The New York Knicks drafting a French point guard in the lottery again... that does not have the best track record.
But they are considering it, looking at Killian Hayes — who was born in Florida but grew up in France where his father played professionally — as the second-best point guard in the 2020 NBA Draft, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.It doesn’t mean the Knicks will pick him if he falls to No. 8 in the NBA draft, but Killian Hayes currently has a narrow edge as the team’s second point guard on the board after LaMelo Ball, according to NBA sources.
Hayes, the 19-year-old left-hander who played in Germany last season, is considered to have a more supreme skill set than the other lottery-projected point guards such as Tyrese Haliburton, Kira Lewis, Cole Anthony, RJ Hampton, Theo Maledon and Tyrese Maxey.
First things first: EVERYTHING is spin and misdirection around the NBA draft right now. Take all of these reports and rumors with a full box of Morton’s Kosher Salt.
Next, the Knicks could use a point guard of the future, but what they really need on the roster is talent, regardless of position. New York needs to take the highest-rated player on their draft board regardless of position.
Hayes, projected to go in the late lottery, is all about potential. He is a 6-foot-5 point guard with impressive passing skills, a great first step, and he’s played professionally already which gives his game some maturity. Some scouts like his potential on the defensive end. He needs to become a better shooter, he needs to develop as a finisher, and his game needs polish.
In the right player development program Hayes could become a quality NBA point guard. We’ll see if that ends up being the Knicks.