2020 NBA Draft: NYK target a PG

[tiger0330]

Knicks Wall mock has us taking Kira Lewis at 8 and passing on Vassell who goes to the Spurs at 11. Said I liked Lewis months ago and he was going to move up from early predictions that he would go 15-20.This draft may be one if the most unpredictable ones in recent memory with the only consensus being Lemelo as the top pick. That would be a real surprise if the Knicks did pick Lewis at 8 because it would be a stretch to pick him that high with the consensus being he goes later.

[mafra]

BR’s Jonathon Wasserman, reported P&T


Ball did recently sign with Puma, which is the sneaker home for Walt Clyde Frazier, RJ Barrett and Kevin Knox, so maybe it’s not crazy to think the Knicks are angling for a draft day deal. Just as possible is that all of our brains have turned to mush during the coronavirus pandemic so now everyone is just making sh*t up.

Per Wasserman, the Knicks will receive the 2nd overall pick in exchange for both of their first round picks this year, next year’s first round pick they received from Dallas in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, and Ntilikina.

We’re not supposed to say stuff like this, but man it would be cool to see Ntilikina play with guys like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, who are actually good at team basketball. In this hypothetical scenario Wasserman has cooked up, the Warriors would use the eighth pick to take Vassell.

Here’s what Wasserman had to say about Ball to the Knicks:

Losing seasons and franchise instability have turned free agents away from the New York Knicks. Even with a new front office, the team can’t feel confident in its ability to just sign the next star.

Instead, the Knicks could make a play for one of the draft’s potential stars, and if they can get LaMelo Ball without giving up Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett or the Knicks’ own 2021 first-round pick, president of basketball operations Leon Rose would presumably sign off.

Aside from Ball’s flash and pace that the team has been missing, he’d give the Knicks a special playmaker to build around, regardless of how his scoring skills develop. For a 6’7” point guard, his elite passing will translate.

Ball could reach an exciting level of upside if his body continues to improve, his finishing gets better and his shooting starts to go from streaky to consistent.

[htr10]

I just don’t see it. Ball and Wiseman aren’t Ja and Zion. Emptying the war chest to trade up this year is crazy.

[mafra]

Trading away 2 late first rounders and Knits isn’t exactly selling the farm. If you believe in Ball...

Probably better to diversify the risk and roll dice on 2 late first rounders... but, most likely, Ball will be better than the 2 dudes we select.

Interesting to see if GSW like that package... they have stars so maybe they prefer quantity of depth type guys?

[mafra]

If lottery doesn’t break the way Rose/Perry hope, keep an eye out in a trade back and we target top sniper in draft Aaron Nesmith.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost....icks-seek/amp/

Still, when it comes to scoring wings, Florida State’s Devin Vassell, known as the prototype “3-and-D’’ guy, usually rates higher. A couple of mock drafts have the Knicks taking Vassell eighth, but sources said they would be surprised if the Knicks view Vassell that high. Both Nesmith and Vassell may be a likelier proposition in trade-down scenarios.

The Pelicans select 13th and have three second-round picks. A swap of the eighth pick for the 13th could net the Knicks at least one of New Orleans’ second-rounders (39, 42, 60). The Knicks have a lot of roster spots to fill, and a report stated the Knicks are open to adding another second-round pick to go with No. 38.

“Nesmith is not as well-rounded defensively as Vassell but is the best pure NBA 3-point shooter in the draft,’’ Fraschilla said. “He can not only catch it and shoot it stationary but was great on the move in Stackhouse’s NBA sets.

“For old-timers like me, [Nesmith] reminds me of a Dale Ellis or Rolando Blackman.’’

Matt Bab****, the former NBA agent who produces a mock draft, feels the Nesmith-Vassell debate is a dead heat.

“It’s very close,’’ Bab**** said. “Although both are good outside shooters, Nesmith certainly has the edge in that area. He is elite. However, Vassell is much better on the defensive end. All in all, I value both prospects pretty equally. I think either player would be an adequate option for the Knicks’ pick at eight.’’

———-
I see NYK trading down (if they can’t get Ball, Wiseman or Okoro) then using ammo to trade back into the 17-25 range

[tiger0330]

I like Vassell more than Nesmith because of the way he plays on both sides of the ball. More a 3 level scorer as well with Nesmith having the edge from deep, would rather take the shot with a guy like Vassell that has multiple skills than the pure shooter.

[tiger0330]

With the rumors of Westbrook wanting out of Houston, it wouldn’t surprise me if Rose made a play for him. Russ has one of those albatross contracts along with Houston probably not wanting to give him away in a salary dump, they’ll be looking to replenish some of those assets they’ve traded away when they got him. Not going to be easy for him to become a Knick.

[pat]

With the rumors of Westbrook wanting out of Houston, it wouldn’t surprise me if Rose made a play for him. Russ has one of those albatross contracts along with Houston probably not wanting to give him away in a salary dump, they’ll be looking to replenish some of those assets they’ve traded away when they got him. Not going to be easy for him to become a Knick.

His game is not going to age well.

[htr10]

I’m not a huge Westbrook guy, but obviously he is better than anyone we got currently. I guess my question is when we are talking about trading for Westbrook or CP3, are we talking about trading away RJ, MRob, or our own 1st round picks? If we are, forget it.

[tiger0330]

I’m not a huge Westbrook guy, but obviously he is better than anyone we got currently. I guess my question is when we are talking about trading for Westbrook or CP3, are we talking about trading away RJ, MRob, or our own 1st round picks? If we are, forget it.

Some guy on the ROX bbs suggested this trade. Pretty sure the Knicks would go for it.

If the Rockets can get:
Ellington, Knox, Payton, and Randle and that number 8 pick, I’d be fine with it.

[htr10]

Some guy on the ROX bbs suggested this trade. Pretty sure the Knicks would go for it.

If the Rockets can get:
Ellington, Knox, Payton, and Randle and that number 8 pick, I’d be fine with it.

I wouldn’t give up the number 8 for a guy with a huge contract. If you can draft worth a damn, it’s those solid players on rookie contracts that let you build a team. I sure hope we have a good plan for 8.

[tiger0330]

Knicks worked out Kira Lewis. Seems several draft prospects shot 40% from deep on low volume so that maybe a reason that Vassell is slated to go between 8-11 and not higher, he shot 41.5% in 2 years averaging I think 4.5 shots a game. Here’s the latest on the Knicks draft.


When Kira Lewis Jr. met with Knicks brass earlier this month in Miami, it was a bit of a surreal experience for the 19-year-old. Here he was, at dinner at Fleming’s, with William Wesley, Scott Perry and Tom Thibodeau, all of whom he had known of for some time but was now meeting in person — there was something memorable to it.
“Being there with famous people that you normally see on social media or on TV,” Lewis told The Athletic. “You’re right there in front of them, having dinner with them, having a conversation.”
It might be a month of many new highs for Lewis. He has emerged as one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft, seemingly rising up draft boards. He has worked out for the Knicks, who pick eighth next week, and are in need of a point guard. He sits 12th on Sam Vecenie’s Big Board, but has also worked out for the Bulls and Pistons, according to Bleacher Report.
Lewis has an intriguing case to make. He played two seasons at Alabama, where as a sophomore he averaged 18.5 points and 5.2 assists per game and hit 36.6 percent of his 3s. His blazing speed helps offset his slighter frame, although Lewis said he has put on 12 or 13 pounds while preparing for the draft.
That speed may be his best weapon when he enters the NBA.
“It’ll help in the open floor, trying to get easy opportunities, fast breaks, being able to change pace, keep the defenders off balance, being able to get into the lane and create for teammates,” Lewis said. “I feel that’s going to be a key component when I first get to the NBA as a rookie.”
Although Lewis said he watches film of many point guards, he focuses on the ones with a similar build and playing style. He sees a comparison to himself in De’Aaron Fox, another wiry but quick point guard.
Fox measured in at 6-foot-3 in shoes and 169.6 pounds prior to the 2017 draft, according to NBA combine measurements. Lewis was listed at 6-3 and 165 pounds by Alabama. He said that having that kind of frame has its advantages and disadvantages.
“I’m going to start with disadvantage: People when you first get there, they’ll be a bit more physical, so you just got to find a way to get used to the physicality. But once you get used to the physicality, everything really is smoothing out and you keep get stronger year by year,” he said. “You are coming in at 19 but that’s not how your body is going to be at 26, 27. You’re going to get stronger. I have to say advantages, although you might not be the biggest with that slender body, you could be quick and it’d be hard for people to keep up with you if you know how to change paces and be slippery around them. Every now and then you might be stronger than what people think you are.”
Lewis’ age and experience level play in his favor. He made strides as a sophomore but is younger than Cole Anthony, Tyrell Terry, RJ Hampton and Tyrese Maxey; and he is just three and half months older than Killian Hayes.
He tried to use the offseason to carry on his forward momentum. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the NCAA season, he first found a way to work out at his high school gym, then worked out in Cleveland and in Miami. Lewis said he used these last few months to improve his ballhandling, his reads on the pick-and-roll, playing and finishing against length, and finishing at the rim against contact.
He also said he believes the he’ll have an opportunity to surprise with his off-ball game, which, he said, was dormant at Alabama, where he wore a heavy burden as the offensive engine. Lewis ran the 11th most pick-and-roll possessions (including passes) in all of Division I last season, according to Synergy Sports, and finished in the 65th percentile in points per possession. No other potential first-round pick was in the top 40 in pick-and-roll possessions per game; Tyrese Haliburton finished 41st.
“The way the NBA is nowadays, they look at young players as good players,” he said. “I feel me being 19, it helps a lot, they look at potential a lot. With me playing two years but still being 19, they can look at how I grew from year one to year two and they also can project my potential for later on down the road in my career.”
The Knicks certainly have interest. They used one of the 10 workouts they’ve been allotted this draft cycle on watching Lewis in Miami.
Their meeting was more of a get-to-know-you affair. They talked about his family and what he does outside of basketball.
But he feels he would be a good fit with the Knicks, who need a point guard, and who need young talent to build around alongside RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson.
“I feel like wherever I go, including the Knicks, I’d be a great pick,” he said. “They did their background check and they wouldn’t be showing interest in the players they show interest in if they didn’t feel like they had a fit with them. I feel like I fit in well being a point guard that creates opportunities for a team as well as myself, get players open shots, using my quickness in the open floor and fast breaks. I want to compete and win.”
Lewis has noticed that he seems to be climbing up the draft, from the teams he’s worked out for, from the feedback he’s received from his agent, to what he’s seen on social media. But he can’t proffer a guess on where he thinks he’ll go.
Instead, he’s looking forward to draft night, which he thinks will be the best experience yet of this now very long process.
“Whenever the Timberwolves, they got their pick and they say they’re on the clock, you can finally be like you’re finally here,” he said. “And whenever you get picked of course. Because just because you come out but haven’t been picked but when you get picked or a team calls you right before, that’s when it’ll hit you.”


There doesn’t seem to be any outward consensus building yet on what the Knicks might do on draft night. League sources said they’ve been keeping their intentions close. Although it’s been difficult to get a definitive gauge on what the franchise is thinking ahead of the draft, it seems they have been doing their research on the point guard class.
They’ve shown interest in Hayes, though it’s hard to say at what level. He seems to have a wide range in the draft. Our Chris Kirschner reported that there’s “been some buzz about French guard Killian Hayes as an option” for the Hawks, who pick sixth. Hayes has also worked out for the Magic, according to league sources, who pick 15th.
The Knicks have also reached out to schedule a second interview with Terry, though nothing has materialized yet. Terry is another climber up draft boards, it seems. He was 39th on Vecenie’s board in early April and is now 23rd. He seems likely to be out of range of the Knicks’ second first-round pick, which sits at No. 27. He is an interesting prospect because of his shooting ability. He hit 40.8 percent of his 3s after taking 4.9 per game as a freshman at Stanford, where he averaged 14.6 points per game and finished in the 72nd percentile in points per possession running the pick-and-roll.
The Knicks have also worked out players who could go on both ends of the lottery. Obi Toppin worked out for the Knicks and he has been projected at No. 5 to the Cavaliers, but also worked out for the Timberwolves and Hornets.
The Knicks have also worked out Villanova wing Saddiq Bey, according to league sources. He could slide into the back end of the lottery, but presents an intriguing option at the position with his physical profile and after shooting 45 percent on 5.6 3s per game his sophomore season. He could be an option if the Knicks trade down from No. 8.
They interviewed Isaac Okoro, though the Auburn wing said he hasn’t worked out for them. He’s projected to go anywhere from No. 5 on down into the lottery.


Toppin has been bandied about as a potential fit for the Knicks, though it does not seem as if he will be there at No. 8. He is a late bloomer who transformed himself into perhaps the best player in college basketball last season and projects as a dynamic offensive player in the NBA. And he’s a Brooklyn native.
Toppin is also a CAA client, which can’t hurt with the Knicks, though he said he didn’t meet Rose, who co-ran CAA basketball before taking over as Knicks president, until the interview process for the draft.
He would be a fairly unique pick wherever he gets chosen. He’s already 22, which is older for a draft prospect, especially one who could go in the lottery. Toppin would be the 10th-oldest player drafted in the top 20 since the 2008 draft and the sixth-oldest lottery pick.
22 and older Top-20 picks since 2008
PLAYER

AGE (YEARS.DAYS)

PICK — DRAFT YEAR

GAMES

MPG

PPG

Tyler Hansborough

23.240

13th — 2009

428

16.9

6.7

Buddy Hield

23.194

6th — 2016

316

27.7

15.9

Adrien Payne

23.133

15th — 2014

107

13.1

4

Cameron Johnson

23.114

11th — 2019

57

22

8.8

Delon Wright

23.065

20th — 2015

271

19.8

7.3

Ekpe Udoh

23.041

6th — 2010

384

14.8

3.5

Brandon Rush

22.360

13th — 2008

481

22

6.8

Wesley Johnson

22.354

4th — 2010

609

22.1

7

Jerian Grant

22.264

19th — 2015

279

17.9

6.1

Obi Toppin

22.258

?? — 2020

Denzel Valentine

22.225

14th — 2016

170

20.9

7.8

Andrew Nicholson

22.208

19th — 2012

285

14.3

6

Doug McDermott

22.180

11th — 2014

410

19.9

8.2

Tyler Zeller

22.168

17th — 2012

414

17.5

6.9

Hasheem Thabeet

22.135

2nd — 2009

224

10.5

2.2

James Johsnon

22.131

16th — 2009

634

20.6

8

Jimmer Fredette

22.123

10th — 2011

241

13.3

6

Matisse Thybulle

22.113

20th — 2019

65

19.8

4.7

Kris Dunn

22.103

5th — 2016

227

24.3

8.3

Taureen Prince

22.099

12th — 2016

260

26.4

11.6

Justin Jackson

22.092

15th — 2017

214

19.5

6.5

Frank Kaminsky

22.087

9th — 2015

321

21.9

9.8

Kelly Olynyk

22.075

13th — 2013

500

21.3

9.7

Eric Maynor

22.020

20th — 2009

267

14.6

4.3

Terrance Williams

22.003

11th — 2009

153

19.1

7.1

The track record for the 22-and-older group of players hasn’t been great.


Lewis on meeting World Wide Wes: “It was cool. Growing up you know (him) in the NBA, a real cool dude. Liked to joke and have a good time. Gave me some knowledge just for when, whether I’m with them or not, that I remember. He’s just an overall good dude who likes to have a good time, brings about a good energy.”
Lewis said he knew of Wesley before the meeting but had never met him. He said Wesley imparted some knowledge on him but declined to say what it is.


Because of this year’s offseason schedule, the timetable between the draft and training camp is going to be extremely condensed. Lewis and other rookies will be drafted on Nov. 18 and start training camp Dec. 1. That’s something he’s prepared for.
“It’ll be tough,” he said. “As soon as whenever you hear your name you will get to celebrate with your family and friends and then the next day it’s basically like you’re going to work. Yeah, it’ll be challenging. Every day will be something new. But I’ve pretty much been adjusting your whole life with basketball but it’ll be nothing that’s a shocker.”


The Knicks have made a few new hires to their scouting staff. They added Larry Greer as an advance scout and also brought on former Mavericks scout Reggie Johnson, a league source told The Athletic. Fred Cofield, who had been a scout, is now an assistant to the general manager. The Knicks have also hired two new video coordinators. That continues a reformation of both the front office and coaching staff since March.

[mafra]

Devin Vassell worked out with the Knicks at a church in Georgia:

"[Coach Thibodeau] is a great coach...everything went extremely well with the Knicks, it would be a blessing if I was able to be a part of that team"

[Kiyaman]

I’m not a huge Westbrook guy, but obviously he is better than anyone we got currently. I guess my question is when we are talking about trading for Westbrook or CP3, are we talking about trading away RJ, MRob, or our own 1st round picks? If we are, forget it.

In the past few years, Westbrook has been a consistent triple-double player every time he visit the Garden. Truth be said, I don't think Westbrook ever loss a game in MSG.
Having a defensive-coach Thibs, and a explosive scoring Westbrook running the offense does say, "Playoff Team" !!!

[mafra]

Big week for Leon Rose, huh?

He took over in March, and now 8 months later, he’s poised to start making things happen.

Monday trades are allowed and WED is the draft and next weekend free agency begins.

8 months of preparation...

Let’s
See
What
He’ll
Do
???