New York Knicks select Dennis Smith in Chad Ford mock draft 5.0

The New York Knicks select NC State point guard Dennis Smith in Chad Ford’s most recent NBA mock draft.

The New York Knicks came away as losers during the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery. The Knicks went into the night in the seventh spot. They had a 57.2 percent chance of sticking in the seventh spot. There was an 18.3 chance of moving up into the top-three. The Knicks also had a small 1.8 percent chance of dropping to ninth.

The second likeliest outcome was dropping to eighth. The Knicks had a 22.6 percent chance of falling to the eighth spot. For the second time this offseason, the Knicks were losers without even playing a game.

Lady luck was not on the Knicks side Tuesday night. They fell to the eighth spot as the Sacramento Kings jumped into the top-three. That pick will be sent to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a previous trade. The Boston Celtics will have the No.1 selection, with the Los Angeles Lakers selecting second.

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By dropping to eighth the Knicks will not be in the running for the top point guard options. Washington’s Markelle Fultz and UCLA’s Lonzo Ball will probably be the first two players off the board. Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox is shooting up draft boards and could be gone in the top-five.

Likely for the Knicks, this draft is extremely deep in the backcourt. Despite dropping in the draft, the Knicks can still come away with the point guard they desperately seek. That is exactly what Chad Ford has them accomplishing in his most recent mock draft.

In Ford’s mock draft 5.0, he has the Knicks selecting North Carolina State point guard Dennis Smith. If Smith is there when the Knicks are selecting, they should run the card up to the podium to make the selection. Here is what Ford had to say about the selection.

"The Knicks are intent on finding a point guard to pair with Kristaps Porzingis.In some drafts, Smith would be a top-three pick. He’s super athletic, he can score from anywhere on the floor and he’s an above-average playmaker. His team was terrible last season and that hurt his stock, but he has the tools NBA teams are looking for in a modern point guard.Frank Ntilikina will also get a long look here. The Knicks have scouted him heavily."

Smith would be an excellent building block alongside Porzingis. His skill set should allow him to thrive even if Phil Jackson continues to shove the triangle down the Knicks’ throats, which is likely. Smith’s athleticism will translate into any offensive system.

He has elite athleticism for a point guard, possessing explosiveness as a leaper. Combined with his ability to penetrate a defense and Smith can score at will at the rim. Derrick Rose possessed some of the same qualities for the Knicks last season, and it didn’t work out.

Why would Smith be different? Because he has very good court vision. Unlike Rose, who attacked to score being his first, second, and third option, Smith is a willing passer. He averaged 6.2 assists last season with the Wolfpack despite having very little help around him.

Smith shot 45.5 percent from the field and 35.9 from deep. He also made 71.5 percent of his free throws. Improving his shooting stroke would help take his game to another level as teams will find it more difficult to defend him going to basket if he shows he can knock down a jump shot.

Some of the poor shooting numbers can be attributed to him having very little help. He also averaged 18.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as he did everything for NC State. If he can improve his shooting, Smith will be an even more dangerous player than he already is.

Next: New York Knicks 2016-17 Regular Season Awards

The Knicks need to find building blocks to put alongside Kristaps Porzingis. The 2017 NBA Draft will give them as good a chance as any to do that. Smith would present a great building block for the future if the board falls as Ford predicts in his mock draft.

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