New York Knicks president of basketball operations phil jackson attended the NBA Combine in Chicago, hoping to find a prospect that fits into his triangle system. NBA insider Marc Beerman of the New York Post reported that Jackson even met with point guard prospects Markelle Fultz and De’Aaron Fox, and informed them of the qualities he wants from his players.
Jackson’s mold of the perfect player
The Knicks executive already mentioned the type of players he wants on roster next season during exit interviews. With the ball club reverting back to a full-blown triangle offense, Jackson is now on the look out for a "system player," or someone who can play in team form.
“I think we know what we want, and we are interested in developing and turning away from just, say: This guy can jump out of the gym, this guy can do a triple-double game or dunk the ball. That is not what we are interested in. We are interested in skill players that know how to play together in team form,” Jackson said during the Knicks' final press conference of the 2016/17 season via the New York Post.
With Fultz, Fox and several NBA prospects present at the combine, Jackson took the opportunity to scout each player and determine if any of them fit into his mold. According to Beerman, Jackson’s presence at the combine was a bit surprising given the fact that he usually stays at a hotel and interviews prospects there.
Fultz and Fox are heralded among the top-tier prospects in the draft, along with Lonzo Ball of UCLA, who decided to skip the pre-draft event. The Knicks may never get a shot at these prospects, since Fultz is projected to be the no.1 pick in the draft, while Fox could be selected in the top 6.
The Knicks, who could land the no.
7 pick in the draft lottery, with a 57 percent chance to stay in the top 7, they might be looking at another Kentucky guard in Malik Monk and Frenchman Frank Ntilikina as the best available prospects at the point guard spot.
Kristaps Porzingis' status
Head coach Jeff Hornacek is confident that Porzingis will be with the Knicks next season, even amid reports of discontent from the Latvian big man.
The 21-year old Porzingis once again upped his stats this past season, averaging 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in his second season in the league.
The former no. 4 overall pick created some buzz following his decision to skip the Knicks’ exit meeting. A couple of weeks later, Porzingis found himself at the center of major trade rumors after posting "LA Clippers" on his Twitter page. However, the Latvian star said that his Twitter account had been hacked.
