Q&A with Scott Layden
 |
||||
|
||||
|
Here's an exclusive update for In The Paint fans from Scott Layden, Knicks President and General Manager, on the Knicks' selections in Thursday's NBA Draft. July 1, 2003 A little bit about our three selections. Michael Sweetney, who we selected with the ninth pick from Georgetown University, is a hard-working forward who really blossomed for the Hoyas and whom we think will have a very strong NBA career. His biggest asset is his work ethic, and over time he will work hard to improve his scoring and rebounding skills as he adjusts to life in the NBA. Like so many players before him at Georgetown, he played at a very high intercollegiate level on a very large stage (finishing with strong Big East and NIT tournaments at Madison Square Garden) and he will be a solid addition to our frontcourt. Maciej Lampe was perhaps the biggest surprise of the draft. We were fortunate to work out Maciej on two separate occasions and were impressed with his size (7'-0"), his athletic ability and the physical toughness he has developed at a very young age. For whatever reason, we do not care why, he slipped through the first round and we were very fortunate to take him with the 30th pick in the draft, a pick which we had gotten from the Denver Nuggets as part of our draft day trade last year. We are very excited that he will be a big - in all aspects of the word - part of our organization for many years to come. Speaking of big, we were able to use the 39th pick in the draft to take another young man with great potential, Slavko Vranes of Serbia and Montenegro. Vranes is a 7-6 center with a reach of 9-11 ½ (not bad for a 10 foot rim) who is very athletic and has a tremendous upside as he develops physically. As they say, you can't teach height, and Slavko seems willing to do all the other things to make himself a successful professional player in time. Both players are under contract with their European teams and negotiations are under way to get them here as soon as possible. We were very pleased to draft all three of these fine young athletes, and think that as they develop and learn how to fit into the rigorous NBA schedule, they will have fine careers. They will compliment our returning core group of veteran players very nicely. With the draft now behind us, we move on to the next phase of our work, evaluating potential free agents, entertaining trade opportunities and preparing for the summer leagues. The free agent period begins today, and we will be busy evaluating which players we can bring in for visits over the next few weeks. Also this summer, we will have teams competing in both the Reebok Summer League in Boston from July 14-20 and the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City from July 21-27. We feel that it is very important that we take both weeks this year to evaluate some of our young players like Sweetney and Frank Williams, and get a good look at some other young players who may have been overlooked in the draft. Both activities will make for a very busy month of July for our staff. Speaking of staff, we are very excited about the addition of Lon Kruger to the coaching staff. Lon is one of the most respected and knowledgeable coaches in the business, and brings a great deal of experience to Don Chaney's staff. He will be a great fit alongside another seasoned veteran with both NBA and intercollegiate head coaching experience, Brendan Malone, and the two younger members of our staff, Herb Williams and Michael Malone. Herb and Michael played very big roles in our pre-draft workouts. Their assistance was an invaluable part of the very successful process. So that's where we are right now. A successful draft is just the first step. Thanks again for your time and interest. Regards, 
Scott Layden
|
|
||
|
||||
