The New York Knicks’ front office has been under scrutiny perhaps more than any non-Sacramento NBA front office over the past few years. No Knicks employee has been questioned more than President Phil Jackson. Jackson has faith in the Knicks’ front office, though. From ESPN’s Ian Begley:
“Our opportunity [at] seven could have been 10, so eight we’ll live with,” Jackson said. “I think that we’re good at what we do.”
Jackson is referring to the fact that the Knicks dropped down a spot in the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday. The Knicks were projected to have the seventh overall pick but instead will draft eighth. Jackson, though, trusts his front office enough that he’s not worried about missing on the no. 8 pick.
Due to Jackson and the Knicks’ reputations over the past few years, some might find humor in Jackson’s statement. The Knicks, though, have drafted fairly well in recent years (when they’ve had draft picks). They picked Kristaps Porzingis, who looks like a franchise-altering player. In 2013, they drafted Tim Hardaway Jr., who has developed into a nice contributor (unfortunately, in Atlanta, not New York). They drafted Cleanthony Early in the second round of the 2014 draft, who was progressing nicely until he tragically suffered a gunshot wound to the knee.
The Knicks have often traded away their draft picks (before or after drafting), but with the ones that they keep, they’ve done a good job.
Def Pen’s most recent mock draft, released Thursday, has the Knicks selecting sweet-shooting Kentucky guard Malik Monk with their pick.
