Nobody expected to snag a future All-Star with that pick. There weren’t flashy names flying around the Knicks rumor mill. There wasn’t even much hope that the Knicks could trade up for anybody or acquire a second draft pick, much like they did last year.

The names that flew around our collective minds were the likes of Kim English, Scott Machado, Darius Johnson-Odom, William Buford, Quincy Acy.

Once the draft started, and names began flying off the board, the picture appeared to become clearer for the Knicks. The first round went without a flurry of trades, and no presence from the Knicks, besides their name appearing next to a Houston Rockets pick (from New York).

Into the second round, names began to fall that many didn’t anticipate. Even then, Acy came off the board at 39. English soon followed at 44. But, two names a lot of Knicks fans had eye-balled, Johnson-Odom and Machado, continued to fall. When both names were passed over at #47, there seemed to be some rejoicing for the New York fans. “We’re going to get one of the two we really wanted! How did this happen?!”

And then, something completely different transpired. The names we expected to hear from Adam Silver wasn’t the name that was read.

Kostas Papanikolaou, Greece.

Wait, what? Who? Why? Really? No…

That was the initial reaction. Look, I get it. The Knicks didn’t see any immediate rotational pieces with that selection. The took a player they can stash in Europe for two years before even entertaining the idea of bringing him to the states. It could turn out to be a fantastic selection by the Knicks, as Papanikolaou could develop into a lottery pick-potential type player by the time he’s NBA ready.

However, we’re also surrounded by the names of past European failures by the Knicks, names like Fred Weis and Macej Lampe. We’ve been down this road before. It is uncomfortable, bumpy and winding. You’re also asking for patience from Knicks fans, an often fleeting trait we all lack.

The good news, Machado, somehow, went undrafted. If the Knicks really saw any value in him at all, there is plenty of time to bring him into training camp and compete for a roster spot.

But, still. Its hard to feel disappointed when your favorite team only owns one draft pick, and it comes after 47 players had been picked.

Yet, if its so hard to feel disappointed in that scenario, why do I feel the way I do?

So, the remaining question is, what is a fair level of expectation to put on whoever the Knicks draft 48th overall?

Its easy to get wrapped up in the potential and hype every player has entering the draft. I’m sure plenty of fans are hoping the Knicks discover the next Monta Ellis or Dejuan Blair, both players that fell to the second round who have made a huge impact with their respective teams. Or, some fans may even be thinking the Knicks will find another hidden gem in the later round like they did with Landry Fields, who went from a relative unknown to a regular in the New York line-up.

A lot of scouts and insiders have painted this incoming draft class as one of the deepest in recent memory. However, don’t expect much of that impact talent to reach the Knicks patiently (or impatiently) waiting at 48th. Any player the Knicks are likely to bring in at their scheduled slot will not fill any immediate needs for this team as far as their 2012-13 gameplan is concerned.

What I mean by that is, say, for example, the Knicks are to draft Scott Machado, poing guard out of Iona. Bringing in Machado, who could one day very easily be a better-than-average back-up point guard who sees 20+ minutes a night, won’t exclude the Knicks from looking at players like Jason Kidd or Raymond Felton to fill an immediate gap with their Mid Level Exception. Machado, regardless of how much he impresses scouts or people in the organization, would not and should not be trusted with back-up duties as a green rookie. Jeremy Lin isn’t experienced enough himself for the Knicks to take a chance like that.

Even players with above-average scoring ability right now won’t keep the Knicks from other options on the free agent market. The best expectation to have on a second round pick this season is to have almost no expectations for them until 2013-14, when they’re one year wiser and have spent a full season in practice and in training sessions to prepare them for the beast that is the NBA season.

So, while I would personally love to see the Knicks selected Darius Johnson-Odm (how awesome would it be if Gus Johnson was still doing Knicks games? D! J! OHHHHHH!!!), I don’t expect him, or Machado, or a Kim English, or a William Buford to make a huge splash for the team next year. That would be unrealistic of me, or anyone.

Instead, let’s hope the Knicks select the right talent, and hope that player can make an impact one day, if not today.

DraftExpress’s Mock Draft currently has the Knicks taking Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom with the 48th pick. Johnson-Odom is a 6’2″ shooting guard coming off an impressive senior campaign in which he averaged 18.3 ppg, on 44.7% FG, and 38.5% 3FG. Johnson-Odom is a sharp-shooter off catch-and-shoots and pull-up jumpers. To add to his dangerous outside game, he is equipped with a 215 lb frame, a 40″ vertical, and a jawline that would make Marlon Brando blush. Offensively, Johnson-Odom has the perfect game to complement the myriad Knicks scorers who do their work inside the arc.

But back to the elephant in the room (or, really, lack thereof): Johnson-Odom is just 6’2″, some say 6’3″. If Johnson-Odom was a combo guard, a la Jason Terry, the problem would be negated. Players of Johnson-Odom’s stature have typically carved out fairly successful careers in the NBA, at times playing the role of scoring point guards, at times playing like undersized shooting guards. However, Johnson-Odom, despite his point guard frame, rarely plays as a point guard. Over his three seasons playing at Marquette (he didn’t play his freshman year), Johnson-Odom never averaged more than 2.7 apg, but had a usage percentage (USG%) of 27% his junior and senior years.

Likewise, the problem is compounded by the Knicks’ (potential) depth at the shooting guard. While much of the roster remains up in the air, J.R. Smith may opt into the second and final year of his contract, Landry Fields (who despite being a natural small forward, has been fairly productive as a two-guard in the NBA) may be re-signed this offseason, and Iman Shumpert will be returning from a torn ACL in December or January. If the Knicks were to draft Johnson-Odom, they would potentially have three or four shooting guards all trying to earn a spot in the rotation.

But the upside for Johnson-Odom is undeniable. Not only could he have immediate impact as a reliable catch-and-shooter on the perimeter, Johnson-Odom is a tenacious, physical defender who rebounds well for his size, and was impressing scouts and GMs during workouts because of his defensive presence, according to Jared Zwerling on the Buckets Over Broadway podcast.

Of course, given all of the positives of Johnson-Odom, it’s quite possible that a team could select him earlier in the draft. The only real deterrent is that Odom is undersized and may struggle in the bigger NBA.

So, like all draft prospects, there are pros and cons, and all we can do is wait to see how it turns out.