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New York Knicks: Pros And Cons Of Tanking The Rest Of 2016-17

By Maxwell Ogden

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; A general view of a video board displaying all thirty draft picks in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 10, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) is greeted by fans as he takes the court for warmups before a game against the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) is greeted by fans as he takes the court for warmups before a game against the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Pro: Building A Long-Term 1-2 Punch

The New York Knicks drafted a rising star at No. 4 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. Despite the vast majority of Knicks fans and media members telling him not to, team president Phil Jackson selected power forward Kristaps Porzingis of Latvia and Spain’s Liga ACB.

Though Porzingis has shown signs of being the future face of the franchise without one, it would behoove the Knicks to find a perimeter player who fits his timeline.

One of the most underreported stories in New York is that the previous regimes traded the Knicks’ first-round draft picks in both 2014 and 2016. In other words: Jackson has been forced to build his team without two of the three first-round draft picks available to him.

If nothing else, the Knicks should embrace tanking to help make up for lost time and select a player who can actually serve as a young building block.

Porzingis, 21, and Willy Hernangomez, 22, are two cornerstones who will help the Knicks build for years to come. They’re also interior players who are without a perimeter complement who’s both in their age range and regarded as a rising star.

With the likes of Lonzo Ball, De’Aaron Fox, Markelle Fultz, Josh Jackson, and Jayson Tatum available in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Knicks could secure the future with just one pick.

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