One quarter through the 2018-19 NBA season, where do the New York Knicks sit in the projected draft order?
The 2018-19 season already reached its quarter mark, as the New York Knicks played their 20th game Friday and will enter their 21st matchup Sunday. They have a 6-14 record, including back-to-back wins over the Boston Celtics and New Orleans Pelicans.
With teams not in the playoff mix, including the Knicks, there’s a tendency to look ahead at the next offseason. Whether it’s the draft or free agency.
The former, which New York still owns their pick for, has taken precedence in recent weeks, with the start of the 2018-19 college basketball season. Zion Williamson, Cameron Reddish, RJ Barrett and Kevin Porter Jr. are among the potential prospects that may declare.
For the top pick, and the rest of the lottery, how does the order look? Let’s see where the Knicks fall so far:
- Atlanta Hawks: 3-16 (14.0 percent odds)
- Phoenix Suns: 4-13 (14.0 percent odds)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 4-14 (14.0 percent odds)
- Chicago Bulls: 5-15 (12.5 percent odds)
- New York Knicks: 6-14 (10.5 percent odds)
- Washington Wizards: 7-12 (9.0 percent odds)
- Miami Heat: 7-11 (7.5 percent odds)
- Brooklyn Nets: 8-12 (6.0 percent odds)
- Utah Jazz: 8-11 (4.5 percent odds)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: 9-11 (3.0 percent odds)
- San Antonio Spurs: 9-10 (2.0 percent odds)
- New Orleans Pelicans: 10-10 (1.0 percent odds)
- Houston Rockets: 9-9 (1.0 percent odds)
- Dallas Mavericks: 9-9 (1.0 percent odds)
The Knicks land within the top five, which sets positive odds for their chances at the first pick. With the NBA’s change in lottery odds for the 2019 draft and beyond, it smoothens the first three selections, while raising everyone else’s chances in the lottery at No. 1 overall.
Three of the past four drafts have seen the Knicks pick in the lottery: Kristaps Porzingis in 2015, Frank Ntilikina in 2017 and Kevin Knox in 2018. The Andrea Bargnani trade of 2014 removed them from 2016’s top 14 picks.
As for the rest of the projected lottery, the Jazz, Pelicans, Rockets, Spurs and Timberwolves are all surprise teams that crack it. However, it’s evident of the loaded Western Conference, which features the Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers at the top of the standings.
The lottery projection will change, of course, as the season continues. New York may not last at No. 5, whether they move up, move down, or move out. Where will they stand in the next update?
