Reply With Quote
At least I'm not the only one shocked that the Knicks didn't match. It should have been a no-brainer.
Nice job, San Antonio.
Butler Splits for San Antonio, And the Knicks Look Stupid
By JOHN HOLLINGER
July 21, 2006
And now, my friends, I present you with the ultimate irony.
The Knicks, who for years have spent like drunken sailors to acquire even the most marginal prospects, are now in such a dire financial situation that they can't afford to keep a player who is both inexpensive and productive.
Yesterday, news leaked that the Knicks would not match San Antonio's three-year, $7 million offer sheet for center Jackie Butler. Reasoning that it was too much to pay for a third-string center, especially since the cost would double to $14 million after factoring in the luxury tax implications, New York decided to let the 6-foot-10-inch, 260-pounder head for Texas.
The Knicks are giving the outward impression of finally having had a moment of clarity and making a rational, grownup decision about how to spend their money. In reality, this was another enormous personnel blunder that, much like the Eddy Curry trade a year ago, could end up haunting the team for years.
Butler went undrafted and was nominally the Knicks' third-string center last season, which has prevented most observers from understanding just how good he is.When Larry Brown called him the Knicks' best center last season, a lot of people wondered if the coach had finally gone off the deep end. In reality, this may be the only sane thing Brown said or did all season.
Look at the numbers. Last season, the 20-year-old Butler — the Knicks' youngest player — shot 54.4% from the floor and had the team's second-best perminute rebound rate (David Lee was first).His 15.4 points per 40 minutes were well above average for a center, and notable in light of the high percentage he shot. Overall, his Player Efficiency Rating (my per-minute rating of a player's statistical production) of 14.67 was near the league average of 15.0 and ranked 22nd among the 62 centers who played at least 500 minutes last season.
That's not a fluke, either, based on what he did a year before in the CBA. Yes, it was the CBA, but Butler didn't just play well — he dominated.At 19, he was easily the best player in that league, which was why since-departed scout Dell Demps recommended him to the Knicks in the first place. (Incidentally, Demps is now the Spurs' personnel director. For all the Larry-told-his-friend-Gregg-Popovich-to-sign-Butler theories floating around, this connection seems a far more obvious one.)
Butler's current production alone would make him worth much more than the pittance for which San Antonio stole him.In a league where mediocre centers like Sam Dalembert and Nene (and, um, Eddy Curry) are pulling down $60 million deals, Butler would be worth at least a team's midlevel exception — just as other middling centers like Nazr Mohammed and Joel Pryzbilla received in recent days.
The big story, however, isn't what Butler is doing now, it's what he's likely to do in the future. Big men who demonstrate a knack for scoring at a young age almost never fail, and when they do it's usually due to such factors as conditioning or injuries.
To see what I mean, let me introduce you to a tool I've developed that ranks players according to how similar they are.I use a number of criterion — height, age, and several barometers of statistical performance. According to this method, the five most similar players to Jackie Butler at the same age were Shawn Kemp, Eddy Curry, Jermaine O'Neal, Carlos Boozer, and Chris Webber.
Of that group, only Curry has failed to become a star, and he's been held back only by a lack of conditioning and a bad heart. So basically, the worst-case scenario is that Butler would become as good as the Knicks' current center — and cost about a fifth as much.
Yet the Knicks wouldn't agree to pay him $7 million over three years, only slightly more than they'll be paying firstround mystery man Renaldo Balkman. That isn't prudence folks — it's insanity.
Amusingly, the Knicks reportedly were shocked that Butler received such a "big" offer from San Antonio. That proves to me that the Knicks genuinely had no idea what they had in the youngster, because I was surprised he got such a small offer. I figured Butler would get close to the mid-level exception and would be limited to that only because of his restricted free agent status.
Even at that price, the Knicks would have ended up with a rare bargain amid a sea of salary excess. Instead, they'll spend close to $100 million on the contracts of two players — Curry and Jerome James — who will probably be less effective than Butler this year, and almost certainly will be three years from now. Curry at least has ability on his side, but he remains a question mark. James can't play at all, of course, and it's troubling that New York's brass actually had Butler behind him on the team's depth chart.
Butler, meanwhile, is likely to take another step forward in his development as a high quality low-post scorer. Yes, his conditioning is a concern, and he'll probably never make the All-Defense team, but as a 20-year-old he sure looked like the new and improved version of Curry — armed with similar size and skill but a much better motor. His departure leaves one more gaping wound for whomever succeeds Isiah Thomas to heal. When the Knicks announced Isiah would be taking over as coach, I hoped that at the very least, the new responsibilities would distract him from inflicting further ruin upon the franchise as general manager. No such luck.
For San Antonio, it's just one more personnel coup. Yet again, the Spurs have nabbed a good young player for peanuts while other league executives have their fingers up their noses.
It's instructive to note that the Knicks and Spurs operate at opposite ends of the spending spectrum — yet the team that spends less continually outfoxes the guys with the deep pockets. That, in a nuts , is why the Spurs will again win twice as many games as the Knicks while spending half as much money.
http://www.nysun.com/article/36501?page_no=3
At least I'm not the only one shocked that the Knicks didn't match. It should have been a no-brainer.
Nice job, San Antonio.
For San Antonio, it's just one more personnel coup. Yet again, the Spurs have nabbed a good young player for peanuts while other league executives have their fingers up their noses.
It's instructive to note that the Knicks and Spurs operate at opposite ends of the spending spectrum — yet the team that spends less continually outfoxes the guys with the deep pockets. That, in a nuts , is why the Spurs will again win twice as many games as the Knicks while spending half as much money.
Our front office and ownership sucks though.
Just ask Spurs fan.
if he dominated cba, why didnt any team scout on him, which is pretty dumb if you tell me. the knicks doin it first, sooner or layter some other team is goin to give him a try, then wtf should the knicks get teh credit for scoutin him when he was clearly the best player in the cba..?
The off-season jitters are beginning to fade away.... Damn. This summer isn't moving nearly fast enough... I wish it were mid-season already.
Too bad the Spurs also have to carry the Elson baggage (who really was more of an insurance policy in case NY matched Butler)...
Anyway... good article.
timvp... get some sleep. At least I'm roaming cause I'm working the night shift.
Teams scouted him. He was most highly scouted by Knicks' Dell Demps (who is now with the Spurs). Demps is responsible for getting him called up from the CBA.
I think this is a huge steal. How this will all work out depends on how Elson, barring any future trades or whatnot, does in his role. I can see Butler dominating in the near future with some work. Hope we go injury-free.
Can't wait to see him play! And he's only 20 years old!!!
Yeah, I am also looking forward to see what this kid can do. I just hope the expectations are not too high. I just hope he plays solid and adapts on the defensive end. He seems to be capable of scoring as well so it will be interesting. I hope he will be in good shape next year.
So was Demps just hired by the Spurs this season? And does the le of personnel director mean he's a scout?
I sent the article to a buddy of mine who is a Knicks fan (hard to believe, they still exist). Here's his terse reply:
"Yeah. You probably just landed a future hall of famer. It doesn't surprise me one bit the Knicks let him go. F****ing idiots!"
Someone give that man a raise.since-departed scout Dell Demps recommended him to the Knicks in the first place. (Incidentally, Demps is now the Spurs' personnel director. For all the Larry-told-his-friend-Gregg-Popovich-to-sign-Butler theories floating around, this connection seems a far more obvious one.)
Lets not make Butler a star just yet. He is just a young player with some potential and thats it at this time. Having success in the cba doesn't mean much and being ranked 22nd compared to other centers isn't that great. I do like the signing but not saying its a steal just yet.
The spurs fo has generally not done well with trades and fa signings. And the decent moves they did manage to make they ended up only keeping the player for a year. Just list alll the player acquisitions they have made and its generally a weak list compared to other teams. Steve Smith, Rasho, Nazr, Barry, (Claxton 1 yr), Hedo, Horry, Bowen (when you call him the best acquisition in 10 years its weak) ect.
Where does Elson rank on John Hollinger's list?
Butler was highly ranked out of high school. Looking back at the 2004 draft, it's surprising he didn't get more interest. Draft picks went to Ha Seung-Jin and Pavel Podkolzine. One went - ahem - to Sergei Karaulov. Butler even did well in pre-draft camps, he just didn't call attention to himself.
People have said good things about him down the row - Minnesota when they had to make a tough decision cutting him in training camp, guys in the CBA, where he dominated, and Larry Brown.
Stealing him is an enormous coup. I don't think it's widely known how effective he can be. Him getting to San Antonio is about as perfect a scenario for him as can be imagined.
I'm glad he wrote this after the deadline...
and nazr and nesterovich? that would be telling.Where does Elson rank on John Hollinger's list?
Does that sound funny to anybody else?Of that group, only Curry has failed to become a star, and he's been held back only by a lack of conditioning and a bad heart.
Man, it's just comical to watch the trainwreck that is New York. The only thing not funny about it is that my boy Malik is still there.
There's enough talent there to get into the playoffs, they just need to be let loose more and beat people on talent alone. They're a weird mix of expensive players who don't care too much and young talent that hustles their asses off.Man, it's just comical to watch the trainwreck that is New York. The only thing not funny about it is that my boy Malik is still there.
I hope Thomas becomes GM of the Lakers next.Man, it's just comical to watch the trainwreck that is New York. The only thing not funny about it is that my boy Malik is still there.
Contrary to the popular belief I think is was a good move by both SA and NY. NY needs it's highly paid players to step-up.
Butler has alot of upside. He will be able to contribute just as much as Rasho and Nazr did in his first season with the Spurs. Maybe not great in the defensive end, but I am sure Pop can come up with a good plan. Overall, I say this is a steal and he will be something special within the next few years.......Spurs will be back next year! Better watch out Mavs!!!
Getting Jackie Butler makes the whole Francisco Elson situation so much easier to handle. Looks like we really got a heck of a player for next to nothing. Thanks NY for not feeling like he was worth matching!
As soon as I found out yesterday of Butler's exit from NY and his desire to play for our Spurs I searched and found this past season's game against the Knicks and sure enough, I had 3 quarter action. And he was very active! Rebounding with energy, much like Manu's "my ball, give it here" at ude AND scoring in the paint. He did very well, didn't get his overall points. For some reason, he didn't come back in the 4th, looked like Larry B. wanted to up the tempo and get away from halfcourt stuff, did notice that towards the end of the third Butler was trailing rest of players when his team came upcourt, was that maybe because he was overplaying and was winded, don't know for sure but he banged ok with Rasho and Nazr, never backed off.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
