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New York Knicks: Evaluating the point guard rotation

By Jeffrey Bellone

Feb 29, 2020; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina (11) dribbles as Chicago Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) defends during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 29, 2020; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina (11) dribbles as Chicago Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) defends during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 27, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Knicks guard Elfrid Payton (6) dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Knicks point guard rotation: Elfrid Payton

If you spent any time watching the Knicks last season, you probably still have nightmares of Elfrid Payton force-feeding the ball to Julius Randle so he could make a pointless spin move in the post while everyone else stood around and watched.

It is this image that left many fans groaning in displeasure when it was announced that Payton would be returning for the 2020-21 season.

For a Knicks’ lineup that is expected to feature two non-shooters in Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett, inserting a point guard who ranked in the bottom 2nd percent of the league in three-point shot frequency doesn’t seem like an ideal fit.

Payton didn’t take many threes (1.5 per game) and didn’t make many threes (20.3 percent).

What he did well was drive to the hoop: his 12.8 drives per game put him on par with Chris Paul (12.8) and Mike Conley (12.7) and Ricky Rubio (12.4). And he turned those drives into assist opportunities, ranking fifth, in between LeBron James and Luka Doncic, in assist percentage off drives.

The problem is his finishing ability. He shot only 55 percent around the rim last season (which ranks in the bottom third of the league among point guards). If he can improve that aspect of his game – and he has shown an ability to do that during stretches of his career – with some shooting around him, he can provide what you would want a lead guard to provide in creating shots for his teammates off dribble penetration.

He might not be fun for Knicks fans to watch, but he could be the best solution they have in certain lineups.

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