Chad Ford Blog.. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Nate's Knicks? When judging what players did and didn't do in the summer leagues, there are two important facts to remember: One, Loren Woods once scored 28 points in a summer league game. And two, Nikoloz Tskitishvili was the MVP of the Las Vegas Summer league last year, averaging 25 points per game. Success in the NBA's summer leagues isn't a very accurate predictor of who will become an NBA star. While young players such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Al Jefferson and Marquis Daniels gave us early signs that they were ready to have breakout years, players such as Qyntel Woods, Willie Green, John Salmons and Zarko Cabarkapa also dominated in the leagues. Still, you can't help but get excited when a young stud like the Knicks' Nate Robinson starts lighting up the competition in Vegas. Robinson is averaging 21 ppg for the Knicks' summer league team and has quickly morphed into a fan (and league) favorite with his high energy and unlikely aerial assault. He's been so good that GMs are now all claiming that they tried to trade up in the draft to get him -- which is the surest sign that a kid can really play. It's going to take all of a week for Robinson to steal Knicks fans' hearts and become the most popular player on the team. Everything he does has at least a hint of the spectacular in it. Which poses an interesting dilemma for Isiah Thomas. He's already hinted that one of the reasons he wanted Robinson badly was because he knew his energy would be infectious for both the team and the fans. Presumably, he didn't mean Nate's waving a towel from the end of the bench. Now Isiah has to find minutes for him. Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford are combo guards who, like Robinson, look to score first, pass second. The team also traded for Quentin Richardson, another score-first guard, who is expecting big minutes in the backcourt. If those three veterans play their regular minutes from last season, they'll get 115 minutes per game ? well above the 96 mpg actually available at the backcourt positions. Factor in Robinson and the Knicks have a major logjam on their hands. Some of that can be alleviated by playing Richardson at the three for part of the game, but with Tim Thomas and Isiah favorite Trevor Ariza also at the position, there isn't a lot of time there either. Which brings us back to the Marbury trade talk. Isiah can claim all he wants that Steph will "never" be traded. And maybe that's true -- I can't find a GM in the league willing to take the four years and $76 million left on his contract. But the Knicks are going to have to do something. Crawford is another possibility, though his contract numbers (six years, $50 million) will make him hard to move as well. Richardson (five years, $39 million) may be the Knicks' most movable piece this point. The Wizards are hungry for a shooting guard, now that Larry Hughes is signing with Cleveland, and the Knicks have been in hot pursuit of Kwame Brown. That pursuit has heated up in the past week, since lottery pick Channing Frye began struggling in the Vegas summer league. A Brown-for-Richardson swap makes sense for both teams, giving the Knicks the size they lost in Kurt Thomas (with much more upside) and the roster space Robinson needs to take over New York.</div> All I gotta say is that I was choked when I found out he was dealt from the Suns as part of the draft-day Q/Kurt trade.. Man, I was looking forward to seeing Amare alley-oopin' to Nate lol.. But yeah.. I'm glad to see dude be able to shine in the biggest market, NY! About time you guyz had some1 to be excited about (please, don't even mention Starbury hahaz)..
