What seemed like just a throw-in in the trade that sent Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks, the No. 34 pick could prove to be the most valuable asset the New York Knicks got in return.
I can't imagine there was much debate in Phil Jackson's draft room when the Knicks were on the clock and Cleanthony Early was still on the board.
The Knicks had to be drafting in best-player-available mode, and there's a good chance it's going to result in second-round robbery.
Early has a unique track record for an incoming rookie. He was the 2012 Junior College Player of the Year before jumping to Wichita State and leading the Shockers to a memorable Final Four appearance in 2013.
This past year, he carried them to an undefeated regular season.
Ironically, Early's stock got the biggest boost in the last loss of his collegiate career, when he dropped 31 points and seven boards against Kentucky in the NCAA tournament.
But from a scouting perspective, the key takeaways from Early's two years in Division I should focus on the NBA tools he's flashed and the progress he ...
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Article written by Jonathan Wasserman
Why Cleanthony Early Could Be a Real Asset for New York Knicks’ Future
July 1st, 2014 by Jonathan Wasserman Leave a reply »
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