New York Knicks: Adding Arron Afflalo A Smart Move

In the end, the New York Knicks began the free agency period in a fashion not typical of their recent history. There were pitches to some of the big guns sure, and in some cases, already this team appears to have lost out on some big names (Greg Monroe, who elected to move to the Milwaukee Bucks and their smaller market over the bright lights of NYC).

Other than that, however, no signature names were tied down to long-term deals, there was nothing great for Knicks fans to shout about on Wednesday.

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Thursday started somewhat differently however, as it was announced early in the day that the Knicks had agreed to terms with 29-year-old guard Arron Afflalo. The deal itself was modest, two years at $16 million with the second year a player option, and already some will have forgotten about the move in the grand scheme of things.

If president of basketball operations Phil Jackson can make some more subtle–and also bigger–moves, however, this deal could pay off in a huge way.

Firstly, the facts. Afflalo has always been, and continue to be, an excellent two way player who can contribute regularly on both ends of the court. Somewhat ironically, he ended up playing the second half of last season on one of the few teams with an even better two-way stud in their ranks.

That team was the Portland Trail Blazers, and the player in question was Wesley Matthews. An Achilles injury ended Matthews’ season early, and in reality was one of the first dominoes to fall as Portland’s playoff ambitions, and then suddenly long-term goals, began to crumble.

Sadly for Afflalo, however, he injured his shoulder towards the end of the year and couldn’t show what he could truly do for a playoff team.

What you may not know however, is that Afflalo is a man for any occasion. During his initial stint in this league with the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets, he played the role of a quiet cog who could put up points and defend multiple players. He became a starter his third year in the league, and has a career three-point shooting percentage of 39 percent.

That number and it’s importance we’ll return to.

As his career progressed, he found himself with a poor Orlando Magic team, and was asked by default to be their main threat on offense while Victor Oladipo found his feet in the league. That was not a good time for Magic fans, and yet Afflalo averaged 18.2 points per game in the second of his two seasons there. Did he look comfortable suddenly being the go to guy every night?

Not exactly, but the point is he did it, all while mentoring a young Oladipo along the way. He was a scorching 42 percent from beyond the arc that year with the Magic, and in many ways that has been his career year in this league to date. Perhaps not an All-Star snub that season in 2013-14, he must surely have been in consideration to make the team.

Magic fans must surely shudder to think how bad it could have gotten without him. His Player Efficiency Rating of 16 that year was only just better than league average, but it was hard to truly impact that team given the lack of talent around Afflalo. Trading him away made sense to allow Oladipo to grow, but some fans were certainly sorry to see him go.

So when you look at his career arc so far, it’s clear the Knicks have gotten a bargain here, especially as the salary cap could rise by as much as $30 million next summer. Afflalo is a guy who can fill many roles for a team that has just recorded the worst season in franchise history. Sixth man off the bench? No problem for Afflalo, who has been a productive threat off the bench in the past.

Need somebody to lock down an opponent? Afflalo can do that as well and does it with a consistency he is rarely given credit for. If Carmelo Anthony goes to the bench, he can return to his Orlando days and have the offense run through him if needed. Look, this is not the big name Anthony needs to help him with the heavy lifting.

But it’s a cheap addition, a proven NBA player who has succeeded in several roles in this league.

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There is just one catch to Afflalo’s arrival. I’ve always been of the opinion that he’s a missing piece kind of player, a guy who you add to a contending team and watch as they improve to the point where they can seriously think about winning a title.

Imagine Afflalo on the Cleveland Cavaliers or Los Angeles Clippers (a team that could have really done with him if their finances were in better shape).

Afflalo could even thrive with the pace and space play of the San Antonio Spurs. We’ve spoken about his three-point shooting abilities, and it would apply here as well. He does not need touches to be effective, and you never hear a peep out of him to the media either. He’s a professional.

The Knicks had the second-worst offensive efficiency in the league behind only the Philadelphia 76ers last year, while defensively they ranked 28th.

So while he is a great fit for a contender, I worry he could get lost in New York and float through the season before potentially hitting the open market once more. Let’s be honest here, Afflalo is no franchise savior, but you better believe he alone is capable of pushing those numbers in the right direction somewhat. He’s too good from downtown and on the defensive end not to.

So the Knicks have played it smart here. They went out and got a guy capable of helping in a number of areas. Do they need more pieces? Absolutely, and it’s no quick overnight fix either. But in Arron Afflalo they’ve picked the right guy for the right moment. Somebody who will help them forget the woes of last year, while giving his all for a team that will still struggle to make the playoffs.

It should be business as usual for Afflalo next year, and that means quietly going about his business for his new team.

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