The Most Valuable Player the Knicks Traded Away?

Back on November 21st, 2008, the New York Knicks made two trades to acquire Tim Thomas, Cuttino Mobley and Al Harrington. Some talent is present in that group of players, but there isn't as much as there is in the group they sent away. New York, along with some of their identity as a team, traded away their best player, and it could come back to bite them.

In 26 games, Jamal Crawford is the leading scorer for the Golden State Warriors, with 20.4 points a game, with a 41.6% field goal percentage, and is second in assists; averaging 4.9 each game. He is also proving his stamina and late game presence by averaging 38.2 minutes, including a 60 minute, triple overtime performance on Wednesday against Sacramento.

Zach Randolph is still the top scorer on the LA Clippers with 23.1 points a game, despite missing the team's last 11 games with a bruised knee. He's shooting 48% from the floor and is the second best rebounder behind Marcus Camby, with 9.9 a game.

But most surprising of all, Mardy Collins has filled in extraordinarily at guard, for the Clippers. Since the start of January, Collins has averaged 12.8 points, 6.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals a game. Given playing time, he has made himself one of the Clippers' most important players.

This recent surge also proves that Mardy was one of New York's most valuable players, before the trade. In a more competitive Western Conference, Mardy has been a dominant passer and acceptional scorer; two aspects of his game that were always questioned when he was with the Knicks. It is amazing to see what someone can do when handed playing time and the confidence of the coach (Brett Ratliff...?).

Look at the Knicks before the trade. They had two point guards who were given floor time: Chris Duhon, who was playing a mediocre point guard at the start of the season, and Jamal Crawford, who really isn't a point guard. In addition, Mardy Collins was planted on the bench by Mike D'Antoni.

D'Antoni was clearly unaware of Collins' talent and did not see the end of his rookie season. At the end of February 2007, Collins began to start for the Knicks. Throughout nine games in March of that year, he put up 14.8 points, 5.8 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals; numbers extremely similar to this year with Los Angeles.

After the November 21st trade, the Knicks were left with one point guard: Chris Duhon, who, to his credit, played incredibly when New York had a trungcated rotation. But no one who could produce was there to fill in for Duhon when fatigue set in. Nate Robinson is an above average scorer, but cannot pass like Duhon or Collins. Anthony Roberson is a good outside shooter, but does not have much else to his game.

If Donnie Walsh hadn't traded Mardy Collins, he would have established himself as an exceptional alternative to Chris Duhon. Now, without having drafted a point guard, the Knicks are left with no backup point guard to alleviate Duhon of some minutes and exhaustion.

Just another reason why the Knicks were wrong for trading 3 of their best players in exchange for a possibility to sign LeBron James in 2010.

--I was very happy to see Danilo Gallinari get back on the court last night and score 6 points. I really hope he works out with the Knicks. He seems like a nice enough guy and an extremely good player.


Max Caster

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