Talkin’ Toppers: Seth Rosenthal of Toasting and Posting Talks Courtney Lee in New York

It’s no secret that I’ve always wanted to have a WKU site on the SBNation network of websites. I’ve written for a pair of SBN sites, but…

It’s no secret that I’ve always wanted to have a WKU site on the SBNation network of websites. I’ve written for a pair of SBN sites, but there’s just something about having a WKU-specific site that would make it seem like the Tops have “made it.”

One of the reasons I’d like to have a Tops SBN site is because if you write for them, it’s pretty much accepted that you know your crap. I’ve worked on SBN with Underdog Dynasty and Mid-Major Madness — and felt way over my head with how smart everyone else was — and I’ve written with several other SBN writers before on the FanSided network.

With that said, if there’s one group of SBN writers in particular I really admire, it’s their NBA team. Yes, I love Grant Brisbee and the MLB team and the NFL team is widely regarded as well, along with the NHL squad, but when you put into effect that basketball bloggers are probably the smartest on the net, if you put the best on one of the best outlets, you have a winning record.

Seth Rosenthal, an SBN big-wig and managing editor for the Knicks blog Posting and Toasting was kind enough to answer a few questions we had regarding Courtney Lee as he is preparing for his first season with the Knicks.

The Towel Rack: What about Lee did the Knicks like enough to sign him to a four-year deal, especially since he’s bounced around so often over the last couple of seasons? (From Boston to Memphis and finishing last year with Charlotte.)

Seth Rosenthal: The Knicks desperately needed perimeter defense and shooting. He’s provided a useful (not amazing, but useful) helping of that everywhere he’s gone.

TTR: In the Knicks’ first preseason game (ed. note — the Knicks first preseason game was over a week ago), Lee was a starter and played alongside superstars like Porzingas, Anthony and Rose. Is a starting role with those names something WKU fans get to look forward to throughout the rest of the season?

SR: Yeah, I think he’s definitely the starter to open the season, and because the Knicks aren’t very deep at the guard spots (and because there’s reason to believe Lee will be reliable), he’s likely to keep starting and keep getting a bunch of minutes.

TTR: I know it’s a small sample size, but what about Lee do you like?

SR: He put in some great defensive possessions matching up with James Harden, who is absolute hell to guard. And while his good spacing and smart decisions in catch-and-shoot scenarios were to be expected, the few pick-and-rolls he ran as the ballhandler were a little surprising and definitely encouraging. Not surprising that he can run a pick-and-roll in general, I guess, but surprising that he seemed to have pretty nice chemistry with his teammates in that format right off the bat.

TTR: On the contrary, what would you like to see improved in his game?

SR: To be honest, I doubt he’s going to add a ton to his game at this point in his career, but if he had a tighter dribbling handle he’d have much more success creating stuff off the dribble. We’ll take what we can get, though.

TTR: Lee’s been a good player and has been a part in some key moments big NBA fans might recognize, but to most, he seems just like another player. Will being in a market like New York help elevate him on the national stage, or am I a wishful Hilltopper and it’s true that he his just another NBA guy?

SR: The Knicks have some pretty big names and faces, so I doubt he’s going to be marketed like a star, but certainly if the Knicks are decent this year, their retooled starting 5 will get commended as a unit, and he’ll be a part of that. And if he *is* interested in stepping out a bit more in entertainment or fashion or charitable pursuits, he has a very large launchpad to do so in New York.

TTR: Several questions here — what does the best-case scenario season look like for Courtney? What does the worst-case scenario season look like? What do you think his season will look like?

SR: Best case is he establishes himself as the guy who’ll competently defend the best opposing guard no matter what, and shoots a career-best percentage from downtown. Worst case, I guess, is that he gets hurt. I think it’s reasonable to assume Lee won’t suddenly suck at basketball, and he’s also not going to break out as a superstar. So as long as he’s healthy and comfortable in a big but familiar role, something resembling that best-case scenario should be attainable.

Short, sweet, and to the point. We can’t thank Seth enough for taking the time out of his schedule to answer these questions for us. Be sure to give him a follow on twitter, and checkout the P&T guys for CLee and Knicks coverage throughout the season.