New York Knicks Select Malik Monk In Recent NBA Mock Draft On The Vertical
The New York Knicks select Kentucky guard Malik Monk in the latest NBA Mock Draft from The Vertical.
The New York Knicks are in the midst in an underwhelming season. They have a record of 23-33 as the losses have come at a rapid pace. The Knicks have struggled on the court and have constantly been in the media, rarely for good reasons.
The media circus that normally follows the Knicks has reached new heights this season. President Phil Jackson rarely addresses the media about the team, but is willing to take shots on social media at Carmelo Anthony. Anthony has enough to deal with on the court without having to address Jackson constantly calling him out.
In addition to that, Anthony is dealing with trade rumors. The Knicks have a slight chance of making the postseason this year; if they move Anthony it will probably crush their chances of making a postseason push.
That is something that would normally be unfathomable in New York. Trading away a player of Anthony’s caliber to rebuild through the draft. But, that is where the Knicks currently are. They need to start planning on how to build around Kristaps Porzingis, and adding players through the draft is the best way.
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Another thing that is surprising is that the Knicks own their first round pick. So, if they do not qualify for the postseason, they at least have a lottery pick to fall back on. While missing the playoffs would be disappointing or embarrassing according to point guard Brandon Jennings, 2017 wouldn’t be a bad year to do it.
The 2017 NBA Draft class is one of the more loaded ones in recent history. The class is especially deep in the backcourt, where the Knicks could use an infusion of talent. Even if the Knicks do not sink far enough in the standings to land a top pick and a chance at one of the point guards, they will still find good players later in the lottery.
One of those players could be Kentucky combo guard Malik Monk. Monk is just the latest in a long line of Kentucky one-and-down products that should hear their name called early on draft night. In the latest Mock Draft from Jonathan Givony of The Vertical, Monk goes to the Knicks with the 10th overall pick.
Here is what Givony has to say about Monk going to the Knicks with the 10th pick.
"Regardless of whether Derrick Rose stays in New York, the Knicks could absolutely benefit from Monk’s offensive firepower. The sharp-shooting combo guard won’t have any qualms playing under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden."
Monk can shoot the lights out of a gym. He is averaging an impressive 21.7 points per game, making 48.6 percent of his shots overall, 41.4 percent from deep and 82.2 percent from the foul line. It all equates to an impressive 58.8 effective field goal percentage. For comparison, that would land inside the top-10 in the NBA.
Monk has made 79 three-pointers in the season, ranking in the top-30 in college basketball. The Knicks could really use a knockdown shooter. They are in the middle of the pack as a team, making 35.9 percent from deep on the season. Monk would push their percentage up and give the Knicks another floor spacer.
The needs for the Knicks will always been foggy because Phil Jackson insists on using the triangle offense. It is a system that needs specific players, something the Knicks do not currently have.
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Monk would fit in no matter what system the Knicks are using. He can help initiate the offense or play off-ball as the shooting guard. Adding talent is what the Knicks should be focusing on, and Monk would fit the bill.