If CDR Is Wrong, I Don't Want to Be Right

With the sixth pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select...

A constant this past college basketball season was the devastating effectiveness of Memphis's Chris Douglas-Roberts. Playing in the Tigers' dribble-drive motion offense, he was getting to the rim off the dribble, creating for others, or, my personal favorite, knocking down midrange jumpers and runners with stunning regularity. CDR showed a midrange game that is the proverbial "lost art," and to be a little less precious and pedantic, incredibly useful. His was a multi-skilled arsenal further enhanced by a willingness to pass, an ability to play off of the penetration of others, and a sharp mental acumen. On defense, CDR was a guy who used his long arms to impede would-be dribblers, whose height allowed him to bother other perimeter players, and whose hands always seemed to find their way onto loose balls. I saw Memphis in person twice, I watched the club on TV a few more times, and throughout the Tournament, I caught the Tigers as they were televised. After almost every game I saw, I came away enthralled by CDR's well-rounded game and impressive basketball IQ. He was the only player in the country whom I thought should have been a unanimous All-American.

The NBA draft being what it is, Douglas-Roberts is, of course, projected to be a lottery late first-round pick. ESPN puts him in the value bin at #29; Sports Illustrated has him as a Nugget (a Carmelo replacement?) at pick #20; and always-weird NBADraft.net has my man going twenty-second. Why? Well, he isn't seven feet; he doesn't jump out of the gym; he's not crazy fast; his workouts may not be revelatory; and he probably is not a good-enough shooter to be an ideal shooting guard nor big enough to be an ideal small forward. Further, since he's probably as NBA ready as anyone not named "Michael Beasley," there's no "tremendous upside" to gush about. He's just a very good basketball player who was very good against other very good basketball players, and that's boring.

But it could also be ideal for the Knicks. So let it be said here first: New York should take CDR with the sixth pick.

In a perfect world, we Knicks fans would be girding for the excitement that would probably come with a likely all-star point guard or a dominating front-court player. In this perfect world, New York's new GM and new coach would happen upon draft fortune that yielded a magical superstar-to-be.

But that's not the reality of this draft. And to be honest, though this year's class appears deep, it also appears to be largely devoid of potential franchise cornerstones. Instead, I see a lot of questionable guys whose potential says one thing but production another. And for a team that needs almost everything, with upgrades across the roster, there should be nothing wrong with drafting a guy who appears to be a future starter at worst, has potential to become something beyond ordinary and competent, and has already shown that he'll perform.

And it goes beyond mitigating risk or settling for consolations. That is a frame for the conversation that does a disservice to Douglas-Roberts. The Knicks will most likely be playing a style of ball in which versatility is emphasized, slashing and hitting jumpers becomes the currency of success, and play making at both ends takes on special significance in the wide-open scheme. CDR appears well suited to fill a role in this schematic. Further, he has some familiarity with an up-tempo and loosely structured system, so his learning curve may be flatter than most rookies', and he could perhaps contribute to a turnaround right away. To quote Shoals, CDR is pretty D'Antoni.

There is also something to be said for common sense. If a player has excelled at a high level in college while playing against the competition that he will again meet in the NBA, it stands to reason that he would continue to have the ability to be a good player. Of course, there are no absolutes, and glaring exceptions like J.J. Redick--a one-dimensional player who in fact struggled when playing NBA-caliber defenses and guarding NBA-caliber players--exist. But Douglas-Roberts doesn't appear to fall into that category. Instead he is what he is--not flashy, not a next-level athlete, and someone who will probably out-produce 90% of the combine- and workout-superstars with better measurables.

I hope that this new regime in New York sees what I see and demonstrates some worthwhile daring. Otherwise, they'd better not trot out the latest Euro sensation or teenage bust. It will be damning when that dude gets resigned for more money than he's worth as CDR helps make a bad team better or a playoff team a true contender. Because he's that kind of a player--a reliably good one.