As we approach the NBA Draft, here are five of the best Knicks draft hits ever...

(Note that Patrick Ewing isn’t on this list despite being the best Knicks draft pick, as this is weighing later-pick steals heavier than more obvious selections).

Richie Guerin, 1954, second round, No. 17 overall pick

In 1954, Guerin’s selection was actually the second-to-last pick in the second round. New York’s first round selection, Jack Turner, played just one season in the league. Guerin played seven years, racking up six All-Star appearances and averaging over 20 points per game during the later stretch of that tenure. He was one of only eight All-Stars to come out of this draft, with just two coming after his pick. Most of the players drafted ahead of him didn’t see a second of playing time. As far as getting bang for your buck in the draft, the Knicks have arguably never done better than this Iona grad.

Mark Jackson, 1987, first round, No. 18 overall pick

Fun fact: Seven members of the 1987 draft class went on to become All-Stars, and Jackson was the latest picked of this group. He also won Rookie of the Year for the Knicks, and for a five-year stint consistently brought leadership, defense and playmaking to the Garden that has been matched by few New York point guards since. Nobody selected after him sniffed his productivity sans Ken Norman and Reggie Lewis, and many flamed out early in their careers or didn’t even record a minute of playing time.

Kristaps Porzingis, 2015, first round, No. 4 overall pick

The Knicks traded one of their savviest draft picks ever three years into his career. Probably the lone highlight of Phil Jackson’s tenure, drafting Porzingis looked like a high-risk, high-reward play at the time. He was the mystery man out of Europe with legendary measurements and workout videos against chairs, booed by the New York faithful when he was picked (then, you know, later) but blossomed into an All-Star level player before his 25th birthday. The kicker is who went off the board immediately after him: Mario Hezonja, Willie Cauley-Stein, Emmanuel Mudiay, Stanley Johnson and Frank Kaminsky. Save for Devin Booker later in the round, the Knicks pulled a coup.

Walt Frazier, 1967, first round, No. 5 overall pick

Should being a cultural icon and franchise elder for decades beyond your hoops career count toward this list? Probably not, but Clyde’s exploits on the court are case enough. There isn’t a single player drafted after Frazier (or arguably before) who met his level of production, which of course helped the Knicks win their lone two championships in 1970 and 1973. Frazier played 10 seasons for New York, is undoubtedly the franchise’s greatest point guard ever, and second-most recognizable talent behind Ewing. All that with the fifth pick in the draft!

Willis Reed, 1964 first round, No. 8 overall pick

Speaking of Knicks championships, they don’t win them without the Captain. The Knicks actually selected Jim Barnes with their first pick in the draft, six before Reed. Obviously, the latter paid more dividends, playing 10 seasons for the Knicks as their man in the middle, averaging 20 and 10 along the way. There were a number of valid selections who went after Reed -- Paul Silas and Jerry Sloan among them -- but with anybody but Reed you have to expect New York to fall short against the Wilt Chamberlains of the era.

Honorable mentions go out to Trevor Ariza, who was picked 43rd overall in 2004 and went on to have a long, illustrious career as a 3-and-D wing, and Mitchell Robinson, who was picked 36th overall in 2018.

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