NY Knicks: Should they give Lance Stephenson a call?

NY Knicks: What does Lance Stephenson bring?

Lance Stephenson has had a reputation around the league as an eccentric player. Many Lance Stephenson headlines from years past have more to do with his on-court antics as opposed to his game. Make no mistake, he’s been a high-impact player in a few different areas of the game throughout his career.

Stephenson has always been an effective perimeter defender. Standing 6’6 with a 6’10 wingspan and weighing 230lbs, Stephenson has always utilized his size and strength to guard multiple positions. He’s a versatile defender to have in your back pocket. You could be an all-world shooter and playmaker, but you’ll need to play defense to carve out a role in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.

Then there’s his playmaking. Throughout his entire career, Lance Stephenson has marked near the top percentile in the league in Assist % and his assist-to-usage rate (From Cleaning The Glass). As a secondary playmaker, Stephenson can generate a lot of offense for others. Something The NY Knicks don’t have a lot of – especially on the wing. They could create some fun lineups putting him at the small forward spot.

The versatility he brings to the game is why he should be a prime candidate to fill out the last bench spot. He can step up in case a few different players at different positions get hurt.

Long-range shooting has never been his strong suit – He’s a career 31.5% 3-point shooter. As the aforementioned podcast discussed, players trying to get back into the league will always emphasize trying to adjust their game to the modern league. So will The Knicks pull the trigger?