WE HERE! The NY Knicks just won Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks and the city is rockin!
It was a tough battle from start to finish.
The first half was difficult to watch at times because even though the Knicks looked solid on defense, they couldn’t stop Atlanta from scoring at will.
In the second half, the whole team started to come alive and the Knicks ultimately won the game 101-92.
It wasn’t pretty, but a W is a W at the end of the day.
Prior to the game starting, there was some speculation that there may be a Mitchell Robinson sighting due to a very cryptic Tweet from him as well as a random news drop that his injury status had been upgraded to “Game Time Decision”.
With Nerlens Noel’s availability up in the air, there may have been no better time to have the Knicks’ star big-man back.
Alas, not only did Nerlens Noel end up being fine and starting the game but no Mitch either.
A lot of hype for not a whole lot of reason, but it was a fun few hours.
Speaking of the centers, there’s no chance all 4 of today’s centers on the roster will be back next year.
Should the NY Knicks draft a center in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft?
Mitchell Robinson is entering the final year of his rookie contract and the Knicks’ front office has a huge decision on their hands.
They have leverage in the negotiations now but won’t at the same time next season because Robinson can easily just enter unrestricted free agency and leave for nothing if the Knicks don’t pay him what he wants.
If he asks for too much then the Knicks may explore the idea of trading him.
If he is ultimately re-signed, that makes Noel’s return far less likely because he has also earned himself a nice contract next year and it just wouldn’t make a ton of sense paying 2 centers so much when the position itself is no longer a premier position in the NBA.
Taj Gibson would be great to have back but he’ll be turning 36 soon and who knows how much gas he’s got left in the tank.
Finally, Norvel Pelle was basically just brought on as an insurance policy for if either of the 2 previously mentioned centers would go down to an injury, so who knows if he’ll be back next year or not.
That being said, there may be a hole in NY’s center rotation, and with 4 draft picks in the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft, it would make a lot of sense for the Knicks to target a center.
Here are 3 centers the Knicks could realistically target with picks 19, 21, and 32.
Potential NY Knicks target at #19 – Kai Jones
Ok, so this one might be a little bit of a stretch, but if Kai Jones falls a bit, I would love the Knicks to take him at 19 if possible.
I don’t think I would trade up terribly high for a center but again, if Jones lasted past the top 15 picks, it’s likely he could be sitting there at pick #19.
Born in the Bahamas, Kai Jones was a star in high school. In 2019, he chose Texas over other top-tier programs such as Arizona and Kansas.
Jones’ numbers aren’t eye-popping, but it’s his potential that’ll have him selected in the 1st round of the upcoming draft.
Jones averaged roughly 9 points, a steal, a block, and 5 rebounds per game in his sophomore season with the Longhorns.
He’s super athletic, long, and extremely bouncy. Jones lives and thrives above the rim, blocking shots and catching lobs.
He reminds me a bit of a poor man’s Myles Turner in a lot of ways and fits the exact mold of what Coach Thibs has now in Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel, and Norvel Pelle.
He’s maybe not the same defensive stalwart as those other names but I think with the right coaching, he can become a force.
An element he brings to his game that could really help the Knicks is his 3-point shooting ability.
Imagine a player with Mitch-like skills across the board but could also shoot 38% from deep.
If the Knicks didn’t use their 19th overall pick in a trade for more veteran talent, and Kai Jones is on the board…Take him and run!
Potential NY Knicks target at #21 – Isaiah Jackson
Another stretch but not nearly as much as the last one, here I would target Kentucky’s Isaiah Jackson.
Oh, what’s that? The Knicks targeting a Kentucky Wildcat? How odd…
I’m sure New York’s assistant coach Kenny Payne has the inside scoop on the big man and would love an opportunity to bring him to The Mecca.
I’ve seen several mocks where Jackson went to the Knicks at either 19 or 21 across the internet so it’s safe to say that a lot of people think he would fit in nicely.
Jackson does exactly what Tom Thibodeau likes in his centers and that’s to protect the rim.
He averaged a whopping 2.6 blocks per game in his freshman season.
Jackson is no slouch in other departments either, whereas he averaged 8.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last season.
But back to the blocks…Jackson had 9 games last year where he had 3 blocks or more.
On December 1st against Kansas, he had an astounding 8 blocks in that game.
Lastly, he had another game on January 12th against Alabama where he had another 7 blocks.
The guy likes to play defense, clearly.
He cannot stretch the floor but that’s not always a necessity on a Thibs-led team, and his offense can surely improve greatly. But he could make an instant impact on Day 1 on the defensive side if he is ultimately drafted to the Knicks.
Potential NY Knicks target at #32 – Charles Bassey
If you haven’t noticed the running theme here, it’s that I want the Knicks to get players that fall down the draft boards to them and land in their laps.
Charles Bassey could be gone by the end of the first round, but if he was available at #32 and the Knicks still have that pick and haven’t traded it elsewhere, Bassey would be an absolute steal.
Bassey played at the college that Mitchell Robinson was supposed to play at, Western Kentucky.
He stands at 6’11 and weighs in at about 240lbs give or take.
Bassey is a great inside scorer who tries to be an outside scorer, his range is something he could work on at the next level and become a serious weapon…
Almost like an Al Horford type of player if he does learn how to stretch the floor more consistently.
Bassey didn’t face the same level of competition in college that the previous 2 prospects did, but he still put up tremendous numbers anywhere you looked.
With no real weaknesses, Bassey averaged 17.6 points, 3.1 blocks, and 11.6 rebounds.
Baby Shaq numbers.
Although he’s a bit beefier than the centers on today’s Knicks roster, he was still a serious lob threat in college and that could translate into the NBA.
He doesn’t have the highest ceiling, may never be a star, but will likely always be a contributor whether it be starting or off the bench.
If he figures out a way to stretch the floor at a league-average level, Charles Bassey could have the best career of all 3 prospects mentioned in this article.