Knicks: Solution To PG Issues May Be To Do Nothing

The New York Knicks need a point guard, but overpaying in 2016 could cost the team in the long-term. The best bet: do nothing drastic

With the 2016 NBA offseason imminent, New York Knicks fans everywhere will be pleading with Phil Jackson to make a splash in free agency. After all, witnessing their beloved team crawl to a forgettable 32 wins would have any fan base demanding improvement from their front office.

In particular, fans will be desperate to see an upgrade at the point guard position, where what is effectively the corpse of Jose Calderon has allowed opposing point guards to run riot throughout his time in the Big Apple. However, while first instinct appears to call for the immediate addition of a new floor general, things may not be quite so clear-cut.

In fact, if the Knicks want to eventually improve their point guard situation, it may even make sense for Jackson to stand pat this summer altogether.

Upon analyzing the list of free agent point guards, a major theme that stands out is the utter lack of quality available this summer. While headline option Mike Conley is undeniably a fantastic player on both sides of the court, his advanced age makes him a questionable fit for a Knicks team that is largely looking to rebuild around 20 year old Kristaps Porzingis.

Beyond Conley, the drop off in available talent is evident. Rajon Rondo would represent a big name addition, however, his subpar defense and questionable temperament, coupled with statistics that are by and large empty and inflated, render him a terrible fit for the Knicks.

So too, while players such as Brandon Jennings could be workable stopgap options, the salaries they would demand in light of the recent cap hike would largely counter balance any potential contributions.

Furthermore, the free agent point guard available in 2017 contrast starkly with this summer’s underwhelming crop. With big names such as Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose, Jrue Holiday and Dennis Schröder all at the end of their contracts, the odds of the Knicks snagging their coveted long term PG would rise significantly if they simply wait one more season to attempt to do so.

With an excess of both quality and quantity available in 12 months time, settling for a lesser commodity now simply to quiet the discontented Knicks fans would be counterintuitive to everything Phil Jackson has stood for thus far.

Something else to take into consideration is that while Calderon is unlikely to have much of a role to play for the Knicks next season, their prospects at the position should improve dramatically. This is largely due to the trio of young, intriguing guards they currently boast: Jerian Grant, Langston Galloway, and Tony Wroten.

The 19th pick of the 2015 NBA draft, Jerian Grant was tipped for immediate success by onlookers everywhere. And while he only managed to register a modest 5.6 points and 2.3 assists per game in his rookie campaign, there is reason to believe we haven’t even witnessed the tip of Grant’s iceberg yet.

With imposing physical skills, a high basketball IQ, and most importantly, a non-triangle coach in Jeff Hornacek—whose up-tempo system will allow him the proper conditions to thrive—Grant is fully primed to show the basketball world why he was so highly regarded at Notre Dame.

So too, Langston Galloway represents a young, exciting option at the PG position. While inconsistency was an issue for him last season, Galloway at his best isn’t just a good player for the Knicks.

He’s a game-changer.

Blessed with lightning-quick athleticism and a deft shooting touch, Galloway would represent an ideal sixth man option for any NBA setup. Additionally, his innate ability to contribute immediately off the bench makes him a genuine asset for a Knicks team that, frankly, lacks genuine assets altogether.

While he is a restricted free agent this summer, New York should be able to match any offer that is thrown in his direction.

The biggest X-Factor of the three, and possibly of the entire roster, is new addition Tony Wroten, who signed with the Knicks back in March. Having experienced noteworthy success in college at the University of Washington, many expected him to thrive in the NBA after being selected in the first round of the 2012 draft.

And while things haven’t quite worked out for Wroten so far, he’s still displayed glimpses of potential that make him an incredibly intriguing option for the Knicks next year.

New York’s main offensive weaknesses during the 2015-2016 season were wing penetration and fast break opportunities, shortcomings that Wroten can potentially rectify with his size, speed and explosiveness. And on an affordable two-year contract, he represents a largely risk-free addition to their backcourt.

There’s no denying that the Knicks were largely mediocre last season, and a severely underwhelming output from their guards was a major reason behind that.

However, while this notion may initially symbolize the need to add quality at point guard as soon as possible, New York should avoid rushing into a decision that could very well negatively affect them in the long run.

That isn’t to say it should go through the entire summer without signing a single point guard. The ideal scenario would be to target underrated, low-cost options, and to sign those players on short-term deals.

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Simply put, If Phil Jackson would like to improve his team’s ailing backcourt in the long-term, the best thing he can do is to simply do nothing drastic for now.