Who in Naismith’s Name is Renaldo Balkman?

Someday, newbie New York Knick Renaldo Balkman may actually carve himself a career in the NBA. Someday, the words “Renaldo Balkman” may not be forever associated with Hall of Fame cager/Hall of Shame front officer Isiah Thomas. Someday, Renaldo Balkman may be more than the answer to a trivia question.

But not today.

Running below is a lucky thirteen of informational bits about the enigma not quite known as Renaldo Balkman, certain to go down in history together with Temple guard Mardy Collins as the last first-round picks of the Isiah Thomas era in New York.

– Playing for prep school Laurinburg Institute, Renaldo Balkman led the team to a 40-2 record and no. 1 ranking.

– Led the USA Score International Basketball Outreach team in rebounds and was second in points per game in the 2005 Nation’s Cup held in Germany.

– Renaldo Balkman is not, despite heartfelt beliefs of coach/general manager Isiah “Captain Smith” Thomas, Rolando Blackman. (Ah, that joke’s already an oldie, but still a goodie.)

– In his junior year with the South Carolina Gamecocks, Renaldo Balkman averaged 9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, not quite two assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

– Since Renaldo Balkman ran up such numbers in just 25.7 minutes per game often in a sixth-man role, the new New York Knick represents the first-round pick that played the least in 2005-06.

– Renaldo Balkman turned in an impressive all-around performance in the 2006 NIT championship over Michigan, with a line reading 10 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and four steals.

– In fact, Renaldo Balkman was named MVP of the NIT tournament in 2006.

– Renaldo Balkman’s best game to date may have been his February 2006 performance against Alabama, producing a stat line reading 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting to go along with 16 rebounds and four steals.

– At number 20, Renaldo Balkman was the first selection of the 2006 NBA Draft not in attendance at the ceremony.

– The selection of Renaldo Balkman was booed heartily when announced. But you knew that already; heck, that’s part of the reason you’re reading, no?

– Renaldo Balkman’s Temple team won back-to-back NIT championships in his sophomore and junior years.

– Renaldo Balkman’s agent is Leon Rose, of the same partnership managing Balkman’s fellow first-rounder/trivia fodder Collins and LeBron “King” James.

– Renaldo Balkman claims that he “will never cut his hair again.” Now that is a statistic worthy of a first-round pick.