Renaldo Balkman
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| Position | Small forward/Power forward |
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| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Weight | 208 lb (95 kg) |
| Team | New York Knicks |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | July 14, 1984 (age 22) Staten Island, New York |
| High school | Laurinburg Institute |
| College | South Carolina |
| Draft | 20th overall, 2006 New York Knicks |
| Pro career | 2006–present |
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.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] College career
[edit] 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 (South Carolina 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.
[edit] Playing 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.
[edit] 2006 Draft
The Knicks' choice of Balkman in the first round surprised many, notably ESPN's Jay Bilas, who noted that 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.
For the 6-foot-8 Balkman, a defensive banger whose style Isiah Thomas has likened to Dennis Rodman and Ron Artest, the 2006 NIT MVP award was a fitting capper to a three-year college career that produced 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and a .553 shooting average. The fact that he did not earn a lot of notoriety prior to the Draft only heightened the drama for Renaldo and those around him when the Knicks made him their first of two opening-round picks.[3] Balkman was drafted by the Knicks alongside Mardy Collins of Temple University (29th overall).
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.[4]. He played along current Knick teammates Channing Frye, David Lee, Nate Robinson & Mardy Collins.
[edit] Professional career
Through 30 games into the 2006-07 NBA season, Balkman has shown promise, particularly on the defensive end. He has appeared in every Knicks game but one, averaging 13.4 minutes, 3.8 points, and 3.6 rebounds. He has shot poorly from the free-throw line - 56.1% - and has frequently found himself in foul trouble. His coach, his teammates, and the press have praised Balkman for his energy and hustle.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Renaldo Balkman profile at NBA.com
- University of South Carolina bio page
- Renaldo Balkman-devoted Blog (Bench Renaldo)
| 2006 NBA Draft | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Round Andrea Bargnani | LaMarcus Aldridge | Adam Morrison | Tyrus Thomas | Shelden Williams | Brandon Roy | Randy Foye | Rudy Gay | Patrick O'Bryant | Mouhamed Sene | J.J. Redick | Hilton Armstrong | Thabo Sefolosha | Ronnie Brewer | Cedric Simmons | Rodney Carney | Shawne Williams | Oleksiy Pecherov | Quincy Douby | Renaldo Balkman | Rajon Rondo | Marcus Williams | Josh Boone | Kyle Lowry | Shannon Brown | Jordan Farmar | Sergio Rodríguez | Maurice Ager | Mardy Collins | Joel Freeland |
||
| Second Round James White | Steve Novak | Solomon Jones | Paul Davis | P.J. Tucker | Craig Smith | Bobby Jones | Kosta Perovic | David Noel | Denham Brown | James Augustine | Daniel Gibson | Marcus Vinicius | Lior Eliyahu | Alexander Johnson | Dee Brown | Paul Millsap | Vladimir Veremeenko | Leon Powe | Ryan Hollins | Cheick Samb | Guillermo Diaz | Yotam Halperin | Hassan Adams | Ejike Ugboaja | Edin Bavcic | Loukas Mavrokefalidis | J.R. Pinnock | Damir Markota | Will Blalock |
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