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Knicks Draft: Realistically re-drafting New York’s last 10 first round picks

By Yash Shrivastava

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 14: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the Dallas Mavericks and RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks shake hands following the game at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2019 in New York City. New York Knicks defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 14: Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the Dallas Mavericks and RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks shake hands following the game at Madison Square Garden on November 14, 2019 in New York City. New York Knicks defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-103. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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PJ Tucker of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Re-draft of the 2006 NBA Draft for the Knicks: P.J. Tucker

Knicks pick: 1st Round, Pick 29

Actual player selected: Mardy Collins

Isiah Thomas drafted Renaldo Balkman with the 20th pick because of his versatility and hustle that could complement the team’s guard-heavy roster. It’s funny that P.J. Tucker (selected 35th overall) was never in consideration as he embodies that sentiment to this day at 35-years-of-age.

PJ Tucker’s NBA career is bizarre. He played 17 games with the Raptors in his rookie season and then played the next five years in various foreign leagues. He came back to the league in 2012-13 with the Phoenix Suns, where he evolved into a feisty defender and one of the league’s best three-and-D wings.

He is currently playing center for the Houston Rockets at 6-foot-5 inches. He is genuinely one of the most versatile players in the league and turned into everything Renaldo Balkman was not in his tenure with the Knicks.

Tucker surely grew a lot from his time abroad, and it is unlikely Thomas and the Knicks would have been patient with Tucker early in his career. However, his reputation as a staunch defender would have fit perfectly into whatever Thomas was planning with four ball-dominant scoring guards.

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