New York Knicks: Building the perfect first round draft pick

Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

If the New York Knicks could build the perfect draft pick, what would his skill set look like? He may very well be in this year's 2017 NBA Draft…or not.

There will never be a universally perfect NBA Draft pick unless LeBron James magically reappears in a future draft.

For the New York Knicks, the holes for Phil Jackson to fill are as plentiful as the holes in his management resume.

There is no one player in this draft who will fix the Knicks, no matter who they decide to draft.

In the deep, dark hallways of Madison Square Garden, Phil Jackson and his crew deliberate over who they should draft. Yet, they need to identify what they are looking for before they decide who they will draft. Even before they rank their favorite players and over-evaluate new analytics, team need should be primary.

In any draft, there is always debate concerning draft philosophy. Should the team take the best available player? Or should they draft the player who fits what they need? The New York Knicks have a plethora of needs, so taking the best available player is the only way for the team to go.

In the 2017 NBA Draft there will be plenty of talent available even through the middle of the first round. If the Knicks could build the perfect first round draft pick for their needs, what characteristics would he have?

Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Characteristics of a champion

Almost every NBA Draft "expert" has pointed out in some way that the Knicks need a point guard. The truth is, the Knicks have needs at almost every position. The lone exception is the power forward position (as long as they can heal their relationship with Kristaps Porzingis).

In the end, there will be plenty of choices for Phil Jackson.  Rumors of NBA Draft related trades for Ricky Rubio and for additional draft picks via the Portland Trail Blazers have surfaced in the last few days. No matter who they decide to draft, the primary characteristic of the perfect Knicks draft pick is found inside his chest.

For most of the past season, it was very clear that the New York Knicks had no heart. The glorified puppet known as their head coach often appeared out of touch and was mostly powerless. Carmelo Anthony handled himself perfectly in the media and yet couldn't lead his team to any form of success. Whoever the Knicks put on the floor was swallowed up by the negativity surrounding the team.

For these reasons, the perfect New York Knicks draft pick will have an unbreakable heart. The team had issues with defense, hustle and effort all last season. Each of these issues comes down to the inner motivation of each player of the team.

Whomever Phil Jackson decides to bring into the mess he created better have a strong heart. Any player who failed to give consistent and competitive effort should not be drafted by the Knicks.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting for the stars

Heart has everything to do with winning and being in a position for a championship at the end of the season. At some point, talent must accompany the effort and energy within the champion's heart. The New York Knicks need heart but they also need shooting. There are plenty players in the NBA Draft who have heart; but can they shoot?

The perfect draft pick for the Knicks will be a consistent, knock down shooter in whatever position he plays. Malik Monk is the first name that comes to mind when thinking of available shooters in this draft. His consistent shooting and overall scoring ability will make him a high, first round draft pick. Yet, the last memory of Monk is him being shut down by the taller Justin Jackson in the Elite Eight.

Whoever ends up being drafted by the Knicks must be able to make a difference on the offensive end, immediately. Last season, the Knicks finished in the bottom half of almost every meaningful offensive category. The low-lights include ranking 26th in points in the paint and 24th in fastbreak points.

If Carmelo Anthony stays with the Knicks he will need three-point shooters to unclog the lane for his midrange game. Similarly, if Carmelo accepts a trade, the Knicks will rely on new blood to shoot for a playoff berth.

Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The mind of a champion

It's true the Knicks finished the year at the bottom end of offensive rankings. At the same time, they also finished near the bottom in defensive rankings as well. When both facets of basketball reveal such poor play, there is more wrong than just an antiquated system.

There has been a failure of epic proportions in management, coaching and by the players. The perfect draft pick for the Knicks will have the intellect to navigate the idiocy of Phil Jackson and be able to run a team.

The triangle offense is not too difficult for the modern player to learn. However, it is not a system that is run with regularity in its pure form anywhere other than New York. Whoever the Knicks choose will need a mind and basketball IQ able to translate the triangle into modern basketball language.

Each and every player that ever excelled under the coaching of Phil Jackson had an Einstein level of basketball IQ. Even players with athletic limitations were able to flourish in the triangle. The success of players like John Paxson happened partially because of the triangle and partially because of their basketball intellect.

The perfect player for the New York Knicks may not be in this draft. Yet, whoever is drafted should have heart, shooting ability and the mind of a champion.

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