Tony Wroten Adds Upside to New York Knicks Roster

The signing of Tony Wroten gives the Knicks a young guard with upside. His ability to handle the ball and get to the rim gives the Knicks a new element to their offense. Signing him gives the Knicks some flexibility in the near future with their backcourt options.

The Knicks were flirting with a free agent addition and they finally made one in Tony Wroten. According to Shams, the Knicks are planning to sign Wroten effective Monday. After signing Jimmer Fredette to a 10-day contract last week, the Knicks opted for something more permanent for the rest of the regular season. With the addition of Wroten, Cleanthony Early will be sent down to Westchester.

More from Daily Knicks

This is a good move, and not because I asked for it in December.

One crucial element missing from New York’s roster is the ability to slash and get to the rim. The Knicks don’t have anyone outside of Jerian Grant who can put the ball down and get to the basket.

On the surface, it seems like a small element missing. The Knicks have, by estimation, one star and a budding star, several good shooters and some fine defenders, but someone who can play the role of “slasher” has resulted in several low ranking for the Knicks.

The Knicks sit 23rd in the league in PPP on pick-and-roll plays as a ball handler, dead last in the league in drives and 23rd in the league at free throw attempts per game. Jerian Grant is a rookie, so there’s some variance with his production, Jose Calderon has never been a slasher and he’s 34 years old and Langston Galloway isn’t someone who can create with the basketball.

The Knicks need someone who can create off the dribble, both for himself and for others.

As for Wroten, that’s the one real skill he’s shown since his breakout two seasons ago. He’s not a point guard, perfectly stuck between the two guard position. He has the defensive profile that you want (six-foot-six with a six-foot-nine wingspan), but we’ve yet to see him turn into a positive defender, and a recent ACL injury creates his overall athleticism a question mark at this point.

He’s never been a good shooter. Over the previous two seasons, Wroten has failed to eclipse 28% from three-point range, though, taking over 100 of them in an attempt to improve from that area is a good sign. Still, he’s never been good outside of 10 feet. I think he can improve from this area in time, but right now, it gives him an unbalanced offensive game, as opponents can simply sag off of him, as they wait for him to drive.