Ultimate Upside Comparison: Taj Gibson
Safe Upside Comparison: Brandon Bass
Position: Power Forward
Age: 20 (7/11/1996)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’8.25″, 239 pounds, 7’1.25″
2016-17 Slash Line: .465/.384/.692
2016-17 Season Averages: 31.9 MPG, 16.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.6 ORPG, 1.8 APG, 2.6 BPG, 0.8 SPG, 1.9 3PM
With their third and final selection of the 2017 NBA Draft, Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks pad the interior. Kristaps Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez are the future, and the likes of Joakim Noah and Kyle O’Quinn need minutes of their own.
True as that may be, the Knicks need an athletic interior player who can provide the ideal balance to an otherwise grounded interior—and while Porzingis can sky, he shouldn’t have to.
Cameron Oliver has the physical tools to be the player who helps bring a sense of explosiveness to New York. He stands at 6’8″ and 239 pounds with a long 7’1.25″ wingspan and an awe-inspiring 39.5″ max vertical leap.
When it comes down to Oliver and an opposing player meeting at the rim, the safe bet is on the Nevada Wolfpack star winning that battle.
Oliver’s defensive potential should intrigue the Knicks, as he averaged 8.8 defensive rebounds and 3.4 blocks per 40 minutes during his two-year college career. Offensively, he’s a skilled passer who can sky above the rim and space the floor with his jump shot.
After the Knicks allowed more second chance points than any other team in the Association in 2016-17, Oliver should be a top target in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.