Luke Babbitt
Position: Small Forward
Age: 28 (6/20/1989)
Experience: 7 Seasons
2016-17 Slash Line: .402/.414/.733
2016-17 Season Averages: 15.7 MPG, 4.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.3 3PM
The New York Knicks know the value of an elite 3-point shooter as well as any organization in the NBA. Before the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets set 3-point shooting records, it was the Knicks of 2012-13 that broke the mold and made 3-point shooting a winning trait.
Nothing brought Madison Square Garden to life quite like a timely 3-ball, and no player provided more timely bombs than Steve Novak.
Fast forward to 2017 and the Knicks have an opportunity to sign a player cut from Novak’s cloth: Luke Babbitt. Babbitt, like Novak, may be limited in his shot creation and defensive proficiency, but he’s an invigorating player due to his 3-point shooting.
For those unfamiliar, Babbitt finished 2016-17 at No. 12 in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage at .414.
Babbitt has a career average of 2.6 3-point field goals made per 36 minutes on 40.6 percent shooting from distance. In 2016-17, he averaged a career-best 2.9 3-point field goals made per 36 minutes—a sign of just how lethal he can be from beyond the arc.
Babbitt’s value may be limited to his shooting, but at Madison Square Garden, that’s more than enough to change the momentum of a game.