# Draft Rumors: Isiah Interested In Josh McRoberts and Derrick Byars



## USSKittyHawk (Jul 22, 2005)

> Three players he appears to have on the radar include 6-7 swingman Derrick Byars of Vanderbilt and 6-10 power forwards Josh McRoberts of Duke and Sean Williams of Boston College. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, each is on a list of players who have been invited to attend private workouts at the MSG Training Center next month.
> 
> Byars might be the most intriguing. He was the SEC player of the year and put in a lot of work before his senior season to go from a relative unknown to a projected first-round draft pick.
> 
> McRoberts, a versatile and tough big man, would be a prospect the Knicks could try to develop to complement Curry in the frontcourt. Williams has limited basketball IQ and a history of off-the-court troubles, along with Renaldo Balkman-like athleticism and a reputation as a world-class shot-blocker, which the Knicks lack.


http://www.newsday.com/sports/print...298may29,0,6453779.story?coll=ny-sports-print

Grinch, Dog and co. any insights on McRoberts and Byars?


----------



## alphaorange (Jul 2, 2006)

*Not familiar with Byars*

But I'm NOT a fan of McRoberts. He is about an inch taller than Lee but without his athleticism. He, too, lacks a good perimeter game and I doubt he will board like David, or finish like him. He will not be the shot blocker that IT craves, so I don't understand the interest. PF is a position of strength for us so if you're going to gamble, go for the homerun.......Sean Williams. I am of the belief we still need a bigtime 2 or 3.


----------



## ChosenFEW (Jun 23, 2005)

^ an inch taller without lee's athleticism? did you see him at the Mcdonalds Dunk contest?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=D-9-VJNbnEE
This link has him in the dunk contest and a mix of a bunch of his other highlights

mcroberts favorite dunker is guess who......D. Lee!.....I wouldn't mind having this guy, especially if lee can take him under his wing and they become the NYK bench version of the bashem brothers(old wwf thing) lol

i dont think he'll slip to 23 though


----------



## CocaineisaHelluvaDrug (Aug 24, 2006)

I would`nt draft mcroberts with any pick 

stiff

slow

bench fodder


----------



## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Then this is obvious that Isiah does not like these two players. You're more likely to see Marcus Williams and Wilson Chandler than those two. Isiah never tips his hand with who he likes.


----------



## alphaorange (Jul 2, 2006)

*Big deal.....*

Everyone looks good in the open court. I watched Duke a lot (I hate them) and their guys are usually very over-hyped....just like Duke. I personally don't believe there is an inch difference as I have seen Lee listed at 6'10 many times. McRoberts does not jump well in traffic and is not as quick as Lee. He will never be better than David and we don't need another PF on the bench.... but whatever. The pick still makes no sense as our starters are not good enough yet so that we need more bench players.


----------



## KVIP112 (Oct 31, 2005)

We don't need McRoberts he's just a better defender than Lee. But Lee probably has more range on his shot than MCRoberts though McRoberts is more consistent. Lee is faster and hustles more than McRoberts does. We take Sean Williams/Marcus Williams/Derrick Byars/Morris Almond.


----------



## ChosenFEW (Jun 23, 2005)

*Re: Big deal...*

well yea i never said that the knicks should pick him. I have made it known that i would like for isiah to get a shooter.


just found it funny when you said he wasn't athletic for a big man


----------



## alphaorange (Jul 2, 2006)

*Nobody said that*

I simply said he is not as athletic as Lee....which he isn't. He's decent for a big guy.


----------



## USSKittyHawk (Jul 22, 2005)

HKF said:


> Then this is obvious that Isiah does not like these two players. You're more likely to see Marcus Williams and Wilson Chandler than those two. Isiah never tips his hand with who he likes.


Good point, and Lee and Balkman are perfect examples of Isiah selecting someone who went under the radar from other GM's.


----------



## Krstic All-Star (Mar 9, 2005)

Drafting McRoberts doesn't make much sense unless Isiah's planning on trading Lee. Then again, signing yet another swingman doesn't seem to make any more sense, absent other plans. I don't know what's in Isiah's mind, but drafting either of those two would have me seeing trades soon after.


----------



## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

Sean Williams would also not surprise me, but the problem is the Knicks have 14 guys who expect to play and then a draft selection as well. 

G: Marbury, Francis, Robinson
G: Crawford, Richardson, Collins
F: Jeffries, Balkman
F: Lee, Frye, Rose
C: Curry, Morris, James

The Knicks actually don't have a roster spot available (14 guaranteed contracts for 14 roster spots). Now if Isiah pulls off a Rashard Lewis sign & trade for Q-Rich and Frye trade (could also see Crawford in there instead), then I could see Isiah going strictly for Sean Williams. I think it's pretty obvious that Isiah is going to trade someone to clear the logjam, because Malik Rose and Jerome James will be at the end of the bench. 

G: Marbury, Francis, Nate Robinson
G: Crawford (or Q-Rich), Collins 
F: Rashard Lewis (S&T), Balkman, Jeffries
F: Lee, Sean Williams (1rd pick), Rose
C: Curry, Morris, James


----------



## alphaorange (Jul 2, 2006)

*Agree with both......*

There will most likely be a trade and he never tips his hand. It seems inevitable that Frye will go and possibly Nate and JC, as well as a center (JJ or Morris). A big trade will require more players and free up roster space.


----------



## Da Grinch (Aug 17, 2002)

byars to me is ok but from what I've seen he's not a guy i would say the knicks just have to have but he's be ok.

mcroberts to me is system player , if he goes to a team that that can use him right (duke wasn't one of them) he'll be pretty good...if not he'll be out the league in 5 years and be yet another highly mocked caucasian from duke who couldn't cut it in the nba


----------

