New York Knicks: A Realistic Point Guard Wishlist For 2016 Trade Deadline
By Jon Shames
The New York Knicks have a gaping hole at the point guard position that they need to fill if they are serious about a playoff push.
For the first time since May 2013, New York Knicks fans have something to smile about.
This New York club has dwelled in the depths of the East since a falsely promising 2012-13 campaign saw the Knicks rack up 54 wins. A winning culture that was birthed from an emphasis on unselfishness and teamwork vanished and unfortunately, the Knicks were unable to rediscover that culture since.
Well, until this season.
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Though the team was only able to muster up 54 total wins in the past two years combined, this current Knicks club — headlined by rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis and a suddenly willing passer in Carmelo Anthony — has already surpassed last year’s win total (17) and is now 20-21, one game back of the eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Knicks retooled nicely in the summer of 2015, adding solid role players in Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo, and Derrick Williams, but it’s become quite clear that the Knicks are still a star away from contending, even with the emergence of Porzingis.
Perhaps the most obvious hole in the Knicks’ lineup is at the point guard position, where the team features a 34-year-old Jose Calderon as the starter. Though Calderon has made a career off savvy, intelligent play, he lacks the offensive explosiveness that most teams desire from their starting point guard.
The Knicks have played it safe and cycled through average point guards over the past few seasons, but with a postseason berth a real possibility for New York, it’s time for Phil Jackson to trade for a floor general who can pack a punch. Luckily, the pickings project to be plentiful, come the Feb. 18 trade deadline.
What point guards could/should the Knicks pursue, you ask? Here’s a look at three very different targets the team could pursue, depending on Jackson’s mood:
Next: Option No. 1: low-risk; low chances at a high reward