The Must-Have Prospect
John Calipari loves seeing his players succeed and proceed to the first round of the NBA Draft. His starting guards this past season, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, will be featured picks early on in this years draft. A third UK player, Bam Adebayo, could be gone at the end of the first round as well.
All three former Wildcats should be in the NBA for the better part of a decade. Yet, there’s only one player in this group—and in the entire draft—whom the Knicks must have.
De’Aaron Fox
This year’s UK vs UCLA rematch in the Sweet Sixteen featured a clash between college basketball’s two best point guards. Lonzo Ball had a season of hype behind him that included his father making national media rounds on his behalf.
De’Aaron Fox had no such national media hype, but did take note of everything said by and about Ball. By the end of the game, there was no question: Fox outplayed Ball in every possible way. As a result, Fox rocketed up draft boards and is in play to be one of the first three players drafted.
Speed
Fox may be the quickest player to come out of college basketball since John Wall. His first step is deadly and it became even more effective as his jump shot improved.
Furthermore, his lateral quickness means his defense will only get better. At only 175 pounds, Fox will need to bulk up just as John Wall and Russell Westbrook did over their first few years.
And One
With quickness comes the ability to attack the basket and get to the foul line. What sets Fox apart is his ability to finish once he’s fouled.
His body may be slight, but he bounces off of contact and completes layups on a regular basis. Once at the charity stripe, Fox hits his free throws and was one of the most clutch players in the country.
Jump Shot
Early on this season, De’Aaron Fox wasn’t a great shooter. Opposing defenses learned to sag off him to avoid his drives to the paint.
However, in the months of February and March, Fox’s shooting continually improved. If his shooting remains steady once in the NBA, fans should expect Fox to be a staple in NBA All-Star proceedings.
The sad reality for Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks is that Fox could be gone when it’s their turn to draft. However, this year’s draft is stacked with talent and there are other players to be excited about.