New York Knicks: Damyean Dotson Would Be A Steal In 2017 NBA Draft

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Jan 4, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane guard Corey Henderson Jr. (32) drives the ball as Houston Cougars guard Damyean Dotson (21) defends during the first half at Hofheinz Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Defensive Potential

It’d be irrational to state that Damyean Dotson was an elite on-ball defender during the 2016-17 college basketball season. He’s physically capable of lockdown defense, however, and that’s something the New York Knicks should explore.

If only one area of the game was responsible for the Knicks’ disappointing season in 2016-17, it was the inability to defend the perimeter.

At 6’5″ and 205 pounds with a 6’9″ wingspan, Dotson has the size, strength, and length to keep slashing scorers in front of him. He should also be able to recover quickly on defense—see: his shuttle run time—and use his length to contest shots along the perimeter.

That combination of physical gifts is similar to what enabled Courtney Lee and Justin Holiday to be two of the few players who stepped up on defense in 2016-17.

Assuming Lee is still in the mix, Dotson could develop behind him and potentially fill his void when the time comes for a change to be made. He’d provide the type of sustainable defensive growth along the perimeter that’s been missing for quite some time.

New York should do what it can to re-sign Holiday, but if that becomes too costly an endeavor, Dotson could be an intriguing replacement.

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