The 2015 NBA Draft is just a few short hours away and yet New York Knicks fans still don't know what to expect. Word on the street is that Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell and Duke big man Jahlil Okafor are the preferred targets. Whispers of a trade down the draft board have even been heard by those in the know. But on ESPN Insider Chad Ford's Mock Draft 8.0, he projects the Knicks to select point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, who played this past season in China to mixed results.
"Why they take him: Life without [Karl Anthony] Towns, Okafor or Russell on the board is the Knicks' worst nightmare," Ford wrote. "They're trying to figure out a trade that slows them to move down a few spots and grab Phil Jackson's favorite, Frank Kaminsky. I don't know that they know what they are doing if they keep the pick. Things were still quite fluid Wednesday night. All I can say is Mudiay is really good and they really could use a major upgrade in the backcourt. Mudiay might not be the ideal point guard for the triangle, but at this point, he's the safer of the two options left on the board. And at the very least, he might be the best trade bait.
"Why they pass: If the Knicks get a trade offer that helps them get better now and allows them to select Kaminsky a little later in the draft, they'd do it. Or, Jackson decides that Mudiay or Justice Winslow is just a safer bet at 4. Or he goes really outside the box and take Mario Hezonja?"
Mudiay was a much hyped prospect coming out of high school and was expected to play for SMU for his freshman season. But after an investigation into his high school transfer history, Mudiay decided to accept a $1.2 million offer from the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
Due to a sprained ankle, Mudiay played just 10 regular season games for the Tigers. In 12 total games (including playoffs), he averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals. He isn't the shooter that Russell is, but his court vision is just as good and he has the higher upside as a defender and as an athlete overall.
What do you think of this pick, Knicks fans? Let us know in the comments section below.
