NBA Draft 2020: Shakeup among frontcourt players in January mock draft

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 21: Trendon Watford #2 and Emmitt Williams #5 of the LSU Tigers defend Onyeka Okongwu #21 of the USC Trojans as he grabs a rebound in the second half of the game at Staples Center on December 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: RJ Barrett poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

No. 4 New York Knicks – Killian Hayes, 6’5″ 195lbs, PG, France

The Knicks need to find someone to run the show, and with LaMelo Ball and Cole Anthony off the board, Killian Hayes is an exceptional backup plan.

Casual fans of both college hoops and the NBA might not have heard of Killian Hayes nearly as much as some of the other top prospects, but that’s certainly not due to a lack of talent. Hayes offers legitimate size at the point guard position with a six-foot-five inch frame and he packages that with a lot of different skills.

This season, in 27 minutes of action a night for Ratiopharm Ulm, Hayes is averaging 12.8 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 45 percent from the field, 39 percent from three, and 90 percent from the line. Hayes is going to be a good player in pick and roll situations with high-level passing skills and the ability to see over the top of defenses.

Now the Knicks want (and probably need) a big headline-grabbing star, but should they miss out on a top-level player in the draft such as Edwards or Ball, Hayes provides a great fall back option. He’s steady, smart, creative and looks like the type of player who knows how to run a team and control pace.

All of those, or even just one, would be a welcome sight for the Knicks and their fans after years of struggling to find a consistent, high-level point guard. Hayes is still a secret for now, but if and when he does emerge, his impact could be huge.

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