I was born in White Plains, but was raised in somers....
------//
"Members of the organization have been scouting players in the draft for months; there are a few players that those members have become fond of: French guard Frank Ntilikina and Kentucky guards De?Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, among others. Also, just like the rest of the NBA, members of the organization are also enamored by Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball and Josh Jackson."
(Too bad we pick 7th!)
In preparation for the draft combine, ESPN?s Fran Fraschilla and Jeff Goodman answered questions about prospects on a conference call Tuesday. Here is their assessment of some players on the Knicks? radar:
Frank Ntilikina: ?Well, the broader view here is there's likely to be five point guards drafted in the first 10. It's going to be interesting. And most likely because of the fact that people don't know him like they know the four college kids, he's going to go fifth,? Fraschilla said. ?And what I love about him -- and by the way, I think he's going to be able to show you -- I hate to say this because I'm not a fan of the triangle, I think in the modern NBA the spacing doesn't work as well as it did in the old days, but he's a triangle kind of player, simply because he's not really a 1, and he's not really a 2. He's a guard.
?He can make decisions well. He shoots it well. He's athletic. He could be a good defender. And you're also looking at a kid who's still 18 years old. His long-term potential as an NBA player is very good. I watched him last summer at the Jordan Gym in New York City, and he made 27 out of 30 NBA 3s. I think people who didn't know him early on -- the obligatory line when you don't know somebody is, he's a really good athlete, but he's not a great shooter, and he's dispelling that this year in France, shooting over 40 percent from the international 3. He doesn't have the polish of a Fultz or Ball or the speed and athleticism or raw athleticism of Fox or Smith, but he has the look and feel of an NBA guard when he grows up.?
De?Aaron Fox: ?I just would say quickly that obviously De'Aaron Fox's speed and athleticism, given the way the NBA game is at the moment -- that?s going to trump the fact that he has to continue to improve his shot,? Fraschilla said. ?But I'm sure Jeff has talked to the same type of scouts who say, you cannot, in this modern NBA, teach his speed and athleticism, and unlike some of the non-shooting point guards in the league that are -- actually hurt their team, he is probably -- you could safely compare him to a young John Wall because of the same attributes. But it'll help him -- it's not in his DNA to be a great shooter, because he's never had to be, but it certainly helps him in his NBA future down the road if he continues to figure out a way to make some shots, but the speed and athleticism will get him drafted, obviously, in the top five or six.
Added Goodman: ?I think he's only helped by his character, too. I mean, high-character kid, shined when it mattered in the NCAA tournament, for the most part. I think you're looking at a guy who's certainly going to go in the top 10 and could go as high as 5.?
