Arron Afflalo: 3 Reasons Why the Signing Makes Sense
Shooting Guard play shooting was needed.
Dec 14, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (5) shoots over Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The two year Tim Hardaway Jr. run ended on draft night and the Knicks got a steal by trading him to the Atlanta Hawks. Even if we kept Hardaway, the Knicks still needed a good Shooting Guard.
Here’s how Afflalo’s last full season healthy compares to the 3 Shooting guards that the Knicks got rid of this season.
| Rk | Player | Season | Age | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arron Afflalo | 2013-14 | 28 | 73 | 73 | 35.0 | 6.4 | 13.8 | .459 | 1.8 | 4.1 | .427 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 18.2 |
| 2 | Tim Hardaway | 2014-15 | 22 | 70 | 30 | 24.0 | 4.0 | 10.2 | .389 | 1.7 | 5.1 | .342 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 11.5 |
| 3 | Iman Shumpert | 2014-15 | 24 | 62 | 25 | 24.9 | 3.1 | 7.6 | .410 | 1.1 | 3.2 | .342 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 8.0 |
| 4 | J.R. Smith | 2014-15 | 29 | 70 | 51 | 29.7 | 4.5 | 10.8 | .417 | 2.3 | 6.1 | .383 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 12.1 |
Now with every single statically comparison, context is needed. At first glance, Afflalo’s minutes per game are higher than the three other guards. But why is the question? The answer is very simple. Defense and efficiency.
The Knicks were two points better on defense when Tim Hardaway Jr. sat, and with Hardaway shooting a putrid 38% from the field — the Knicks averaged the same amount of points when Hardaway sat.
These numbers suggest that Hardaway was ineffective at both ends of the court and it’s something that the eye test agrees with.
Iman Shumpert got $10 million a year from the Cleveland Cavaliers during this off-season and it’s generally accepted that Afflalo is a better basketball player. Which makes the $8 Million deal that the Knicks gave him even better.
Afflalo is a better defender and scorer than Hardaway, He’s cheaper and better all around than Shumpert and he’s better than J.R Smith. At 29, He’s not a permanent solution at shooting guard, but he’s the best option Phil had available.
Next: It helps improves the Knicks 3 point shooting woes