The New York Knicks’ storied franchise history is littered with amazing draft picks who could make this list, but these next five guys are the greatest of the great. Here’s our list of The 5 Best Draft Picks In New York Knicks History.
5. Richie Guerin (#17 in 1954)
One of the first marquee players in Knicks history, Guerin made six All-Star teams and finished with career averages of 17.3 points per game, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in his 13 seasons between the Knicks and the Hawks. One of the best all-around threats of his era, Guerin's best season came in 1961-62 when he averaged 29.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game for New York.
4. Mark Jackson (#17 in 1987)
When you talk about the purest passers in the annals of the NBA, Mark Jackson is at or near the top of the list. Fourth on the all-time assist list with an unreal 10,334 dimes (1 less than Steve Nash and 193 more that Magic Johnson), Jackson played his five seasons with New York before rejoining the team for 18 months at the end of his career. Now known more for his coaching and ESPN announcing exploits, Jackson is one of the most underrated facilitators of his (or any) era.
3. Patrick Ewing (#1 in 1985)
Simply put, Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest NBA players in history to have never won the big one. Ewing started his career with a bang, winning Rookie of the Year despite playing in just 50 games in 1985-86. From there, he added 11 All-Star appearances and top-five finishes in the NBA MVP voting six times. One of the greatest two-way big men to ever play the game, you can't write the history of this franchise without a heavy dose of Ewing in the text.
2. Walt Frazier (#5 in 1967)
"Clyde" was the point guard extraordinaire for the franchise's two championship squads (1970, 1973), making magic happen as only a Hall of Famer can. He played the first ten of his 13 career seasons with the Knicks, with seven All-Star appearances, four first-team All-NBA nominations, and seven first-team All-Defense nods to his credit during his whirlwind decade in the Big Apple.
1. Willis Reed (#8 in 1964)
Reed's name is synonymous with New York Knicks lore and it always will be. He spent his entire ten-year career with the team, winning the Finals MVP award for both of the team's two championships. A seven-time All-Star with a career double-double of 19 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, Reed's laundry list of accomplishments (Rookie of the Year, 1969-70 MVP, the aforementioned two Finals MVPs) remains eye-popping to this day. Plus, when even most casual NBA fans know him simply by the "Willis Reed game," you know he was something beyond special.
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