The Knicks have some solid point guard prospects in Emmanuel Mudiay, Frank Ntilikina and Trey Burke, but none of them feel like the long-term solution. Darius Garland will miss all but five games with an MCL injury, but he’s still the best lead guard prospect outside Ja Morant.
In a class without elite talent, upside and need should keep Garland in the top-10 discussion. He’s a shifty ball handler with smooth shooting mechanics, allowing him to terrorize defenses in the pick-and-roll. His passing instincts are also underrated, making him the prototypical point guard in the modern NBA offense.
Defense might pose an issue, as Garland lacks elite size and athleticism at 6-foot-3. He’s still quick laterally and gives good effort, though, so he’s far from disastrous. He fits next to Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Knox, boasting the skill set needed to coincide with other high-level scorers.