Daily Knicks
Fansided

New York Knicks: Best move they did and didn’t make

By Josh Cornelissen

New York Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
New York Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
New York Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo
New York Knicks, Donte DiVincenzo. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Best move the New York Knicks made: Signing Donte DiVincenzo

At first glance, the Knicks already have enough guards. Jalen Brunson played at an All-Star level last season, Quentin Grimes started much of the season at shooting guard, and midseason acquisition Josh Hart stands 6’4. Immanuel Quickley was a finalist for Sixth Man of the Year, and Miles McBride looks ready for playing time. Did they need another guard?

Perhaps not, but two-way combo forwards weren’t exactly coming out of the woodwork in the Knicks’ price range, and there is a lot to like about the signing of Donte DiVincenzo. The most enjoyable connecting point is that DiVincenzo was on the Villanova Wildcats team that won the National Championship in both 2016 and 2018, along with Brunson and Hart (Hart graduated before the second title).

What’s more valuable to the Knicks, however, is that DiVincenzo is incredibly versatile and able to fill whatever role the Knicks ask of him. He is only 6’4, but his wingspan and strength allow him to play up a position, not simply to shooting guard but to small forward at times. Similarly to Hart, DiVincenzo is a plus rebounder, and one of the keys to playing small is rebounding out of position. DiVincenzo averaged 6.2 rebounds per 36 minutes last season with the Golden State Warriors.

The other two keys to playing small? Creating turnovers and stretching the defense, and DDV does both of those as well. He is an expert pickpocket, with a career 2.2 percent steal rate, and he shot 39.7 percent from deep last year. He can play next to Brunson, or with Quickley in an all-bench backcourt, or in a three-guard lineup manning the wing with Hart or Grimes.

Finally, adding DiVincenzo gives the New York Knicks redundancies if they move on from one or more of their backcourt players in a trade. If the team moves Quickley, for example, he can help run the bench offense. Trade Grimes and DiVincenzo becomes more of the perimeter stopper.

Given the other options available, DiVincenzo was an excellent signing.

Home/Knicks News