New York Knicks: New arrivals create healthy backcourt problem

Once Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina went down, other guards stepped up for the New York Knicks, creating an interesting problem for head coach David Fizdale.

Streak-snapping win or not, the New York Knicks have settled into a lost season. They own the NBA’s worst record, at 11-47, but there are still 24 games to play after the All-Star break. That’s enough time to flesh out situations and wonder who will stick for the 2019-20 campaign.

One of those scenarios to work out is the suddenly cluttered backcourt, thanks to the Dennis Smith Jr. acquisition, the recent play from Kadeem Allen and the newly signed John Jenkins.

Them, Allonzo Trier and Damyean Dotson can consume the guard depth on their own. However, Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina‘s impending returns put clarity at these two positions at risk.

Mudiay was the starting point guard before the trade deadline, but the Knicks were already struggling mightily and, therefore, does not have a solidified hold on this spot at all.

Ntilikina took over once the fourth-year guard went down, but suffered his own groin ailment just days later. That added to an already difficult season for the 20 year old.

Now, both of them have to fight for position, as Smith flashes his offensive repertoire that’s arguably more enticing than Mudiay and a few miles ahead of Ntilikina; maybe not defensively, but he may be the most interesting player of the bunch.

Allen has jumped into a major role with a few standout performances. Over the past four games, he has averaged 16.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists 1.5 steals and 53.2 percent shooting as the backup point guard to Smith.

The only hiccup, Allen is on a two-way deal. He can only stay on an NBA roster for 45 days. However, with open space after Enes Kanter and Wesley Matthews‘ departures, the Knicks could hand out a guaranteed deal for the rest of the season.

Jenkins only signed a 10-day contract on Feb. 11, but Fizdale granted him a role in two of his three available games. That included Thursday’s 25 minutes with 14 points on 6-for-13 shooting.

The Knicks monitored Jenkins all season in Westchester, so he’s not new to them. The veteran guard was scooped up by the Wizards for a 10-day contract earlier this month, though. If other teams have their eye on him, could the front office make his deal guaranteed, as well?

It’s still early for both players, but they have seemingly earned the coaching staff’s confidence amidst a “developmental” situation; Allen more so than Jenkins, given the streak of games they’ve played in. (Jenkins did not play on Feb. 13.)

If this continues, Mudiay and Ntilikina might return with reduced roles. Maybe someone drifts from the rotation, but someone like Jenkins, who the Knicks don’t have as much invested in, seems like the potential odd man out. Maybe not, though, for a team that struggles to hit outside shots.

Either way, it’s one of few interesting situations for the New York Knicks after the All-Star break. There’s little to look forward to, but they can at least see what’s in place.