KNICKS FANATICS

The New York Knicks have a major dilemma heading into the 2008 NBA Draft.

General Manager Donnie Walsh and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni actually inherit a roster that contains several usable pieces. However, they also inherit a number with two glaring needs: a legitimate two-way low-post presence and a point guard who can lead D’Antoni’s high-octane offense.

One of these needs is much more important than the other.

The Knicks need an on-court leader. They need someone who can stay calm and positive when the opposing team makes a run and play smart basketball. They also need someone who can mange the egos that will surround him as well as utilize his teammates’ strengths to turn a talented group of individuals into an effective unit.

That’s not usually what a low-post player does. It’s what a point guard does.

Thus, with the No. 6 pick in the draft, the Knicks should look for a point guard who can be the leader of this team for years to come.

But there’s one problem: The point guard crop in this year’s draft is slim.

Aside from Memphis standout Derrick Rose, who is a lock to become one of the top two picks, there is no true point guard who is universally considered a top ten challenge. It is likely that, on draft night, the Knicks will be forced to choose between a point guarded and a more highly-touted post player.

So what should they do? Below is my take on who the Knicks should and shouldn’t draft, looking at all the players who have been considered in the No. 6 slot and who actually have a chance of falling that far. Unfortunately for New York, the latter list is much longer than the former.

Who the Knicks shouldn’t draft

The one thing the Knicks most can’t afford is to draft a project. This isn’t exactly the right environment in which to teach a young player good habits, no matter the strength of the new managerial team. Plus, Anthony Randolph couldn’t even lead LSU to a respectable season last year. So he’s out.

NBA analysts have had a lot of positive things to say about Danilo Gallinari, who is supposed to have the ball-handling and shooting abilities to make him a fit in D’Antoni’s offense. But the Knicks really don’t need another wing, D’Antoni has said he didn’t like Ganillari much as a prospect, and Italian players don’t have a stellar recent history in the league. Ciao, Danilo.

I was thoroughly impressed by the offensive skills of Brook Lopez when I saw him in the NCAA Tournament against Marquette. But he commands the ball too much to be successful both given the make-up of the current New York team and given the quick pace of D’Antoni’s offense—he simply won’t have time to set up in the post.

Kevin Love would actually be a pretty good fit on a Mike D’Antoni team—his gritty nature, effective rebounding, and strong outlet passes are all crucial in running a fast break. But Love is the kind of player you want when other pieces, namely a point guard to lead the break, are already in piece. The Knicks also already have a similar player in fan favorite David Lee.

The Knicks need a point guard who can pass the ball. They really don’t need a point guard who looks to shoot all the time. So Eric Gordon would also be a terrible fit for this team.

Who the Knicks should draft

He isn’t likely to fall to them, but Jerryd Bayless should be the pick if he does. He is a combo guard who is more than capable of pushing the tempo, and has shown several flashes of being able to play as a true point guard.

At Arizona, Bayless had to balance providing for his teammates and taking over the game. In New York, with more talented players surrounding him, Bayless would be able to play primarily as a facilitator who also could score when needed. Beginning to sound like Steve Nash yet? A very, very poor man’s Steve Nash?

But the truth is Bayless is probably not going to be an option for the Knicks, as the Sonics are taking a long look at him with the No. 4 pick. Thus, New York needs to look deeper into the draft pool for their point guard of the future.

The next player who best fits the mold of a Mike D’Antoni point guard is D.J. Augustin of Texas. Augustin is a true point guard, comfortable pushing the ball and looking for his teammates, and a solid three-point shooter.

Augustin is by far the lowest-rated prospect I have yet discussed, as he is rarely projected to go higher in the draft than No. 11 to the Pacers. So the Knicks should look to trade down and try to get him at a better value. One possible trade partner is the Charlotte Bobcats, who are looking for a frontcourt player and could take their pick between whoever the Grizzlies haven’t already drafted of Love, Randolph, and Lopez.

But neither the Bucks nor the Clippers, the two teams who draft in between the Knicks and the Bobcats, are necessarily going to take a frontcourt player, as the Bucks are looking at Gallinari and the Clippers are eyeing Gordon.

So it’s very possible the Knicks won’t be able to find a trade partner that allows them to pick Augustin in front of the Pacers. So what do they do then? Do they take their lower-rated point guard anyway, or go for the more highly-touted post players?

I say take the point guard anyway. Augustin, while he may never be a star, fits well in D’Antoni’s offense and is a building block for the future. Throw the projections to the wind, and pick the player who works best for the team.

The Knicks have made many a mistake by opting for talent over how a player fits into the mold of the team.

They can’t afford to do that again during the 2008 Draft.