The Knicks took a rugged power forward — 6-10 Jordan Hill from Arizona — with the eighth pick in today’s draft. Here’s what ESPN’s Chad Ford had to say about it:
The Knicks are relieved. They were praying that Flynn went in the top seven so that they could get either Curry or Hill. They wish that Curry had been there, but they liked Hill a lot, too. Mike D’Antoni compared him to a young Amare Stoudemire. I think that’s a little much, but he’ll be good in D’Antoni’s up-tempo system and he’s insurance if David Lee leaves via free agency. If Lee re-signs, Hill can play some center the same way Stoudemire did in Phoenix. Good pick.
I hope he’s right. If he is — and they can resign Lee — it gives the Knicks an interesting core with the big guns (LeBron James, Dewayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony) coming on the free-agent market next year.
They also grabbed Toney Douglas with the Lakers’ 29th pick, a guard that Ford calls “a bit of a poor man’s Ben Gordon, a combo guard who can really light it up.”
He lets the 3s fly, and unlike Gordon, he’s a terrific defender. This is a really good pick for New York this late.
Kudos to the new regime.
Hank Kalet 