The New York Knicks finished last season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and are going into rebuild mode right now, trading away key players, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Pablo Prigioni. Knicks fans were hoping to get the number one overall pick in the draft but had to settle for the 4th overall pick, with their first, first round pick in a few years. The Knicks look to build a roster for the future with this pick after a disastrous year last year, with Phil Jackson at the helm.
The Knicks have a few good options for the 4th overall pick, including Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow, D’Angelo Russell and even Kristaps Porzingis who is from Spain. Each one of those names is probably an option for Phil Jackson at number four. Each one of these options also has positives and negatives. Here is a ranking of the best of these players and why the Knicks will draft them, as well why the Knicks won’t draft them.
1.D’Angelo Russell:
He was a beast in college at Ohio State, averaging 19.3 points per game last year for Ohio State. He could fit right into the Triangle with the Knicks, at shooting guard or point guard. His pros are he is a great ball handler, he has an above average basketball IQ and His negatives are that he would be a project for any team that drafts him because of his rawness, he needs to be better on the offensive end and more consistent.
The Knicks will draft him because he might be the best available player in the draft depending on what expert you ask. As well, the Knicks have some time to develop a guy like Russell who has growth that is needed but will succeed in the NBA in the near future.
The Knicks won’t draft him because of his personality; he is very high on himself and doesn’t believe that he will fail which could cause friction in the middle of a losing streak. As well, the Knicks might not want to draft a project.
2. Emmanuel Mudiay:
Emmanuel Mudiay was originally signed on to play for Larry Brown at SMU but decided instead to play in Europe for a year. He played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China. He is 6’5 and plays point guard, which would make him about average size in terms of point guards. He has great court vision for only a 19 year old. He has a great killer instinct which is a trait that all the greats like Kobe and Jordan have. He has great communication skills on the court.
His negatives are that he struggled while in China with shooting the three, something he will have to do on a consistent basis in the NBA. He needs to be more consistent and confident on the offensive end. He is a project, needs help developing to NBA talent, since he played in China. In China his worst games were against former NBAers. He went to the basket a lot but didn’t draw many fouls in the process, and didn’t hit a lot of free throws.
The Knicks will draft him available because he could turn out to be the next great point guard, like Kyrie Irving. Many experts compare him to John Wall, which is an absolute honor for him. Phil Jackson wants a moldable player who can step up in the clutch.
The Knicks will not draft him, if D’Angelo Russell is sill available. As well as if they believe the small sample size in China and his negatives outweigh using a 4th overall pick on him.
3. Justise Winslow:
The Duke University product won a national championship in his freshman year, last year under Coach K at Duke. Last year at Duke he averaged 12.6 points per game, while getting 6.5 rebounds to go along with that. In the championship game vs. Wisconsin he scored 11 points and collected 9 rebounds, helping Duke win a national title.
His positives are that he has won in college, as previously mentioned, so he knows how to win. He is a big kid, 6’6, and 222 pounds, so he does a good job of using his body down low to get position and score. He is a great athlete, and he can shoot the college three so transitioning to the NBA three should not be such a big challenge for him. Duke helped him mature tremendously last year.
His negatives are that he is very raw; he would’ve done better staying at Duke for at least another year than leaving. He shows flashes of being brilliant but can’t keep that up consistently. He needs to improve on his free throws, which was good for a 62% last season.
4. Kristaps Porzingis:
Kristaps Porzingis is from Latvia and played in Spain. He played great while in Spain, helping his team Baloncesto Seville. In the Eurocup, he averaged 11.6 points per game last year in Europe.
His positives are that he would be on the bigger side of power forwards in the NBA at 7’1, and 230 pounds. Even with his large frame, he is athletic and can get up and down the floor, in a good amount of time. He has great length and can hit shots from behind the three-point line.
His negatives are that he is not very strong. He has a small frame, even though he is so big, which might hurt him. If he hits the weights and fills out his frame more, with getting stronger, he will have a better chance of succeeding but right now those are his negatives.
Who will the Knicks pick?
The New York Knicks will pick the best available player so that will be Emmanuel Mudiay.
