I’m writing this about an hour after the NY Knicks just won their 9th straight game!
This feeling is unreal.
To have followed the Knicks through all of their ups and downs over close to 20 years worth of fandom, what my favorite team is doing right now couldn’t possibly mean more to me.
The “Melo” years were special too, but we all expected greatness from that team.
We also all knew that the 2012 team had a very short window to succeed, so if they didn’t find a way to win within that timeframe, we as fans wouldn’t see a team like that built for a while.
It’s not even like we all expected today’s team to be ok. Middle of the pack. No…
We expected another dead season, counting the minutes until the next draft in hopes of selecting our savior.
Our “saviors” came in a few forms this year instead.
Firstly, James Dolan made the best hiring he’s ever made in Leon Rose.
What should the NY Knicks do at the point guard spot next year?
Shoutout to Bob Myers with the Warriors for being the first former agent to be hired as an Executive for a team and really creating the blueprint of what works in today’s NBA from a roster construction standpoint.
Second, the hiring of Tom Thibodeau. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of slack for saying this but I’m not sure Thibs is the coach that will be with this team when they win their next title for a multitude of reasons, but I also wouldn’t be upset about it if he was.
He brought a sense of professionalism and accountability to a young roster full of hungry kids wanting to know what success felt like in the NBA.
Also, what he’s done with everyone on the team today outside of just RJ Barrett and Julius Randle.
He’s making guys that were viewed as reserves or rotational players look like absolute studs.
Lastly, RJ Barrett really starting to come into his own and be the star we all knew he was when he was drafted, alongside Julius Randle becoming this All-NBA type of player out of nowhere.
We have a legitimate Most Improved Player candidate and someone who could garner some votes for MVP of the season as well.
Again, this feeling is unreal.
I love everything about this team…except for one thing. The starting point guard position AKA Elfird Payton.
Look, he’s a quality player, but he makes a lot of boneheaded plays and is really just the one glaring hole on the entire roster.
For anyone who actually understands basketball and watches every game from start to finish, the Knicks have been winning games in spite of him.
Whether it be him driving into 3 defenders instead of kicking it out to an open shooter or even when he tries to pass it out to someone and gets the ball stolen or turns it over…
The Knicks need an upgrade, one way or another.
With someone in there who can score more efficiently than Elf or can create more ball movement in the half-court and in transition, it’ll open up doors for this Knicks roster that they haven’t seen before.
Here I’ll be discussing the 3 different directions I believe the Knicks can go in this offseason to improve the point guard play.
Should the NY Knicks trade for their next starting PG?
The beauty of having a few young, tradeable assets along with a slew of draft capital is that the Knicks can utilize these pieces to fill in holes within the roster one way or another.
Of course, they can opt to draft a couple of players but as I’ve mentioned before, especially in a recent podcast of mine, Coach Thibs HATES rookies.
Anyone they draft moving forward is going to most likely have to work harder than normal to earn a spot in the rotation because Thibs will opt to play his veterans over younger players no matter who they are or how early they’re drafted.
This is why I think the Knicks could certainly choose to trade some of their picks in a trade for a better point guard to run the offense.
Some guys I would like them to consider would be Malcolm Brogdon, Jalen Brunson, and Lonzo Ball.
I say Lonzo via trade because I don’t see the Pelicans moving on from him for nothing so a sign-and-trade scenario is far more likely to happen in my opinion.
I’ve written extensively on the bunch and there are many reasons for any of them to play the next few years as a Knick.
Now, my primary concern with this path is that it basically solidifies Immanuel Quickley’s role for the Knicks for the next few years as a 6th man, where I believe he has all the makings of New York’s point guard of the future which I’ll be covering in an article soon.
Lonzo would need to get a multi-year extension right off the bat as he’s already a free agent after this season.
Brunson has one year left on his rookie deal and the main reason why the Mavs could look to move on from him is that they may not be able to pay him what he’ll be asking for when the time comes. That’ll cost the Knicks another multi-year deal.
Brogdon is currently on a 4-year, $85 million deal and is set to become a free agent in 2023.
I think in about 2 seasons, Quickley will be ready to take the reins full time as the starter, so maybe during the deadline of the 2022-23 season, Brogdon could be moved elsewhere as an expiring contract which would allow the Knicks to then start Quickley.
Let’s see.
Should the NY Knicks sign a free agent as their next starting PG?
If Chris Paul were to become available, which he won’t, I’d say that would be the no-brainer choice unless he wanted a 3 or 4-year contract.
I’m not giving a guy nearing 37 years old that kind of a deal and I don’t think Leon Rose would either.
Other names that could be options would be Mike Conley who I don’t see leaving Utah, Dennis Schroder who’ll be demanding too much money and too long of a contract, and Goran Dragic whom I also don’t see leaving his current team.
The two names I would like the Knicks to explore would be Kyle Lowry and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Dinwiddie is coming off of a season-ending injury and would come in either on a cheaper, long-term deal or a shorter “1+1” overpay type of deal.
Lowry, I’m sure can be secured on a similar “1+1” overpay as well.
I’d imagine Dinwiddie could be signed to a 2-year contract worth somewhere in the realm of $18-20 million per year and be given a team option for the second year of the contract.
Lowry could sign for anywhere between $25-35 million per year on either a 1-year contract or like Dinwiddie and 1+1 with a team option for the 2nd season.
Both of those players would also allow Immanuel Quickley to become the team’s starting point guard in a couple of seasons.
Should Derrick Rose get a shot at starting for the NY Knicks next year?
Bring the whole band back together while we’re at it!
Derrick Rose has quietly become the team’s 3rd best player behind RJ and Julius.
Every game I watch him play, not only does he do something incredible that makes you say “wow” but the entire team around him becomes better.
He obviously has Coach Thibs’ trust and does everything you need a point guard to do.
He’s been shooting the ball better as a Knick, 37% from deep as opposed to 33% during the 15 games he spent with Detroit this season.
Mind you, that’s on the same 2.6 attempts per game for both teams. So it’s not like he’s shooting less as a Knick and that’s inflating his numbers.
I’m glad his role and minutes have increased as of late because he deserves it over Payton right now.
Come playoff time, I wouldn’t be surprised if Elfrid Payton’s minutes are reduced to between 10-12 per game.
Rose’s playmaking is better, his basketball IQ is better, and he’s a far superior scorer.
Bringing back Rose on a 1 or 2-year deal will keep the team’s chemistry intact moving forward and allows Quickley to have an increased role off the bench up until he inevitably takes over the starting job in a few years.
LET’S GO KNICKS!