blkexec wrote:

fishmike wrote:ultra athletic guy who can defend the 2/3 at an elite level. Can score all over... man he's really good. The more I check out OK4 the more I come away impressed with this kid.

I've been saying this for a while. Not sure if OK4 is still the projected #1 overall pick. It's hard to select the second best guy on the Duke team as the #1 overall pick. Winslow and Butler is a great comparison. I think this draft has major sleepers and bust all over the first round. It's going to be tough for Phil and company to get this pick right. You need multiple picks, to make sure you get at least 1 stud.

I like Stein (Kentucky), Winslow and Johnson (AZ).....

This is why I would trade down and get more than 1 pick....We have multiple holes to fill, and could use at least 2 studs from the draft. And a few free agent studs to complete the roster. And still have flexibility to be able to grab Durant.

I agree on the busts also. Its scary. God I hope we get this right

fishmike wrote:

blkexec wrote:

fishmike wrote:ultra athletic guy who can defend the 2/3 at an elite level. Can score all over... man he's really good. The more I check out OK4 the more I come away impressed with this kid.

I've been saying this for a while. Not sure if OK4 is still the projected #1 overall pick. It's hard to select the second best guy on the Duke team as the #1 overall pick. Winslow and Butler is a great comparison. I think this draft has major sleepers and bust all over the first round. It's going to be tough for Phil and company to get this pick right. You need multiple picks, to make sure you get at least 1 stud.

I like Stein (Kentucky), Winslow and Johnson (AZ).....

This is why I would trade down and get more than 1 pick....We have multiple holes to fill, and could use at least 2 studs from the draft. And a few free agent studs to complete the roster. And still have flexibility to be able to grab Durant.

love Johnson too... he's more a pure 3 and it would be hard to envision the Knicks drafting a guy who plays the same spot as Melo *this* year.

I agree on the busts also. Its scary. God I hope we get this right

If Phil is smart and understands the knick history, he will select guys that give 100% effort on both ends. Thats NY basketball. Unfortunately, those guys are not in the top 5. Towns might be, but he's a major gamble because of his lack of playing time.

The Garden fans cheers effort, not buckets. John Starks and Kenny Smith said this recently on "Open Court". You don't have to be great at any skill set, as long as you give full effort on both ends, without taking plays off. Now, when you have a balance of skills and effort on both ends, your talking superstar level. To me, Winslow, along with Johnson and Stein fits that category. They seem like the type of players that will play at 100 miles per hour, with passion similar to Westbrook. The garden needs more players like this. Not another skilled but low motor player. Been there, done that. Plus we already have that type in Melo. Effort and passion is contagious, which is why it's needed for this teams lack of energy. It shouldn't be hard to fill out the roster with these types of players. They are being overlooked due to the Russel and OK4 hype.

The top 30 after conversations with numerous front offices:
1. Jahlil Okafor | Duke | C | 6-11/270
Jahlil Okafor
Few bigs can match Jahlil Okafor's skill set.
While some front offices say he does not have the top spot locked up yet, Okafor is the clear leader to be first off the board. It may come down to luck as much as anything -- if the team that lands No. 1 in the lottery needs a point guard more than a big. On talent, though, Okafor would be tough to pass on as an old-school center with power who can play with his back to the basket and score from the post. His lack of athleticism is a concern.

2. Emmanuel Mudiay | China | PG | 6-5/190
Size, athleticism, passing ability and ball handling as a true point guard -- the star power is obvious. It's the kind of package that could move him to No. 1. Mudiay was born in the Republic of Congo, was living in Texas and planned to attend SMU, then signed a pro contract in China amid claims (that his family denied) the move was to escape NCAA heat on academic issues.

3. Karl-Anthony Towns | Kentucky | C/PF | 7-0/250
Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Thomas is a fleet-footed center.
A 7-footer with mobility, a nice offensive skill set and a work ethic? That'll do. Towns is about 20 pounds lighter than Okafor, something NBA teams will obviously note in their pre-Draft work, but they are also different players. Towns relies more on movement, hurting opponents from different parts of the floor, and can be a better two-way player. The compare-and-contrast will continue for months.

4. Willie Cauley-Stein | Kentucky | C | 7-0/245
The image of Cauley-Stein on the bench for the final three games of the 2014 NCAA tournament because of an ankle injury has been replaced, and then some, by Cauley-Stein as arguably the best defensive player in the nation this season. He will head into the Draft with unique preparation that will be unmatched from the college game: three seasons of experience in pressure situations, three seasons against top competition and, best of all, three seasons of Kentucky practices filled with future NBA players.

5. Kristaps Porzingis | Latvia | PF | 7-1/220
Porzingis was tracking to the lottery in 2014, before opting for another season in Europe. His stock has only continued to climb in the interim. The top 10 seems to be a lock and it's not hard to find front offices that say top five is realistic. At 19 years old, he still needs to get a lot stronger, but Porzingis can play in transition, shoot and handle.

6. D'Angelo Russell | Ohio State | SG/PG | 6-5/175
D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Russell is a deft playmaking guard.
Russell does not look like a freshman, and not just because he quickly established himself as one of the top point guards in the country. He is so smooth, playing with an uncommon composure in addition to playing well. The NBA loves to see prospects with poise and how it projects to the next level when the pressure increases.

7. Stanley Johnson | Arizona | SF | 6-7/245
The Ron Artest/Metta World Peace comparisons won't go away -- for play, not personality -- because Johnson can be that physically overpowering at small forward, especially on defense. The key to his Draft stock heading toward June is being able to consistently show more than just bully ball on offense. He won't do that nearly as much on the NBA level.

8. Mario Hezonja | Croatia | SG | 6-8/215
The long wait may finally be over. Hezonja, after years of being tracked by the NBA as a top prospect, turns 20 in February and remains as promising as ever. He can score in a variety of ways, has excellent size for the backcourt or good size for a potential move to small forward. Plus, he brings athleticism and experience against good competition. Hezonja could, some executives say, catch Porzingis and become the first international player selected.

9. Justise Winslow | Duke | SF | 6-7/230
Winslow is still just 18, so the inconsistent play while stepping into a major program is not much of a surprise. It's not a good look for someone heading into the second half of the season just before possibly declaring for the Draft, but NBA scouts and executives also know he can score in a variety of ways and impact on defense as well. Oh, and Winslow is just a little bit athletic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNGS3BSm0bk

10. Myles Turner | Texas | PF/C | 6-11/240
Myles Turner
All-around skills are Myles Turner's calling card.
He has NBA size as a freshman. He also has a game. Turner can play inside on offense or defense, with the potential to become an impact shot blocker, and a shooting touch on a jumper with range. NBA teams would like to see more explosiveness. If they get so much as a hint of it, it's easy to envision a Turner climb up the board. So what that he isn't a starter in college.

blkexec wrote:

fishmike wrote:

blkexec wrote:

fishmike wrote:ultra athletic guy who can defend the 2/3 at an elite level. Can score all over... man he's really good. The more I check out OK4 the more I come away impressed with this kid.

I've been saying this for a while. Not sure if OK4 is still the projected #1 overall pick. It's hard to select the second best guy on the Duke team as the #1 overall pick. Winslow and Butler is a great comparison. I think this draft has major sleepers and bust all over the first round. It's going to be tough for Phil and company to get this pick right. You need multiple picks, to make sure you get at least 1 stud.

I like Stein (Kentucky), Winslow and Johnson (AZ).....

This is why I would trade down and get more than 1 pick....We have multiple holes to fill, and could use at least 2 studs from the draft. And a few free agent studs to complete the roster. And still have flexibility to be able to grab Durant.

love Johnson too... he's more a pure 3 and it would be hard to envision the Knicks drafting a guy who plays the same spot as Melo *this* year.

I agree on the busts also. Its scary. God I hope we get this right

If Phil is smart and understands the knick history, he will select guys that give 100% effort on both ends. Thats NY basketball. Unfortunately, those guys are not in the top 5. Towns might be, but he's a major gamble because of his lack of playing time.

The Garden fans cheers effort, not buckets. John Starks and Kenny Smith said this recently on "Open Court". You don't have to be great at any skill set, as long as you give full effort on both ends, without taking plays off. Now, when you have a balance of skills and effort on both ends, your talking superstar level. To me, Winslow, along with Johnson and Stein fits that category. They seem like the type of players that will play at 100 miles per hour, with passion similar to Westbrook. The garden needs more players like this. Not another skilled but low motor player. Been there, done that. Plus we already have that type in Melo. Effort and passion is contagious, which is why it's needed for this teams lack of energy. It shouldn't be hard to fill out the roster with these types of players. They are being overlooked due to the Russel and OK4 hype.