#1 Chris Duarte – Guard – Oregon
The best option for the New York Knicks at 19th or 21st overall in this year’s draft is Chris Duarte, a 24-year-old guard out of Oregon. Duarte is one of the oldest players in this year’s draft class, but he is also a guy that can come in and play right away, which is why he is the best option for the Knicks in this year’s draft.
Standing 6’6”, Chris Duarte is a bigger guard who really thrives as a perimeter-oriented threat. In two seasons at Oregon, he shot 38% from three-point range and this past season, Durate shot 42.4% from three-point range. Whether it is coming off of screens or being on the receiving end of a catch-and-shoot play, he is able to knock down shots from the perimeter at a high-level, which is why Chris Duarte is the best player for the Knicks.
That mindset of being a “3-and-D” player is exactly what New York needs on the wing next to R.J. Barrett, which is why this pick makes sense for them. I hate comparing players that play the same position from the same school, but there are similarities to be made between Duarte and Dillon Brooks of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Both guys made a name for themselves in Eugene for being “3-and-D” threats on the wing, but the key difference in favor of Chris Duarte is that I believe he is a little more polished in terms of an offensive threat coming out of college. You know what you are going to get with Duarte as a shooter, which is why he could have an immediate impact in the NBA.
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The only big concerns with Chris Duarte right now is that there is not much room to improve as a playmaker and on defense, he is not really a guy that will be known to be all over the place. The older guard is more than capable of defending at a high-level in isolation sets, but if teams get him switching all the time in screens, then he could be exposed by faster, more athletic guards/wings.
At the end of the day, the New York Knicks need guys who can come in and make an impact right away, which is why Chris Duarte should be at the top of their draft board with the 19th pick. He can shoot, score and defend at a high-level, which is everything the Knicks need outside of another established star player this offseason.
