NBA: 4 Best Possible Free Agency Fits For Mike Conley
New York Knicks
If you have been paying any attention to the New York Knicks, you know that they are in desperate need of a point guard. At a quick glance, the Knicks wouldn’t be the first team to pop into mind when thinking of a possible suitor for Conley, but considering him as the floor general setting up Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis could make New York potential contenders in the East.
Conley is the ideal fit for new head coach Jeff Hornacek‘s system. Although the triangle will still be featured, Conley could flourish in the up-tempo pick-and-roll focused system that Hornacek will try and blend in. Earlier this week, Hornacek said in an interview with ESPN 98.7 FM:
"“If we can find a point guard who, that’s the 27, 28-year-old guy who has the experience and still has a lot of juice left, sure that would make us better.”"
That description matches Conley quite perfectly. The 28-year-old still looks to have a ton of basketball left in him and barring any terrible injuries, will be a productive player in the NBA for years to come.
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Anthony hasn’t played with many great point guards in his career. In fact, the top two are arguably Jason Kidd and Chauncey Billups — both of whom were on the back end of their careers.
Giving him a point guard that could create spot-up jumpers would be bad news for opposing defenses. A Conely/Porzingis pick-and-roll would be set up to give opponents fits after seeing how versatile the 7’3″ Latvian can be in those situations last season.
The Eastern Conference appeared to improve this season, and the Knicks were once again absent from postseason play, but inserting Conley as the point guard would be the first step into making a colossal jump in the standings.
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