“Do you think that, if given the chance to go back in time and make their pick again knowing the way both of their careers played out, the NY Knicks would still choose Patrick Ewing? Or would they choose Karl Malone this time?”
It’s a question Shea Serrano poses (in a footnote, no less) in his 2017 book Basketball (And Other Things). Yes, this book is four years old, and yes, I’m just getting around to reading it.
(I should also add that I’m thoroughly enjoying it. If you are interested in buying a copy, check out The Lit. Bar in The Bronx.)
On the surface, this seems like a crazy question. Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest players in Knicks franchise history.
If given a re-do, do you think NY Knicks would’ve still selected Patrick Ewing?
However, I cannot shake it. I had other things I wanted to write but exploring the answer to this question is something I’m obsessing over.
The deeper you dig into this idea, the less obvious the answer becomes.
Karl Malone is one of my least favorite players in the NBA.
Literally, nothing could make him likable in my eyes. (Serrano agrees.) Not the Crank Yankers sketches. Not wrestling with DDP.
And yet…
I cannot shake the question.
Patrick Ewing, on the other hand, can seemingly do no wrong in my book. (Serrano also adds that drafting Ewing was a “good decision and a smart decision.”)
But still…
The question lingers.
We’ve been doing a bit of re-drafting here at Daily Knicks, so I decided to hop in the Wayback Machine for this one.
If the Knicks got a chance to re-draft the frozen envelope draft, would they still draft Patrick Ewing number one?
Let’s dive in.