New York Knicks: 3 players to avoid selecting at No. 8 in the NBA draft

1. Killian Hayes

“With the 8th pick in the draft, the New York Knicks select a 19-year-old point guard out of France”. Yup, MAJOR 2017 flashback alerts.

Prior to the 2020 Draft Lottery, Hayes was projected as a clear top-five selection. Unfortunately for him, the lottery resulted in many point guard-set teams being handed the top picks, such as the Golden State Warriors, the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls.

Amongst the seven teams drafting above New York, it is believed that only the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons are on the prowl for a point guard. Though let’s face it, these two teams are looking for pretty much everything.

On the plus side, Hayes boasts a great passing ability, elite NBA-type FG and FT percentages, as well as a bigger body than most players in his position. As with all overseas prospects, their experience at a professional level at such a young age can only prove to be helpful later on.

On the downside, his 3-point shooting needs a lot of work, at 29.4 percent. Additionally, despite being a great passer, his turnovers are extremely high which can be a bit concerning.

Hayes lacks explosiveness, something that heavily affects his defensive game. Slowly reacting to the attacker’s movements, leads to him being a few steps behind him, forcing him to either give up free baskets or commit unnecessary fouls. In fact, he committed 4.3 fouls per 36 minutes during his 2019-20 campaign.