UConn second-year combo guard James Bouknight met the Knicks brass this week in the Chicago Draft and made sure they knew he was Brooklyn to the bone – it’s worth it. worth being traded.
Some fictional drafts raised the Bouknight 6ft 5in into the top 10. However, his name floated as high as # 7 and as low as his late teens. The Knicks currently pick the 19th, 21st, 32nd and 58th.
The Knicks will be looking to pack their picks and will likely be able to enter the late lottery easily. They interviewed striker Scottie Barnes in Chicago, and no one expects him to drop below No.7.
Some league leaders have cautioned against giving too much in a surge as there is a consensus on parity between numbers 8 and 21.
“To be from New York, to play basketball growing up in New York, to play at the Garden, that would be a dream come true,” Bouknight said Thursday during a Zoom call from Chicago. “I don’t even know how to explain this feeling. Going to New York would be fun – hitting everyone I grew up with. It would be like an accomplishment for me. I told them I was from New York. They somehow already knew that.
Knicks president Leon Rose, in his first draft last November, selected Brooklynite Obi Toppin at No.8. The Knicks could use more backcourt goals and a playmaker. Despite a season of progress, 2019 lottery pick RJ Barrett was a disappointment when they were ousted in five playoff games.
Bold Bouknight, 20, said play-making and 3-point shooting are things he will surprise the NBA with. He averaged 18.7 points last season, but shot just 29.6 percent from a 3-point range. ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg told the Post last week that Bouknight should be a target for the Knicks if they advance a few notches.
Bouknight said he was hearing comparisons to Suns superstar Devin Booker, a combo guard.
“I think it’s definitely part of my game that’s underrated,” Bouknight said of his 3-point shot. “And my playmaking ability. I just feel like the role I had at UConn, being that guy to go get the team a bucket when we need it, I sometimes have took ill-advised and difficult blows. It came with the role I had. I’m not at all worried about my 3-point shot. Like at all. I think I’ll surprise a lot of people.
The Knicks need a starting point guard. Many of their rear fenders are free agents, including starting shooting guard Reggie Bullock and key reserve Alec Burks.
“I think the Knicks Cup would be great – just another keeper that you can give the ball to and ask him to get a basket,” Bouknight said. “I really feel that my ability as a playmaker is underestimated. I feel like I’m going on a team where I can showcase that part of my game, I think I can do that for the Knicks.
“Watching the playoffs, you see that you need this guy to give the ball, and he can just make a basket and make plays for other people and be a benchmark guy. I feel like I can be that as a rookie. I feel like I’m someone you can give the ball to and go get a basket.
Bouknight was originally a star in youth baseball before moving to basketball as a freshman at LaSalle Academy, which he led to the State Federation basketball title of. New York in its first year.
“I was a shortstop and a pitcher,” Bouknight said. “I came to high school in the first grade and tried something new. Growing up in my neighborhood, everyone played basketball. You haven’t seen a lot of baseball players. I said, ‘Let me try basketball’ and it went well.
It could get a lot better than OK if the Knicks find a way to recruit another local star to light up the garden in the midst of their rebirth.
“A lot of people compare that I’m a Devin Booker type player or Bradley Beal,” Bouknight said. “I didn’t start playing basketball until so late. I really feel like my game is so unique and creative in its own way. I know it might sound cliché but I just wanna be like James Bouknight.
.
