NBA Draft: Jersey Standouts Work Out For Knicks
Preparing for the 2022 NBA Draft? If you're the Knicks, it's a Jersey thing.
Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. won't have to travel far for his next NBA Draft showcase, as the Scarlet Knights captain will work out at the Knicks training facility in Tarrytown on Saturday, per Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Harper will follow fellow New Jersey basketball standout Tyson Etienne, as the Wichita State alum burst onto the national scene through his first two high school seasons at the Dwight-Englewood School.
Harper, the son of the five-time NBA champion, was the face of Rutgers men's basketball resurgence, averaging double-figures in scoring in each of the last three seasons while guiding the Knights to their first NCAA Tournament appearances in three decades. His size (6-foot-4 power forward) and athleticism raised some questions at the NBA Combine workouts in Chicago, but his leadership and development as an all-around player could make him an intriguing sleeper pick.
En route to Rutgers' second straight NCAA Tournament appearance (the program's first streak since 1975-76), Harper finished in the top 20 of the Big Ten in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocked shots. He was rewarded with second-team All-Big Ten honors, becoming just the second Scarlet Knight to appear on the list (following Geo Baker in 2020).
Meanwhile, Etienne worked out with the Knicks after a lucrative career with the Shockers, which included the co-AAC Player of the Year honor in 2021. The award's ironic co-champion was Houston's Quentin Grimes, who was drafted by the Knocks in the first round last year.
Etienne holds a special metropolitan connection, as well. His mentor and godfather Marcus Camby, the second overall pick in the 1996 draft who played five years for New York. The New York native was Camby's guest during the 2013 playoff run, where the second-seeded Knicks topped the Boston Celtics in the opening round.
According to the New York Post, Etienne said it was a "childhood dream" to play for the Knicks and that working out in Tarrytown was "an amazing feeling." His experience at the one could be vital for a Knicks team desperate to solidify point guard under Tom Thibodeau.
Other notable recent workouts for the Knicks, per Zagoria, include Jimmy Boeheim (Syracuse) and Andrew Jones (Texas). Boeheim is the second son of legendary Orange head coach Jim to work out in Tarrytown, joining his brother Buddy. Like Etienne, Jones has a former teammate on the Knicks roster in Jericho Sims, who was chosen 58th overall in last year's draft.
The Knicks currently own two picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, their first coming in at 11th overall. Their second-round choice is No. 42 overall.
