and his team got bounced in the second round against a bad Michigan team that promptly lost their next game in the tournament.

Of the reasons why anybody should have been skeptical of Mitchell this isn’t one. This “bad” Michigan team had the 2nd best offense in the country, won the Big Ten tournament and then lost their next game by 1 point in the Sweet 16 to Oregon, who ultimately lost to eventual national champion UNC by 1 point.

Mitchell’s main issues taking too many of the dribble pull up jumpers instead of working to get to the rim more frequently and also being a subpar finisher.

FWIW Walker, at a younger age, has eerily similar shot distributions and percentages from the field as Mitchell did last season.

Walker:
at rim – 29.9% FGA, 58.9 FG%
2 pt J – 19.9% FGA, 32.8 FG%
3P – 50.9% FGA, 34.7 3P%

Mitchell 2nd yr:
at rim – 26.6% FGA, 55.9 FG%
2 pt J – 22.5% FGA, 35.5 FG%
3P – 50.9% FGA, 35.4 3P%

Also thought Walker showed development as a playmaker off the dribble through the season and his defense, while not lockdown, is solid with normal young player issues at times with failing to get in a stance on ball and falling asleep on cutters due to to ball watching off ball.

The main difference I see between Walker and Mitchell are the rebound and steal rates. Mitchell had impact stats on defense that gave him avenues to provide value aside from volume scoring and secondary playmaking. Walker didn’t have near the impact in those areas as Mitchell.

His decision making is a definite issue. He calls his number at dumb times way too often. Miami not having a capable PG exacerbated the problem, but he is his own worst enemy in this regard. Can he be coached up or is that who he is? I imagine meeting with him for 3 hours was largely to gauge his IQ and capacity to learn/improve.

I like Walker, but wouldnt take him at 9. I do think he has upside to develop into an efficient high usg perimeter creator though.

@98, well, yeah…unless you do what Philly did and draft guys half the time that suck, wasting those tanked seasons….

This is what people don’t get. You tank BECAUSE you’re going to waste half of your draft picks. The draft is, rather obviously, an inexact science. That’s why you stockpile the picks, so it cushions the blow when some of them inevitably bust.

The way the Knicks are doing it, they need to thread the needle with every single pick. Which is why sustained, inescapable mediocrity is what is in the short-term and long-term future.

Should have tanked when we had the chance at the end of the Melo/Stat era.

It might be they think Frank is more of a two,

Right, but even if that’s true, then Bridges would be a 3, except for the fact that they already have THJ locked in for next umpitty years.

but even if the Knicks want a 3/4 over a 2/3 the pick is Miles right? He so much of a better prospect. I really can’t see one single thing Knox does better than Miles.

But Knox outplayed Bridges in a workout, so that makes him a better prospect. That’s how it works, right?

Knox has almost historically bad steal and block numbers for an NBA prospect. Doug Mcdermott bad. On top of that, his rebound and assist numbers are mediocre. Knox will be a bust. I see no path to him being good. I said he’d be good value late in the first, I take it back, I think I’d pass on him with our second round pick.

That’s the thing. If Porter falls, then yeah, they have to grab him. So it must be someone else that they think will fall and that they want Knox over. I think it’s Bridges.

I guess they want a 3/4 more than a 2/3 like Mikal. I don’t like it, though, since you can’t be making decisions based on TH freakin’ J and Courtney freakin’ Lee, ya know?