Renaldo Balkman
| File:Renaldo balkman 220.jpg | |
| New York Knicks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward/Power forward |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 14, 1984 Staten Island, New York |
| Nationality | USA |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 208 lb (94 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Laurinburg Institute |
| College | South Carolina |
| NBA draft | 2006: 20th overall |
| Selected by the New York Knicks | |
| Playing career | 2006–present |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Renaldo Balkman (born July 14, 1984 in Staten Island, New York) is an American professional basketball player, formerly of the University of South Carolina, who was drafted by the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks in the first round (20th overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft.
High school
Prior to attending Laurinburg Institute, he was at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. At Laurinburg, he led his team to 40-2 record and No. 1 national prep school ranking. Team won the Prep School Nationals ... Also named a finalist for McDonald's All-American. Teammates at Laurinburg included Boubacar Coly (Xavier), Regis Koundjaia (LSU) and Keith Blanks (Texas A&M). Averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds during the 2001-02 season. Also attended Armwood and Blake High Schools his freshman and sophomore years, respectively.
College career
Recruitment
Balkman was a little known player in high school at the Laurinburg Institute, but he was discovered in 2002 by University of South Carolina coach Dave Odom, who instantly saw his potential. According to Odom, "I remember the first time I saw Renaldo Balkman. I was sitting in Orlando in a gym with (USC assistant coach) Barry Sanderson and I asked him 'who is that kid with the dreadlocks? That's the guy we need'. He came back and said nobody knows his name."[1] Balkman was recruited and signed by Carolina, having received little to no interest from any other major basketball programs.
Career
Balkman had played an integral role in South Carolina's two wins over eventual national champion Florida during the 2005-2006 college basketball season. He was also the 2006 NIT Most Valuable Player, averaging 9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.
2006 Draft
The Knicks' choice of Balkman in the first round surprised many, notably ESPN's Jay Bilas, who noted that a projected lottery pick (Marcus Williams) was still available. ESPN columnist Bill Simmons, among others, joked that perhaps Isiah Thomas thought he was drafting Rolando Blackman, a former Knicks player.[2] There was further controversy when the Knicks' general manager, Isiah Thomas, claimed that the Phoenix Suns were prepared to take him; the Suns claimed that he wasn't even "on [their] radar". In the NBA's official draft guide, which was released to all reporters covering the draft, Balkman was not included in the list of the 300 top players eligible to be drafted in the 2006-07 rookie class. However, the Knicks selected Balkman with their first of two draft picks, which was 20th overall. As earlier stated, this selection was a drastic contrast from what was expected in the draft. One website known for its mock drafts, mynbadraft.comCite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).
Balkman was drafted by the Knicks alongside Mardy Collins of Temple University (29th overall).
This summer, Balkman threw a bash to celebrate his success in the draft. The party was held at the Holiday Inn on Assembly Street in Columbia. It was heavily promoted, featuring advertisements on local Columbia radio stations.
In the Las Vegas Summer League before the 2006-2007 season, Balkman averaged 7.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 1 block and 2.4 turnovers during the span of 5 games.[3]. He played along current Knick teammates Channing Frye, David Lee, Nate Robinson & Mardy Collins.
Professional career
Through 21 games into the 2006-07 NBA season, Balkman has shown promise, particularly on the defensive end. He has appeared in every Knicks game, averaging 12.4 minutes, 3.5 points, and 3.7 rebounds. He has started one game, and in the six games in which he played over 20 minutes he averaged 9.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.[4] The press and his teammates have praised Balkman for his energy and hustle.[5].
Trivia
- Balkman rode a red moped as well as a mini motorcycle at the University of South Carolina. He now drives a white Cadillac Escalade.[citation needed]
Notes
- ^ Odom Reflects on Renaldo Balkman the day after
- ^ Bill Simmons' Draft Diary X
- ^ http://www.vegassummerleague.com/players_info.cfm?player=429&season=3&team=26
- ^ http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4148/gamelog;_ylt=Asz9RgHagMKkFqlBrGwVANukvLYF
- ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/chris_ekstrand/11/27/balkman/index.html?section=si_latest