Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |
Vanderbilt's Darius Garland said his solo workout with the Knicks on Wednesday went well and he got no indication that the club wouldn't consider taking him with the No. 3 pick.
"If they called me in for a workout I believe so," Garland said Wednesday when asked if he thought the Knicks may take him at three.
Obviously, the Knicks would have no reason to tip their hand a little more than 24 hours before Thursday's NBA Draft.
But it's worth noting that some of the Knicks' draft boards have had Garland ranked in the top three, per league sources. It's unknown where Garland ranks on a current Knicks draft board, of course.
And the expectation among agents and opposing execs on Wednesday afternoon is that New York will select Duke's RJ Barrett if he's available at No. 3.
Garland, who was limited to just five games at Vanderbilt last season due to a torn meniscus, averaged 16.2 points, 2.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 53.7 percent from the field. He was also 11-for-23 (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc.
Garland, a 6-2 point guard, disagrees with the notion that he shouldn't be considered one of the top three players in the draft. Most draft analysts see Barrett, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson as the top three prospects in the draft.
"It's going to drive me to another level," Garland said of the notion that this year's draft is a three-player draft at the top. "I think when I played five games, a lot of people didn't get to see a lot of me or see a lot of film or anything. But that's really going to drive me to another level. Them saying this is a three-person draft. There's a lot of good players in this draft, there's not just three players that are highly talented."
Garland, one of the most highly rated players in his high school class, believes he's the best point guard in the draft. Barring something unforeseen, Memphis will select Morant, a point guard from Murray State, with the No. 2 pick.
"I'm a confident guy. I'm not going to just say someone is better than me," Garland said in explaining why he believes he's the draft's best point guard. "…. That's just not me. I'm a competitor, he is too. So when we match up together it's going to be a battle."