Knicks drafted Trevor Keels with the No. 42 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Keels is another guy who was on the draft bubble and he?s a solid scorer off the dribble and an adequate playmaker. He?s also a decent rebounder, defender and solid athlete, but is one of those guys who does several things adequately and isn?t great at anything. He also needs to improve his shooting, both from the field and the free throw line and turns the ball over too much, so it's unlikely he'll find minutes playing for Tom Thibodeau his rookie season.
Post-Draft Analysis
Keels was one of the last players to announce he was staying in the NBA draft instead of returning to lead new Duke coach Jon Scheyer to the Final Four in his first season at the helm. The 6-5 freshman is one of the youngest players in this draft class at just 18 years old. A two-way guard with a strong frame and a 6-7 wingspan, Keels is intriguing to NBA teams due to the combination of toughness, off-court intangibles, feel for the game, defensive versatility and passing creativity he shows. He showed a sense for the moment in some of Duke's biggest games last season, coming to life as a shot-maker and finisher around the basket in several crucial moments despite his age. Keels has plenty to work to do on his perimeter shooting and as a finisher around the basket, and there was a wide range of opinions among NBA scouts about exactly how to view his upside all season long. -- Jonathan Givony