Breaking Down What The New York Knicks Should Do In The NBA Draft

RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks.

With the 11th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks select…

That’s what we’re going to find out during tonight’s draft. After last summer’s free-agent debacle and a disappointing 37-win season, the Knicks must shake things up. The time to be bold is now. With plenty of future first-round picks and young players, the Knicks have the pieces to make a major move.

Will they? One can only hope.

Here are my best options ahead of tonight’s draft.

Option 1: Trade Up For Jaden Ivey

This is the home run scenario for the Knicks. It’s also their best option in terms of the direction of the team. The Knicks desperately need an elite guard who can create his shot and get others involved in the offense. Look at how the Celtics could not get into their sets at the end of the games in the NBA Finals. It’s one of the reasons why the Warriors won the title. Take Boston’s offensive inefficiencies at the end of games and multiply it by 10. That will give you the Knick’s late-game offense, which ranked 28th in fourth-quarter points per game.

Ivey solves a lot of the team’s problems. He’s a 6’4″ guard with a 6’9″ wingspan who has an explosive first step and can finish at the rim. The Knicks have never had that. Ivey averaged 17.2 ppg with percentage splits of 46/36/74. I’m calling him “Big Baby Ja Morant.” The Knicks are dying for a point guard after the Kemba Walker disaster. Do whatever it takes to trade up and take Ivey.

So what would it take? If I had to guess, the starting point is No. 11, another first-round pick, a future first-round pick swap, one of Obi/Quickley/Grimes, and one of Noel/Burks/Kemba. I would call that trade into the league office right now. I love Obi, Quickley, and Grimes, but they do not have the dynamic playmaking ability that Ivey possesses. If the Kings don’t select Ivey, then Leon should call the Pistons at No. 5, the Pacers at No. 6, and so on and so forth until he’s drafted. Make the move.

Option 2: Draft AJ Griffin, Mark Williams, Or Johnny Davis

The NBA is dominated by wings. It’s the most highly-coveted position in the league. AJ Griffin is the prototypical 3-and-D wing out of Duke. I watched almost every Duke game this year, and Griffin’s continuously hit big shots from behind the arc in the game’s biggest moments. Griffin shot an impressive 44% from three. Despite the injury history, Griffin is a more than capable defender at 6’6″ with over a 7-foot wingspan. Griffin would fit right in with Thibs.

With Mitchell Robinson hitting free agency, it’s unknown whether the team will resign him or not despite the team leaning towards a reunion according to Marc Stein. I like Mitch, but do I want to give him $15 million per year? Not really. If the team wants to find his replacement or a second center to pair with Mitch, Mark Williams is the right option. In the last game of the 2020-2021 season, Williams put up 23 points and 19 rebounds, which were well above his season averages. That game was the springboard Williams needed as the 7’0″ shined this past season at Duke. Williams is a true rim protector in every sense of the word. He runs the floor well, can hold his own on switches, and shot a respectable 72% from the free-throw line.

Johnny Davis is more of a playmaking wing than he is a 3-and-D (30% from 3). This would be my least favorite selection out of the three, but he still fills a need. The Big Ten Player of the Year can hit tough shots, especially from the midrange area. He was Wisconsin’s only threat on offense so that’s why some of the percentages might be down. However, Davis could step right in and contribute for the Knicks off the bench.

If Bennedict Mathurin somehow falls to 11, then he’s the home run pick.

Option 3: Trade Back

This is the option I don’t want to happen. The Knicks need to clear cap space in order to make a run at a player like Jalen Brunson. I could see where there’s a scenario they trade back in the draft but attach a player like Burks/Noel/Kemba/Fournier to shed salary. I’m all for shedding salary, but the team needs to make this pick at No. 11 if they can’t trade up.

Hopefully, Woj or Shams doesn’t spoil the pick for you! Do the right thing tonight, Knicks. Please.

What are your thoughts on tonight’s draft? Tweet me, at @danny_giro.

Can Top Gun: Maverick Be A Major Player At The Oscars?

Tom Cruise fixing a bike in Top Gun Maverick

Tom Cruise and Paramount believed in Top Gun: Maverick so much that they refused to sell the film to a streaming service during the pandemic. In my best LeBron James voice, the studio delayed the film’s release date not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, but six times before settling on May 2022. After its record-setting opening weekend this past Memorial Day, the gamble paid off.

Top Gun: Maverick registered the highest Memorial Day opening of all time with $160.5 million over four days. This also became Cruise’s biggest opening weekend ever, and his first opening over $100 million, which is unfathomable considering he’s Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible franchise.

I saw Maverick, and it rules. As a fan of the original, Maverick raises the stakes while still hitting all of the nostalgic notes. So much has been said about the practical effects and rightfully so. In a world of CGI, knowing that Cruise and the actors rode in these planes and filmed their genuine reactions is refreshing to see. Cruise is fantastic, Miles Teller is great, Jennifer Connelly is perfect, and Glen Powell is ready for stardom. It’s the perfect summer blockbuster that every age group will enjoy.

With a strong opening weekend and reception from both critics and fans including an A+ CinemaScore, expectations have changed for Top Gun: Maverick. The film will make a lot of money, probably north of $700 million. But with critics behind it, can Top Gun: Maverick be a major player at the Oscars?

Mark this down. The date is June 3, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Top Gun: Maverick will be nominated for multiple Oscars. Run to your bookie or nearest casino and bet a small fortune on Maverick receiving more than one Oscar nomination.

The two categories where I know the film will receive nominations are Best Film Editing and Best Sound. Between the seamless cuts to conversations between the pilots in the fighter jets and invigorating action sequences, this film looks spectacular. It’s a shoo-in for an editing nomination. If Maverick receives an editing nomination, a sound nomination will follow because those two categories go hand and hand. At the last five ceremonies, the film that won editing also won sound. That list includes Dune, Sound of Metal, Ford v Ferrari, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Dunkirk.

Maverick should also be a major player in both Best Visual Effects and Best Orginal Song categories. Why the film should receive a visual effects nomination needs no further explanation from me if you’ve seen the film. For an original song, Lady Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” will be a frontrunner in the category. Top Gun won in this same category with “Take My Breath Away.” If the sequel receives nominations in those four aforementioned categories, it will be the same number of nominations that the original received at the 1987 ceremony*.

*Top Gun received four Oscar nominations – Best Film Editing, Best Orginal Song, Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing. In 2022, Best Sound is all one category.

The other categories are a bit trickier. Music is essential to Top Gun: Maverick, which is why the film could land in the Best Orginal Score category. I’m a bit cautious to say it’s a slam dunk because a lot of the music was previously used in the original film. However, having a team of composers that includes previous winners Hans Zimmer and Gaga might be enough name recognition to sway voters. Cinematography is also a possibility, but that category is always stacked to the brim. Having Claudio Miranda, who won the Oscar for 2012’s Life of Pi, as the cinematographer helps its case.

I don’t expect Maverick to compete in any of the acting categories. However, if Paramount wants me to lead the campaign around Powell for Best Supporting Actor, my DMs are open. The film probably won’t see any nominations in the screenplay or directing categories though Kosinski’s direction is excellent.

With all of those categories out of the way, let’s get to the reason why you’re reading this article. Can Top Gun: Maverick receive a Best Picture nomination? Yes. Is it possible? Absolutely. I haven’t met one person who has a bad thing to say about this movie. From critics to your friend’s mother, this film is the definition of a “crowd-pleaser.” It’s going to make a killing at the box office and will be a topic of conversation throughout the summer. Once the film hits Paramount+, it will gain even more viewers as it stays in the lexicon throughout the rest of 2022.

With 10 spots for Best Picture, the Oscars typically saves one spot for a blockbuster of some sort. Dunkirk, Black Panther, A Star Is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody, Ford v Ferrari, and Dune are popcorn films that received Best Picture nominations. Specifically, Ford v Ferrari is the film that Top Gun: Maverick should use as a template for its campaign. Lean into the “big dad energy” and appeal to male voters. Focus on the technical aspects of the film first, and then sell it as a huge cinematic achievement that deserves a Best Picture nomination. Is the category big enough to fit both Maverick and Avatar 2? Only time will tell.

If Top Gun: Maverick wants a Best Picture nomination, it will be on the back of Cruise. Is he willing to campaign this winter? He’s the world’s busiest man. Will he want to attend critical screenings and luncheons? I’m not sure, but if there’s one man who knows how to go on a worldwide PR tour, it’s our last true movie star.

Go see Top Gun: Maverick. You won’t be disappointed.

What are your thoughts on this film? Tweet me, atย @danny_giro.