The New York Knicks have the 17th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Some are saying that the draft is not very deep this year. For that reason, players may rise and fall right up to draft day. The Knicks need a true center and a point guard for the future. Though the center position may be the higher priority at the moment, the Knicks should take the best available player when they draft. Here are five intriguing players the Knicks could select in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Jimmer Fredette, 6'2", 195 lbs., PG, Senior, BYU

If Jimmer falls to the Knicks, they should take him. He is a pure scorer. He was the nation's leading scorer with 28.9 points per game. There are questions about his NBA potential. He may lack the athleticism, speed and true point guard skills to succeed in the NBA. Nonetheless, I think Jimmer is definitely worth drafting. He has the potential to score 40 points in a game. Jimmer doesn't just beat up on bad teams; he scores against good teams too. As the leader of his college team, he proved that he can handle pressure. I also like the fact that he played four years of college basketball. Jimmer could be a very special player in the NBA.

Kenneth Faried, 6'8", 225 lbs., PF, Senior, Morehead State

Faried is a very interesting pick. He is not a center and he is undersized to play power forward in the NBA. But he is a little bigger than former NBA great Dennis Rodman. Faried brings two things the Knicks desperately need: rebounding and defense. Faried led the nation in rebounding at 14.5 per game. He plays with high energy and explosiveness. Faried is not the most polished player offensively, but the Knicks won't ask him to carry the scoring load.

Kemba Walker, 6'0", 172 lbs., PG, Junior, Connecticut

Walker is another point guard the Knicks should look at. He has amazing speed and quickness. The concerns about Walker are his size and decision-making. But you can't question his talent. In 2011, Walker led Connecticut to the National Championship.

Jordan Williams, 6'10", 260 lbs., F/C, Sophomore, Maryland

This power forward out of Maryland has a big frame and excellent rebounding skills. He would add much needed size to the Knicks lineup. More importantly, Jordan could move Amar'e Stoudemire back to his more natural power forward position. Jordan Williams was third in the country in rebounding.

Markieff Morris, 6'10", 245 lbs., PF, Junior, Kansas

This Morris twin is strong and plays a physical game. Morris is a solid player who can score, rebound and defend. He would immediately add depth and size to the Knicks' front court. Morris had 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while playing just 24 minutes a game.

It'll be interesting to see who will be available when the Knicks are on the clock. With the lack of depth and the multitude of questions in this year's draft, one of the players above should be available.

Edwin Torres was born in New York City and has been a Knicks fan since the early '80s. He has been to Madison Square Garden on many occasions to watch the Knicks and his favorite player, Patrick Ewing.

Sources:
nbadraft.net,"35 - Kenneth Faried", nbadraft.net
nbadraft.net," 15 - Kemba Walker", nbadraft.net
nbadraft.net," 21 - Markieff Morris ", nbadraft.net

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BigSm00th wrote:whoever they draft needs to play. none of this "take jordan hill 9th and let him rack up DNP-CDs for half a year, then trade him."

productive drafts! what every good team does!

does that mean landry fields, tony douglas, gallinari, mozgov don't count as productive draft picks? every single one of played and was given a chance to play minutes early.