Knicks' Top Needs in 2022 NBA Draft

The New York Knicks were on their way toward building a perennial NBA playoff participant until they weren't.

Last season's success couldn't sustain, despite summer investments in the likes of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. The defense regressed, the offense plateaued in the Association's bottom-third, and the 'Bockers barely made a peep over the 2021-22 campaign.

That cannot happen again, and this offseason provides some opportunities to ensure it won't.

The first arrives with the draft where the Knicks hold the Nos. 11 and 42 picks. As they start building their big board, these should be the top items on their wish list.

Point Guard

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The Knicks need a point guard more than anything. Plus, their roster is in strong enough shape that team needs should factor into the draft-night decisions.

Having said that, it's far from a lock New York will spend its first pick on a point guard, because the draft board may not break in its favor.

That's too late to take a run at Purdue's Jaden Ivey and probably out of the draft range of Dyson Daniels of the G League Ignite. According to B/R's Jonathan Wasserman, Daniels' draft ceiling "has been said to have risen into the Nos. 4-8 range."

So, will the Knicks reach on a point guard at No. 11? It's fair to remember that all draft boards are unique and may not reflect the groupthink view of this class. If the Knicks believe enough in someone like Santa Clara combo guard Jalen Williams or Kentucky floor general TyTy Washington Jr., they might not see the selection as a reach at all.

Two-Way Wings

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You could make the argument that every modern NBA team needs more wings.

New York's need just happens to be a little more pronounced than most.

The Knicks don't have nearly enough two-way contributors in their wing rotation. RJ Barrett flashed high-level ability at both ends, but he didn't have much help around him. Alec Burks decently checked the two-way box before the 'Bockers plugged him in as their emergency point guard. Rookie Quentin Grimes flashed a three-and-D foundation before injuries limited his run. Cam Reddish fits the mold in theory, though still not in practice.

That's kind of it for wings who impact (or could impact) both ends of the floor. Considering that might be the most important archetype in today's NBA, the Knicks can't build this collection fast enough.

Blue-Chip Talent

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Is RJ Barrett destined for stardom? The Knicks better hope so, because no one else on this roster has really hinted at having that kind of ability.

Sure, Julius Randle got an All-Star nod in 2020-21, but once his outlier shooting rates predictably regressed, he wasn't even an afterthought in the All-Star selection process.

Beyond Randle, there isn't anyone worth mentioning. Yet. Maybe things suddenly click for Obi Toppin or Immanuel Quickley, but there isn't a great statistical reason for the Knicks to hold their breath.

Elite talents (plural) are required in this league, and the Knicks are still waiting on their first one. Finding a player with that kind of ability at No. 11 won't be easy, but in the 2010s alone, that selection spot delivered Klay Thompson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Domantas Sabonis, so it is possible to hit big here.