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2017 NBA Mock Draft: New York Knicks and the value of the point guard

By Maxwell Ogden

Mar 7, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) controls the ball against the Clemson Tigers during the second half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) controls the ball against the Clemson Tigers during the second half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) dribbles the ball in front of Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jaylin Walker (23) in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) dribbles the ball in front of Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jaylin Walker (23) in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Philadelphia 76ers: Lonzo Ball, UCLA Bruins

Position: Point Guard
Age: 19 (10/27/1997)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’6″, 190 pounds, 6’7″
2016-17 Slash Line: .551/.412/.673
2016-17 Season Averages: 35.1 MPG, 14.6 PPG, 7.6 APG, 6.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG, 2.2 3PM

Lonzo Ball has garnered comparisons to Jason Kidd, which should offer enough insight into what it is that makes him special as a player. His defensive intensity and ability to turn the corner have been questioned, but his court vision has been enough to intrigue a vast number of NBA general managers.

As for the unorthodox release on his shot, don’t lose sleep over it. Ball nearly gets his shot off as quickly as Klay Thompson.

It’s fair to question how Ball would fit alongside Ben Simmons, but it’s important to take note of who’s running the Philadelphia 76ers. Bryan Colangelo played a key role in building the revolutionary Phoenix Suns teams of the mid-to-late 2000s, and he did so with a ball-dominant facilitator in Steve Nash.

Ball is nowhere near the shooter that Nash was, but he has the potential to orchestrate an offensive attack with a similar level of proficiency as a facilitator.

As for Simmons, he and Ball could potentially run the most dominant transition attack in the NBA. Ball is capable of working without the ball, and Simmons is an improved outside shot from being able to expand his off-ball value from working the baseline into being a true all-around threat.

Also take note that 76ers consultant Jerry Colangelo recently weighed in on Ball’s draft stock, essentially stating that his talent should take precedence.

Between Ball and Markelle Fultz, the Atlantic Division would become an unenviable mountain for the New York Knicks to climb.

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