Why Emmanuel Mudiay Is Right Draft Fit for New York Knicks at No. 4
In recent years, the New York Knicks have had a few elite point guards...long after they ceased to be elite. Yet if the Knicks draft Emmanuel Mudiay June 25, they may be getting the next John Wall or Derrick Rose—and at the beginning of his career, instead of at the end of it.
Mudiay's talent level and style of play have earned him multiple comparisons to Rose and Wall, two star franchise point guards who were both No. 1 draft picks. The 6'5", 196-pound Mudiay, who played in the Chinese Basketball Association instead of college this season, could be a steal at No. 4 for New York, if draft night goes as expected.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell will probably be grabbed before the Knicks brass can get their hands on them. Yet, Phil Jackson and Steve Mills still have some mighty desirable options, with Mudiay, Duke small forward Justise Winslow and Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein foremost among them.
All three are great talents who will help the Knicks score inside and crash the glass. Yet Mudiay has the most potential to be that true franchise player. He fits well, can make an immediate impact and could be a salve for a wide variety of the team's many seething pain points.
The Bloody Wounds Mudiay Might Heal
We all know the Knicks were terrible. But here's a quick review of how they were particularly, hideously, horrifically awful:
| Stat | Rank (of 30) |
| Points in the Paint | 30th |
| Fast-Break Points | 30th |
| Free-Throw Attempts | 29th |
| Rebounds | 29th |
| Opponents' 3-Point FG% | 30th |
Why were they so abysmal in these categories? Well, it's not all Jose Calderon's fault...but it's largely his fault.
Another veteran point guard with problems, Calderon was injured for much of the season, but he still started at the point more than any other Knick, leading them to a mere seven wins in 42 games. He struggled with the triangle offense, spent a lot of time tiptoeing around the arc, mismanaging the shot clock and turning the ball over instead of creating shot opportunities for himself or teammates.
Calderon was one of the league's worst starting guards when it comes to fast-break buckets, points in the paint, and free throws. Add it all up and he only averaged a measly 2.6 points per game total in those categories, while Rose averaged 14.0 and Wall 15.2. Rose's team was fourth in free throws attempted, Wall's was sixth in fast-break points, and both made it to the conference semifinals.
There is something to be said, clearly, for a point guard who's strong on transition offense and driving the lane. And those are Emmanuel Mudiay's greatest gifts.
"He's a great athlete with both speed and explosive leaping ability," said ESPN's Chad Ford.
Equipped with a 6'5" frame and great hops, Mudiay is a superb rebounder for his position ("not afraid to get in the paint and mix it up," Ford noted), who averaged 6.2 boards per game in the CBA last season. Mudiay nabs defensive boards, blazes coast-to-coast, sometimes driving to the hoop himself, sometimes hurling downcourt or dishing down low to teammates for thrilling finishes.
Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress said Mudiay is "at his best as a scorer and distributor in the open floor." Schmitz said that while Mudiay is "dangerous with the ball in his hands" and "tough to stop at his size," he's also "unselfish" and "gives his teammates incentives to run with him."
Ford calls Mudiay a "power guard" who "always plays in attack mode." He doesn't glide through defenders so much as he charges by them like a pack of wild horses. He's creative with his drives—jabs, dodges, gets defenders to bite, changes direction on a dime, drives hard and finishes strong at the rim.
Mudiay also draws fouls and averaged 3.9 free-throw attempts per game this season in the CBA. Sure, Alexey Shved drew fouls when playing for the Knicks too, but Mudiay does an admirable job getting the ball to make contact with the rim, while Shved doesn't always concern himself with such matters.
In China, Mudiay averaged 47.8 percent from the field, 34.2 percent behind the arc and 18 points per game. (His shooting at the line, though, was a shameful 57.4 percent.) ESPN Insider's Kevin Pelton projects that Mudiay will average 11.6 points, 5.2 assists per 36 minutes as an NBA rookie. Pelton's SCHOENE system also also matches Mudiay most closely to Rose.
True, Mudiay is not a pure shooter. He won't be raining down threes like Steph Curry. Yet, Phil Jackson has made it clear that no team of his is going to live and die by the three ball.
Plus, as Charlie Widdoes of NYKnicks.com pointed out, "In his end-of-year press conference, Phil Jackson stated his desire to add players who can attack the basket. ... There may not be a more gifted penetrator in this draft than Mudiay."
He's also got serious hops. So does Shane Larkin, but Larkin is only 5'11" by the most generous measure, and while that's been enough to nab a rebound above a 7-footer or two, it isn't enough to finish above the rim. At 6'5" with an impressive vertical, Mudiay can. That gives him an efficiency inside that most guards can't deliver.
By the way, transition offense and drives to the hoop do not in any way conflict with the triangle offense. Easy buckets off the break and charges to the hoop are the first choices. The triangle is the scheme that the team goes to when those opportunities aren't available.
As Phil Jackson himself said at an event in April, via PostingAndToasting, "Forget about the Triangle. That comes after everything else."
Although Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman questions whether Mudiay is a fit for the triangle, which prizes ball movement, I don't see a problem. Mudiay's passing game is strong. Schmitz praised him for being "unselfish," "being able to make every pass out of the pick and roll," and having an "elite feel for his age."
As for defense...well, in the Chinese Basketball Association as in the NBA All-Star Game, defense is more of a suggestion than a requirement. Mudiay nevertheless showed potential to be a strong defender; Schmitz listed it as one of his strengths.
Mudiay fights over screens and gets into passing lanes, coming up with 1.6 steals per game—something the Knicks need more of if they're going to lock the perimeter down better than they did this past season.
Why not Winslow or Cauley-Stein?
Justise Winslow and Willie Cauley-Stein are both excellent defenders and great passers. Cauley-Stein is the rim protector the Knicks have been yearning for since Tyson Chandler was traded. Winslow is a creative, versatile two-way player with a great combination of strength and finesse.
So why choose Mudiay over them?
My quarrel with Winslow is his position. He's a small forward, and the Knicks already have one of those. His name is Carmelo Anthony.
The Knicks could draft Winslow and move 'Melo back to power forward. It's not a bad idea. Yet if the Knicks want to move in that direction, there are a variety of young and talented small forwards on the free-agent market who could fill that role, like Khris Middleton or Tobias Harris.
Cauley-Stein doesn't have much to offer on offense. While he will occasionally throw down a dunk that shakes the whole arena, he does not create scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates.
That's not a knock on Cauley-Stein; that's just a statement on what the Knicks need. They're desperate for someone who can generate offense. And the only point guard on the roster with a contract right now is Jose Calderon, who, in his brief Knicks tenure, has proven more successful at generating shot-clock violations than points.
Steve Mills and Phil Jackson ought to spend the next few weeks pondering how different life might have been in if Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups and Baron Davis had suited up for New York when they were in their mid-20s instead of their mid-30s. Then, when June 25 rolls around, they draft Emmanuel Mudiay and never look back.
If not? Well, if Mudiay is as good as he's projected to be, you'll see him in a Knicks jersey eventually. Fifteen years and several catastrophic injuries from now.
NBA stats from NBA.com/stats. Chinese Basketball Association stats from RealGM. Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.
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