Knicks Daily Roundup 5/11: Knicks SI Draft Scouting Reports, Jordan's Double Nickel at MSG, and More

-Our own Kris Pursiainen is here to be your 2020 NBA Draft guru. Kris will be coming out with articles every weekend analyzing different prospects and focusing on what they would bring to the Knicks should they be drafted by New York. The first two pieces this past weekend were about Deni Avdija and Tyrese Haliburton, two players that could be around when the Knicks make their lottery pick. Kris wrote about Avdija's game and pegs him as a top-five pick. The wing from Israel is good at just about everything, if not great at one skill. However, Kris outlines why he thinks Avdija can break through his projected ceiling and have a long and successful career in New York. Haliburton is one of the many point guards in this draft that the Knicks will have their eyes on. While the former Iowa St. Cyclone has his physical limitations, his skill is undeniable. You can read more about why Kris believes Haliburton could fit as the Knicks' next floor general.

-The Knicks were back on "The Last Dance" Sunday. While these cameos haven't been fun for Michael Jordan's opponents, this Knicks' appearance had its highs and lows. Last night's episodes showed New York defeating the Jordan-less Bulls in the 1994 Eastern Conference semifinals—the same season the Knicks finished a game away from winning the whole thing. Later on, the documentary focused on Jordan's eventual return to the NBA from his first retirement. While he was understandably rusty, the Garden had the cure. Viewers watched highlights of Jordan's famous 55-point game at MSG that snapped him out of his early-season funk. Marc Berman of The New York Post wrote more about the game and spoke with former Knick Derek Harper about the iconic performance.

-Speculation continues about whether Tom Thibodeau will become the Knicks next head coach, with SNY's Ian Begley saying "People with knowledge of Thibodeau's past thinking believe that he'd put the Knicks at the top of his list if multiple teams pursue him." Thibodeau went on First Take to discuss the criticisms surrounding him as a head coach, which Begley wrote about here. Thibs made some good points about his success in Chicago and how he brought the Timberwolves to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. He also discussed how he is adapting to the modern NBA and that he plans to use all data available to be successful in the playoffs.

Perhaps this is a sign that Thibodeau would rest his players more than he did at his previous stops—but he could just being saying all the right things. Thibs would bring a strong coaching pedigree to New York, but he'd also carry risk being asked to coach a roster with little talent.

-The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov continued his series analyzing the development of the Knicks' young players, this time with Mitchell Robinson. Vorkunov wrote about Robinson's massive positive impact, helping the Knicks win more with him on the court and facilitating a modern offense. If you're a Knicks fan looking for some optimism for the team's youth, Mitch's review is for you. Vorkunov explained how incredible of a defender and rim runner Mitch already is, and how he could become one of the best in the league in that role for years to come. But what if Robinson could expand his shot profile to beyond the three-point line? That would be a truly exciting outcome for Knicks fans—and a scary one for the rest of the league.

-Charles Oakley has been stepping on a lot of toes in recent months, but insulting Patrick Ewing was going too far, especially given the fact that Ewing took the high road and had nothing put praise for Oakley. Our own Jonathan Macri wrote about Oakley's comments and Ewing's defense. While acknowledging the shortcomings of Ewing, Jonathan explained that no one should be diminishing his career, especially a former teammate who played a smaller role than Ewing. Oakley's comments are starting to alienate him from Knicks fans.

-There was once a time where Ewing nearly became a member of the Golden State Warriors. The franchise was trying to pull Ewing into free agency and away from the Knicks—but Dave Checketts would have none of it. Checketts was the Knicks president for part of the 90s and also worked at MSG in other roles. Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News spoke with Checketts about how he figured out what Golden State was doing and stopped them in their tracks. You can read Bondy's full article, which goes in depth into some of the more fascinating stories from Checketts's days as a highly ranked member of the Knicks.

-If you missed MSG Network covering the Knicks' 1970 NBA title, our own Kris Pursiainen has you covered. Kris wrote about the 1970 team and what legends like Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier, and Willis Reed had to say about the infamous championship run.

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