New York Knicks: Complete grades for the 2019 NBA offseason
Wayne Ellington signing
The 2018-19 season was a rough one for the New York Knicks. There were a few highlights, but they were severely outweighed by the negatives. One of the biggest negatives was their shooting.
New York tied with the Dallas Mavericks for the third-worst 3-point shooting percentage in the league at 34 percent. Only five teams made fewer 3-pointers than the Knicks’ 10 per game.
In today’s space and pace NBA, they needed to fix this problem and Wayne Ellington was one of the answers.
Ellington is a career 37.9 percent shooter from the 3-point line on nearly four attempts per game. That kind of consistent floor spacing has been missing from the Knicks and will greatly improve the team’s spacing.
The former Tar Heel also has experience coming off the bench or starting, so he should amenable to any role that Fizdale chooses for him. He also brings a little playoff experience to the table.
Damyean Dotson is someone that will benefit greatly from having a veteran such as Ellington around.
On an affordable two-year deal, with a team option in Year 2, Ellington is a worthwhile addition to the squad. He can be used as a trade piece at the deadline to bolster a playoff contender or to help match salary in the offseason in a bigger trade.