New York Native Tops Knicks First NBA Draft Pick Odds
AJ to NY? The oddsmakers at DraftKings appear to believe so.
In the latest odds from the fantasy site's sportsbook, Duke star AJ Griffin (+500) is the New York Knicks' most likely first arrival in the team's coming draft night endeavors on June 23. The Knicks, already armed with the services of fellow Durham alum RJ Barrett, are scheduled to choose 11th in the opening round in Brooklyn. Fellow freshman Jalen Duren of Memphis is the runner at +650, while Baylor's Jeremy Sochan and another Blue Devil, Mark Williams, tied for third with +800 each.
Drafting Griffin would set up a homecoming for the small forward, who previously attended Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, guiding the Crusaders to several titles alongside future collegiate rival R.J. Davis (now at North Carolina). He's set to become a second-generation NBA arrival, following his father Adrian, a Seton Hall alum who played nine seasons between Boston, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Seattle.
The younger Griffin averaged 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in his lone excursion as a Blue Devil, notably putting in a team-best 18 points during the team's regional final victory over Arkansas that put them in the Final Four. For his efforts, Griffin was named to ACC's All-Freshman team.
Standing at 6-foot-6 and featuring a seven-foot wingspan, Griffin's size and defensive prowess make him an intriguing lottery pick despite some injury issues that ate away at parts of his White Plains career. He also developed a strong outside game as his brief Duke tenure went on, sinking 45 percent throughout the second. A final true shooting percentage of .630 (combined field and free throw rate) was third in the ACC.
Discussion around the Knicks' 11th overall pick will undoubtedly continue until they've used it or it's out of their hands. They're also the current owners of the 42nd overall choice in the latter round.
