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A New Year’s Resolution For The New York Knicks: Get Jahlil Okafor

By Bryce Olin

Dec 20, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) advances the ball during the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Phoenix Suns won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) advances the ball during the third quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Phoenix Suns won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Getting Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 NBA Draft might just be the New York Knicks New Year’s Resolution that will finally get the franchise back on track 

The disaster of 2014 is almost over for the New York Knicks.

The start of 2014 wasn’t bad for the Knicks. In fact, New York Knicks won five of their first six games to start the year, but after that, the Knicks missed the playoffs and are now one of the worst teams in the league.

Hopefully, in 2015, the Knicks will start to turn it all around, but I feel like there’s only one way that can happen, and it’s starts with the 2015 NBA Draft.

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Let’s be realistic: the Knicks season is already over; they might as well play for the top pick in the draft. I, honestly, think that’s what they’re doing anyway.

So, what should the New York Knicks New Year’s resolution be?

Keep doing what they’re doing, and go get the top pick in next year’s NBA draft.

That’s the only way this situation is going to get any better for New York.

Sure, Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani and their expiring contracts will clear about $35 million in cap space for New York to spend this summer. That will help, but the Knicks have always had money to spend and that hasn’t got them anywhere since Patrick Ewing retired. That was 12 years ago.

As the roster is currently constructed, the Knicks aren’t built to run the triangle offense or put together lineups that can actually play defense. Based on this year’s free agent class, I also don’t foresee the Knicks making any big signings that will dramatically re-shape the team or make them more competitive. That leaves the draft as their only way to rebuild, and there’s one player who I know can make the difference: Jahlil Okafor.

The Duke center is the perfect player to be the focal point of the triangle offense because of his low-post scoring ability.

Okafor is dominating the college ranks this season, averaging 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Okafor is also shooting a ludicrous 67 percent from the field this season.

While college success doesn’t always translate to the NBA, especially with young, big post players, there’s no doubt Okafor is going to be a scorer in the NBA, if nothing else. Okafor is fundamentally sound and can score in so many ways around the basket. He’s not just overpowering smaller players, or using nifty, gimmicky moves to get buckets. Okafor is doing both, which, I believe, proves he’s strong and mature enough to succeed very early in the NBA.

Can’t you picture Okafor in that Knicks blue and orange, catching post-entries from Carmelo Anthony?

I CAN!

Okafor might not be the answer to all the Knicks problems, but getting a true, low-post scorer who can somehow replicate an Andrew Bynum, Shaquille O’Neal, or Pau Gasol in the Knicks offense would dramatically help the Knicks get back to being one of the best teams in the East.

It’s been far too long!

Happy New Year, Knicks fans! Hopefully, 2015 will bring many, many more wins than 2014…. But, not too many more, New York needs that top pick!

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