Tom Ziller over at SBNation homebase seems to really think that the Knicks are going for a scorer with their first pick of the upcoming 2011 NBA Draft, where they'll pick No. 17 overall. First, Ziller's Mock Draft had the Knicks taking Washington State shooting guard Klay Thompson. In his latest Mock Draft, Ziller believes the Knicks will take Kansas scorer Josh Selby. My thoughts on Selby as a pick for the Knicks are pretty much the same as my thoughts on them taking Thompson; it's simply not the right pick.
Selby is a score-first player, a tweener who's not a good enough game manager to be a point guard, and is a little small for an NBA shooting guard (Toney Douglas anyone?). On top of that, while he may be a talented offensive player, he, like Thompson, does not excel on the defensive end. An interesting note, however, is that Selby has a friendly relationship with Knicks' star Carmelo Anthony; and his friendship with Anthony may have led to Selby's nine-game suspension to start his collegiate career last season. The NCAA investigated Selby's relationship with Anthony's business manager Robert Frazier and ordered Selby to pay back over $4,000 in improper benefits. You usually want to stay away from players with baggage like this, but will Anthony's friendship with Selby (they're both from Baltimore) influence the Knicks at the draft?
Aside from the baggage and the score-first mentality of Selby, he didn't have a great Freshman season for Kansas, especially for a player who was so highly rated coming out of high school. His suspension surely put him behind the eight ball, but he averaged just 7.9 points and not much else in 26 games. As opposed to Kyrie Irving, another highly touted high school prospect who had a disappointing college season, Selby is not at the top of many draft boards.
The Knicks need size, and as I said in my last piece, the guy (if he's available) could be Chris Singleton of Florida State. Other potential forwards and centers to keep an eye out for are Morehead State PF Kenneth Faried, PF Jeremy Tyler and Congolese big-man Bismack Biyombo - although he will be unlikely to fall to the Knicks at 17.
Another interesting bit of news came from Newsday's Alan Hahn about the Knicks looking to possibly purchase a second round pick. Based on the Knicks' working out players like Syracuse's Rick Jackson and UCLA's Malcolm Lee, players who the Knicks would never take at 17, it appears the Knicks may be headed that route. If you remember, this is how the Knicks drafted Toney Douglas, by purchasing a pick from the Los Angeles Lakers. Stay tuned...