Knicks Daily Roundup 5/26: LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, and More
-LaMelo Ball is the top point guard on the Knicks' draft board, which was touched on in yesterday's roundup. While Ball's father LaVar is attempting to steer him to New York, LaMelo is likely to be high on everyone's board, and the Knicks currently sit at sixth in the lottery standings. If New York doesn't get lucky, they could look to move up. SNY's Ian Begley released a mailbag yesterday, with the main question being about the likelihood of the Knicks trading up for Ball if that's what it took. Trading up isn't done often in the lottery, and the Markelle Fultz-Jayson Tatum disaster might be a red flag, but if New York sees Ball as a clear star in a weak draft, it will be hard not to pull the trigger.
-From one point guard prospect to another, Tyrese Haliburton's head coach is talking him up. Iowa St. head coach Steve Prohm spoke with Marc Berman of The New York Post about why the Knicks would be thrilled to end up with Haliburton. Prohm mentioned the point guard's versatility, but maybe more notably, he praised Haliburton's character, saying “He’s off-the-charts mature, invested in the university, all about winning and the team." This can sound like like a coach hyping up his player with a cliche, but the maturity and personality of a prospect can't be dismissed. The players with excellent leadership qualities tend to reach their ceiling and get the most out of their talent. If that's what Haliburton brings, he can contribute toward changing the culture in New York. You can read more about Berman's conversation with Prohm here.
-Some positive news emerged about Knicks legend Patrick Ewing. The current Georgetown coach, who announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, is out of the hospital and back home to continue his recovery. The news was announced by his son on Twitter. We hope that Ewing is quickly back to full health.
