New York Knicks: Point guard power rankings amid depth chart changes
27. . . Previous: . Emmanuel Mudiay. 2. team
Slash Line: .441/.400/.500
Season Averages: 7.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 19.4 MPG
Mudiay once seemed to be the odd man out. Burke and Ntilikina both entered the starting lineup and Ron Baker even spelled them at times. Plus, a poor preseason showing limited the former Denver Nugget’s role before the season opener.
By the Oct. 29 game against the Brooklyn Nets, Mudiay was good to go and played garbage minutes in the fourth quarter, but the ensuing Indiana Pacers game came and went without on-court time.
That proved to be an anomaly when Fizdale used Mudiay for 15 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks — nine more than Burke. He played effectively, too, with 6 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Mudiay’s best game was the double-overtime showdown with the Chicago Bulls, which he tallied 16 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists in 34 minutes.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic addressed Mudiay’s quality performance ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks — he actually led the team in net rating, albeit in a small sample size.
Only 3 Knicks have a positive net rating so far this year. Emmanuel Mudiay leads the team and it's not even close. pic.twitter.com/HNSmL5lRZL
— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) November 7, 2018
It’s still way too early to assess Mudiay’s value to the New York Knicks, as these games also transpired against three teams far from the playoff fix: Chicago, Dallas and Washington. Atlanta, another likely lottery team, followed.
The coaching staff always wanted to give Mudiay a look, and Fizdale even called him the team’s best passer. With nine assists in three games, so far, so good, on that front. Turnovers and shooting have deterred his role in the past, so will it limit how far he can go?