I thought Bridges would be a good role player. Knox was more high risk/reward. I was OK with that. More important was that it was who Fizdale wanted. He had just been hired, were several teams trying to hire him. It was a goodwill gesture by the FO. Im guessing they wanted to draft someone else.

Knox has shown he can get hot from downtown in a hurry. If he can combine that with a better post game. He could be a good role player himself.

Stevo718 wrote:I remember being disappointed we didn’t get Mikal over Kevin and now after a few years after the draft Mikal would have been perfect on this team and I really like this kid. When will he be a free agent lol?

I did....that was my pick. He was perfect

I also had SGA pegged as the better player on the Kentucky roster

I also said that Knox had a low motor and you’d lose sight of him on the court as a result - while he was at Kentucky

What I will say is I started that draft season wanting Knox. On paper he’s the guy to target. His length, his shot... the most disappointing thing about that draft to me was it was like FO just read mock drafts and made their pick. If they watched the SEC or NCAA tournaments while asking “do the Knicks need Kevin Knox” the answer clearly would have been NO. It was clear to anyone who made the time to watch

ESOMKnicks wrote:People talk as if we have missed out on a future all star. What does Mikal do that someone like Burks or Bullock does not? And maybe Knox would have been a lot more productive in Phoenix alongside Booker and without the absolute crap coaching that we had.

Mikal was my pick too, but he did not turn into a team saviour I pegged him to be.

It’a not that people expect him to walk on water.. frankly, better players were available at that draft slot. People are getting upset, however, because he was the superior SF then, he’s the superior SF now, he was seen as a sure thing, and he was the two way player we desperately needed that season

So it’s frustrating that the Knicks drafted for need and drafted this undeveloped guy, when they could’ve drafted a project in Porter too and had a guaranteed high upside pick

In short, is not Bridges or Knox that gets everyone upset... it’s that the pick was so poorly botched

1. PHX 2nd year with very acclaimed Monty Williams after a long stretch of turn over.
2. Ayton is fulfilling his talent. This is a very good still young center. No suspensions, healthy, and also stable staff.
3. Booker in the prime of his career and also thriving in the stable environment. Better roster construction all around.
4. Chris Paul. HOF PG healthy and resurgent career.

Then add a glue guy like Bridges now age 25 and it all come together. It is ignorant to simply superimpose one player vs another without any consideration to the oh so many variables that come with it. Up until this season Bridges did not really impress enough to even warrant hindsight “told you so” regret. If Bridges was here in the same time we would have called for his head numerous times. We as fans love to think its this simple. If Bridges played for 3 coaches in three years and had the massive change in roster as did knox might things be different? If KNox was in PHX would his career look different? Very much it would.
Op should say “anyone here want to puff their chests out and think they are the shyt that they wanted Bridges over knox”?
Oh, and Bridges was on a very mature Villanova team that went to two final fours in his time there and won his senior year. Of course we wanted him. I wanted him too. Yes, I’m not here defending myself or knox. I said then as I do every year that it takes 5 years to look back. We are half way there. It would appear that Bridges is the better player but he is also on a better team and is an important piece. Funny, we slam Frank for his shooting but Bridges took some to time to acclimate to the NBA but we forget that. At the time we drafted Knox we needed a potential offensive player. Bridges has a nice well rounded game with a lower ceiling. Knicks might have not succeeded with Knox but there was a goal when drafted. At 22 if you want to call it a failure thats a fans prerogative but I’ll stick to my 5 year rule.
Randle is in his 7th year. His journey was altered by Lakers plan open cap space and they did not resign him. Things happen and some players don’t get the chance to evolve and be noticed.
Kudos to Bridges and PHX. Not fans who have no accountability and conveniently does not look at the details that aggregate to a successful judgement. At this moment PHX has the 4th best record in the entire league. Bridges starts. Knicks are a game over .500 and knox not in the rotation.

Rookie wrote:There were a lot here who wanted Michael Porter Jr. That still looks like it would have been the pick. I was unenthusiastic about either of the Bridges. I kind of got the risk/reward aspect of the Knox pick at the time. Looks like the Porter crowd had it right though

The Knicks couldn't afford the risk. Heck, look how they're getting slammed for drafting an unproductive player like Knox at that spot. Imagine if they had drafted Porter and his back resulted in being out of the league after a couple of years.

Actually SGA was the hindsight pick the Knicks should've made. However, I don't recall ANYBODY calling for us to draft him at the time. I don't see either of the Bridges being that big of a missed opportunity.

Knixkik wrote:I was very happy with the knox pick but bridges was my top choice. He was just a sure fire starter to me although no star upside. Same reason Haliburton was my favorite this year. I felt like with an 8th pick you can get a safe role player and that’s a win.

My picks were vassel and iq

I was wrong about haliburton though.

When they picked Toppin I wasn’t to upset because he was projected to go like top 6. I figured he could score and just be a liability on defense.

So far he looks like a liability on both ends.

Knox would look good hanging out in the corner on a team with a big 3 imo. I think he will be a high end serviceable rotational player in 2 years. So if you think you are looking for that in the future the Knicks should try to extend him on the cheap.

With Knox skill set he is more likely to win a championship before the Knicks.

I’d rather he be playing getting toppins minutes currently. Politics won’t allow that. Same way politics let Knox start and do anything he wanted on the court his first year and average 13 ppg

RJ averaged 14 his first year.

Diffference is Knox checks out defensively a lot lol slow feet also

Knox rookie year 28min 13 ppg

RJ rookie year 30min 14ppg

Knox messed up when he came out his second year not showing progression. Turbulent times and getting rj.

Nalod wrote:Anyone here ever write in the middle of LAST season that if you added in Randles production as he was signed with cap space from the trade it did not look too lopsided despite Dennis’s lack of it.
In the midst of the Spinover rant but prepandemic. Cause I sure as hell did. And wow, am I a freaking genius cuz Randle an allstar!!!!! No I’m not. But lauded the opportunity as one to increase luck.
All I did was discuss shyt. Not predict it. Knicks are engaged in a process and its been going on since PHil came. Not that has worked close to plan. MIlls did not deviate from it and Leon has not. Its simply to build assets to play on the court and perhaps trade them.
As for Knox, its simple but know one dare say an out of rotation guy is gonna be a star. Easy to say “at best rotational off the bench”. Be safe.
I don’t know what becomes of him but I hope he becomes James Worthy when he grows up.

Agreed