NY Knicks: Top 10 point guards from the past decade
2: Raymond Felton (2010-11, 2013-14)
Raymond Felton was an integral part of the D’Antoni ball era, before the arrival of Carmelo Anthony. He was averaging 17.1/3.6/9.0 and 1.8 steals until he was traded to the Denver Nuggets.
Unfortunately, his near All-Star performance was in the 2010 season and doesn’t fit the timeframe of this past decade.
Nonetheless, Felton returned to New York after disappointing stints in both Denver and Portland. He shared the backcourt with Kidd and helped the Knicks to a decade-high record of 54-28.
He averaged 13.9/2.9/5.5 for the season. While he had regressed since his time with D’Antoni, his quickness and ability to adapt to the new system were great. Felton was the starting point guard of the best team from the past decade.
1: Derrick Rose (2016-17, 2020-)
Rose had two stints with the Knicks. The first was in 2016, his first season away from the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 18.0/3.8/4.4 in 64 games.
New York drafted Porzingis the year prior and brought on Rose and Joakim Noah to reach the playoffs once again. Rose did not look as flashy as he once did with the Bulls but was still a decent offensive option.
The Knicks finished the season 31-51 under Jeff Hornacek and Rose left as a free agent in the summer. No other point guard over the past decade averaged more points than he did in the 2016 season.
On Feb. 8, 2021, New York traded Smith Jr. and the 2021 second-round pick for Rose, reuniting him with Thibodeau. Mostly coming off the bench, he averaged 14.9/2.9/4.2 for the rest of the year.
Everyone knows that his defense isn’t the strongest aspect of his game, but his penetrating skills and unexpected outside shooting helped the team lock down the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference in 2020-21.
The Knicks faced the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs and while most of the roster struggled, Rose was the sole contributor that seemed to have any control over the game.
New York felt the immediate impact of Rose injuring his ankle in 2021-22 and they had a losing record with him out of the lineup.
Needless to say, Rose has been the most impactful point guard for the Knicks this decade and he has spent half of it on the bench. I think that speaks volumes when it comes to New York’s front office’s failure to bring a long-term solution to the point guard position.
Rose is turning 34 this year and is best utilized coming off the bench. The Knicks must address these issues and perhaps Quickley or Miles McBride can become the suitable replacements for the future.
