New York Knicks: Kyle O’Quinn is approaching the most critical season of his career

The New York Knicks have a lot to prove this season, but even some less utilized players in the rotation have even more to prove than others.

The New York Knicks have been plenty busy this summer, from overhauling their front office to bringing in some new experienced veteran talent.

The gauge does not appear to have moved one way or the other in the matter of where Carmelo Anthony may end up, but what else is new?

While the talk of the town is currently Frank Ntilkina and other young promising talent, somewhere in the middle Kyle O’Quinn seems to be overlooked.

This can be said for his career thus far as well.

He brings to the table what many coaches desire in players: easy-going off the court, tough as nails on the court. He is the Knicks’ jolly Santa Claus on the bench, but can also be a tenacious big when called upon.

He may not be versatile in the way of shooting threes, but he is certainly athletic and mobile for a 6’10”, 250-pound center.

He can handle the ball fairly well and can hit the open lane when cleared. He fights for rebounds and he hustles on both ends of the court. What’s the downside?

Competing for minutes in a tough crowd

It is hard to not wonder what other kind of value the New York Knicks may have on their roster if not for taking on an overvalued Joakim Noah past his prime.

Hindsight is 20/20 and the Knicks need not look back; the “Phil Jackson Era” is over.

Willy Hernangomez took nearly everyone by surprise with an excellent rookie year and taking on most of the starts, swapping at the 4 or 5 with Kristaps Porzingis. Despite the attention that Hernangomez has rightfully earned, and more than likely secured a starting spot, O’ Quinn finds himself in a good position.

Compared to Joakim Noah, he is by far the better player, which is a bold statement against someone who was an All-NBA selection four seasons ago.

Here is a per 36 minute comparison between O’Quinn and Noah last season.

• O’Quinn:  14.5 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, 77.1 free throw percentage
• Noah:  8.2 points, 14.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 43.6 free throw percentage

Sure Joakim Noah has the ability to grab boards, but that is about all he has to offer. Kyle O’Quinn comes with the ability to be productive on both ends of the floor and can be a serious rim protector.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

Most importantly, he can actually sink his free throws, something Noah is still unable to do in his career.

It’s tough to make an argument for him to earn starter’s minutes over Hernangomez, but he certainly deserves more minutes this season.

O’ Quinn has only averaged 14.5 minutes per game during his career. You have to go back to 2013 to reach his peak playing time at 17.2 minutes per game.

While O’Quinn is still due roughly $8 million over the next two years, the possibility of him taking on a bigger role with the Knicks is a long shot.

Should he play as well as he did last year, it’s hard to imagine that he doesn’t draw interest from other teams in need of a big man. This year, Kyle O’Quinn is playing for a well deserved pay day in the future.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Kyle O’Quinn is approaching the most critical year of his career, in hopes of becoming more than just a role player over the next couple years.