New York Knicks: 15 greatest floor generals of all-time

Following a fairly underwhelming rookie season, Micheal Ray Richardson burst on to the scene as one of the best floor generals in the game by finding a great middle ground between scoring the ball and facilitating it to teammates.

Standing at 6-foot-6, Richardson was taller than the average point guard, which allowed him to see over the defense and make plays. He combined that size with great speed and quickness with the ball in his hands, able to get to the rim seemingly at will and either score or dish it off.

Once he got to the basket, “Sugar Ray” had so many different types of finishes in his offensive arsenal, ranging from scoop shots with either hand, to softly laying the ball in after twisting and turning past and around defenders. He also had a respectable mid-range game, to the point where the opposition had to guard him tight, which gave him the room to blow by them.

His passing was as flashy as it was fundamental. As the point guard who averaged 7.1 assists per game with the Knicks, Richardson was clearly always one to make the right play, but at the same time, he also wanted to put on a show for the fans. So he’d go behind his head or throw in a little head fake to get the defenders leaning, all for the sake of entertainment.

With the ball in his hands, it seemed as though Richardson had two separate playing styles. There was one guy with a knack for getting to the rim and finishing with ease, and there’s the one who would make passes nobody thought possible.

For the opposing team, it was a simple case of pick your poison. For the fans, well, they got their money’s worth every time he was on the floor.