Good evening Knick fans!
A quick intro to myself: 25, born in Brooklyn, raised in Long Island, joined the navy at 19, been around the world and live in San Diego right now. I love Knicks basketball, try to catch them at least once at the garden and when they hit LA.
So right out the gate I’d like to point out the obvious. This draft class is not as good as last year. If you put Zion, Ja or RJ in this class, I really do believe that they’d be the #1 or #2 picks in this year draft. Anthony Edwards while really solid, doesn’t impress me as much as those guys did last year.
That being said, I think this is an extremely important draft for the Knicks. Only interesting headline for the off season is to see what options are going to be picked up with the 1+ contracts (we’ll update this if Anthony Davis shocks the NBA world). Biggest matter this summer will be the draft and our biggest need is a point guard. None of the PG’s we have on the team right now really say anything more then “playoffs, but nothing more than a 1st round exit”(Sorry Frank Stans).
3. Anthony Edwards – SG Georgia
Hey it’s not a crime to dream.
If the Knicks do win the lottery 1 year later then we all hoped for, this is the guy. Edwards can create his own shot, he is a fantastic defender that could ultimately get the Knicks ½ of a dream backcourt. At 6’5 225 pounds, he most compares to Bradley Beal, which is a good thing. Only thing that worries me is as a #1 pick, Edwards would get thrown into a spot he may not be ready to take. As we all know, Knicks dysfunction is remarkably high all the time, so a slight cautionary tale to a great possible upside
2. Cole Anthony – PG North Carolina
Now that the dream is out of the way, lets get down to what will probably happen
Cole Anthony was a star in high school however has had a tough year with the tar heels. We can’t blame him here. This Tar Heel team is nothing like the team they’ve had in the past. But I digress. Cole is capable of generating his own offense. His ball handling skills are exceptional and can be a point guard of an elite team. Some would say he draws comparison to a young Kyrie Irving: Star in high school, hurt the majority of his year at duke, with incredible talent. Most importantly, Anthony to me seems like a humble kid that can handle the spot light of New York. If we hear his name come June, go crazy knick fans, we might’ve found our man.
1. LaMelo Ball – PG Illwarra Hawks(Australia)
Consider this: As great as I think Cole Anthony will be, LaMelo would be even better.
Let’s remember, when Lonzo was tearing it up at UCLA(seems so long ago), it was LaMelo that was stealing headlines scoring 91 points in a high school game. Though his journey to the NBA has been extremely unorthodox, LaMelo has dominated at every level he’s played at. His playmaking skills are incredible. His ability to create open looks is his strongest set, something that Ntilikina or Payton are weak in. This would absolutely benefit Randle and Barrett in their games. The biggest trait the Knicks should look for is how professional LaMelo has been through this all. Illwarra has won 4 games with ball playing. Through everything, he’s kept his composure and has continued to work on his game. A much bigger difference then his brothers and with this, should even keep his infamous father being anything more than a passionate father.
What do you think? Would love to hear your responses about what the Knicks should do with their pick! Trade it? Look for someone else? Leave your comments below!