New York Knicks: 5 takeaways from 4-game West Coast trip

1. Elfrid Payton taking control of point guard spot

One of the biggest issues when David Fizdale was the head coach of the New York Knicks, was the lack of defined roles. Too often players didn’t know when or how much they would be playing on a given night. One of the positions that saw this happen too often was the point guard spot.

A big reason the Knicks are in the position they are is that they haven’t been able to figure out the point guard position. Coming into the season, there were three options to choose from; Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr. and Elfrid Payton. Rookie RJ Barrett has even been used there for periods.

However, the constant shuffling looks to have come to an end this road trip as Payton has seemingly taken control of the position.

Ntilikina is still the starter, but it is clear that Miller has a lot of confidence in Payton. Payton has been closing games and has earned that role.

Payton was working his way back from injury during this trip, but Miller thrust him right into a big role. He played only 13 minutes against the Blazers, but played at least 25 minutes in each of the next three games. Part of that could be that Smith was dealing with an illness, but he received a DNP-coach’s decision against the Nuggets, so he may be out of the rotation right now.

Payton responded to the expanded role with some solid performances. He scored in double-figures in each of the games, grabbing at least four rebounds in the three games. He also handed out at least four assists in all four games. Payton ended the trip on a high note, scoring 10 points with 11 assists and seven rebounds.

Payton can do some damage if he has some shooters around him to space the court. He has shown an ability to get into the paint and either create for himself or his teammates, something they don’t consistently receive from Smith or Ntilikina.

Right now, Payton has earned the lion share of the minutes at point guard. Ntilikina will still have a role given his skill set, but it would not be surprising to see Smith continue to rack up DNPs in the near future.