# Renaldo Balkman: The next Tayshaun Prince?



## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Discuss.


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## MLKG (Aug 25, 2003)

No.

Tayshaun was a steal for his draft position. But it's not like he was a nobody coming out of college. He was a 2nd and 3rd team all-american and an SEC Player of the Year. (same deal with josh Howard)

Balkman is purely a defensive specialist.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

Best case scenario: Tayshaun Prince
Worst case scenario: Ryan Bowen

Needs to up his bball IQ if he wants to be as effective as Prince on the defensive end, but has all the tools. Offensively he definitely isn't as refined, but seems to be able to work the baseline and finish effectively near the basket. These are my observations from minimal film, someone who watched him at South Carolina please fill us in with more info.


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## HKF (Dec 10, 2002)

A lot shorter than I thought he'd be. These measurements are killing a few guys.


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## TwinTowers (Aug 27, 2005)

On nbadraft.net he is being compared to Dennis Rodman.


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## The Mad Viking (Jun 12, 2003)

I can't think of a comparable.

He's erratic as hell. He had 9 games last year where he failed to score 4 points; in 4 he was shutout.

His best game of the year was against a solid Alabama squad. He scored 28 points in 11/15 shooting, with 16 rebs 4 stls & 2 blocks.
Four days later he has 6 pts 2 rebs 0 stls 0 blks vs Kentucky.

Pattern repeats itself all over. 

Very inconsistent for a junior. But somehow intriguing.


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

Does anyone else think of a struggling, drunk Harry Carey trying to say Rolando Blackman when you here his name


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## Jonathan Watters (Jul 20, 2002)

Prince? Huh?


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## crazyfan (Dec 9, 2005)

well balkman may one day become the next prince but measurements wise he is listed at 6'61/2 and a 7'1 wingspan and tayshaun's are much longer both ways.

and tayshaun was much more consistent as a scorer and in overall play in college playing for kentucky and quite a prominent player too

balkman is just getting hype for what he has done in pre-draft camp.
he should go back and prove that he can be a consistent contributor then come out


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

HKF said:


> A lot shorter than I thought he'd be. These measurements are killing a few guys.


 http://www.insidehoops.com/draft-prospect-measurements.shtml

Wingspan of 7'1... not bad at all.

Crayfan: Prince's wingpsan is only 2 inches taller, but yeah, he definitely was a more refined player coming out of Kentucky.


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## crazyfan (Dec 9, 2005)

he is 2 inches taller but his wingspan probably more than 2 inches taller than 7'1


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

I was expecting Isiah to go with Ryan Hollins at 21, but this was a bold, sleeper pick. Unfortunately Jay Bilas didn't have a scouting report on Balkman so he completely blasted it along with the rest of the goons on ESPN.


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## BG7 (Jun 25, 2003)

Just some energy guy, bad pick.

Knicks should have taken Williams at 20, and then taking Balkman at 29 if they wanted him.


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## TracywtFacy (Mar 29, 2005)

tayshaun's wingspan is 7'3"? holy ****...

how big was pippen's?


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## krsticfan325 (May 31, 2005)

The Nets got Hassan Adams at 54 and the Pistons got Will Blalock at 60, both are better players than Ronaldo Balkman could ever dream to me. Ditto for Guillermo Diaz who almost went undrafted.

Considering that Diaz and Blalock, who were initially projected as late first to early second round draft picks, almost went undrafted, I have a pretty strong feeling that Balkman could have gone undrafted. The Knicks picked him at TWENTY.


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## FanOfAll8472 (Jun 28, 2003)

Everytime I hear, see, or start to say the name Renaldo Balkman I cannot help but have the name "Rolando Blackman" pop into my head. Everytime.


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## mw2889 (Dec 15, 2005)

^^^^^^^^^Same here


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## Diable (Apr 26, 2005)

I see no merit to this comparison whatsoever.The thing that makes Prince special is that he's both versatile defensively in his ability to guard a wide variety of players and he's a skilled offensive player who can pass,shoot and dribble.Balkman is a guy who hustles and plays good defense.He has zero offensive ability and gets nearly all his points from rebounding,steals and hustle plays.Prince is so much better than him at every aspect offensively it is like Mike Tyson fighting your granny.


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## DANNY (Aug 9, 2005)

Mr. Predictable said:


> Best case scenario: Tayshaun Prince
> Worst case scenario: Ryan Bowen
> 
> Needs to up his bball IQ if he wants to be as effective as Prince on the defensive end, but has all the tools. Offensively he definitely isn't as refined, but seems to be able to work the baseline and finish effectively near the basket. These are my observations from minimal film, someone who watched him at South Carolina please fill us in with more info.


can you make a retard into a genius?


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## Phenom Z28 (Nov 22, 2004)

FanOfAll8472 said:


> Everytime I hear, see, or start to say the name Renaldo Balkman I cannot help but have the name "Rolando Blackman" pop into my head. Everytime.


Yea me too...I dunno if I'll ever be able to say his name fluently.


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

> But Thomas said Balkman was the guy he wanted all along, and although most thought he would have been available with the 29th pick, Thomas knew Phoenix was set to take Balkman at No. 27. Sure enough, Phoenix traded out of the draft once Balkman was off the board.
> 
> "I thought, 'If we take Balkman at No. 20, somebody will drop to us [at No. 29],' " Thomas said last night. "If we didn't get Collins, we had a backup. But Balkman wouldn't have been there at No. 29."


http://www.newsday.com/sports/baske...0629,0,2206688.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

Diable: Balkman is quite the versatile defender himself. Offensively he uses the baseline well. To be honest I don't see where the heck the Dennis Rodman comparisons come from.


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## Nimreitz (May 13, 2003)

TracywtFacy said:


> tayshaun's wingspan is 7'3"? holy ****...
> 
> how big was pippen's?


No. He wasn't measured at the PreDraft Camp from what I can tell and the hearsay is that he has a 7 foot wingspan.


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## Quasi-Quasar (Jul 18, 2002)

The guy he compares most favorably to is Bo Outlaw... Mickael Pietrus' brother Florent, who played in a similar manner, was no less a prospect and went undrafted a few years ago... Thomas might as well trade Channing Frye now. That way, he won't have a bright spot to look back on when he's gone:clown:.


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## LA68 (Apr 3, 2004)

TwinTowers said:


> On nbadraft.net he is being compared to Dennis Rodman.


Rodman scored like 25ppg in college. It was a small college but, still. This guy is not a game changer on either end. they could have gotten him FA I bet 

Where is the Knicks scouting dept. ???


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## ehh (May 5, 2006)

Balkman doesn't have a hint of offensive talent. Tayshaun could score practically at will, and from all over the court, in colllege.

I don't see the comparison at all.


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## musiclexer (Aug 30, 2005)

You can't compare him to Prince. Who told you they were alike ? They have two totally different games. Bulkman hustles Prince is more of a finesse type of player.


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## The Mad Viking (Jun 12, 2003)

How is Balkman better than, say, P.J. Tucker? 

As in, is there ONE single thing he does better. (Besides his new salary, that is.)


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

He is a long, defensive disruptor who can get up and down the court in a flash. Hence the Tayshaun Prince comparison defensively. Uses his huge wingspan to his advantage and can easily add on a mid range game. Notice I mentioned on numerous occassions he was not as refined as Prince. While the Tayshaun Prince comparison isn't one of the best, I think a Dennis Rodman comparison is much worse.


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## Dumpy (Jan 6, 2005)

http://kenpom.com/blog/index.php/weblog/2005_player_stats_and_the_case_for_renaldo_balkman/


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## 7M3 (Aug 5, 2002)

why do you keep saying he uses the baseline well? becuz you saw that one clip they showed when he was drafted of him getting a baseline dunk?


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## The_Franchise (Mar 30, 2003)

7M3 said:


> why do you keep saying he uses the baseline well? becuz you saw that one clip they showed when he was drafted of him getting a baseline dunk?


 Yeah, pretty much. 

Minimal film means I've only seen highlights of him, no real in-game situations. 3 seperate plays where he just blew past the opponent(edit: this was going to his right on the baseline), although he had momentum going into it. On another play he showed decent footwork to get around his man and knock down a pull up jumper on the baseline, but it was still a highlight and everyone has their moments.

Offensively he just struck me as an uncoordinated, athletically raw guy who was somehow making things happen.


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