Knicks mock draft roundup: 5/22/18

Welcome back, friends! Time for some more mock drafts to inundate your brain with potential future Knicks. Not too many updates today, but I found some new guys to spice things up! Let’s get right into it:

New entries:

USA Today: The Knicks select Mikal Bridges, junior F, Villanova. Mikal continues to be a popular player mocked to the Knicks. He seems like the type of player that could thrive under David Fizdale, even if he seems to have a somewhat limited upside. (Last update: 5/16)

Washington Post: The Knicks select Collin Sexton, freshman PG, Alabama. Normally I only use national outlets for this, but I think WaPo and the NY Times qualify as national outlets. Given the Sexton pick, maybe I should change my mind. (Last update: 5/16)

Both Porter and Young make sense here and likely would be the pick if they made it this far. Because they don’t here, though, we’ll put Sexton in New York. He’d enjoy the spotlight of playing in New York and could make for a tenacious defensive backcourt with Frank Ntilikina — something that will be a priority for new Coach David Fizdale.

Net Scouts: The Knicks select Collin Sexton, freshman PG, Alabama. Another vote for Sexton. Most mocks had the Knicks taking Frank Ntilikina last year. Sexton is making a push for the mock champion. Color me a bit worried. (Last update: 5/15)

Updated entries:

NBADraft.net: The Knicks select Collin Sexton, freshman PG, Alabama. NBADraft.net had the Knicks taking Sexton in their update last week, but this week elaborated on it. Still not my favorite pick, especially with Mikal and Miles Bridges on the board as well as Kevin Knox. (Last update: 5/19)

The Knicks could use a fearless backcourt scorer/playmaker to complement their Unicorn in the paint. Sexton is a bit of a risky pick as he’s not the most steady floor general, but he has a lot of moxie and competitiveness, and would fit a need for the Knicks.

Sports Illustrated: The Knicks select Mikal Bridges, junior F, Villanova. Same as last time from SI, the Knicks get their “long, defensive-minded wing” player that Steve Mills and Scott Perry have expressed interest in. Bonus points — SI mocks West Virginia senior point guard Jevon Carter to the Knicks in the second round. (Last update: 5/21)

The Knicks’ brass has said publicly that they want the best player available at this spot, but given the wings available here, going that direction appears sensible unless another player slips into this range. While he lacks starry upside, Bridges is a pretty safe bet to become a useful defender and perimeter shooter. He’s a smooth athlete whose ability to space the floor and guard multiple positions makes him an easy theoretical fit in any lineup. He‘s not perfect—creating his own shot off the dribble is a weakness, and some around the league feel the actual caliber of his man-to-man defense may have been oversold somewhat over the course of Villanova’s title run. But as a supporting scorer and versatile cog with his degree of athletic gifts, Bridges should be able to carve out a substantial place for himself and become a starting-caliber player.

SB Nation: The Knicks select Wendell Carter Jr., freshman F/C, Duke. Slick Ricky O’Donnell at SB Nation changes the Knicks from Mikal Bridges to Carter, passing over Mikal and Miles Bridges in the process. Carter’s intriguing for sure, but his fit with Kristaps Porzingis is definitely concerning. (Last update: 5/15)

Carter is a strong, skilled big man who cleans the glass, scores inside, blocks some shots and has the makings of a developing face-up game. He’s not particularly quick laterally, which is a concern projecting his defense against pick-and-roll heavy offenses at the next level, but it’s possible his combination of length, strength and smarts still makes him effective on that end. This is a big man without many holes in his skill set.

Bleacher Report: The Knicks select Trae Young, freshman PG, Oklahoma. Maybe this whole Trae Young thing is gaining traction since the Knicks apparently think he’s cute. Of course, he’d have to be available at the Knicks’ draft spot, which I’m not 100 percent certain he will be. (Last update: 5/22)

Basketball Insiders: The Knicks select Kevin Knox, freshman F, Kentucky. Interesting that Knox is sneaking up to No. 9 in this mock, when he’s usually projected more in the 12-15 range. I like Knox though, and think that he has more to offer than what he showed at Kentucky. I feel I should also note that Jaren Jackson Jr., a consensus top-five pick, somehow slips past the Knicks to 11 in this mock. So, take this one with a grain of salt. (Last update: 5/22)

Old entries:

The Ringer: The Knicks select Trae Young, freshman PG, Oklahoma. (Last update: 5/21. It’s been updated since last week, but no changes to the pick or analysis.)

The Big Lead: The Knicks select Mikal Bridges, junior F, Villanova. (Last update: 5/16)

NBC Sports: The Knicks select Mikal Bridges, junior F, Villanova. (Last update: 5/15)

Yahoo!: The Knicks select Wendell Carter Jr., freshman F/C, Duke. (Last update: 5/16)

CBS Sports: The Knicks select Wendell Carter Jr., freshman F/C, Duke. (Last update: 5/15)

Sporting News: The Knicks select Miles Bridges, sophomore F, Michigan State. (Last update: 5/16)

ESPN: The Knicks select Collin Sexton, freshman PG, Alabama. (Last update: 5/15)

Heavy: The Knicks select Mikal Bridges, junior F, Villanova. (Last update: 5/15)

Knicks Mock Draft Power Rankings 3.0

1. Mikal Bridges, junior F, Villanova (5 mocks)

2. Collin Sexton, freshman PG, Alabama (4 mocks)

3. Wendell Carter Jr., freshman F/C, Duke (3 mocks)

4. Trae Young, freshman PG, Oklahoma (2 mocks)

5a. Miles Bridges, sophomore F, Michigan State (1 mocks)

5b. Kevin Knox, freshman F, Kentucky (1 mocks)