Defending Knicks’ front office decisions in 2022 NBA Draft

The Knicks have enough young talent

How many nights did we sit back last season as Alec Burks ran point and Julius Randle ascended further downhill, while Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin shared a spot at the end of the bench? Sometimes we would get lucky, and Quentin Grimes, or even Cam Reddish, would grace the court for more than an end of the quarter cameo.

The reality of last season was New York had an absolute arsenal of young talent that was not seeing minutes on the floor, much to the dismay of the fanbase as the losses continued to rack up.

On paper, (assuming Mitchell Robinson returns) the Knicks have a starting five, plus a sixth man and then some, in players 24 years and younger. This doesn’t account for the handful of veterans who will also be looking for their share of playing time in the coming season.

Whoever New York drafted at 11 would (most likely) not have been some day one, sure starter. They would have been another player to join this youth brigade (or charade) that continues to be underdeveloped and left with table scraps for minutes.

I think, at the very end of last season, the Knicks were pleasantly surprised with the play of Quickley and Toppin. On top of RJ Barrett’s zealous season and Robinson reaffirming his Andre Drummond-like abilities, New York’s front office decided these were the guys they wanted to build around.

What could the Knicks have done with the No. 11 pick?

When they landed 11, there were several rumors the team was going to make a huge trade up for Jaden Ivey or pursue a veteran like Malcolm Brogdon (who they very well still could pursue). Despite their efforts, though, their packages did not move the needle for Detroit, Indiana, or Sacramento.

Many were upset with the fact that Leon Rose and company did not make some monumental acquisition with the 11th overall pick. That seems a little unfair because this is not MyGM mode in NBA2K. There are no force-trade options.

These teams obviously coveted the players they drafted with their picks, as they should because they were immensely valuable. If teams are calling your phone and offering significant assets for the pick, you may be inclined to believe the player you drafted is the star you believe they are.

One superstar is worth a lot more than a couple of future first-round picks.

It was obvious the Knicks wanted Jaden Ivey. When they could not get him, this left them in a situation where they were not sold and did not feel comfortable selecting another player.

So, if you are not sold on a player (who you will have to pay between $3-4 million over the next three seasons), why draft them? To add them to your carousel of young players, who are already never playing?

Play the players you have! We really have yet to see what any of them are capable of, and drafting at any position immediately creates competition with an existing young player.

It would not have made any sense for New York to draft a player unless the front office were sure he would be an upgrade from one of the seven options they will have to test this next season, and obviously, they did not feel that way.