First rounders don't always pan out.
Sixers had Embid and Simmons, but they also had Okafor, Fultz, Noel.
Knicks once passed on Nate Thurmond to take Art Heyman.
But then had a run of excellent luck: 1964, Willis Reed [2], Howie Komives [2]; 1965, Bill Bradley [1], Dave Stallworth [1], Dick Van Arsdale [2]; 1966, Cazzie Russell [1]; 1967, Walt Frazier [1], Phil Jackson [2]
Komives and Walt Bellamy brought us Dave DeB, Cazzie Jerry Lucas, while Stallworht and Mike Riordan brought back Ear Mnoroe. We lost Van Arsdale in the expansion draft.
Over the past 20 years, we traded away many of our best draft picks, such as Trevor Ariza, Channing Frye, David Lee, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler. We also rolled the dice and came up craps on Weis, Sweetney, Hill, Balkman, Ntilikina.