“I did a great job last year.” Those were the words that Phil Jackson chose to use the other day when asked about his performance with the New York Knicks last season. Interesting to say the least, but this is New York, and that was probably the worst thing Jackson could have said.
The Knicks were dreadful last year, and it’s as simple as that. Sure, Carmelo Anthony was out for 60 percent of the season, but that didn’t really matter. They had a first year coach in Derek Fisher, they tried the Triangle Offense, and their players didn’t work well together. Bring all of that together, and you have a team that showed no signs of going anywhere, and they were simply a below average team at best. But Jackson can start the road to a new beginning tonight, at the NBA Draft.
New York has the number four pick tonight and they have an endless amount of options to chose from, but everything will depend on what the Los Angeles Lakers do at number two. Obviously the ideal pick for the Knicks would be either Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, or DeAngelo Russell, but Towns appears to be headed to Minnesota, which leaves the Lakers with a tough decision.
The Lakers have been trying to acquire DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings, but who knows if that’s going to happen. But if the Lakers truly want a big man, Okafor should be their pick. However, over the last 24 hours or so, the Lakers have been publicly discussing the idea of drafting Russell, and that could change everything.
If the Lakers choose to take Russell over Okafor, the whole night could change for the Knicks. The Philadelphia 76ers have the number three overall pick and I don’t see them taking Okafor at that spot, because last year’s pick Joel Embiid is set to return this season. So that leaves the door open for Okafor to land into the lap of the Knicks. If that were to happen, Jackson has to jump all over it, and draft the big man. Okafor would be a great building block moving forward and could be the player to change the franchise.
Now, if the Lakers do in fact take Okafor at number two, and the 76ers take Russell at number three, which is what I expect to happen, the Knicks should trade back. Outside of those three players, the Knicks should have their eyes on four other guys, and four other guys only.
First up, Justice Winslow. The Duke forward has enormous talent, and has been compared to James Harden. To be honest, I think that is a fair comparison in terms of offense, but Winslow is a better defender. Winslow has no fear of driving to the basket, and can be a force on the offensive end, but he also has size, standing at 6-foot-7, and could be be bigger than most of the match-ups he faces in the NBA.
A second option is Emmanuel Mudiay. Mudiay was very impressive in his first season of professional ball in China, as he averaged 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists per game. Like Winslow, Mudiay has tremendous upside, and could be the point guard that the Knicks need. Watching some of his highlights, Mudiay is very similar to John Wall when he first came out. Wall was offensively challenged in terms of his jump shot, and Mudiay is practically the same. John Wall figured it out quickly and is now one of the best point guards in the league. Why can’t Mudiay do the same thing in a few years?
A third option for the Knicks could be, and dare I say it, Kristaps Porzingis. Now I know that European players haven’t always turned out to be the greatest of prospects, especially for the Knicks, but Porzingis could be different. I also don’t usually listen to many NBA “talent” analysts, but I always respect Ryen Russillo’s opinion. He was very adamant about Porzingis’ talent and potential in the NBA, and he believes that Porzingis could be a perennial All-Star. Russillo believes that Porzingis could be a tough match-up for anyone, because he has guard handles and has very good shooting ability. Russillo also stated that he may struggle off the ball because of lean stature, but he will get bigger in terms of muscle under the right strength coaches.
A fourth and final option for the Knicks should be Willie Cauley-Stein. Other than Towns, Cauley-Stein is the only other Kentucky Wildcat that shows true potential. He is a very athletic big man, who can run the floor, and can be a force down under. Cauley-Stein is also a great rebounder and knows how to start a fast break with his passing ability.
There are options out there for the Knicks tonight, but nothing will come about until the Lakers make or trade their pick. Phil Jackson could back off his demons and New York media friends a little bit if he grabs one of those players mentioned tonight. But if he and the Knicks do not leave tonight’s first round of the draft with one of those seven players, it will be a failure and the scrutiny will continue.