BUILDING BRIDGES
Nova, Mich. St. forwards possible Knicks targets
The 23 games the Knicks have remaining after the All- Star break are only a series of “Bridges’’ to their next date of import: the May 15 draft lottery. Pun intended. If the lottery were held now, the Knicks would hold the ninthbest odds with a 23-36 record and a league-high eight-game losing streak entering the break.
If they stay at No. 9 after the pingpong balls dance, that would put them in position to draft either of two small forwards — 6-foot-7 junior Mikal Bridges of Villanova or 6-6 sophomore Miles Bridges of Michigan State.
The Knicks are focused most on that position, which was left thin following Carmelo Anthony’s departure.
They have a plethora of point guards, shooting guards and centers, and Kristaps Porzingis could man power forward for the next 10 years. Lance Thomas is the lone true small forward on the roster.
Seth Greenberg, former Virginia Tech coach and ESPN’s college basketball guru the past six years, told The Post he’s a big fan of Mikal, 21, and prefers him over Miles, 19.
Greenberg places Mikal, who is averaging 16.5 points on 48 percent shooting, as a definite top-10 pick. The top small forward in the draft should be 6-10 Michael Porter, who had what was expected to be season-ending back surgery. But there have been reports he could still try to play again late in the season for Missouri.
The Knicks would have to bust the odds to get into the top three ( 6.1 percent) and be in contention for Porter.
“He has a chance to be really special,’’ Greenberg said of Mikal. “He’s 6-8. He can defend anyone. He can shoot it. He’s fundamentally sound. He’s got a real high basketball IQ. He’s got a toughness about him — a redshirt freshman with the size, length, defensively skilled and maturity.
“Just a really good feel for the game and maturity and from a winning program. He’s so fundamentally sound it’s incredible.”
The Knicks will zoom into developmental mode after this weekend’s break. Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek hinted it’s time to play the young players. One imminent change, the coach said, will be reducing minutes of veteran starter Jarrett Jack and rolling with the three young lottery-pick point guards in Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke, who did not play in the collapse against the Wizards on Wednesday.
In the same vein, expect rookie second-rounder Damyean Dotson’s minutes to climb as Courtney Lee’s shrink.
That means t he Knicks could sink in the standings and improve their lottery standing. However, the teams in the Knicks’ neighborhood, too, are content to tank at this point — except the Nets, whose pick belongs to the Cavaliers. Mikal and Miles Bridges, who are not related, should be in the Knicks’ range, as Greenberg sees a lot of strong power forwards and centers going ahead of them — Marvin Bagley, Jaren Jackson Jr., DeAndre Ayton and Mohamed Bamba — as well as point guards Trae Young and Collin Sexton.
NBA draft. net has Mikal and Miles going 11 and 12, respectively.
Miles, who averages 17.3 points on 48 percent shooting from the field for Michigan State, also could be a good fit, especially with Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry emphasizing a need for athleticism.
Some have compared Miles to Draymond Green, but that’s mostly because Green played at Michigan State, too. Bridges is considered more of an athlete, similar to the Suns’ Josh Jackson.
“Not only can he really shoot the ball, but he’s a freakish athlete who can run the floor,’’ said Greenberg, a Long Island native. “He could be a better rebounder. He doesn’t have the feel for the game like Mikal or Draymond. He’s dynamic but not as good a perimeter defender.
“He’s having a good year, not a great year. His team is so good. That’s the problem. He’s not asked to do too much.”
Another small forward in the late lottery range is Kentucky’s 6-9 freshman Kevin Knox.
“He’s big-time shooter,” Greenberg said. “He needs to get tougher and put the ball on the floor better. He can shoot and post-up some — a poor man’s Klay Thompson.’’
The Knicks would have to get lucky to be in position to draft Porter or Luka Doncic, a 6-6 European star who could play point guard or on the wing in the NBA. Greenberg hasn’t seen Doncic live, but his brother — Brad Greenberg, who coaches in Israel — predicted Donic to be the No. 1 pick.
Seth Greenberg said he believes Porter would be No. 1 if not for his back woes.
“The kid’s real talented,’’ Greenberg said. “He’s got some Jayson Tatum in him — very good passer, good size. The back is an issue. That is a concern. He’s also thin-framed. At worst he’s Brandon Ingram and at best he’s Tatum and is definitely a [small forward]. He’ll be all about the physical.’’