New York Knicks: Top 5 2019 NBA Draft backcourt prospects as of March 2
If the New York Knicks do not select first and take Zion Williamson, there are intriguing options for them to fill the backcourt in the 2019 NBA Draft.
As of Mar. 2, the New York Knicks sit second in the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery odds. The worst three records share an even 14-percent chance at the first overall pick, but whoever owns the worst record can only fall to fifth in the final order.
So there is a chance the Knicks land second, third, fourth, fifth or as low as sixth as currently projected. If so, that potentially removes them from the Zion Williamson sweepstakes.
However, New York will have a backcourt need entering the draft. They have points guards in Dennis Smith Jr., Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina, but nothing is guaranteed, as the team sets out for one of the franchise’s worst records ever.
Whether it’s a point guard or a shooting guard, who are the top backcourt prospects as the season starts its final full month?
5. Romeo Langford, Indiana
Slash Line: .458/.273/.726
Stat Line: 17.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG, 1.1 3PM
Romeo Langford was once locked in as a top 10 prospect for the 2019 NBA Draft. His time at Indiana has not proven poorly at all, with 17.1 points on 45.8 percent shooting, but the inefficiency from behind the arc put the freshman behind the upper class.
At 6-foot-6 and over 210 pounds, Langford has the NBA frame to play shooting guard; maybe a smaller three in some situations. His 6-foot-11 wingspan offers intriguing defensive potential, as well, to allow him to cover slightly taller players. That is all clear.
However, along with the questionable shooting, Langford has a distracting 2.3:2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. As a potential ball handler for an NBA backcourt, it offers concern. This carried from high school to college.
Unless Langford corrects this, it will limit him to off-ball situations, hurting potential draft value, although he should still land in the lottery.
This will probably become a player the New York Knicks look past in the top five, especially with the other talent available. They have a need at shooting guard, after the Tim Hardaway Jr. contract did not pan out and Courtney Lee was weeded out for cap-clearing purposes. Allonzo Trier and Damyean Dotson are around, but it’s questionable if either will stick long term as a starter.