2020 Knicks Mock Draft - With Some Lottery Luck!
For this mock draft, I went to Tankathon.com and simulated the lottery under the "Mock Draft" category. In my one click of the "Sim Lottery" button, the Knicks moved up three spots to the 3rd overall pick! Wow, look at that, the Knicks actually having good luck in the lottery!
Tankathon had James Wiseman and Deni Avdija going first and second respectively, so those two were off the table for New York.
Now for the Knicks pick. Technically, I could choose any player I wanted that was still available, but in the end, I agreed with Tankathon, there is no way the Knicks could pass on LaMelo Ball.
One word to describe the youngest of the Ball brothers is "playmaker". Ball can dish the rock to his teammates like no other player in this draft class. His court vision is already next level. Instead of going the college route, Ball played a year in Australia on the Illawarra Hawks. There he averaged 17 points, 7 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game. He also shot 37% from the field and ended his season with back to back triple-double performances.
Like when his older brother Lonzo was starting out in the league, LaMelo's biggest question mark is his jump shot. After Lonzo was traded to the Pelicans he was able to improve his jump shot. So it's not something that can't be worked on with LaMelo.
If drafted by the Knicks, Ball's transition to one of the biggest media markets should be easier than that of other draftees. Ball has been in the spotlight for a few years now due to his father's Big Ball Brand and their Facebook show "Ball in the Family". He has also played overseas professionally on two different teams. The transition to New York City and the NBA would be fairly smooth for him.
The Knicks have the Clippers' first-round draft pick this year because of the Marcus Morris trade. Tankathon has that pick as number 27 currently. Again, I'm going to have to go with the player Tankathon has mocked to the Knicks, Saddiq Bey.
Bey is a sophomore small forward, out of Villanova who stands at 6'8. Multiple scouting reports I have read call Bey and 3 and D prospect. The Knicks need more players who can stretch the floor and Bey can definitely help in that department, he hit 45% of his shots from beyond the arc and hit a total of 79 three balls last season. His three-point percentage was the fourth-best in NCAA division one basketball.
Speaking of players who can stretch the floor, I have the Knicks taking another player who can in the second round with what is now the 38th pick, Isaiah Joe. Joe is a guard coming off his sophomore season at Arkansas. Although his three-point percentage dropped from after his freshman season Joe is still a shooter, he hit 94 three balls his sophomore season. With the possibility of Dotson not being a Knick come next season, Joe could be a bench player that fills that role.
