#4 Sharife Cooper – Guard – Auburn 

Targeting a point guard in the draft is definitely something the New York Knicks should consider doing, especially with Derrick Rose not being a long-term solution for them in the backcourt. Sharife Cooper out of Auburn is one of the more intriguing guard prospects in this year’s draft class not only because of his explosiveness, but because of his high basketball IQ as well. 

Cooper always seems to position himself in the right place on the floor and with the ball in his hands, is always able to find ways to make plays for others. In 12 games at Auburn, the 20-year-old guard averaged 20.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists and shot 39.1% from the floor, putting his versatility on full display. 

While he is undersized, standing about 6’1”, Sharife Cooper excels at pushing the pace of the game and letting everything come to him. While he can get caught up in the moment and be susceptible to turning the ball over, Cooper is a “jolt” of energy that every team wishes they had in their backcourt. 

Whether it is in the starting unit or off-the-bench, Cooper can make his presence felt and is more than comfortable being a leader for his team. As mentioned before, he is undersized, which could be a problem at the NBA against longer, more physical defenders, but Sharife Cooper is going to find a way to be effective one way or another. If the 5’3” Muggsy Bogues could carve out a role in the league and go on to become a great NBA player, then there is no reason why Cooper can’t do so either as an undersized guard! 

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All season long for the Knicks, they really did not play with a true point guard and they oftentimes had Julius Randle leading their offense. In the playoffs, this was exposed and the Atlanta Hawks really pressured Randle, taking him out of the picture and forcing Derrick Rose to step up for New York. 

Assuming that they bring Derrick Rose back, the Knicks will still be looking for a young guard to put behind him in the rotation, which is why a playmaker like Sharife Cooper makes sense. Adding more shooting depth to their roster is a must, but adding Cooper’s playmaking abilities and his energy to their bench unit could absolutely help the Knicks’ backcourt both now and moving forward.