Eddy Curry was drafted fourth overall in 2001, right out of high school, and was immediately dubbed one of the 'Baby Bulls' that would take Chicago back to the playoffs.

At 6'11" and 285 pounds, Curry cut an imposing figure even if he did still have some baby fat. Most importantly, his natural ability in the post was undeniable, and the Bulls salivated over the prospect of having him as a number-one option who could score at will.

Too bad he couldn't do anything else.

The Curry of today is in a far different situation - maligned, out of shape, and not even in the rotation, he's been languishing while his New York teammates have been embracing new head coach Mike D?Antoni.

After emerging as something of a role player on the Bulls' playoff team in 2004-05, the first and only year he's been to the playoffs, he received a six-year, $56 million deal from the Knicks. Since then, he's played well at times, averaging 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 2006-07, but with under a rebound per five minutes and an eye-gouging 3.6 turnovers per game.

The problems that were apparent in a young Curry have manifested themselves every chance they've had, and he hasn?t done a thing.

What is to be made of Curry then?

He's proven himself to be a high-percentage post scorer (54.6% for his career) but is mediocre at the free throw line (64.3%). He's never averaged over a rebound per four minutes, and he?s only averaged a block per game once despite seeing over twenty minutes every season since 2003.

He's never averaged an assist or a steal per game and is the inspiration of the infamous Curry Line (when a player averages more turnovers than blocks, steals, and assists combined). He's posted a Curry Line in every season he's played aside from his rookie year in which he only saw sixteen minutes of action.

Furthermore, he tends to swat shots into the stands instead of tipping them to teammates, and his unwelcome extra weight makes him too slow to play effective positional man defense.

Despite all the valid criticisms that can be made about Curry's time in the league so far, there could still be something there.

He's shown that he has at least one valuable skill, and it's a skill that's difficult to find. He's still only 25 (26 in December), and he's already a little over halfway through his monster of a contract.

Knicks' president Donnie Walsh has put Curry on the trading block, but no serious talks have been reported. New York would allegedly like to trade Curry to Golden State for malcontent Al Harrington; there is no reason for the Warriors to reciprocate any interest in that vein.

If teams don't want Curry, why even consider him?

He may be an incredibly flawed player, but it is possible to win with him. The Bulls did it in 2005, winning 47 games before losing a hotly-contested first round series to the Wizards. For the team, it was a sign of hope that the future was bright and that the 'Baby Bulls' would be a part of it.

General Manager John Paxson even said that he would treat Curry "like [his] own son" in regard to the heart problems Curry was having at the time. A few months later, Curry was gone; a season later, the last vestiges of the Baby Bulls were replaced by Tyrus Thomas and P.J. Brown.

Although the Bulls never became a serious contender, and Curry hasn't had the kind of career that season might have portended, the Bulls used Curry very effectively. While Chicago didn?t have an All-Star roster by any means, and many key players were rookies, the pieces they had and the strategies they employed worked to Curry?s advantage.

Defense At The Four Spot

For Curry to be integrated into a system, his deficiencies need to be masked. The most obvious way to do this is by having a player alongside Curry who can rebound, block shots, and take a tough defensive assignment. These players aren't everywhere, but they do exist. The Bulls had Tyson Chandler, who's since flowered as a top rebounder with the Hornets. An aging Antonio Davis, while no longer an All-Star, also provided help defensively, and was a good presence to have around the Bulls' young players.

Having clearly defined roles in the post, with the power forward being the enforcer and Curry being encouraged to use his skills on offense, makes Curry less of a liability. When a talented big man is willing to defer to Curry in scoring situations and play help defense, Curry can focus on getting his twenty points and doing whatever he can elsewhere.

Curry could even be removed when the opponent is playing two offensively gifted big men or when his shot isn?t falling.

Good Shooters On The Perimeter

In order to maximize Curry's effectiveness, he needs to be given room. Eliminating the opponent's ability to pack the paint not only makes it easier for Curry to find a good shot, but it also reduces the chance of him turning the ball over. (A guard stuck to a shooter can't double down for the strip, after all). The Bulls had Ben Gordon, then a rookie, who shot 40.5% from three-point land and averaged 15.1 points. Eric Piatkowski also shot 42.5% from downtown, albeit on far fewer shots.

Spacing the floor allows Curry greater freedom in the post, where he can establish his position without necessarily having to worry about a double-team. Curry can even dribble the ball a couple times before shooting, something that would be unthinkable with the threat of a speedy perimeter player swooping in for a steal. He can then get his best possible shot, or even a dunk, while also killing the shot clock.

A Taskmaster Of A Coach

Motivation is often cited as one of Curry's biggest problems, and it's a feasible explanation for his lack of production in many key areas. He's retained his weaknesses, and any conditioning he's undergone hasn't had a visible effect.

Whether he can be disciplined or not, playing on a disciplined team is certainly a start, whether he becomes more motivated or whether the rest of the team simply plays better defense so it's not as required of him. The Bulls had Scott Skiles, as well-known as anyone in that context, who immediately set high defensive standards for the team.

In their last full season without Skiles, the Bulls allowed 100.1 points per game, albeit with the fourth-fastest pace in the league. In the Bulls' first full season with Skiles, they allowed 93.4 points per game, still with the eleventh-fastest pace. Players like Andres Nocioni and Luol Deng were great offseason additions who understood Skiles' message and applied it, whether or not Curry did.

In this case, as in the others, any team taking on Curry has to rely on his prospective teammates. They'll have to be talented; they'll have to be motivated; and they'll have to put up with an odd missed rebound or clumsy turnover. All that said, Curry does have a specific skill, and he's very good at implementing it. He needs the ball, and he needs to be taken out in some situations, but that doesn't mean he can't be useful in others.

Curry will never be a franchise player or a savior, and no one knows when he'll start his next game. He did start in sixty of his sixty-three appearances with 2004-05 Bulls, though, and was second on the team with 28.7 minutes per game while leading the team with 16.1 points a contest.

For the kind of money he's making, that kind of production is the least that can be expected. However, with so many teams having bad contracts of their own, a trade isn't completely unfeasible, salary-wise.

If Curry's worth a gamble, and if a team is willing to make that gamble, he could turn out fine ? so long as the rest of the roster can absorb the blow.