Frank Kaminsky

Charlie Widdoes

Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin | Senior | Forward/Center)

HT: 6'11" | WT: 245 lbs. | Wingspan: 6'11" | 22 years old

2014-15 Stats: 18.8 PPG | 8.2 RPG | 41.6 3P%

The winner of every major 2014-15 National Player of the Year award, he led Wisconsin to the Final Four as a junior and the NCAA national title game this April. He led the nation in player efficiency rating (35.5) and shot over 41 percent from 3 during his final season in Madison, then measured in as the tallest player at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.

Also: He’s 22 years old. So while he’s projected as a lottery pick, even an über-productive star like Kaminsky faces a stigma created by a spotty recent track record for four-year seniors in the NBA. 

But Kaminsky's resumé suggests he can do more than just feast on less experienced competition; unlike many players who shined in college but failed to live up to expectations at the next level, the Badger big man showed promise as soon as he stepped on campus, albeit in limited playing time. As a freshman he averaged 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per 40 minutes, and as a sophomore he was producing 16.2 points and 6.8 boards per-40. As his minutes jumped over the next two seasons, his newfound 3-point range made him the driving force behind consecutive deep runs into the tournament.

Bo Ryan has built a powerhouse by getting players to commit to a program -- most of whom stick around for four years. But continuity alone does not bring the type of success that Kaminsky and his teammates shared over the past two seasons. His biggest supporters will tell you that with a polished skill set perfectly suited for the modern NBA, Kaminsky has the potential to be one of the most dominant offensive players in this draft.

Every team is looking for shooting, and guys with his combination of size and outside stroke tend to be at least successful role players in the NBA – Channing Frye, Ryan Anderson and Spencer Hawes are just a few examples. But there’s reason to believe Kaminsky can develop into much more than that, thanks to an advanced post game and high-level passing ability.

In a piece that calls Kaminsky “the most efficient shooting and posting big man in the draft,” Sports Illustrated’s Luke Winn put his versatility in perspective:

So how would Frank “The Tank” fit with what the Knicks are trying to do?

Given what we know – that he’s nearly seven feet tall, a great passer and maybe the best shooter in the draft, etc. – there’s little question what he could do offensively in the Triangle (or any other system): He can pick-and-pop, face up and put the ball on the floor, operate out of the high or low post, or spot up on the perimeter to space the floor.

While his Badgers came up just short against Duke in the national title game, Kaminsky’s performance (21 points, 12 rebounds) against potential top-5 picks Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow showcased what a matchup nightmare he is; Okafor couldn’t stay with him on the perimeter and even struggled in the post, and Winslow’s toughness was no match for Kaminsky’s size and court vision.

He’ll have to learn how to play the pick-and-roll and recover to his man, like every rookie big, but his size and instincts give him a shot to become a solid defender. He’s not an explosive athlete, but he moves well for his size, which should help him on both ends of the floor.

We still don’t how great Frank Kaminsky can be offensively or how long it will take him to adjust to the speed of the NBA. These are questions of degree that could make the difference between being selected in the top five or the teens.

Based on what we do know, it’s fair to assume that if the Knicks decide he’s their guy – at No. 4 or in a trade scenario – he has the tools to help them quite a bit now, and perhaps even more down the road. 

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2015 Draft Prospect Profile: Frank Kaminsky

Jonah Ballow

There’s a fascination with the “big man” that has always existed in basketball.  In a sport that mainly features oversized men in relation to the general population, this specific position generates a tremendous amount of intrigue.  This year’s NBA Draft class if filled with unique big men with varying skill sets that bridge the old school classification of a center / power forward and the new wave of players at those positions stretching to the perimeter.

Let’s toss aside the exact position of where these guys will play in the NBA --- meaning some could play two spots traditionally labeled the 5 or 4 and some could play up to three.  Today’s NBA game allows for more flexibility as we’ve seen with Draymond Green excelling at the center spot for the Golden State Warriors.

The two players that seem to be at the center (no pun intended) of the discussion are Karl-Anthony Towns out of Kentucky and Duke’s center Jahlil Okafor.  As Knicks.com’s Charlie Widdoes detailed in his prospect profile, Towns sacrificed his numbers in order for the Wildcats to utilize a platoon system.  Towns also became a back-to-the-basket offensive threat as opposed to launching threes, which he did on a regular basis at St. Joseph High School in New Jersey, connecting on 127 in his career.

Okafor displayed a more traditional approach to his game.  Offensively, the 6-11 center dominated from the low-post and is a truly gifted passer.  Okafor found a home on the blocks during the 2014-15 season by posting up 8.4 times per game and registering 0.933 points per possession.

“In Okafor, you have a kid whose limitations, right now, may be on the defensive end, but you’re talking about a very skilled young offensive player at 6’11”, who I think in his early 20s is going to be un-guardable,” ESPN draft guru Fran Fraschilla explained.  Whereas Towns is not as ready‑made as Okafor may be offensively, but he’s got tantalizing shot blocking potential.  He’s developing into a low‑post scorer.  And something that was not seen this year, that many of us have watched him since he was about 16 know that he can do, is that he can step away from the basket and shoot threes.”

Speaking of perimeter shooting and efficiency, the most polished offensive big man could quite possibly be the NCAA’s Player of the Year.  Frank Kaminsky registered the highest post-up efficiency of the potential 2015 draftees, according to Synergy Sports Technology, highlighted in Luke Winn’s SI.com feature.  The Wisconsin standout owns a mixed bag of tricks on the offensive side, including a nice handle, pick-and-pop capabilities to the 3-point line, and an array of moves in the post.

“That’s how I have always played.  I was a guard before I was tall, so kind of just kept those skills with me and turns out that was the right decision,” Kaminsky stated.

From a defensive standpoint, Willie Cauley-Stein is near the top of the entire draft board.  Cauley-Stein is just slightly behind Towns for the most defensive win shares (’09-10 to present), which is found in Winn’s draft feature and according to Sports-Reference.com/cbb.  The elder statesman of Kentucky’s heralded young crew worked seamlessly next to Towns as the anchor on one of the best defensive college teams in recent memory.  He’s also an underrated offensive force through the use of lobs and clean-up type of opportunities around the tin. 

 “I’m excited to show people that I can be an offensive presence.  I can do a lot of different things on the offensive side and still kill on defense, so putting that together you have a world-class athlete,” Cauley-Stein professed at the Draft Combine in Chicago.

Cauley-Stein’s teammate Trey Lyles is a Swiss Army Knife with a balanced skill set to either play power forward or even float to the center position in small-ball lineups.  The fluidity and playmaking ability seen from Lyles is certainly intriguing as a sleeper and what could very well make him a selection for a lottery team.

“Trey is, again, a young player who is a teenager at 6’10”, 235, I think he can develop into a good, solid, low‑post player who can pick‑and‑pop a little bit on the perimeter,” Fraschilla assessed.   “I like his long‑term potential.  Not a great athlete at this point, maybe never will be, but I could see him being a solid NBA player for a decade.  Whether he becomes a star or not remains to be seen.  But he’ll add great value to a team wanting to add a good, young, quality big guy.

The wildcard out of this group of bigs is Kristaps Porzingis.  Fraschilla’s brief characterization of Porzingis is eye opening: “A 19‑year‑old, almost 7’2″ power forward who can shoot threes, and defend the rim.  But he’s a couple of years away strength‑wise.  But I’m telling you, he’s in the same long‑term potential range as both Towns and Okafor.”

The point of this exercise was to illustrate the amount of bigs available at the top of this year’s NBA Draft.  Each one of these prospects offer unique skills that could make them an attractive option for the Knicks at No. 4 or in a trade scenario.  New York will also examine a talented group of guards and wings prior to the highly anticipated night on June 25.  If the Knicks opt for a big, we could see one of these giants in the orange and blue next season.

countdown-to-the-draft-examining-the-big-men

Countdown To The Draft: Examining The Big Men

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2015-draft-prospect-gallery-frank-kaminsky

2015 Draft Prospect Gallery: Frank Kaminsky

CHICAGO -- The 2015 NBA Combine officially got underway on Thursday, with 62 of the top Draft-eligible prospects showing off their skills, athleticism and personalities as they ran through on-court drills and off-court interviews for team personnel and media at the Quest Multisport Complex in the Windy City. 

Frank Kaminsky

2015 Draft Prospect Profile: Frank Kaminsky

Countdown To The Draft: Examining The Big Men

2015 Draft Prospect Gallery: Frank Kaminsky

NBA Combine Day 1 Roundup