thelesterlee
The New York Knicks had a highly underrated 2021 NBA Draft where they traded down and almost seemed to punt when the players they wanted didn’t fall into their lap but the draft experts didn’t recognize the steal New York selected with the 58th pick: Jericho Sims
JERICHO SIMS CAUGHT A BODY ON THIS DUNK 😳 pic.twitter.com/P45NRvSRBC
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 8, 2021
In his Summer League debut, Jericho Sims stole the show. The 6-foot-10 big man with Vince Carter highflying ability out of Texas was the diamond in the rough against the Toronto Raptors this weekend putting up 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field with 8 rebounds and a block.
The Knicks shot 37% as a team in their opening game. That’s including Sims’s 100% shooting. He was the only player with a positive +/-.
His scouting report describes him as a defensive specialist but it’s clear he can do far more offensively than his tape at Texas may have displayed. At one point, Sims hit a floater in the lane. He also grabbed a defensive rebound and led the fastbreak going coast to coast and displaying some handle.
I’ve never seen Mitch Robinson even attempt a floater. I’m not 100% sure he can even dribble and with Robinson hitting free agency after the season, Sims looks like he’s going to walkl in and instantly replace the man who is constantly hurt.
Sims’s ability also gives the Knicks flexibility to possibly throw Mitch Robinson in a trade package if a star player decides he wants a new city between now and the trade deadline which is inevitable. Mitch is going to look so cool in that Bulls jersey as I pick Zach LaVine up from the airport.
Now, we’ve obviously been deceived by Summer League performances before.
Congrats to Knicks fans on Kevin Knox – I try hard not to overreact to Summer League, but it’s clear he’s an ideal 2-way wing for whatever the NBA is now. Very polished for his age already.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) July 7, 2018
Laugh out loud.
What separates Sims from Knox is it appears as though Jericho goes full speed from the second he steps onto the court to the moment he is subbed out. He never looks lost or disinterested. Tom Thibodeau is going to use and abuse this young man. Look how Thibs turned Noel into a potential All-Defense candidate.
I’ll see you all at Jericho Sims’s Hall of Fame induction.
