It’s Still Early, But the Knicks Already Look Better

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Just a few days ago, the New York Knicks had zero draft picks for the 2014 NBA Draft. However, after making a blockbuster trade with the Mavericks, the Knicks acquired two second round picks in what was a deep draft class. The 34th and 51st picks were huge for the Knicks.

With the 34th overall pick, the Knicks selected Cleanthony Early. Early, a small forward, was projected to go in the first round by many experts and analysts. He fell to the Knicks at 34th overall. Early is a terrific scorer with plenty of potential. The 23 year old forward averaged 16.4 points per game in his senior season at Wichita State. In the NCAA Tournament this past March against the Kentucky Wildcats, Early scored 31 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. At 6 foot-8 and 215 pounds, Early has good size, too. Early was born in Middletown, New York. Now, he’s back home. In the triangle offense, Cleanthony Early is a great fit because of his size and ability to shoot and score.

With the 51st overall pick, the Knicks selected Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Thanasis has a brother, Giannis, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo was a rookie last season and played very well. Thanasis is his older brother, but is still young (only 21 years old). He is a very good on-ball defender, long, and athletic with plenty of potential. At 6 foot-5 (and a quarter), Thanasis isn’t very tall, but has a 7 foot wingspan. With his athleticism, defensive ability, and potential, Thanasis was a terrific pick at 51st overall.

The Knicks weren’t finished, though. They bought the 57th overall pick from the Indiana Pacers, which they used to select Louis Labeyrie, a French center. Labeyrie averaged 18.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per 40 minutes in 24 games with the Paris-Levallois (French league) in the 2013-2014 season, according to DraftExpress.com. It’s unknown right now whether or not Labeyrie will play in New York in the upcoming season or play overseas and come to New York in the future. However, it is expected that Labeyrie will be coming to the NBA later and won’t play this upcoming season.

Now, the Knicks already look like a better team. Whether Carmelo Anthony decides to re-sign or sign elsewhere in free agency, Phil Jackson has the Knicks positioned well. With free agency starting on July 1st, it seems like the Knicks are ready. Though Phil Jackson has made it clear that he wants Anthony to re-sign, he is not at all desperate. The Knicks are moving along in an attempt to become contenders for a championship, with or without Anthony.

The Knicks need some big men, though. By moving Tyson Chandler, the Knicks made a little bit of cap space, so should Anthony choose to leave, New York will have more flexibility. If Anthony re-signs, New York won’t have any cap space, but will obviously have their star. Also, the Knicks have the mini MLE (mid-level exception) worth about $3.2 million and can make more trades, as they now have more assets to potentially move.

There are many different possibilities with the Knicks. What will Phil Jackson and the Knicks do next? I don’t know, but even if they don’t make any more trades, they are in a good position. New York has more flexibility now if Carmelo Anthony leaves, especially in a possible sign-and-trade deal which could happen. Obviously, if Anthony re-signs, that would be good, too. It’s a win-win situation for the Knicks now.

With the mini MLE, the Knicks could sign a big man. Pau Gasol’s name has come up a lot in rumors, but he would have to take a major pay cut. The Knicks did sign Lamar Odom late last season. Also, Jeremy Tyler should be re-signed.

The Knicks have taken giant leaps forward in the past few days. By trading Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington, and two draft picks that turned out to Cleanthony Early and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the Knicks positioned themselves well, whether Carmelo Anthony stays or goes. Phil Jackson came to New York to make the Knicks contenders, and isn’t messing around. They’re not contenders, yet, but the Knicks are already improving and looking better.

Stats and physical body information (height, weight, wingspan, etc.) used in this article are via ESPN and DraftExpress.