<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>NEW YORK (Ticker) - The post-Isiah era started off with a thud - at least as far as the local fans were concerned. Needing help at almost every position, the Knicks plucked Italy's Danilo Gallinari at No. 6 overall in the NBA draft Thursday night, drawing boos from a vocal following of New York fans in attendance. It was the first draft for the Knicks under Donnie Walsh, who was hired to revive the bedraggled franchise that had unraveled under the guidance of Isiah Thomas. A 6-9, 220-pound small forward, Gallinari averaged 17.5 points and 5.7 rebounds for Armani Jeans Milano in the Euroleague. Gallinari shoots the ball with touch from anywhere on the court and has developed a nice hesitation move to the basket. While he has yet to develop a polished post game, Gallinari is not a stereotypical European performer, playing with some fire and attitude. Gallinari's father was a former player and teammate of new New York Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, who is hoping the forward's skills translate to his free-wheeling offense.</div> <div align="center">Link</div> Thoughts?
I'm honestly not too thrilled with the pick. For one, I'm not a big fan of international prospects. I know the Euroleague is considered to be only second to the NBA in competitiveness. But that doesn't necessarily mean someone who thrives over there is going to do so in the NBA. Galinari is not particularly quick or athletic, making him a liability defensively a la Adam Morrison. The only thing keeping me positive is the fact he does have skills. And contrary to many European players drafted, he has produced - he doesn't just have the "potential" tag. Our history with European prospects over the years is also effecting my feelings on this guy. All the players we have drafted have ended up in disaster: Frederick Weis, (need I say more?) Milos Vujanic (supposedly the best guard overseas), Lampe (next Dirk), Slavko Vranes (just awful in preseason/summer league), and I'm probably missing a few. Then when you consider the players available - Bayless, Gordon - it adds even more expectations on Gallinari's shoulders, and rightly so. Those players are projected to be stars and contribute immediately. I also don't like hearing it's a good pick because Donnie Walsh knows what he's doing. He is just as capable of choosing a bust as any GM. He drafted Reggie Miller, Chuck Person, and Rik Smits, but he also drafted George McCloud over Tim Hardaway. But I'm not going to write off the pick. It won't be fair to me, him, or the organization. I just know he has some lofty expectations to fulfill. Hopefully next season he proves everyone wrong.
