2021 NBA Draft: Mock 1.0, Knicks bolster the backcourt
By Toby Jaffe
NBA draft season has arrived, and the NY Knicks will soon be on the clock.
Like last year, the Knicks will have two first-round picks this July. They have their own pick, which will likely be post-lottery, and the Mavericks selection thanks to the 2019 Porzingis trade. In this mock, the blue and orange will be picking 18th and 21st — just outside the lottery but still within range of some high-quality prospects.
The largest team needs for the Knicks are probably the two most important positions in the NBA — starting PG and wing.
It is sad to say that Raymond Felton is very possibly the most accomplished Knick floor general of the 21st century. This has been a position the Knicks have inexplicably neglected for decades at their peril; it has become a permitter-oriented league and for too long the organization has lived in the past. Let this be the offseason that the organization finally finds a long-term piece at the position.
The NY Knicks have had more success at wing during recent years, what with names like Carmelo Anthony, but the cupboard is now bare. Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks are not long-term starters and Kevin Knox has not lived up to the hype generated by his 2018 summer league performance. If the Knicks want to reach lofty heights under Thibs and Leon Rose, they absolutely must find a quality 3.
The Knicks will have plenty of options in the NBA Draft
So, this begs the question, who exactly will the Knicks take in the 2021 draft? Well, I’ll offer an answer in a moment. Before, that, though, we must project the rest of the draft so as to create a realistic draft board for New York when it’s their time to pick.
The NBA draft order is based on a lottery simulation I ran here.