Hours before the 2015 NBA Draft, nobody knows what the New York Knicks are going to do with the No. 4 pick. After posting a franchise-worst 17-65 season, landing the No. 4 pick was a disappointment for the Knicks, who hoped to land in the top three to nab one of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, or D’Angelo Russell. After those three, there seems to be an uncertainty about who the best players are, and for the Knicks, there are a number of options.
If the top three plays out as expected, they could look at Emmanuel Mudiay, a 6-foot-5, explosive point guard who skipped college to play professionally in China. They could also look at Kristaps Porzingis, a 7-foot 19-year-old Latvian player with a tantalizing combination of skills. Duke’s Justise Winslow or the intriguing 19-year-old Mario Hezonja from Croatia could be the Knicks’ pick as well. This is the Knicks’ highest draft pick in 20 years, and with needs at just about every position, there’s a lot of pressure on the Knicks to nail it.
With numerous gaps in their roster, the Knicks are also the team most frequently discussed in trade rumors. Some people in the NBA world believe that the Knicks would be willing to trade down in the draft to get back a veteran player and a lower pick. Though Phil Jackson said there’s only a “five percent” chance the Knicks trade down, he did acknowledge the Knicks are listening to offers.
The Knicks have so many options that it makes them the most unpredictable team at the top of the draft. The Lakers could also be wild cards and do something unexpected, but at No. 2, there seems to be an obvious decision to make between Okafor and Russell. The Sixers have a tendency to think outside the box, but with their roster construction, it seems that they would target a guard to complement their big man duo of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. The Knicks, meanwhile, are directionless, and will be the team to watch the as their pick approaches.
Shared from businessinsider.my
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