3 players Knicks should be scouting for 2023 NBA Draft
With the NBA season getting very close to the halfway point, it may be time to begin looking at some potential draft choices for the New York Knicks. Obviously, there’s no telling where New York will end the season, but we can at least make predictions based on the play of the Knicks and the other teams the Knicks own picks of.
As of late December, the Knicks own the 15th pick and the 19th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, with the latter coming from the Dallas Mavericks. While the Knicks also own the Washington Wizards’ first-round pick, they are currently in the lottery, so the pick goes back to them.
Considering how both the Knicks and Mavericks have played this season, it is expected that the Knicks will more than likely be making two picks in the 15-25 range. The good thing about this is that the Knicks have done tremendously in this range over the last couple of years with both Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes getting selected 25th overall in 2020 and 2021.
3 players the Knicks should be scouting ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft
3: SF Jett Howard, Michigan
Jett Howard is a prospect that would be pretty tricky for the Knicks to have a chance at drafting. While he could fall into the middle of the first round, there is a very good possibility he goes within the top 10. Despite this, Howard may be a player worth trading up for in case he is projected to go high.
Coming in at six-foot-eight, 215 pounds, Howard is one of, if not the best, shooting prospects in the entire draft class, shooting a rather impressive 40.3% from behind the arc on around 6.5 attempts per game. What makes this percentage even better is that Howard has an astounding ability to shoot the three off the dribble, something that makes him even more desirable as a prospect.
It’s always nice to have a shooter that can consistently hit shots off the catch, but to add the off-dribble ability that Howard brings to the floor is something the Knicks could use.
In addition to this, Howard is already a solid defender in college, but has the frame and build to grow a ton on that side of the floor. If the Knicks decide to keep Tom Thibodeau around, there’s a very good chance we see him coach Howard into being a better defender than he already is.
Scoring is where Howard will likely make his money in the NBA, whether it’s with the ball in his hands working off the dribble, driving to the rim, or even working in the off-ball with some dribble handoffs, Howard does it all offensively and this is what makes him such a tantalizing prospect.
Even Howard’s playmaking is rather impressive considering the low number of assists per game he puts up in the box score. Howard isn’t the kind of player you run your offense around, however, where he excels is when he is forced to make quick reads when driving into the paint. Considering the personnel the Knicks have, Howard’s playmaking could be very useful if the offense decided to integrate more off-ball movement.
From what I’ve seen, Howard doesn’t usually try to do too much and has played his role exceptionally well. This is the kind of prospect the Knicks don’t want to miss out on so whether they trade up, or he manages to fall to them, Howard is definitely someone to consider when looking at potential first-round options for New York.