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Knicks Rumors: Should New York Pursue Ben McLemore?

By Joel Zegarra

Mar 30, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) shoots the ball against Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Washington Wizards 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 30, 2016; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) shoots the ball against Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) during the fourth quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Washington Wizards 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Sacramento Kings are reportedly interested in trading shooting guard Ben McLemore. Should the New York Knicks pursue McLemore?

During the 2016 offseason, the Sacramento Kings acquired shooting guards Arron Afflalo and Malachi Richardson to complement DeMarcus Cousins in the low post. That’s created a logjam at the 2.

As the No. 7 overall selection in the 2013 NBA draft, Ben McLemore, 23, has shown flashes of developing into a very talented player on both ends of the court.

Unfortunately for the Kings, McLemore hasn’t been consistent on a night-to-night basis, which in turn has put him on the trading block.

With the Knicks in need of a reliable backup shooting guard, is McLemore the right target?

McLemore has the age, athleticism, shooting skills, and body build to become a great role player in the right type of setting. Jeff Hornacek has experience developing guards and creating an atmosphere in which everyone can feed off each other.

Perhaps McLemore can improve his professional career in a Knicks jersey.

A possible trade scenario would include sending Kyle O’Quinn and/or a future draft pick to the Kings. This would allow the Knicks to develop younger players at the forward/center positions, such as Maurice Ndour and Willy Hernangomez.

With that said, McLemore would be taking a spot that is currently occupied by Justin Holiday. Holiday is currently expected to be the backup shooting guard to Courtney Lee.

Lets take a look at McLemore and Holiday’s respective statistics in order to compare which player would be a better option off the bench.

Apr 2, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore (23) in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /

Ben McLemore — 2015-2016

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 23 (02/11/1993)
Slash Line: .429/.362/.718
Season Averages: 21.2 MPG, 7.8 PPG, 1.2 APG, 2.2 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 1.0 3PM

McLemore’s percentages are quite impressive for a shooting guard. His free throw percentage could improve, but there’s always room for improvement in that aspect.

The most worrisome aspect of his game shows in the 7.8 PPG he’s averaging while playing over 21 minutes per game.

Justin Holiday— 2015-2016

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 27 (04/05/1989)
Slash Line: .386/.343/.730
Season Averages: 14.6 MPG, 4.5 PPG, 1.1 APG, 1.7 RPG, 0.6 SPG, 0.7 3PM

At first glance, you can see that McLemore far exceeds Holiday’s stats in almost every category. A closer look at Holiday’s minutes actually tells you that Holiday might just be the better shooting guard.

McLemore is playing over 20 minutes a game. and Holiday averaged almost 15 during this last season. In that case, who is the better option? Below is a list of their per 36 minute statistics in order to see a clearer comparison

Per 36 Minutes

Ben McLemore 
Slash Line: .429/.362/.718
Season Averages: 13.2 PPG, 2.0 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.7 3PM

Justin Holiday
Slash Line: .413/.433/.815
Season Averages: 12.4 PPG, 3.2 APG, 4.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.8 3PM

Looking closely at the stats above, one can see that Justin Holiday has fewer points per 36 minutes but a higher assist average than Ben McLemore. This projection will not tell us how they will perform this upcoming year.

It’s solely season averages for the 2015-2016 NBA season.

It’s worth noting that, during this past season, McLemore had a shooting slump compared to the numbers he delivered the years before. It’s a tough choice if New York is looking at who can develop into the better player in the long run.

McLemore has the age advantage. At a younger age than Holiday, one could predict that he has a higher ceiling to develop into the more talented shooting guard.

On the other hand, Holiday has championship experience and a winning mentality. Having played in the D-League and overseas, Holiday is a true veteran who doesn’t need a lot of minutes to make an impact in a game.

If there’s anything Madison Square Garden needs, it’s a winning mentality. Perhaps the February, 2017 trade deadline will bring more information on which player is best suited to be the Knicks’ backup shooting guard.

Next: New York Knicks Should Pursue Jahlil Okafor

As for now, Justin Holiday is the better choice.

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