How Mudiay can HELP PORZINGIS LONG TERM and why the rise of Jokic was the WORST thing that happened to Mudiay
In the 2015 NBA Draft, I was sitting with some of my fellow Knicks fans as we were awaiting the announcement of the 4th overall pick. I was chanting "Winslow!" others were chanting "Mudiay", it didn't matter who it was... All that mattered was that the Knicks finally got a good draft pick and were going to get a good player. Instead they got...
Naturally, we were pissed. Some of us were literally swearing at the TV. I personally said: "Phil Jackson obviously drafted Porzingis to trade him for a veteran point guard to help Melo."
With Andrea Bargnani still fresh in our minds, we couldn't help but be delusional and afraid about the Knicks betting their future on a perimeter focused European big man.
Fast forward to 2018, and every Knicks fan shed a tear when Porzingis tore his ACL... off what should have been an iconic dunk on the Greek Freak.
With Porzingis out indefinitely, the Knicks traded Dougie Mcbuckets for a player Knicks fans initially wanted all along: Emmanuel Mudiay. The catch: at only 21 years old most fans are already labeling Mudiay, a top prospect from two years ago, irrelevant.
His efficiency in Denver did not jump out at you. He averaged 13 points off 36% from the field and 5.5 assists off 3 turnovers per game his rookie season. Denver figured out that they were at their best running the show through the hands of their center, Nikola Jokic. Jokic has ridiculous handles and passing for his size, and acts as the main distributer and motor for Denver's offense.
With Mudiay's poor shooting, he was taken out of the rotation, and thus became a "bust" in the eyes of many NBA fans. Maybe they're right, but again, Mudiay is only 21. It's a good thing that the Knicks are rolling the dice on Mudiay, because he has a certain skill set that the Knicks have been dangerously lacking for years: The ability to get to the rim and distribute the ball.
The Knicks have been missing out on a pass first point guard for years, and he's already dropped some impressive dimes. Check out his Hail Mary to O'Quinn:
He also makes up for his lack of shooting by being a constant threat to go backdoor. His 6'5" length and bulky frame allows him to finish against bigger guys.
Teams will scout Mudiay and give him more room to prevent this from happening, but if Mudiay can develop a decent mid range shot, he could become a serious threat and get easier shots for Porzingis.
Plenty of Knicks fans think this might cripple the development of Frank Ntilikina or even Trey Burke. I have two arguments against that:
Well, to all the Knicks fans who yelled at the TV during the draft, your wish has finally come true. You got your guy... Congrats!
Naturally, we were pissed. Some of us were literally swearing at the TV. I personally said: "Phil Jackson obviously drafted Porzingis to trade him for a veteran point guard to help Melo."
With Andrea Bargnani still fresh in our minds, we couldn't help but be delusional and afraid about the Knicks betting their future on a perimeter focused European big man.
Fast forward to 2018, and every Knicks fan shed a tear when Porzingis tore his ACL... off what should have been an iconic dunk on the Greek Freak.
With Porzingis out indefinitely, the Knicks traded Dougie Mcbuckets for a player Knicks fans initially wanted all along: Emmanuel Mudiay. The catch: at only 21 years old most fans are already labeling Mudiay, a top prospect from two years ago, irrelevant.
His efficiency in Denver did not jump out at you. He averaged 13 points off 36% from the field and 5.5 assists off 3 turnovers per game his rookie season. Denver figured out that they were at their best running the show through the hands of their center, Nikola Jokic. Jokic has ridiculous handles and passing for his size, and acts as the main distributer and motor for Denver's offense.
With Mudiay's poor shooting, he was taken out of the rotation, and thus became a "bust" in the eyes of many NBA fans. Maybe they're right, but again, Mudiay is only 21. It's a good thing that the Knicks are rolling the dice on Mudiay, because he has a certain skill set that the Knicks have been dangerously lacking for years: The ability to get to the rim and distribute the ball.
The Knicks have been missing out on a pass first point guard for years, and he's already dropped some impressive dimes. Check out his Hail Mary to O'Quinn:
He also makes up for his lack of shooting by being a constant threat to go backdoor. His 6'5" length and bulky frame allows him to finish against bigger guys.
Teams will scout Mudiay and give him more room to prevent this from happening, but if Mudiay can develop a decent mid range shot, he could become a serious threat and get easier shots for Porzingis.
Plenty of Knicks fans think this might cripple the development of Frank Ntilikina or even Trey Burke. I have two arguments against that:
- Who says that Frank or Burke are definitively better than Mudiay? Frank is 19 years old, Mudiay is 21... Let them grow together.
- Who says that Frank and Mudiay can't share the floor together? They are both combo guards that can play multiple positions and defend multiple positions. In theory, this is better for where the league is heading; players need to be able to switch on defense without being exposed.
Well, to all the Knicks fans who yelled at the TV during the draft, your wish has finally come true. You got your guy... Congrats!
