Knicks at Nets (10/20/08) - Game Notes by Brad
Guest post by Brad with notes from last night's Knicks-Nets preseason "thriller".
For me, one of the things I like best about following the NBA is tracking the career development of individuals who are all trying to achieve the same thing: security playing the game they love, optimizing their worth on the market, and pushing themselves to the limit of their capabilities as a player. So I pay close attention to the fringe NBA players, as their security always seems in question and they have the most to prove as ball players.
It was wonderful to see Dan Grunfeld make his NBA debut. The son of former Knick great and GM Ernie Grunfeld, Dan was a talented player at Stanford who suffered a knee injury that largely sent him from likely draft pick to undrafted free agent his final season there. Dan went and played overseas upon graduation, and was able to get an opportunity with the Knicks this fall. I've seen him play since his high school days, and I am sure the minutes he received in a New York Knicks uniform will always be treasured the rest of his life.
The other player I watched closely was Julius Hodge. Julius suffered a lot of adversity during his brief tenure in the NBA, and skill-wise, his lack of perimeter shooting prevented him from sticking long despite coming into the league as a first-rounder. He's fighting to get back into the league now, and his blog on Hoopshype wonderfully chronicles that journey. Julius had eight points and three assists last night, and looked strong going to the basket. He has great length and is like a greyhound slipping between defenders. Hopefully, he can find a way to regularly contribute at the NBA level.
For me, one of the things I like best about following the NBA is tracking the career development of individuals who are all trying to achieve the same thing: security playing the game they love, optimizing their worth on the market, and pushing themselves to the limit of their capabilities as a player. So I pay close attention to the fringe NBA players, as their security always seems in question and they have the most to prove as ball players.
It was wonderful to see Dan Grunfeld make his NBA debut. The son of former Knick great and GM Ernie Grunfeld, Dan was a talented player at Stanford who suffered a knee injury that largely sent him from likely draft pick to undrafted free agent his final season there. Dan went and played overseas upon graduation, and was able to get an opportunity with the Knicks this fall. I've seen him play since his high school days, and I am sure the minutes he received in a New York Knicks uniform will always be treasured the rest of his life.
The other player I watched closely was Julius Hodge. Julius suffered a lot of adversity during his brief tenure in the NBA, and skill-wise, his lack of perimeter shooting prevented him from sticking long despite coming into the league as a first-rounder. He's fighting to get back into the league now, and his blog on Hoopshype wonderfully chronicles that journey. Julius had eight points and three assists last night, and looked strong going to the basket. He has great length and is like a greyhound slipping between defenders. Hopefully, he can find a way to regularly contribute at the NBA level.
posted by Gen at
10:53 AM
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