The New York Knicks currently possess the eighth-best lottery odds in the 2018 NBA Draft. There are options to consider at every position.
The 2018 NBA Draft is an event that will forever alter the trajectory of the New York Knicks. Scott Perry will be entering his first annual selection process as a general manager, but there will be no excuses if New York fails to capitalize on what many hope will be its final top-10 selection for quite some time.
Thankfully for Perry and the Knicks, there are intriguing options and potential stars to consider at all five positions in the 2018 NBA Draft.
If the event were held today, New York would have the eighth-best lottery odds in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Knicks and the Chicago Bulls currently have identical records, which would ultimately require a tiebreak.
Losing three games to the Bulls in a matter of 32 days was frustrating when it happened, but it could ultimately prove beneficial as far as team-building is concerned.
Due to the fact that the Knicks haven’t exactly solidified any of the five positions on the court, it’s fair to ask: Who are the top options at every spot in the lineup? In order to answer that question, necessary context must be applied: New York won’t have a shot at the top-five locks if it picks at No. 8.
Nevertheless, Scott Perry and the New York Knicks should rejoice as the opportunity presents itself to select a franchise-altering prospect at the 2018 NBA Draft.
Age: 19 (7/12/1998)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’6″, 180 pounds, 7’0″
Slash Line: .485/.404/.817
Season Averages: 33.7 MPG, 14.4 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 3PM
The New York Knicks may have depth at point guard, but there isn’t a single player who has solidified their place as the long-term starter. Thus, it only makes sense to evaluate the talent at the position and determine if there’s an individual who fits the long-term vision.
Thankfully for the Knicks, there are few possibilities that are more ideal than a potential pairing of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Frank Ntilikina.
While Ntilikina is a 6’5″ point guard with a 7’0″ wingspan, Gilgeous-Alexander stands at 6’6″ with a 7’0″ wingspan of his own. While both need to add muscle to their respective frames, the two should have no trouble sharing a backcourt as far as defensive versatility is concerned.
Ntilikina has already displayed the ability to defend all three perimeter positions, while Gilgeous-Alexander has been matched up against players at both guard spots.
Offensively, both Gilgeous-Alexander and Ntilikina can create for their teammates as willing and able distributors. They can also get to their spots with their handle or work without the ball to help create a healthy flow in a motion offense.
Selecting a point guard may not be the most ideal of decisions on paper, but Gilgeous-Alexander and Ntilikina would change the identity of the team.
Age: 21 (8/30/1996)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’7″, 210 pounds, 7’2″
Slash Line: .512/.435/.848
Season Averages: 32.0 MPG, 17.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 2.6 3PM
Mikal Bridges could’ve been listed at both the 2 and the 3, but for the sake of including other options, we choose shooting guard. He’s the No. 1 overall player on the board for the New York Knicks and a borderline dream target in 2018.
Whether Bridges lines up at shooting guard or small forward, there’s no way around the belief that he’s the type of player who could be the glue to New York’s vision.
Bridges validated the growing 2018 NBA Draft hype by leading the Villanova Wildcats to the 2018 national championship. It was the second time that he helped Villanova win the title in three years, which is a testament to his greatness at the collegiate level.
What should translate to the next level is a well-rounded two-way game that begins with his 6’7″ frame, massive 7’2″ wingspan, and high-level athleticism.
Defensively, Bridges keeps players at all three perimeter positions in front of him and has the versatility to switch on to scorers at all five positions. Offensively, he’s an elite three-point shooter who can attack a closeout, create for his teammates, and finish with both hands.
Bridges would be drafted as a small forward, but he has the size, length, athleticism, and skill level to play shooting guard, as well.
Age: 19 (6/29/1998)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’10”, 215 pounds, 7’0″
Slash Line: .333/.300/.778
Season Averages: 3 GP, 10.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.3 ORPG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 3PM
Entering the 2017-18 college basketball season, it would’ve been blasphemous to list Michael Porter Jr. as a realistic option for the New York Knicks. Porter was viewed as a viable candidate to go No. 1 overall and a genuine top-five lock.
After missing all but three games with a spine injury, however, the possibility exists for Porter to slide to the Knicks at No. 8 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Porter is a 6’10” forward with a 7’0″ wingspan and borderline elite athleticism that wasn’t displayed during his injury-plagued freshman season. When healthy, however, he can blow by defenders in isolation, get out in transition, and play above the rim in either scenario.
Porter also has solid form on his jump shot and impressive vision as a passer, which rounds his superstar potential into form at the next level.
Defensively, Porter is an excellent rebounder who has displayed the potential to defend every position from 2 to 4. He’s garnered Paul George comparisons in that regard, which speaks to the All-NBA talent that he possesses.
If Porter, who can play the 3 or the 4, is on the board at No. 8 overall, one can almost guarantee that Scott Perry and the Knicks will make him their selection.
Age: 18 (8/11/1999)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’9″, 215 pounds, 7’0″
Slash Line: .445/.341/.774
Season Averages: 32.4 MPG, 15.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.5 3PM
It would be ideal for Jaren Jackson Jr. to slide to No. 8 overall, but the odds of that transpiring are admittedly slim. Jackson is generating top-five hype as an explosive athlete who can shoot the three-ball, protect the rim, and create at a reasonable level in isolation.
Thankfully for the New York Knicks, there’s a compelling option at power forward who has already captured the front office’s attention: Kevin Knox.
Offensively, Knox utilizes his explosive leaping ability and NBA-caliber agility to get by defenders and make plays in the paint. He can finish with both power and finesse, as he has the skill level to pull up for a floater and the strength to finish through contact.
Knox is also an effective three-point shooter who’s only scratching the surface of his proficiency, as well as a gifted passer who can play spot possessions as a point forward.
Defensively, Knox utilizes his 6’9″ frame, broad shoulders, and 7’0″ wingspan to hold his own in the post. It’s his athleticism that enables him to pick up assignments at multiple positions, which is reason enough to pair him with Kristaps Porzingis, who needs support against stretch bigs.
Knox can play either forward position, but as a 4 alongside Porzingis, he’d be able to maximize his offensive and defensive potential.
Age: 18 (4/16/1999)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’10”, 258 pounds, 7’3″
Slash Line: .561/.413/.738
Season Averages: 26.9 MPG, 13.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.9 ORPG, 2.0 APG, 2.1 BPG, 0.8 APG, 0.5 3PM
The Duke Blue Devils have produced a vast number of 2018 NBA Draft prospects. That list of players includes Grayson Allen, Marvin Bagley III, Trevon Duval, and Gary Trent Jr., who are all in the running to become first-round draft picks.
The center who best fits what the New York Knicks need, however, is Blue Devils standout and all-around contributor Wendell Carter Jr.
Carter doesn’t do anything at an elite level, but he’s one of the most well-rounded prospects in this draft class. I’d normally advise teams to stay away from players with that distinction, but at the center position in the modern era, it’s far from a bad thing.
Carter is essentially a stronger version of Charlotte Hornets glue guy Cody Zeller, which should enable him to play upwards of 30 minutes per game.
Offensively, Carter can score with his back to the basket, pass from the high post, and shoot with reasonable range. Defensively, he’s a productive rebounder whose numbers were limited by the presence of Marvin Bagley III, and an at least respectable shot-blocker.
The more desirable pick may be a perimeter player, but Carter has Al Horford potential as the glue to a New York Knicks team that certainly needs stability alongside Kristaps Porzingis.
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The question is: Which of these players will maintain their status as we approach the most rigorous portion of the 2018 NBA Draft cycle?