New York Knicks: 2017 NBA Draft Lottery odds
What are the New York Knicks odds of moving up or down during the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery?
The New York Knicks fell woefully short of expectations for the 2016-17 season. With the moves Phil Jackson made in the offseason, there was some optimism that the Knicks could make some noise in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks made plenty of noise, but none of it helped them make a run into the postseason.
The Knicks had yet another poor season. Injuries derailed the team right from the start. Courtney Lee, Kyle O’Quinn, and Justin Holiday were the only players to appear in at least 75 games; Holiday was the only player to play in all 82.
Derrick Rose missed 18 games. Joakim Noah missed 36. Carmelo Anthony missed only eight games but had one of the less productive seasons in his career. Kristaps Porzingis missed 16 games as well.
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As a result, the Knicks finished the season 31-51. They tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the sixth-worst record in the NBA. The losing continued after the season as the Knicks lost the NBA Draft lottery tiebreaking coin flip to Minnesota. They will now be in the seventh slot of the draft lottery with the Timberwolves being sixth.
The Knicks will have a chance to move up in the lottery. Their chances aren’t great, but it is better than nothing. Here are the Knicks percentage chances to move up and down the draft order in the lottery.
- 1st Pick: 5.3%
- 2nd Pick: 6.0%
- 3rd Pick: 7.0%
- 7th Pick: 57.2%
- 8th Pick: 22.6%
- 9th Pick: 1.8%
The Knicks have an 18.3% chance of landing in the top-three. If the ping pong balls fall in their favor the Knicks will have a chance at landing an impact point guard. Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball are both expected to go in the top-three and would be excellent additions to the roster.
The Knicks are most likely going to stay in the seventh slot based on the lottery percentages. In that slot, the Knicks will be hoping that De’Aaron Fox is still available. Fox has been shooting up draft boards and there is a chance he is gone in the top-five.
If that is the case, the Knicks will hold out hope that Frank Ntilikana is still available. The French point guard is reportedly one of the players the organization has their eyes on. Fox and fellow Kentucky Wildcat Malik Monk are the other two players.
This year’s draft will be the first chance that the Knicks have to add a franchise building block alongside Porzingis. The Knicks would love to add a point guard, but there are plenty of other great prospects as well.
If the point guards are moving up the board, there are other players that will be sliding down. Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, Dennis Smith, and Jonathan Isaac would all be excellent additions to the Knicks as well.
The Knicks have to hope the lottery doesn’t hurt them too much. If they stay in the seventh spot they will be able to land one of the top point guards or wing prospects. If they slip at all, things could get dicey.
Next: New York Knicks 2016-17 Regular Season Awards
That is what happens when you win four of your final nine games in the regular season. The Knicks won that many games in the previous 15 games.