New York Knicks 2018 NBA Draft Review With Grades
2018
New York Knicks NBA Draft Review
Written
By Kyle Crabbe
Follow
on Twitter: @KthetruestKnick
After
much speculation and anticipation of the 2018 NBA Draft, the
draft is now complete, and we can begin the debate of who came out the draft
winners and how the young prospects that were drafted fit with their
new respective teams. The New York Knicks made two selections, one in
the first round and another in the second round. Here we will break
down those two picks of Kentucky's Forward Kevin Knox and High School
Star Center Mitchell Robinson.
Draft
Selection
Round
1 - 9th Pick
Kevin
Knox
Positon: SF
College: Kentucky
HT: 6-9”( Wingspan 7-0”)
WT: 215 Lbs
Age: 18
TrueFan
Pick Grade: A
TrueFan
Pick's Fit: Supreme
TrueFan Fit Take: The Knicks on this pick checks all
their pre-draft needs. The New York Knicks already having a good
amount of guards on the roster and having a Star at Power Forward in
Porzingis and healthy options at the Center position, the need was
for a Small Forward that could be a real piece for the Knicks'
budding future. Knox arguably is and will become the best Small
Forward out of the 2018 NBA Draft. With the Knicks preaching “
Length, Athleticism, and Team-first” players, Knox is a perfect fit
for that mantra. At 18 and already 6'9 with a 7'0 Wingspan and having
a football Player's background, Knox projects to be a special
physical player when he reaches his prime in the NBA that will be
unguardable for his size and a terror defensively with his physical
abilities. Knox when he reaches his physical prime will be around
6'11” with a 7'2/7-3” wingspan and solidly built. With being one
of the youngest players in the draft this allows Knox to fit in
perfectly with the Knicks young core, and gives Knox endless
opportunities to develop while Knicks young cornerstone Kristaps
Porzingis returns from his injury.
 |
| Kevin Knox Kentucky Highlights |
TrueFan
Skills' Grades
Offense: 8/10
Defense: 7/10
Size/ Physical Abilities: 8/10
Basketball IQ: 8/10
Potential: 9/10
 |
| Kevin Knox DraftExpress Scouting Video |
TrueFan Potential: Starter/ Possible All-Star
TrueFan Pro
Player Comparisons: Rudy Gay, Paul George, Tobias
Harris, Kevin Durant, Hedo Turkoglu
TrueFan Best Pro
Comp: Rudy Gay
Strengths
-Elite
Level of Offensive Versatility
-Improving
Playmaker, great in Pick-and-Roll Situations
-Great
Size, Length And Wingspan, Fluid Athlete
-Committed
Team Player
-Potential
Number One Option on Offense
-Excellent
Defensive Potential
-Potential
to Guard 1-4 Positions Defensively due to impressive physical profile
-Physical
Background, former elite Quarterback Football Prospect( Father Former
Football Star)
-Good
Shooting Form, can shoot over opponents
-Smart Basketball
Player
-Great Potential
Upside, one of youngest in draft
Weaknesses
-No
Major Weaknesses
-Decision
Making
TrueFan
Pick Projection:
Kevin Knox is going
into a great situation for the young prospect. Knicks Head Coach
David Fizdale has already spoke raves about Knox's potential and
Fizdale intends on starting Knox in this coming season. I feel Knox
might struggle in the early parts of his career but in 3 to 4 seasons
I project Knox to be a All-Star Talent and a legitimate second-option
in New York to Kristaps Porzingis. Knox's game is a combination of
Paul George and Kevin Durant and projects to have a very good rookie
campaign. I believe Knox will be a favorite for Rookie Of The Year
due to his opportunities in New York and his NBA Readiness coming out
the Kentucky John Calipari Program. Knox will struggle a bit for
sure, but I can foresee Knox having a Jayson Tatum from Boston like
Rookie Season posting numbers close to averaging 14-15 Points a Game,
4-5 Rebounds Per Game, and around 2-3 Assists Per Game.
TrueFan
Overall Take
I love the Kevin
Knox pick and believe the Knicks got their version of Boston's Jayson
Tatum. I see Knox as becoming a Kevin Durant Lite in the NBA and
possibility winning the Rookie of The Year this coming season. I was very comfortable with the Knicks picking Knox, Knox was the prospect I identified last September( as my " Early Knicks Draft Prospects" Article show) as the perfect heir apparent at Knicks Small Forward to Carmelo Anthony. I feel
Knox will in quick time become the Knicks main offensive weapon this
coming season and by the time Porzingis returns Knox and Hardaway Jr
will be reliable secondary scoring threats. With David Fizdale as
Head Coach and having experience with LeBron James in Miami and Joe
Johnson in Atlanta, I believe he will put Knox in great positions to
develop into a legitimate 20-Point Per Game scorer in the NBA for the
Knicks. Knox also feels to me like a special pick for the Knicks; for
Knox's father, Kevin Knox Sr, played as the star wide receiver for
then Heisman trophy winning Quarterback and future New York Knicks
Point Guard Charlie Ward at Florida State. Also add to that young
Kevin Knox was a elite football prospect, and for that reason and the
fact that David Fizdale is a defensive-first-minded coach off the Pat
Riley Tree and Mike Woodson School, Knox can become an excellent
tough lengthy defender also. With that potential, I believe the
Knicks can end up with 5 starting two-way terrors in Kristaps
Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina, Damyean Dotson, Kevin Knox, and then
Mitchell Robinson.
Draft
Selection
Round
2 - 6th
Pick( 36th
Selection Overall)
Mitchell
Robinson
Position: C
College: Team USA
HT: 7-0”(Wingspan 7-4”)
WT: 225 Lbs
Age: 20
TrueFan
Pick Grade: A+
TrueFan
Pick's Fit: Excellent
TrueFan Pick Take: The Knicks might have gotten the
biggest steal in the 2018 NBA Draft with Mitchell Robinson. Robinson
was considered the best defensive Bigman in this class coming out of
High School( compared to Mohammed Bamba, Jaren Jackson, Wendell
Carter Jr). Robinson was pegged as the premier Shot Blocker and Rim
Protector out of the 2017 High School Class. Robinson was considered
by a scout, “ 100 Percent Mohammed Bamba's Potential on Defensive
and Stretch 5 Shooting Potential, with about 70 Percent of the length
and wingspan”. With the Knicks not locking into long-term deals
with Centers Enes Kanter or Kyle O'Quinn and the prospects of Joakim
Noah not looking bright, Robinson becomes a great pick for the
Knicks. Adding Robinson to a core of Kristaps Porzingis and Frank
Ntiklina gives the Knick a potential defense that could become
legendary like the 1990's New York Knicks Pat Riley lead defenses.
 |
| Mitchell Robinson High School Highlights |
TrueFan
Skills' Grades
Offense: 5/10
Defense: 8/10
Size/ Physical Abilities: 8/10
Basketball IQ: 6/10
Potential: 8/10
TrueFan Potential:
Starter/ Star Upside
TrueFan
Pro Player Comparisons: Hassan
Whiteside, Clint Capela, Marcus Camby, DeAndre Jordan
TrueFan
Best Pro Comp: DeAndre Jordan
Strengths
-Supreme
Physical Tools For Modern Big Man
-Great Leaper, Very
Bouncy, excellent lop catcher and great in Pick-and-Roll Situations
-Gifted Athlete
-Elite Gifted Shot
Blocker/ Rim Protector
-Arguably Best Shot
Blocker in Draft Class
-Improving Shooter,
Has Stretch 5 Potential
-Great Hands, Good
Rebounder
-Elite Upside
Weaknesses
-Decision
Making
-Very Raw Talent
without playing College Ball
-Doesn't have a High
Level of Feel For the Game
-Defensive
Awareness; Tries To Block Everything
 |
| Mitchell Robinson Scouting Breakdown Video |
TrueFan Pick
Projection:
Mitchell Robinson
will need time to develop to be a solid NBA player. Robinson projects
to be the next DeAndre Jordan if he reaches his potential. The part
that makes Robinson potentially special is his shooting ability and
possibly Stretch 5 Potential like Anthony Davis. Due to Robinson
skipping a year of college, we can look to Hassan Whiteside's career
as a bit of a predictor to Robinson's path to NBA stardom. Just like
the center's he most compares to in Clint Capela, Hassan Whiteside,
and DeAndre Jordan, we can expect Robinson to struggle quite a bit
his first year. Robinson has reportedly been working out and training
with former NBA Player and University of North Carolina Star Shammond
Williams, so we can expect Robinson to be a be more prepared for the
NBA than the aforementioned. But the numbers we can reasonably expect
from Robinson year 1 will be around 4-5 Points per Game, 3-4 Rebounds
Per game, and around a 1 Block per game with time also spend in the
G-League.
TrueFan
Overall Take
With the choice of
Mitchell Robinson in the second round for the New York Knicks, I
considered the Knicks finally getting lucky after many years of
heartbreak. In Mitchell Robinson I believe the Knicks got the best
Shot Blocker in this year's draft and in a draft with Jaren Jackson
Jr and Mo Bamba that's quite impressive. I believe Scott Perry and
Steve Mills did a great job getting this high level talent, now it's
up to this trio of Fizdale-Perry-Mills to develop a group of very
promising young players that all possess two-way potential. I'm
enamored by the pick of Mitchell Robinson for 3 main reasons, 1)
Robinson was projected as the best Rim Protector in this class, and
matching him with Kristaps Porzingis could make for an elite interior
defense for years to come. 2) Robinson's two-way potential under
David Fizdale could give the Knicks their own version of the David
Robinson-Tim Duncan/Ralph Sampson-Hakeem Olajuwon Twin Towers. With
Knox-Porzingis-Robinson, new Knicks assistant coach Kaleb Canales can
live out his dream that didn't happen earlier in his coaching career
with the Portland Trailblazers and the trio of Greg Oden-LaMarcus
Aldridge-Brandon Roy. 3) If Robinson is to become the DeAndre Jordan
level Rim Protector and Defensive Center he projects to be, the
perfect mentor is already on the Knicks roster. If the Knicks and new
head coach David Fizdale are to utilize former star Bigman Joakim
Noah this coming season, mentoring Mitchell Robinson could become
very valuable for the Knicks. Noah a former Defensive Player of the
Year has already helped Porzingis tremendously at reading offensives
and being in the right place on defense to make defensive plays, now
if Noah can be part of this growing defense-first culture Fizdale and
Perry are building, Robinson I believe can benefit greatly. I believe
if Enes Kanter opts out and the Knicks are unable to resign him
long-term, a great possibility would be bringing Noah in to start at
Center and help create the foundation for a dominate defensive
culture like Andrew Bogut did for the Golden State Warriors for the
Knicks with these young players on the roster. Even if Kanter is to
return to the Knicks, I believe Noah can become invaluable for front
court depth and in helping install the foundation for a elite
defensive team.
TrueFan
Overview
With the 2018 NBA
Draft the New York Knicks have put together an inspiring group of
young uber-talented basketball players. The additions of Kevin Knox
and Mitchell Robinson look like homerun selections, only time will
tell if the city of New York can be patient enough to let these
talents bloom.
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