Knicks and Warriors fans, and Steph Curry himself, all know that NBA history is full of “what if”. What if Michael Jordan never went out to play baseball? What if superstars like Derrick Rose and Tracy McGrady never got hurt? Most of these hypotheses happen during the draft. What if Charlotte Hornets didn’t trade Kobe Bryant for the Los Angeles Lakers? What if the Portland Trail Blazers selected Kevin Durant instead of Greg Oden? These are possibilities that would have changed the luck of the teams and the scenario of the league in the coming years.
One such hypothesis is whether the New York Knicks managed to draft with the eventual 2 times MVP Stephen Curry. In the accumulated 2009 edition of the draft, New York was in seventh place overall. The Golden State Warriors were one point ahead of New York.
At the time, defender of pace and spacing, Mike D’Antoni, was the coach of the Knicks. Curry’s game perfectly matched D’Antoni’s style. Curry, his father Dell and his agent made it clear that they preferred New York to the Bay Area. The agent even called the then-general manager of the Warriors, Larry Riley, asking him not to recruit Curry. When Golden State Head Coach at the time, Don Nelson, called Dell about choosing his son, Dell replied, “Don’t do that.”
Donnie Walsh was the general manager of the Knicks at the time.
“I really wanted Stephen in that draft, and when I realized that the Golden State was going to accept him, I tried to negotiate to take him,” Walsh told Marc Berman of The New York Post. “But I didn’t get the choice I needed, so I looked elsewhere and tried to fill a need. Stephen was the guy and he obviously would have made a big difference. “
Walsh was right. Curry was the key to turning the Golden State of one of the league’s taunts into a perennial power. His absurd external shot revolutionized the way the game was played. It could have happened to the Knicks … but it didn’t.
A source said Walsh had not even attempted to contact the Minnesota Timberwolves, who made the fifth and sixth selections. This draft was a painful experience for the Knicks, but it was also painful for Minnesota fans. These picks were used on guards Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, respectively. These two players did not take the franchise into relevance.
“It didn’t look like Donnie was prepared for any other scenario,” said a former Knicks scout. “We all love Donnie, but he didn’t seem to have an alternative plan and it was a crazy fight to finish [No. 8 pick Jordan] Hill.”
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Hill ended up playing a total of 24 games for the Knicks, before being sent to the Houston Rockets.
Imagining Curry in a New York uniform is an interesting exercise. One might wonder if he would have saved the Knicks and turned them into contenders. Curry got off to a rough start in his NBA career due to injuries. He made his All-Star debut in his fifth season (2013-2014) in the league. The following year, he would win his first MVP trophy and championship.
Knicks fans can only regret what could have been.
One reason the Warriors won everything in 2015 was that Curry had a friendly contract with the team, which earned him $ 10,629,213 for the season. Imagine having the league MVP for just $ 10,629,213. This gave the front office plenty of room to maneuver a well-rounded team at both ends of the floor. Of course, it also helped that they eliminated their draft by selecting the wings of three and D Klay Thompson and defensive anchor and playmaker Draymond Green. Smart acquisitions like Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala lifted the team’s roof and provided a constant veteran presence.
Had the Knicks shown the same patience with Curry from the start? Would they have re-signed or extended Curry’s contract before he became the deadly and creative sniper we all know today? Did they build a team correctly, where players greeted each other? Wouldn’t New York do ridiculous deals or chase well-paid free agents?
The Knicks front office has a long history of deficiencies, which can be discussed for hours on end. Having a franchise player is a step towards transforming a team.
Curry could have flourished under D’Antoni and led an exciting and fun team to watch. If the Knicks had been promising enough, perhaps LeBron James would bring his talents to the Big Apple and not to South Beach in 2010. Another possibility is that Curry will be negotiated with the Denver Nuggets as part of the Carmelo Anthony deal in 2011. Perhaps Curry the would you played your best basketball in Denver?
Because of the choices made in the 2009 draft, Curry remains one of many “what ifs” for the Knicks.
