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Tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery is just one more checkpoint on the New York Knicks‘ road back to relevancy. They have given their top-five NBA Draft prospects and are guaranteed at least a top-five pick. They have the second-highest chance of drawing the No. 1 pick, behind only the Minnesota Timberwolves. A lot can happen for the Knicks tonight, and for this professional basketball team, it all comes down to a few ping pong balls.
Knicks president Phil Jackson has mentioned that he prefers a big man who can play defense, which has led to the speculation that he would take Kentucky‘s Karl-Anthony Towns over Duke‘s Jahlil Okafor if given the No. 1 pick. Towns runs better and can defend more actively than Okafor, although Okafor may have a slight edge offensively. Towns has said that he would love to play to in New York and has a friendship with Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony. Jackson has said that he is open to offers from other teams for the Knicks’ first-round pick and that he may be willing to trade the pick if their counterpart offers enough in return. Therefore, if the Knicks land the No. 1 pick, it appears that they will simply go one of two ways — draft Towns or trade the pick for a proven star.
Jackson and general manager Steve Mills will have it fairly easy if they get the No. 1 pick, but if the Knicks end up between picks 2-5, they may begin to sweat. How might they react? They certainly need a point guard, so they could hold onto the pick and draft Ohio State‘s D’Angelo Russell, a big, smooth, distributing floor general. They could also draft Emmanuel Mudiay, another big point guard who has played professionally in China. Some have likened him to Tyreke Evans. They could also take the athletic wing from Duke, Justise Winslow. If the Knicks keep their pick, they’re going to draft someone who will fill a void, since they have voids at every position.
However, if the Knicks slide beyond the No. 1 pick, they might look to trade the selection with the hope of gaining a star in return. They could also look to trade back in the draft order and take a mid-to-late first-round prospect. In other words, if they don’t get the No. 1 pick, the pressure on Jackson and Mills to make an effective decision will build exponentially.
Many are not pleased with Jackson, who came into the 2014-15 season with full intentions of making the playoffs. Partway into the season, it was clear that things were not working, and the Knicks figuratively threw in the towel. Some will defend Jackson, saying that it has only been one season and that he deserves more time. For those Jackson apologists, that time is rapidly approaching. After the lottery, depending on where the Knicks end up in the draft, Jackson and Mills’ moment of truth begins.
Will we see them sweat, or will they be lucky enough to be guided down the easier path? Stay tuned as the story unfolds to see how the Knicks’ higher-ups handle the offseason. Being guaranteed a top-five pick could only be seen as an advantageous position, but if anyone could swing and miss, it’s the Knicks.
Patrick Piascik is an NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @patrickpiascik.
