Oklahoma point guard and 2018 NBA Draft prospect Trae Young might be good enough for the New York Knicks to throw all logic out the window.
That logic being the team is in desperate need of a playmaking small forward to officially replace Carmelo Anthony.
New York traded the veteran to the Oklahoma City Thunder shortly before the start of the 2017-18 season and ineffectively attempted to make Tim Hardaway Jr. his successor.
In the meantime, they’ve amassed a bit of a logjam at the point guard position as the franchise continues its seemingly futile search for a floor general. The addition of Emmanuel Mudiay and the emergence of Trey Burke has forced the Knicks to experiment with the notion of moving Frank Ntilikina to shooting guard as he continues to develop (and grow) in the NBA.
Since the start of last season, Ntilikina has reportedly grown an inch from 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-6.
With three young guards that could bring legitimacy to New York’s backcourt already on the roster, a reasonable move with the team’ No. 9 pick in this month’s draft is to take a small forward.
Villanova’s Mikal Bridges is the best two-way prospect in this year’s draft class and could vastly improve both the Knicks’ defense and outside scoring.
However, Young has been a phenom ever since bursting on the scene with Oklahoma. So much so that he is being dubbed by some as the next Stephen Curry.
Those comparisons come thanks to his outside scoring abilities, displaying a knack to make shots well beyond NBA three-point range look simple. But Young has to work on his inside game as he struggles to finish near the basket on drives.
The Knicks seem enamored, regardless of their needs and were able to secure a private workout with Young. It’s quite a feat considering the 19-year-old is expected to work out for “fewer than a half-dozen teams,” per the New York Post.
The past 18 years suggest that whatever the Knicks do, minus the selection of Kristaps Porzingis, will likely turn out badly. But by drafting the best talent available at No. 9, president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry could possibly buck the trend of draft-day duds in New York.
So by throwing logic out the window and adding yet another point guard to the mix, the Knicks could maybe better their chances at finding a gem.
