The Knicks have signed second round pick Cleanthony Early.

The first pick of the Phil Jackson era is a New York Knick. On Friday, Cleanthony Early put pen to paper to make the signing official. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, its assumed the Knicks offered Early the two year minimum deal ($507,336 in Year One, $845,059 in Year Two).

The Knicks selected Early with the 34th pick, considered one of the steals of the draft. In my draft review, I had Early rated as the 24th best player in the 2014 draft. The Knicks felt even more strongly. According to the NY Post, the Knicks would have taken Cleanthony…Earlier (sorry I had to) – having him as high as 16 on their draft board. It wasn’t always like this for the Wichita State product.

Due to a troubled past, and lack of discipline, Early spent his first two years of eligibility playing for Sullivan County Community College – without a scholarship. After dominating JuCo competition, Early accepted an offer to play at Wichita State. It was only under Gregg Marshall that Early truly started to transform his mentality, and his game. The past two years, Early rose to the challenge, leading Wichita State in scoring while playing within Marshall’s system. Last year he helped the Shockers achieve a perfect 31-0 regular season. Despite his recent ascension, Cleanthony’s age (23) and lack of ball handling caused him to drop to the second round. To say that Early has a chip on his shoulder would be an understatement.

The Bronx native should find himself right at home in the Garden. Having overcome adversity, Early plays with the toughness and determination that will make him a fan favorite. Despite being the most talented player at Wichita St, Early was willing to play in the system. He gets most of his points from off-ball movement and an improved outside shot (37.3%). Early has very good athleticism which he uses to finish strong in transition. I look forward to seeing more of that combination next year. Cleanthony’s work ethic, shooting and defending will be enough to get him on the floor next year. As he progresses, Early should start to become an integral part of the rotation in both forward spots.