In the second round of last Thursday’s draft, the Knicks selected Josh Harrellson of Kentucky. The Knicks, who did not originally have a second round pick, purchased the 45th pick from New Orleans in order to take the Wildcat senior. Just like Landry Fields last season, the Knicks are hoping they found another diamond in the rough that can help make an immediate impact. (more…)

Another year, another unconventional draft pick in New York. This time around the Knicks chose to go with Georgia Tech combo guard Iman Shumpert, a guy who until just a couple weeks ago wasn’t on anybody’s first round radar. Last night my immediate reaction was to compare Shumpert with Renaldo Balkman, but after cooling down for a couple hours, it’s conclusive that things look a little rosier now than they did back then. Hopefully. (more…)

With Chris Singleton sitting just a few feet from Commissioner Stern and Kenneth Faried waiting patiently on their board, the Knicks chose to select Iman Shumpert, a 6’6″ combo guard out of Georgia Tech, with their first round draft pick. He was the first player taken not sitting in the stadium’s Green Room, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does bring terrible Renaldo Balkman flashbacks. I’ll need a few hours to wrap my mind around this one, but more on the Shumpert pick later on.

Withholding all national holidays and maybe my birthday, the NBA draft’s always been my favorite day of the year. The excitement it conjures—both in the climactic preceding weeks, filled with trade rumors and bold speculation, and the tense moments that crop up throughout the actual event—is unparalleled throughout professional sports. Unlike the NFL, MLB, and NHL, it all comes down to one neat, tightly packed evening, and the rewards (or consequences) of a high draft pick are noticed much sooner.  You pick a dud and your franchise can slip into a deep, dark hole. You select Derrick Rose or Kevin Durant and everything changes immediately.

Over the past two weeks we’ve given in-depth profiles on some prospects who could fall into the Knicks lap at 17; players who fit needs and seem to be of the team’s liking. This isn’t an especially gifted draft class, but what it should provide is a whole bunch of role players who’re capable of contributing a significant winning impact. (At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.) Here’s our take on what’s going down for the first 14 picks. It’s our first time doing this so please let us know what you think in the comments; whether we’re spot on or floundering in the middle of nowhere. Enjoy!

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Bismack Biyombo may already have all the shooting range he's ever going to need.

This year’s international man of mystery is Bismack Biyombo, who broke into ACB side Fuenlabrada’s senior team in January but has quickly shown an NBA body with rare athletic potential.  His highly suspect individual game has seen his draft stock plummet, to the point that the former top-five candidate may now be available at 17.  Needing to add some interior muscle, the Knicks may be hard-pressed to pass him up in that spot.

Obviously, I was sold after hearing the words “Bismack” and “Biyombo.”  Here now are ten reasons, of varying relevance, why Bismack Biyombo absolutely should not fall past 17.

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Busy, busy, busy. With the draft just a few days away, the serious rumors are beginning to swirl: Donnie Walsh told Klay Thompson he had some Reggie Miller intangibles, New York wants to move Toney Douglas or Landry Fields for a shot at moving up two spots to grab him, Congolese rebounding monster Bismack Biyombo has suddenly become attractive enough to warrant a jump to 11.

The rumors, they’re coming in droves! Biyombo’s an incredibly enigmatic player. Someone who could either instantly impact somebody’s frontline with aggressive board play and above average defense (think Ben Wallace circa 2003) or flounder through the league with nary a trace of offensive ability to speak of (think Reggie Evans circa his entire career). If he falls to 17 it’s probably for a reason, but who cares. Draft away!

Twitter: @BucketsOverBway

Josh Selby, after tricking everyone at Kansas into thinking he was a true point guard.

Most of the prospects we’ve covered so far – Jimmer Fredette, Kenneth Faried, Klay Thompson – have one bona fide NBA-ready skill that should at a minimum keep them in the league after their rookie deals expire.  In my last post, where I discussed Faried, I mentioned that the Knicks might be better off with one of these safer plays, since drafting a bust could have farther-reaching consequences than your typical late first round washout: it might keep the team from dealing for another superstar, or even, should other pieces come together sooner than expected, prevent this nucleus from contending for a title in 2012 or 2013.  The Knicks have no first round pick next summer or in 2014; to contend with this nucleus or by trade, this pick needs to be a hit.

If the pick has to be a hit, Josh Selby would appear to be the home run threat.  (more…)

Many times we look at NBA Draft prospects coming from mid-major college programs and use that fact as a negative when analyzing their ability. We say they have not faced NBA quality competition or even top college competition. But after watching the NCAA tournament the past few years, we have learned some of these mid-major teams have plenty of talent, especially in the Colonial Athletic Association.  (more…)

Here are three things we know about Klay Thompson: 1) He can shoot, 2) His dad, Mychal Thompson, played 12 years in the league, winning two championships with the Lakers, and 3) He likes marijuana. Sound good? Great. Welcome aboard, Klay. (more…)

If those biceps were a little bigger, he wouldn't fall this far.

The Knicks will be without a first-round draft pick in 2012, 2014 and 2016.  It’s a familiar position for us: we traded young players for expensive, established talent, and the team now lacks the draft picks and the cap space to build a Thunder-esque foundation of young talent.  It’s nowhere we haven’t been before.

Obviously things aren’t that bleak; unlike the past decade, this team is going somewhere, and may not be all that far away from elite.  (In fact, given the way the Celtics series broke, with the close games and the injuries, I’d argue that it’s near impossible to tell how far away the Knicks truly are.)  But they aren’t elite as we sit here right now, and the lack of cap space or draft picks puts a premium on this year’s pick.  It doesn’t matter if the Knicks are one player away from title contention, or if they just need an asset for the Chris Paul sweepstakes – there’s an inordinate amount of pressure on the number 17 pick.  Whoever he is, he absolutely has got to be a player in the league.

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One player we have heard about as a possible pick for the Knicks is Jimmer Fredette. After thinking about entering the NBA Draft last year, Fredette decided to go back to school. It was a good move by him, he led BYU to the Sweet 16, won national player of the year, and led the nation in scoring. He improved his draft status and is now projected to be a late lottery-mid first round pick. (more…)

And regarding which player we can expect to join the Knicks next season?

Sounds like they’re focused on 5 guys: Klay Thompson, Jimmer Fredette, Josh Selby, Marshon Brooks & Kenneth Faried

My thoughts on this haven’t changed a bit. KENNETH FARIED please.

Twitter: @BucketsOverBway

17. New York Knicks: Klay Thompson, SG, Washington State

There’s going to be a moment when the wider world beyond the hallowed halls of draft nerds realizes that Klay is the son of Mychal Thompson. I’m not sure if that moment will be good or bad for Klay’s stock. But it will be something.

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I was planning on breaking down the best centers available in this year’s draft, in great detail over the next few days. Then Chris Sheridan swept down, put this list together, and made me cry/lightened my work load. Read it, enjoy it, and let us know which big man excites you the most.

Twitter:@BucketsOverBway

If you haven’t noticed, Kenneth Faried is my favorite player in the 2011 draft. Not just as some wonderful one stop shopping help on the glass, but by all measures, of every prospect in this draft he could have the most consistent career. Over on Hoopspeak, noted Knicks scribe netw3rk gives his thoughts on Faried and why the man’s noteworthy dreadlocks aren’t a promising sign.

As a Knicks fan, I’ve been carefully following reports that Knicks GM Donnie Walsh is “in love” with Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried. Should the Knicks draft Faried, he would be the 4th dreadlocked player chosen by NY this decade. This worries me

Courtesy of the Post, it looks like the Knicks have their sights set on a point guard, Hofstra’s Charles Jenkins.

“Where I go depends on how I work out, how I impress scouts in the workouts,” Jenkins said. “It all depends on me. Projections by ‘experts’ are one thing. It all depends on how good I play.”

The Knicks have Chauncey Billups, 35 years old and coming off a knee strain that knocked him out for most of the first-round playoff sweep against the Celtics. His backup is Toney Douglas, who the Knicks have deduced does not have the decision-making skills to be their playmaker of the future.

The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Jenkins, 22, may just have them. The Knicks also are looking at Boston College’s Reggie Jackson and Georgia Tech’s Iman Shumpert if they go the point guard route in the first round.

“He’s a throwback point guard with a really good feel for the game,” one NBA executive said. “He plays with a quiet confidence. He’s more polished than Jackson. He’s more savvy, more ready. Reggie is more of a scorer, maybe more upside, but Jenkins has more consistency and he’s got a strong upper body on him.”

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Between our detailed overview of every player who ended 2011 as a Knick and keeping you informed on all the latest gossip regarding all things New York professional basketball, we’ve decided to begin our speculation on who Donnie Walsh will/should select in the 2011 NBA draft. June 23rd is rapidly approaching (only 42 days away) and with the free agency pool being so depleted of game changing big man talent, the draft could be the Knicks best shot at improving their playoff chances as soon as next season. (more…)

Wait A Minute...Someone Who Likes To Play Defense!

It’s been a tough year for college basketball. No superstars, no super teams, no crazy headlines or attention grabbing scandals. Just a bunch of equally matched teams running around, waiting for March. But now that the month is here (and the Sweet 16 no less), who cares about all of that? Now’s the time to finally take notice of players who aren’t named Jimmer or Kemba. Players who rebound, block shots, play defense, know their subsidiary roles and excel at them.  Take Morehead State’s Kenneth Faried for instance. A double-double machine who, on Thursday, literally wouldn’t be denied an upset victory over Louisville by making all the little plays which don’t end up on a box score; he’s college basketball’s Kevin Love (minus the scoring).

The Knicks aren’t the best when it comes to making high pressure decisions. For example, taking advantage of a favorable position in the draft. Since 2005 the Knicks have had eight first round draft picks at their disposal. Six of them aren’t on the team anymore (seven if you include Renaldo Balkman), and only one has made an All-Star team (David Lee as an injury replacement).  I suppose Danilo Galinari and Wilson Chandler were fine ingredients in that they magically turned into Carmelo Anthony, but Channing Frye over both Andrew Bynum and Danny Granger, and Jordan Hill over everybody else, aren’t proudly discussed decisions. But even in what’s considered to be a serious down year in terms of talent, the Knicks are in a pretty good position to improve their team.  No players in this draft will ever become more capable scorers than Carmelo Anthony or Amar’e Stoudemire; this clearly isn’t a need. And worrying about grabbing a point guard for the future isn’t necessary when the window to win a championship begins next season with a probable Chauncey Billups/Toney Douglas tandem. The Knicks are in the bittersweet position of having a humongous weakness, but recognizing the issue and (hopefully) being able to solve it.

After going through the 2010 draft with zero picks to choose from, this June 23rd in Newark, New Jersey, the Knicks should have themselves a mid-first rounder. (I say “should” because the Houston Rockets have the right to swap first round picks should they choose to do so. Right now Houston is in danger of missing the playoffs, placing them ahead of New York in the draft order. So from their end the deal could prove fruitless.)

Here are a few players who could be available, with their scouting reports courtesy of DraftExpress.com and NBAdraft.net. Most look like a reach, but there’s nothing wrong with that when drafting for need…

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