Justin Lewis, Marquette Golden Eagles. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) – New York Knicks
2: Justin Lewis – Marquette
Justin Lewis has been mocked to New York, so if he ends up being the team’s selection at No. 42, it wouldn’t come as a surprise. In 2021-22, the 6’7” forward with a 7’2” wingspan averaged 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 32 games while shooting 44% from the floor and 34.9% from the 3-point line.
Based on what Lewis averaged in 2020-21, which was 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, the 20-year-old was named the BIG EAST Most Improved Player of the Year. His efficiency took a huge jump, as he shot 41.7% from the field and 21.9% from behind the arc in his first season coming off the bench.
Not many people foresaw the past year that Lewis had with the Golden Eagles or much less foresaw him blazing a path to the NBA as a second-round prospect.
Lewis is a combo forward who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. While his outside shot improved dramatically between seasons for Marquette, that growth is going to need to continue at the next level.
He averaged 1.9 turnovers per game this past year and has been cited with having issues as a playmaker off the dribble. If he were to be drafted by the Knicks, that’s something that he could spend time working on in Westchester.
Lewis’ strength and versatility will benefit whichever team he ends up on. Depending on if Julius Randle gets traded or not (there’s no guarantee that he’ll be gone just because fans want him to be), that’d make the addition of Lewis more valuable to a young team.
New York Knicks</a> could select with the No. 11 pick, but not nearly as much said about their second-round selection. New York has the No. 42 pick in the draft.</p>
<p>By the time the second round rolls around, Knicks fans will either be filled with excitement or disappointment. But based on the players that have been brought to New York since Leon Rose was named president in 2020, it’s almost normal to feel optimistic.</p>
<p>After all, Jericho Sims was selected at No. 58, and if Mitchell Robinson leaves in free agency, <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/04/06/new-york-knicks-future-good-hands-rookie-jericho-sims/">Sims will be invaluable</a>. And speaking of Robinson, he was a second-round pick himself in 2018. Let’s hope that whoever the Knicks draft on Thursday will be able to enjoy a success similar to Robinson’s.</p>
<h2>3 players that the Knicks could draft at No. 42 in the 2022 NBA Draft</h2>
<h3>3: Buddy Boeheim – Syracuse</h3>
<p>Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim worked out for New York last month and the 6’6” guard knocked down 71-of-80 3-pointers. He and his brother Jimmy both worked out for the Knicks together, but if one were to get drafted, it’d likely be Buddy.</p>
<p>It might seem like a reach to some for New York to select Boeheim at No. 42, so let’s <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/stats/_/id/4395676/buddy-boeheim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">look at his statistics</a>. In his senior year at Syracuse, he averaged a career-high 19.2 points (which led the ACC), 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 40.6% from the field and 34.1% from the 3-point line. The 22-year-old finished his four years shooting 36.2% from deep.</p>
<p>He’s a good shooter, but he lacks on the defensive end of the court, which could be a challenge that Tom Thibodeau is willing to undertake. His athleticism isn’t anything to write home about, either, which could also make him a risky pick in the second round.</p>
<p>But Boeheim wouldn’t be drafted with the expectation of helping the Knicks crawl their way back to the playoffs in 2023. His development would be key. If New York has plans to potentially trade Evan Fournier during the offseason, then selecting Boeheim wouldn’t be as crazy as it might sound.</p>
<p>According to New York Post’s Marc Berman, both he and his brother <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://nypost.com/2022/06/04/buddy-jimmy-boeheim-work-out-for-knicks-prior-to-nba-draft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved to Manhattan</a> a couple of months ago to solely focus on basketball. So if Buddy were to be drafted by the Knicks, or signed after the draft, he wouldn’t have to go far at all.</p>
<p>Boeheim has an advantage that other prospects don’t have, and it’s that his father is Syracuse’s Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim.</p>
<p>Regardless of what happens in the draft, keep an eye on Buddy. He very well could end up being worth the risk for New York.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> BIG EAST Most Improved Player of the Year </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-129198" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F1394600365.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Marquette Golden Eagles, Justin Lewis" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1394600365.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1394600365-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Justin Lewis, Marquette Golden Eagles. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>2: Justin Lewis – Marquette</h3>
<p>Justin Lewis has been mocked to New York, so <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/05/20/espn-mock-draft-knicks-selecting-big-east-improved-player-no-42-pick/">if he ends up being the team’s selection at No. 42, it wouldn’t come as a surprise</a>. In 2021-22, the 6’7” forward with a 7’2” wingspan averaged 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 32 games while shooting 44% from the floor and 34.9% from the 3-point line.</p>
<p>Based on what Lewis averaged in 2020-21, which was 7.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, the 20-year-old was named the BIG EAST Most Improved Player of the Year. His efficiency took a huge jump, as he shot 41.7% from the field and 21.9% from behind the arc in his first season coming off the bench.</p>
<p>Not many people foresaw the past year that Lewis had with the Golden Eagles or much less foresaw him blazing a path to the NBA as a second-round prospect.</p>
<p>Lewis is a combo forward who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. While his outside shot improved dramatically between seasons for Marquette, that growth is going to need to continue at the next level.</p>
<p>He averaged 1.9 turnovers per game this past year and has been cited with having issues as a playmaker off the dribble. If he were to be drafted by the Knicks, that’s something that he could spend time working on in Westchester.</p>
<p>Lewis’ strength and versatility will benefit whichever team he ends up on. Depending on if Julius Randle gets traded or not (there’s no guarantee that he’ll be gone just because fans want him to be), that’d make the addition of Lewis more valuable to a young team.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A strong center </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-129202" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F1387581980.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Arizona Wildcats, Christian Koloko" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1387581980.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1387581980-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Christian Koloko, Arizona Wildcats. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>1: Christian Koloko – Arizona</h3>
<p>In case you haven’t heard and didn’t read the beginning of this piece, Robinson could be out the door soon. Given the current state of New York’s roster, that’d leave Sims, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson. Sims could be primed to take over for Robinson, but other than that, there’s no reason to believe that Noel, and even Gibson, will be on the roster in 2022-23.</p>
<p>That opens up the need for another center and Arizona’s <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/stats/_/id/4431778/christian-koloko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Koloko</a> is fresh off his best season at the collegiate level. In 2021-22, the 7’1” big man averaged 12.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.8 blocks in 37 games while shooting 63.5% from the field.</p>
<p>With a seven-foot wing span, and similar to Robinson, he’s known for his rim protection. The 21-year-old allowed <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/22/3-players-knicks-select-no-42-pick-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://www.nba.com/draft/2022/prospects/christian-koloko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">0.72 points per post-up possession</a> during his junior year with the Wildcats.</p>
<p>Koloko improved offensively during his third season, but he needs to work on developing a mid-range shot. He’s proven that he can be dominant in the post, which won’t be enough in today’s NBA. Robinson lacks range on the offensive end, so if Koloko can get to the point where he’s comfortable taking outside shots, perhaps Knicks fans wouldn’t miss Robinson as much if he were to leave.</p>
<p>The Douala, Cameroon native didn’t start playing basketball until the age of 12. His game grew tremendously during his time at Arizona and if he’s still on the board when New York prepares to make its second-round selection, he could be making the move to The Big Apple.</p>
<p>Koloko’s college teammate Bennedict Mathurin might be out of the Knicks’ range at No. 11, and if that ends up being the case, the Knicks could still have an opportunity to draft a Wildcat. The potential is undoubtedly there, but it’d be up to New York to find a way to tap into it.</p>
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