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New York Knicks: Lottery Pole Position Assumed

By Owen Sanborn

Mar 19, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Langston Galloway (2) reacts during overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. The Timberwolves defeated the Knicks 95-92. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Langston Galloway (2) reacts during overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. The Timberwolves defeated the Knicks 95-92. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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One of the most under the radar musings from this weekend’s NBA action has been the shrewd ability of the New York Knicks to increase their odds of obtaining the top overall pick in this year’s draft.

Matchups with the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers were on the slate for the Knicks on Thursday and Friday, presenting a unique chance to either slip further down the standings or decrease their chances of obtaining the top pick.

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The Knicks — much to their own fans’ pleasure — lost both games despite the heroic effort of Alexey Shved, who has turned into a scrawnier, much (much) less entertaining version of Russell Westbrook as of late.

The two losses make the Knicks the clear front runners to choose their preference on the services of potential superstar prospects Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell.

Having the top spot in the draft lottery also asserts New York that they will select in the top four (the top team has 25 percent chance of winning the lottery) of the draft no matter which team has the ping pong balls bounce their way.

Now, the Knicks (specifically team president Phil Jackson) have been hell bent on the idea that the team is going to rebuilt via free agency and perhaps trade rather than through the draft. This would make sense given the age of Carmelo Anthony (31) and the ample amount of cap space they will have at their disposal this next summer.

Not to mention the very real idea that Jackson will walk into any free agent meeting, flash his 11 rings in front of whatever player he wants and have them salivating like a guy that has been withheld sex for more than a week, a la Pat Riley down in Miami.

Here is a quote from Jackson in a recent Ramona Shelburne piece for espn.com:

“We know what the first-round pick is going to mean for us, but we also know we’re going to build our team with free agents.”

With that kind of mindset, the chances of Jackson flipping the draft pick for whatever disgruntled star player may be on the trade market (much like the Cavs with Kevin Love) skyrocket. Depending on what Knicks fans you speak to, this is either a fantastic idea, or a bonehead move.

Grantland’s Jason Concepcion appears to be a part of the latter group of fans, as he eloquently stated in a recent column.

Conventional wisdom (and wise NBA minds) would implore Phil to keep the pick and use it on a can’t-miss prospect. Going this route would give the Knicks a cost-controlled potential stud that may be the face of their franchise for the next 10-15 years.

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    • Under the current CBA, it is almost a given that a drafted player will spend at least seven seasons with their original team, making it a coup for franchises that are unable to compete for the top free agents.

    However, both Phil and Carmelo are not ones to be patient. They want to win a championship as soon as next season and are going to go balls to the wall during free agency to try to accomplish that goal. The free agency game is dangerous and unforgiving, especially since the entire league is going to have just as much cap space as the faltering Knicks in the upcoming summers.

    Putting all of the eggs into a free agency basket is a risky move by any measure, and New York is already familiar with the feeling of rejection after the failed cap space hoarding experiment in 2010. A full-fledged rebuild may be the best answer for the Knicks, only it isn’t an option under the current regime.

    New York cemented their status as the clear front runner to win the draft lottery in June this past weekend, but who knows if they are even going to be the ones to wreak the benefits of it.

    In the end, it will all be up to President Zen Master.

    Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time

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