Knicks Rumors: Pros and Cons of potentially signing Archie Goodwin

Con: Defensive Inconsistency

As the New York Knicks prepare for the post-Phil Jackson era, the front office continues to reiterate a critical word: Defense. New York is getting back to one of the few principles that have worked for the better part of 70 years—and every fan should support that decision.

Not every player a team signs is going to be a lockdown defender, but it’s hard not to be skeptical of Archie Goodwin due to his defensive inconsistency.

Goodwin is a solid rebounder for a player his size, and he’s somewhat adept at forcing turnovers. Those are valuable strengths to possess, especially if the other players on the floor are both boxing out and rotating properly to enable him to gamble.

Goodwin is still a subpar defender in isolation, however, and that’s a concerning truth due to the fact that he’s an NBA guard.

As previously alluded to, Goodwin has the physical tools and measurements to be a quality defender. He’s not only tall and long enough to cover the average shooting guard, but he has the athleticism to defend multiple positions.

The signs that he’s going to develop into that player have simply been few and far between, and that’s resulted in the current predicament.