New York Knicks: 5 Possible NBA Draft Scenarios

The New York Knicks had their best season in a decade in 2012-13; winning the Atlantic Division for the first time since 1994(!) and coming within two wins of the Eastern Conference Finals.  In many eyes, this team was an NBA title contender.  The problem?  It’s an extremely flawed contender with roster holes everywhere.  The Knicks were exposed by Indiana in the second round as a team that needed more size.  Now, with Jason Kidd retiring to coach New York’s other team and the possibility that J.R. Smith, a free agent, may get an offer he can’t refuse from a team with a little more wiggle room under the cap, the Knicks are a team that could use backcourt help as well.  For a franchise as far over the cap as the New York Knicks are, finding a contributor in the NBA Draft is one of the few chances they’ll have to improve the roster this offseason.  With the East getting healthier (see Bulls, Pacers) and better (Cavs?  Wiz?) tonight marks a key date for this front office.  What can the Knickerbockers do on draft night to remain contenders?

1. Buy a Pick

Many consider this to be one of the weakest talent pools in NBA Draft history and they may be right.  There have been reports that teams in the 20s may be looking to get out of the draft entirely, not wanting to waste a roster spot and/or cap space on a player they feel cannot contribute.  So in a buyer’s market, $3 million might be enough to give the Knicks a second pick in round 1.  This would give New York  two cracks at landing a viable talent that could make the rotation and also creates an enticing package for a team in the late lottery looking to move down for a for a few picks.  Acquiring assets is ALWAYS a good thing.  But in a year where the possibility of signing any free agent (even one of your own) for anything more than the low-level exception is a remote possibility at best, acquiring an asset is imperative.

2. Draft Jeff Withey

Jeff Withey would be a great addition to the Knick front line. (Photo credit: SD Dirk)

The Indiana Pacers provided New York Knick fans with a rude awakening in round 2 of the NBA playoffs this season.  David West and Roy Hibbert, Indiana’s beefy 1-2 punch inside, completely eviscerated a thin Knick front line, sending New York packing in six games.  Tyson Chandler may or may not have been completely healthy and the Knicks were forced to rely on what was basically a mid-season prayer in Kenyon Martin to protect the paint for extended stretches throughout the series.  One thing became clear as Indiana then pushed the Miami Heat to the brink in the Eastern Conference Finals: The New York Knicks need to get bigger.  Enter 7’0″, 235-pound center Jeff Withey.  The senior from Kansas has the polish to step in and become an immediate contributor as a rim protector (3.9 blocks per game in his senior year) and as a finisher in the paint (59 percent from the floor last season).  A four-year player from one of the truly great collegiate basketball programs in America, Withey is exactly the type of winning player a true contender can add to a roster on draft day and immediately get better.

3. Draft Erick Green

Carmelo Anthony had an incredible, MVP-caliber season in 2012-13.  But you can’t win a title by yourself.  The Knicks No. 2 scorer was the inconsistent J.R. Smith, who may or may not be on his way out.  Iman Shumpert is a promising two-way player, but will he ever become a true strength on offense?  What New York could really use is a second option who could take some pressure off of Melo and create his own shot. Virginia Tech senior guard Erick Green fits the bill.  Green morphed into an absolute scoring machine in his final season in the Atlantic Coast Conference, leading the entire nation in scoring with a 25 points per game average and connecting on better than 38 percent from deep; all while facing double- and triple-teams due to a lack of help on offense.  Besides possessing the ability to score in a variety of ways, Green is a solid playmaker as well and his efficiency should go up if he is surrounded by better talent.  Green has been all over the place in NBA mocks (from mid-teens to early second round), but if still on the board with the Knicks on clock,  he may end up in New York.

4. Draft a “D and 3” type

The “3 and d” archetype.  Every contender has one or two. Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule

The ideal role player for a contending team in the NBA is a versatile defender who can consistently knock down open 3-pointers.  Players that can defend two or three positions effectively can make life a lot easier when dealing with players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Dirk Nowitzki on a nightly basis.  But defense-only guys make it harder for superstars to get off offensively because of spacing issues.  The Knicks had some talented shooters last season that couldn’t defend, as well as some versatile, effective defenders that couldn’t shoot.  Unfortunately they didn’t have a player who could consistently provide both, leaving Carmelo Anthony with a supporting cast of one-dimensional role players with enough flaws to help submarine the Knicks season.  Luckily, late in this particular NBA draft, there appears to be several different players who might be able to fit the bill.  Allen Crabbe was a knockdown 3-point shooter throughout his three years at Cal and at 6’6″, he has the size to potentially become a disruptive defensive force on the perimeter.  North Carolina’s Reggie Bullock actually played in this role while at Chapel Hill, consistently defending the best players in the ACC while camping out on the perimeter on offense and knocking down 43 percent of his 3s last season.  Last but not least, New Mexico’s Tony Snell has Gerald Wallace-type potential as a game wrecker on defense at 6’7″ and is an improving 3-point shooter, knocking down 39 percent from deep in 2012-13 with great form on his jump shot.  Any of these guys could immediately help provide spacing for Melo to operate in the post (where he is deadliest) and bolster a Knicks defense that broke down at the end of the postseason.

5. Trade down and select Isaiah Canaan

The departure of Jason Kidd leaves the Knicks with a gaping hole in their backcourt and Murray State point guard Isaiah Canaan is the type of player that might be able to fill it.  The leadership and intangibles Kidd provided the Knicks throughout the 2012-13 season will be virtually impossible to replace.  But Canaan could step in for New York as a catch-and-shoot type immediately (something Kidd did early in the season before his shot deserted him), as he shot better than 40 percent from 3 over the course of his four-year collegiate career.  Despite standing just 6’0″ tall, Canaan is a bull when penetrating into the lane with the strength to finish in traffic despite contact.  This is a strength of current Knicks point guard  Raymond Felton when he is playing well, but he has been inconsistent his entire career and last year was no different.  The best part about Isaiah Canaan?  He will be available in round 2.  If the Knicks feel he is a good fit for this roster, they may be able to trade down from No. 24 and acquire an asset to move back into the second round.

And again, without cap space, a mid-level exception or any real trade assets, the name of the game on draft night is acquiring assets.  For the New York Knicks, who are in real danger of taking a step back next season, getting creative on draft day may be the only chance the team has to get better this offseason.