New York Knicks - 2018 Draft

We already know this, but Michael Kay just said he heard from 2 different sources... and there?s pictures to prove it... Phil Jax was sleeping during pre-draft workouts. Runners would have to run up and hand him stat sheets just to wake him up bc his snoring was noticeable, and was embarrassing to NYK officials.

This bum robbed us from having KP-DM dynamic duo for next 5-7 years.

6% chance to move up to the top 3. Not impossible the balls could bounce our way and the new guy Perry will be repping us. Maybe this is the year we get lucky and then this front office picks the right guy. I would not gamble and pick a Michael Porter at 3 with a top 3 pick.

mafra said:

We already know this, but Michael Kay just said he heard from 2 different sources... and there’s pictures to prove it... Phil Jax was sleeping during pre-draft workouts. Runners would have to run up and hand him stat sheets just to wake him up bc his snoring was noticeable, and was embarrassing to NYK officials.

This bum robbed us from having KP-DM dynamic duo for next 5-7 years.

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The 2017 Draft Thread was a classic...:teeth: :teeth: :teeth: and Phil was Bummy as ever :fury:. I used to give him hell on Twitter, may have to remind him again of how bad he was as we get closer to the draft.

The NBA Draft Combine starts next week(Chicago?) and I can't wait to get some particulars on players I'm targeting and hope we target in the event this front office has any inkling on how to be creative this draft. I already know a kid like Bridges won't be there when we pick(unless we move up)

tiger0330 said:

6% chance to move up to the top 3. Not impossible the balls could bounce our way and the new guy Perry will be repping us. Maybe this is the year we get lucky and then this front office picks the right guy. I would not gamble and pick a Michael Porter at 3 with a top 3 pick.

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I really think he has the greatest chance to slip of all the big names and maybe Bamba too. Sexton and both Bridges will move up. I have a feeling we may settle drafting the other Bridges

The NBA releases the names of the 69 players that have accepted invitations to the annual NBA Pre-Draft Combine in Chicago.

There we three notable players that declined ? Arizona?s DeAndre Ayton, Real Madrid?s Luka Dončić and Texas A&M?s Robert Williams.

While it?s become fairly common for players expected to be drafted in the top three or four picks to skip the Combine, this year seems to be breaking from the norm with Ayton being the only domestic player ranked in the top five that is not attending.

Dončić is still playing, and it looks as though his contractual commitments to Real Madrid will likely prohibit him from working out with NBA teams before the draft, in addition to missing the Combine.

Over the years the televised portion of the NBA Combine is what gets talked about, but the reality for NBA teams is that the independent medical evaluations and the face-to-face interview sessions tend to hold more weight than what happens in the gym.

That?s not to suggest there isn?t value to playing in the games, especially for the second-tier guys that are required to play. Those players may not get into see teams in a workout environment, which is why having those second level players play is so important. The top tier players will have plenty of workout time, so those players playing at the Combine isn?t nearly as meaningful.

Historically a Combine invite has a lot of value. 67 players were invited to the 2017 NBA Draft Combine, of those 41 ended up being drafted (61%). There were 70 players invited in 2016, of those 41 also ended up being drafted (58.5%). In 2015 there were 62 players who attended the Combine, with 40 that ended up being drafted (64%).

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-daily-2018-60-pick-nba-mock-draft-5-8-18/

The good news for NYK... There doesn?t seem to be a marked difference in the 4-12 prospect range. Look at Utah last year, getting DM at 13... maybe we get lucky by not getting lucky in the lottery.

Now, with that said, Doncic and Bagley and Porter and J-Jax and Ayton and Bamba seem to be the ?elite? bunch... but aside from Doncic and Bagley, the rest come with ????.

I wonder what CLE does at 8... would they trade the pick for a Lee/THjr package? Probably not, but if Lebron stays they?ll shop that pick for help now.

Get that pick and trade both to move up into top 3? I have a feeling Perry is going to get creative and be a mover/shaker. We shall see...

Mikal or Miles Bridges rumor has it that both dropped in the draft .. I don't believe it!
I see both Miles & Mikal being selected before the 7th pick ....
The Knicks are in desperate need of either Miles or Mikal Bridges to start at the SF position to replace the poor Loser services we received from Tim Hardaway Jr and Lance Thomas at the forward spot.

https://youtu.be/vnwLHYYZOpY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnwLHYYZOpY

If both Bridges go top 7, then another solid prospect gets pushed down:

Doncic
Bagley
Ayton
Porter
Bamba
Jackson
Bridges
Bridges
Carter
Young
Sexton
Knox

This is worst case scenario... take a G in young or Sexton? Go Knox (we want a wing)... I would pass on Carter...

Fizdale says in interviews that he wants a player who is long, tough, and enjoys defending. That sounds like the line of thinking that got us Ntilikina in last year?s draft.

When David Fizdale took the podium at Tuesday?s Garden press conference, point guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke sat in the front row.

Frank Ntilikina? He was 3,600 miles away ? in Paris.

Ntilikina was amid a series of workouts at INSEP, France?s premier performance academy. Working with him was a member of the Knicks? training staff, Chico Anthony.

Holed up in France since the season ended in mid-April, their prized 2017 lottery pick is working out daily ? whether it be in his hometown Strasbourg or taking the three-hour train to Paris.

Two weeks ago, his French League team, Strasbourg, retired his No. 22 jersey in a ceremony. Not bad for a guy turning 20 in July and who played just two seasons there.


After a rookie season was met with mixed reviews, Ntilikina will make his return to the U.S. on May 21 and finally meet Fizdale. Ntilikina will play July?s summer league in Las Vegas and remain in New York the rest of the offseason, according to a source.

(NY Post)

?I want to get my hands on him and start working with him and start seeing him with fresh eyes, comb back through his film and get a good profile on who he is and how to best use him,? Fizdale said.

?I see a possibility with a two-way player,?? Fizdale said. ?The kid takes real pride in defending. He?s got big-time wingspan. He?s a combo guard. We get him where he?s knocking down that 3-ball every single time with his feet set, his shot always looks pretty good. I think he?s too unselfish. But he has the competitive streak I really like.?

Tuesday, with general manager Scott Perry on the Chicago dais, the Knicks find out where they select in June?s draft. They didn?t move up last May, and odds are they stick with the ninth pick. And if they pass on point guards Collin Sexton and Trae Young, it will demonstrate a resolution to Ntilikina as their long-term future. The Knicks need a small forward.


?I would caution just a little bit is that it all depends on who?s available when we get ready to select and how we have them tiered,?? Perry said on ESPN Radio. ?If there?s someone down there at a position you think you?re more strong at, but the player is clearly a better talent than the position of need, then you have that question: Do you go ahead and take the greater talent and then you utilize trades and free agency to bolster the position you need help, being small forward??

According to sources, Ntilikina?s skill as a pure point guard is something Mills and Perry have debated. Mills was part of the Phil Jackson braintrust that drafted Ntilikina eighth ? ostensibly as a perfect Euro fit for the triangle offense that has been disbanded.

According to a source, Mills was adamant Ntilkina being untouchable at Feb. 8?s trade deadline. But Perry, concerned about Ntilikina?s penetrating prowess, pushed to add Mudiay.

At the 2017 draft, Perry was with Sacramento as assistant GM, picking fifth, and Ntilikina was not on his radar. Perry lobbied for point guard De?Aaron Fox, and the jury is out if that pick was a reach.

That?s the same concern for Ntilikina?s selection. Jackson envisioned the Frenchman?s team-oriented mindset blending into his intricate system that emphasizes team ball.

Fizdale, however, is part of the new age of pace, space and flinging 3-pointers. Ntilikina shot 31.9 percent from 3-point range ? 36.4 overall.

?The whole thing is strange that Phil?s fired a few days after the draft,?? said longtime Jackson confidant Charley Rosen. ?What sense does it make to let Phil do the draft? That?s crazy. Makes no sense if you?re going to fire the guy.?

Rosen has a new biography out ?Sugar?? on the life of the Knicks? 1978 No. 4 pick, Micheal Ray Richardson ? a long-armed All-Star point guard who evokes an array Ntilikina comparisons, minus the cocaine addiction.

?This kid, can he be a Richardson, can he be a Scottie Pippen??? Rosen said. ?I see him as a defensive stopper ? potential to be a terrific defender. He?s like Richardson ? long, quick feet, nice size. But he can?t get to the basket like Richardson.

?It?s going to take a while. He was more than a rookie. He was a rookie rookie, like a kid coming out of high school. France isn?t the NCAA and he didn?t get a lot of minutes. Phil was looking down the line on how good he could be in the proper circumstances.??

With the three point guards, there was a late-season push to test Ntilikina at the 2. In fact, he made six starts ? all at shooting guard. Ntilikina, according to a source, wished he had made at least one start at point ? a position he still feels is his natural place. .

?He has to improve his handle, see the court on where he can go, can?t go and get his feet balanced on his 3,?? Rosen said.

On WFAN, Fizdale added, ?Frank has so many great dimensions. I love his toughness and defensive disposition. His body is still going through puberty.?

If the Knicks draft another point guard in June, those are just empty words.

I don?t trust Mills? or Perry?s ability to assess talent in this upcoming draft. My only hope is that someone falls to us and the guy to pick is obvious.

mafra said:

When David Fizdale took the podium at Tuesday?s Garden press conference, point guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke sat in the front row.

Frank Ntilikina? He was 3,600 miles away ? in Paris.

Ntilikina was amid a series of workouts at INSEP, France?s premier performance academy. Working with him was a member of the Knicks? training staff, Chico Anthony.

Holed up in France since the season ended in mid-April, their prized 2017 lottery pick is working out daily ? whether it be in his hometown Strasbourg or taking the three-hour train to Paris.

Two weeks ago, his French League team, Strasbourg, retired his No. 22 jersey in a ceremony. Not bad for a guy turning 20 in July and who played just two seasons there.


After a rookie season was met with mixed reviews, Ntilikina will make his return to the U.S. on May 21 and finally meet Fizdale. Ntilikina will play July?s summer league in Las Vegas and remain in New York the rest of the offseason, according to a source.

(NY Post)

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After watching Frank Knits perform on offense/defense in coach Horn dismay system ..
I learn the 19 yr old Knits got skills that are being coached the wrong way.
I'm not worried bout all the bad comments Knits been getting from fans n media for having a poor rookie season under coach Horn.
Having several teammates fighting for your job on a Mismanagement team too.
Frank Knits were a 19 yr old playing Grown-Man B.ball!
Having a coach who knew his Knick job would be over at end of season, the first 3 games of the 2017-18 regular season .. rookie Knits poor season were no surprise to me.
Hopefully, in the summer league Games in Vegas the trio of Knits /Dotson /and the Draft pick (Bridges) could make some loud noise in Vegas. Im hoping Trey Burke and Troy Williams participate in Vegas too .. on the Knicks.

Hopefully, in this century Dolan will learn what players need to be sign to long term contracts (Keepers) to have around rookies contract. In the 2017 offseason the Knicks had the chance to sign Rondo or Hill to a 3 year contract. Rondo would have help Horn become a real NBA head coach!
Coach Gentry will help Rondo get a long contract in the offseason lol

That was a great description of Nits by Charlie Rosen and the problem I've had with the pick. He's a rookies rookie more like plucking a guy out of HS, less than a one and done college freshman. You don't take a kid like that at 8 unless you think they're Lebron or Kobe. I was wondering what he was doing in France, I said he was eating croissants and drinking cafe au lait but it sounds like he's at least working out. A lot of people still like him as the long term choice as the Knicks PG, we will see in the upcoming draft, if we draft a PG instead of picking a Miles Bridges or Kevin Knox I think that says the Knicks are moving on from the idea of using Nits there and we'll see him as the off-guard.

Just listening to the reports on Bridges of Villanova makes me think he won't make it to 9, 52% shooter 41% from 3 that plays D and comes with a set of arms that hang down to his knees can't last until 9, he's my guy but we need to get a little lucky on Tuesday.

Bridges (Nova) is ideal... might be worth trading up a few spots... to make sure we get our guy (or have Porter fall in our laps). Knits and Bridges perfect players to surround KP and ??? (Trade or Free Agent stud).

Add a Cousins or Randle to play C this summer then grab a Kyrie next summer.

Kyrie
Knits
Bridges
KP
Randle or Cousins

This team could make some Noise.

tiger0330 said:

That was a great description of Nits by Charlie Rosen and the problem I've had with the pick. He's a rookies rookie more like plucking a guy out of HS, less than a one and done college freshman. You don't take a kid like that at 8 unless you think they're Lebron or Kobe. I was wondering what he was doing in France, I said he was eating croissants and drinking cafe au lait but it sounds like he's at least working out. A lot of people still like him as the long term choice as the Knicks PG, we will see in the upcoming draft, if we draft a PG instead of picking a Miles Bridges or Kevin Knox I think that says the Knicks are moving on from the idea of using Nits there and we'll see him as the off-guard.

Just listening to the reports on Bridges of Villanova makes me think he won't make it to 9, 52% shooter 41% from 3 that plays D and comes with a set of arms that hang down to his knees can't last until 9, he's my guy but we need to get a little lucky on Tuesday.

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I'm sure Frank Ntilikina pass-first performance would not be considered a rookie-rookie HS player if Frank were drafted late by one of the organized NBA team ..
The Knicks organization are not organized in their front-office, nor the coaching-staff, nor does the Knicks have any lockerroom leadership to guide the roster of players. The Knicks fired president Phil Jackson last year at this time making the front-office also a rebuilding process throughout the 2017-18 season.

The Phoenix Suns 2017 top draft pick Josh Jackson, the majority of scouts n fans expected Jackson to have a break-out rookie season from the outstanding season he had in Kansas. Phoenix Suns poor coaching staff showed poor developement skills to get Josh Jackson n Devin Booker on the same-page as a offensive tandem.

Now the Knicks are starting all over again having a new president Mills, new GM Perry, a new head-coach Fizdale, and probably s to 8 new roster players .. Rebuilding-Mode !!! -

With it pretty much a lock NYK will be picking either Michael Porter Jr, Sexton or Young, or one of the Bridges... here?s a decent read:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...-targets-for-the-new-york-knicks-at-no-9/amp/

?Kristaps Porzingis has not been doing most of his ACL rehab in Latvia as previously thought, but secretly working in Spain with Real Madrid, according to multiple sources.

Porzingis has conducted much of his offseason rehab in Madrid at its training facility that houses its superpower basketball and soccer clubs.

Real Madrid?s basketball team is in the Final Four of the EuroLeague and features top-three lottery pick Luka Doncic and ex-Knicks point guard Chasson Randle. Unless the Knicks trade up from the No. 9 draft pick, Porzingis and Doncic will not be teammates in New York.?

NY Post

mafra said:

With it pretty much a lock NYK will be picking either Michael Porter Jr, Sexton or Young, or one of the Bridges... here?s a decent read:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...-targets-for-the-new-york-knicks-at-no-9/amp/

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I?m intrigued by Wendell Carter and the Al Horford comparisons. If Kanter leaves, we have nothing at center. It would be a lot easier to find a wing than a center in free agency, I?m guessing.