7SoM is moving (again)

So MVN shut down which means 7SoM needed a(nother) new home. Introducing the New York Knicks blog, KnickBlog.com.

I couldn't believe it wasn't taken. Shame on you, Internetz.

So once again, Old and Busted: 7 Seconds or Mess. New Hotness: KnickBlog.com.

And if you're one of the gracious fellows that have added me to your blogroll and/or Google Reader, please update the link and/or RSS feed.

Shalom.

7SoM: Webisode 21, Knicks Zone Defense

With the Knicks offense being as putrid as it's been, I decided, instead, to look at the putrid defense. The Knicks have utilized a zone in recent games presumably to stop being so thoroughly exposed defending the pick and roll. You'll see, however, that the team's lack of defensive awareness hasn't been solved by assigning defenders to specific spots on the floor.



Want to comment on the article? Leave a voicemail at 347.443.9297 and hear it on The Turnover podcast. Email me at gian[at]7som.com and follow @GianCasimiro on Twitter.

Ramon Sessions is what the Knicks need

Listening to interviews with Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh from the Summer League, you'll hear one phrase uttered over and over again: "We have to get better." Of course. You have to get better when you're not the best. But my definition of getting better doesn't involve signing Jason Kidd or Grant Hill to three year deals. Thankfully those things never happened, but the Knicks still have to get better. The team still needs to add talent and it still needs a PG of the future. Enter Ramon Sessions. The latest rumors have the Knicks either exploring a sign and trade or offering the full MLE to the Bucks point guard.

I've only seen the man play a couple of times because if there's a choice between watching the Milwaukee Bucks and the Food Network, I'm switching to Food Network. But I've seen him shred the Knicks like asiago and better basketball minds have raved about his game. So I'll rely on those opinions and take a look at the stats to see what Sessions is all about.

Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus had this to say before free agency started:

The veteran point guards on the market might be preferable to Sessions next year. Over the following three or four? Sessions, who just turned 23, figures to be far more valuable. He followed up a surprising breakout late in his rookie season with a strong campaign split between starting and coming off the bench. Sessions is effective as both a scorer and a passer, and his ability to get to the free-throw line (14 percent of his possessions, more than any other free-agent point guard) bodes well for the future. His five most similar players by age: Kenny Anderson, Devin Harris, Tony Parker, Deron Williams and Terrell Brandon. If the Bucks are unwilling to match due to money concerns, somebody is going to get a starting point guard for the next decade or so.

Those are glowing words from a man who's usually right. Pelton ranks Sessions as the best available PG and puts him in a class of names I've drooled over for years.

Earlier today Kevin Arnovitz of ClipperBlog and TrueHoop called Sessions "The Best Free Agent Nobody is Talking About":

He isn't yet an efficient outside shooter. He's drained a grand total of nine 3-pointers in his two seasons in the league, which has kept his effective FG percentage down at just below 45 percent -- not so good for a guard. But there's a silver lining here, too. Sessions gets to the line [5.9] times per 36 minutes. Among point guards, only Devin Harris, Chris Paul, and Chauncey Billups top Sessions in this category. This brings his true shooting percentage above 52 percent.

I know the importance of your guards having range, especially in this system, but the Knicks need trips to the line far more than they need three point shooters at the moment. The Knicks were 21st in the league with 23.2 FT a game and were 28th in FT/FG with 21%, topping only the Clippers and Spurs. That means they only made free throws on 21% of their shot attempts. By comparison, the Denver Nuggets led the league with 30.3 FTA a game and 29 FT/FG. In short, as a jump shooting team, the Knicks were terrible at getting to the line. Both Pelton and Arnovitz highlight Sessions' ability to get to those free points which would help the offense immensely.

Now let's take a look at Sessions against Chris Duhon and Nate Robinson.

Chris Duhon

• 10.9 Pts/36
• 7.0 Ast/36
• 2.6 FTA/36
• 57% TS%
• 27.9 AST%
• 14.9% USG%
• 26 FT/FG

Nate Robinson

• 20.7 Pts/36
• 4.9 Ast/36
• 4.8 FTA/36
• 55% TS%
• 22.9 AST%
• 25.6 USG%
• 24 FT/FG

Ramon Sessions

• 16.2 Pts/36
• 7.5 Ast/36
• 5.9 FTA/36
• 53% TS%
• 34.6 AST%
• 22.4 USG%
• 36 FT/FG

Nate is clearly the most prolific scorer of the bunch but his low AST% and assists/36 mins along with his 25.6 USG% prove his tendency to keep the ball in his hands instead of getting others involved. He also has the lowest FT/FG which shows that although he's keeping the ball, he's not getting to the line as much as he should. This shouldn't be a surprise to Knick fans. Nate is able to beat his man with his quickness and finish inside but he doesn't pad his stats with free throws. He's a player that can explode for 30 some nights when he should be getting 38.

Duhon is a distributor to a fault at times. He got inside as much as his athleticism and ankle allowed last season and pulled it back out just as fast. He doesn't (can't?) score often but he knows how to get the ball to the right people. And I think I've shown how David Lee benefits from this enough times. He's got a terrific TS% because of his 39% clip from behind the arc and 86% free throw shooting but he only gets to the line 2.6 times per 36.

Which brings us to Sessions who seems to have the best aspects of both. He scores at a lower rate than Nate (/Clyde) but makes up for it by dishing out three more assists per 36. He also blows the other two away with his 34.6% AST% and 36 FT/FG.

Would I be comfortable with him in a Knicks uniform? Even though I haven't seen enough of him personally, yes I would, especially with Pelton and Arnovitz giving such high praise. Even at the full MLE? Considering Devin Harris gets over 8 mil/year, I think it's a better deal. How about with 4-5 years guaranteed? Well we keep asking for a franchise point guard and Sessions has the look of one. And he's 23. And, stop me if you've heard this before, he'd probably flourish under D'Antoni. And with Jennings on board in Milwaukee, plus the their financial situation, some people don't think Bucks would match an offer.

Want to comment on the article? Leave a voicemail at 347.443.9297 and hear it on the podcast. And follow 7SoM on Twitter.

Leave 7SoM a voicemail!

Do you have Knicks questions?

Do you want to hear your own voice instead of mine on one of the Webisodes?

Do you want to be part of a new Q&A podcast I'll be doing next season?

Well then call 347-443-9297 and be a part of 7SoM. Interactivity through media is the focus going forward. I'd love to hear from you. And so would the rest of the blogosphere. Especially if you leave angry messages about why I suck.

Here's a test voicemail left by a friend:

Something in the back of my mind

Chris Duhon, Larry Hughes, Wilson Chandler, Al Harrington, David Lee

Toney Douglas, Danilo Gallinari, Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Darko Milicic

The Knicks have too many players. Not exactly what you'd consider good depth but those are the ten that I expect to get some burn next season. Throw in Eddy Curry and whatever happens with Nate Robinson and you have all twelve eligible players looking for minutes. That's at least four too many for Mike D'Antoni.

After three quarters of a season filled with injuries, blatant benchings and obesity, the Knicks suddenly had too many players down the stretch last year. It created some funky rotations that simply threw everything off. In the end, Chris Wilcox drew the short straw and got less minutes than I would have liked to see. My guess is that Curry and Milicic will have a lot of time to get to know one another but after that, D'Antoni has some decisions to make.

But, hey, competition's a good thing, right?