Knicks fans were understandably upset when a season of what sometimes seemed like intentional losing did not earn anything more than the No. 4 pick in the N.B.A. draft. But a deep dive into the team’s past draft performance holds a glimmer of hope: The Knicks once made the best No. 4 pick in N.B.A. history. The only problem is, they failed to sign him.
With the draft set to take place on Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, it is Manhattan’s team that has drawn much of the attention. Phil Jackson will be making his first draft selection as the team’s president and many are curious if he can learn from the mistakes of the team’s past.