As we all know by now, the New York Knicks have the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. In numerous mock drafts, Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin has been New York’s selection, but the probability that he’ll be off the board by the time the Knicks make their pick is growing higher.
In Sports Illustrated’s recent mock draft, the Portland Trail Blazers were chosen to select Mathurin with the No. 7 pick. There are other mock drafts where he’s slotted to go No. 8 to the New Orleans Pelicans and No. 9 to the San Antonio Spurs.
If Leon Rose and New York are interested in Mathurin, and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be, they need to accept the fact that he’s not going to make it to No. 11.
The Knicks have been linked to other players like Johnny Davis and Dyson Daniels, so let’s hope that those two names (plus others) don’t spark too much interest from the teams in the top 10.
Footage from Ben Mathurin's Pro Day in Santa Barbara. The 6'6, 19-year old Canadian showed off his deep shooting range and explosive finishing ability in front of representatives from all 30 NBA teams. pic.twitter.com/YkvD0ZL2QT
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 26, 2022
Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin will likely be selected before Knicks make No. 11 pick
As you can see in the embedded video above, Mathurin recently had his Pro Day in California, an event that drew the representation of all 30 NBA teams, which isn’t surprising.
The 19-year-old made a huge leap from his freshman to sophomore year with the Wildcats. He averaged 10.8 points in 2020-21 and 17.7 in 2021-22. Mathurin also averaged 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1 steal in the 37 games that he played in this past season while shooting 45% from the field, 36.9% from the 3-point line, and 76.4% from the free-throw line.
If the ball’s in his hands, he’s going to find a way to make a shot. Mathurin’s more than just a spot-up shooter, and like Obi Toppin, he’s a force in transition. If Mitchell Robinson leaves New York this summer, the team will need to find a replacement, but Mathurin’s willingness and ability to crash the boards will help to fill the possible void left by Robinson.
Knicks fans might be thinking that the team doesn’t need to draft another wing, but in case it isn’t obvious, New York would be lucky to draft Mathurin and not just because he probably won’t fall that “far.” Mathurin’s athleticism and energy are two things that stand out the most about him and he’d be a great fit on the court at Madison Square Garden.
But even as the likelihood of that happening continues to climb, Knicks fans should still get to enjoy watching Mathurin play whenever his team visits New York. That is, as long as the Knicks win, of course.
And if you believe in miracles and are drawn to Mathurin’s game, there’s still hope that New York could be his next destination. With the draft less than a month away, we’ll all find out in a few short weeks who the Knicks will select at No. 11.
3 realistic targets Knicks can draft with No. 11 pick
The New York Knicks will have the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23 and here are 3 players that they could select.