New York Knicks: Damyean Dotson proves worth in win vs Cavs

The New York Knicks have been looking for productivity out of their bench unit. Maybe Damyean Dotson can provide that for them.

Sure, it was a road win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but for the New York Knicks, a win’s a win. There hasn’t been a ton of bright spots for the Knicks this season but in last night’s victory, Damyean Dotson was able to show fans a glimpse of what he can provide to this team.

It’s highly possible that the Knicks are sellers at the trade deadline coming up and for some, this is an opportunity to prove why they belong on a team. Dotson showed his will to step up last night and maybe this is a trend for things to come in the future.

This win against the Cavs was a full team effort which is something the Knicks don’t really get a ton of. Outside of the starters, the scoring comes in spurts, but there’s no consistent face to the bench mob so to speak. At least in terms of offensive guard play.

This is where Dotson could come in.

A career 35 percent three-point shooter standing at 6’5 is a lethal weapon to have for most rosters in the NBA. In order for Dotson to consistently be that however, he just needs to have consistent minutes with the same unit.

His 12 points on five of seven shooting from the field while being two of two from three was an incredibly efficient way to make his presence known in last night’s win. It’s not much, I know, but this isn’t the first time that Dotson has shown out. In fact, during his three-year stint in the NBA, he’s had performances much better than this one that should make fans optimistic for his possible ceiling as a bench scorer.

Damyean Dotson’s best games

• 27 points on 8 of 13 from three
• 26 points on 4 of 9 from three
• 18 points on 6 of 7 from three
• 22 points on 5 of 5 from three
• 22 points on 4 of 8 from three
• 30 points on 12 of 21 from the field

Dotson is only 25-years-old and has the opportunity to be a sniper for this young Knicks team. He provides a lot of what the Knicks lack which is the chance of consistent three-point shooting. If he’s able to round out into form and string a few games together of solid scoring by the end of the season, New York could be looking at one of the best bench contributors in the Eastern Conference. Not only would that boost the Knicks’ 14th best bench rating in the NBA, according to Hoopsstats.com, but it would make him a viable option in this Knicks system for years to come.