The New York Knicks own their first-round draft pick in 2017. Which point guards should New York be keeping a close eye on during the 2016-17 season?
The New York Knicks are in unfamiliar territory entering the 2016-17 NBA regular season. After going through four of the past seven NBA Drafts without a first-round draft pick, New York finally owns its first rounder, thus creating the possibility for a sustainable future.
The question is, who should the Knicks be studying in 2016-17 at the most important position in the modern NBA: point guard?
New York had no first-round draft pick in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016. That’s four years without players who could either provide depth or emerge as star-caliber contributors in New York—four years with nothing but free agency to rely upon.
Team president Phil Jackson has committed his resources to changing that truth and embracing the incomparable value of the NBA Draft.
The Knicks began to address the void at point guard by trading for Derrick Rose and signing Brandon Jennings. Both players will become free agents in 2017, however, and neither are guaranteed to be re-signed.
The question is: which point guards should the Knicks be monitoring in 2016-17?