The Knicks' rotation has mostly taken its final form after they signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele in free agency. That said, they still have a veteran minimum contract available and questions surrounding their depth at the wing, questions that could be answered with the versatile sharpshooter Garrison Mathews.
One of the biggest deterrents to joining the Knicks, from a veteran's perspective, is the lack of minutes to go around. Reports surfaced that the lack of available minutes was the main reason that Marcus Smart wasn't interested in joining New York. What they do have in their favor is that they are poised to compete for a title, which may be enough to interest a veteran who has limited offers on the table.
While the Knicks certainly made significant upgrades to their bench, they still are a tad light on true wings after OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart. Mathews would give them a nice insurance layer.
The Knicks have been linked to several veterans who are still available, including Landry Shamet, Ben Simmons, and Malcolm Brogdon. One thing that Mathews would bring to the table is elite shooting off the bench, giving them multiple players capable of coming into the game and getting hot from deep in a heartbeat.
Mathews is a true sharpshooter
Mathews is a career 38 percent shooter from deep. Over his six-year career, he has never shot lower than 35 percent from beyond the 3-point line. Last season, which Mathews spent with the Atlanta Hawks, he hit just under 40 percent of his threes, on 4.6 attempts per game.
Where Mathews is particularly lethal is off the catch. Last season, according to league tracking data, he drained 56.4 percent of his stationary catch-and-shoot attempts, by far the best percentage of any player who attempted at least 75 of such shots.
Not much beyond 3-point shooting
As is often the case with free agents who are still available in late July, there are flaws in Mathew's game. He is somewhat of a one-trick pony on offense. Beyond 3-point shooting, his offensive game falls off substantially. Last season, according to league tracking data, Mathews attempted only 18 shots at the rim, finishing at just 44.5 percent.
His low rim pressure stems from his equally low drive rate. Last season, he only drove the ball 3.2 times per 100 possessions, which ranked in just the 19th percentile in the league. Still, Mathews' size and shooting should be intriguing for a team lacking wing depth and that ranked 27th in 3-point volume last season.