New York Knicks: 3 Things to watch for on opening night

New York Knicks: Will Derrick Rose or Kemba Walker close games?

This is a good problem to have. Long gone are the days of Emmanuel Mudiay, Frank Ntilikina, and Elfrid Payton.

The New York Knicks have two legit starting point guards who excel in breaking down defenses and scoring. So who is going to be on the court in the final minutes of the 4th quarter?

This doesn’t exactly mean “who is taking the last shot?” as we saw Julius Randle nail a game-winner in the team’s final preseason game. Randle will surely have a ton of “closer” responsibilities.

This is such a tough question because Walker and Rose are so close in their level of performance and offensive output. These are both guys you want on the court late in the game.

I have a hard time imagining that Tom Thibodeau would roll out both of them in the same lineup. The defense in a Walker/Rose backcourt would be suspect.

That’s actually where part of this conversation goes, is defense. Walker has been prone to lackluster defense due to his size and frame, and it could be a factor in Rose being the point guard on the court late in games.

Both players have a propensity to hit clutch shots and be effective late in games.

This is something that could change game-to-game, but for now, I’d expect Rose’s familiarity with the system to make him the point guard late in games.