New York Knicks: Why it should be Tyrese Haliburton or trade

The New York Knicks will look to improve their squad by adding a potential star in the 2020 NBA Draft, with certain players standing out.

The 2019-20 campaign has had its ups and downs for the New York Knicks. Even though making the playoffs was a longshot, some fans might have expected their beloved team to at least challenge for a spot. Nevertheless, it’s still an improvement over the previous horrific season.

The roster could sure use some improvement. Mitchell Robinson looks like a potential franchise center and RJ Barrett’s rookie struggles will certainly be outshined by his immense all-around talent.

Other youngsters such as Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina have still a lot of work to do before they can consider themselves as irreplaceable. All three have shown flashes of dominance, though their consistency could use some aid.

Julius Randle did not make the leap that most people had hoped for, though still remains a very serviceable player and potential long-term Knick as a second or third scoring option. Last but not least, the bench filled with veterans was decent and could be used in the long run.

For the purpose of turning this franchise around by utilizing these young players in the best possible way, the front office made a major coaching change by bringing back Tom Thibodeau.

Thibodeau is a top-tier head coach. He will look to make significant changes to the roster right away, starting with the 2020 NBA Draft, where he will hopefully draft the point guard of the future for the New York Knicks.

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Amongst the point guards that are projected to be selected at the top are, Tyrese Haliburton, LaMelo Ball, Cole Anthony and Killian Hayes. Even though we have no idea as to what the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery results are going to be, the Knicks have the sixth-highest odds at getting the first overall pick in the draft.

As luck would have it, the latest projections have Mr. Haliburton landing at the sixth spot, ultimately theoretically falling to the New York Knicks. Let’s analyze why Tyrese should be Thibodeau’s one and only choice in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Tyrese Haliburton is a 6’5” combo guard out of the Iowa St. University. Now on his sophomore season playing college ball, he averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.

On top of that, he is a phenomenal shooter across the field at 50.4 percent, in addition to a 41.9 percent from behind the arc and 82.2 percent from the foul line. It is not that common that we see players shoot these high percentages at such a young age.

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One could say that he is a Lonzo Ball clone, though his shot selection and maturity far surpass Lonzo’s abilities. On top of that, Haliburton does not have an arrogant and irksome father. This brings us exactly at why the Knicks should stay away from LaMelo Ball and the entire Ball family for good.

With all the drama revolving around the franchise of the New York Knicks, adding LaMelo and the entire Ball package would further disrupt the rebuilding process. Yes, LaMelo is a terrific scorer and could end up being a superstar, but he could also fall easily like his similarly-overhyped brother did.

Given that the Knicks will most likely be looking to draft a point guard in October, the other guys that will be on New York’s radar will be Cole Anthony and Killian Hayes. Both talented point guards that are projected to go high into the lottery, but both inferior to Haliburton.

Hayes is an effective shooter from the field as well, though his 3-point shooting needs some work. He is also prone to turning the ball over a bit much, averaging almost twice as many steals as Haliburton Per 36 minutes.

Cole Anthony might be a major stepdown, compared to Haliburton. His field goal percentage is horrendous, at 38 percent, his turnovers are a regular occurrence and his AST/TO ratio is extremely low. Though he is a great volume scorer, one fails to see other areas where Anthony excels at.

The 2019 NBA Draft had a three-headed monster at the top, with not many star-caliber players in the middle. Things are different this year, with a much deeper draft pool, meaning that teams will be more willing to trade for a top pick.

If the New York Knicks cannot land Haliburton when it is their name on the clock, a trade would be the only viable option. Between drafting a far worse point guard, or a prospect whose position is already covered in New York, trading the pick could help bring a star to NY.