NY Knicks: Four Draft Prospects who complement RJ Barrett perfectly

Could Ziaire Williams fit well next to RJ Barrett on the NY Knicks?

Similar to Springer, Ziaire Williams is all about upside.

Many expected him to be a top 10 pick before the start of the latest NCAA season, as the 19-year old ranked 6th in RSCI high school player rankings and 8th on ESPN’s board at the start of the 2020 season.

It wasn’t hard to see why, as the 6’8″ Williams was a superb defender with a beautiful pull-up shooting motion, not to mention his solid athleticism.

He ultimately ended up struggling at Stanford, averaging just 10.7 points per game on ghastly 37-29-80 shooting splits.

It caused him to fall down draft boards and he’s now expected to be available when the Knicks make their choice on Thursday night.

Still, he did have some bright spots in college.

He scored 19 points on 53% shooting in his debut, then became one of just 18 total college players this season to record a triple-double in a win against Washington State later on in the year.

He’s the classic high-risk, high-reward prospect.

With New York already having a solid collection of young talent and a playoff-caliber roster, they could afford to take on a risk that could pay massive dividends.

It’s the same line of thinking that the Denver Nuggets used when drafting Michael Porter Jr. 14th overall, who then went on to average 19.0 points per game on 54% shooting this past season.

If Williams ends up continuing to struggle, it wouldn’t be ideal but the team would still have a promising young core.

If he can return to his high school form and prove that his 20 games at Stanford were an anomaly, the Knicks would suddenly have the brightest future in the NBA.

Williams’ pull-up shooting prowess to go along with his improving defense is a perfect complement to Barrett’s aggressive takes to the rim and his blossoming drive-and-kick ability.

If he can recognize his potential in the pros, the Knicks would suddenly have one of the best wing duos in the NBA.