Recent ESPN mock draft has Knicks selecting G-League Ignite standout
The New York Knicks recently went on a four-game win streak for absolutely no good reason, so while I’m over here thinking about the offseason and the draft, it seems that the team is doing their best to sneak into the play-in tournament. They aren’t mathematically eliminated just yet, which is nuts if you ask me…
It’s an uphill battle and a lot of things that are outside of their control have to perfectly fall into place, but if all you’re asking for is a chance, it’s alive and well.
However, that’s not what we’re here to discuss today. No, we’re still looking ahead and even with a play-in berth, the Knicks will still likely end up with a lottery pick at their disposal this offseason.
The draft is perhaps the most exciting part of the summer depending on who you ask. When your team has a top 10 to 15 pick, it makes it that much more intriguing.
Should the New York Knicks draft Dyson Daniels?
As the current roster stands, the most glaring need is the point guard position. Even with an exciting, young prospect in Miles McBride on the roster and a future Hall of Famer in Derrick Rose, it’s most likely the direction that New York will take when its number is called in June.
We’ve reacted to several ESPN mock drafts here at Daily Knicks, and in their most recent installment (subscription required), they have the Knicks selecting Dyson Daniels out of the G-League Ignite.
Daniels is an intriguing prospect. He’s a 19-year-old combo-guard out of Australia and stands at a reported 6-foot-6. It seems as if the days of your traditional pass-first point guards are long gone because there haven’t been many to come out of the draft in recent years. Daniels is no different.
He carried a lot of the facilitating load this season with the Ignite team, although most would say he’s built like a typical shooting guard or wing. His versatility is what makes him such an interesting player to watch.
He’s got an NBA-ready frame and body, weighing in at just north of 200 pounds. Unlike some of his fellow classmen who are likely to be drafted as ‘lead guards’, such as TyTy Washington and Johnny Davis, Daniels has shown natural passing instincts and great court vision.
Daniels is an unselfish player that’s always looking to get his teammates involved, similar to his fellow countryman and 2021 lottery pick, Josh Giddey. He’s also a plus-rebounder like Giddey out of the guard position, as he averaged 6.2 rebounds per game this past season.
He lacks elite athleticism and explosiveness around the painted area which is something that Tom Thibodeau does prefer out of the guys running the point, but that could be an area of focus after New York’s developmental staff gets ahold of him.
Daniels isn’t your typical half-court, break down a defense type of guy, but more of an in-transition, laser beam passer, similar to a player many Knicks fans coveted last offseason, Lonzo Ball.
Frankly, a lot of teams are moving away from the traditional 8-10 assists per game guards and are instead opting for more versatile players who can do a little bit of everything. Daniels would be an unquestionably good fit on New York’s roster given all of the playmakers they have outside of the point guard spot.
If they could get by with Alec Burks running the one spot for over half the season, they could do just as well, if not better, with Daniels starting instead of him next season.
