With the NBA All-Star break in full swing, where do the New York Knicks and other lottery teams sit in this abbreviated 2019 mock draft?
The New York Knicks are in line for one of the 2019 NBA Draft’s top spots. As of the All-Star break, they hold the No. 2 pick for June’s selection show. Another intriguing crop of prospects will enter the League and look to make a name for themselves.
The last draft, the Knicks selected Kevin Knox ninth overall. Before that, was Frank Ntilikina. Both remain on the roster and are part of this organization’s future.
Whoever joins New York in the 2019 draft will add to these young players, and others, to boost the next team that takes the floor at Madison Square Garden.
How will their pick impact everything that happens in the lottery? As of Feb. 18, let’s project the 2019 NBA Draft, pick by pick, starting with the team that owns the worst record:
If not for a win before the All-Star break, the New York Knicks would have been mocked the top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Almost does not exist in this situation, however, so, with one more loss than the Knicks, the Phoenix Suns own the highest lottery odds and the top selection.
Who else but Zion Williamson, right?
The player that’s captivated college basketball, Williamson took his highlight reel plays from YouTube to the court, proving he’s more than just flashly dunks. There’s a fascinating talent behind that, with freakish athleticism to block shots, soar down the floor and hit the occasional outside shot. He’s a man among boys and can overpower his opponents.
Shooting is the only real question in Williamson’s game, but with others that can spread the floor around him, taking three-pointers are not always necessary.
On the Suns, Williamson pairs with Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton to make a new “Big 3” out west. It’s actually players coming to Phoenix, as Booker once wanted, but not in the way he probably expected.
Still, this is the way for the Suns to compete in the cluttered Western Conference. They are one Zion Williamson from becoming a fascinating team that could stick for the next decade. The ping pong balls just need to fall in their favor in May.