With the NCAA Tournament set to get underway, we explore five NBA Draft prospects for New York Knicks fans to keep a close eye on.
Despite the team’s inconsistencies at the beginning of the season, the New York Knicks have irrefutably taken a step forward this season. They are likely going to win 45-plus games (a 50-win season seems unlikely, though if they do get hot is mathematically in play) and have a good chance to finish as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
Even if the Knicks end up losing in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, this season has certainly given this front office something to build on and the necessary momentum that is needed heading into the offseason.
And part of taking another step forward for this team could involve making the right selection with the pick that they’ll have in this year’s NBA Draft.
The New York Knicks’ pick situation in the 2023 NBA Draft
Because of the Josh Hart NBA Trade Deadline trade, the Knicks don’t own their own first-round pick but they do own the Dallas Mavericks’ pick as long as it doesn’t land in the top 10, which at this point seems unlikely.
Right now, that pick sits at No. 15. At least for now, I believe it’s safe to say that the Knicks will be selecting in the 12-17 range in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. And with the 2023 NCAA Tournament upon us, we’ll explore five draft prospects that could be in play at that range that the Knicks should be keeping a close eye on throughout March Madness.
1. Gradey Dick, G, Kansas
Gradey Dick is a prospect that Knicks fans should be keeping a closer eye on. His inconsistency this season is likely going to open the door for him to possibly fall down draft boards. While he’s largely expected to be a lottery pick, there’s at least an outside chance that he falls outside the top 14. If so, he’s a player that could be of intrigue to New York.
What is there to like about Dick? Well, he’s a good and consistent three-point shooter and has great size for a guard prospect at 6-foot-8. He’s not an elite defensive prospect by any means but with his size, he should be able to be formidable on that end of the floor.
Dick is averaging 14 points and five rebounds per game. He can offer the Knicks versatility and depth on the wing that they’ve needed in the way of a good three-point shooting this season.
The Knicks are a bottom-third three-point shooting team in the league this season and Dick would certainly be an upgrade in that aspect. If somehow Dick could fall out of the lottery, he should be a prospect that the Knicks should be interested in.
2. Jordan Hawkins, G, UCONN
As one of the better sophomore prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft, Jordan Hawkins is a player that could be – or should be – on the Knicks’ radar. Hawkins is another superb three-point shooter that you can realistically see carving out a role for the Knicks or any other team in the league for that matter.
Making a big jump from his freshman to sophomore season, Hawks is averaging 16 points and four rebounds on 37 percent shooting from three-point range (on nearly eight attempts per game). NBA scouts believe that Hawkins is a polished off-ball shooter and for a team like the Knicks, that’s probably what they’d be looking for in the middle of the first round.
One of the aspects that you have to love most about Hawkins is his willingness to put work into his craft. And that’s not only evidenced by the improvement that he’s made from his freshman to sophomore season at UCONN; you can see it over the course of this season too.
During the first 16 games of the season, Hawkins only scored 20 or more points four times. In his last 15 games this season, he’s scored 20 or more points nine times.
3. Dereck Lively II, C, Duke
If the Knicks would be interested in taking a chance on another big man project, Dereck Lively, the highly-touted prospect out of Duke, would make a lot of sense and fit the bill. It worked out well for the Knicks when they drafted Mitchell Robinson back in 2018; maybe it’ll work again in 2023. Lively has not put up big numbers during his freshman season but has begun to show signs of life with his recent play.
At 7-foot-1, Lively has proven that he can be a capable rim-protector and an above-average finisher at the rim at the next level. Again, his numbers aren’t gaudy but he’s flashed enough that he may be worth a first-round pick based on his potential alone.
This season at Duke, he’s averaging five points, five rebounds, and two blocks per game on 66 percent shooting from the field. He hasn’t had to play a big role for a talented Duke team but he could develop behind Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein (for one season) and carve out a more defined role for the Knicks after his rookie season.
Lively would be more of a gamble than some of these other possible prospects and a move that may not pay dividends for a few seasons.
4. Julian Strawther, G, Gonzaga
There are still plenty of variances when it comes to Julian Strawther and his prospects heading into the 2023 NBA Draft but he’s certainly a player whose skill set would fit areas of weakness for the Knicks. In recent weeks, Strawther is a name that has begun to climb up draft boards. And if he has a strong showing in the NCAA Tournament, his draft stock is only going to rise even more.
What NBA teams (and the Knicks) have to like most about Strawther is the fact that he’s one of the most efficient offensive players in college basketball. He’s averaging 15 points and six rebounds on 48 percent shooting from the field and 43 percent shooting from three-point range. He made quite the improvement from his freshman to junior year and continues to improve as a prospect.
All that said, it’s hard to overlook his weaknesses. He’s not a great defender and lacks the natural playmaking ability to be a surefire prospect. Those two big minuses are likely the biggest reason he won’t be a lottery pick in the draft. Would the Knicks be willing to bet on his elite shooting, though? He may be that good of a shooter.
5. Dariq Whitehead, F, Duke
At this point, it’s impossible to predict where Duke wing Dariq Whitehead will be selected in the 2023 NBA Draft. But his potential is something that the Knicks should be intrigued by and his performance in the NCAA Tournament and in the pre-draft process could go a long way in solidifying his draft position.
Whitehead has been somewhat disappointing, largely due to his overall inconsistency this season. Though, some of that could be due to an injury that forced him to miss the first few games of the season. Despite that, he’s slowly come into his own off the bench for Duke and has shown promise with his shooting prowess. Whitehead is averaging eight points on 41 percent shooting from three-point range this season.
The Knicks are a team that could be willing to roll the dice on Whitehead’s potential. Even more so considering that, at the very least, he can shoot the basketball at a high clip. There’s a chance that Whitehead’s floor ends up being a quality 3-and-D role player. If that’s the case, his potential and athletic tools are something that the Knicks should be willing to bet on in the middle of the first round.
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