While everyone else is looking at a blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to get the New York Knicks back into the NBA Finals for the first time this century, Rich Paul believes that something significantly smaller could realistically do the trick instead.
During a recent episode of The Ringer's Game Over, the Klutch Sports CEO stated that the ball club is a "surface-level trade" away from legitimate title contention, specifically designating it into the "guard space."
Needless to say, this is a narrative Knicks fans have been preaching for the better part of the last two seasons, and yet, nothing has been done to address it.
Rich Paul preaches Knicks need added guard depth to make title run
There's a strong case to be made that Jalen Brunson is the best point guard the Knicks have had since Walt Frazier.
Considering his resume consists of two All-NBA selections, three top-12 finishes in the MVP race, three straight playoff runs going to at least the conference semifinal, and per-game averages of 26.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds on 48.5 percent shooting from the floor and 39.6 percent shooting from deep, it's hard to argue against such a claim.
That being said, at the end of the day, Brunson is merely just a human, yet New York's game plan uses him as if he's Superman.
With every passing season that he's played in the orange and blue threads, his usage and overall dependency have gradually increased to the point where, without him on the floor, the team looks totally lost.
When he's on the sidelines, the Knicks plummet to the 48 percentile in points per 100 possessions (115.2), the 31 percentile in effective field goal percentage (53.1), and the 72 percentile in point differential (+4.5), a stark contrast to their placement in the 97 (127.8), 89 (57.9), and 91 (+11.7) percentiles in each of these respective categories when on the hardwood.
While there are a number of excuses people could point to for this appalling drop-off, perhaps the most often discussed is the team's lack of dependability at the backup point guard position.
Clearly, the current option, Tyler Kolek, isn't yet ready to take on the responsibilities of serving as Brunson's primary understudy, so Josh Hart, a natural wing, has been forced to step into the role.
Though he's certainly impressed at times, this is by no means a long-term solution.
Whether it's going for an established veteran like Chris Paul, who, though at the tail end of his career, is a proven quarterback on the court, or a scrappy 3&D option like Jose Alvarado, who can fill a number of needs within the rotation, it's apparent both to Knicks fans and, now, Rich Paul that some backcourt bolstering may be necesary to get over the hump.
Hopefully, Leon Rose and company are on the same page.