Mar 23, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Wichita State Shockers forward Cleanthony Early (11) reacts after scoring against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half in the third round of the 2014 NCAA Men

It doesn’t matter where you draft a player, they almost always need some type of seasoning before making an impact in the NBA. Sure, those drafted in the first few picks can often step on the court and be ready to go (despite some blemishes).

However, when you draft a player towards the bottom of the first round they likely take a few years of development to make an impact. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule but that generally proves to be the case.

In terms of second round draft picks, those players are just lucky to see an NBA court, let alone make an impact. However, Cleanthony Early, who was selected in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks was thought to be a steal and some GM’s believe he’s ready to make an immediate impact according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.

I talked to a number of executives who felt like he (Cleanthony Early) could be a significant contributor in the NBA and was ready to make an impact from day one. I think he’s a steal at 34, and it has nothing to do with the Knicks being the team that drafted him.

You may recall, just a few days ago scouts and NBA executives suggested that Early will make a much better pro than college player as his game will translate better to the NBA.

That of course remains to be seen, though clearly there is a lot of hype surrounding Cleanthony Early and it sounds like the Knicks may have hit a home run.

Expect Early to backup Carmelo Anthony this season.