New York Knicks: Tony Wroten To Compete For Starting Role
Nothing is imminent, but recent New York Knicks signee Tony Wroten will have an opportunity to compete for the role of starting point guard in 2016-17.
One of the most intriguing moves of Phil Jackson‘s tenure as team president was the mid-season signing of point guard Tony Wroten. Wroten, who was selected at No. 25 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, had been cut by the Philadelphia 76ers due to complications in his return from a torn ACL.
Wroten didn’t play a minute with the Knicks in 2015-16, but there’s a feeling throughout the organization that he’ll have a significant role with the team in 2016-17.
It’s rare that a player is signed to a multi-year deal in the middle of a season, especially when they aren’t available to play. Thus, it stands to reason that Jackson views Wroten as a legitimately valuable long-term asset.
Indeed: According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Jackson views Wroten as a viable candidate to be the Knicks’ starting point guard.
"According to an NBA source, however, there is much greater optimism in the seven weeks since the season ended, with Wroten’s progression spiking. The source says Knicks president Phil Jackson, desperate for a backcourt penetrator, is considering Wroten to be the starting point guard next season.“I wouldn’t count Tony out,’’ the source said."
In other words, the Knicks plan to pursue point guards through free agency, but value Wroten as a legitimate option to take over as the starter.
For those unfamiliar, Wroten rose to prominence by winning the 2012 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year award. He overwhelmed opponents with his massive body and frame, thus earning a first-round grade and an opportunity to play in the NBA.
Standing at 6’6″ and 203 pounds with a 6’9″ wingspan and explosive athleticism, Wroten has elite physical gifts for a point guard, and is just shy of being the prototype for a 2.
After struggling to find playing time as a rookie, Wroten began to turn heads in his second season with an average of 13.0 points in 24.7 minutes. He followed that up with a breakout campaign in 2014-15, during which he averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
Unfortunately, a knee injury cut Wroten’s season short and placed him on his current road to recovery.
Wroten scored at least 20 points in 13 of the 30 games he played in 2014-15, including a 31-point eruption against the Chicago Bulls. He scored at least 17 points in 18 of the 30 outings, and showed tantalizing potential as a penetrating scorer.
Per Berman, former NBA D-League standout and current mentor Will Conroy believes that Wroten has completed the first major step towards returning to that level: getting his explosiveness back.
"“He’s got his explosiveness back,’’ Conroy told The Post. “He’s a top-20 talent. If he puts it all together, the Knicks have gotten a steal. He can really get into the lane and finish over the top. He just doesn’t have the same pull-up jumper as Russell Westbrook, but he’s got similar explosion.”"
If Wroten truly has built his athleticism back up, he could be of significant value to the Knicks’ postseason aspirations in 2016-17.
Keep in mind, Wroten is the same player whom 76ers head coach Brett Brown described as a, “Mini LeBron James.” And, for as crazy as that sounds, many understood the reference due to Wroten’s powerful athleticism and uncanny ability to get to the rim.
Brown, of course, spent 11 seasons with the San Antonio Spurs as director of player development and, eventually, an assistant coach. In other words, he played a defining role in the cultivation of San Antonio’s unspeakable depth and promising future.
If anyone knows how to spot a diamond in the rough, it’s Brown.
For a Knicks team in dire need of penetrating guards, adding a mini LeBron would be a dream outcome. Clearly, Brown isn’t projecting Wroten to become a four-time MVP, but his potential value is undeniable to a team in need of perimeter aid.
Wroten is admittedly enigmatic, but he could prove to be one of Jeff Hornacek‘s most significant weapons.
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In 2016-17, Wroten will have an opportunity to prove as much by competing for the role of starting point guard.