Projected to go in the middle of the first round, scrappy 6’4” guard Jalen Springer out of Tennessee plays a scrappy and defensive-minded brand of basketball that the Knicks coaching staff and front office will love from day one. In his only year in college, Springer posted a very good 94.2 defensive rating and averaged 1.2 steals per game in just 25.9 minutes per game.
Springer, unlike some of the other good defenders in the draft, doesn’t boast an insane wingspan, but he is very strong and plays bigger than he actually is. He excels at using his body to play ball handlers up close and put pressure on them.