The Knicks are up again with the 26th pick.  This
pick was obtained from the Houston Rockets via the 
Atlanta Hawks.  Here is how it went:  The Rockets traded Tim
McCormick to the Hawks in 1990, the deat stipulated that if 
McCormick missed 100 games over the rest of his contract because
of his knee problems, then the Hawks would get Houstons first round
pick in 1994.  When the Hawks traded McCormick to Knicks for Maurice 
Cheeks in 1991, the stipulation accompanied McCormick.   Anyway the
GM for the Knicks is again:

  Alan Sepinwall


and he selects:

  Gaylon Nickerson, SG, 6-3.  NW Oklahoma St.

==================================================
MY PICK: Gaylon Nickerson, 6'3" SG, NW Oklahoma St.

Now, before you say "Gaylon who" followed by "Alan is out of his
frigging mind!" allow me to say that I had help with this pick -
professional help.  Yesterday morning, I began my summer internship at
the NY Post (in the Entertainment division, not Sports). When I went
out to lunch, I wound up sitting at the counter of the South Street
Diner next to Paul Schwartz, who's the Nets beat writer for the Post.
We got to talking and I happened to mention all the stuff I write
about the Knicks on the Internet. He got interested, and I started to
explain, eventaully coming to the Usenet Draft. I told him that I
planned to take Arturas Karnishovas with my first pick (which I wound
up doing), but that I had no idea who to take with the second. I asked
him whether he preferred Derrick Phelps of UNC or Melvin Booker of
Missouri, and he told me neither, saying that if Gaylon Nickerson was
available when I was picking, that I should grab him in a heartbeat.
He explained to me that Nickerson has been *the* stud at the pre-draft
camps so far, and will be this year's designated sleeper in the real
draft (ala Lindsey Hunter). He said that Nickerson is like John
Starks, only more consistent and more level-headed. I was inclined to
believe Schwartz, as he had suggested in his pre-draft column last
June that the Nets take Nick Van Exel if he was there, followed by
Chris Mills (the Nets wound up taking Rex Walters), and when I got
home last night and did some checking on Nickerson (reading Jazzy J's
scouting report and looking through old Peter Vescey columns for talk
about the pre-draft combines) and, sure enough, there was plenty of
glowing praise for Mr.  Nickerson, who is said to be versatile enough
to play the one or the two in the pros. And considering my doubts
about all the other, "truer" point guards left, I figured to take a
gamble on Nickerson.


OTHERS CONSIDERED:
Well, if Nickerson wasn't around, I was probably gonna go with Derrick
Phelps from UNC.I also considered Melvin Booker, but not very strongly
(don't like his game that much). Frankly, I was hoping Charlie Ward
would be around at this pick, but my esteemed colleague with the
Indiana Pacers loved him enough to pluck him away in the mid-teens.
Eddie Jones is also very talented (especially this low), but I just
picked a small forward. I also gave Kevin Salvadori and Charles
Claxton a brief thought as caddies for Ewing, but decided aginst it.

WHO THE KNICKS WILL PROBABLY TAKE:
Well, if Mr. Schwartz is to be believed, Nickerson won't be around by the
time the Knicks make either pick, so Phelps or Salvadori are both definite
options.

OTHER MOVES THE TEAM SHOULD MAKE:
While I like both players I've drafted, I don't think that late 1st round
rookies are really the answer to the Knicks' scoring woes (then again,
look at Latrell Sprewell). I expect Dave Checketts and Ernie Grunfeld to
make quite a few moves if the Knicks don't win the title this year (and
maybe even if they do). The main needs are still at small forward and
point guard, though it'll be easier to trade for the former than the
latter. here are some suggested moves, in no particular order:

	1. Sign Dominiuqe as a UFA. Costs us nothing in players,
           and Nique has said he'd take a paycut to play for a 
           shot at a ring. However, I don't know how well he'd
           fit in with the Knicks, offensively and defensively. Plus
           I'm wary of adding another over 30 guy (see Blackman, Ro).

	2. Trade Charles Smith to the Trailblazers for Harvey Grant.
	   Simon Cushing suggested this a while ago, and I have to agree.
	   The Knicks have a glut of power forwards and no true small
	   forwards; the Blazers have a glut of small forwards and only
	   one true power forward, and he's old. In addition, Smith 
	   plays better in a running game where he's the main post-up threat;
           Grant plays better in a half-court game where there's a big
	   man to kick the ball out to him. Both have comparable salaries
	   and both have been relative disappointments for their current
	   teams - what does either team have to lose? (NOTE: If Grant is
	   dumb enough to exercise his UFA buyout clause - his market value
	   stinks right now - the Knicks should just sign him).

	3. Trade one of the starting PGs to San Antonio for Willie Anderson
	   or Lloyd Daniels. While we have several mediocre point guards, 
	   the Spurs have *no* point guard (and I don't think that the
	   addition of Khalid Reeves would really improve things) and they
	   can probably spare a swingman. While I don't think that either
	   Anderson or Daniels would be a savior (though Lloyd does have 
	   potential), both play a more pure small forward's game. And, with
	   the return of Doc Rivers and the probably drafting of another
	   young guard, we have to unload at least one of these guys.

	4. Trade one of the starting PGs to Minnesota for Chuck Person.
	   Toni has been bitching about Micheal Williams for a long time,
	   and I'm inclined to agree with her, based on what little I've
	   seen of his play. Person wants out of Minnesota/NO, and at the
	   very least, he could provide some instant offense off the bench
	   (and Riley wouldn't take any shit from him).

	5. Trade Anthony Mason and one of the point guards to the
	   Kings for Lionel Simmons and Spud Webb. The Kings have 
	   two very good SF's in Simmons and Walt Williams and 
	   absolutely no power forward. Should they draft Dare or
	   Montross, that situation won't change. Mason's muscle
	   would do wonders for them, and either Anthony or Harper
	   or Rivers would make a fine backup to a hopefully healthy
	   Bobby Hurley (and if he's not healthy, any one of them is
	   a better option as a starter than Spud).

There are other moves that could and should be made. The only players I
view as totally untouchable are Ewing, Oakley, and maybe Hubert Davis (I
have no trouble trading Starks if the right deal comes along).
==========================================================================
Draft Summary:

1.  Milwaukee Bucks
    GM:   Bobby Davis 
    Pick: Glenn Robinson, PF, 6-8.  Purdue University.
2.  Dallas Mavericks
    GM:   Theo Wendt 
    Pick: Jason Kidd, PG, 6-4.  Cal.
3.  Detroit Pistons
    GM:   Eric Iverson 
    Pick: Grant Hill, SF, 6-8. Duke.
4.  Minnesota Timberwolves
    GM's: Kevin Hansen 
          Toni Morgan 
    Pick: Donyell Marshall, SF, 6-9. Connecticut
5.  Washington Bullets
    GM's: Jim Nagle 
          The Crossjammer 
    Pick: Juwan Howard, PF, 6-10. Michigan
6.  Philadelphia 76ers
    GM's: Brent Halliburton 
    Pick: Yinka Dare, C, 7-0. George Washington
7.  Los Angeles Clippers
    GM:   Paul Osmond 
    Pick: Carlos Rogers, PF, 6-11. Tennessee State
8.  Sacramento Kings
    GM's: Don Hearth 
          Daniel W. Huang 
    Pick: Clifford Rozier, PF, 6-9.  Louisville
9.  Boston Celtics
    GM:   Ellie Cutler 
    Pick: Lamond Murray, SF, 6-7.  Cal
10. Los Angeles Lakers
    GM:   Kosh 
    Pick: Jalen Rose, SG, 6-8. Michigan
11. Seattle Sonics
    GM:   Aaron Gill 
    Pick: Wesley Person, SG, 6-6.  Auburn
12. Miami Heat              
    GM:   Rob Clough 
    Pick: Sharone Wright, C, 6-11. Clemson
13. Denver Nuggets
    GM's: Rick Grubin 
          John Exby 
    Pick: B.J. Tyler, PG, 6-1. Texas
14. New Jersey Nets
    GM:   Matthew Mitchell 
    Pick: Dontonio Wingfield, PF, 6-9. Cincinnati
15. Indiana Pacers          
    GM:   Richard Burton 
    Pick: Charlie Ward, PG, 6-0. FSU
16. Golden State Warriors 
    GM:   Mike Moore 
    Pick: Eric Montross, C, 7-0. UNC
17. Portland Trail Blazers  
    GM:   Mike Northam 
    Pick: Jim McIlvane, C, 7-1. Marquette
18. Milwaukee Bucks 
    GM:   Bobby Davis 
    Pick: Brian Grant, PF, 6-8.  Xavier
19. Dallas Mavericks 
    GM:   Theo Wendt 
    Pick: Kendrick Warren, SF, 6-8.  Virginia Commonwealth
20. Philadelphia 76ers
    GM:   Brent Halliburton 
    Pick: Voshon Lenard, SG, 6-4.  Minnesota
21. Chicago Bulls
    GM:   Andy Knipp 
    Pick: Eric Piatkowski, SG, 6-7.  Nebraska
22. San Antonio Spurs
    GM:   Varun Singh 
    Pick: Khalid Reeves, PG, 6-1.  Arizona
23. Phoenix Suns
    GM:   Curtis Hill 
    Pick: Aaron McKie, SG, 6-7.  Temple
24. New York Knicks
    GM:   Alan Sepinwall 
    Pick: Arturas Karnishovas, SF, 6-10.  Seton Hall.
25. Atlanta (or the Clippers)
    GM:   Mark Mitchell 
    Pick: Billy McCaffrey, SG, 6-4.   Vanderbilt.
26. New York Knicks
    GM:   Alan Sepinwall 
    Pick: Gaylon Nickerson, SG, 6-3.  NW Oklahoma St.

Next up:
27. Orlando Magic           
    GM:   Tom McGuian