Daily Knicks
Fansided

New York Knicks: Five reasons to love the Nigel Hayes signing

By Maxwell Ogden

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: Nigel Hayes #10 of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on after scoring against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half in the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Verizon Center on March 11, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 11: Nigel Hayes #10 of the Wisconsin Badgers looks on after scoring against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half in the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at Verizon Center on March 11, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
ORLANDO, FL – JULY 5: Nigel Hayes #20 of the New York Knicks passes the ball during the game against the Orlando Magic during the 2017 Orlando Summer League on July 5, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL – JULY 5: Nigel Hayes #20 of the New York Knicks passes the ball during the game against the Orlando Magic during the 2017 Orlando Summer League on July 5, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

3. Offensive Versatility

The New York Knicks have a crop of quality contributors on the offensive end of the floor. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis project to be featured scoring options, Willy Hernangomez has the skill level to join them, and Frank Ntilikina has the upside of an All-Star.

In order to fill the voids left in the rotation, the Knicks must look for players who can fill specific roles offensively—something Nigel Hayes could do.

In the above video, Hayes dunks on back-to-back possessions. That alone is impressive, but it’s the manner in which Hayes gets to the rim and throws down consecutive slams that speaks to his offensive versatility.

Hayes brings the ball up and attacks off the bounce on the first possession, and goes baseline out of a post-up on the second.

That embodies what it is that makes Hayes such a unique player, as he’s just as capable of leading a possession as he is of finishing one. He’s an excellent passer for a player his size, as well as a respectable shooter who can score within the flow of the offense.

If Jeff Hornacek and the Knicks can help Hayes stabilize his shooting motion, it stands to reason that he could be a well-rounded offensive contributor.