The New York Knicks will have a chance at a top prospect in the 2017 NBA Draft. We evaluated some of their potential targets.

One of the few positives to come out of this season for the New York Knicks is that they’ll have a chance at one of the top prospects in the 2017 NBA Draft.

The Knicks will have a gaping hole on the depth chart at the point guard spot this summer (shocker), and their first option to fill that hole should be the draft. A top-ten selection should net them one of the top prospects.

Drafting one of the potentially franchise-changing point guards, it would impact the way New York could approach free agency. While point guard should be the No. 1 priority, if the elite prospects are all off the board the Knicks should go with the best player available.

When you’re as bad as the Knicks, you can never have too much talent. No matter the position.

1. Malik Monk, Kentucky Wildcats

  • Position: Point Guard/Shooting Guard
  • Age: 19 (02/04/1998)
  • Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’4″, 185 pounds, 6’3.5″
  • 2016-17 Slash Line: .463/.409/.841
  • 2016-17 Averages: 21.2 PPG, 2.4 APG, 2.6 RPG, 1.1 SPG

Malik Monk is arguably the best scorer in college basketball. He has four games of 30 plus points, nine games of 25 plus points, and a 47 point explosion against North Carolina.

The 19-year-old is one of only two players in a major conference (Markelle Fultz being the other) ranked in the top twenty in the country in points per game. According to DraftExpress, Monk has a maximum vertical leap of 42.0″, and it’s that explosiveness and ability to play above the rim that makes him even more impressive.

Monk can put it on the floor and attack the rim and make the three. He’s shooting 40.9 percent from downtown on the season. He has a shooting guard’s skill set and the body of a point guard.

That can sometimes be a curse, but considering Jeff Hornacek’s history of playing small backcourts, it could be an asset with New York’s head coach.

With Derrick Rose’s likely departure this summer via free agency, the Knicks will be looking for a player who can create with drives.

As bad as New York is on defense, they need help on the offensive side of the ball too. The Knicks are currently 16th in points per 100 possessions and 24th in effective field goal percentage. They need shooters and scorers. It’d be a good idea to start in the draft.

2. De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky Wildcats

  • Position: Point Guard
  • Age: 19 (12/20/1997)
  • Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’4″, 171 pounds, 6’6.25″
  • 2016-17 Slash Line: .460/.211/.740
  • 2016-17 Averages: 15.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG

The Knicks could go in the complete opposite direction and address the defensive problems by going with the other star Kentucky guard, De’Aaron Fox. He’s the opposite of his backcourt mate.

The freshman is known for being an elite defender. Fox is ninth in the SEC in steals per game. If he can consistently rip the ball away from opposing guards in the pros like he does at the college level, the Knicks are looking at their best perimeter defender in years.

He made his bones playing smothering defense against UCLA’s star point guard Lonzo Ball. The son of crazed father LaVar had 14 points on just 5 of 12 shooting and turned the ball over 6 times.

Fox isn’t just known for his defense. He’s smart with the ball and creates for teammates. Dare I say he’d fit into the triangle offense? The 19-year-old leads the SEC in assists and is an excellent ball handler in the fast break.

The biggest knock on the freshman is the surprising struggles with his shooting. Fox has been so poor at Kentucky from three-point range that he’s only attempted 57 shots from downtown. After a high school game with ten made threes, he’s avoiding the three-point line altogether.

3. Frank Ntilikina, International

  • Position: Point Guard
  • Age: 18 (07/28/1998)
  • Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’5″, 170 pounds, 7’0″ (reported)
  • 2016-17 Slash Line: .536/.481/.600
  • 2016-17 Averages: 4.9 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.6 SPG

French point guard Frank Ntilikina (pronounced Nee-lee-KEE-na) plays for the top-tier level men’s professional basketball league in his native country. He’s going to be a favorite of the organization leading up to the draft.

Knicks President Phil Jackson selected international star Kristaps Porzingis in 2015 with his only other first round draft pick. The unicorn’s success will have an impact on what Jackson does this summer.

Ntilikina will be tempting for Jackson and head coach Jeff Hornacek. The former champion head coach could see Frank as a rare prospect who could run the triangle right out of the gate. For Hornacek, Frank is excellent in transition.

The biggest knock on Frank seems to be that he’s too passive. He doesn’t look for his own shot enough. He will need to learn to be more aggressive with the ball. Considering he’s a teenager, that shouldn’t be hard.

That’s a far cry from most college kids when they come into the league. Typically coaches are trying to get them to stop turning the ball over and play more conservatively.

Other sites claim that Frank’s not NBA ready yet. That’s the same thing they said about Porzingis. It’s the most commonly used insult against International players.

New York’s history with French prospects (it’s hard to forget Frederic Weis) will make some fans skittish about Frank. That’s just the history that the franchise has created. Ntilikina is the real deal. Ancient history shouldn’t get in the way.

4. John Collins, Wake Forest

  • Position: Power Forward
  • Age: 19 (09/23/1997)
  • Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’10”, 250 pounds, 6’8″
  • 2016-17 Slash Line: .620/.000/.736
  • 2016-17 Averages: 18.9 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.6 BPG, 0.6 SPG

John Collins is a beast. He’s in top-five in the ACC in points, rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. No player in the country has improved their draft status this season more than the sophomore big man.

Collins is averaging a staggering 28.8 points and 15.0 rebounds per 40 minutes, and he has a PER of 36.0. That’s not a typo; he has a Player Efficiency Rating of thirty-freaking-six! That’s the best mark in the nation.

Collins isn’t just some random dude putting up crazy numbers against mediocre teams either. He dropped 31 against Duke, 27 against Miami, 25 against Louisville, and 24 against Notre Dame.

The 19-year-old has dominated on the pick and roll and been great when finishing at the rim. He may not have a three-point shot, but he’s been impressive with the mid-range game and has some post moves in his repertoire.

One area Collins needs to be smarter is on defense. Last season as a freshman (while averaging 14.4 MPG) he averaged an absurd 7.4 fouls per 40 minutes. He’s gotten much better this year, but he’s still fouling too much. As a sophomore, he’s at 4.6 fouls per 40 minutes.

Collins is arguably the best rebounder in the draft, and the Knicks need all the help they can get on the boards. They certainly can’t depend on Joakim Noah to get healthy, and that means another big man is necessary to fill his shoes. A young and healthy one.

If John Collins played at Duke or North Carolina, everybody would know his name, but he doesn’t. He plays for Wake Forest, and he’s the best player in the country that nobody’s talking about. The Knicks would be lucky if he fell into their lap.