New York Knicks: Cole Anthony could be the ideal draft target

Assuming they don’t move up in the draft lottery, the New York Knicks should look no further than Cole Anthony as an ideal, and realistic, draft target

Sitting in a league-wide hiatus, with the understanding that there’s a real chance that the 2019-20 NBA season won’t be concluded, the New York Knicks have to be under the assumption that it’s officially “draft season” for the franchise.

Not to say that it’s time for the team to throw away the possibility that the season won’t resume, but let’s just be honest with ourselves – the Knicks should probably start focusing on the NBA Draft, especially for a team that has as many holes as the Knicks do.

However, there’s one big part with that. It’s the fact that the Knicks currently only have the sixth-worst record in the NBA at the hiatus. With the sixth pick, the Knicks only have a 37.2 percent of moving up into the top 4 and just a nine percent shot at the top overall pick.

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Assuming that they don’t move up, which is likely, the Knicks will have to make a calculated choice with the sixth pick. For the sake of this article, and without word when the NBA Draft Lottery will take place, let’s just assume that the Knicks will be picking at No. 6 in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Picking sixth, the Knicks won’t have the luxury of selecting any of the top tier prospects. In this draft, there are three clear (for the most part) top three picks – Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, and LaMelo Ball. After that, it’s pretty much up in the air.

However, there is one glaring need that the Knicks have heading into the offseason: a point guard. Short of the Knicks trading for a veteran star (cough, Chris Paul, cough) that will likely have to come from the draft.

One player that fits the mold for the Knicks is Cole Anthony. There might be other point guards that might measure up better in big boards, but Anthony could be the potential star that the Knicks need.

Anthony was born in Oregon but was raised in New York. He’d be viewed as somewhat of a hometown kid for the Knicks, hopefully emerging as part of the core that elevates them back to relevance in the NBA.

As far as a prospect, Anthony has the potential to be a star. Coming out of high school, he was one of the biggest names in this class. The only reason why he isn’t being considered as a lock as a top 5 pick is because of the shooting struggles that he faced during his freshman season at North Carolina.

This past season, Anthony averaged 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists. I know what you’re saying, those are great numbers. They are, however, he only shot 38 percent from the field overall and 35 percent from 3-point range.

There’s no question that he struggled with his shot during his freshman season. No one will argue with that. However, with that said, there is still much to like about Anthony’s game. He’s one of the most naturally-gifted offensive players in this draft, and that was very much showcased this season. Almost as much as his struggles.

Anthony still has to prove he can be a better playmaker. He only averaged four assists in college. Even though he has a flashy offensive repertoire, he’s going to need to be a better playmaker at the NBA level. Especially if he’s playing the point guard position.

Playing next to players like RJ Barrett and the myriad of other promising young players on the Knicks’ roster, he’ll need to focus on distributing and getting everyone involved. He’ll need to prove that he can lead a team on that level. I’m not sure he proved that during his lone season at North Carolina, considering the Tar Heels were on pace to miss the NCAA Tournament this season before its cancelation.

That’s not a great sign, nevertheless, when watching Cole Anthony the star-potential is undeniable. Cole Anthony to the Knicks almost makes too much sense. He has star potential, is a familiar name, and has the potential to be great.

The New York Knicks might not be sitting in a great spot, with the projected sixth pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but Cole Anthony could be the answer.