New York Knicks: Ranking every NBA Draft Lottery pick

4. Kevin Knox (2018)

Kevin Knox is only one year into his New York Knicks run, but with the unceremonious history of their draft picks and the upside ahead, he has positioning as a top lottery pick in franchise history, for now.

The first season proved rocky for Knox. There was the December Rookie of the Month award, when Knox averaged 17.1 points on 40.3 percent shooting and 38.4 percent on three-pointers. It was a struggle otherwise, and he finished with 37 percent shooting in 28.8 minutes.

Fizdale had no reason to remove playing time from Knox, so there was every chance to overcome the in-season obstacles and take a step forward. The Kentucky product is just 19 years old, though, and those strides might not arise until his sophomore campaign.

There are future expectations as the ninth pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, especially when Deandre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr., Wendell Carter and Collin Sexton all had promising rookie seasons as top-10 picks. Instead, Knox was overshadowed by his other first-year teammates, Mitchell Robinson and Allonzo Trier.

A journey is ahead for Knox, and this spot as the fourth-best lottery pick in franchise history is not written in pen. It could change, for better or worse, with his second season.