New York Knicks: Kyle O’ Quinn deserves a bigger role on team
By Randy Porga
After completing a successful fifth season in the NBA, big man Kyle O’Quinn deserves a bigger role with the New York Knicks.
New York Knicks big man Kyle O’Quinn entered the league during the 2012-13 NBA regular season. He was selected in the second round as the 19th pick, 49th overall, by the Orlando Magic.
O’Quinn provided generally decent production for only seeing 11.2 minutes per game during his rookie season. The numbers translated to 13.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.7 offensive rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 blocks per 36 minutes.
Fast forward to the present day and the New York native finds himself on a shaky Knicks roster. Of course, playing in New York carries the perk of shining on the big stage, regardless of how chaotic and chaotic the franchise may be.
O’Quinn has positioned himself well for the future and made the best of his opportunities.
Over The Years
Following his rookie debut, the 2013-14 regular season was indeed an improvement. While the Magic barely improved their record from his rookie season, and O’Quinn started a career-high 19 games.
Seeing a slight uptick in minutes on the court, he made the best of his time. He improved his defensive game by averaging just over one block per game and 5.3 rebounds. O’Quinn asserted himself on the court with toughness and attitude.
Unfortunately, in the three seasons that followed, he would never surpass the mark of starting 19 games. His stat line across the board remains stagnant as he’s never built upon his career-high in minutes per game.
On July 9, following the 2014-15 regular season, O’Quinn was acquired by the Knicks through a sign-and-trade. The Knicks and Magic swapped second round picks for the 2019 season, and O’Quinn is currently entering the final year of his contract with New York.
Tenure And Future On The Knicks
As it stands, O’Quinn’s performances have left an argument for a bigger role with the Knicks . With Joakim Noah having an undesirable first year on a mind-boggling contract, and Willy Hernangomez having a standout rookie season, the argument can be complex.
With the Knicks having no shortage of big men, it’s hard to imagine seeing all three centers finding minutes on any given night.
Of course, it’s common knowledge that Noah is regarded as an influential defender. On the flip side, he’s awfully problematic on the offensive side of the court. He has struggled to reach a .500 percent field goal percentage since the 2011-12 season.
In the past two seasons, he’s failed to hit at least half of his free throws. In addition, he hasn’t averaged higher then 7.2 points per game in any of the past three seasons.
It may sound strange due to his large salary, but Noah should be coming off the bench. The Knicks simply can’t afford to have a liability on offense at any position.
O’ Quinn has a career field goal percentage of .502 and has hit at a .735 clip on his free throws. He also averages 0.4 less blocks per game compared to Noah. This comes from only playing an average 14.5 minutes per game over Noahs career 28.9.
When comparing the two by per 36 minutes, Noah simply pales in comparison. O’Quinn, by this metric, averages more rebounds and points.
It seems to be a long shot that the coaching staff will find O’Quinn more minutes over Noah. It seems more of a financial issue than a talent issue for the Knicks.
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However, by the end of the 2017-18 regular season, it’s within the realm of possibility he may find himself starting minutes for a team other than the New York Knicks.