3 high-risk, high-reward players Knicks could draft at No. 11

1. Jaden Hardy

There are definitely a lot of differing opinions on the potential of 19-year-old guard Jaden Hardy. He was a massive recruit coming out of high school — ESPN’s No. 1 guard and No. 2 player in the country for the class of 2021. Expectations were massive for Hardy as he decided to forego college and join the G League Ignite team.

While Hardy was able to put points on the board during his stint in the G League (17.7 points per game) he did so with some very inefficient numbers: 35.1% from the field and 26.9% from three. Putting up poor efficiency numbers has certainly hurt his draft stock.

Hardy has a ways to go to be a “go-to” scoring guard in the NBA, but the flashes are absolutely there. His biggest strength is probably his ball-handling. Hardy has lead-guard level skills with the ball in his hands — he has a massive bag of moves, he changes speeds well, and he knows how to get into the teeth of a defense, which is something that the Knicks don’t have from any of their young guards.

His potential as a playmaker could be enticing for New York. While Hardy’s shooting percentages were abysmal, we’ve seen plenty of prospects who come from professional leagues that post poor shooting percentages, only to become good shooters in the NBA.

Hardy has nice form and solid shooting potential, but he’s got to put in the work. Once considered a potential top 5 pick, Hardy could be worth the risk for the Knicks.

Ranking Knicks’ 2022 NBA Draft Big Board options for No. 11 pick

The New York Knicks have a big decision to make, and while not all of these players will be around at No. 11, the right one will be.