NBA

2017 NBA Mock Draft 2.0: How Should the First Round Play Out?

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8. New York Knicks: Dennis Smith, PG/SG

Team needs: Guard production, shooting efficiency, forcing turnovers.

Word has it that Derrick Rose is willing to take a pay cut to stay on as the New York Knicks' floor general in 2017-18. The question is whether or not Phil Jackson and the Knicks are interested in keeping him around at all -- and who could blame them.

This past season, the Knicks were out-assisted and out-played (in terms of efficiency) at the point guard spot, a sign it's time to move on from Rose in hopes that a younger player can better run the triangle. If any one player is tailor-made for what the Knicks need, it's Dennis Smith.

At 6'3", Smith would bring versatility and explosive play-making to a team that ranked 19th in assists a year ago. In his one year with North Carolina State, he averaged 9.8 assists per 100 possessions, while assisting on 34.2% of his team's field goals while on the floor.

Previous mock: Dennis Smith