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Former Texas head coach Shaka Smart no longer cares that his one-time center Jericho Sims slipped to No. 58 in the 2021 draft. Smart now is only delighted the Knicks grabbed him. 

Sims, the 6-foot-10 big man who impressed at summer league and has turned heads during the preseason, has a path to being a factor this season.

Sims, who turns 23 on the day of the Knicks’ regular-season opener on Wednesday, played four seasons at Texas. He wasn’t even among the first two Longhorns frontcourt players selected in July’s draft.