Are you frustrated with some of the New York Knicks‘ recent draft selections? Do you wish the franchise had a reset button that you could hit to do things over again? Do you enjoy suspending belief and using your imagination? Then you’ll love a good, old-fashioned, NBA Re-Draft article!
Thankfully, you’ve come to the place! Here I present a redraft piece for the 2017 NBA Draft. As is always the case, the crescendo ends with the focus on the Knicks.
For the sake of communication, this redraft is written through the lens of what we know about each player today. It is also written to stay as close to the original paths that each team has taken. The only major difference is their draft selection.
With the benefit of several seasons of hindsight available, here’s a look at how the top nine picks shake out:
New York Knicks 2017 Re-Draft: Pick #1
Let’s start with a surprise at pick #1. Many might assume that this spot would go to two-time All-Star and current Celtics centerpiece Jason Tatum. While the former Duke product has been an elite scorer during his time in the NBA, another two-time All-Star narrowly edges him out for to billing: Donovan Mitchell.
Despite bosting a slender 6’1”, 215lb frame, the then 13th overall selection has been amazing during his four seasons in the NBA ranks. His career per-game averages of 23.4 points and 4.3 assists both trump Tatum’s marks of 19.4 and 2.7.
Even more impressively, Mitchell has become the star force that has led to a less talented Utah Jazz roster to great success in a tough Western Conference. While Tatum has also enjoyed his share of postseason and team success, Mitchell has propelled his franchise into a different stratosphere.
Imagine a guard-center combo of Joel Embid and Mitchell dominating on the court together! The pairing would have the opportunity to carve out a lane for themselves amongst the best duos in recent memory.
New York Knicks 2017 Re-Draft: Picks 2-3
That being said, Jason Tatum does not fall far on our list. He also lands in a great situation with the Lakers. For the sake of argument, let’s say superstar LeBron James still signs with LA. Let’s also say that the Lakers were able to pull off the blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis without including Tatum. As memory serves, Kyle Kuzma was widely speculated to be included in the trade instead of Lonzo Ball. Let’s suspend reasoning and assume that was the case.
The new-look Lakers squad would boast a big three that could match the current Nets core of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. A young building block like Tatum at the helm, Los Angeles would be poised for a season of success both now and into the future.
This is an easy call!
This next pick rounds out a clear tier of elite talent from the 2017 draft. While 2019 All-Star Bam Adebayo falls a hair behind the aforementioned stars, he has established himself as an important building block who room to develop further.
Adebayo has become one of the league’s best all-around talents whose game perfectly meshes with the modern NBA. You would be hard-pressed to find a player who could match the Kentucky star’s contributions of 18.7 points, 9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1 block per game averages last season. He has the size and muscle to thrive in the paint while processing the shooting and play-making ability to make him a threat at all levels.
Adebayo is also already one of the best defenders in the league. The two-time All-Defensive selection could make a serious argument for a multi-time snub for Defensive Player of the Year honors. The Heat center can protect the paint while switching onto shifty star guards that place him in the same category as transcendent talents like Giannis Antetokounmpo.
New York Knicks 2017 Re-Draft: Picks 4-7
De’Aaron Fox has quietly built a nice career for himself on sub-par Sacramento teams. The 2017 fifth overall pick has become one of the best scorers in the league (25.2 points per game last season).
His game-changing speed and athleticism would fit well alongside Devin Booker and the upstart Phoenix offense. Lock him in at #4.
While the Kings just miss out on selecting Fox, they do land their long-term replacement for the recently departed Demarcus Cousins. Highflier John Collins brings his highlight-reel dunks to Sacramento where he forms a unique frontcourt tandem with fellow lottery pick Willie Cauley-Stein.
This feels like a good pairing for both parties. Lonzo Ball lands in a good situation where he can start immediately and thrive without the headaches of a major market. The Magic also land a PG that helps them move away from the Elfrid Payton experiment.
Ball is slated to suit up for his third franchise in five years when he starts for the Chicago Bulls this season. Perhaps a landing spot in Orlando would also him to find his stride in a consistent, stable, environment.
Lonzo has become a legitimate NBA starter. My guess is that his ceiling reaches a higher point in this re-draft scenario.
OG Anunoby joins a sneaky good Wolves roster. For one fleeting season, Minnesota employed a postseason caliber depth chart that featured Jimmy Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Jamal Crawford.
The addition of Anunoby would allow Butler to shift to small forward, with Anunoby at shooting guard, and Wiggins as the stretch-four.
Who knows how the long-term roster is affected by his presence? But, at the very least, he adds for firepower during this single season of success.
New York Knicks 2017 Re-Draft: Pick #8
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?