New York Knicks: Analyzing the four point guards on the roster

The New York Knicks have four point guards on the roster: Ron Baker, Jarrett Jack, Frank Ntilikina, and Ramon Sessions. How are they performing thus far?

Most of the media attention of the New York Knicks tend to be on a limited list of things:

• Kristaps Porzingis and his record start to the season.
• Is head coach Jeff Hornacek on the hot seat?

Other headlines within the organization are becoming overlooked. One of these topics is the analysis of the point guard play early on in the 2017-18 season.

Jarrett Jack

Since the Knicks have implemented Jarrett Jack into their starting lineup, the Knicks have gone 3-1. They’ve added home wins against the Brooklyn Nets and Denver Nuggets. They also dropped the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena, adding to the early season woes of LeBron James and his Cavs.

Jack sat out the first two games of the season, both of which they lost in lopsided fashion. One game he was inactive, and the other he didn’t see the floor.

It’s too small of a sample size to draw any long-term conclusions, but Jack’s contributions are of clear value.

Jack is playing as a true pass-first point guard. Beyond the assists, it’s his calm and collected demeanor while on the floor that’s helping New York play with poise. No matter the score of the game or the play, his facial expressions stay the same.

Jack’s veteran experience is shown on the defensive end, as he’s commanding his teammates to be in help positions to aid against a drive or be able to close out on a shooter two passes away.

Against the Cavaliers, Jack’s plus/minus was +22, while adding nine assists.

Jack is excelling on a distributor and defender, recognizing that he doesn’t need to score to make an impact. He can leave the weight of scoring all on the shoulders of Porzingis, which he has had no problem carrying.

Ramon Sessions and Ron Baker

Ramon Sessions has only one game with a positive plus/minus, and that was during garbage time of the loss to Houston. His other numbers were logged as -23, and -11.

Other than that, there’s honestly not much left to comment on for Sessions. Ron Baker hasn’t seen the court since the Knicks’ blowout loss to the Boston Celtics on October 24.

Baker is a solid backup option at the point. What helps him most is that Hornacek knows exactly what to expect when he’s on the floor. Baker’s a smart player who makes up for his lack of athleticism with hustle.

Frank Ntilikina

The play of the young guard that is Frank Ntilikina is very encouraging to watch. He has shown glimpses of the player we hope to one day see consistently on the hardwood.

In that game against the cross-borough rivals, we saw Ntilikina stay in front of his defensive assignments, hit a few jump shots, and make sharp passes both on the break and in the halfcourt.

There were times where his discipline was lacking, but that will build over time. He ended the game scoring 9 points, five assists and a steal in 22 minutes of play.

The next time out, Ntilikina struggled against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. He scored five points and committed four turnovers in 16 minutes of playing time. Thankfully, he recovered in the next game.

Against the Houston Rockets, Ntilikina found himself matched up against James Harden on a few possessions. Although the game ended with a blowout loss, Ntilikina looked solid.

He recorded eight assists and five steals in just26 minutes of play. Although his jumper has still yet to translate to the NBA, he’s finding ways to impact the game.

Most notable was his defensive play at the end of the half, going head-to-head with Harden as the third quarter came to a close.

Ntilikina stayed in front, moved his feet, disrupted Harden’s dribble, and forced him to take a contested three which turned out to be an airball. It was his best defensive sequence of the season.

Even without stellar numbers coming from his play, it is not yet time to be discouraged.

When Giannis Antetokounmpo came into the league, like Ntilikina, he was 19 years old. He averaged just 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 24.6 minutes per game.

Now in his fifth year in the league, Antetokounmpo already has one All-Star nod and is a favorite for league MVP.

This is not to say that Ntilikina will become the MVP. It helps take a step back from the criticisms of his play, however, and allow for his development to come on his own time, much like Antetokounmpo.

f

What’s Next For The Knicks At Point Guard?

Jarrett Jack is only a short-term solution for success at the point guard position. He’s not a player who can bring the Knicks through the playoffs, especially now that he’s 34 years of age.

The Knicks have a long history of point guard woes. Al Iannazzone wrote a fantastic timeline about that truth over at Newsday earlier this year. It’s been surprising to see now that the league seems to be flooded with so many great guards.

During this three-game win streak, Hornacek has proven that he can provide a lineup that produces. For his point guards, this is what he should be doing:

• Keep starting Jarrett Jack. He has brought experience on the floor that was missing during the games he didn’t play or start.
• Have Frank Ntilikina come off the bench. His minutes must be staggered until he can prove he can play more without injury. His time will come, and he will see more minutes when he’s better adjusted to the game.
• Use Baker as the third guard off the bench when he’s healthy. His physical frame allows for him to be effective without scoring the ball.
• Ramon Sessions still has to prove his worth to see more minutes. From what he’s done on the court so far, he’s the last guard on this roster.

This will allow for Frank Ntilikina to slowly learn the pace of the NBA. He will be able to learn a lot from Jarrett Jack, as well as the other guys on the team who all show their support.

There’s a lot more to see on this Knicks roster. They are back to being a team that people are excited to watch. From the veteran and rookie point guards to the emerging superstar in Porzingis, the New York Knicks are showing that it has more to offer than what was expected.

Must Read: Who stepped up against the Houston Rockets?

That all begins at the point guard position.