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New York Knicks: A January Evaluation Of 2017 NBA Draft Targets

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 21, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Bam Adebayo (3) shoots the ball against South Carolina Gamecocks guard Duane Notice (10) in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated South Carolina 85-69. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 21, 2017; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Edrice Bam Adebayo (3) shoots the ball against South Carolina Gamecocks guard Duane Notice (10) in the second half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated South Carolina 85-69. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk (5) celebrates after the Wildcats defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 103-100 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk (5) celebrates after the Wildcats defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 103-100 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

In contrast to the previous regimes, Phil Jackson is valuing his first-round draft picks. Who should the New York Knicks be targeting in the 2017 NBA Draft?

The New York Knicks are in an uncommon position in 2016-17. After years of executives showing no regard for the value of NBA Draft picks, team president Phil Jackson has ended the drought and committed to utilizing first-round draft picks to build towards his vision.

Fortunately for Knicks fans, Jackson has committed to doing so with one of the most promising draft classes in NBA history.

As the month of January winds down, the Knicks can accurately evaluate the promise and upside of the 2017 NBA Draft prospects. One can only hope that the draft position will worsen by New York winning more as the season progresses.

As New York crosses the midway point of the 2016-17 NBA regular season, however, they’re close enough to solidifying their lottery position to evaluate prospects.

New York could go any number of routes, including best player available or positional needs. New York could also acknowledge a team need that isn’t limited to a specific position and select a prospect who simply projects to help fix a flaw.

It would be wonderful to list all of the top prospects in the 2017 NBA Draft, but who would the Knicks have a realistic opportunity to select at this current juncture?

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