When Stephen Curry was deciding whether or not to enter the NBA Draft, there was a lot of talk that the Knicks were encouraging him to throw his hat in the ring by guaranteeing him a spot as the eighth overall selection. That may or may not have been true, but once it was reported you couldn't go anywhere without hearing a connection between player and team.
Regardless of any guarantee, the Knicks and Curry were very open about their mutual admiration. Unless the whole thing was an elaborate smoke screen concocted by Donnie Walsh and Curry to propel the guard into the upper reaches of the lottery, the lovefest may have acted to sink the Knicks' chances of landing Curry.
Rumors have linked him to several of the teams picking ahead of the Knicks, which might mean they have to make a move similar to the one the Jets made to get Mark Sanchez if they hope to get him. In some ways, Curry's rise mirrors Sanchez's move to the top of the NFL food chain.
Each had a lot of questions surrounding their game when the run-up to the draft began, but ancillary factors kept their name in discussion where others might have fallen off of radar screens. In Curry's case, it was the fame he garnered by leading Davidson to the Elite Eight in 2008 and his bloodlines as the son of former NBA sniper Dell Curry. It would seem that teams stopped looking for reasons to dislike Curry's game, and allowed themselves to focus on all of the things that he does well.
It also wouldn't have helped Curry as much if it were the Raptors or Bucks who were enamored of him. The Knicks might be a punchline, but they still have the New York media covering their every move which invariably leads into the national media. Combine that with the fact that Curry is better known than many other prospects, and teams had to at least look at Curry to placate fanbases who prefer players they know to athletic gambles with, perhaps, more upside.
The Knicks will have other options, with Arizona forward Jordan Hill filling the role as flavor of the week. It also bears mentioning that no one tells the truth in the week leading up to the draft, so Curry may still be there when David Stern announces the Knicks pick. If he isn't, though, it will have something to do with the Knicks' faulty poker faces.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
