New York Knicks rookie Mitchell Robinson discusses the early part of his season.
Chris Iseman, Staff Writer, @chrisiseman
With losses piling up, the Knicks are almost certainly headed back to the lottery in next June's NBA Draft.
It's just a matter of where.
Most fans are hoping they end up with a top pick, where Duke stars Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish are most likely going to be selected.
Williamson, especially, is getting a lot of attention.
The Knicks are going to have the chance to draft a young talent, it's just a matter of picking the right one.
The college basketball season is just two weeks old, but here's a look at how 10 potential lottery picks are playing so far:
Zion Williamson, Duke
Year: Freshman
Position: F
Height: 6-7
Weight: 285
Williamson came into college with plenty of hype surrounding him, and so far, he's lived up to it. With a ridiculous combination of size, quickness and athleticism, Williamson is averaging 22.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.5 blocks and 1.8 steals for the Blue Devils through four games. He's shooting 74 percent from the field and is 2-of-6 from the perimeter. Williamson is now projected as the top overall pick on many draft boards.
Cam Reddish, Duke
Year: Freshman
Position: F
Height: 6-8
Weight: 218
While Williamson is getting most of the hype, any team that ends up with either Reddish or RJ Barrett is going to be pretty happy. Reddish is averaging 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists through four games, while shooting 44 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from beyond the arc. Reddish had one dud against Eastern Michigan, scoring three points on 1-of-5 shooting. But he bounced back with a 16-point showing against San Diego State. Reddish is likely going to end up as a top-five pick.
RJ Barrett, Duke
Year: Freshman
Position: F
Height: 6-7
Weight: 208
Barrett's averaging 24 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 34.6 percent (9-of-26) from the perimeter. Through Duke's first four games, Barrett has shown why he's considered an NBA-ready wing.
Bol Bol, Oregon
Year: Freshman
Position: C
Height: 7-2
Weight: 235
The son of late NBA center Manute Bol, Bol Bol has gotten off to a good start to his college career. Through four games, Bol is averaging 18.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, one assist, four blocks and 1.3 steals. He's shooting 51.8 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent (2-of-6) from beyond the arc. Bol started his freshman season with back-to-back double doubles. Bol currently is projected to go later in the top 10.
Nassir Little, North Carolina
Year: Freshman
Position: F
Height: 6-6
Weight: 220
Little has been solid through the Tar Heels' first five games, averaging 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.8 steals while shooting 63.6 percent from the field and 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from three-point range. Little, projected as a possible top-five pick, has the skillset and potential to be an elite two-way player in the NBA.
Romeo Langford, Indiana
Year: Freshman
Position: G
Height: 6-6
Weight: 215
Through his first five games, Langford is averaging 18.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and three assists while shooting 52 percent from the field. He's had a rough time from the perimeter, shooting just 4-of-17 through the early part of the season. Langford's a versatile player who could end up as a top-five pick.
Quentin Grimes, Kansas
Year: Freshman
Position: G
Height: 6-5
Weight: 210
Grimes started his freshman season in a big way, dropping 21 points on Michigan State in the Jayhawks' first game of the season. Through Kansas' first three contests, Grimes is averaging 12.3 points, two rebounds and 5.7 assists per game on 44.8 percent shooting from the field. He's been excellent from beyond the arc, going 9-of-16 (56.3 percent) through three games.
Darius Garland, Vanderbilt
Year: Freshman
Position: PG
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
Garland is an intriguing prospect. He's off to a good start, averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting a blistering 52.8 percent from the field and 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from beyond the arc. His combination of ball-handling, court vision and three-point shooting ability is going to make him a top-10 pick in all likelihood. His size could scare some teams off, but his potential could make it hard for a team to pass up.
Keldon Johnson, Kentucky
Year: Freshman
Position: F
Height: 6-6
Weight: 211
Through four games, Johnson is averaging 14.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. Johnson began the season with a 23-point performance in the Wildcats' blowout loss to Kentucky but his point total decreased the next three games. But Johnson is still an elite prospect projected as a top-10 pick on most mock drafts.
De'Andre Hunter, Virginia
Year: Sophomore
Position: F
Height: 6-7
Weight: 225
Hunter, who returned to Virginia for his sophomore season, has been gaining traction as a potential lottery pick. A solid defensive player, Hunter is averaging 14.3 points, five rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 60.7 percent from the field and going 4-of-5 from the perimeter. He hasn't gone up against elite competition yet, though, facing Towson, George Washington and Coppin State through the Cavaliers' first three games.
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Email: iseman@northjersey.com