With the New York Knicks returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, it’s easy to forget they were the worst team in the NBA just seven years ago. While many aspects go into how a team improves that quickly, one clear benefit was not getting the number one overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. That year was referred to by many as “The Zion Williamson Sweepstakes.” People seemed to be falling all over themselves speculating how good the Duke Blue Devils’ freshman would be and which NBA team would be able to draft him. Thanks to their awful record, no team had a better chance of getting him than the Knicks.
New York Did Not Get The First Pick In The 2019 NBA Draft Lottery
The New Orleans Pelicans won the draft lottery that year, with the Knicks ending up third overall. To say that Knicks fans were upset would be an understatement. The Duke phenom was predicted to become an instant superstar and the savior of whatever franchise was able to obtain him. New York had been so bad for so long that a player of Williamson’s caliber seemed to be exactly what the fanbase needed to regain its relevancy.
Not only were the Knicks and their fans obsessed with getting Williamson to The Big Apple, but they appeared to be his top choice as well. According to sources, he was rooting for the Knicks to get the number one pick. He was quickly whisked out of the lottery room to mask his disappointment once the results of the lottery were revealed. After playing a game at Madison Square Garden during his one collegiate season, Williamson was quoted as saying, “It would probably be incredible” when asked about the possibility of playing his home games there.
Despite Missing Out On Zion, The Knicks Made Moves And Improved
With the third pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, New York took RJ Barrett (also out of Duke). In 2023, they traded him to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby. The season before, the Knicks signed Jalen Brunson after the Dallas Mavericks failed to extend his contract. Following the 2024 season, they traded Julius Randle to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns. In accordance, New York’s win totals have increased every year since 2022-2023, with the team going 53-29 this season.
Zion Williamson’s NBA Career Has Been A Disappointment So Far
The story of Williamson’s career so far has been injuries. Despite making the All-Star Game twice, only one season in his seven-year NBA career has the Pelican’s power forward appeared in 70 games. He was hurt for the entirety of 2021-2022 with a foot fracture. A number of other injuries have kept him out for significant time since then.
Those predicting that landing Williamson would quickly elevate a team to contender status have also been proven wrong by what has transpired during his career. New Orleans has made the playoffs only twice and has yet to make it out of the first round since Williamson arrived. The past two seasons, they have been one of the worst teams in the entire NBA.
Consider also the notoriously brutal nature of the sports media in New York and how they would have handled someone expected to be the franchise’s savior having the kind of lackluster career that Williamson has had so far. The criticisms and targeting of his work ethic and durability would be significantly worse playing in New York vs. playing in New Orleans. In that regard, Williamson should be grateful that the Knicks weren’t able to draft him number one overall.
A Knicks’ fan suffering through the 2018-2019 season who was told that the team would return to the NBA Finals in seven years would probably assume that they would win the upcoming Draft Lottery and select Williamson. After all, if he became the superstar he was projected to be, it would be his play that led them there. The Knicks’ recent success shows that a team doesn’t need to land a generational talent in order to have a successful rebuild. Something teams should keep in mind before tanking for a better draft pick.
