“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.
How does Patrick Ewing stack up against Karl Malone?
I could write like Melville here, but sometimes a good, old-fashioned list of the pertinent data points is just the more effective way to go.
Career PPG: 25.0
Career RPG: 10.1
Career APG: 3.6
Career SPG: 1.4
Career BPG: 0.8
Career PER: 23.9
Win Shares: 234.6
Career Achievements: Hall of Fame, 14-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, 4-time All-Defensive Team, All-Rookie Team, 2-time All-Star Game MVP, 2-time NBA MVP, Three Finals Appearances, Currently Second on the all-time Scoring List
Career PPG: 21.0
Career RPG: 9.8
Career APG: 1.9
Career SPG: 1.0
Career BPG: 2.4
Career PER: 21.0
Win Shares: 126.4
Career Achievements: Hall of Fame, 11-time All-Star, 7-time All-NBA, 3-time All-Defensive Team, All-Rookie Team, Rookie of the Year, One Finals Appearance
Even the most strident Patrick Ewing supporter would have to acknowledge that, from a pure data perspective, Malone probably has the edge. The only spot where Ewing put up better career numbers was blocks per game.
And yes, Ewing won Rookie of the Year over Malone, but Malone’s two MVPs easily win there.
How does Karl Malone stack up against Patrick Ewing?
First of all, we have to be honest on this one as well: Karl Malone has one of the most iconic nicknames in NBA history.
With an equally iconic New York Post Office behind the Garden, his nickname might have been a better fit with the Knicks than Big Pat.
There is a basketball piece that must be discussed here as well, and that’s the fact that Patrick Ewing never had a teammate as talented as John Stockton.
In fact, I personally believe that Stockton is good enough that I think the Knicks win both of the Rockets titles from the 90s if they have him. He’s that good.
How good? Try nearly 4,000 career assists better than the guy in second place good.
How good? Try also the career leader in steals good.
How good? Good enough that it feels impossible to me to not factor his play into Malone’s career numbers.
As I’ve written before, Ewing’s career numbers and outcomes might have looked even better than Malone’s if he had gotten to play with a point guard of Stockton’s caliber.
I’ll close with this:
You know how Quentin Tarantino is on a kick of these revenge fantasy movies where he re-writes history? We only get joy from those because the good guy wins at the end.
Karl Malone is soooo unlikable. Even DDP (a legit great human…seriously…google his post-wresting career if you don’t know about him) couldn’t make him feel like a legitimate baby face.
For the good guy to win here–for all of us to get joy–the Knicks absolutely have to select Ewing again in the redraft.