With the 2020 NBA draft around the corner, the New York Knicks need to finalize their draft charts on their eighth overall pick options.
The New York Knicks are back in the lottery again (no surprise there), and this year they have the eighth overall pick. This was the same slot the Knicks had when they selected Frank Ntilikina in the 2017 NBA Draft (I can sense the Frank haters are triggered).
This year’s draft feels different than previous years because the Knicks have overhauled their front office. With top scouting minds such as Walt Perrin, Frank Zanin, and Alex Kline, there is a sense that the Knicks will be in a position to make the right choice.
Am I saying that this year’s draft pick is going to be a team altering pick? Not at all. As many are well aware, NBA draft experts are stating that this year’s draft is not like years prior, where there’s a Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, Jason Tatum, or Zion Williamson to be had. Yet, because college basketball was canceled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the talent pool’s evaluation may or may not be accurate since current prospects didn’t get a chance to compete on a national stage and demonstrate their talents.
Nonetheless, this appears to be a draft where the Knicks can get a solid role player to help round out the roster. Now stop your moaning; most of the league consists of role players, who are essential to a team’s success. If the Knicks come away with a solid role player, they’ll be one step closer to becoming a competitive basketball team. And as we all have witnessed, having a competitive basketball team is vital for luring top-tiered free agents.
With that said, there are some players who the Knicks should consider taking at the eighth pick in this year’s draft. Now, before we get into the Knicks’ top options, it should be mentioned that these choices are realistic options. So LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes, Anthony Edwards, and so forth are not in this piece because mocks have them going before the eighth pick (for the most part).