With the date for the 2020 NBA Draft set, we begin our look at each team in the lottery relative to LaMelo Ball. What’s the outlook of the team, how does Ball fit into their roster and plans and what’s the likelihood of him landing with the franchise? We continue our profiles with the New York Knicks.
Boston Celtics profile
New Orleans profile
Sacramento Kings profile
San Antonio Spurs profile
Phoenix Suns profile
New York Knicks profile
The Team
Outside of the top three teams in the draft, no team has been more linked to LaMelo Ball than the New York Knicks. A franchise in dire need of someone to drag them out of years of irrelevance, Ball has been targetted as the newest face to do so. He only comes, though, after the likes of Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant and numerous others that have had the same tags placed on them throughout the years.
In their constant attempts to chase stars uninterested in them, the Knicks have neglected the present as well, leaving the roster in shambles. A spending spree on forwards last summer did little to help No. 3 pick RJ Barrett in his rookie season.
A new regime led by Leon Rose in the front office, who has connections to Ball, and Tom Thibodeau on the sideline is the latest group tasked with leading the Knicks to the promised land. Their challenge is a daunting one with a flawed roster.
Frank Ntilikina, Elfrid Payton and Dennis Smith Jr. represent not just the point guards for last year’s Knicks but three of the bigger point guard busts in recent years of the draft. None of the trio established themselves in New York, leading to the desire for Ball to take over the franchise and offense.
Barrett provided New York a building block last season, but one they did not put in a position to succeed. Ball would offer him help that he didn’t have last season. More importantly, unlike Barrett, Ball is already a household name. He would bring an excitement back to New York that hasn’t existed in years, possibly decades.
All of that makes their desire to move up to draft Ball more and more clear. And they have the assets to do so. The Golden State Warriors with the No. 2 pick appear to be the most likely and sensible spot to move up, but only if the Timberwolves opt not to draft Ball.
The Fit
In short, the Knicks badly need an offensive initiator like Ball. The only players truly set for future roles are Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, neither player a guard nor a primary playmaker.
Ball would step in and shoulder a heavy amount of the playmaking, a role he had with Illawarra. Unlike in Illawarra, Ball would have talented teammates this time around. Robinson would be an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Ball, something he didn’t have in Australia.
Likewise, Barrett would be a secondary playmaker he certainly never had after Aaron Brooks’ injury last year.
The next question, then, lies in how Thibodeau would use him. When Derrick Rose was at his peak in Chicago under Thibs, the Bulls ran a heavy, heavy dose of pick and roll. In 2017-18 in Minnesota, pick and roll was the most common play type run by Jimmy Butler.
Thibs would almost certainly give the reigns to Ball, given their current roster. From there, it’d be up to him with how much he succeeds.
The Likelihood
The Knicks have shown a desire to draft Ball. They’re motivated and Ball makes a ton of sense. For now, they should be considered one of the favorites to land Ball.
Chances of Ball landing in New York: 40%