After not being in lottery pick range in 2021, the New York Knicks are back with the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Knicks aren’t known for having a lot of draft success, but in recent years the team has benefitted from the additions of two lottery picks in particular – RJ Barrett in 2019 and Obi Toppin in 2020.
Barrett was the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft and he’s blossomed into a player that could turn into the next big thing in New York for years to come. Then there’s Toppin, who has played behind Julius Randle since he entered the league. Amidst an offseason full of rumors, Toppin’s name has been thrown around, but that isn’t a goodbye that fans want to make.
Depending on the moves that the Knicks’ front office makes this summer, New York could be back on the rise. That entails having a successful draft. Since you’re supposed to learn from the past, let’s look back at three lottery picks that didn’t have the careers that Knicks fans (and the front office) were hoping for.
3 biggest lottery pick busts for the New York Knicks since the 2008 draft
3: Frank Ntilikina – 2017
Oh, Frank Ntilikina. The six-foot-four guard from France was the No. 8 pick in the 2017 draft. Less than a week after the draft, Phil Jackson was fired from his role as New York’s president. His final major decision was to make Ntilikina a member of the Knicks.
As we know now, that didn’t turn out well. He spent a total of four seasons in New York before he signed with the Dallas Mavericks in free agency last year. His best season with the Knicks came in 2019-20 when he averaged 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3 assists in 57 games while shooting 39.3% from the field and 32.1% from the 3-point line.
Ntilikina left New York with 211 games under his belt in which he averaged 5.5 points, 2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. He shot 36.6% from the field and 32.8% from three. He struggled offensively during his tenure with the Knicks, which is a reason why he didn’t get consistent minutes.
The defensive guard received a second chance when New York hired Tom Thibodeau as head coach in 2020, but his play never amounted to anything. In the postseason, Ntilikina appeared in 3 games for a total of four minutes.
His role with the Mavericks in 2021-22 was similar to the role that he held with the Knicks during his first four years in the league. During Dallas’ playoff run, he averaged 1.9 points, 1 rebound, and 0.8 assists in 12 games while shooting 33.3% from the floor and 30% from behind the arc.
At the age of 23, Ntilikina should theoretically have a long, successful career ahead of him, but that isn’t necessarily the case. As likable as he is, the French Prince was thrust into a position in New York that he wasn’t ready for and we can all thank Jackson for that. What a nice parting gift.