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%
Resumé
What do we know about Frank Kaminsky?
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:
Knicks Fit
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.