For New York Knicks fans, it’s that time of year again. It’s the time for depressing losing streaks mired with organizational incompetence and dysfunction, coupled with extremely bad luck and stupid trades.
Kristaps Porzingis, the only star on the Knicks, tore his ACL and will be out for the rest of the season. Scott Perry, the general manager, decided to respond by trading for another point guard, bringing the total point guard count on the roster to four, and hindering the development of their other young prospects, such as Frank Ntilikina. The Knicks promptly lost 11 games of 12, an embarrassing streak that became even more humiliating when reports came out that Joakim Noah tried to fight Head Coach Jeff Hornacek in the locker room.
Of course, the losing and dysfunction has its, albeit limited, benefits. Fans can look forward to the NBA Draft, in which the Knicks always have a high pick because of how terrible they are. This year is no exception; the draft presents a unique opportunity for the Knicks, as there are some incredibly good prospects that could change the course of any team. Of these prospects, one stands out as both skilled and realistic for the Knicks: Trae Young.
In the 2009 NBA draft, the Knicks had the eighth pick, and fans were convinced that they would draft Stephen Curry. Curry had shown an astonishing ability to shoot and distribute in college, frequently bombing from way downtown and displaying an amazing passing vision. With these skills, Curry carried Davidson on an historic run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in his sophomore year. He had his flaws, obviously—he was terrible at defense, couldn’t finish at the rim through contact, and was undersized, even for a point guard. Many draft experts believed that Curry would have trouble getting his shot off on the professional level, and likewise, believed that the Knicks were going to get Curry. The Golden State Warriors, who had the seventh pick, were already set at the point guard position and were thought to be targeting Jordan Hill. Knowing this, the Knicks refused to trade up in the draft. This was a catastrophic decision; with the seventh pick in the NBA draft, the Golden State Warriors selected Curry, who went on to set records for three point shooting and become a two time MVP. This left the Knicks with Jordan Hill, who was a bust and out of the league after just seven years.
Trae Young, a point guard out of the University of Oklahoma, is this year’s Stephen Curry. He can shoot from anywhere, has an extremely high usage rate, has an exceptional passing vision, and is the only reason why his team is competitive at all. Like Curry in 2009, Young is undersized, can’t finish through contact, and is poor at defense. The Knicks are in a good position to get him. After his draft stock slipped in the second half of the college season, Young is slated to be the ninth pick, according to nbadraft.net, and the Knicks will most likely finish with the eighth or ninth pick.
For several years, the Knicks have been deprived of a young point guard who can both run the pick and roll and shoot, two things that Trae Young is excellent at. Young can stretch the defense out to thirty feet and shoot off the dribble with ease, making him a nightmare pick and roll matchup with Porzingis. His Young vs. Curry quickness and shooting leaves very few options for defenses; dropping back or going under the screen will yield open three pointers, and Young can destroy any big man on a switch with his quickness. Young can modernize a Knicks offense that is dead last in three point attempt rate by increasing the pace and spreading the floor, as Young is excellent at running in transition. The gravity that Trae Young commands can carry an entire offense, and is exactly what the Knicks need now. Young’s talents, just like Curry’s in 2009, have the potential to be generational.
The Knicks failed massively in the 2009 draft by failing to secure Curry, who went on to become the greatest shooter of all time. Young is currently projected to fall to New York with the ninth pick, and the Knicks must make sure they don’t mess up again.