The New York Knicks got the No. 4 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft after suffering through one of the worst seasons in franchise history. Knicks fans dreaming of Duke center Jahlil Okafor or Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns, a New Jersey native, following in the footsteps of Patrick Ewing had their hopes dashed.
Luckily, this draft is fairly deep and there is legitimate talent available at No. 4. Here are five potential rookies the Knicks could conceivably snap up.
Emmanuel Mudiay, PG Guandong International
Mudiay, a teenage point guard, is a bit of a mystery to most fans because he spent the past year not as a one-and-done in college, but earning upward of $1 million playing pro ball in China. As a teenager Mudiay played impactful, meaningful pro minutes alongside ex-NBA veterans like Jeff Adrien and Will Bynum, and against former All-Star Stephon Marbury.
At 6'5, 200 pounds he will be a physical nightmare for some of the NBA's point guards, and those physical attributes might help him stave off comparisons to underwhelming 2014 rookie point guard Dante Exum.
D'Angelo Russell, G Ohio State
Russell is one of the best scorers in the draft, and at 6'5 is just big enough to avoid being doubted as a potential small forward. He scored 19 points and averaged 5.7 rebounds and five assists a night for an Ohio State team on which he was clearly the No. 1 option.
In the NBA getting his own shot against physical, long defenders will cause him problems out of the gate, but his 3-point shooting chops and excellent ball-handling will help him cover for the adjustment to the pro game. By the end of his rookie season, Russell will be looking like a reliable NBA scorer.
Justise Winslow, G/F Duke
Winslow is the best perimeter defender in the draft, and he showed the ability to take over games during the Blue Devils' run to the NCAA title. Winslow's defense took center stage during the tournament, but offensively he profiles well.
Duke had other scorers, so Winslow didn't catch eyes with his assertiveness, but he shot 41 percent from 3-point land (only 2.6 attempts per game), managed 12.6 points per game, and put up 6.5 rebounds a night.
Winslow scored 20 or more points four times, and scored 19 twice, on a team where Okafor and point guard Tyus Jones were more featured scoring options. As the success of two-way wings like Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler becomes more valued, Winslow's stock is high.
Willie Cauley-Stein, C Kentucky
The Knicks may consider chasing Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan this offseason to be a rim protector, or they can just draft a shot-blocking terror like Cauley-Stein with the hopes that he can be indoctrinated into Phil Jackson/Derek Fisher's Triangle offense from the jump.
There simply isn't a better rim protector in this class than Cauley-Stein, who averaged nearly two per game last season while only averaging two personal fouls. Cauley-Stein is not much of a scorer, but that might actually be helpful with Carmelo Anthony and Tim Hardaway Jr. using up most possessions.
Mario Hezonja, F Barcelona
Knicks fans are probably done with highly-touted international talents. Frederic Weis never played for them and is most famous for Vince Carter jumping clear over his head in the Olympics. Andrea Bargnani does...this.
20-year-old Hezonja may be different. 6'8 shooters that can dribble and create their own shot don't grow on trees, and even though he has had a limited role in Barcelona, he often explodes in his small windows of time. Per DraftExpress.com, there are maturity questions along with doubts about his consistency. But lest we forget, he's 20 and gifted while the Knicks are almost completely devoid of NBA talent. If he's the best talent on their board, they probably don't pass on him.
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