Know the prospect: Michael Gbinije

When it comes to the NBA Draft, teams very much value youth and physical tools over experience, and that is a problem for Michael Gbinije.

Age is one of the bigger knocks on the Syracuse shooting guard, who celebrated his 24th birthday earlier this month. He began his college career at Duke, sat out one season as a transfer, and finished up his three years of eligibility at Syracuse, where he was last seen leading the Orange to the Final Four. At 24, a prospect needs to be super, super legit to attract teams ... at least in the first round (see: Grant, Jerian). Gbinije doesn't have a standout physical attribute other than his height (6'7"). His wingspan is only 6'8" -- not too far off from the likes of Langston Galloway -- and he's not considered an elite athlete.

Oh, but the young man can ball. His jumper isn't particular pure, but it is effective, and he has improved as a finisher. Perhaps his best NBA skill is his ability to work as a secondary ball-handler -- he was forced to spend most of his time as Syracuse's point guard last season, where he was effective. He can run a pick-and-roll (if the Knicks should ever choose to use such a thing), use his height to find the open man, and won't get flustered by pressure. He won't make plays off the dribble, but he won't be expected to.

His stats, courtesy of Sports-Reference:

And a pretty sweet highlight reel from the NCAA tournament:

I'm guessing that Phil Jackson would ignore all of that if he should find himself in a position to take Gbinije. And he would absolutely be right to do so. Perhaps no other second-rounder would provide a better chance to fill an immediate role on the Knicks than this kid -- he plays a position of dire need, he's polished, and he doesn't have a glaring weakness.