<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The defining moment of his basketball career was a spectacular one, for all the wrong reasons. Frederic Weis stood about as still as another French creation, the Statue of Liberty, when Vince Carter soared over him and dunked during the 2000 Olympics. It was the mother of all poster dunks, and it drove home just how silly it was one year earlier when the Knicks wasted their first-round draft pick on a guy who couldn't even draw a charge correctly. Actually, Weis couldn't do a lot of things, such as dribble or shoot or look good in a uniform. He never wore one for the Knicks because, after it became apparent in summer camp that he was stiffer than a baguette, they cut their losses and didn't bother giving him a second look. Today, the 7-foot Weis is out of basketball and, who knows, probably is changing light bulbs at the Eiffel Tower. The Knicks, feeling burned, haven't chased hard across the Atlantic ever since. But in that regard, who's really the loser here? As they'll be reminded tonight when they host the Mavericks, talent is in abundance in Europe; you just need to flush it out, the way almost every team in the NBA has, except the Knicks. They may represent the most diverse city on the planet, but the roster makeup of the Knicks is strictly provincial, perhaps one reason why they're fighting for a playoff crumb now instead of a division title. They're one of the few NBA teams without a foreigner, which means they haven't found anyone worth keeping or that the team passport has expired. Regardless of the reason, ever since the European invasion began roughly a decade ago, the Knicks have missed out on a chance to tap into a new source for talent, and maybe it's just a coincidence that they haven't won many games, either. Two days ago, Andrea Bargnani played at the Garden and was rather invisible in the Knicks' big win over the Raptors. As a big man who'd rather shoot from 20 feet than mix it up underneath the rim, Bargnani has been inconsistent while getting his first taste of American basketball, but he shouldn't let that bother him too much.</div> Source
After our bad drafting experiences, I think fans would be a bit hesitant to draft a European player again.
Maciej Lampe? I'm not sure if it's the biggest problem for the Knicks, to tell you the truth. They've drafted very well just by just scouting American talent. Free agency is much more of a problem for Isiah.
<div class="quote_poster">Chutney Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Maciej Lampe? I'm not sure if it's the biggest problem for the Knicks, to tell you the truth. They've drafted very well just by just scouting American talent. Free agency is much more of a problem for Isiah.</div> Fredriec Weis, Miljos Vujanic, Slavko Vranes from off my head.
