The New York Knicks may have landed the steal of the draft with the 34th pick in Wichita State forward Cleanthony Early. Knicks fans can expect Early to have an immediate impact in his rookie season.
The New York native was the best player on a Shockers team that entered the 2014 NCAA tournament undefeated. Considered by many scouts to be a first-round talent, he slipped to the second round due to concerns about his age (23), the quality of competition he faced in college and the dreaded "tweener" label.
Early was one of the top athletes in the draft, with a 40-inch maximum vertical leap, via draftexpress.com. He likes to get out on the break, is an explosive finisher at the rim and is capable of scoring from all over the floor.
Early played power forward for the Shockers and should be able to exploit smaller players on the block, though at 6'7'', he projects as a small forward in the NBA. His success at the next level will depend on his ability to knock down threes. He improved from 31.8 percent to 37.6 percent in that area from his junior to senior season.
Early's ceiling as a player is p ...
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Article written by Paul Knepper
Realistic Expectations for Cleanthony Early’s Rookie Season with NY Knicks
July 12th, 2014 by Paul Knepper Leave a reply »
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