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.

Is English's scoring touch what the Knicks need in the second round?

We’ve covered two point guards that could make an impact as a back-up for the Knicks as a second round draft pick. One with experience playing in MSG (Scoop Jardine) and one with New York ties and a mean ability to create opportunity (Scott Machado). Now, its time to look at one of the most prolific scoring points in this year’s draft crop, Missouri’s Kim English.

Missouri’s last impression is unfair considering all the good the team accomplished throughout the regular season. I mean, they were the Big 12 Champions, lest we forget. However, its the crushing loss to 15-seed Norfolk State in the first, er, second round of the NCAA Tournament that destroyed their hard work and a ton of brackets.

What Missouri did throughout the regular season was remarkable considering they played almost exclusively with a four-guard starting line-up. English, along with Marcus Denmon, Phil and Max Pressley created a dynamic starting line-up that few teams were able to keep up with in a fast-paced offensive attack. When you include sixth man Michael Dixon, the Tigers were an incredible team to watch on a nightly basis, which made them easy picks to do well in the NCAA Tournament.

On the season, English’s best attributes were on the offensive end. He averaged 14.5 points, with a remarkable 52.1% from the field and an even more impressive 45.9% from beyond the arc. His defense was better than average, bringing in over a steal a game, but English was never the main distributor on offense, averaging only 1.6 a night for a team that dished out over 16 a night.

While I admire everything English can do for a team on offense and love that he played against some of the best competition the game had to offer (including going head-to-head with potential lottery pick Tyshawn Taylor numerous times), I can’t bring myself to seeing him as a fit for the Knicks, especially if Machado is available before him.

The problem mainly for English is he’s really not a point guard, but more of a combo-guard in the form of Iman Shumpert. He would be a luxury for the Knicks if they took him instead of someone that would fill a hole. In the draft, the Knicks should focus on one of three aspects: a back-up point guard with the potential to one day start, a defensive-minded block player or a combo guard with an emphasis on defense.

English is no bum when it comes to one-on-one defending, but Missouri did play almost strictly a zone coverage because of their lack of size inside, forcing teams to move the ball around the wing in order to create scoring opportunities. His best asset (scoring at will) isn’t something the Knicks are really short of. English would likely play with the second unit if he played at all, and his opportunities would be limited especially if J.R. Smith re-ups with the team in the off-season.

You can talk me into English fitting on the Knicks if Smith walks, but that’s the only scenario I truly see him working into the Knicks master plan. Would I be upset if the Knicks went with English at 48th overall? Absolutely not. I think he did more than enough at Missouri to prove he can be a scorer and a contributor in the NBA.

However, that late in the draft, it isn’t about taking the best player, but taking the best option that fills a need. Right now, Kim English wouldn’t fill a need for the Knicks the way they are currently constructed.

Will Machado be available for the Knicks at #48?

Earlier, we took a closer look at a potential option for the Knicks at pick #48 with a rundown of Syracuse point guard Scoop Jardine. Jardine has a history playing big games in Madison Square Garden already with the Orange, so Knicks fans should be very familiar with his abilities and what he can do against elite competition.

One option that may have flown under the radar, at least on the national level, is the play of another New York collegiate point guard: Iona’s Scott Machado. According to NBADraft.net’s 2012 Mock Draft, Machado is slated to go 60th overall, or the final pick of the draft, to the Los Angeles Lakers.

We’ve already covered the options present for the Knicks depending on all the different situations involving Jeremy Lin and his Bird Rights. With or without having to use the Mid-Level Exception on Lin, the Knicks don’t have any reliable back-ups at the point, and the team might be best off using their lone 2012 draft pick on back-court depth.

A Queens native, Machado averaged a remarkable 9.9 assist-per-game as the leader of the surprising Iona Gaels squad that lost to BYU in the First Four. He also averaged 1.6 steals, 13.6 points on 49.5% shooting from the field, 40% from 3-pt land. Though Machado spent the majority of his season playing inferior competition in the MAAC, he had some of his best performances against out of conference foes, including a 14 point, 11 assist effort against Purdue on opening night.

More importantly, he was the maestro to the nation’s highest scoring offense. Everything Iona wanted to accomplish on the offensive end of the floor started with, and sometimes ended with, Machado. He would draw the focus of the defense to him, allowing him to dish it inside to players like Mike Glover or along the wings to Jemel Jenkins or Sean Armand. The Gaels also led the nation in assist-per-game, with more than 50% of that responsibility coming from whatever Machado gave them each night.

As far as pure point guards go, Machado is one of the best available. He has the experience you would want at a back-up point guard position, having spent four full seasons playing ball in New Rochelle. His game also emphasizes getting his teammates involved and playing strong defense, which would both flow perfectly into how the Knicks run their offense through their stars and set-up shooters.

For me, Machado would be a dream come true at 48th. Though some might think he’s too small (he’s listed at 6’1″, 180 pounds) to withstand a full NBA season, he’s exactly what a team like the Knicks would want as their back-up point guard. He’s a Rajon Rondo-lite with a more polished jump shot than Rondo had when he came out of Kentucky. Would I be concerned about him playing at a smaller school? No, mostly due to the rules forcing future players to spend at least a year in college creating more depth in the college game.

If you haven’t heard a lot about Machado at this point in the process, you will soon. He can be a starter in this league with the right coaching and game plan. Hopefully, those coincide with a second round draft selection from the New York Knicks.