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Schmeelk: Duke Center Jahlil Okafor Is The Knicks' Answer

By John Schmeelk
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Some years there is great discussion about who the first overall pick in the NBA draft should be, but this year there will be no such debate. It is going to be Jahlil Okafor.

He's unique. A truly polished post player hasn't come out of the college ranks in more than a decade, and some think he is better than Tim Duncan was when he was a freshman.

That isn't to say that Okafor is going to be Duncan. Predicting that anyone will become a top 10 all-time player before he sets foot on an NBA floor would be foolish, but Okafor has the skills that a center needs to be a dominant post player. The NBA has migrated away from inside-out post play over the past 10 years. Nowadays, big men are asked to be roll men on pick and rolls, finishers at the hoop and spot-up shooters much more than they are asked to isolate in the post and score.

Some of it has to do with style and the focus on the efficiency of the three-point shot, but more of it has to do with the lack of players with the skill set. As good as Anthony Davis is, he is not a consistent low-post threat with a variety of moves. Neither is Blake Griffin. Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge and Zach Randolph lead a small group of power forwards (Amar'e Stoudemire, Greg Monroe, Pau Gasol) who operate in the post. Post-up centers are limited to DeMarcus Cousins, Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez and Al Horford.

None of those players can claim (or come close to claiming) the dominance down low of Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Duncan, Moses Malone or Shaquille O'Neal in their primes. Big men simply aren't taught to develop the subtleties of low-post games at younger ages anymore. Despite what some think, it doesn't mean the NBA has outgrown the low-post game as the single deadliest weapon on the basketball court.

A dominant post player changes the dynamic of a basketball game. It forces double teams.  A big man in the post has angles to every position on the court to make the pass to the open man. If the post player is a skilled enough passer, you can get open looks from three, cuts to the basket or any other number of high-percentage shots. Okafor has shown the willingness and ability to pass so far in his brief collegiate career. No one is saying he will be Arvydas Sabonis as a passer, but early signs are that he will be competent enough to take advantage of double teams.

There's a reason why Carmelo Anthony is most effective when receiving the ball in the post, and LeBron James took the next step as a player when he developed his post-up game. It is often the most efficient way to get a shot not only for yourself, but also for your teammates. High-percentage shots in the paint are very difficult to get in the NBA, and having big men with dominant post-up games is the best way to get them.

This is not to imply that Okafor has no weaknesses. He isn't a dynamic athlete in terms of leaping ability. He isn't as active as he could be on defense, averaging just a block-and-a-half per game. He only shoots 58 percent from the free-throw line, and his shooting range is limited. He also feasts on layups over diminutive overmatched opponents and rarely has to compete against someone of a similar stature.

But those things can be overlooked because of his post-up game, which none of the other top college big men have. Karl-Anthony Towns doesn't take more than six shots per game, and isn't asked to carry the offensive load at talent-laden Kentucky. Could he? Maybe, but we don't know. Willie Cauley-Stein is an athlete who is probably the best and most versatile defender of the group, but he is not someone you can dump it to down low and let go to work. There will be guards and small forwards in the draft that have impressive skill sets, but the Knicks need to pair Anthony with a big man.

Marc Gasol isn't coming to New York, and neither is Aldridge. Monroe is someone who could be had at the right price, but he might be too expensive based on his skills. Okafor is the only player in this draft who can fit that role. He is the perfect fit for the Knicks, and likely the only player available in the draft that if paired with a couple of good two-way perimeter players in free agency, could make the Knicks a contender quickly. If the Knicks want him, they need the first pick.

This isn't to say it's first pick or bust, because the Knicks can get a good player that will help long-term no matter where they pick in the top five. But Okafor, at least right now, looks like the only one who can quickly become the franchise player and turn the Knicks around, while Anthony is still capable of being a dominant offensive force. The triangle offense needs a big, versatile post player, and Okafor can be it.

Despite the fact that the team with the worst record doesn't often win the lottery, that doesn't mean the Knicks shouldn't try to set themselves up with the worst record. The best way to do that is to get Anthony to the All-Star game and then shut him down. The losing will continue naturally from there.

That's the best way for the Knicks to get Okafor and compete sooner rather than later.

You can follow me on Twitter @Schmeelk for everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports.

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