Would you compare NY Knicks’ Jericho Sims to Dwight Howard?
If you told me 10 years ago that the Knicks got the second coming of Dwight Howard at the 58th pick, I’d say that’s the biggest steal in NBA history.
Unfortunately for both Dwight, Jericho Sims, and most all traditional centers…the requirements to be a top 10 center in today’s NBA have changed dramatically.
Once upon a time your back-to-the-basket, rim-running bigs ruled the NBA.
If your team didn’t have an elite center, you probably didn’t have that good of a team.
But ever since analytics became more and more prevalent in the sport, your slow, plodding, big-body centers are nowhere to be found anymore.
It sucks for Jericho Sims because if he was born 15 years earlier, he’d easily be a multiple-time All-Star.
Sims has already shown he has a few very special characteristics in his game in a short period of time.
He can be one of the elite roll men in the league within a few seasons. He’s also a strong post defender.
As long as Tom Thibodeau leads this team, Sims can easily find his way into the rotation within the next 2-3 years because Thibs doesn’t ask for much from his bigs besides for them to play hard on defense and get themselves into the dunker’s spot and finish when you’re thrown a lob.
Getting a guy that will most definitely make an NBA roster at the 58th pick was a huge bargain for the Knicks.