it will yield another championship, but if these two guys stay together, the potential to make several deep playoff runs is definitely there. It's a bummer we won't see these guys in action together until next season, but on the flip side, that gives us something to look forward to as we look ahead to the 2019-20 season.

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Saturday Slam: Michael Beasley has the New York Knicks in playoff contention

                                          (Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) 

At the moment, the New York Knicks (17-15) have the #8 spot in the Eastern Conference and Michael Beasley deserves a fair amount of credit for having them in this position. During the last 6 games, he's averaged 19.83 points per game resulting in 4 wins for the Knicks. In two of those games, he scored 30+ points.

Beasley is a bit of a controversial player due to some off the court issues that he's had, but there's never been any question of as to whether he's talented or not. He's got a ton of talent. It's just a matter of him channeling his talent in the right way and not getting into trouble off the court.

So far this season, he's been a good citizen and is sticking to what he does best, which is getting buckets. The Knicks have been in desperate need of someone who can take some of the scoring pressure off of Kristaps Porzingis, which is what makes Beasley such a welcomed addition on their team. When you have a second guy on the floor who has the potential to go off for 30 points, things suddenly become a lot easier for Porzingis to play his game and not worry about getting double teamed.

The biggest question right now is whether or not Beasley can keep this up and if the Knicks can continue to make this push for a playoff spot. Personally, I really don't see why not. I was already optimistic about Beasley being a good fit for the Knicks when he initially signed and now that he's producing like this, my optimism is being validated.

It should be noted that Beasley isn't the only one stepping up for this Knicks team. Jarrett Jack has been another pleasant surprise, frequently scoring in double figures and doing a good job at running the offense. Enes Kanter has also been a really good fit alongside Porzingis down low, averaging 13.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

While the post-Carmelo era is still in its infancy, Knicks fans have to like what they're seeing from their team. They have a legitimate franchise player in Kristaps Porzingis and have some quality pieces around him that have them vying for a playoff spot. It'll be interesting to see how this team does as we head into January and the latter half of the season.

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Wednesday Windmill: The New York Knicks need to be Kristaps Porzingis' team

                                         (AP/Julie Jacobson) 

As NBA training camps are set to open in the coming days, the New York Knicks still have Carmelo Anthony and it's unclear whether or not he'll remain with the team though the season. So long as Anthony hangs around, he'll remain the face of the Knicks franchise and Kristaps Porzingis will continue to be viewed as part of the future as opposed to the present. That needs to change starting now.

With the 'Melo era not yielding the type of fruit that the Knicks were hoping, it's time for the franchise to turn over a new leaf and start afresh with Porzingis as their centerpiece. During his first two seasons in the league, "Godzingis" has proven his worth as a franchise player, averaging 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Unlike Stephen A. Smith, I have been on the Porzingis hope train from day one. When I watched film of him in preparation for the 2015 NBA Draft, he reminded me of a 7'3", 240 pound Andrei Kirilenko capable of doing virtually everything on the floor.

With Porzingis solidifying himself as a legitimate star in the NBA, the Knicks need to start putting all of their resources into building a quality team around him. The first step towards doing this is to part ways with 'Melo and get back whatever you can for him. So long as 'Melo hangs around, the Knicks will continue to be in no mans land, looking ahead to a Porzingis era while not yet totally ridding themselves of an era that has been a failure.

The failure of this current era doesn't fall on 'Melo. From day one, he has done his part to help this team get back to relevance. The problem is that the Knicks never figured out a way to put the right pieces around him. Now that it's too late to put a contending squad around 'Melo, the least the Knicks can do is trade him to a team that has a shot at winning a championship.

When looking at the New York Knicks, it is clear that Kristaps Porzingis is their franchise player for the future and that they need to start building around him. The longer they hang on to 'Melo, the longer they put off the next chapter of their franchise. It's that simple.

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Wednesday Windmill: How much better will the New York Knicks be?

      The New York Knicks will have a different look in the 2016-17 season with the additions of Courtney Lee, Brandon Jennings, Joakim Noah, and most notably Derrick Rose. They already appeared to be turning the corner with the selection of Kristaps Porzingis in the 2015 NBA Draft, but with these additional moves over the summer, the future in New York suddenly appears to be getting brighter.

     For the first time in his New York Knicks career, Carmelo Anthony actually has a supporting cast to be excited about, which in and of itself is a big deal. But considering that the Knicks went 32-50 last season, are these moves enough to actually make them a serious force in the Eastern Conference? How good will these Knicks be?

     The short and simple answer is that how good the Knicks will be directly correlates to how healthy they will be. Joakim Noah (29 games) and Derrick Rose (66 games) both struggled to stay healthy last season, which is reason for Knicks fans to treat the addition of both players with a fair amount of skepticism. If those guys don't stay healthy and on the floor, the Knicks will still be hard pressed to crack 41 wins, let alone make a serious dent in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Plus, it isn't like it's only Noah and Rose who've been injured. Brandon Jennings played only 48 games last season and 41 games the season before due to rupturing his left Achilles.

     The amount of injuries that these new additions to the Knicks have suffered is certainly a serious concern and it also makes you wonder why the Knicks were willing to roll the dice on Noah, Rose, and Jennings as opposed to one of them. Maybe the idea is that one of them will have to stay healthy, but even so, it's very risky to have your season riding on the health of fragile players who aren't what they used to be.

     Joakim Noah's injury was a shoulder injury, which shouldn't be taken lightly, but I'm much more optimistic that he'll be able to return to form as one of the league's best rebounders and shot blockers. But Brandon Jennings (Achilles) and Derrick Rose (multiple ACLs) have had much more worrisome injuries that are very hard to bounce back from. Derrick Rose is a former league MVP who at his peak was perhaps the best player in the world. But now, he's at best a B-grade player who is only capable of showing flashes of the brilliance he once had. As for Brandon Jennings, he hasn't been able to have a scoring average in double figures since the Achilles injury, so in his case I'm even more skeptical of his ability to become a productive player again.

     The only other noteworthy addition that I haven't mentioned is Courtney Lee, who has been more of a role player over the course of his career, playing good defense and knocking down some threes. Lee can't be expected to be anything better than what he's already been, which is to score around 10 points and shoot close to 40% from 3-point range. That's solid, but nothing to get super jazzed about.

     At the end of the day, the additions to this New York Knicks team look a lot better on paper than they actually are. Carmelo Anthony will still need to carry the load and Kristaps Porzingis will have to continue to be the Great White Hope of the franchise and build upon his stellar rookie season. If Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Brandon Jennings all stay healthy and play better than they did last season, the Knicks will actually be pretty good and threaten to win a playoff series. The problem is that the odds of that happening are about as high as the odds of Cookie Monster switching to brownies. It could theoretically happen, but we all know it's not. In terms of a win total projection for this Knicks team, I'll say they improve by 10 wins, finishing with a 42-40 record, which might be good enough to make the playoffs.
   

Wednesday Windmill: Stephen A. Smith owes Kristaps Porzingis an apology

     On draft night, many New York Knicks fans were not pleased with Phil Jackson's decision to select Kristaps Porzingis, a 7-footer from Latvia, with the 4th overall pick. They were primarily upset because they had no idea who Porzingis was and they associated European big men as guys who don't pan out in the NBA. Given that they are fans, I give them a hall pass. Especially since their team over the years has let them down and proven to be inept.

     However, I do not give the same hall pass to Stephen A. Smith, who likewise ripped the pick to the delight of ignorant Knicks fans. Stephen A. Smith is supposed to be an analyst who knows more than the average fan. He is supposed to do his homework and actually have an educated opinion on such matters as opposed to being a guy who gets paid millions of dollars to be a voice for the ignorant New York sports fan.

     If he actually did his homework and researched Kristaps Porzingis like I did, he would have found Porzingis to be a very good pick because of his length, mobility, athleticism, and overall potential. He would have recognized that considering they were picking 4th, Kristaps Porzingis was definitely the best player to roll with.

     Thankfully, Kristaps Porzingis has proven his doubters wrong. He has averaged 13.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game this season as one of the league's most exciting young talents. He is making Phil Jackson look really smart while simultaneously making Stephen A. Smith look like nothing more than a clown and a buffoon.

     So, what do I want Stephen A. Smith to do? I want him to admit he was wrong. I want him to apologize to Kristaps Porzingis and own his mistake to rip the young man on national television. More importantly, I want Stephen A. Smith to spend more time researching and gathering information as opposed to just spouting off whatever comes into his mind like he doesn't care if he's wrong.

     The bottom line is that Stephen A. Smith prides himself on being a well-respected journalist and more importantly, he prides himself on having a very high basketball IQ. So far, Stephen A. Smith has done nothing to convince me that he is a quality journalist or one with a good understanding of the game of basketball. Unless he admits he was wrong about Kristaps Porzingis and also admit that he didn't do his homework, he will continue to be nothing more than an entertaining buffoon who speaks only opinion without any facts to back up his claims.

Note: Click here to read my 2015 NBA mock draft. I was very high on Porzingis.

Saturday Slam: In defense of Shawn Bradley

     For quite a while, I have wanted to write an article that defends Shawn Bradley and puts his critics in their place.  When I heard New York Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis say that he wasn't going to be another Shawn Bradley this week, I decided that now would be a good time for me to write this article. When most people think of Shawn Bradley, they think of a guy who was a bust in the NBA and a guy who got dunked on a lot. Those conceptions are unfair to Shawn Bradley both as a person and as a basketball player.

     When it comes to what Shawn Bradley has accomplished in life, he has done way more than just play basketball. He served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Australia, remained faithful to his wife throughout his NBA career, has been very involved in various charitable organizations, and has run for public office to make a difference in his community. When you look at all that he has accomplished off the court, it suddenly seems very short sighted to only think of him as a basketball player who didn't live up to wild expectations.

    As for the basketball side of things, it's also the case that Shawn Bradley doesn't get enough respect. He played for 12 seasons in the NBA and during his first five seasons, he averaged 11.29 points, 7.87 rebounds, and 3.37 blocks per game. Those aren't all-star level numbers, but those are still very respectable numbers. Especially when you look at all the shots he blocked. Contrary to what YouTube videos like to suggest, Shawn Bradley wasn't an easy player to dunk on.
 
     I understand that he never became the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but are those really fair expectations to put on any incoming NBA player? I think that in retrospect, we recognize that the answer is no. In addition, what we also fail to acknowledge is that there are so many other high draft picks who have done far worse than Shawn Bradley: Greg Oden, Darko Milicic, Adam Morrison, and Stromile Swift are guys who I consider busts. Those guys were top three picks who struggled to put together one quality NBA season, let alone five.

     Shawn Bradley at his peak was a stellar defensive force in the paint with solid offensive abilities. Is that worth a number two overall pick? Probably not, but that's certainly not nothing. The 76ers got decent return from Shawn Bradley, it's just that he didn't become their franchise player, which is what every top three pick in the NBA draft is expected to become.

     In conclusion, Shawn Bradley actually had a respectable NBA career. He played for 12 seasons, had five solid seasons, and currently ranks #14 all-time on the NBA's blocks list and #10 all-time on the NBA's blocks per game list. His career may not have been what everybody expected it to be, but it certainly shouldn't be laughed at or mocked. He had a good NBA career and has done a tremendous amount of good off the court. That is how he should be remembered.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news