NBA Draft: Bennedict Mathurin & Top 5 Prospects for Knicks at No. 11
The New York Knicks finished 11th in the Eastern Conference and appropriately, once the ping-pong balls settled, are in the No. 11 slot in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Bennedict Mathurin
Ochai Agbaji
Dyson Daniels
Who among the available prospects makes sense at No. 11? Does it need to be a point guard? Or just the best available guy? A group of five, for now ...
Bennedict Mathurin, SG/SF, Arizona
Will Mathurin, 19, last this long? The 6-7 wing jumped off the screen, in terms of athleticism, during March Madness. He has been a frequent mock draft target for the Knicks.
Johnny Davis, SG, Wisconsin
Davis is a 6-5 player with point guard skills who despite some supposed inconsistencies averaged 19.7 points per game as a shot-creator.
Jalen Duren, C, Memphis
Does a "traditional defensive center'' still work? If Mitchell Robinson leaves, Duren - who is just 18 and who as a freshman averaged 12 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game - could develop as a defensive force.
Ochai Agbaji, G, Kansas
Aghaji is 22 ... but is a four-year member of the Jayhawks program - a championship program. He's 6-5, but with a 6-10 wingspan, so he has the tools to suggest he can play defense. And the guard averaged 18.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in his final season.
Dyson Daniels, G, Ignite
He's a 6-6 guard who doesn't come to the NBA as as "raw'' as some others, as the Australian product played in the G League. Maybe the only part of his game that needs massive improvement is his shot-making.