New York Knicks 2017 Re-Draft: NYC lands a cornerstone Big Man
By Allen Settle
New York Knicks 2017 Re-Draft: Pick #8
Jarrett Allen. #8. Center. . player. 27. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Ladies and gentlemen! The moment you’ve all been waiting for! As a general reminder, the New York Knicks ultimately used the #8 pick in the 2017 draft to select… Frank… Ntilikina… At the time, the franchise had hopes of developing the French star into an elite two-way player.
Fast forward to the 2021-2022 season, and Ntilikina remains unsigned as the season rapidly approaches. At just 23 years old, his NBA career hangs in the balance.
Now, the Knicks have a chance to rectify this error. While the seven best players are already off the board, New York still has talents like Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Kuzma, Jonathan Issac, and Jarrett Allen.
Markkanen would make a lot of sense. That is until you consider the positional redundancy between him and Kristaps Porzingas. Considering Issac’s injury concerns and Kuzma’s inconsistency, the choice here is clear: Jarrett Allen. This redraft scenario allows the Knicks to land their paint protector of the future before Mitchell Robinson even enters the building.
Allen has quickly developed into one of the premier paint defenders in the league. In just a few short seasons, “The Fro” has accumulated an array of impressive highlights, most of which come in the form of command blocks.
Need proof? Here are 10+ minutes of shot rejections for his time with the Brooklyn Nets. Oh! And these are all from a single season.
Allen is the type of talent that could be a difference-maker around any supporting cast. Should Porgingas remained with the team, the two could have formed an awesome frontcourt. If the Knicks remained on their current path built around Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, and Derrick Rose, the former Longhorn would gel well.
For a bonus, imagine Allen shot clocking powers combined with coach Tom Thibodeau’s defensive genius. This pairing made in heaven could allow Allen to move into the DPOY conversation during his time in blue and orange.
How do you see the 2017 draft playing out?
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