David Fizdale's weak attempt to hide his draft dream told us what we already knew: the Knicks are picking Zion Williamson if they get the chance.
"If we win the lottery do we know who we're taking? Yes," Fizdale said Wednesday on the Dan Patrick Show.
Patrick then brought up Williamson, the explosive star from Duke, and Fizdale acknowledged his subsequent poker face was soft.
"That was straight to the beach with flip flops," he said.
The Knicks, despite owning the league's worst record last season, have just a 14 percent chance to win the lottery Tuesday in Chicago, courtesy of the league's new anti-tanking rules.
Williamson is the prize, and Fizdale said there's no historical comparison to a player of his size with that level of athleticism.
"No one," the coach said. "He's his own guy. He's unique."
After Williamson, Duke's RJ Barrett and Murray State's Ja Morant are expected to be the second and third picks, in no particular order. The Knicks have a 42.1 percent chance of landing a top-3 pick in the lottery, an 11.9 percent chance of picking fourth and a 47.9 percent chance of picking fifth.
Without a single set starter on the current roster, New York has been consistent in its plan to draft the talent over position.
"Just for us, our roster is so open from that standpoint so we can have a lot of things fit us right now," Fizdale said. "Obviously we all want the biggest talent, you want to see electric players."
When Patrick compared Morant to Dwyane Wade, Fizdale remarked, "Too thin."
It's also possible that the Knicks use their draft pick as a trade chip to acquire Anthony Davis from the Pelicans, especially if they're confident that Kevin Durant is arriving in free agency. Durant's presence establishes a smaller window for title contention, and Davis fits into that better than a 19-year-old rookie.
Fizdale said he will appeal to free agents by explaining what type of relationship he'll foster in a coach-player capacity. But as far as the specific pitch to Durant, Fizdale wanted to hold on to the Knicks' tactical advantage.
The Nets, Clippers and Lakers are also expected to make a run at Durant if he chooses to leave Golden State.
"I'm not going to play my hand right now," Fizdale said. "There are people that we're in competition with. So I don't want to necessarily hand out our cards."
Fizdale also gifted Patrick a symbol of last season, the axe that the coach brought out during motivational speeches to promote the idea that they needed to "keep chopping at the tree." The axe traveled with the Knicks on the road during their 17-65 campaign, and Fizdale handed it to Patrick inside the studio.
