Recent New York Knicks rumors involve point guard Elfrid Payton, who may have locked up a starting spot months ago.
There have been a number of New York Knicks rumors popping up with the 2019-20 regular season just days away. There is still a lot to figure out for the Knicks, as their roster is full of players who could start on the team, but no one knows who will be starting.
David Fizdale is going to have his hands full when it comes to selecting his starting five and filling out the rotation. There is no denying that the roster is improved this year compared to the roster he had during his first season in the Big Apple. However, it will also cause him some issues.
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New York is in the midst of a rebuild. They need to figure out which young players are worth keeping and building around. However, the team added a number of veterans this offseason in free agency that expects to play a specific role during the season.
There is a logjam at multiple spots on the roster. However, at some of those logjams have a lead dog. For example, Julius Randle will be the lead man at power forward. RJ Barrett should be the lead man on the wing at shooting guard. The point guard position, however, is a different story.
New York has three options right now to use as their starting point guard and the competition was reportedly wide open.
Frank Ntilikina would fit the rebuilding mold, as the former lottery selection needs reps to continue developing. He had a strong summer playing for Team France during the FIBA World Cup, exuding plenty of confidence.
Dennis Smith Jr. was the centerpiece of the return package in the Kristaps Porzingis trade deadline deal. New York will assuredly give him a chance given how their offseason went. By not landing the max free agents they cleared space for, Smith’s development will be watched even more closely.
The third option for the starting point guard spot is Elfrid Payton. Payton signed with the Knicks as a free agent this summer. He had arguably the worst preseason of the three, but that may not matter.
During preseason play, Frank Ntilikina posted the best Defensive Rating on the team.
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) October 19, 2019
The Knicks allowed just 85.8 points per 100 possessions with Ntilikina on the floor.
In contrast, NY allowed 112.9 points per 100 possessions with Elfrid Payton on the floor.
According to a New Orleans Pelicans source, via Marc Berman of the New York Post, Payton was all but promised the starting point guard spot by the Knicks during their free-agent pitch to him. That is what partly drew him to New York.
Payton said he had a chance to return to the Pelicans if he wanted, but chose to leave on his own accord.
"“They asked me to come back,’’ said Payton, who was drafted by the Magic in the 2014 lottery when Knicks general manager Scott Perry worked for Orlando. “I just felt this was a better situation. It was a better fit. [Ball] had no effect. I’m not afraid of competition.’"
While Payton is confident in himself, playing time was probably a big reason for leaving. Lonzo Ball was acquired in the Anthony Davis trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and is their point guard of the future. Jrue Holiday, despite his preference to play shooting guard, is still there as well to do some of the ballhandling as well.
Also working in Payton’s favor is that Scott Perry, the Knicks’ general manager, was with the Orlando Magic front office when they acquired him on draft night back in 2014.
If Payton was essentially promised a starting spot during his free agency meeting, that is very disappointing to hear. Given the current state of the team, and the players that were already on the roster at point guard, no such promise should have been made.
Ntilikina and Smith need all the reps they can handle. Both are entering their third year in the NBA but have a lot of room for improvement. Kadeem Allen also played well last season when called upon and is on a two-way deal once again this season.
Payton brings some positives to the court, but not enough that he should have been handed a starting spot without even getting on the court and putting a blue and orange jersey on.
For a team that already has some players rumbling about their roles and minutes for the upcoming season, this is a bad look. Payton did very little to jump multiple people that were already on the depth chart, let alone earn the starting job with his play during the preseason.