Why the Knicks picking fourth is a blessing in disguise

Two of the top three picks in any 2015 NBA mock draft are centers. Had the basketball gods given the Knicks one of these three spots, they’d have surely drafted Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite Towns’ offensive upside and Okafor’s size/strength/speed/footwork combination, neither looks to be a hugely impactful big in their first few seasons in the NBA. (In fact, that position rarely does in the modern NBA.) For every Dwight Howard, there are four-times as many Michael Olowokandis and Kwame Browns and Hasheem Thabeets. Bigs in the NBA take time to develop because they come out of college before they learn defensive footwork or how to play with their back to basket.

The Knicks have three years until Carmelo Anthony is past his prime. By drafting at the four spot, Phil Jackson is effectively out of the Okafor-Towns sweepstakes, limiting his options to either D’Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay, consequently forcing him to go after one of the eight elite centers available in this summer’s free agency class. The draft-a-guard-and-sign-a-big route makes more sense than drafting a cumbersome seven-footer and teaching them how to play their position within the most complicated offensive system in the sport.