What Direction Will the New York Knicks Go in the 2020 NBA Draft?

2020 has been a year defined by social upheaval, escalating racial tension, stunning deaths, and a cataclysmic pandemic. Each passing day brings forth startling new revelations, pushing us further from the world we knew and into a stark new reality fraught with ambiguity and uncertainty. Luckily for NBA fans, some things do remain the same, the New York Knicks are starting over. 

New Knicks Team President Leon Rose and HC Tom Thibodeau are intent on changing the narrative surrounding the Knicks. The hirings of former Jazz assistant Johnnie Bryant, Kentucky's Kenny Payne, Sean MacLean, and Kelsey Roberts signal a seismic shift in philosophy toward a culture rooted in player development and analytics. Let's take a look at what the Knicks may do with their picks in the 2020 draft.

The luckless Knicks missed out on the illustrious number one pick yet again but gained an attractive consolation prize in the form of a late 1st round pick from the Clippers. The 2020 class has been generally panned as "underwhelming" by armchair evaluators for its lack of "generational" talents. Whatever this group is lacking in terms of name recognition, it makes up for with legitimate developmental prospects, which bodes well for teams drafting in the latter parts of the draft. In recent years late-round picks such as Caris LeVert, Pascal Siakam, Jarrett Allen, OG Anunoby, Kyle Kuzma, Shake Milton, Gary Trent have all achieved varying levels of success thus far into their NBA careers.

LaMelo Ball seems to be the favorite amongst Knicks faithful; during his short stint in Australia's NBL, LaMelo displayed the vision, dribbling, and imaginativeness that made his brother Lonzo the 2nd pick of the 2017 Draft. The most significant difference between Lonzo and LaMelo being the latter's knack for scoring though there is a legitimate question regarding his fit in Thibodeau's scheme. 

Offensively, LaMelo's shot selection and propensity for turnovers leave much to be desired. Defensively, LaMelo seems to possess all of the "tools in the shed" to be an effective defender on the perimeter; his size and length make him a matchup nightmare for opposing guards. There are off the court questions regarding LaMelo's father, Lavar. Lavar's open criticism of the Lakers coaching staff and the front office may scare some teams away, particularly in a market like New York. Unfortunately for Knick fans, barring a trade, it looks like LaMelo will be off of the board before the Knicks pick at 8.

Auburn's Issac Okoro and Israel's Deni Avdija are two wings gaining traction on draft boards at the 8th spot. Okoro is a 6'6" 225-pound brick house in the mold of a Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler; that's not to say he has their respective ceilings; I'm only saying he possesses the traits necessary to become an effective two-way wing.  Okoro's physicality and size make him a valuable prospect in this new "positionless" NBA. He’s much further along defensively at this stage of his development. Still, the upside is there for teams willing to develop his perimeter skills. 

Deni Avdija may end up being the first international off the board in this year's draft, but if you're looking for the next Luka Doncic, you will be disappointed. Avdija is a top tier prospect, but he just doesn't project to be the "shot-taker,shot-maker" Luka's been thus far at the next level. At 6'9, Advija is a versatile small forward who plays with a nasty disposition. His father, Zufar, played on the Yugoslavian national team, which is apparent when you see Deni's polish and pace. 

Deni's play during the Maccabi Tel Aviv's championship run heightened his draft profile, opening eyes to his potential as a point forward on the next level. Avdija's ability to facilitate in spurts will become an invaluable trait as he develops in the professional ranks.  From a physical standpoint, he lacks the explosiveness and length of an "elite" prospect, but he possesses more than adequate athleticism to get the job done.

Killian Hayes and Tyrese Haliburton are big guards who may be available at 8. Hayes has been on the NBA radar for quite some time, continuing to build on his reputation as a "jack of all trades" floor general. His athleticism won't blow you away, but his offensive repertoire is a sight to behold for someone so early in their development. Haye's implementation of side steps and stutter steps has some evaluators comparing him to James Harden. 

Haliburton is a bit of a late bloomer; at 6'5" he possesses ideal size and deceptive athleticism. During his time at Iowa State, he became a model for efficiency in HC Steve Prohm's system shooting close to .83 from the free-throw line, over .50 on 2-pts, and .41 on 3-pts. 

The Knicks have four first-round picks over the next two seasons; it will be interesting to see the approach the new regime takes in regards to player evaluations with COVID-19 changing the basketball landscape. GM's and scouts are looking at the genuine possibility of a canceled or modified NCAA season. 

In this era of "One and Done," how willing will front offices be to risk their livelihoods on an unproven commodity? How will evaluators create a context to appraise prospects? Will GM's be inclined to move out of next year's draft and into this year's draft because of the uncertainty? Time will tell what direction the Knicks decide to go in, but Knicks fans should take some solace in knowing that for the first time, in a very long time, they will have options.