Despite the fact that the NY Knicks are currently undefeated through their first two games of play in 2021-22 and are coming off of a year where they saw their first playoff run since 2012-13, there are some who still believe that this team’s success from 2020-21 was a mere fluke.
Be it the fear of seeing injuries impact prominent players such as Kemba Walker and/ or Derrick Rose (which, frankly, are fair concerns) to the sheer notion that Julius Randle‘s All-NBA nod and eighth-place finish in the MVP race last season was a one-off scenario, there are several notable figures and media platforms alike who are under the impression that the “Knicks are gonna Knick” in this follow-up campaign.
Recently, the folks at Bleacher Report made it rather clear that they, along with FanDuel, are of this belief that New York is bound to severely regress, for, in their new 2022 NBA Mock Draft, they have the Knickerbockers slotted in at the back end of the lottery at 14th overall where writer Jonathan Wasserman has Leon Rose and co. selecting the Australian-born guard, Dyson Daniels.
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Citing his impressive size coupled with his overall offensive prowess, Wasserman believes that the G-League Ignite prospect could be a solid fit for the ball club should they be in a position to nab him:
"Daniels stands out most for his 6’6″ size, ball-handling for creation, paint scoring/finishing and shot-making potential. But alongside Jaden Hardy, he should have a good opportunity to showcase his combo and playmaking skills, which we saw over the summer at the U19 World Cup (4.6 assists per game)."
Now, obviously, we at the site are more so under the impression that the NY Knicks will only build off of their successes from last season, as they’ve retained several important figures from last year’s run and acquired a few key contributors that will only help them reach their full potential.
However, this mock draft is just another reminder that there are many others out there who, due to the organization’s unbelievably poor existence over the past two decades, believe doom and heartbreak are right around the corner.
While we at DK may have attained newfound trust in this franchise, it’s evident that not everyone is completely sold.