The 2022-23 season is still a month away, but it isn’t too early to look ahead to the 2023 NBA Draft, which is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated drafts in recent memory. The Knicks are projected as a fringe playoff team going into the season, and with the 2023 draft expected to be overflowing with young talent like Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson, it doesn’t hurt to see who could possibly be the next piece added to an exciting young core.
A recently released 2023 mock draft has the Knicks taking freshman point guard Cason Wallace out of Kentucky with the 11th overall pick. Wallace was ranked third at his position and 20th overall in the class of 2022, according to ESPN. Watching his high school mixtape, it’s clear to see that he has the capabilities to be a great two-way player at the next level. The Knicks could use him, but they don’t need him.
Knicks picking Cason Wallace in the 2023 NBA Draft wouldn’t make sense
It seems whoever made this mock draft hasn’t looked at New York’s depth chart recently. The Knicks have struggled mightily at the point guard position, especially in the last decade. It’s true that the Knicks have long been in search of a star point guard, and who’s to say that Wallace can’t one day become one?
However, having Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose and Miles McBride leaves no room for more guards.
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It’s hard to think of a reason anyone would expect the Knicks to take a point guard in next year’s draft when this season’s guard rotation is the best New York has had in well over a decade. The Knicks believe they’ve found their point guard of the future in Brunson, who was signed to a four-year, $104 million contract in July. Rose is returning after suffering an ankle injury that caused him to miss 56 games last season, and many fans are invested in the potential of Quickley and McBride.
This next draft is going to be a big one for the Knicks. It will be bursting with talent which will give the Knicks the opportunity, should they miss the playoffs, to pick in the lottery. Regardless of what Leon Rose and the front office decides to do with the pick, it will give them a great chance at significantly improving the team. It is my belief that New York’s best option going forward is to build through the draft.
This particular mock draft is all over the place. For starters, they have Henderson getting picked first over Wembanyama. The buzz around the seven-foot-four prospect out of France grows by the day and the skills he shows at his size are otherworldly. Barring health, it’s hard to imagine a team passing on him.
There are also a lot of wing players projected in the Knicks’ likely pick range, which will possibly be in the 10-15 range. One prospect in particular that has caught my eye is Arthur Kaluma at Creighton. The six-foot-seven sophomore forward has NBA-ready skills that’ll only improve after another year in college.
While the Knicks aren’t likely to tank, this is a draft that would be worth doing so for. However, it’s hard to predict at this point which players the Knicks should target, or where they’ll end up picking in the draft. It all depends on how the season goes, and what the roster will look like come June 2023.
1 area of improvement for each key Knicks player in 2022-23
The New York Knicks will again look to compete this season, and to do so they'll need to be better. Here is one thing that the key players can improve on.