Should The New York Knicks Draft Emmanuel Mudiay?

There are two major point guard prospects in the 2015 NBA draft class. One’s game is more predicated on skill and precision rather than flash and flair, while the other possesses elite athleticism that could translate into box office success.

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D’Angelo Russell is as smooth as they come when it comes to guards, as his combination of ball handling and shooting range along with his court vision make him a dangerous offensive weapon.

Emmanuel Mudiay, however, has that rare explosiveness in the mold of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook that doesn’t come along very often.

The New York Knicks hold the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, and should they keep it instead of trade it away, they will most likely target a player than could come into New York right away and make an impact alongside veteran Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks have a lot of options with their pick, as they could trade it depending on if they would want to move down in the draft or secure a star that could become expendable by another team for the right price.

Regardless, should the Knicks keep their pick, a lot of different draft insiders including Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman have New York tied to Mudiay as their potential pick, as his ability to be an electrifying playmaker could be too much for team president Phil Jackson to pass up.

But is Mudiay truly the Knicks’ best draft choice?

Let’s start with actually looking at Mudiay’s game.

What Mudiay has been able to do since high school is break down the defense in the halfcourt and penetrate into the lane. His size along with his quick first step make it hard for the defense to limit where he can go on the court, which allows Mudiay to consistently make plays for either himself or his teammates.

Where Mudiay’s speed and quickness come in handy is in the open court, as he is nearly impossible to stop when he can get free on the fast break. Mudiay has the strength and capability to finish in traffic on the run, making him a one-man wrecking crew in the right situation.

When glancing at the 6-foot-5 point guard’s numbers from his lone season in China playing for Guangdong, a lot of things check out, as he averaged 18 points per game on 47.8 percent shooting from the field to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in 12 contests.

Mudiay put up solid numbers during his first run for a professional club, which is certainly a positive sign for any scout that is looking to add a player that can come in and be a factor right away like the Knicks certainly would be doing.

A physical guard that can score and distribute is always a plus in such a point guard-driven league like the NBA, but the game is evolving, and Mudiay is going to have to improve on his shooting and decision making if he plans on becoming one of the league’s best.

In terms of his shooting, he lacks consistency from anywhere outside of about 12 feet. Mudiay only shot 34.2 percent from three in China, and it seems that his struggles from beyond the arc aren’t going away anytime soon.

It’s not that his shot is broken, but it doesn’t seem like he’s put in the work and reps to turn it into a more effective weapon.

One thing that could contribute to his poor shooting percentages is his shot selection, which goes hand-in-hand with some of his decision making problems.

At times, it appears that Mudiay tries to do too much on the break, as a lot of his attempts from three come off of pull-up shots that tend to be forced.

Where Mudiay made up for some of his turnovers and ill-decision making was with his transition passing, as he excelled at finding his man down the floor be it on a long pass or a quick dip-off to a teammate for the easy deuce.

Mudiay’s upside is tremendous so long as he focuses on playing within himself and working on turning his weaknesses into strengths. There aren’t enough guards with his size and athletic ability laying around for a team to scoop up, so Mudiay is special in that regard.

The biggest thing holding back his draft stock is that a lot of scouts didn’t get to study him for a full season in college, so he’s more unknown than the other top prospects in Russell, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor.

However, that could also work to his advantage because those same scouts didn’t get a lot of time to really nitpick and find more things wrong with his game that potentially exist outside of his known flaws.

With all of that being said, I think he’s worth the risk for the Knicks. At worst, he can be molded into a playmaking guard with enough scoring ability to get by and be a threat in transition for a more high-powered offense. But if he reaches his potential? He could be a solid No. 2 option next to Anthony that could ultimately propel the Knicks back to the Eastern Conference playoffs.

New York needs more young talent, and Mudiay could be just what the doctor ordered, especially since the tandem of Jose Calderon and Langston Galloway didn’t exactly blow away spectators by any stretch of the imagination.

Don’t trade the pick, Knicks. Take a building block that could become huge for your team moving forward. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

*Statistics courtesy of RealGM and video content courtesy of DraftExpress.

Next: Breaking Down Knicks Draft Options

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