New York Knicks: Grading summer moves at the halfway mark

Rebuilding via the draft

The NBA Draft has always been the go-to place to rebuild your franchise, making it crucial for teams like the New York Knicks to select the proper men for the job. Well, in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Knicks did exactly that. With their two selections in the draft, the Knicks made sure to select the best men available.

it should be noted that even though Allonzo Trier is a rookie in the NBA, he did not get selected in the NBA Draft by any team. Thus, he will not be making an appearance among those other guys.

Even so, the Knicks nailed their selection of Kevin Knox with the ninth pick. A forward out of the University of Kentucky, Knox struggled at the beginning part of the season, mainly due to an ankle injury of his, but he’s really picked it up since then.

Since the start of December, Knox has been averaging 16.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. During these 18 games, he’s failed to score double-digits just three times, which once again proves the consistency he’s shown early on.

Moving on to the second drafted rookie the Knicks have, Mitchell Robinson, we once again stumble upon a great selection, given the drafting spot. Robinson was a second round selection who has been turning some heads ever since NBA Summer League.

As David Fizdale has been experimenting constantly with the starting lineup, the rookie center has been a part of the opening tip-off 12 times already, leaving Enes Kanter to be used off the bench as a scoring weapon.

Though he is currently out with an ankle injury, Robinson’s contribution has been terrific, especially when you weigh in the fact that he was the 36th overall pick. Averaging 4.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game in just 17 minutes of playing time, the Knicks seem to have picked themselves a defensive gem.

Grade: A