New York Knicks: Patrick Ewing is best lottery pick ever
The selection for best lottery selection for the New York Knicks was an easy one, as Patrick Ewing was selected.
The New York Knicks have struggled mightily on the court for most of the past two decades. A big reason for that is their performance in the NBA Draft. It is not that the Knicks have drafted poorly; it is that they rarely pick where they are supposed to.
Always looking for a quick fix, the Knicks have not cherished first round picks as much as they should. They have traded away plenty the past 20 years, which is a big reason why they are lacking in success. The Knicks are not winning on the court, which normally results in high draft picks. But when you trade them away with the propensity of the Knicks, you do not reap those benefits.
Despite their ineptitude, the Knicks only have one player on their roster, Kristaps Porzingis, that was a lottery pick made by them. When you miss the playoffs as often as the Knicks do, usually you have a lot of lottery picks.
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They will be adding another one this year. The Knicks will be selecting eighth in the 2017 NBA Draft and will have a chance to add another building block alongside Porzingis. The Knicks are hoping that they will be the foundation to finally get the team on track.
Porzingis has looked good his first two NBA seasons. But he has a long way to go before he can be anointed as the best lottery pick in Knicks history. That distinction currently belongs to Patrick Ewing.
Ewing was the No.1 overall pick in 1985, the first year the lottery system was used. It was an excellent pick by the Knicks, as Ewing was selected by ESPN Insiders Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton as the best lottery pick in team history. Here is what they said about their selection.
"The first No. 1 pick of the lottery era was shrouded in conspiracy theories of a frozen or bent envelope and New York bias. He never quite lived up to the hype surrounding him in college, but Ewing was a Knicks superstar for more than a decade."
Ewing is arguably the greatest Knick ever. The only thing missing is an NBA Championship. It is not all his fault for not attaining one. He didn’t have the greatest help and ran into some all-time greats such as Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Ewing earned Rookie of the Year honors for the 1985-86 season. He was named to the All-Star team 11 times and was a part of the Dream Team in 1992. Ewing is the statistical leader in numerous categories for the Knicks including games played, points scored, rebounds, steals, and blocks.
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There weren’t many players better to put on the orange and blue of the Knicks. Ewing is one of the best centers the NBA has ever seen and one of the best Knicks in franchise history. He was a no-brainer pick as their best lottery selection.