It was hailed as a transformational draft, at least the very top of it.
Everybody was sold on Zion Williamson. Sold on him the way they’re sold on Victor Wembanyama. The idea, pushed and dragged on national television, that Wembanyama is “the most hyped rookie since LeBron James” is false. It was the same for Zion.
I remember seeing Williamson at the Garden with Duke, then at Summer League before an injury and a literal earthquake cut short his debut in Las Vegas, then in Harlem at the Milbank Community Center for a Nike event. People were captivated. He was a must-see, a force of nature and a physical phenomenon in a different way, but nonetheless as mystical as Wembanyama.
The problem is he went to New Orleans, the abyss of the NBA. He’s also not very comfortable, nor confident, in front of a microphone, sapping his marketability.
And, most problematic, he’s hurt.
Always hurt.
I was talking to one of his former coaches earlier this month, and, as you might have guessed, diet and weight was an issue. He wasn’t motivated enough to drop the pounds, and, predictably, that does a number on your joints/tendons/body when you’re almost 300 pounds with a 45-inch vertical and landing on hardwood.
Carmelo Anthony summed it up well on his podcast, “7PM in Brooklyn“:
“I think from the beginning, there was so much put on Zion, like thrown at him. You have to be the next — you are the logo, you are the next guy. We haven’t seen anything like this since ’03 [with LeBron James]. So because of that, this kid is 18 — this kid still wants to eat McDonald’s, this kid still wants to eat Chick-fil-A, this kid still wants to drink iced tea. Man, he’s from South Carolina. This is what they do, they eat. The fans want him to be Zion Williamson, the greatest thing since Wilt Chamberlain. But that’s not who he wants to be yet. So now he’s dealing with the mental aspect of I just want to be 19, but it’s so much pressure. So you start battling that and now injuries come.”
Maybe this could have been predicted. Maybe the people saying they predicted this are lying. Maybe Zion is one of those people who has the physical talents but not the desire for basketball. Not everybody can be blessed with both like LeBron.
I bring this up because 2019 was probably the most impactful draft for the Knicks in a long time, and also because of The Debate.
Nearly five years later, you can ask yourself, without a clear-cut answer because of injuries and gun-flashing: If you could do it all over again, who would be the top four picks? And in what order?
The Knicks tanked their 2018-19 season in hopes of getting Zion, tying a franchise record with 65 losses only to finish third in the lottery (I was inside the Ping Pong ball drawing room that night in Chicago, and the tension was so thick, you needed a chainsaw to slice it).
They drew the third pick and chose RJ Barrett, who has been more reliable than Zion and Ja Morant. He’s played more games (293) than Williamson (137) and Morant (249). More minutes (9,750 to 4,351 and 7,999, respectively). Grabbed more rebounds (1,557 to 926 and 1,199). Even more points (5,307 to 3,448) and assists (824 to 514) than Zion. He’s in impeccable condition. He’s not waving a firearm on Instagram.
Still, with five years of hindsight, I’m still taking Zion Williamson with the first overall pick and Morant right after.
The difference in their ceilings from Barrett’s outweighs the reliability. And frankly, Barrett’s play since suffering migraines earlier this season only has reinforced the premise, shared to me before the season by longtime scout/coach Fran Fraschilla.
“I think we would all love to coach a player with RJ’s intensity and competitiveness,” Fraschilla said. “But there’s only 25 superstars in the league, and he’s a great role player.”
Williamson and Morant, when available, are the superstars.
My top-15 redraft of 2019
1. Zion Williamson (originally 1st)
2. Ja Morant (2nd)
3. Darius Garland (5th)
4. RJ Barrett (3rd)
5. Tyler Herro (13th)
6. Nic Claxton (31st)
7. Cam Johnson (11th)
8. Jordan Poole (28th)
9. Coby White (7th)
10. Grant Williams (22nd)
11. Lu Dort (undrafted)
12. Keldon Johnson (29th)
13. Brandon Clarke (21st)
14. Rui Hachimura (9th)
15. Naz Reid (undrafted)
The best and worst of 2023
This is the season for reflection on the year that’s nearly over, and 2023 was pretty darn good for the Knicks.
Let’s count down the three best and worst moments for James Dolan’s franchise:
WORST
3. June 30, 2023: Draft Day
The Knicks had just come off their surprising run to the Eastern Conference semis and, stacked with a trove of future picks, the hope/belief was Leon Rose could upgrade the roster and take a step toward title contention.
Instead, the Knicks had zero picks at this draft — in part because the Mavericks did everything in their power to keep their first-rounder from conveying — and that set the tone for a subdued summer. It was the first time since 2016 — and just the second time since 1993 — that the Knicks didn’t have a draft pick in either round.
2. April 30, 2023: Game 1 loss to Miami
This was the series. Sure, the Knicks pushed it to six games. But if they took Game 1 at home — as they should have — the Knicks easily could have headed to the conference finals.
It felt like a victory after Jimmy Butler severely rolled his ankle with about five minutes left and the Heat holding a 3-point lead. Erik Spoelstra’s top player could barely move. But scared that Butler might have been playing possum, the Knicks kept playing the forward with respect, declined to attack him on defense, and lost to the Heat’s role players down the stretch. Butler sat Game 2 because of an ankle sprain — and the Knicks won — but returned for the remainder of the series to eliminate New York.
1. March 29, 2023: Julius Randle sprains ankle in loss to Miami
The team’s lone All-Star had appeared in every game until this injury, which occurred with only six games remaining and a postseason spot assured. The sprain was bad enough to cast doubt on Randle’s availability for Round 1, and the repercussions were multi-layered.
Randle re-sprained his ankle in the playoffs, contributing to a disastrous second round against the Heat and furthering the narrative he can’t be a top player on a title contender. Randle underwent offseason surgery on the ankle, which derailed his summer workouts and hindered the opening few weeks of the current campaign.
BEST
3. March 3, 2023: Randle’s game-winner
Also against the Heat, Randle collected a loose ball and connected on a stepback buzzer-beater for probably the most thrilling victory of the regular season. It got the double “Bang!” treatment from Mike Breen and pushed the Knicks to 38-27, kicking off a wild celebration that included Randle (who scored 43 points) accidentally running over Thibodeau.
This game edged out Jalen Brunson’s 50-point explosion in Phoenix last week.
2. Feb. 9, 2023: Knicks trade for Josh Hart
It felt like a minor move at the time and possibly a mistake to waste a first-round pick (and Cam Reddish) for a role player. But the move almost immediately translated to a nine-game winning streak for the Knicks, who were boosted by Hart’s defense, rebounding and energy. The stretch pushed the Knicks into the playoffs and, ultimately, a preferred first-round matchup against the Cavs (more on that next).
Hart can also point to this day as one of his best for 2023 — though becoming a father to twin boys has to be No. 1 — because it resulted in a four-year, $81 million contract extension in the summer.
1. April 26, 2023: Knicks eliminate the Cavaliers
They were the underdogs in the series, the fifth seed. They were also facing an All-NBA guard in Donovan Mitchell and a supposedly formidable Cleveland frontcourt. But the Knicks dominated the matchup over five games. They punked the Cavs. It was a coming-out party for Mitchell Robinson, who owned the boards and outplayed Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
The franchise’s first playoff series victory was a validating experience for a few people: Brunson, who was better than everybody; Hart, who helped hold Cleveland’s backcourt in check; and Rose, who looked good for showing restraint in the trade negotiations for Mitchell in the summer of 2022.
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