New York Knicks: Trae Young vs. Collin Sexton for the 2018 NBA Draft

Standout point guards Collin Sexton and Trae Young are both on the 2018 NBA Draft radar for the New York Knicks. The question is: Who’s better?

The New York Knicks are more than likely going to finish with the eighth or ninth-best lottery odds in the 2018 NBA Draft. New York has an influx of guards, but none that are too high in quality—and it’s too early to tell with Frank Ntilikina.

The Knicks are predicted by many to take either Oklahoma Sooners point guard Trae Young or a different maroon and white guard: Alabama’s Collin Sexton.

Let’s break them down

Height/Wingspan

When you look at Young on the court, he really comes off as shorter than everyone else. But, Sexton and Young are both listed at 6’2″ and in the 180-pound range. Based on those pre-Combine measurements, height is a push.

The wingspan is where the discrepancy comes in. Young has a 6’4″ wingspan, to Sexton’s 6’7″, with an 8’0″ standing reach. Advantage Sexton.

Shooting Ability

Marksman Trae Young shot 42.3 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three, and 86.1 percent from the charity stripe. Solid numbers. He also hoisted up 19.3 shots per game, which is a lot even by NBA standards.

Sexton shot 44.7 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from three, and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe. Strong numbers, but most of shots came from the paint.

With more help from better players on the court, Young will blossom into a premier shooter in the NBA.

Advantage Trae Young.

Athleticism/Slashing/Inside Scoring

Young has a way of getting to the rim without having the size and stature to physically dominate that reminds me of a young, greasy-haired Steve Nash. At the end of the Oklahoma game, Young was getting to the bucket with ease.

Sexton, however, is one of the elite slashers in this draft class.

I wouldn’t call him the next Russell Westbrook per se, but he has a bevy of moves that are going to get him to the basket.

Advantage Sexton.

Defense/Rebounding

Defensively, Sexton has the potential to be a beast on the less glamorous side of the ball. He’s extremely athletic and has a generational motor. Defense, however, is 50 percent showing up and trying, which is always something to keep in mind with young guards.

As previously mentioned, Sexton is much longer than Young and much more athletic. Young is going to struggle on the defensive end of the floor. He’s not going to be able to keep up with quicker guards and will likely need to be hidden on the defense.

Advantage Sexton.

Attitude and Intangibles

To be completely frank, I wrote this whole article just to go through this area of their respective games. Both of these players are born competitors, but of a different mold. Sexton is going to trash-talk the shorts off other players.

One of the most famous meme/videos in recent memory features Sexton grilling his opponent into a different neighborhood.

He also was caught by the NCAA calling Mikal Bridges, future lottery pick, the ‘B’ word—when his team was down 26 points! That takes some kind of bravado.

Trae Young is more of a silent assassin. He was portrayed in the media as a family-man and a very down to earth player. He also had every eye on him throughout the season.

Every moment was spotlighted due to his incredible play. 22 assists in a game, countless 30-point efforts—Young led Oklahoma through the season single-handed.

Verdict

I wrote this article thinking I really wanted Sexton. But after tireless research, I’ve been swayed onto the ways of Trae, and would love to see him suit up for the Knicks.

He has the attitude to win and loves to compete. He would give the Knicks a point guard of the future who can shoot and facilitate an offense.

Must Read: 2018 NBA Draft targets who stepped up on Mar. 18

The question is: Will either player still be on the board when the New York Knicks pick at the 2018 NBA Draft?