New York Knicks: Point guard play will define 2017-18 season
Regardless of what else transpires during the 2017-18 NBA regular season, the New York Knicks will only be as good as their point guard play is consistent.
The New York Knicks have been on the cusp of success for the better part of four seasons. Sans the ultimately decided upon tank job in 2014-15, the roster has consisted of enough talent for New York to be competitive in every one of those polarizing campaigns.
Unfortunately, the Knicks have suffered dearly from the absence of consistency at a crucial position: Point guard.
Whether or not you’re of the belief that the NBA has become a point guard driven league, quality guard play is vital to success in the modern era. That much has been proven by the success and failure of the Knicks.
New York has pieced together tremendous front courts featuring the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, but underwhelming contributions from the backcourt have overshadowed that success.
Come 2017-18, the Knicks will need to exorcise those demons in order to piece together a winning season. New York signed Tim Hardaway Jr. to complement Courtney Lee at shooting guard, which should alleviate some measure of pressure from the interior.
Regardless of what transpires elsewhere, however, the Knicks will only be as good as their point guard play allows them to be.
Moving The Ball
One could make a fair case that the New York Knicks haven’t moved the ball well since 2012-13. No Knick has averaged more than 5.0 assists per game since Raymond Felton dished out 5.6 in 2013-14, when New York ranked No. 28 in assists per contest as a team.
Although Derrick Rose may have scored with efficiency in 2016-17, the Knicks will need their point guards to embrace an entirely different style of play in 2017-18.
New York finished the 2016-17 regular season at 26-21 (.553) when it dished out at least 21 assists. When the Knicks recorded 20 assists or less, however, the overall team record plummeted to 5-30—a win percentage of .143.
That paints a clear picture of the Knicks needing individual players who can create for their teammates and establish a more stable flow on offense.
With Ron Baker, Jarrett Jack, Frank Ntilikina, and Ramon Sessions, the Knicks have four pass-first point guards. They all have something to prove in other phases of the game, but their willingness to create for others should create a better flow offensively.
Coupled with the fact that New York plans to push the pace and prioritize ball and player movement, the Knicks should move the ball with superior proficiency.
Defense
The New York Knicks were one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA during the 2016-17 regular season. One of the primary reasons for defensive inconsistency in both 2016-17 and the recent preceding seasons has been the steady flow of turnstiles at point guard.
There’s no guaranteeing that the Knicks will improve in said regard during the 2017-18 season, but it’s within the realm of possibility.
Derrick Rose, who started for the Knicks and averaged 32.5 minutes per game, is the most recent culprit of the defensive point guard woes. He ranked No. 72 amongst point guards in Defensive Real Plus-Minus in 2016-17, which is a fair reflection of his value.
Considering Rose was preceded by the likes of Jose Calderon and Shane Larkin, the erratic defensive play at point guard has been consistent.
Frank Ntilikina is a 6’5″ anomaly with a 7’0″ wingspan and the reputation of a potentially elite defender. Ramon Sessions and Jarrett Jack are underwhelming on defense, but Ron Baker prides himself on being able to contain opposing scorers—and now he’s one year wiser.
If Baker and Ntilikina play well, and either Jack or Sessions step up in their leadership roles, the Knicks have the potential to make resounding improvements.
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Generating points directly from the point guard position could be of importance, as well, but it’s defense and ball movement that will define 2017-18 for the New York Knicks.